Would it sound far-fetched if I told you a simple piece of paper could save your boat from expensive breakages and repair, or even peril, and in extremis, save the…
Sailing skills
Without AIS, would you cross this line of shipping?
Mike and Linda are crossing the Channel from Poole to St Peter Port via the Alderney Race in their Bavaria 38, Isabel J. However, the AIS, which they usually rely…
‘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…
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…
Should you still be choosing pyrotechnic flares?
Sarah and Jan co-own Audax, a Hanse 348 based in Plymouth for cruising the West Country and northern France. They carry an offshore flare pack which has four parachute flares,…
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.…
Rogue waves! What can they teach us about managing risk at sea
If there is a single point on the planet that figures in the imagination of every sailor, it’s Cape Horn. It lies at the southern end of the South American…
What to do when your yacht hits a rock under autopilot
Emma and Karl are cruising the Outer Hebrides aboard their Sweden 390, Vision. They put the boat on autopilot after leaving Stornoway harbour whilst they rig for a spinnaker run…
The furler has jammed and the wind is building: What do you do?
Helen and Mark sail their Halberg Rassy 34, Gemini, in the Bristol Channel. They’ve left Padstow at high water at 0900 bound for Milford Haven, which is 70 miles away…