Practical Boat Owner

Published by TI Media Limited 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

Get your hands dirty

‘No Take Zones’ will not impact boaters but will be vital for marine life recovery

The first designated safe havens – and what they will protect

Whitbread history strong in golden OGR

New resource for cruising sailors

Dame Ellen’s ambitions

Microfibres shown to stunt mussels’ growth

Top of the RYA clubs

Youngest-ever Yachtsman of the Year

BoatLife firmly on the boating calendar

Speedboat skipper sentenced after teenager’s death in crash

DIARY DATES

Regional news • News from your cruising area

Old GRP boats’ water pollution study

Letters • Sharing your boating thoughts and opinions

Channel hopping • Essential monthly highlights from the world of online sailing channels with Kass Schmitt

Sailing in Sir Robin’s wake • Sharks and logs, they can both be awkward

Holy belt and braces • Divine intervention and the leisure seafarer

Getting the sails back on • Seizing a fair weather window to ready the boat for the new sailing season

Choosing the right project boat • 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

Drascombe & Devon Lugger v the Dabber • Designed for safe family boating under sail, oar or power, but taken long distance by intrepid sailors

Sailing with a long-distance swimmer • Will Bruton takes on the challenge of skippering a yacht shadowing a swimmer on a very slow cruise up the west coast of Britain

Dealing with serious emergencies • Jimmy Cornell explains how he dealt with grounding, prop entanglement, collision, lightning strike, a carbon monoxide scare… and more!

Securing mast cable • Ali Wood solves an unusual problem with the help of ACM Marine

Portholes for a Sabre 27 • Phil Taylor reduces the size of his cruiser’s windows by fitting portholes for offshore sailing

How to clean teak • Real teak decks look lovely as well as being hardwearing, grippy and gentle underfoot, but they need care. Jon Mendez guides you through the best techniques to keep them clean

Longer lasting sails • David Bond gets professional tips for prolonging the life of his sails

Check your prop nuts • Which way around should the two propeller securing nuts on your prop shaft be? Piers du Pre ponders the question

Servicing Blakes and ball valve seacocks • Blakes and ball valve seacocks need a regular service to keep them in top condition. Marine surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies shows us how

FREE WATERPROOF FIRST AID BAG WITH TREATMENTS

New gear • Rupert Holmes on eco-friendlier wetsuits

Anchoright chain marking

Typhoon foul-weather gear

Allen high-load blocks

Changes in sailing ‘gear’ • Peter Poland reflects on pulling out the lead line, lobbing a Walker log over the stern and unpacking a sextant versus modern gizmos

Tried & Tested • Ali Wood is impressed by Merino wool clothing

Do I need a new chronometer? • Ben Lowings looks at the history of this most accurate of timepieces, and ponders if they have a place on board the vessels of today

THE 71-POINT Skipper’s checklist • Make sure your boat is ready to go back in the water this spring with PBO’s comprehensive guide

Unwelcome visitor • Rory Church’s much anticipated...