I WAS THE ONLY SAILOR ON OUR FAMILY CHARTER AND IT HAD TO GO WELL

Crystal waters, cliff tombs and sunken outboards lain Willis wanted to ensure plain sailing for his family’s first charter around Turkey's Lycian Coast

HOW IT WORKS SEAWATER PUMP

The water and oil seals on a water pump shaft will eventually wear with time, leading to pump-shaft corrosion or loss of engine oil.

THOUSANDS OF MILES ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN

Floris and Ivar battled severe weather and cross swell to sail from Australia to South Africa, but there were beautiful islands on the way

The secret of yachts with enduring appeal

Fashions come and go, but J-Boats remain a safe choice for great sailing boats, whether you want to own it for ever or sell it

Tragic sinking of Bayesian; Italian prosecutors investigate

The sinking of the Bayesian superyacht in reportedly only 16 minutes and the tragic loss of seven lives has sent a shudder through the sailing community and beyond.

THE ADVENT OF MARINE AI TECHNOLOGY

Fonathon Savill reports on the revolutionary impact artificial intelligence is about to have on all areas of life at sea

IMPROVING SINGLE-LINE REEFING

Martin Watts explains how to reduce the friction on the reefing lines of newer yachts

The secrets of skippering a successful cruise

Setting off on a cruise is easy, but planning a route that keeps your options open and ensures the enjoyment of all on board is more of an art

CRUISING THE KINGDOM OF THE ISLES

Joanna Martin and her husband Mark sail across the Irish Sea to the legendary sea kingdom and to draw the wonderful wildlife there

MOODY DS48

Can a boat built for long-term, long-distance cruising and offering one-level living still deliver an enjoyable sailing experience? Theo Stocker sets sail across the English Channel to find out

Mile-long RNLI flotilla for 200th anniversary

As the RNLI celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, more than 40 rescue vessels formed a flotilla more than a mile long in Poole in May.

Ella Hibbert to sail to Norway and Russia in Arctic preparation

Intrepid 27-year-old sailor Ella Hibbert has made the difficult decision to delay her departure to sail solo around the Arctic circle until next year, but will instead depart this summer on a training expedition to Norway and Russia in preparation.

Orcas sink a yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar

A pod of orcas attacked and sank a 15m yacht in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar in May, the latest in a series of encounters in the area that have sunk five yachts in the past four years, the Spanish maritime authorities reported.

Why Pip Hare needs you now

Sailing with Pip Hare last week reminded me of my father’s sailing mantra: ‘It’s all about drag.’

ADVENTURE THE CALL OF THE SOUTH SEAS

What is the call of the South Seas? The Hoiland family were curious to find out, so they set off west to explore. This is the story of their year sailing through the islands and atolls of French Polynesia

HOW TO DODGE GALES IN THE ISLES OF SCILLY

Ken Endean tries a two-anchorage strategy

Picking up fore and aft moorings

Mooring fore and aft can be a fiddly process, never more so than in Cornwall's Polperro. If you can do it here, says Rachael Sprot, then you can do it anywhere

TECHNICAL PURCHASING POWER

Sam Fortescue explains how to check you have the power needed to handle your running rigging safely - and how to fix it if you don't

NEW GEAR

Dennis O'Neill reviews the latest products designed to make sailing safer and easier

'NEVER BEFORE HAVE I SAILED IN SUCH WILD WEATHER'

When Jeremy Edwards and his sister were hit by a 'weather bomb' en route to Tonga it gave him a new-found respect for his sister's skippering ability

ADVENTURE RACING AROUND THE WORLD

First Mate Rachel Burgess tells YM what it was like to race 28.000 miles around the world to win the Ocean Globe Race with her all-female crew aboard Maiden

FIRST TEST DUFOUR 41

There have always been yachts that claim to offer the best of all worlds. They lure you in with the promise of being able to luxuriate in spacious opulence after a day of exhilarating sailing.

How to rig preventers and boom brakes

Rigging a preventer or using a boom brake is just good seamanship when sailing downwind, but doing so badly is asking for trouble, says Rachael Sprot

Don't let Thames sewage kill off this lovely boat

Samuel Pepys mentions oysters in his diaries 68 times, but that was when they were as common as winkles along the banks of the Thames and when they were a source of cheap protein for the masses.

I finally found the magic of the sea

I won’t be in theatres with a notebook as much as usual this month – time for some wider, wetter horizons – but may be musing, as I often do, on how rare it is for theatre to express a convincing reality about the oceans and the trade or pursuit of seafaring.

TECHNICAL GOLDEN OLDIES

Ken Endean looks back on the boats he has owned over 50 years and explains why the hull lines of older yachts continue to offer first-class handling

HOW IT WORKS MARKING

Many cruising yacht skippers mark very little on board their boats.

TECHNICAL INSTALLING A NEW ENGINE

When a mysterious loss of coolant jeopardised his sailing, Andy Du Port knew the time had tome to replace his yacht’s:veteran Volvo Penta

NEW GEAR

Dennis O’Neill rounds up the latest marine innovations, including developments in women’s sailing jackets

MARIE TABARLY HONOURING HER FATHER

Marie Tabarly took line honours in the Ocean Globe Race, surpassing her father’s record while racing aboard his famous 73ft ketch Pen Duick VI