A long-standing member since 1976, Robin has 48 years of experience of working with the Cruising Association (CA), most recently as Chair of the Regulatory & Technical Services group (RATS),…
cruising
A family charter adventure: ‘The squall suddenly passed and the wind and waves abated to a quiet calm in the bay’
We’ve just touched down at Dalaman airport, Southern Turkey and it’s June 2024. It’s our first time bareboat chartering as a family and we’ve chosen a four-day family charter around…
Sailing to warmer climates for winter: ‘The nerves are still there, sometimes utterly stomach churning’
You don’t really notice it too much at first. At each stopover on our summer Mediterranean wanderings we meet up with other yachties, and talk inevitably comes to your cruising…
Exploring French Polynesia by boat: The call of the South Seas
Friday’s dinner topic in late September, 2022: ‘I don’t want to go to French school. I don’t even speak French.’ ‘You will make friends,’ I argued, but the hoped for…
Sailing Around Norway’s South Cape
This is what Thor-Erik had meant. ‘When you sail past Cape Lindesnes, you go from one world to another,’ he had said when we had moored alongside his boat in…
Sailing from Scotland to Ireland: ‘The mountains were swathed in a blanket of cloud and the waves became enormous’
The magic and mystery of the western isles of Scotland capture my imagination and draw me back every summer. This once-great sea kingdom ruled by the Norse and Gaels is…
Scandinavia’s largest regatta: ‘More like a cruising rally than a race’
Cruising yachts in Scandinavia make a beeline for the Danish town of Skagen over every Ascension Day holiday in May. Nearly all of the entrants are production cruisers. This, along…
Sailing across the Irish Sea: ‘We had never seen such evocative scenery’
Bleary eyed, we stumbled out of our sleeping bags as the boat rocked gently on her berth. Fumbling around we clad ourselves with nautical attire, had some breakfast and prepared…
Sailing to the Scillies and back: ‘In the timeless rhythms of the ocean, this latest period of flux and profound change is the greatest’
Being poked in the cheek and asked ‘Is this annoying? Is this annoying? Is this annoying?’ by my bored 11-year-old daughter Isla was indeed annoying. But what made it even…
Cruising Corsica and Sardinia by yacht
Cruising the Mediterranean in my own yacht has always been a dream, and it finally became a reality in 2023, with the June delivery of a new Hallberg-Rassy 372 in…