We are all familiar with the list of things we need to do to get our boats ready for the coming season, but one area often overlooked is our electronics.…
Gear
Sailing’s dirty secret (and the innovators solving the GRP landfill crisis)
We may never know the origin of the phrase: ‘Where there’s muck, there’s brass’ – but as a southerner, I feel it in my bones that it’s best understood spoken…
Join CA campaign to mark static fishing gear
Poorly marked fishing gear, lobster pots and creels in UK waters are a hidden and real safety hazard to yachtsmen, causing entanglement, damage to vessels and in some circumstances putting…
How to work out the strength of a piece of rope
Rope strength is measured in a variety of ways but it is important that the end user understands what that strength is in order to decide whether the rope is…
The connected yacht: Best marine internet solutions for 2026
For many sailors, the dream of getting away from it all no longer includes leaving the internet behind. Whether it’s for downloading GRIB files, remote working, or keeping the kids…
How smart technology is finally fixing the humble bilge pump
Bilge pumps are such a simple, standard piece of equipment that very little has changed about them in decades, but now their shortcomings are being dealt with by a range…
Why now might be the time to upgrade your yacht’s toilet
Efficient use of power is rarely far from a skipper’s mind, so building in capacity to flush toilets using battery power when the tried-and-tested mechanical option is so much less…
What lifejackets should you have for offshore cruising?
Father and daughter Richard and Lisa have recently bought a Sigma 33 to be kept on the east coast for North Sea cruising and club racing. In time they’d like…
Rig check: How to inspect and tune your standing rigging for maximum safety
There are many ways a boat’s rigging can fail, but there will also, usually, be important telltale signs indicating that a problem is developing. A good regular check, therefore, will…
How to prevent an earth loop on your boat
It’s impossible to get to grips with electrically promoted corrosion – as distinct from that caused by oxidation, such as rusting – without appreciating the extent, vigour and unpredictability of…