Have you considered adding a mast spotlight to your yacht? Perhaps we’re asking too much of the good old anchor light. Set against the lights of a busy town or…
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Sailing books: best new releases to read
Katy Stickland chooses her pick of the latest sailing books that will keep sailors enthralled
The best small Westerly yachts for family cruising on a budget
Westerly yachts can be seen at most UK ports and harbours: they’re roomy family boats and some are designed for racing. The smaller 20ft to 26ft yachts, can often be…
How a top-end engine rebuild got me cruising on my dreamboat
After years of searching for his dream boat, Drew Maglio explains how he fixed the V8 engine on his new-to-him Chaparral 2550 SX with an impressive top-end engine rebuild.
Barry Perrins: ‘I bought the boat and lived the dream’
After nine years of circumnavigating the globe, 'old Seadog' Barry Perrins talks to Laura Hodgetts about seamanship, the realities of sailing offshore and his onboard essentials
Banish damp from your boat this winter
Ashore or afloat, winter cold and damp can have a detrimental effect. Jake Kavanagh looks at the options for keeping condensation and moisture at bay
Vane gear self-steering: you guide to an offshore sailor’s best friend
Andrew Simpson looks at pendulum servo self-steering gears, and describes how to get the best out of them
‘My boat was a write-off’: Lessons learned from an on-the-water boat collision
Leo Heaney’s regular yacht club race night quickly turns dangerous after an unexpected boat collision. After seven months of repairs and frustration, here are the lessons learned.
Rigging tension on a fractional-rigged trailer-sailer
What considerations should you be aware of for setting the rigging tension on a mast that is frequently lowered and raised? OneSails's Wilf Chaplin has this advice
10 ways to save fuel when motoring: Essential tips for engine care, hull trim and propeller pitch
As costs rise, Jake Kavanagh looks at the simple ways boaters can use less fuel and energy when motoring
Your Holy Island cruising guide: coastal hopping in a trailer-sailer
Frank Sibly enjoys trailer-sailer coastal hopping from Northumberland’s Seahouses to Scotland’s Dunbar Harbour
Sailing and boating participation in the UK are in decline
"Sailing and boating in the UK are at a crossroads,” says Nick Scott, director of sport for the Royal Yachting Association. "Participation is standing still, or starting to fall.”
Understanding boat displacement & why it matters
How well do you feel like you understand boat displacement? For most sailors, it’s an overlooked topic. When I returned to marine journalism after a spell working on other magazines,…
Classic boat restoration: uncertain future for the Garlandstone, the last West Country trading ketch
The Garlandstone is one of the last wooden trading vessels of its type. HE Ross questions why she sits derelict while sister ships thrive as charter vessels, and the future…
Tools for tight spaces on a boat
Ben Meakins contorts himself terribly in a bid to demonstrate which tools work best when working on your boat in confined conditions
Boaters beware: RYA SafeTrx vessel tracking safety app will soon close
RYA SafeTrx app - the vessel tracking, safety and communications platform - is to be discontinued at the end of this month, from 31 December.
From damp cushions to cosy home: The simple insulation job that changed life on our boat
Mark and Nicky Green decided to insulate their Cobra 850 themselves, and found it was the key to their long-term dream of living aboard
Skipper dies after being wound round his boat’s faulty electric winch
The skipper of the Mollie died after becoming entangled around the electric winch drum, an MAIB investigation has concluded
‘We were sinking, mastless, and adrift’: The crucial lessons learned from my shakedown sail
Paul Hayes is shaken by a shakedown sail in the Bristol Channel when his junk-rigged Coromandel springs a leak, loses its mast and suffers a snarled prop
The simple mooring mistake that can chafe through your rope in 20 minutes
By following a few simple mooring guidelines, you can avoid the common pitfalls and make the process of securing your boat easier and more effective. Michael Collings shows you how