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

Waiting for the tide

Mandatory pyrotechnic use ‘nonsensical’

Collision ships didn’t have lookouts on their bridges, says interim report

Latest check in and out ports in France

Sailing ferry service

Plan to secure future of Imray nautical paper charts

New joint industry-standard contract template for yacht brokers

Have you had a collision with marine life?

Inspiration and commitment celebrated

Home-built 19ft boats embark on Leg 2

Campaign to address barriers to sailing

DIARY DATES

Regional news • News from your cruising area

Letters • Sharing your boating thoughts and opinions

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

Achieving some sort of serenity • The answer to the groundhog day of unending varnishing is blowing in the wind

The luxury imperative • Cruising strategies for post-Trump austerity

Praising solo sailing women • May’s a good month to recall the exploits of several inspiring solo-sailing women

Jeanneau Sun Fast 32 & Sun Odyssey • Hunter Channel 31 | Beneteau First 31.7 | Legend 326 Beneteau Oceanis 323 | Hanse 320 | Elan 333 | X-332

Silhouette Mk3 vs Corribee Mk2 • Robert Tucker-designed cruisers for between £800 and £3,500

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO Chartplotters • Whether you’re new to boating or looking to enhance your navigation with a phone, tablet or MFD, Ali Wood runs through the options

BUYERS GUIDE Which chartplotter?

Making the switch • Ali Wood recalls her first passage using electronic charts

Pointer 30 • This sleek and sporty weekend-sailer from the Netherlands has plenty of appeal for the coastal sailor, as Theo Stocker found

Global phenomenon • The Dinghy Cruising Association may be 70 years old – but it’s never been so on trend, reports Laura Hodgetts

‘The DCA has given us real happiness’

New gear • Rupert Holmes previews the latest marine products

Tried & tested • Fox Morgan tests a personal AIS beacon and intercom headset

Book reviews • Katy Stickland shares our recommended maritime reads

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Boat canvas and sail care • The experts at boatcare share tips on how to look after sails and canvaswork to ensure they last

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO KEEP YOUR BOAT IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER • Keep your boat maintained and looking its best with our expert advice on everything from engine maintenance to painting and sealing

Overfalls, headlands and tidal races • Delivery skipper Ben Lowings examines how to prepare for and sail in these sometimes challenging waters

Helming through overfalls

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Can you trust your anchor chain? • It’s all well and good having a solid anchor, but having ground tackle that’s going to keep you secure is equally important, says Vyv Cox

An alternative to varnish • Don’t be a slave to varnish. Louise Ras tells how she transitioned to wood oil instead

Wiring in a new dashboard • Computer engineer Stew Proud dusts off his wiring skills to update the switch panel in his Aquastar Ocean Ranger 33 motor cruiser

10 ways to save fuel • As costs rise, Jake Kavanagh looks at the simple ways boaters can use less fuel and energy when motoring

Storm-damaged mast forestay...