CATEGORIES

Safe mast climbing
Practical Boat Owner

Safe mast climbing

Most of us prefer to climb the mast when safely alongside, but what if you have to climb it at sea? Pip Hare shares tips and techniques

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3 mins  |
August 2023
e-Cat conversion
Practical Boat Owner

e-Cat conversion

Michael Sanatani’s electrification of a British fishing catamaran into a Canadian family cruiser

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6 mins  |
August 2023
Frank and Margaret Dye
Practical Boat Owner

Frank and Margaret Dye

Roger Barnes reflects on the legacy of small-boat sailors Frank and Margaret Dye

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7 mins  |
August 2023
Lost at sea
Practical Boat Owner

Lost at sea

Cruising pioneer Peter Tangvald's son, Thomas, disappeared after sailing from South America in 2014. Kathy Catton recalls her memories of him

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5 mins  |
August 2023
A modern take on the traditional proa
Practical Boat Owner

A modern take on the traditional proa

Ali Wood finds out more about visionary designer Rob Denney

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4 mins  |
August 2023
Hull design HOW IT IMPACTS PERFORMANCE
Practical Boat Owner

Hull design HOW IT IMPACTS PERFORMANCE

Peter Poland explains how hull design has evolved over the years and how this affects boat handling and accommodation

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10+ mins  |
August 2023
Crossing Wide Bay bar
Practical Boat Owner

Crossing Wide Bay bar

crossing John Tylor recalls a treacherous sideways, and while asleep-on the tropical Queensland coast with his good friend Don

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6 mins  |
Summer 2023
Essential checks for chainplates
Practical Boat Owner

Essential checks for chainplates

As long as our chainplates aren't leaking, few of us give them a second thought. But should we be checking more closely? Surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies explains what to look out for

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6 mins  |
Summer 2023
Understanding electrics: switches and relays
Practical Boat Owner

Understanding electrics: switches and relays

Pat Manley and Oliver Ballam demystify boat electrics, starting with switches and relays

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3 mins  |
Summer 2023
Learning how to restore old boats
Practical Boat Owner

Learning how to restore old boats

Inspired by a stunning homebuilt yacht, Ali Wood visits the Boat Building Academy to learn how any of us can become boatbuilders

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10+ mins  |
Summer 2023
DIY £200 chartplotter
Practical Boat Owner

DIY £200 chartplotter

John Calton builds his own 10in touchscreen chartplotter with GPS and AIS for a fraction of the cost of an off-the-shelf system

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8 mins  |
Summer 2023
Bilge pump mystery
Practical Boat Owner

Bilge pump mystery

Zoran Glozinic buys a suspiciously low priced bilge pump with a design flaw... but it proves just the job for his project boat

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5 mins  |
Summer 2023
How to cross Biscay
Practical Boat Owner

How to cross Biscay

Crossing Biscay is a rite of passage for many sailors: Rachael Sprot has expert advice on how to handle the 'Golfe de Gascogne'

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10 mins  |
Summer 2023
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE - Cruising Europe
Practical Boat Owner

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE - Cruising Europe

Sailing to the EU this summer? The Cruising Association shares its advice on what you need to know for a stress-free cruise

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10+ mins  |
Summer 2023
Rig design THE PROS & CONS
Practical Boat Owner

Rig design THE PROS & CONS

Peter Poland looks at the history of popular rig designs and how the different types affect boat performance

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10+ mins  |
Summer 2023
Tideway 10 GUNTER OR LUGGER?
Practical Boat Owner

Tideway 10 GUNTER OR LUGGER?

The trailerable TW10 has the benefits of her sister vessel, the Tideway 12, but is lighter and easier to launch and recover by hand

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4 mins  |
Summer 2023
Regattas again!
Practical Boat Owner

Regattas again!

Camaraderie, competition, mussel float dodging and home-made blueberry muffins

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3 mins  |
Summer 2023
Modern classic, swollen head
Practical Boat Owner

Modern classic, swollen head

The many perfumes of Memory Lane

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3 mins  |
Summer 2023
Magna charter
Practical Boat Owner

Magna charter

Why exotic sailing holidays abroad are not necessarily all they're cracked up to be

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3 mins  |
Summer 2023
Don't risk illegal filling of gas cylinders
Practical Boat Owner

Don't risk illegal filling of gas cylinders

Alamy tsianid George Boat owners are being warned not to attempt to refill Calor gas bottles with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) at petrol stations - which is \"both highly dangerous and unlawful\".

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1 min  |
Summer 2023
Jubilee year for Old Gaffers Association
Practical Boat Owner

Jubilee year for Old Gaffers Association

Hundreds of classic yachts and working boats are to gather in Ipswich to mark the 60th year of the Old Gaffers Association (OGA), with a Diamond Jubilee Party from 3-6 August.

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1 min  |
Summer 2023
Orcas sink yacht off Spanish coast
Practical Boat Owner

Orcas sink yacht off Spanish coast

Four sailors were rescued from a yacht which sank following an interaction with orcas off the coast of Barbate, Cádiz.

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1 min  |
Summer 2023
From Canada to the UK in a microyacht
Practical Boat Owner

From Canada to the UK in a microyacht

Being 6ft tall, Andrew Bedwell cannot straighten his legs in his 'just over a metre long' microyacht Big C, yet he is about to sail the boat solo across the Atlantic for 90 days, eating cold squares of dehydrated beef.

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1 min  |
Summer 2023
Heroes' welcome for retro race history makers
Practical Boat Owner

Heroes' welcome for retro race history makers

Kirsten Neuschäfer has a solo, round the world yacht race after winning the 2022 Golden Globe Race (GGR).

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1 min  |
Summer 2023
Anchoring charges and the law
Practical Boat Owner

Anchoring charges and the law

Falmouth Harbour Commissioners has defended charging £15 a night to a boat owner who complained about \"being made to pay to anchor\", despite having no intention of using facilities ashore.

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2 mins  |
Summer 2023
Antifouling without biocide
Practical Boat Owner

Antifouling without biocide

Opting for an eco-friendly approach, Ali Wood tries silicone antifoul on the PBO Project Boat-and is impressed with the results

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10+ mins  |
July 2023
Discontinued gas bottle alternatives
Practical Boat Owner

Discontinued gas bottle alternatives

With Calor discontinuing some of its gas cylinders, Barry Pickthall looks at the options available for boat owners with older vessels

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4 mins  |
July 2023
How to choose an electric outboard
Practical Boat Owner

How to choose an electric outboard

Marine electrician Jamie Marley explains what you should look out for when choosing an electric outboard for your type of cruising

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5 mins  |
July 2023
Around the world in a 19ft boat
Practical Boat Owner

Around the world in a 19ft boat

Adam Waugh is building a Class Globe 5.80 to race across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, Katy Stickland reports

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5 mins  |
July 2023
Cruising the Northern Sporades
Practical Boat Owner

Cruising the Northern Sporades

Popular with charter yachts in summer, Genevieve Leaper explores these Greek islands at the quieter end of the season

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7 mins  |
July 2023