A GRP yacht hull may be strong and durable, but it’s also, unfortunately, relatively heavy. To overcome this problem, naval architects and yards will laminate much lighter core materials between…
How to
Would you sail if you found water ingress in the bilges?
Andy and Jane are on the trip of a lifetime to the Caribbean on board their 12m cruiser racer Ambition with two crew. They are currently in Las Palmas preparing…
How to prepare for an Atlantic crossing
If taking on an Atlantic crossing in your own boat is high on your list of sailing dreams, I can thoroughly recommend the experience. However, a dream will stay a…
How to improve single-line reefing
The trend in recent years is for newer yachts to have smaller just-overlapping jibs, even non-overlapping self-tacking jibs, with the mainsail area increased in compensation. Since the introduction of jib…
How to pick up fore and aft moorings
Fancy going to Polperro next weekend?’ I asked my partner Chris on New Year’s Day. ‘We’ve finally got some high pressure coming in.’ I needed to visit Polperro as part…
Should you risk a short cut on a sailing passage?
George and Janet are on holiday in North Brittany on board their 10m yacht, Roller Coaster. North Brittany has a spectacular coastline with numerous offlying rocks which are up to…
How to survive in a liferaft should the worst happen
You have no idea how frightening it is to step off a sinking yacht and into a liferaft. There is just you, the raft and whatever you have managed to…
How to deal with an unwell member of your crew
Gerry is regretting taking three novice crew across the North Sea. They are on board Bellatrix, a 12m standard production yacht. They started from Stavanger in Norway and are on…
How to tension your yacht’s rig with wire or rod rigging
If you want to trim your rig correctly you should have some idea of the tension in the shrouds and stays, either by rules of thumb or a more exact…
How to pass your Yachtmaster Practical Exam
The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore has long been the qualification that cruising yacht sailors, both amateur and professional, have aspired to. Quite aside from the fact that it is the gateway…