Category: Europe

A sextant and the sun is all you need to find your position, says Tapio Lehtinen. It’s easier than messing around with stars and much more satisfying than GPS When you read this, I will be somewhere in the depths of the Southern Ocean, bound for Cape Horn aboard the Swan 55 Galiana WithSecure. Supported…

James Stevens considers a problem sent in by a Yachting Monthly reader who wants to know whether you should leave harbour with an unsettled forecast Bill is in Plymouth in September planning a passage to the Med. He has decided that the first leg is to sail to Camaret near Brest in Brittany. His yacht,…

When Andy Pag was planning a 450-mile solo passage, sleep was the biggest source of worry. Here’s how he created an effective solo sleep routine When I was planning my first solo offshore sail on my Lagoon 410 Cushla, from Grenada to Bonaire, my biggest concern was not the risk of pirates off the coast…

For their size, trimarans can punch well above their weight in speed, cruising potential and fun. Monohull sailor Theo Stocker gets to grips with how to handle one Humans tend to gravitate into tribes of like-minded enthusiasts, enjoying the encouragement, support and sense of identity, while often looking askance at others; sailors at motorboaters, cruising…

James Stevens considers a problem sent in by a Yachting Monthly reader who wants to know whether to risk crossing a harbour bar in poor conditions Mike has sailed to Salcombe in his 11m long keeled yacht called Boundless with two friends. He took the east-going spring tidal stream yesterday from Plymouth, 22 milesto the…

Radar is now more efficient, more affordable and far more advanced than even a few years ago. Rachael Sprot explains how to use rader to keep clear at sea The life of a radar on board a cruising yacht is an easy one. Aside from a few hours of action when it’s misty or foggy,…

James Stevens considers a problem sent in by a Yachting Monthly reader who wants to know whether to proceed when a navigation light is obscured Sue is cruising around the small ports of north Brittany singlehanded on board a 9m cruising yacht. She is intending to enter a small harbour with a visitor’s buoy for…

You may not need to rely on ancient navigation skills, but they can enrich your sailing, and enhance your sense of when something isn’t right, says William Thomson Yacht navigation can be defined as knowing which way to go. This sounds simple, but to do it you need to process three complex pieces of information.…

James Stevens considers a problem sent in by a Yachting Monthly reader who wants to know how to avoid a fleet of racing dinghies? Alan is returning to his mooring up a tidal river after a day sail in his 9m yacht Starburst. He has one crew member, Jack, who has sailed with him for…

Crew safety is paramount for any skipper, and lessons can be learned from mishaps on other yachts, says Roger Brydges as he looks into steering loss at sea Retiring from the MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Branch) has allowed me to reflect on developments in marine safety over the past few decades, particularly in the sailing…