Boat maintenance advice, sailing and motor boats, practical advice | P...

Delivery skipper Ben Lowings examines how different popular rudder designs affect handling, and explains how to maintain them
Retiring from an offshore race once because I deemed that a broken mainsail batten made it too dangerous for the yacht to continue, it was only when tied up in Falmouth that the crew noticed a more serious problem with the rudder....

In its 150th year, Laura Hodgetts explores the Royal Yachting Association’s evolution over a century-and-a-half from ‘gentlemen racers’ to a world-leading national boating body
The Royal Yachting Association was originally launched into a gentlemen-only sailing club era, when Britain’s dinghy scene had barely started and yachts were becoming subject to local-specific rules....

Marine gas engineer Peter Draper explains what’s required for a marine gas system to be safe and legal, and how to assess the condition of the gas system on your boat
Is the gas on your boat safe, legal and insurable?
Will it satisfy your marine surveyor and insurance company? When was it last tested or inspected, and do you know who installed it?...

Gilbert Park explains the tweaks he has made to his boat to future-proofing his time afloat
One of the few things you can be certain of is getting old and with it the decline in your abilities to manage a boat.
It is inevitable, so learning to live with and adapt to ageing will prolong the period you enjoy sailing....