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Achieving some sort of serenity

Practical Boat Owner

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July 2025

The answer to the groundhog day of unending varnishing is blowing in the wind

- Dave Selby

Achieving some sort of serenity

The definition of insanity, according to Einstein, is repeating the same action over and over again and expecting different results, which, as it so happens, also perfectly describes the utter futility of varnishing.

Every year the varnish work on Snipe, my pert, wooden 1953 Blackwater Sloop, needs a touch-up; every second year, it needs a refresh, then refurbishment in the third, followed by a complete strip of what's left in the fourth. By then it's looking like a breakout of teenage eczema erupting with acne and it's time to start the process all over again, scraping everything back, then slapping on five coats of expensive stuff, sanding most of it off between coats, then finally standing back-preferably at least 30 yards on a moonless night - to admire the runs and the bugs preserved under the varnish, entombed for all of eternity. In other words, varnishing is madness.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Keep your boat dry this winter

Ashore or afloat, winter cold and damp can have a detrimental effect. Jake Kavanagh looks at options for keeping condensation and moisture at bay

time to read

9 mins

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

First time above the Arctic Circle

JoJo Pickering is wowed by mountains, deep anchorages, fjords and endless daylight while sailing a 48ft yacht on Norway's west coast

time to read

7 mins

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Legendary boats

Saša Fegić shares his pick of the boats that shaped sailing history and transformed the sport

time to read

13 mins

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Diesel engine fluids

The key to a smooth-running diesel engine is making sure you look the fluids, as John Panye explains

time to read

10 mins

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Dismasted off the Lizard

Richard Ayres makes his first Mayday call when his yacht is dismasted and prop fouled close to the Manacle rocks

time to read

6 mins

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Safer boarding quidance for small craft

Skippers and crew of small boats are being advised to consider boarding aids such as additional ladders, handholds, and alternative means of access, such as a tender.

time to read

1 min

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

The new old navigation

You can do it with your eyes shut

time to read

3 mins

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Ex-lifeboatman's nine year solo voyage

A former Plymouth lifeboat volunteer has returned from his 30,000-mile circumnavigation on his 36ft yacht, nine years after setting off.

time to read

1 min

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Island of dreams

Modern intrusions vie with the trill of oystercatchers close to Dave's dream home

time to read

3 mins

November 2025

Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner

Ella's Arctic record attempt on pause

Ella Hibbert, who is the first British woman to sail the Northwest Passage single-handed, has halted her solo sail around the Arctic due to safety concerns ahead of attempting the Northeast Passage behind schedule, but vowed to continue again next summer.

time to read

1 min

November 2025

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