5 Editor’s letter ‘The quality of crew is crucial’
6 News • New boats at Southampton Show • North Sea wind farm • Schoolboy Fastnet
12 Letters • Get a line ashore • Fitting a splitter • A real boat • Please do some dredging
16 Libby Purves Friction between land and sea
18 Dick Durham A lusty sailor or an old salt
20 ON THE COVER Expert on board: How to moor a boat to rocks
Chris Beeson demonstrates a useful skill for adventurous cruisers
24 ON THE COVER 10 tips to make your sails last longer Some simple, easy care can significantly increase the life of your sails, says Simon Phillips
26 Should I stay or should I go? Perfect conditions are forecast for a trip to Ostend, but the return leg looks a bit lively. Would you go or not?
30 Learning curve David Barwell has problems with a shiny new mast.
32 Any questions • Why are some anchors better than others? • A normal squall? • What to do about invasive species? • Can I be pressured to sail?
34 ON THE COVER Sailing with the Royal Navy Sailing ships may be long gone, but sailing under canvas is still going strong, reports Theo Stocker
40 ON THE COVER Across the Atlantic in a small boat Tom Dymond joins a friend to sail into the sunset from Falmouth to Antigua in a Nicholson 32
44 ON THE COVER Cruising with a wind farm lobbyist Dick Durham goes for a sail and hears from an expert why offshore energy is here to stay
49 Advertorial How the RNLI can bring the best safety advice to your boat
50 A good read Battling for survival in 1979
52 Anchorages Idyllic spots to stop in Scotland, Spain and the Caribbean
53 Sailing library New books worth a read
53 ON THE COVER Competition Win a £900 boat security system
58 Cruising guide: La Palma Take time to cruise the Canaries and you’ll discover what they have to offer, including the pretty island of La Palma
60 Cruising log Readers’ experiences in St Kilda, Turkey and Poole Harbour
66 Goodbye to our Fastnet classic It was a sad day for Miranda Delmar-Morgan when the time came to sell her beloved wooden Polar Bear
68 ON THE COVER Used boat test: Hylas 46 Chris Beeson steps aboard a well-tested round-the-world boat to find out what makes her so good
74 Technical Ten hallmarks that set apart a well-sorted blue water boat
76 ON THE COVER New boat test: Dufour 382 GL ‘A yacht with a nice turn of speed.’ Graham Snook enjoys a lively family cruiser.
82 ON THE COVER Buyer’s guide: Sextants James Turner explains how to buy a sextant you can trust, and how to use the thing when you do
106 The Confessional Own up to sailing sins…