When researching ports and anchorages to include in our pilot books, Rod and I tend to spend a lot of our time in some of the most popular places, making…
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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…
‘Mayday, Grandad overboard!’: A race turned lifeboat rescue
Henry, my grandson, and I decided to sail together for the Fowey Sailing Opal series, the last yacht race series of the season, as his dinghy season was complete and…
Arcona 50 review: Does the new Arcona flagship impress?
Does a metre really make that much difference when it comes to boat length? It may be one small step up in size, but it represents a giant leap for…
Sailing to Haiti: ‘Visiting Haïti has been one of the most unique and rewarding experiences of my life’
Lordship, my Westerly Sealord, had been stranded in the Dominican Republic for two months. I had been sailing from Martinique towards Cuba with two friends. We were having trouble with…
Hallberg-Rassy 370 first look: Easy handling and good performance
Swedish yard, Hallberg-Rassy has continued the roll-out of its latest design philosophy across its range of yachts. Rather oddly, the yard claimed the new Hallberg-Rassy 370 does not replace any…
‘I celebrate easy, simple (and often bad) sailing’ – Monty Halls
There are many folk who have stepped onto Sobek and made an immediate (although entirely understandable) mistake. They have assumed that I know what I’m doing. It’s not a long-lasting…
How to lay your own mooring
Over the years I have had deep water moorings laid for me and also dug in my own half-tide moorings. Both have been in positions which suited the craft I…
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.…
‘It should not be this hot’ – a scientific expedition to the Arctic Circle
Stepping aboard the 74-foot aluminium lifting keel expedition vessel in Bergen, I stroke the rugged pilothouse gently and whisper, ‘Hello, friend.’ I know that skippering Witness is going to be…