Sailing round the world with dogs requires months of preparation and research, stacks of paperwork, extra supplies and provisions, regular vaccinations, expensive updates for your vessel, and many hours of…
Practical Boat Owner
Yannick Bestaven wins Vendée Globe in closest-ever finale
Yannick Bestaven, the 48 year old French skipper of Maître Coq IV, is the overall winner of the ninth edition of the Vendée Globe. Although third over the line at…
Vendée Globe: Charlie Dalin (Apivia) expected at the finish line within the hour
In the closest-ever finish of the Vendée Globe solo round-the-world race, Charlie Dalin (Apivia) is expected to be first over the line off Les Sables d’Olonne at 1950 UTC. In…
How to repair a sail – video guide
Fixing a tear A big tear in the body of the sail looks dramatic but is easy to fix. Don’t use sail repair tape – PSA adhesive backed sailcloth is…
Vendée Globe on YouTube – why the women stand out from the crowd
As another International Women’s Day approaches (8 March), it’s time to check in with the Vendée women skippers on YouTube, writes Kass Schmitt. It was an atypical year, with the…
Hunter Ranger 245 on test – a boat for our time?
Back in 2012, I went for a spin on the Hunter Channel 245 – a robust and chunky little cruiser that punched above her weight in lots of ways. Here…
Improve performance by understanding boat design
Øyvind Bordal explains how form stability, LOA, LWL, speed tables and polar diagrams can help you choose the right boat for your kind of sailing
What kind of a person does it take to race solo round the world?
Kevin Escoffier onboard PRB was forced to abandon the vessel and take to the liferaft during the current Vendée Globe/ Jean-Marie Liot/PRB With Isabelle Joschke having retired from the Vendée…
Vendée excitement as Hare approaches Horn, Joschke retires and leaders battle final 5,000-miles
Isabelle Joschke, skipper of MACSF, was forced to retire from the Vendée Globe last night after her keel broke free of the temporary ram that had held it in place…
Robert FitzRoy and the fascinating history of weather forecasts
Robert FitzRoy/ Alamy Stock Photo As sailors we’re used to checking the weather before any journey from the hundreds of weather providers including the Met Office. Give a thought therefore…
DIY boat engine replacement – How I fitted a Beta 30 in a Moody 31
I bought my 1987 Moody 31 MkII in September 2017 and still remember the excitement of flying down with a friend from Edinburgh to Southampton for the day to view…
The worst boat I ever surveyed
Back in the 1970s I used to do a small amount of yacht surveying while working in a boat yard. Insurance companies in those days didn’t require qualifications or third-party…
How to: Service a winch
A backwinding winch can be extremely dangerous and cause serious injury, so winches should be serviced every year in order to clean the mechanism, check for damage and replace worn…
How to fit a rode counter to make anchoring from the helm a reality
I often sail single-handed and after using a rode counter on another boat, I decided to fit one to my Nimbus 365. I already had markers on the chain at…
Self-isolation comes naturally for some of us…
Self-isolating has never been a problem for me. In fact, I’ve been following government guidelines ever since 2005, when I bought my Sailfish 18, and two months later the sheet…
How to: replace a halyard
Halyards need taking out of the mast if you’re unstepping the mast or the line needs replacing. It is pretty straightforward, but there are a few steps to follow to…
What use is a chart table? 4 new ideas that won’t stand the test of time
Useless thing, these days, the chart table. Once, the navigator crouched over it, tensely twiddling the wheel on his Breton plotter, dividers at hand, pencils rolling to the swells, drenched…
How to repair instrument gauges
Every boat has a number of gauges for water, fuel and waste tanks. Every so often, one of them will stop working properly – giving no reading at all or…
How to: moor a yacht alongside
When it comes to mooring your boat alongside, it helps to know which lines do what, what type of rope to use and how best to arrange them so that…
Liveaboard diaries – the family sailing around the world in the pandemic
Swimming with turtles January 2020 After leaving St Lucia we’ve been cruising between the Tobago Cays in the Grenadines and Grenada and are now working our way north again. Having…