Winches tend to be mounted in places where, if a bit drops off, it will roll into the water, so take your time and keep hold of everything. Put items…

To take a sextant noon sight you first have to figure out when the sun will pass over your meridian. It is good enough to work it out to the…

As an ex-Marine who specialised in Arctic warfare, Justin has plenty of cold-weather expertise

There is something really quite special about finding yourself out on the water and having most of it to yourself. Being the solitary boat in an anchorage or being able…

John has been sailing with friends for many years but has finally decided to buy his own yacht. It is a 10m cruiser racer which he reckons will be light…

A man using a sextant to navigate on the deck of a boat

Before using the sextant you must note the index error. All sextants have an index error, especially plastic instruments which have to be checked regularly. When you have achieved an…