Sarah and Jan co-own Audax, a Hanse 348 based in Plymouth for cruising the West Country and northern France. They carry an offshore flare pack which has four parachute flares,…
Sailing skills
Solving yacht engine trouble: ‘Water had got in through the filler cap’
A year or so ago I was helping a friend, Monty Halls, bring his boat Sobek, around from Plymouth to Dartmouth. As we were leaving Plymouth breakwater, the engine died.…
Rogue waves! What can they teach us about managing risk at sea
If there is a single point on the planet that figures in the imagination of every sailor, it’s Cape Horn. It lies at the southern end of the South American…
What to do when your yacht hits a rock under autopilot
Emma and Karl are cruising the Outer Hebrides aboard their Sweden 390, Vision. They put the boat on autopilot after leaving Stornoway harbour whilst they rig for a spinnaker run…
The furler has jammed and the wind is building: What do you do?
Helen and Mark sail their Halberg Rassy 34, Gemini, in the Bristol Channel. They’ve left Padstow at high water at 0900 bound for Milford Haven, which is 70 miles away…
Cruising to the starting line: How to get started yacht racing
As a committed cruiser of 30 years, I often wondered what the point of yacht racing was. There seemed to be a lot of expensive looking boats, some shouting, confusing…
Essential Guide to Marine Rope Materials and Construction: How Ropes are Made
To master the practical aspects of knotting and ropework, it is important to learn a little about the materials, tools and terminology used, as well as allowing you to converse…
Beginner’s guide to drying anchorages
With life pulled in too many directions we’ve come to the conclusion that any window of opportunity must be buttered up with optimism and grabbed with both hands. It was…
What lifejackets should you have for offshore cruising?
Father and daughter Richard and Lisa have recently bought a Sigma 33 to be kept on the east coast for North Sea cruising and club racing. In time they’d like…
From sextants to screens: Has modern tech made us better (or worse) sailors?
Bob Dylan’s ageless song was released at about the same time as I started sailing yachts. Its aim was to influence people’s views about society, so it seems to be…