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…
Sailing skills
Simple tweaks that will immediately improve your boat’s performance to windward
Who doesn’t just love heeling over, bouncing up and down, getting cold and wet and pointing in a direction that bears little relation to where you want to go? Given…
With engine failure in the Thames, what would you do?
Jenny and James, who both hold the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal qualification, are en route to St Katharine Docks in London aboard their Westerly Oceanranger 38. They’re motoring up the Thames…
Will this anchorage be safe to stay in overnight?
Louise and Julia are cruising the north east of the UK on their Grand Soleil 43. They seize a brief weather window to visit the Farne Islands off the Northumbrian…
Why you might be wrong about production yachts – and why they are great for ocean crossings
As an addict of YouTube sailing channels, I am surprised at the amount of misinformation surrounding the ocean capabilities of modern boat design compared to the boats of a generation…
Why you don’t need an anchor windlass + how to cruise without one
My first sailing boat didn’t have a windlass, and this led to a bit of unexpected drama. I was sailing in the Bahamas in my 30ft Dufour Arpege when I…
Should you set sail if a Force 8 is forecast?
Toby is skipper of Cutting Edge, a 13m cruiser racer which he keeps in Salcombe. Cutting Edge is a powerful yacht fully equipped for racing with a comprehensive sail wardrobe…
How to sail sustainably: ‘The Atlantic taught me how to calculate a boat’s carbon footprint’
For nearly three decades, I have been deeply involved in shaping environmental solutions across many industries, from agriculture to aviation. My colleagues and I were even honoured with a prestigious…
Should you enter this harbour with a navigation electronics malfunction?
Dave and three friends are sailing their 10m cruising yacht from the Solent to Brest. They were going to enter L’Aber Wrac’h, a rocky inlet in north-west France, for the…
How to dry out to at any anchorage (and in harbour)
Almost all vessels, in the days of working sail, had to take the ground when calling at destinations around Britain. Some port towns were on estuaries that dried out at…