From a distance the Skellig Islands look like two shards of rock sticking out of the Atlantic. Skellig or Sceilg means ‘splinter of stone’. It was a calm, hot and…
Yachting Monthly
Remembering the Great Tide 70 years on
Hundreds of laid-up yachts were holed, crushed or simply dashed to kindling in the Great Tide which flooded both sides of the North Sea 70 years ago this year, drowning…
Saffier SE 24 first look: a fun little speedster
Dutch yard Saffier really knows how to make fun, fast boats that are a doddle to sail solo or shorthanded. The Saffier SE 24 features a hull that is wide…
How to install shore power on a yacht
Not long ago, having any form of mains AC (alternating current) on board a small to medium sized leisure boat was rare. But now, having shore power in a yacht…
Two sailors go coral gardening in French Polynesia
Floris is on the lookout at the bow, as we are sailing in uncharted waters. Some of the coral heads rise almost to the surface but, thanks to the high…
Sunbeam 29.1 first look: stylish weekender
We covered the Sunbeam 32.1 recently, and hot on its heels is a smaller sibling, the Sunbeam 29.1, as this long-running Austrian yard updates is range of ultra-modern, stylish weekenders.…
How to navigate when a navigation light is obscured
Sue is cruising around the small ports of north Brittany singlehanded on board a 9m cruising yacht. She is intending to enter a small harbour with a visitor’s buoy for…
How to winterise a yacht’s engine
When laying up for the winter, it’s important to prepare your diesel engine so it won’t suffer while remaining unused for an extended period. It helps to make a list…
Why Lefkas remains one of Greece’s best islands
Lefkas island in the Ionian Sea is one of my favourite places in Greece. For land travellers it is one of the few islands easily reached by car and represents…
Why sailing the Croatian coastline with the kids was the perfect break
Georgie, my wife and I love chartering, and did so relatively frequently before children. The arrival of our adorable little chaos merchants (Reuben, three, and Lily, one) rather tempered our…