The March issue of PBO is packed with reader tips, expert advice, Used boat suggestions and a new boat test. We focus on mast checks in the practical section in time for pre-season and the seadogs and their owners, some hard-won experience by two liveaboards who have visited a dozen countries on their yacht. Click on the images below for a full screen readable preview.

---

Used boats: Fast French twin-keelers
Peter Poland highlights the French twin-keel cruisers that are in a class of their own

“Many sailors enjoy the creekcrawling convenience and low-cost moorings made possible by shoal-draught yachts, of which some of the best examples in recent years are twin keelers designed and built in France…”

---

New Boats: Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 on test
This spacious, fast and well-mannered 30-footer is put to the test by Rupert Holmes

“Beneteau has clearly put a lot of thought, effort and knowledge into its latest model. As a result the Oceanis 30.1 sets new standards for a boat that’s just short of 30ft.”

---

Tips for sailing with dogs
Handy advice for cruising near and far with your four-legged friends by Michelle Segrest

“Having our two beagles – Cap’n Jack and Scout – on board provides many rewards and challenges, and it is something we will never regret. Here are our top ten tips for sailing the world with dogs. Some of these tips will also apply to sailing with other kinds of pets.”

---

Stowage solutions
Rupert Holmes’ top tips for maximising the useful space on board

“Creating good stowage is time consuming and expensive for boatbuilders, with the result that space is often used very inefficiently. Yet improving stowage is an easy way to make your existing boat feel larger and more civilised…”

---

Sticky rudder stock
PBO reader Charlie Bevis recalls how a sticky and deteriorating rudder stock suddenly required an urgent fix

“In April when I returned to the boat I had a shock. Initially the rudder wouldn’t turn at all, even when using brute strength on the wheel! Worse still was the fact we’d chosen a lay-up port with absolutely no facilities for maintenance or repair…”

---

Antifouling a prop
Vyv Cox on effective ways to prevent performance-sapping fouling

“Marine fouling on propellers is particularly problematic because it takes so little of it to ruin the drive’s performance. Just a small amount of shell on the blades can easily knock a knot off boat speed, so some means of discouraging accumulations are highly desirable. There is no shortage of solutions, some of the folklore variety, some with a more scientific basis, but in the end there are always drawbacks…”

---

DIY fix for a ‘sinking’ mast
Zoran Glozinic on tracking down the cause of his boat’s unexplained rig tension loss

“When owning an older yacht, you’ve got to be prepared for unexpected problems that go beyond regular maintenance and upkeep. So when I noticed the shrouds and stays on my 24ft Seafarer Mikula slowly losing their tension over the season I suspected something was amiss.”

---

How to check your own mast for issues
Ben Sutcliffe’s expert advice on how to spot the early warning signs of developing mast problems

“I’ve found some shocking support issues over the years from deck-stepped masts with rotten plywood pads under the deck moulding to a totally failed deck beam arrangement. I’ve also encountered the odd rotten compression post block where it was located on a pad within the bilges, and even a missing support for the compression post within the actual matrix.”

---

Making my own twin keel shoes
Keith Calton on how to strengthen the feet of twin bilge keels

“…maybe it’s just me, but I sometimes seem to confuse the ability to take the ground with some sort of obligation to do so – as the many chips, gouges and scrapes along the bottom edges of my twinkeel Macwester Wight will attest.”

---

Mediterranean sailing adventure on a shoestring
Lost and penniless in Marbella in the 1980s, the late Jim Mottram ends up navigating by manhole cover…

“The swell was quite lively but I managed to tuck into a small bay along the rocky coast for the night. I woke to the unforgettable sight of an old Spanish castle nestled amid the trees and the scent of eucalyptus wafted down from the pink cliffs.”

---

Motorboat around Ireland
Peter Wright on the colourful characters and scenic harbours encountered on a cruise from Fenit to Bangor

“After fond farewells to friends old and new it was time to depart on the adventure with the next port of call being Kilronan, Inishmore – the largest of the Aran Islands…”

---

Solo round Britain in a Sadler
New boat owner Jill Rogers puts her fears aside to circumnavigate Britain in her 25ft yacht

“Over the duration of the trip I know that I changed as a sailor. At first I felt very much on holiday, with no early starts and a
‘mañana’ attitude to progress. It took a few learning experiences for me to develop a grittier approach.”

---

My First Biscay crossing as skipper
Dhara Thompson How a planned non-stop autumn voyage became a challenging 30-day battle from port to port

“We slipped out of Brighton Marina in early October intending to make a non-stop passage to A Coruña. We finally arrived in Baiona a month later, but what a lot of lessons Biscay and the Brittany Coast had taught me!”

---

Chichester Harbour guide
Huw Williams extols the virtues of his home port and has hints for navigation and exploration

“If you can avoid the weekends during July and August you’ll see the harbour at its very best. Spring is lovely, but for the best experience try the autumn when the trees are looking beautiful and thousands of waterfowl have arrived.”