We may never know the origin of the phrase: ‘Where there’s muck, there’s brass’ – but as a southerner, I feel it in my bones that it’s best understood spoken…
Yachting Monthly
‘We were battered by Force 7 winds for 24 hours’: The Yachting Monthly Celtic Triangle Race
The Yachting Monthly Celtic Triangle is a single- or double-handed offshore race from Falmouth to Kinsale (Eire) to Treguier (Brittany) and back to Falmouth. For me it was a new…
Sail Trim tips for cruising sailors
Sails are not flat sheets of fabric but are cut and fabricated so they form a shallow dish shape. To trim a sail we point the leading edge – the…
6 ways seamanship protects our seas: ‘it is estimated that 30-50% of coral reefs have already been lost’
Sailing has the unique ability to allow us to be outside of our natural environment; being a land animal at sea can become addictive. The sensation of being one with…
Sailing Norway’s South Coast: ‘The scenery is spectacular, winding through tiny villages and narrow rocky passages’
Stavanger was an undisputable highlight. But after a few days, the weather looked suitable to continue south. There are very few places to stop along Norway’s exposed southern west coast.…
Sailing Adventure: Birds of the weather sail together
Sailors and seabirds share the same weather. They ride the same winds, are hit by the same storms, feel the same calms. And, now, we all – birds and seafarers…
Why sailing solo is a skill everyone should master
When asked why he always sails alone, a well-known character of YouTube fame who notoriously sails in the far north, often in severe weather, once replied: ‘Whenever the sailing got…
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.…
Sailing the Shipping Forecast in Wight: ‘There are so many options in the Solent’
Coastal cruises in Wight Wight must be the most familiar sea areas for a huge number of sailors, whether cruising or racing, staying coastal or crossing the Channel. On the…
Zen again: A 65,000-mile love story on a 1980s IOR classic
Zen Again is our Yamazaki Yachts Stinger 34 1980s IOR ¾ tonner. She’s gorgeous. She has a deep fin keel, strong skeg-hung rudder and tall masthead cutter rig. She displaces…