PBO reader Camilla Ransom has found a "strange film" on one of the boat's seacocks. What should she do? Surveyor Colin Brown has the answer
The film reader Camilla Ransom found on her boat’s seacocks. Credit: Camilla RansomI am a long-time reader of Practical Boat Owner magazine and I recently discovered a strange ‘film’ on one of my boat’s seacocks and tried to find out online what it is and what can be done about it.
But I’ve found so much conflicting advice I think I need to reach out to an expert.
We recently...
Steve Hodges and his fiancée Sam McClements’ second attempt at the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean passage is scuppered by a dismasted yacht
Credit: Dick EverittPurely for personal achievement reasons, my fiancée Sam and I are keen to achieve our Yachtmaster Ocean certificates to cap off a range of qualifications, including cruising instructor for Sam and Yachtmaster instructor for me.
Last year storm...
Andy Hazell shares his experience of buying and selling a family boat
Andy finally found the boat he was looking for on a mud berth in Wareham, Dorset. Credit: Andy HazellHow to sell your boat: one owner’s experience
When our son was born and my daughter was three we wanted to buy a Moody 346.
We knew it was a well-built and solid design with an aft cabin and centre cockpit, providing security for the children.
Moody yachts have a fabulous pedigree and the most amazing owners’ association....
Ali Wood gets tips from the trade on how to sell your boat from a marine surveyor and a yacht broker so you can get the best price to spend on your next boat
It’s a good idea to lift your boat before selling it as the marine surveyor will want to inspect the hullThe saying goes that the two best days in a boat owner’s life are the day they buy a boat and the day they sell it.
To the contrary, PBO readers often tell us that selling their boat is the saddest day of their lives.
While we can’t help with that bitter-...
If you have a tiller-steered boat and would rather have a wheel, how would you go about converting it? David Harding sees how it’s done to a Hanse 315
All the equipment you need for tiller to wheel conversion. Credit: David HardingTo many traditionalists and dyed-in-the-wool dinghy sailors, a wheel is something you only have when a boat becomes too big for a tiller.
Tillers are simple and direct: they give the best feel and precision, combined with an instant indication of how much helm the boat’s carrying.
Time was when...
Bill Rothwell devises a simple boat pick-up line to make berthing easier
The boat pick-up line is kept clear of the pontoon deck by wooden blocks. Credit: Bill RothwellMy wife and I are now both in our 80s and find jumping ashore no easy task. If it can be avoided then we avoid it, writes Bill Rothwell.
So I have made this helpful aircraft carrier-type arrester line.
This allows my wife to hook the line with the boat hook without drama – it’s so much easier than trying to catch a cleat on approach.
Our berth...
Hitting a Tanker in the Dark Sailing through the night is a phenomenal experience. I have had some of my best and worst moments in the inky black of night — ghosting, coasting, flying, and hanging on for dear life through the ocean. The more miles we put under our keel beneath starry skies, the more diligent […]
The post Night of the Falcon appeared first on Good Old Boat.
Jubilee Sailing Trust (Tenacious) Limited, which owns and operates the tall ship SV Tenacious, has closed due to a lack of funds
SV Tenacious was owned and run by Jubilee Sailing Trust (Tenacious) Limited. Credit: Max Mudie / Alamy Stock PhotoJubilee Sailing Trust (Tenacious) Limited, which owns and runs the tall ship SV Tenacious, has ceased trading.
The company, and its charity arm, the Jubilee Sailing Trust have been facing financial difficulties due to the financial burden of running SV Tenacious, which costs...
Katie Carr talks to Laura Hodgetts about how she took up her brother's challenge to kayak in every sea area of the Shipping Forecast
Katie paddles Toby's sea kayak in Pembrokeshire, Lundy regionModerate Becoming Good Later: kayaking around the Shipping Forecast
Like many sailing families, the Shipping Forecast was listened to so regularly in Katie Carr’s family home that it became a soundtrack to her childhood.
“Especially because in the late 1980s, early ‘90s, you couldn’t just look up the...
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has concluded that a fatal RIB accident "would likely not have happened had the trip been conducted in line with industry good practice."
Seadogz is a 9.725m Stormforce 950 RIB. Stock photograph, not taken on the day of the accident. Credit: MAIBThe Seadogz RIB crash on Southampton Water, which killed 15-year-old Emily Lewis “would likely not have happened had the trip been conducted in line with industry good practice.”
This is the conclusion of an...