Nigel Calder and Chris Beeson explain how to use boat statistics to understand your boat, or choose the right boat for you and your cruising
Sailing skills
Skipper’s tips – steer into the seas
SKIPPER’S TIPS 1. Steer into the seas In these days of autopilots and electronic routes, the natural mindset is always to make the shortest distance between two points. In heavy…
Jury Steering
How would you get back to safety if your rudder was carried away? Chris Beeson tests three jury steering techniques on the water
Diagnose and fix marine diesel engine problems
Tim Bartlett explains how you can diagnose some common marine diesel engine problems, and fix most of them
Crash Test Boat – Gas explosion
How safe is your gas system? Do you make regular checks? Chris Beeson and the Crash Test Boat team create a gas explosion to show you why you should never…
Crash Test Boat – Fire
How would you deal with a fire in the galley or the engine room? What’s the best way to prevent fires onboard? Chris Beeson and the Crash Test Boat Team…
The best sail plans for crossing an ocean
Sailing across an ocean, there are myriad sail plans to choose from to power you across an ocean. We spoke to six ARC 2014 finishers to find out what works
Crash Test Boat – Broken seacock
You’re about to leave the boat. As you remove the log impeller, the whole fitting comes away and water gushes in. Chris Beeson finds out what to do next
Springing on and off
A length of rope and a fender can turn tricky manoeuvres into a piece of cake. Tom Cunliffe explains springing on and off a dock
Crash Test Boat – Holed and sinking
You’ve hit something and you’re holed. What do you do next? Chris Beeson and the Crash Test crew smash a hole in the hull to test 10 ways of saving…