Jenny and Ted are cruising with their two teenage children on board their 10m yacht Oyster Catcher. Forecasters have been warning of wet and windy weather for the next few…
James Stevens
How to recover from a violent gybe at sea?
It is the roughest sea Simon has ever experienced. He and his four crew are sailing eastwards on his classic 1960s 12m wooden sloop, Sea Thrift, towards the Azores with…
How to squeeze a yacht into a tight marina berth
Jane is on a cruising holiday on board Storm Petrel, her 10m yacht. The boat has a long fin keel and skeg. When engaging astern there is a strong prop…
How do you recover a man overboard?
Paul and Emma own a 10m yacht and are day sailing with Paul’s parents on a fine day in early May. The weather is fair so they are all wearing…
The forecast is unsettled, should you leave harbour?
Bill is in Plymouth in September planning a passage to the Med. He has decided that the first leg is to sail to Camaret near Brest in Brittany. His yacht,…
Should you risk crossing a harbour bar in these conditions?
Mike has sailed to Salcombe in his 11m long keeled yacht called Boundless with two friends. He took the east-going spring tidal stream yesterday from Plymouth, 22 miles to the…
How to navigate when a navigation light is obscured
Sue is cruising around the small ports of north Brittany singlehanded on board a 9m cruising yacht. She is intending to enter a small harbour with a visitor’s buoy for…
The history of the RYA Yachtmaster scheme as it turns 50
The RYA started examining Yachtmaster candidates in 1973 but in fact the very first Yachtmaster certificates were awarded much earlier. In 1938 at the request of the Admiralty, the Board…
How can yachts avoid a fleet of dinghies?
Alan is returning to his mooring up a tidal river after a day sail in his 9m yacht Starburst. He has one crew member, Jack, who has sailed with him…
How to keep clear of shipping in fog
Anne is regretting attempting an ambitious passage from Penzance to Plymouth in Flinders, her 8m yacht with her husband as crew. There was a good breeze at the start of…