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Boating-sailing

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Henri-Lloyd Explorer 3.0 trousers

At first look, I wasn't entirely convinced by the four-way stretch recycled polyester fabric of these trousers.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Top Tactics training aid for young sailors

The idea for this was sparked by 10-yearold Optimist sailor Evie Robertson (left), who wanted a training aid she could use to practise racing at home, including visualising the start line, the marks, and the many situations that can happen out on the water.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

More accurate hole drilling

Gilbert Park scans a cleat to make a drilling template

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Fully recyclable sailcloth available at Crusader

Crusader Sails is now offering Marblehead ECO sailcloth. Manufactured by the US company Challenge Sailcloth, the woven cloth is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles (2,336 plastic bottles for a mainsail on a 40ft boat, according to Challenge) and has the same properties as virgin fibre. It is also 100% recyclable at the end of its life.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

BARRY PERRINS: 'I bought the boat and lived the dream'

After nine years of circumnavigating the globe, the 'old Seadog' tells Laura Hodgetts he's home to get patched up and a pension

5 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Honda upgrades larger outboards

Honda Marine launched upgraded 150hp-250hp in-line four cylinder and V6 outboards at the Southampton Boat Show in September. These models include a number of improvements and features unique to Honda, including Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST) that advances the ignition curve for dramatically improved acceleration onto the plane, plus Variable Valve Timing & Electronic Control (VTEC) to provide smoother power delivery and improve fuel efficiency.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Holy Island by trailer-sailer

Frank Sibly enjoys coastal hopping from Northumberland's Seahouses to Scotland's Dunbar Harbour

7 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Top-end engine rebuild

After years of searching for his dream boat, Drew Maglio explains how he fixed the V8 engine on his new to him Chaparral 2550 SX

10+ min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Great trading ketch

HE Ross looks at the importance of the Garlandstone and why it needs protection

5 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

The Great Museum of the Sea

Shipwrecks have always fascinated sailors, most especially given our intimate relationship with the sea, but ships' watery graves give an insight into the lives of those who commanded and crewed these vessels, and often, more importantly, safety and seamanship lessons.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Being better seen at night

Nicholas Koligiannis lights up his yacht's mast

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

NORTH WEST: Gaffling dinghies unite on Ullswater

The OGA, the Association for Gaff Rig Sailing, held a rally at Ullswater Yacht Club, Cumbria which marked the first time all six of the Gaffling 4.1 dinghies had been together.

1 min  |

December 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Fit your own Saildrive propeller

Mark Ryan learns mid-family cruise the importance of having a secure attachment for his Volvo Saildrive propeller

9 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Royal boost to 'Protect our Playground'

The Princess Royal, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) President, joined the inaugural 'Protect our Playground' reception at the Southampton International Boat Show 2025.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Momentum U2 2.5kW outboard

At only 17kg including the battery, this new electric motor is lighter than most units of half the power.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Going round the very top

Mizzle can't dampen the thrill of lunching on tatties at the northernmost point of Britain

3 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

RemigoOne Neo electric outboards

Remigo's latest small electric outboard benefits from up to one-third more power, while being the same size as the original RemigoOne.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

The Swiss Navy Knife

Multitools are getting out of control

3 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Displacement theory

What does your boat's measurements say about the way it handles? It's not as straightforward as you'd think, as Ali Wood discovers

10+ min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Should I use composite wood?

Ask the experts

3 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Mizzen making

Woodbridge Boatyard's Matt Lis explains how he replaced a mizzen mast on the ketch Peter Duck

5 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Bacon butties ruled the waves

The brief golden era of British offshore racing when we went F1 racing in campervans

3 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Diesel engine fluids

John Payne explains the critical importance of lubricating oil for your boat's engine, and how and when to change it

10+ min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

British sailor missing in Gran Canaria

The family of a British solo sailor who went missing in Gran Canaria have flown out to assist police with the search.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

'My boat was a write-off'

Leo Heaney's regular yacht club race night quickly turns dangerous, and leads to seven months of frustration to rectify the damage

6 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Boats for the Dutch inland seas

In the first article of a new series, Phil Clandillon looks at the best second-hand yachts for sailing popular cruising grounds; this month, the Dutch inland seas and waterways

10+ min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Electronic navigation systems wake-up

Astronavigation is emphasised as ‘vital backup to electronic methods’ in the Royal Institute for Navigation (RIN) Small Craft Group’s (SCG) latest guide.

1 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Preparing your yacht's systems

Will Spencer explains how to prepare your boat for sailing offshore and the regular checks all sailors should make

10+ min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Hanse 360

Theo Stocker takes Hanse's new big little cruiser out in a Force 5 to see whether she is as easily driven as her predecessors

10 min  |

December 2025
Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Sailing the Shallows

This is a real gem; Roger Barnes's love letter to small boat coastal cruising, packed full of his own voyages up creeks and into forgotten harbours, along with so many handy practical and seamanship tips for sailing dinghies.

1 min  |

December 2025