The West Cork coastline resembles a splayed hand with fingers of mountainous countryside pierced by three long deep inlets. One of the best known is Bantry Bay with the beautiful…
Cruising guides
Ile des Hébihens, Brittany
Finding yourself in charge of an important pilot book brings surprising rewards. Knowing that others are to some extent relying on your inside knowledge, you feel a sense of responsibility…
Runswick Bay, Yorkshire
Until the late 19th century Runswick Bay was a fishing village with a sideline in smuggling. Then, as tourism spread from Whitby to Scarborough, its jumbled warren of narrow streets…
Erwarton Ness, River Stour, Suffolk
First-time visitors to the East Coast would do well to begin with the Orwell and Stour rivers. Whether you are approaching from the South Coast or from Holland, Harwich Harbour…
Loch Tarbert, Jura
Loch Tarbert, on the west side of Jura just north of the Sound of Islay, has one of the most beautiful, remote, yet sheltered anchorages of the Inner Hebrides. Once…
Stockholm archipelago: Sailing Sweden’s pocket wilderness
After just a couple of days cruising in the extensive Stockholm archipelago, Chris Beeson discovers why Swedish sailors rarely make it out of the Baltic
Isla Graciosa, Canary Islands
As you make your way to the Canary Islands, you may well find yourself embroiled in serious discussions with other cruisers about how on Earth to get to Graciosa. The…
The Pyefleet, River Colne
Mention the River Colne, in Essex, and two names will pop up: Brightlingsea and the Pyefleet. The entrance to Brightlingsea Creek and the port of Brightlingsea (where there are shops…
Oxen Islands, Flensburg Fjord
All of a sudden we are between the two small islands and the water is very still and very clear. Somewhere ashore, a mule cries, but I have no time…
Gighay and Hellisay, Outer Hebrides
To the north-east of Barra and a couple of miles out in the Sound lie the rock-and-heather islands of Gighay and Hellisay. With a combined area of less than 500…