The islands in northeast Greece immediately have a different feel from the west and south. Not only do the flotillas fade away but the western tourists are replaced by eastern…
cruising
Sailing east beyond the Berlin Wall
Shortly after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, I moved abroad from Germany. On the occasions I did return I rarely ventured further than Hamburg where my family lived.…
Is a trip up the west coast of Scotland by yacht the ultimate honeymoon?
Adventures that start with a party are some of the best. After the formalities of saying ‘I do’ and celebrating with family and friends, Stuart and I were now married.…
Kenichi Horie: ‘I want to sail across the Pacific at 100 years old’
This sounds like one of those puzzles that do the rounds on social media: Kenichi Horie held the record for being both the youngest and the oldest person to sail…
Exploring New Zealand by catamaran
The thing about Covid is that it upsets the best-laid plans, as it did for the Island Cruising Club, a New Zealand-based outfit that organises flotillas to sail to the…
‘The shaking of the rig was horrific’
Our nadir was approaching. Our home port of Fremantle, Australia would be 6,880 miles away – straight down. From Bermuda our yacht Zen Again would need to literally fly to…
‘Why I would never have in-mast furling’ Pete Goss
One of my pleasures in life is to wander round marinas nosing at what’s afloat and I’ve started to notice in-mast furling systems are becoming a lot more common. Now…
Crossing the Bay of Biscay in company
Crossing the Bay of Biscay may not command the romance of a Pacific or Atlantic crossing, but it is, nonetheless, a significant body of wild ocean that demands careful planning,…
How to sail across the Atlantic with a family
Modern life makes connecting digitally between people easy, but it can also isolate us from friends and family, and the natural world around us. While the negative effects of social…
Teak wood: why the popular wood’s time is up
Choosing the most sustainable options for your boat can leave you feeling confused, but don’t worry, you’re in good company. Shortly after Jeff Bezos launched his Earth Fund programme –…