When fellow sailing instructor Liz Le Mare invited me aboard her recently acquired boat, I didn’t need much persuading. She’d recently married a fiercely competitive dinghy sailor, Richard, and their…
Yachting Monthly
How to repair yacht hatches and windows
Every boat I have ever owned has had at least one leaking window or hatch at some point and, from experience, no amount of temporary bodging has ever succeeded in…
First look: Pointer 30 – stylish 30 footer
The fact that the accommodation of the Pointer 30 is designed around a Nespresso machine, enshrined in glory, tells you a lot about this boat. It was conceived as a…
When do you need a liferaft on a yacht?
Bill and George, both retired, have recently bought an 8m bilge keel cruiser. They had it surveyed and it seems structurally sound, the engine, fuel and gas systems are safe,…
Best life vests for paddleboards, kayaks and dinghies – 50N buoyancy
Paddling, kayaking and dinghy sailing are fabulous ways to get out on the water even on a really tight budget. But, no matter how good you are at swimming, a…
First look: Swallow Yachts 32 – wood-epoxy 30 footer
Small boat specialist Swallow Yachts is venturing above 30ft for a sailing boat for the first time with the new Swallow 32, and it’s also returning to its roots with…
Juvenile orcas imitate White Gladis, attacking yachts off the Iberian peninsula
Juvenile orcas attacking sailing yachts could be imitating the behaviour of one individual adult orca named White Gladis, scientists believe. Orcas have now sunk three yachts off the Iberian coast…
First look: Hanse 510 – voluminous new model
It doesn’t seem long since Hanse launched its 508, but it has now launched the Hanse 510 as the second model of the new style as it sets about updating…
Best Boat Safety Equipment – Essential marine safety gear
Getting started in boating you’ll be advised by anyone with an opinion that you should get the best boat safety equipment. The list can be mind boggling. I do double…
Parker 325 review: a plethora of benefits at low cost
Sometimes you find sailors who seem so well suited to their boat that it’s hard to imagine them owning anything else. Take Barry and Orla Tiernan with Sulito, their Parker…