Over the course of two summers, I circumnavigated Britain aboard Goldfinch, our Bénéteau 36cc. It was June 2022, and I was cruising on the penultimate leg with a strong and…
Cruising life
In search of the famed ship Beagle, which carried Charles Darwin to his discoveries
For several years I kept my Contessa 32, Minstrel Boy, at Paglesham on the River Roach in Essex and was a member of the Roach Cruising Association (RCA), one of…
What it’s really like working as a Yacht Charter host
Fair weather sailors will undoubtedly be familiar with the flotilla. From family-friendly holidays to booze cruises, many readers will know the feeling of arriving at a fleet garnished with flags…
‘The salty water was dangerously reaching the cockpit edge and we had to prevent the boat from taking too much water’
I first saw the boat after reading a small advertisement in a local newspaper. It was lying under a red tarpaulin. The varnish was faded, the boat was full of…
Sailing the Indian Ocean: ‘It felt like we had travelled back a few centuries in time’
After much deliberation, we finally decided in Darwin that we were not going to Asia. We would miss out on an exciting cruising area but due to the pandemic, we…
Brian Black Memorial Award Winner: Living With the Ocean
Long before living in tiny houses became a big trend, sailors did exactly that. Living a good life in a small space with scarce resources. Not necessarily because they had…
A family charter adventure: ‘The squall suddenly passed and the wind and waves abated to a quiet calm in the bay’
We’ve just touched down at Dalaman airport, Southern Turkey and it’s June 2024. It’s our first time bareboat chartering as a family and we’ve chosen a four-day family charter around…
Sailing to warmer climates for winter: ‘The nerves are still there, sometimes utterly stomach churning’
You don’t really notice it too much at first. At each stopover on our summer Mediterranean wanderings we meet up with other yachties, and talk inevitably comes to your cruising…
‘I spent the next four hours winching her further and further up the mast’ – Pete Goss
When I was a ship’s boy in the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service, an old-timer once offered a piece of advice: ‘Make the tide your friend, boy.’ I’ve embraced it ever…
Planning a cruise: Secrets of successful skippering
When planning a cruise more than a few days out it is rare that the navigation and weather stars align, allowing you to choose your destination, the time to leave…