There’s a lot to be said for owning small boats and chartering big ones...Clive Marsh looks at spritsails, snotters and leeboards
The Thames sailing barge Alice at full sail on the Solent. Credit: Simon Evans/AlamyEvery now and then I like to sail on a big boat or little ship and one of the best ways to do this is to find a berth aboard a Thames sailing barge.
These beautiful shallow sea vessels are normally run by trusts or enterprising enthusiasts.
They cost a small fortune to maintain in seaworthy condition and their…
The crew of the Swan 65, Translated 9 have won the first leg of the Ocean Globe Race, arriving in Cape Town after racing 7,305 nautical miles over 40 days
The Translated 9 crew sailed from Southampton to Cape Town in 40 days, 13 hours and 48 minutesTranslated 9 is the winner of the first leg of the retro Ocean Globe Race.
Co-skippered by…
Ali Wood gets a crash course in reverse polarity and smart charging when Project Boat Maximus’s shore power gets trippy
Ciaran Vernon inserts the reverse polarity adaptor into the shore power supply. Credit: Ali WoodMore than once while our Maxi 84 PBO Project Boat was kept in a…
PBO reader Oliver Chapple has been having issues changing the pump impeller on his Yanmar 4JH3E. Engine whisperer Stu Davies has this advice...
Oliver Chapple's Atlantic Ketch has a Yanmar 4JH3 engine similar to this, but access to his engine room makes reaching the water pump trickyOliver Chapple from Lincoln writes: “I have a very much loved 35ft Atlantic Ketch called Octopus, a splendid sea boat that has carried us safely to the Western Isles, Orkney, Fair Isles, Shetland, the west coast of Norway and down to Lindisfarne…
Can rigging your jackstays in a different way really save lives? PBO reader Willem Bijl reckons it can, so David Harding put his ideas to the test
By rigging the jackstays along the coachroof, any man overboard will be higher up out of the water. Credit: David HardingOne subject that never goes away is man overboard rescue procedure.
And it never should go away, because it’s fundamental to safety afloat.
Any man 0verboard news story can’t help but affect us all and make us think what might happen if we or one of our crew…
PBO reader Kirk Forrest has a question about how to improve fuel filter efficiency. Engine whisperer Stu Davies has this advice...
Not all primary fuel filters are as easily accessible as this oneKirk Forrest writes: “I’ve been considering how to improve the fuel filter system on my 45-year-old Fisher 25 motor-sailer which has a Beta 28 engine. I bought the boat about five years ago and it has had quite a few owners.
“I filled the tank fully in the autumn as a precaution against fuel contamination, but who knows…
Richard Rogers rethinks his twin V-berths to double configuration ‘without that annoying triangular insert’ aboard his Morgan Giles 30
The finished bunk in double configuration. Credit: Richard RogersForepeak V-berths are all very well but many of us prefer them set up as a double.
The hassle is that awkward-to-stow triangle of wood that fills the gap between the single bunks to enable conversion. It’s…
Lifos’ latest lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) battery is a 72Ah unit intended to provide similar usable capacity to a 130Ah lead acid battery, yet it’s one-third the size and just a quarter of the weight.
LiFePO4 batteries are cobalt free and don’t have the high fire risk associated with straight lithium-ion batteries, so are the chemistry recommended for use afloat.
Nevertheless, it’s important to…
Jay Renton devises a tackle for tensioning
Part of the deadeye tackle arrangement for tensioning. Credit: Jay RentonWhen the square sail is raised on my vessel Zephelios, the head loads are carried by the yard and normally absorbed by the braces, writes Jay Renton.
As a safety precaution, I attach two running backstays to support the mast should the braces fail or be…