CATEGORIES

My near-miss up a mast
Practical Boat Owner

My near-miss up a mast

A transatlantic sailor has told of her ordeal after a gust knocked her off the mast, jamming her harness, and swinging her repeatedly into the rigging.

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3 mins  |
March 2023
Worrying times for UK's seabirds
Practical Boat Owner

Worrying times for UK's seabirds

The UK is currently experiencing its worst-ever outbreak of avian flu, commonly known as bird flu.

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3 mins  |
March 2023
Post-Covid cruising in Greece
Practical Boat Owner

Post-Covid cruising in Greece

After two and a half years John Woolf returns to his Carambola 38 in Greece and spends three weeks getting her seaworthy again

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6 mins  |
December 2022
A flood of costs and a trickle of cash
Practical Boat Owner

A flood of costs and a trickle of cash

Andy Pag attempts to rebuild a Spectra watermaker on a budget

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7 mins  |
December 2022
As darkness falls
Practical Boat Owner

As darkness falls

Mike Humphreys risks grounding his Halcyon 23 in fading light to assist two teenagers stuggling with a capsized dinghy

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8 mins  |
December 2022
A cruise on the French Riviera
Practical Boat Owner

A cruise on the French Riviera

Owen Moorhouse leaves the wilds of the New South Wales coastline to explore from Nice to Grimaud and back in a borrowed Jeanneau 33

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6 mins  |
December 2022
Time, tide and the Thames
Practical Boat Owner

Time, tide and the Thames

Unlike Arthur Ransome’s story, Trevor Cherrett really did mean to take his boat to sea but it didn't quite work out that way

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9 mins  |
December 2022
A yacht called Alice
Practical Boat Owner

A yacht called Alice

Nicholas Bielby had always had a yen for steel-hulled yachts, so when the opportunity came up to own one that had survived being hit by a tanker, he couldn't resist developing her as a comfortable, family cruiser

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7 mins  |
December 2022
Would you cross an ocean in this?
Practical Boat Owner

Would you cross an ocean in this?

Andrew Bedwell is preparing a world record attempt to cross the Atlantic in a 3ft 10in boat Ali Wood meets him at Southampton Boat Show

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5 mins  |
December 2022
Dufour 32
Practical Boat Owner

Dufour 32

Peter Poland reports on the new 32-footer that reflects the many changes made down the years in the designs and dimensions of production cruising yachts

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8 mins  |
December 2022
A buoyant boat market?
Practical Boat Owner

A buoyant boat market?

Peter Poland assesses how new boats at the Southampton International Boat Show reflect the current state of the sail and power markets

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10+ mins  |
December 2022
Bigger Luggers
Practical Boat Owner

Bigger Luggers

Designed to be a safe family boat for coastal trios, the Drascombe and Devon Luggers have taken intrepid sailors on some long sea passages

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5 mins  |
December 2022
A magical day
Practical Boat Owner

A magical day

Looking back over the year, one very special sail stands out: the day of the dolphins

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3 mins  |
December 2022
Sail souvenirs
Practical Boat Owner

Sail souvenirs

Reaching down memory lane in the Big Shed

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3 mins  |
December 2022
A confusion of Daves
Practical Boat Owner

A confusion of Daves

If in any doubt, just shout \"No, Dave!\"

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3 mins  |
December 2022
Dream job?
Practical Boat Owner

Dream job?

Let's face it, sailing's hard enough work without having to work while you're sailing

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3 mins  |
September 2022
First evidence of GRP boats' impact on aquatic organisms
Practical Boat Owner

First evidence of GRP boats' impact on aquatic organisms

Microscopic analysis of oysters, mussels and sediment from Chichester Harbour has uncovered a dizzying number of glass fibres linked back to boatyards and derelict vessels.

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10+ mins  |
September 2022
Tense shortcut
Practical Boat Owner

Tense shortcut

A stone-lined hole or a 60-mile hike around one of Britain's least hospitable headlands?

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3 mins  |
September 2022
12 of the world's most exciting shipwrecks
Practical Boat Owner

12 of the world's most exciting shipwrecks

James Wood picks his favourite wrecks, from warships and ill-fated expeditions to Bronze Age cargo vessels and Spanish treasure troves

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10 mins  |
September 2022
We swapped sails for power
Practical Boat Owner

We swapped sails for power

Peter Poland meets 10 seasoned sailors who bought motorboats to extend their time afloat after sailboats became too much like hard work

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10+ mins  |
September 2022
Winchelsea Lugger
Practical Boat Owner

Winchelsea Lugger

With a nice, buoyant bow and cod shape they look the part and are superbly seaworthy, says prolific boat owner Clive Marsh

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5 mins  |
September 2022
Homeward bound
Practical Boat Owner

Homeward bound

After a six-month restoration, PBO Project Boat Maximus sails to her new home... but not without a few hitches, reports Ali Wood

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10+ mins  |
September 2022
The long way home
Practical Boat Owner

The long way home

Marsali Taylor encounters difficulties with unseasonable weather during a midsummer night sail from Brae to Aith in Shetland

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6 mins  |
September 2022
Bairns are back!
Practical Boat Owner

Bairns are back!

At last, after two years, we’ve been able to host junior sailing again – and demand is high

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3 mins  |
October 2022
Aye, Aye brother Shackleton
Practical Boat Owner

Aye, Aye brother Shackleton

Seasoned sailor Kia Koropp finally gets the feeling of being worth one’s salt after a two-month ocean passage from South Africa to the Azores

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7 mins  |
October 2022
How to check your rigging
Practical Boat Owner

How to check your rigging

Maintenance of your rigging can save expensive failures and could ultimately be a lifesaver, advises Ben Meakins

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4 mins  |
October 2022
Electric converts
Practical Boat Owner

Electric converts

Self-confessed fair weather sailors Jim and Libby Earle share their take on the TEMO 450 electric outboard, after six months of use

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5 mins  |
October 2022
Just-for-fun delivery trip
Practical Boat Owner

Just-for-fun delivery trip

PBO engine expert Stu Davies and his wife, Laura, take on the challenge of delivering a yacht from south-east Spain to Portugal

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10+ mins  |
October 2022
Record-breaking solar crossing
Practical Boat Owner

Record-breaking solar crossing

Guinness World Record holder Simon Milward explains how he built and motored his solar-powered boat across the English Channel

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10+ mins  |
October 2022
Polycraft Tuffy Tender
Practical Boat Owner

Polycraft Tuffy Tender

With the help of her local sailing clubs, Ali Wood tests this lightweight day boat with both electric and petrol outboard motor power

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9 mins  |
October 2022