Practical Boat Owner

Cockpit tables are great things on any boat, but stowing them away when they’re not in use is always a headache. We saw the perfect arrangement for us on a…

Going aloft to the masthead can be tricky at the best of times on a calm day in a marina – and even more so at sea. In our November…

Small power boat wrecked at Le Picquerel. Credit: Peter Frankland

storm force winds rattled through the islands during January causing damage to sea defences particularly along Guernsey’s North West coastline, writes John Frankland.

The propshaft slipped back and wedged the rudder, setting off a calamitous chain of events. Credit Dick Everitt

As if loss of steering and starting to sink wasn’t bad enough, John Broadhead was forced to keep a cool head and think quickly when he became trapped in a…

I often sail single-handed and picking up mooring buoys can be awkward, so I’ve constructed a lasso line to help. It consists of a 1m length of 6mm chain with…

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It’s vitally important to ensure that the tension of your boat’s rigging is within the correct limits: Alex Bell tests four rig tension gauges to assess their accuracy

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In PBO’s dehumidifiers group test, the Meaco DD8L Junior won the best buy award – and Meaco have now produced an additional model with improved features, writes Alex Bell.

Handheld VHF radios

A vital piece of kit in any boat cockpit, Alex Bell and a PBO test team check out popular handheld radios for effectiveness and ease of use