CATEGORIES

A WEEK AFLOAT LA ROCHELLE

Gorgeous architecture, sandy beaches and mouthwatering seafood await those who explore France’s Atlantic port

A last hurrah

Gordon Baird enjoys the perfect cruise with old friends before putting his high performance trimaran up for sale

How To Cruise In Europe After Brexit

Keeping a boat in Europe has offered easy adventure and warmer climates, but as regulations after Brexit begin to take shape, this could all change. Lu and Rod Heikell look at what this means for cruising sailors

A WEEK AFLOAT NORTHERN SPORADES, GREECE

Blue water, rich culture and charming fishing villages are all waiting to be discovered in these Greek islands, says Lu Heikell.

‘The boat was slammed over and water poured in'

Randall Reeves leaves the storm jib in its bag while braving the Southern Ocean to prove that speed is safety in heavy weather

The easy way to calculate course to steer

You don’t need paper charts and complex diagrams to calculate course to steer. Mark Browse explains a method that’s easy enough to do in your head

Sailing schools ‘severely hit' by COVID-19 social distancing restrictions

Training centres offering sail cruising courses have been disproportionately affected by restrictions introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

JON SANDERS WAY OF THE WORLD

Jon Sanders is nearing the end of his 11th solo circumnavigation around the world. Elaine Bunting finds out what drives him to keep seeking out the solace of the sea

HOME WATERS - ENCHANTING ARCHIPELAGO

Justin Butler takes his five-year-old daughter on a magical cruise along the south Cornish coast to the Isles of Scilly

Sailors warned of berthing scam

Chris Chandler (inset) is advising people to check with marinas before parting with money for berth rental after he was scammed out of €3,500 for a berth rental at Port La Napoule

FIRST TEST BENETEAU OCEANIS 40.1

The 40ft yacht market is fierce, so has Beneteau’s new family cruiser got what it takes? Graham Snook heads to the Solent to find out

A VOYAGE AROUND THE CUILLINS

Having scattered the ashes of his friend Roger Chisholm in the waters of Loch Coruisk, Howard Steen continues sailing his circuit of Skye

Long-Term Cruisers Could Face Second VAT Bill After Brexit Transition Period Ends

Sailors have accused the Government of unfairly taxing long-term cruisers after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced that UK boat owners who have cruised continually in Europe for over three years without returning to the UK have until the end of 2021 to bring their vessels home or face paying VAT and import duty on their boat.

Are Whales Really A Threat To Cruisers?

With reports of orcas ‘attacking’ yachts off the Spanish coast, Katy Stickland investigates what may be driving the whales’ behaviour and what steps cruisers can take to avoid an encounter.

‘Years of shredded impeller bits had clogged the pipe'

Martin Fuller lightens his wallet as he finds the solution to an avoidable problem that had clearly been building up for years

Rising teenage star

Timothy Long, 15, is now the youngest skipper to sail solo around Britain. Katy Stickland asked him about his record voyage and his future plans.

TECHNICAL BOWSPRIT POWER FOR DOWNWIND SAILING

Bowsprits are all the fashion on new boats these days, but do you need one? Graham Snook looks at how a bowsprit can make your sailing easier and faster

THE UK'S 11 FIERCEST TIDE RACES

Breaking waves and lurking rocks have earned some British tide races a fearsome reputation. Dag Pike explains how to navigate them

FIRST TEST - SPIRIT 44CR ELECTRIC

A wooden boat that blazes a trail for modern technology and sustainability sounds too good to be true. Theo Stocker went to see if she is as good as promised

Surviving a Force 11 storm with a series drogue

Small cruising boats aren’t always fast enough to run away from severe weather. Tony Curphey explains how he survived the Southern Ocean in a Nicholson 32

PIP HARE Lone star

Pip Hare talks to Elaine Bunting about the long road to fulfilling her Vendée dream

A WEEK AFLOAT STOCKHOLM ARCHIPELAGO

All within a day’s sail of mainland Sweden, these islands offer stunning scenery and the chance to escape the crowds, as Nigel Wollen discovers

COVID-19 Channel cruise

Andrew Beveridge’s solo adventure to the Isles of Scilly and Brittany

Recompense for last-minute cancellation of boat shows rejected

Some exhibitors at Boats 2020 have criticised the last-minute decision to cancel the Southampton event, leaving many of them out of pocket.

Novice sailor to the Netherlands

Bethan Griffiths’ first taste of cruising life with her two young children and disabled husband Chris, who has cancer, osteoporosis and Parkinson’s

TO THE FRACTAL WEST OF IRELAND

Ed Maggs and his wife Frances enjoy the slower pace as they cruise south-west Ireland

‘Lightning destroyed the boat's electronics'

Paul Tinley recounts a truly shocking experience aboard his Beneteau 393 Blue Mistress and the subsequent insurance claim

MONACH ISLANDS, OFF NORTH UIST

The anchorages around the Monach Islands in the Outer Hebrides offer total isolation for the intrepid sailor Jonty Pearce discovers

ADVENTURE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Kari Nurmi dodges ice and predators as he sails around Svalbard’s Spitsbergen in his trusty 30ft Bavaria 300

SOUTH DEEP, THE SWALE

Dick Durham mulls the algorithm of a pint ashore while anchored in this East Coast creek