Practical Boat Owner

Published by TI Media Limited 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.

Practical Boat Owner

Another crew member

Sailor relives two-hour orca encounter • News and current affairs from the world of boating

Northern France orca incident

Is this the end of Calor gas cylinder availability frustration?

‘Stand-out talent’

Rudder blades ‘deterrent’

Tragic mystery of yacht couple deaths

First caution under new safety law

Fair winds to Russell Hodgson

DIARY DATES

Southampton Boat Show • Katy Stickland looks at what to expect at the UK’s biggest show

Regional news • News from your cruising area

Boat owners revolt against ‘hefty increases’ to mooring charges

Letters • Sharing your boating thoughts and opinions

Channel hopping • Essential monthly highlights from the world of online sailing channels with Kass Schmitt

Narrowboating Olympic style • The balance beam, high dive, giant slalom and more make for great spectator sport

Nuclear vision • A flood of music in a labyrinth can wash away a blot on the seascape

Late summer season of sail • How refreshing it is to be back on the water after a longer than expected lay-up

LESSONS LEARNED FROM The sinking of Morning Cloud 3 • 50 years on, Rupert Holmes looks at what the Morning Cloud 3 tragedy taught us about heavy weather sailing

Lessons learned from the sinking of Morning Cloud 3

Why I have five boats in the garden • A variety of trailer-sailer options ensure maximum time on the water

Why buy a boat you have never heard of? • Rupert Holmes says less well-known designs can often be a perfect choice and explains his own thought processes when choosing

First time offshore in a small boat • How do you equip a modest yacht for your first ocean voyage, especially with a small crew or sailing single-handed? Jake Kavanagh gets some tips from the Jester Challenge skippers

New gear • Rupert Holmes on why a basic watermaker may make sense

10 most useful sailing apps • Round the world sailor Saša Fegić shares the apps he finds the most useful on board

BUYERS’ GUIDE Wind vane steering • Ali Wood explains how you can harness the power of the wind and sea to steer efficiently

How to service wind vane self-steering • Dena Hankins and James Lane show their Monitor wind vane self-steering gear some love and learn that patience is a virtue

Make your boat ‘smart’ on a budget • Rob Ferenczi shows how you can have remote and onboard systems monitoring on your yacht for under £400

A guide to double braid eye splicing • Andrew Robertson, boatcare manager at Penarth Marina in Cardiff Bay, shows how to make a soft eye loop splice

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Winterising your inboard engine • Engineer Stu Davies explains the steps you should take to make sure your boat’s engine is protected over the winter months

Improve your decks • Non-slip decks are vital for safe sailing, with a wide range of attractive, long-lived, and sustainable coverings available. Jake Kavanagh examines some old favourites and the latest innovations

Tracing a leak into the bilge • Alan England finds it’s the galley pump that’s leaking

Raising a boot top line • A home-made device helps John Boulcott scribe a higher boot top on his boat’s hull

HOW TO SAIL BETTER Leaving a pontoon single-handed • Leaving a finger pontoon when sailing...