Stu Davies solves niggly Volvo Penta 2030 engine cooling problems
This is where the original external leak that first alerted the owner showed itself. Note the use of non-standard hose. The calorifier hose is garden hose! The other spiral hose was a non-standard 20mm Inner diameter (ID) hose but in actual fact, 19mm ID is the correct size. We sourced some car heater hose of the correct size from a motor factor nearby. Credit: Stu DaviesThe couple next to us in the marina at Albufeira in Portugal are lovely.
They bought their Dufour...
American skipper Jack Johnson has sailed his home-built plywood yacht to first place in the McIntyre Globe 5.80 Transat 2023, and has qualified for the Mini Globe Race 2025
All smiles! 51-year-old Jack Johnson crossed the finish line and claims the Globe 5.80 Transat 2023 crown. Credit: Lutz Kohne / Class Globe 5.80First place in the McIntyre Globe 5.80 Transat 2023 has been won by the American skipper, Jack Johnson, aboard his home-built...
Cruisers reveal their favourite cookware, from thermal cookers to induction hobs and nifty ideas for food storage
Nicky Haggert loves the Go Sun solar ovenLow energy boat cookers are a great way to save on gas, power and time spent below. A hot dinner can be the highlight of the day when you’re on a long passage, but no-one wants to spend hours in the galley preparing it, especially not in a rolly sea.
Each year PBO visits boat owners who’ve sailed across the Atlantic to learn what kit they keep onboard, how...
Steering loss aboard a Maxi 120 mid-Pacific reminds Charlie Pank of a previous rudder failure on a Beneteau Idylle many years earlier
Credit: Dick EverittSanta Cruz harbour, in the Galapagos, is a rolly place and the water is murky.
We’d arrived here from Panama, having quit our jobs and set sail from Edinburgh, Scotland, two years earlier: me, my wife Helen and two sons aged five and seven – on a mission to see the world without flying.
I was happy with the performance of our Maxi 120 on the passage from Panama, so there...
La clásica proa de cutter monta estay principal y un segundo estay más retrasado que recibe el nombre de estay de trinqueta. Su presencia es firma inequívoca de la vocación crucerista del armador. Generalmente el estay principal es a tope aunque también puede encontrarse esta geometría sobre aparejos fraccionados. Es conveniente no confundir el estay de trinqueta con el babystay.
Autor: Albert Puerto
...Calor Gas has confirmed that it will continue to supply 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders having announced it was phasing them out
Calor Gas has confirmed that it is returning 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders back into circulation and is "working hard to return supply to normal as soon as possible".Calor Gas has confirmed to Practical Boat Owner magazine that it will continue to supply 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders after listening to the concerns of the boating community.
Over the festive season,...
Prolific boat owner Clive Marsh argues in favour of the Breton cap as the one-size-fits-all-conditions superior sailing headwear. Do you agree?
Clive’s favourite Breton cap doubles up as an oil spill mopAre you happy with your hat for sailing?
Does it stay on your head in a gale, keep you warm, dry and protect your face from the sun?
Do you have a different hat for sailing for different conditions? And do you find that you’re often wearing the wrong sort of hat?
Hats come into and out of fashion. But for sailing,...
There is no need to put up with a leaky, smelly inboard engine. By dealing with small leaks as they arise, even the oldest units can be maintained drip-free
This oil filler cap is missing its O-ring seal - it's only a small detail, but as a consequence the engine could be sprayed with an oily mist leading to other problems including degradation of rubber hoses. Credit: Rupert HolmesIt is almost inevitable that...
After finding a hydraulic oil leak in the steering of his Nauticat 331, Mike Corp services the yacht’s helm pump and steering ram
Mike Corp decided to strip down and service the helm pump after he discovered a hydraulic oil leak. Credit: Mike CorpSeeing small amounts of hydraulic fluid below the steering wheel and having to top levels up hinted at a maintenance job for the winter.
However, it wasn’t until we were entering Lymington behind the...
Marina Guedes sails into the Arctic Circle and discovers the timeless beauty of Norway's west coast and Lofoten Islands
Henningsvær in the Lofoten Islands offers good protection in bad weather due to its sheltered harbour. Credit: Andreas Werth/AlamyConsidered by many to be one of the most beautiful places to sail in the world, it is hard to say exactly when I first heard of the Lofoten Islands.
I’ll never forget, however, the strong impression photographs of that stunning place in the north-west of Norway had on me.
Looking...