We’re all different. We have diverse aims, agendas and ways of getting there. All of them are right. So, what holds people back? A large number get their Day Skipper…
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Zhik Spirit of Adventure: How We Sailed the Greek Coast’s Hard Route
From Lefkada, on the west coast of Greece, it’s 150 miles to Aegina, on the other side of the Peloponnese, via the Corinth Canal. You pass through the Gulf of…
Sailing the Shipping Forecast: ‘It became a sun-sparkling day as we approached Kinnaird Head’
Cromarty Sea area Cromarty encompasses the east coast of Scotland from just north of Wick to just south of Aberdeen, including the entire coastline of the Moray Firth and the…
Stop using ‘automotive wire’ on your boat: The critical wiring mistake that makes remaking joints impossible
Electrical wire used on boats should be tinned (covered in solder) along its whole length. However, this is an expensive process, so most production boats have ‘automotive-type’ wire, which allows…
How a Hurricane-Wrecked Dufour Classic 41 Won Line Honours in Her First Race During Tobago Sailing Week
Our boat Alexa – a Dufour Classic 41 – had been wrecked in the September 2004 Category Five Hurricane Ivan and had been part of the boat ‘alphabet soup’ in…
Used Sweden Yachts 390 Review: This Swedish Classic Still Turns Heads
The forecast did not look promising as we headed out of Dartmouth. A bit of sun, a bit of cloud, and a southeasterly Force 2-3. Not an ideal day for…
Marine toilet maintenance: How to keep your heads smelling sweet
All marine toilets have a functional similarity about them. The traditional method is to pump the waste directly into the sea. It’s only acceptable to pump out sewage into the…
Zhik Spirit of Adventure: ‘Water drenched the foredeck followed by the characteristic sound of water rushing into the boat’
Bang!’ Luci’s bow collided with a steep wave, filling the air with a deafening reverberation. Water drenched the foredeck, followed by the characteristic sound of water rushing into the boat.…
‘The disembodied VHF radio call had actually come from a plane’ – Lu Heikell
‘G’day Skylax. You haven’t done many miles today!’ Our greeting from the Aussie Border Force team rang out clear on the VHF radio. We hadn’t seen another vessel for days,…
Sailing the shipping forecast: Cruising around Fair Isle – ‘Sailing into Scapa Flow, a centre of the Royal Navy during both World Wars, felt like sailing into history’
The island of Fair Isle sits between Orkney and Shetland, and the eponymous sea area encompasses both of these island groups as well as the north coast of Scotland. These…









