Joe Bainbridge explains to woodworking tutor Geoff Bowker how his Contessa 26 was refitted ready for an Atlantic circuit
boats
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on his life-long love for Suhaili, and how he keeps her in sailing shape
There’s a very special boat in Gosport Marina, and her owner – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston – has offered to introduce us. It’s the day after the Conquer the Island challenge,…
Yann Quenet: Why this solo French sailor refitted his micro-yacht to sail the globe again
Yann Quenet stands out as much for the philosophies behind his self-designed and built 13ft Baluchon as for his sailing exploits. Rupert Holmes reports on one of today’s most inspirational…
6 cruising dinghy options for sailors wanting to downsize to keep sailing
Had enough of sailing cruiser ownership but not yet ready to give up sailing itself? Jake Frith delves into the merits and options of trading down to a much smaller…
‘Future boats will be owned by the women who build them’: How Proa designer Rob Denney launched a boatbuilding school
New Zealand boat designer Rob Denney, celebrated for his Harryproa, a variation of the double-hulled vessel originating in the Pacific with a hull-mounted rig, didn’t start with the idea of…
Sailing Uma: ‘How we built an electric sailboat to take us around the world’
Katy Stickland talks to Sailing Uma’s Dan and Kika Deckert about the three year refit of their 1972 Pearson 36 for an all-electric circumnavigation of the globe
I built a ferrocement bluewater cruising yacht in 1980 and sailed it for the next 13 years
Adventurous dreams of travelling the world captivated my boyfriend and I when we were just 22. But having just begun our careers, funds were limited, and we hadn’t yet got…
Varianta 37: a boat that goes back to basics
Can a completely stripped-back 37-foot budget yacht deliver the pure sailing performance modern cruisers actually want? From the PBO archive, David Harding sails the Varianta 37 in the Solent to…
The Grey Boat: A masterclass in DIY dinghy design
Sometimes the most inspiring craft can come in modest forms. Clive Marsh looks at The Grey Boat
The best used boats for cruising the Mediterranean this summer
Phil Clandillon looks at the most suitable sub-45ft second-hand yachts for sailing the Mediterranean. Models: Beneteau Oceanis 311 | Bavaria 32 Cruiser | Elan Impression 344 | Jeanneau Sun Odyssey
Boom droop and other start of season ailments
Beware the insidious boom droop and your crew will thank you for it – and don’t forget to dig out suitable attire before setting sail.
Collective Spirit: a boat of a thousand pieces
Built to mark the Cultural Olympiad in 2012, Collective Spirit is a unique boat built due to a collaboration between artists and the sailing world. David Harding went to see…
Returning to the ‘dark side’: This retired couple switched back from sail to power to cruise the Mediterranean
My husband, Jeremy, and I have been involved with boats, both motor and sailing, on and off for over 35 years. Like many people, we had a dream to sail…
Best boats for crossing the North Sea: the Moody Eclipse 33 + 5 other models
Sailing north from Scotland takes you into a different world. Towering cliffs, remote islands, and empty, white-sand beaches await sailors willing to suffer cooler temperatures, rain, and strong currents that…
Get boat access without the burden of ownership: Your guide to the best boat share options
Have you ever thought about joining a boat share? Consider how expensive owning, or ‘keeping’ a boat in the UK might really be, and all the work that goes into…
Why the Orkney Coastliner 14 transformed my coastal cruising
Clive Marsh looks at the Orkney Coastliner 14 - a lightweight sea boat that is easy to launch and recover
The World’s Smallest Boat? How Andrew Bedwell built his 100cm boat to sail across the Atlantic
Microyacht adventurer Andrew Bedwell tells Katy Stickland how he resurrected his Atlantic ocean world record challenge
The best boats for Scandinavian cruising, from the Albin Ballad to the Hallberg Rassy 36
There’s a lot to love about Scandinavian cruising. It’s said that Stockholm sailors rarely venture outside home waters themselves– and with 30,000 islands on their doorstep, who can blame them?…
Cut your boating costs: The surprising benefits of ‘downsizing’ from motor to sail
Many sailors like to switch from a yacht to a motorboat as they get older – yet Debbie and Jeremy White did the opposite and saved a small fortune in…
The Flying Fifteen: the spirit of sailing
Clive Marsh sings the praises of the Flying Fifteen – an attractive, self-righting and popular fixed-keel dinghy that sails brilliantly