Sailing skills

Summer cruise skills
Dutch boatbuilder Eeuwe Kooi has been box berthing all his life. He demonstrates the essential skills

Three ways to seize your shackles
A shackle coming undone can be costly and dangerous. Here’s how to make sure it won’t

‘I was knocked down and dismasted in the Southern Ocean’
600 miles from Cape Horn, Shane Freeman’s world was turned upside down

Should I stay or should I go?
James Stevens looks at a classic skipper’s dilemma, but given the forecast, what would you do?

What makes a good anchor?
Every anchor has bad habits. Ken Endean suggests a better way to evaluate them

Any Questions
• Do we need travel insurance to cruise? • What are the Portsmouth beacons? • Can I borrow a yacht? • Why has bronze failed?

Cruising

‘Why my yacht took 37 years to build’
Having started to build his dream boat in 1979, Bill Probert is finally ready to go sailing

A cheap and easy ‘Atlantic circuit’
Andrew Beveridge visits the Atlantic Islands without the cost and time of a full transatlantic

‘My journey from novice to owner and skipper’
Having bought a boat with her husband, Phyllida Stoke decides to step up and take charge

Cruising log Readers share their experiences
Exploring the forgotten creeks of Kent and cruising north through the Marquesas archipelago

Cruising guide to the Bahamas
Kit Pascoe discovers the Southern Exuma Cays, inaccessible to all but the humble sailor

Anchorages
Idyllic coves to drop the hook in, from Pembrokeshire to Fiji

Boats and gear

New gear
• Garmin smart watch for sailors • Compact generator • 3-in-1 drawer fridge freezer • Parallel entry deck gland

Tried and tested
• Henri Lloyd quilted jacket • Bollé polarized sunglasses

Used boat test: Contest 41
Dick Durham discovers a surprisingly affordable ocean cruiser for you to sail off into the sunset

New boat test: Beneteau Sense 51
Graham Snook goes for an 80-mile cruise in this innovative, spacious new cruiser