Mark and Tanya are heading south- west down the Needles Channel in their Beneteau 40.7, Swift. They’ve been close-hauled in a SSE’ly Force 5 with the ebb tide helping them…
Question of Seamanship
How do you navigate a drying channel when the charts disagree?
Tim and Josh have found a space for their Bowman 40, Artemis, which has a 1.5m draught, at Treluggan Boatyard which is five miles off the Tamar up the River…
What to do if someone anchors too close to your boat?
Clara, Fi and Ahmed are cruising north Brittany on Clara’s Rival 34, Grace. Clara is a recently-qualified Coastal Skipper, and Fi and Ahmed, who are both more experienced sailors, are…
How to deal with a prop wrap
Sadler 29, Nimbus, is on passage from North Shields to Grimsby when the engine falters and cuts out. Skipper, Tim, instantly suspects a prop wrap as they’ve already passed a…
Without AIS, would you cross this line of shipping?
Mike and Linda are crossing the Channel from Poole to St Peter Port via the Alderney Race in their Bavaria 38, Isabel J. However, the AIS, which they usually rely…
6 ways seamanship protects our seas: ‘it is estimated that 30-50% of coral reefs have already been lost’
Sailing has the unique ability to allow us to be outside of our natural environment; being a land animal at sea can become addictive. The sensation of being one with…
Should you still be choosing pyrotechnic flares?
Sarah and Jan co-own Audax, a Hanse 348 based in Plymouth for cruising the West Country and northern France. They carry an offshore flare pack which has four parachute flares,…
What to do when your yacht hits a rock under autopilot
Emma and Karl are cruising the Outer Hebrides aboard their Sweden 390, Vision. They put the boat on autopilot after leaving Stornoway harbour whilst they rig for a spinnaker run…
The furler has jammed and the wind is building: What do you do?
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…
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…