Mirka’s Andy Mierau shares trade tips on how to prepare surfaces for polishing or varnishing
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Beware using non-marine gas regulators
"This warning has become even more valid after the Calor Gas U-turn as some owners will be swapping back again and buying yet another regulator."
Problems with ageing bonded boat windows on the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 DS
The window bonding on some Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 DS yachts manufactured from 2005 onwards is coming undone, caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light over time, and leading to
Prizes for Seadog of the Month
If your canine crew is selected as our Seadog of the Month star in Practical Boat Owner magazine, your dog will win an OLAS Tag man-overboard device from Exposure Marine…
Mercury Marine V8 & V6 outboard engines recalled
Certain models of Mercury Marine V8 and V6 outboard engines are being recalled due to a safety risk
Cracked gelcoat repair: step by step
Having accidentally drilled screws through the moulded non-slip surface of his boat’s deck, Jake Frith repairs the cracked gelcoat
Shipping Forecast (broadcast) turns 100
On 1st January 2024, the broadcast of the Shipping Forecast turned 100 years old – the forecast itself is much, much older than that with the 150th anniversary of the…
Fixing boat engine cooling system problems
Stu Davies solves niggly Volvo Penta 2030 engine cooling problems
Globe 5.80: the home-built ocean racer
What’s it like to build your own plywood 19-footer to race solo across the Atlantic? David Harding sailed with Keith Oliver onboard his Globe 5.80 to find out
Jack Johnson wins the Globe 5.80 Transat 2023
American skipper Jack Johnson has sailed his home-built plywood yacht to first place in the McIntyre Globe 5.80 Transat 2023, and has qualified for the Mini Globe Race 2025
Boat cookers – great gadgets for low-fuss meals
Low energy boat cookers are a great way to save on gas, power and time spent below. A hot dinner can be the highlight of the day when you’re on…
Duchy 27: the motor launch fit for a duke
The Duchy 27 started life as a Aquila 27 before being tweaked by Cockwells Modern and Classic Boatbuilding. David Harding puts the motor launch through its paces
‘The steering wasn’t working. I felt my stomach sink’ – rudder failure in the Pacific
Steering loss aboard a Maxi 120 mid-Pacific reminds Charlie Pank of a previous rudder failure on a Beneteau Idylle many years earlier
Calor Gas U-turn on phasing out 3.9kg & 4.5kg bottles
Calor Gas has confirmed that it will continue to supply 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders having announced it was phasing them out
What is the best hat for sailing?
Prolific boat owner Clive Marsh argues in favour of the Breton cap as the one-size-fits-all-conditions superior sailing headwear
Fixing and avoiding marine engine leaks
There is no need to put up with a leaky, smelly inboard engine. By dealing with small leaks as they arise, even the oldest units can be maintained drip-free
Servicing a hydraulic steering helm on a boat
After finding a hydraulic oil leak in the steering of his Nauticat 331, Mike Corp services the yacht’s helm pump and steering ram
Sailing Norway: paradise found
Marina Guedes sails into the Arctic Circle and discovers the timeless beauty of Norway's west coast and Lofoten Islands
Why is there a film on the seacocks?
PBO reader Camilla Ransom has found a "strange film" on one of the boat's seacocks. What should she do? Surveyor Colin Brown has the answer
Snap, shackle and drop: coping with a dismasted sailing yacht
Steve Hodges and his fiancée Sam McClements’ second attempt at the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean passage is scuppered by a dismasted yacht