Auxiliary engines, as they were called in the old days, were hot, noisy, smelly lumps of metal that weren’t usually powerful enough to motor into wind or tide. My first…
Gear
How to choose the right boat propeller
A well-known truism of boat ownership is that sailing with a fixed propeller is akin to towing a bucket astern. We all know that a feathering or folding propeller has…
‘Dodging ships can feel like being a chicken crossing a very busy motorway’
The North Sea at night: I love it. It can turn wild, like any mountain or desert, but that’s not all the time. When it’s calm, fishing lights appear, dodge…
Why I took my Ketch rigged yacht and turned it into a brigantine square-rigger
People have asked why I decided to change a perfectly good ketch into a staysail schooner? It’s a reasonable question. The simple answer is that I always wanted a brigantine.…
Best boat knife – 11 options tried and tested
The best boat knife will be a life saver and a constant sailing companion for years to come. Make sure you find the right one that suits you and what…
We Tested 20 of the Best Lifejackets for Boating and Sailing
We all have lifejackets on board, but do you know what yours is actually like to use? We test 10 lifejackets to find out
Everything you need to know about yacht solar power
Keeping your batteries topped up without having to run the engine is a continuous challenge for cruising sailors, especially those who are highly conscious of their carbon footprint or just…
How to convert a yacht to electric propulsion
There are hundreds, if not thousands of yachts still sailing with 40-year-old diesel engines emitting smoke and pollutants, so is now the time to replace them with a clean, low…
Best boat shoes: From leather deck shoes to deck trainers
When buying boat shoes, you face a choice between traditional moccasins that look the part but lack support and cushioning, or modern deck trainers that cover the sporty angle but…
Keeping your boat afloat: how to find and fix hull moisture
No matter how hard you try, a completely dry boat without hull moisture is a rarity. The older a boat gets the more likely seals will start shrinking, sealant around…