Fed up with days holed up due to bad weather? Why not put your boating skills to good use on a charter holiday, says Katy Stickland
A catamaran is an ideal charter vessel if the rest of the crew are inexperienced or you want more space and privacy if holidaying with friends. Credit: Patrick Bennett/SunsailWhether you own your boat or not, chartering offers the chance to explore new cruising grounds...
Brian Johnson replaces his old paddlewheel log with an electromagnetic transducer
Wiring the EML3 black box to the existing Navico electronics junction box – transducer cable wires on the left, output on right, with fused power supply in centre. Credit: Brian JohnsonBrian Johnson shares how he went about installing a transducer on a boat
I’m not a big fan of paddle wheel log...
Colin Staple's unreliable outboard is spoiling his sailing. Stu Davies suggests how to improve its performance
Could the ethanol content in petrol be causing the problems to Colin’s outboard? Credit: Sergio Azenha/AlamyWith over 70 years of small outboard experience from the reliable Seagull to modern leading brands, I’d like to know others’ views on modern small unreliable outboards; problems seem to be allegedly connected to present day...
Having already built a dinghy and a dayboat, Ben Russell decided to design and construct an 18ft Selway Fisher Clyde motorboat
Almost finished – just the bilge pump and outboard motor to fit. Credit: Ben RussellAfter a period of being without a boat, I started looking through both the classified ads and the websites offering plans for boats for amateur construction, writes Ben Russell.
Having already built two small boats, I leaned towards a build, rather than a buy. I get as much enjoyment from being around boats as I do...
"Stock up on flapjacks" – the countdown is on for the 'Race for all' around the Isle of Wight
Ben and Polly racing in the IRC Division 3C, in 2016. Credit: Patrick EdenWith only 11 weeks to go until the 87th edition of the Round the Island Race (RTIR), it’s all systems go for the team at Island Sailing Club (ISC), which has proudly organised this annual race around the Isle of Wight since 1931.
More than 100 volunteers are recruited to get involved, both on and off the water, to assist with the smooth running of the race, which...
Can PBO reader David Bainbridge trailer his part-built boat from the UK to Greece? Alasdair Reay of HPi Verification Services, the body that issues CE and UKCA certificates for new and second-hand boats has this advice
David has only part-built his boat and wants to move it from the UK to Greece. Credit: David BainbridgeI have a self-built plywood part-built boat.
The superstructure and cabin are built,...
Katy Stickland talks to surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies about why osmosis can be an indicator of high moisture content in fibreglass
Ignore at your peril. The keel of this boat fell off, torn around the keel roots, due to problems with soaking laminate. Credit: Ben Sutcliffe-DaviesNightmare. Your boat has been lifted out and washed off and you spot blisters developing under the antifouling below the waterline....
As the Ocean Globe Race fleet make their way up the Atlantic, some are finding the wind, while others are struggling with wind holes
Wind at last for the crew of Spirit of Helsinki. Credit: OGR2023/Spirit of HelsinkiAtlantic routing decisions have differed amongst the Ocean Globe Race fleet, with some winners and losers.
According to Ocean Passage for the World, the best route for...
George Stanton battles mal de mer as he crosses the North Sea from Suffolk to Oostende in a 17ft Hurley Silhouette
Painting credit: Dick EverittAfter an idyllic family cruise in the Solent in glorious sunshine and light winds, I felt inspired to take my Hurley Silhouette offshore, writes George Stanton.
My wife, two children and I, plus our dog, had spent just over a fortnight bobbing about the Isle of Wight aboard Emma Too....
Aluminium should replace zinc boat anodes as an industry standard as crucially it will help to protect marine life, in addition to the scientific and price benefits.
Typical Aluminium anodeFollowing research by the Clean Harbours Partnership, boaters and boat builders across the UK are urged to switch from zinc to aluminium anodes.
Boat anodes protect underwater metals from galvanic corrosion. If you have two dissimilar metals, such as stainless steel and bronze, the water will act as an electrolyte and the less noble of the two...