Practical Boat Owner – September 2019

Contents

Moody 31 Elidie fully crewed in Poole Bay.

Photo by David Harding

Welcome to the September 2019 issue

PRACTICAL

26

36

48

20

64

REGULARS

5 Waiting for the tide

6 News

12 Readers’ letters

14 Dave Selby

16 Sam Llewellyn

18 Stu Davies

54 New Gear

86 Ask the experts

90 Marsali Taylor

98 Sketchbook

56 Engine reliability tips

Tony Davies on servicing your

engine’s cooling system, drive

belts, thermostat and more...

62 Restoring gelcoat

Drew Maglio has three

methods of restoring shine

and protection for topsides

64 Starting on the spars

The Project Boat hull awaits

fi xtures and fi ttings as work

begins with the spar gauge

68 Top tarpaulin tricks

Huw Williams shows how

a well made tarpaulin can

provide shelter and comfort

76 Trailer sailing tips

How to tow a trailer-sailer: top

tips from a reader

80 Launch day: 14ft skiff

The fi rst new Western Skiff

home build to be launched for

over 20 years

20 Tiny twin keelers

Twice the fun! Peter Poland selects

seven of the best twin-keeled

cruisers under 23ft in length

26 Around the Isle of Wight

Andrew English and Alison Wood

enjoy family cruiser-racing at the

UK’s biggest annual sailing event

36 Fairey tale

Fay Armstrong recalls an encounter

with Uffa Fox in 1960s Scarborough

that led to sailing success

42 Saône and Rhône

Richard Hare on a glorious month

in the French inland waterways en

route to the Mediterranean

48 Pacific survival

How Webb Chiles lived to tell the

tale of 14 days in a 5ft infl atable in

the Pacifi c after his yacht pitchpoled

72 Irish Sea odyssey

John Willis gets to grips with a new

boat on a voyage from Guernsey to

the Fastnet Rock, via Plymouth

84 Practical projects

Galley sinks, cabin lighting and a

Portland plotter get the PBO reader

ingenuity treatment this month!

88 Portsoy Festival photos

Marsali Taylor on the beauty, culture

and fun at the Portsoy Festival

Fairey Fulmar home

build – page 36

56

62

80

76

85

SAVE

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BOATS, CRUISING
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Viking style festivities

• page 88

The Westerly Pageant is among the top

twin keelers reviewed on page 20