Making a ‘mer pass’ observation is one of the simplest, yet most useful navigation tools for sailors to possess, explains Jay Renton
Practical Boat Owner
Follow Practical Boat Owner
Florentino Das: a shoestring voyage of adventure across the Pacific in a 24ft boat
Richard King and Serafin Colmenares Jr. look back at the remarkable Pacific voyage of Florentino Das in his 24ft home-built boat
“Why changing to an electric motor was a disaster”
Felix Marks attempts to embrace a green future for his Tofinou 7, but his experiment with an electric motor proves costly when damp conditions prevail
How to make an easy marina mooring pick-up device
Jon Sharp devises an easy marina mooring pick-up using a hoop on a pole
“How I restored my Jeanneau Sun 2000 trailer-sailer at the age of 15”
Jack Gore was just 10 when he became smitten with Victoria. He explains how he turned a neglected Jeanneau Sun 2000 trailer-sailer into his dream boat
Evolution of the electric winch handle
Electric winch handles can help crew perform any task on board a yacht, regardless of their strength, size or physical abilities. Roger Hughes looks at how they developed
22 practical tips for a single handed sailor to make your boat easier to sail
Doctor Tom Miller shares some ideas to help make single handed sailing a safer and more comfortable experience
Six rivers and a backwater – cruising the East Coast of England
John Kingsnorth endeavours to ‘go with wind and tide’ and cover as many English East Coast rivers as possible in a week aboard his Nova 27 cruising yacht
“We recovered a stolen boat while cruising on the Norfolk Broads”
A quiet January cruise on the Norfolk Broads turns into an unexpected crime drama for PBO contributor Will Renilson when he helps in the recovery of a stolen 35ft Bourne…
Should I register my boat in an EU country to avoid paying VAT again?
Susan Hurford has paid VAT on her boat in the UK. The boat was moored in Spain at the end of the Brexit transition period and is now in Gibraltar…
How to get more life out of sailboat lines: step-by-step
Dena Hankins shares how to make your running rigging last that little bit longer
The tragic tale of solo sailor Roman Titov
Roman Titov repaired his dismasted yacht but was sadly later lost at sea. Solo sailor Roger D Taylor describes what happened
Sunk by the rocks – an anchoring misadventure
When Jeff Middleton got into difficulties with a stuck prop shaft while trying to anchor in Bull Bay on Anglesey, he never imagined it would result in the loss of…
“What was I thinking?” Riding out a two-day blow on my Atlanta 25
Ray Lein tries to outrun Storm Babette in his Atlanta 25, before taking shelter behind Worm’s Head in the Bristol Channel
Can diesel bug fuel treatments work together?
PBO reader Nick Houlding wants to know if different diesel bug fuel treatments can be mixed. Peter Wielde from Marine 16 has the answer
Make your own hose adapter stowage on your boat
Federico Ramirez has a simple idea for handy hose adapter stowage
Techniques for boating in shallow water
Sailing in shallows means it’s likely that sooner or later you’ll go aground – but if you’ve planned for the eventuality in advance the chances are you’ll either avoid it…
How I managed to cruise 230 miles of the Thames through 82 locks without stepping ashore
Chris Colverson enjoys the sights when she spends 22 days aboard a 22ft river cruiser – from Shepperton Marina to the source of the River Thames and back, or at…
Installing a transducer on a boat
Brian Johnson replaces his old paddlewheel log with an electromagnetic transducer
How I built my own 18ft motorboat
Having already built a dinghy and a dayboat, Ben Russell decided to design and construct an 18ft Selway Fisher Clyde motorboat