The process of buying a sailing yacht can sometimes be long-winded and stressful, especially if it’s your first time considering boat ownership. To avoid it being too daunting the first…
Sailing skills
Spinnaker handling: an experts full guide to using the kite
‘I have a confession to make,’ said my friend and fellow sailing instructor, Liz Le Mare, ‘I need spinnaker handling training.’ I was confused, since she’s often racing around the…
Should you sail to a fuel dock or wait it out?
John is skipper of a Beneteau Oceanis 34 sailing back to the UK from a holiday in France with two crew. When they left France, the forecast was variable becoming…
Should you cross the Channel with this forecast?
Kate is skipper of an 11m cruising yacht currently in Braye Harbour on the north coast of Alderney. She sailed from Guernsey, 23 miles away, yesterday in a fair SW…
Offshore navigation: your guide to this essential skill
Every voyage starts with a dream, and a voyage on my own boat to the remotest parts of the world was my dream as far back as I can remember.…
Yacht deliveries: How to get your yacht from A to B
Perhaps your treasured yacht is in the wrong place at the wrong time? Does it need to be somewhere else, soon? Don’t have the time, crew, or experience to remedy…
Dealing with orca attacks and how to navigate ‘Orca Alley’
There is a new buzzword amongst cruisers heading in and out of the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar… orcas! Wind, tide and shipping are no longer the only planning…
How do you moor a yacht in a tricky windward slot?
Andy’s home berth is alongside a walkashore pontoon on a river. Outside is another pontoon not attached to the shore. There is quite a strong tidal stream, up to 2…
How to get your yacht home without power
Electrical systems and electronics have become such an essential part of our normal lives that it’s hard to imagine life without them. Those good old days when there was a…
How to handle rounding Portland Bill: inshore of offshore?
Ed is skipper of a 10m production cruiser racer Aurora, which he keeps in Weymouth. He is returning from a West Country cruise with three friends and preparing to round…