Helen and Mark sail their Halberg Rassy 34, Gemini, in the Bristol Channel. They’ve left Padstow at high water at 0900 bound for Milford Haven, which is 70 miles away…
How to
Cruising to the starting line: How to get started yacht racing
As a committed cruiser of 30 years, I often wondered what the point of yacht racing was. There seemed to be a lot of expensive looking boats, some shouting, confusing…
Beginner’s guide to drying anchorages
With life pulled in too many directions we’ve come to the conclusion that any window of opportunity must be buttered up with optimism and grabbed with both hands. It was…
Never run dry: The ultimate guide to boat tank gauges
You don’t want to arrive at your favourite anchorage only to discover that you’ve run out of water, your holding tank is full and there’s no gas left to cook…
Can you really only visit Scilly in light winds?
Sigma 33, Odette, is cruising the West Country in August and hoping to get to the Scillies. Skippered by Michelle, with her two teenage sons on board, the boat is…
How to find the perfect sailing crew match (and avoid know-it-alls)
We’re all different. We have diverse aims, agendas and ways of getting there. All of them are right. So, what holds people back? A large number get their Day Skipper…
Simple tweaks that will immediately improve your boat’s performance to windward
Who doesn’t just love heeling over, bouncing up and down, getting cold and wet and pointing in a direction that bears little relation to where you want to go? Given…
Stop using ‘automotive wire’ on your boat: The critical wiring mistake that makes remaking joints impossible
Electrical wire used on boats should be tinned (covered in solder) along its whole length. However, this is an expensive process, so most production boats have ‘automotive-type’ wire, which allows…
Will this anchorage be safe to stay in overnight?
Louise and Julia are cruising the north east of the UK on their Grand Soleil 43. They seize a brief weather window to visit the Farne Islands off the Northumbrian…
Why you might be wrong about production yachts – and why they are great for ocean crossings
As an addict of YouTube sailing channels, I am surprised at the amount of misinformation surrounding the ocean capabilities of modern boat design compared to the boats of a generation…