John has been sailing with friends for many years but has finally decided to buy his own yacht. It is a 10m cruiser racer which he reckons will be light…
Sailing skills
How to use a sextant for navigation
Before using the sextant you must note the index error. All sextants have an index error, especially plastic instruments which have to be checked regularly. When you have achieved an…
‘I spent hours in the water in hurricane conditions’
When we saw the race briefing it was a little bit fuzzy,’ John Quinn told me, recalling events that had happened over three decades earlier, before the start of the…
How to moor your yacht (and how not to)
Sailing itself is not that difficult, with a few basic techniques and rules to keep you and your boat safe, whether you’re on a 50-footer or a dinghy. Since Covid…
What to do with difficult crew mid Atlantic?
Jim is regretting taking on Ed as crew on a transatlantic voyage. Bellatrix is a sturdy 13m production GRP yacht in good condition with all the recommended safety gear for…
How these mainsail modifications revolutionised my yacht’s performance
Our 1980s Yamazaki Yachts 34, Zen Again, is an IOR (International Offshore Rule) 3/4 tonner masthead cutter, with a fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder, displacing 6,000kg loaded for blue-water…
How transiting the Panama Canal is getting easier
The journey started two months before our transit date, logging on to the website of the canal’s Small Craft Service, ASEM, to register the boat and request a transit date.…
Can I squeeze over this tidal sill on neaps?
Tom and Jane are on holiday in North Brittany with their two children. They are on their 11m yacht with a 2m draught. The weather has been hot, with a…
Your complete guide to yacht pilotage (done properly)
Long ago, in the days when paper charts were precious, navigators would sketch out the relevant details in their notebook and take it on deck rather than risk the chart…
Does steering failure mean a Mayday call?
Sue is owner of Skua, a 40-year-old 10-metre GRP sloop with tiller steering. Sue has owned Skua for about 20 years and has sailed regularly, usually across the English Channel.…