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…
James Stevens
What to do with difficult crew mid Atlantic?
Jim is regretting taking on Ed as crew on a transatlantic voyage. Bellatrix is a sturdy 13m production GRP yacht in good condition with all the recommended safety gear for…
Can I squeeze over this tidal sill on neaps?
Tom and Jane are on holiday in North Brittany with their two children. They are on their 11m yacht with a 2m draught. The weather has been hot, with a…
Does steering failure mean a Mayday call?
Sue is owner of Skua, a 40-year-old 10-metre GRP sloop with tiller steering. Sue has owned Skua for about 20 years and has sailed regularly, usually across the English Channel.…
Would you sail if you found water ingress in the bilges?
Andy and Jane are on the trip of a lifetime to the Caribbean on board their 12m cruiser racer Ambition with two crew. They are currently in Las Palmas preparing…
Would you cross an ocean with this skipper?
Bob has just completed his degree, he is a keen dinghy racing helm who has always dreamed of crossing the Atlantic on a yacht before he settles down to a…
Should you risk a short cut on a sailing passage?
George and Janet are on holiday in North Brittany on board their 10m yacht, Roller Coaster. North Brittany has a spectacular coastline with numerous offlying rocks which are up to…
How to deal with an unwell member of your crew
Gerry is regretting taking three novice crew across the North Sea. They are on board Bellatrix, a 12m standard production yacht. They started from Stavanger in Norway and are on…
How to avoid this collision in fog while sailing a yacht?
Martin and Barbara, along with their teenage son, Rob, have sailed across to the Channel Islands from the Solent in their 10m yacht. Rob has crewed regularly and already has…
How to rig a yacht’s mooring lines to avoid chafe
Jenny and Ted are cruising with their two teenage children on board their 10m yacht Oyster Catcher. Forecasters have been warning of wet and windy weather for the next few…