In this issue

Tried & tested
Buoycatcher-Max boat hook and Rooster Aquafleece robe in use.

Vital passage plan
The importance of not totally relying on electronic chart plotters.

Troubleshoot engine failure at sea
5 top causes for engine break down and how to prevent them..

Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

Spain's maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, has reported that a 15m (49ft) yacht sank in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar following interaction with a pod of orca.

1 min

No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash

A kill cord and lifejacket are useless unless worn-that's the warning from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), following its investigation into a powerboat crash that killed a 32-year-old woman and five-year-old girl on 2 October 2022.

2 mins

Multihull sail work

Brush up on multihull sailing skills before heading off on charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to spinnaker handling, tacking and gybing

4 mins

Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them

Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea

10+ mins

Sail the Atlantic with strangers

Would you sail across the Atlantic with someone you've just met? Ali Wood meets the cruising crews who've done just that

10 mins

IZIBoat: simple sailing

Rupert Holmes sails an innovative catamaran design intended to widen participation in sailing among those with little time to get on the water in more conventional craft

7 mins

30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT

From tall ships to small dinghies, you needn't own a boat to sail. Ali Wood looks at the options, and how skippers can also find crew

10+ mins

Boats for restoring under £20,000

Duncan Kent picks the best sub-35ft sail and power boats to look for when aiming to undertake a restoration on a budget

10+ mins

Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500

For low cost traditionally-styled GRP trailer-sailers, consider the Foreland and the Otter available at bargain basement prices

5 mins

Playing with coloured sails

Maintaining an hourglass-shaped balloon and ratcheting up the log numbers

3 mins

Dominant minimalism

Every yachtsman's a superyacht owner

3 mins

Cream tea carnage at sea

The crew's 'scone mad' on a Thames barge

3 mins

A sailor's guide to UK sharks and fish

Genevieve Leaper looks at some of the shark species around the British and Irish coasts and how to spot these fish from your boat

10+ mins

Multihull anchoring

Brush up on your multihull sailing skills before heading off on a holiday charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to anchoring

5 mins

A revolution in fabrics

Marine fabrics are using natural fibres, less harmful chemicals and longer-lasting colours. Jake Kavanagh looks at the cut of the cloth

4 mins

Shoestring voyage of adventure

Richard King and Serafin Colmenares Jr. look back at the remarkable Pacific voyage of Florentino Das in his 24ft home-built boat

5 mins

A fine day out with a visitor

Six hours afloat and a guided tour to vindicate a fictional sailing heroine's navigational skills

3 mins

Boats for Baltic cruising

Duncan Kent picks the best sub-40ft sail and power boats for crossing the North Sea and exploring a Baltic summer

10+ mins

Boatyard life

The tide of the year Is rising. Time for work

3 mins

Weather or not to go sailing

Ignore the apps: it's much safer to swear by the weather wisdom of a local oracle

3 mins

The angelic East Coast pocket cruiser

It is 100 years since the first Deben Cherub was launched. Julia Jones looks back at the history of this 21ft river racing class

9 mins

Best anchor types for varied cruising

Rupert Holmes on choosing the best anchor for your boat, your style of cruising, how you’ll use it and your budget

10+ mins

110 A WAYS TO CUT COSTS

From DIY to learning new skills, mooring, sails and rigging, Ali Wood has some top tips on keeping afloat as affordably as possible

10+ mins

Shearwater sloop sailing in the 1960s

Genevieve Leaper shares her late father John Leaper's recollections-compiled from handwritten notes-of cruising the Channel

7 mins

Timing an Atlantic crossing

Professional meteorologist and sailor Chris Tibbs shares his knowledge of how to choose the best time to sail 'across the pond'

5 mins

Transatlantic first

It's 70 years since Ann Davison became the first woman to sail solo across the Atlantic. Katy Stickland looks back at her achievement

5 mins

Going dizzy on an island sailing odyssey

Ken Fowler becomes the first sailor to circumnavigate every island in England and Wales-and all done in a 4m dinghy!

10+ mins

Boats for coastal cruising

Duncan Kent chooses a selection of the best sail and motor boats under 40ft most suitable for adventurous cruising along the coast

10+ mins

Industry view on HVO

The RYA, IWA and CA are working to help recreational boating transition to a Net Zero future, as the CA's

2 mins

HVO RENEWABLE DIESEL Myth or miracle?

A new generation of biofuel that's cleaner, greener, better for your engine and less prone to microbial growth sounds too good to be true... but the facts beg to differ

8 mins

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Practical Boat Owner Magazine Description:

Published by Time Inc (UK).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.