Category: Europe

Being too hot or too cold at sea can quickly turn a sailing trip into a disaster. Here are some ways you can stay safe on the water in different temperatures Extremes of temperature whilst sailing affect not only our comfort but may have a significant effect on health and wellbeing. The scourge of hypothermia…

Spending winter in the tropics is a dream, but cruising the Caribbean may test your ability to handle unexpected gear failures. During the spring of 2024, a friend of mine delivered my 41ft Moody sloop from Annapolis to American Yacht Harbor Marina (AYH) in Red Hook, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands – an open-ocean adventure…

Every month Yachting Monthly’s resident expert, Rachael Sprot answers a readers sailing question. This month, what to do if someone anchors too close? Clara, Fi and Ahmed are cruising north Brittany on Clara’s Rival 34, Grace. Clara is a recently-qualified Coastal Skipper, and Fi and Ahmed, who are both more experienced sailors, are supporting her…

Each month Yachting Monthly’s resident expert, Rachael Sprot, answers a reader’s question. This month, how to cope with a prop wrap Sadler 29, Nimbus, is on passage from North Shields to Grimsby when the engine falters and cuts out. Skipper, Tim, instantly suspects a prop wrap as they’ve already passed a lot of pots, some…

Having thorough, easy-to-use checklists for all situations and emergency processes on board can dramatically reduce failures and improve safety for all on board, says Tom Sanders Would it sound far-fetched if I told you a simple piece of paper could save your boat from expensive breakages and repair, or even peril, and in extremis, save…

Every month Yahchitng Monthly’s resident expert answers a reader’s question. This month, Mike and Linda ask if it’s wise to cross a shipping lane without AIS Mike and Linda are crossing the Channel from Poole to St Peter Port via the Alderney Race in their Bavaria 38, Isabel J. However, the AIS, which they usually…

With a combined age of 140, two intrepid ex-dinghy racers sailed in the Yachting Monthly Celtic Triangle Race 2025 The Yachting Monthly Celtic Triangle is a single- or double-handed offshore race from Falmouth to Kinsale (Eire) to Treguier (Brittany) and back to Falmouth. For me it was a new challenge: I’d never sailed south of…

A mental image of your sail’s shape from above will help you trim it for maximum drive Sails are not flat sheets of fabric but are cut and fabricated so they form a shallow dish shape. To trim a sail we point the leading edge – the luff – directly into the wind and then…

The Cruising Association has launched its new lobster pot campaign, Marked Gear = Safe Gear, which calls for existing guidance around the marking of static fishing gear to be mandatory – and you can join! Poorly marked fishing gear, lobster pots and creels in UK waters are a hidden and real safety hazard to yachtsmen,…

Whether it’s by choice or necessity, being able to handle your vessel solo in harbour and at sea is a safety skill that’s also hugely enjoyable, says Detlef Jens When asked why he always sails alone, a well-known character of YouTube fame who notoriously sails in the far north, often in severe weather, once replied:…