Early July 2025 found my wife, Veronica, and I sailing in our Dufour 40, Spook from Falmouth in Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly, blissfully unaware of the dramatic rescue…
Seamanship
MOB recovery: which is the best single-point vertical lift technique for getting a crew member back on board?
Which is the best single-point vertical lift recovery method when faced with a man overboard? David Harding examines the best way for MOB recovery
Gybing a cruising chute
Knowing how to gybe with a cruising chute will give you the confidence to make the best use of it. PBO's David Harding shows you how
Sailing alone: a checklist for solo sailors
It’s easy to forget vital bits of information when setting off on a single-handed passage. Making checklists helps, but everyone’s will be slightly different
Pete Hill on sail repair, damaged steering and two lost drogues while battling storms in the Tasman Sea
Pete Hill faced damaged steering and lost two drogues while battling extreme conditions in the Tasman Sea. Graham Cox tells his story
Why your boat crew is the most important system on board
Will Spencer explains how to choose and manage a competent and friendly crew for an enjoyable offshore passage
Practical ColRegs for cruisers
Nick and Wendy Tyler’s advice on avoiding collisions, based on their own experience
6,000 miles solo in a £1 boat: lessons learned from an Atlantic Circuit
The wind was coming on like my brother Alex had warned me it would, as I approached the north side of Carriacou island, one of the Windward Islands of the…
Estimating anchor scope: how to get it right
Alex and Daria Blackwell reveal a simple way to check anchor scope when determining the correct amount of rode to let out
Boat towing at sea: how to tow astern
Ben Meakins and the PBO team examine the techniques of towing and being towed astern at sea, trying out the textbook theories in practice
Craig Wood shares his biggest takeaways from his record-setting solo Pacific crossing
Before I set off on my solo sailing challenge, my wife suggested I take yeast. I remember saying, ‘Am I really gonna make bread when I’m out at the sea…
Time to change the Beaufort Scale?
John Savage argues that the Beaufort Scale needs an update to make it more simple
How to avoid spinnaker broaching
Spinnakers and cruising chutes can make downwind sailing fun and faster – as long as you don’t let them take over. David Harding offers some tips on safe handling
Sailing through a thunderstorm at Portland Bill: How I survived a solo knockdown
David Edgar experiences a knockdown on a fraught solo sail round Portland Bill as a gale gathers strength
Lying ahull or heaving to? Which is best for heavy weather?
Experienced ocean sailor Tim Cassidy advocates lying to the wind with no sail set in heavy weather, but stresses the importance of hull shape
Slab reefing: Guide to sail shape & preventing sail damage
David Pugh explains how to keep in shape for all conditions with a comprehensive guide to slab reefing techniques
Vane gear self-steering: you guide to an offshore sailor’s best friend
Andrew Simpson looks at pendulum servo self-steering gears, and describes how to get the best out of them
‘My boat was a write-off’: Lessons learned from an on-the-water boat collision
Leo Heaney’s regular yacht club race night quickly turns dangerous after an unexpected boat collision. After seven months of repairs and frustration, here are the lessons learned.
10 ways to save fuel when motoring: Essential tips for engine care, hull trim and propeller pitch
As costs rise, Jake Kavanagh looks at the simple ways boaters can use less fuel and energy when motoring
‘We were sinking, mastless, and adrift’: The crucial lessons learned from my shakedown sail
Paul Hayes is shaken by a shakedown sail in the Bristol Channel when his junk-rigged Coromandel springs a leak, loses its mast and suffers a snarled prop