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…
Yachting Monthly
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…
The history of the RYA Yachtmaster scheme as it turns 50
The RYA started examining Yachtmaster candidates in 1973 but in fact the very first Yachtmaster certificates were awarded much earlier. In 1938 at the request of the Admiralty, the Board…
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380 review
Age comes to us all, and with it a certain softening of our midships. After almost 40 years of the Sun Odyssey line, you could be forgiven for thinking Jeanneau’s…