A tale of two cities We look at half-a-dozen French sailing ports, from Calais to Douarnenez...
- A tale of two cities
We look at half-a-dozen French sailing ports, from Calais to Douarnenez, whose twin towns include Cowes, Plymouth, Falmouth, Gosport and Dartmouth. Which offers the best deal? Which has the best facilities? - Landfalls
Dick Durham launches YM’s new, occasional series of homewaters cruising stories with a passage from Belgium to North Foreland. The author of each story will receive a Chris Ryley original watercolour painting of their boat used to illustrate their story - Here be dragons and demons
Husband and wife Fred and Jacquie Lockey sail to Indonesia to hear reports of gunshots in Kupang. Away from the political hotspots on the magical islands they confront the famous Komodo dragon and susperstitious fishermen
- Gear test:
Going up the mast single or shorthanded can be hard work. Simon Jinks looks at four mast ladders designed to make life easier. Honda’s new generation of four-stroke outboards are super silent and eco-friendly. Paul Gelder tests the 10hp, claimed to be the lightest four-stroke in its class. - Destinations ? Honfleur with FREE chart
Honfleur on the south bank of the Seine estuary is perhaps the most picturesque of all Norman ports. Peter Cumberlidge visits - Special report: Deck saloon cruisers on test
Why choose a deck saloon cruiser? James Jermain sails two new 40ft deck saloon cruisers from two new Swedish boat-builders: CR Yachts’ CR400Ds and Arcona’s 40DS. His verdict appears next month
- Sailing skills
We launch a new monthly series on unusual sailing knots by Geoffrey Budworth, co-founder of the International Guild of Knot Tyers
In part 17 of our cut-out-and-keep Better boat-handling series, Simon Jinks looks at coming up to pile moorings under power
- PLUS Yachtmaster class with Tom Cunliffe and Sea Sense with Des Sleightholme
Also:Blue Water Letter from Rod Heikell in the Med A-Z of second-hand yachts:Contents subject to variation