Sadler 29, Nimbus, is on passage from North Shields to Grimsby when the engine falters and cuts out. Skipper, Tim, instantly suspects a prop wrap as they’ve already passed a…
Practical Skills
How having a checklist could save you and your boat
Would it sound far-fetched if I told you a simple piece of paper could save your boat from expensive breakages and repair, or even peril, and in extremis, save the…
How to get started in a career as a sailmaker
How do you get started in a career as a sailmaker? It’s an interesting question that one Yachting Monthly reader, Catarina Santos, from Santa Maria in the Azores, was grappling…
Solving yacht engine trouble: ‘Water had got in through the filler cap’
A year or so ago I was helping a friend, Monty Halls, bring his boat Sobek, around from Plymouth to Dartmouth. As we were leaving Plymouth breakwater, the engine died.…
How smart technology is finally fixing the humble bilge pump
Bilge pumps are such a simple, standard piece of equipment that very little has changed about them in decades, but now their shortcomings are being dealt with by a range…
Navigating medical emergencies at sea
Why do accidents happen at the most inopportune times? Occurring when you least need them and potentially putting a crew member out of action or more. Accidents vary from the…
Essential Guide to Marine Rope Materials and Construction: How Ropes are Made
To master the practical aspects of knotting and ropework, it is important to learn a little about the materials, tools and terminology used, as well as allowing you to converse…
Never run dry: The ultimate guide to boat tank gauges
You don’t want to arrive at your favourite anchorage only to discover that you’ve run out of water, your holding tank is full and there’s no gas left to cook…
From sextants to screens: Has modern tech made us better (or worse) sailors?
Bob Dylan’s ageless song was released at about the same time as I started sailing yachts. Its aim was to influence people’s views about society, so it seems to be…
How I moved my mooring into deeper water better suited to my yacht
Typical of a purchase driven by the heart, the reality of buying a long keel cruiser struck home immediately when I tried to keep Swedish Lass on the drying mooring…