Practical Boat Owner
Berthing short-handed
Alastair Buchan explains the steps for berthing your boat in a marina when you're sailing solo or with limited crew
10+ min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Building a carbon fibre spinnaker pole
Colin King aims for light weight and saves himself £1,500
3 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Preventing wave slap
Tony Raven uses swimming pool noodles as a cheap cure for wave slapping on the hull
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
SOUTH: Electrical failure sparks yacht rescue
Shortly after returning from a training session, Lyme Regis RNLI volunteers were tasked to assist a Contessa 32 in difficulty 10 miles south of West Bay on 2 November.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Britain's waterways face financial peril
Three quarters of Britain's 5,000-mile network of canals and navigable rivers face a 'perfect storm' of underinvestment and climate risk, the Inland Waterways Association has warned.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
British Sailing Team axes new base plan
Plans to build a new Training and Innovation Centre for the British Sailing Team have been abandoned due to the rising construction costs of building a new facility.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Cooking up a proper storm
Gaining the competitive edge is just a case of combining galley skills with sail handling
3 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Britain's most beautiful shortcut
Susan Ross and her husband, John, enjoy the tranquility of the Crinan Canal as they save sea miles aboard their Mirage 26.
7 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Nominate your 2025 Yachtsman of the Year and Young Sailor of the Year
Do you know an outstanding sailor who should be named Yachtsman of the Year or Young Sailor of the Year?
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Coastguard sinks drifting project boat
A 60-tonne project boat that was sold by Brixham Marina to its new owners for a nominal fee was sunk by authorities after it drifted in a shipping lane.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Second life for a seiner
Ben Lowings looks at the history of the 17ft salmon seiner Shambler, and how it has become a true community boat
6 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Sustainable material makeovers
Advances in marine fabrics mean it's now possible to make your boat look brand new again without costing the earth, Jake Kavanagh
7 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
SunCamper 31
An example of the new breed of river cruiser, the SunCamper 31 looks unlike anything most of us have seen before-but there's a very good reason for that, as David Harding explains.
10 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Is electrically bonding seacocks a good idea?
Ask the experts
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Navigating your chartplotter
Accuracy always trumps efficiency, but can you improve one without harming the other? Rob Melotti investigates how to set up your chartplotter to get the most out of it
10+ min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Fun on water
Lessons in sail training inspiration
3 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Charting connectivity and software updates
John Payne examines the hardware and software he uses on his boat, and what you need to consider when using electronic charts
6 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
The shine keeps going off it
Ask the experts
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
'Recognise our invaluable independent lifeboats' - call for Government funding
Calls have been made for the Government to reinstate the Rescue Boat Grant Fund, axed five years ago.
2 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
EU recognition for recreational craft
The European Boating Industry (EBI) has hailed the latest European Commission's Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) as a groundbreaking moment for Europe's boating industry.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Celebrating 60 years of the Contessa
Since Jeremy Rogers launched the first Contessa 26 in Lymington on 28 April 1966, more than 1,500 Contessas ranging from 26 to 43ft have been built, mostly from Jeremy's various yards in Lymington as well as under licence.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Cargo ship hit moored yachts
'Engine power failure' was the reason a cargo ship struck moored boats at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Alessia in Atlantis: The Aquamarine Prophecy
One for the children or grandchildren, Alessia in Atlantis is a fantasy novel for 8-14 year olds, but it weaves in some sailing knowledge, which is why it is included in these pages.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Atlantic Spain and Portugal (9th edition)
This 9th edition, which covers the 600 miles of coastline from Cabo Ortegal in Galicia to Gibraltar, has been fully updated by Henry Buchanan, including information on proposed wind farms, orca interactions and safety, as well as updated harbour plans, navigation information and really useful and clear drone and sea-level coloured photographs of entrances.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Orkney Coastliner 14
A lightweight sea boat that is easy to launch and recover
4 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Double win for Dometic
Outdoor technology specialist Dometic collected two category wins - one for its CSX 'ColdMachine' Refrigeration System (Onboard Facilities, Comfort & Entertainment) and one for its DG3 Gyro (Propulsion & Dynamics).
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Cruising Guide to The Netherlands & Belgium
This first edition of the Cruising Guide to The Netherlands & Belgium has long been missing from the range of pilotage books published by Imray in conjunction with the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation, especially by English-speaking sailors who struggle with the Dutch-only information available online, but after reading this guide, I can say the wait has been worth it and I expect it to become regarded as the authoritative companion for anyone cruising this area.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Understanding Boat Plumbing and Water Systems
Many sailors don't give the plumbing on their boat a second thought until something goes wrong.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
Astro Navigation from Home (2nd edition)
This is a novel book; it allows you to learn celestial navigation without needing to leave the comfort of your home by using planetarium apps rather than a sextant.
1 min |
February 2026
Practical Boat Owner
From the Devil to the Deep Blue Sea
Reading Clare Allcard's deeply personal account of her early life gives real insight into this gifted writer and sailor.
1 min |