Testing yachts in the middle of winter is a fiddly business. You need a boat in the water, some breeze, ideally neither rain nor snow, and a glimmer of sunshine…
Yachting Monthly
How to use a sextant for navigation
Before using the sextant you must note the index error. All sextants have an index error, especially plastic instruments which have to be checked regularly. When you have achieved an…
‘I spent hours in the water in hurricane conditions’
When we saw the race briefing it was a little bit fuzzy,’ John Quinn told me, recalling events that had happened over three decades earlier, before the start of the…
Tribute to Peter Bruce, renowned racing yachtsman and author
Peter Bruce revised and edited Heavy Weather Sailing, first compiled by Kaines Adlard Coles in 1967, ensuring the updated advice on sailing through bad weather remained as relevant and essential…
The data gap: The Magenta Project announces aim to increase data on gender equality in sailing
On International Women’s Day, Saturday 8 March 2025, two maritime charities announced initiatives to support female sailors and gender equality. The statements from The Magenta Project and The Sailors’ Society…
‘They are all in the memory bank to savour during the winter months at home’ – Lu Heikell
There is a meme that appears on my social media with a Kermit the Frog puppet looking wistfully out of a window into a wintry scene. The caption usually reads…
Sailing in the Caribbean: ‘Turtles grazed on seagrass meadows as we snorkelled around them’
The first night on an unfamiliar boat can be a bit restless. You listen to the creaks and groans of the boat, the waves lapping onto the hull, the temperature…
‘They watched a narwhal give birth, tracked polar bears and wrestled with ice’ – Pete Goss
One of life’s pleasures is to support others as they tackle their dreams and remotely sweep you aboard to share both triumph and disaster. For some reason I seem to…
Water Bottle Fountain Fund Accepting Applications From UK Coastal Communities
The Sea-Changers Coastal Fountain Fund 2025 is open, allowing not-for-profit organisations to bid for up to £2,500 to pay for water bottle fountains in busy and environmentally important UK coastal…
How to moor your yacht (and how not to)
Sailing itself is not that difficult, with a few basic techniques and rules to keep you and your boat safe, whether you’re on a 50-footer or a dinghy. Since Covid…