Category: Europe
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Should you sail to a fuel dock or wait it out?
James Stevens considers a problem sent in by a Yachting Monthly reader who wants to know whether to sail to a fuel dock or wait it out? John is skipper of a Beneteau Oceanis 34 sailing back to the UK from a holiday in France with two crew. When they left France, the forecast was…
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Should you cross the Channel with this forecast?
James Stevens considers a problem sent in by a Yachting Monthly reader who wants to know whether to cross the Channel with a poor forecast Kate is skipper of an 11m cruising yacht currently in Braye Harbour on the north coast of Alderney. She sailed from Guernsey, 23 miles away, yesterday in a fair SW…
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Offshore navigation: your guide to this essential skill
Offshore navigation is an essential skill but it can be daunting. Jimmy Cornell explains how to do it, and how the parameters are changing Every voyage starts with a dream, and a voyage on my own boat to the remotest parts of the world was my dream as far back as I can remember. That…
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Yacht deliveries: How to get your yacht from A to B
If you need help getting your boat from A to B after a purchase or for a cruise, a delivery crew might be the solution, says Ben Lowings Perhaps your treasured yacht is in the wrong place at the wrong time? Does it need to be somewhere else, soon? Don’t have the time, crew, or…
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Dealing with orca attacks and how to navigate ‘Orca Alley’
In the last three years, orca have started ‘attacking’ yachts on their way through the Gibraltar Straits. James Kenning looks at how to minimise the risk There is a new buzzword amongst cruisers heading in and out of the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar… orcas! Wind, tide and shipping are no longer the only…
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How do you moor a yacht in a tricky windward slot?
James Stevens considers a problem sent in by a Yachting Monthly reader who wants to know how to moor their yacht in a tricky windward slot Andy’s home berth is alongside a walkashore pontoon on a river. Outside is another pontoon not attached to the shore. There is quite a strong tidal stream, up to…
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How to get your yacht home without power
Electrical failure can put you in the dark when your instruments go down. A few traditional skills, and a good tool kit, can see you safely home, says Pete Goss Electrical systems and electronics have become such an essential part of our normal lives that it’s hard to imagine life without them. Those good old…
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How to handle rounding Portland Bill: inshore of offshore?
James Stevens considers a problem sent in by a Yachting Monthly reader who wants to know how to best handle rounding Portland Bill Ed is skipper of a 10m production cruiser racer Aurora, which he keeps in Weymouth. He is returning from a West Country cruise with three friends and preparing to round Portland Bill.…
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Heavy weather sailing: How and when to run for shelter
Having got the boat ready for heavy weather sailing, how to do you decide enough is enough and how to you run for shelter when you’ve made that call? Martin Thomas explains, and Theo Stocker puts it to the test Previously we’ve looked at how to prepare your boat for heavy weather sailing, including how…
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Heavy weather sailing: Essential boathandling skills
Having got the boat ready for heavy weather sailing, how do you actually sail through it? Martin Thomas explains, and Theo Stocker puts it to the test Coastal sailors usually have the luxury of waiting out bad weather safely tucked up in harbour, but sail for long enough and eventually an unexpected squall, front or…