After experiencing a storm in harbour while moored in Sicily, Trevor McIlwaine asks himself - do I really like to be beside the seaside?

The normally idyllic visitors' marina in Licata, Sicily, transformed into a seething cauldron as the tempest hit. Credit: Trevor Mcllwaine

After surviving a storm in harbour while moored in Sicily, Trevor McIlwaine asks himself - do I really like to be beside the seaside?

The post Surviving a storm in harbour: lessons learned appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

YM instructor Rachael Sprot steps aboard to help. This month, Sophia Lagus and crew want to learn how to use their yacht radar for pilotage and navigation

If you can see a ship's waterline it's 3 miles away or less. At a modest 18 knots, it will reach you in 10 minutes. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

To the uninitiated, radar can seem like a dark art. The splurge of blobs would look more at home in …Continue reading »

The post Yacht Radar: How to find your way in any weather appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Slower isn’t necessarily more efficient when motoring. Christopher Smith explains why

Increasing engine power can help you cruise at your sweet spot if you are fighting headwinds. Credit: Andrew Duke/Alamy Stock Photo

Slower isn’t necessarily more efficient when motoring. Christopher Smith explains why

The post Saving fuel when under engine for greater efficiency appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

What does it really take to step up from coastal cruising to offshore sailing? Rachael Sprot talks to crews about essential offshore skills

Small yachts rely heavily on sail power alone, making for a fulfilling or potentially frustrating experience. Credit: JK Maxi

Will Bruton finds out what coastal cruisers should consider before taking their small yacht on an offshore adventure

The post Offshore sailing skills: All you need to know appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

With no electrics, would you sail towards a tidal headland in poor visibility? James Stevens answers your Questions of Seamanship

Would you risk sailing towards a tidal headland in poor visibility with no working engine or electrics? Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

With no electrics, would you sail towards a tidal headland in poor visibility? James Stevens answers your Questions of Seamanship

The post Should you set off with no electrics? appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

What steps would you take if your yacht dismasted in a tidal race? James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship

If your rig failed while rounding a headland with a tidal race, would you try and salvage it or cut it free? Credit: Lester McCarthy

What steps would you take if your yacht dismasted in a tidal race? James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship

The post Dismasted in a tidal race. What would you do? appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Should sailors welcome or be worried by the expanding network of marine protected areas? asks Elaine Bunting

Wildlife encounters are a delight for many sailors, who are well-placed to be advocates for the natural world. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Should sailors welcome or be worried by the expanding network of marine protected areas? asks Elaine Bunting

The post Marine protected areas: how the rules benefit sailors appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Manuel Pardi and crew travel to Antarctica and back without fossil fuels on a 28ft steel-hulled yacht – a poignant trip that honoured the voyage and life of history-making Argentine Hernán Alvarez Forn

Using only electric propulsion, Manuel Pardi looks for an anchorage in Port Foster, Deception Island. Credit: Manuel Pardi

Manuel Pardi and crew travel to Antarctica and back without fossil fuels on a 28ft steel-hulled yacht – a poignant trip that honoured the voyage and life of history-making Argentine Hernán Alvarez Forn

The post Antarctic sailing: cruising amongst the ice with an electric drive appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Prepare properly for getting back afloat, and you and your boat will be ready for a trouble-free season, Rubicon 3 Adventure’s John Manners shares his boat checklist

A good waggle should reveal if the prop, shaft or P-bracket are all tight and secure. Credit: Rubicon 3 Adventure

Prepare properly for getting back afloat, and you and your boat will be ready for a trouble-free season, says Rubicon 3 Adventure’s John Manners

The post Boat checklist: 27 checks for the start of the season appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

There is a strong tidal stream. Would you set off on a port or starboard tack? James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship

With a tidal stream of 4 knots, would you set off on port or starboard tack from the Needles to Cherbourg? Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

There is a strong tidal stream. Would you set off on a port or starboard tack? James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship

The post Do I choose port or starboard tack? appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Knowing mental arithmetic shortcuts can make calculating your course to steer quick and simple, says Peter Strike

Crossing any tidal stretch of water will warrant making altering course to account for stream, but how much? Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Knowing mental arithmetic shortcuts can make calculating your course to steer quick and simple, says Peter Strike

The post Course to steer: how to calculate it in your head appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Concerned about a ‘hessian-like’ smell, Pat Buckley-Jones and his wife Ruth discovered battery gas was escaping from their overcharged device

The problem was compounded by the fact that Alandia had been left unattended for nine months due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Credit: Pat Buckley-Jones

Concerned about a ‘hessian-like’ smell, Pat Buckley-Jones and his wife Ruth discovered battery gas was escaping from their overcharged device

The post Battery gas: A close shave for one sailing couple appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Do you know how to prevent problems with your yacht rigging and sails, and what to do when things go wrong? Bruce Jacobs looks at the six most common problems...

Yacht rigging is a dark art and no one will ever convince me otherwise. I have yet to meet two …Continue reading »

The post Troubleshooting problems with your yacht rigging appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Do you know the rules for wearing a blue ensign? Do you know who is entitled to wear a privileged ensign? What happens when a yacht with a privileged ensign visits a foreign port?

Do you know the rules for wearing a blue ensign? Credit: Eleni Mac Synodinos/Alamy Stock Photo

Do you know the rules for wearing a blue ensign? Do you know who is entitled to wear a privileged ensign? What happens when a yacht with a privileged ensign visits a foreign port?

The post What are the rules to wear a blue ensign? appeared first on Yachting Monthly.

Many of us will have run aground at some point in our sailing life. Pete Goss examines intentional and accidental going aground and the best methods for getting off

Going aground, I suspect,is far more common than we think. It’s one of those things that falls into the category …Continue reading »

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When Jock Hamilton’s 33ft Wauquiez Gladiateur dismasted offshore, 500 miles from land, he created a jury rig using a Laser dinghy mast, sails and oars, before sailing 1,500 miles home

Jock arriving home in Tighnabruaich after sailing 1,500 miles under jury rig. Credit: Jock Hamilton

When Jock Hamilton’s 33ft Wauquiez Gladiateur dismasted offshore, 500 miles from land, he created a jury rig using a Laser dinghy mast, sails and oars, before sailing 1,500 miles home

The post Dismasted offshore: how one man got his boat home appeared first on Yachting Monthly.