Practical Boat Owner

Published by Time Inc. (UK) Ltd Practical Boat Owner is Britain's biggest-selling boating magazine, trusted and respected by all its readers. A source of useful and helpful information for both power and sail boat owners, PBO helps you get the most from your boat acting as a forum for interacting with like-minded individuals.

Practical Boat Owner

Choose your own adventure

Boater’s biplane rescue at air show • News and current affairs from the world of boating

Katie McCabe and Pip Hare triumph at YJA Stoneways Marine Awards

Tribute to Sir Timothy Colman

Guidance to mitigate serious injury on small craft

Wetwheels’ ambitious expansion plan

Harbour Master Sailing Challenge halfway point

Sailing for NHS frontline workers

New gateway to boating

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers 2022

DIARY DATES

SOUTH COAST AND CHANNEL ISLANDS

WEST COAST, WALES AND IRELAND

SCOTLAND

EAST COAST AND SOUTH-EAST

Letters • Readers share their thoughts and opinions

Cut and thrust of sailing • The best ways to call a halt to proceedings

Cook’s challenge • Scraping the food locker bare at the end of the season requires some culinary creativity

Beachcombing • Searching out landing stages and boat noosts

Best ever boats • Three PBO readers review their favourite boats, plus on page 28 Nick Charman makes the case for cruisers to adopt unstayed rigs

What is a swing back trailer?

Why more cruisers should go wireless • Nick Charman makes the case for all cruising yachts to change tack

Parker 660 Pilothouse • Peter Poland test drives the Parker 660 Pilothouse

Winter lay-up tips • Rupert Holmes looks at key considerations when laying up ashore… plus top tips from PBO readers and contributors

The laying-up list • Regular contributor Ken Endean explains his winter worklist

Well tucked up • Boat restoration expert Will Higgs uncovers the deck cover options for boat owners

Ruled by weather • Richard Rogers and Alice Sanger on the rebuilders’ race against the weather

North Sea dash • With Covid and Brexit bureaucracy melting away, Saskia Groen-in’t-Woud enjoyed her first North Sea crossing – despite rough return weather

TIPS FOR UK BOAT OWNERS SAILING TO EUROPE

Sailing solo to the Isles of Scilly • In the summer of 2020 Katie McCabe (aged 13 at the time) sailed her newly restored classic yacht solo to the Isles of Scilly

Sea Bear solo across the Pacific • Chris Ayres sails his Vancouver 28 from the UK to New Zealand

Preparing a boat for extended cruising

New Gear • Rupert Holmes looks at the latest useful marine gear

Omnia portable stove-top oven

Book reviews

FREE JET 2 EARPHONES from FLARE AUDIO when you subscribe to Practical Boat Owner

Tried & tested • Ali Wood uses the PBO Project Boat as a test bed for potentially useful items of gear and kit

That sinking feeling… • Brian Johnson became quickly and intimately acquainted with his engine’s silencer when it threatened to sink his Westerly Pageant

LESSONS LEARNED

PROJECT BOAT RESTORATION Fixing leaks • A downpour of rain shows that making PBO Project Boat Maximus watertight is a priority, so Ali Wood gets some top tips from experts

Polyurethane vs silicone sealants

Kit to keep on board

The difference between bonding and sealing

Install a new engine • Tired of battling tides, John Willis fits a new common rail diesel in his pilothouse yacht

High Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) diesel engines

Upholster a smart forepeak sofa bed • Ann Berry transforms the forepeak of her canal boat into a living and...