Learning how to prepare your cruising boats for mechanical or electrical breakdowns at sea with essential system redundancy strategies. Richard Thomson reflects on contingency plans to get you home
Seamanship
Groundbreaking report on yacht to yacht rescues
"Eye opening" with "life-saving insights", the Cruising Club of America (CCA) has published the most comprehensive examination of yacht to yacht rescues ever produced.
Brain haemorrhage and rudder loss at sea
Alex Carter survives a medical emergency at sea, only to suffer rudder failure during a recovery sail
Trapped in a tidal race: Lessons learned from a mid-passage breakdown during a gale
A key snapping off in his Maxi 84’s ignition – in unfamiliar waters and tricky conditions, just when the engine is needed most – leads to some big decisions for
What to consider when sailing offshore in a small boat: Sailing advice for ‘Miscreants and Misfits’ from the Jester Challenge
‘Rarely will you meet such a bunch of miscreants and misfits,’ event organiser David McDowall pronounced in the opening speech of the first-ever Jester Challenge Symposium. Terms of endearment for…
Sailing by numbers: Are instruments dulling our seamanship?
Richard Thomson ponders whether we should be focusing less on the tech and more on sailing by the feel of the boat, wind and waves
Cascade systems explained: How to gain mechanical advantage when trimming sails
Cascade purchases are cheap and can give a huge mechanical advantage. Stan Cockeram explains where they can and can’t be used
‘I have a cunningham plan’
You can immeaurably increase your sailing pleasure by fitting a cunningham to your mainsail, advises Bob Goode
Sailing a cutter rig: How two headsails improve handling and balance for cruising
Are two headsails better than one or just twice the bother? David Rainsbury explains why he finds a cutter rig ideal for cruising
Careening a deep-fin keel yacht: Why I deliberately ran my boat aground
Friso Hylkema puts theories to the test when careening his 1978 Standfast 40s while cruising in Africa
How to gybe safely
Cruising instructor Ben Lowings explains how to gybe safely and the techniques used when dealing with different sail types
Racing dinghies vs motorboats: Who really has right of way?
Based on experience, Gilbert Park ponders what every motorboat owner should consider when sharing the water with dinghy racers
How to use canal locks: one skipper shares his tips after a trip across France
Following a trip across France via the Canal Latéral à la Garonne and the Canal du Midi, Richard Hare shares his experience of how to tackle locks and the etiquette…
How to boom out a jib safely
Ben Meakins explains how you can eliminate danger while poling out the jib
How to pack a spinnaker in 9 steps
If a spinnaker goes up twisted, or with the halyard attached to a clew instead of the head, you can be in trouble. So packing the kite properly is vital.…
Bermudan vs gaff rigs: Which rig setup wins for coastal cruising?
How better to compare the handling and performance of Bermudan and gaff rigs than on two boats that use the same hull? PBO’s David Harding did exactly that
When a fouled prop leads to saildrive failure (and the costly solution)
Alan Weavers recalls experiencing a fouled prop, a lifeboat tow, and saildrive failure aboard his Dufour
The will to survive: how one sailor spent two hours lost at sea without a lifejacket before rescue
Overboard without a lifejacket in the dark Irish Sea, Prue Nash had to tread water for two hours before she was rescued. But what was she really thinking as her…
Fire up the engine or just enjoy sailing in light wind? Which side of the debate are you on?
Don’t just fire up the engine on a light airs day – make the best of the gentle sailing conditions, says John Simpson
How to secure and tow an inflatable tender
Kerry Pears and husband John have rescued many an errant tender in their years afloat, so Kerry has advice to prevent yours from going walkabout