A Tideway 12 being recovered. The hull only weighs around 240lb (110kg) so can be easily moved by hand. Credit: John Husband/Alamy

Prolific boat owner Clive Marsh extols the virtues of the Tideway 12, which can be launched by hand from a trolley

A salona 35 yacht being sailed in the solent

Can a boat that’s capable of beating the best on the race course really make a practical cruiser? David Harding sails the Salona 35 to find out

A thames sailing barge with spritsails with red sails sailing on the sea

There’s a lot to be said for owning small boats and chartering big ones...Clive Marsh looks at spritsails, snotters and leeboards

An RM890 yacht being sailed at sea

If you want an easy-to-handle performance cruiser that stands out from the crowd, have a look at the RM890, suggests David Harding

A proa design boat moored

Roger Nadin on traditional proa design that’s enjoying a kit-boat revival

The Tideway 10 leaving no wake on a cold morning in February

The trailerable Tideway 10 has the benefits of her sister vessel, the Tideway 12, but is lighter and easier to launch and recover by hand

The bow of a liferaft painted in blue, white and red

The basic shape of a traditional lifeboat is a long shallow keel, double ended and beamy – ideal for conversion into a cruising boat

A boat covered in green mould

How do you distinguish a real bargain boat from one that’s not worth restoring, even if it’s free? Rupert Holmes has some sage advice