See what’s inside our December 2016 issue here…

Sailing Skills

Expert On Board: Skills you need to cruise overseas
Chris Beeson finds out how to get your ICC and why you need one to sail abroad

Skipper’s tips
• Starting small outboards • Use a short line for leaving • Dressing ship protocol • Full swinging circle • Short fi ngers • Radar basics

Practical Seamanship: The easy way to rig a third reef
Alan Burns has an easy way to shorten sail in a blow without a trip forward

Learning curve ‘Why did I volunteer for this?’
RNLI volunteer Niki Tait undergoes sea survival training at the life-saving organisation’s Dorset HQ

Any questions?
• Is my keel going rusty? • Are there flying saucers in Wales? • Why is one tack faster than another? • Can I carry a gun on board?

‘I sailed with Bill Tilman’
Former crew Bob Comlay and others shed new light on this enigmatic skipper and iconic Arctic cruiser

Cruising

Scottish island-hopping adventure
Nick Ardley has sailed in the Thames all his life. For his 60th birthday he explored the Scottish isles

Pilotage: Exploring the Atlantic Islands
If you are looking for a new cruising ground, the Atlantic Islands pilot book may inspire you

Providencia: The Caribbean island that no one sails to
Trying to escape the westward pull of Panama, Kitiara Pascoe sails off the beaten track

Anchorages
Secluded spots on the Cote d’Azur and in County Kerry

The curse of communications
Jess Lloyd-Mostyn finds it hard to connect

Cruising log
Along the coast of Poland and around the rias of NW Spain

Gear and Boat Reviews

Christmas gifts for sailors
The latest gear for your wish list

Book reviews
Stocking filler books including history, pilotage and fiction

New boats
A first look at the beautiful Spirit 47CR and Nautitech 46 cat

Used boat test: Maxi 1100
‘Powerful, stable and extremely well built’, Duncan Kent discovers one of the best cruiser-racers of the 1990s

New boat test: X-Yachts X4
‘One of the best boats I’ve ever sailed!’ Graham Snook sings the praises of the new 40-footer from X-Yachts

Technical: Why osmosis is on the increase again
Surveyor Ben Sutcliffe-Davies explains how to identify and deal with osmosis blisters