Late in November last year, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s Farr 65 pilothouse cutter, Sanjula, was being sailed 10 miles west of Cape Finisterre in Spain when it was surrounded by orca…
Cruising
Sailing a junk rigged schooner in Greenland
Dave Leet’s Nomad is a junk-rigged schooner which he sails mostly single-handed. He certainly puts the miles in, because although this article is about his experiences in West Greenland, when…
How to be a valuable first mate
Our image of the lone sailor as the hero of the high seas, battling the elements in isolation, does all the second-in-commands of the world a disservice. Every skipper needs…
Expert advice at cruising seminars this spring: book now
World Cruising Club’s popular Ocean Cruising Seminar returns on March 25-26 2023 in Guildford, UK. The weekend seminar is suitable for any sailors considering the transition from coastal cruising to…
Sailing to Greenland: an unforgettable catamaran journey through iceberg-studded fjords
It’s hard to imagine what life is like beyond the borders of our imagination. Sometimes, when you’re lucky enough, life presents itself with opportunities that take you into the realm…
Sailing halfway around the world: one family’s cruising adventure
After a fast downwind passage from French Polynesia, we sailed into Fijian waters, just under 12 months after setting off from Lymington in the UK. Once we had cleared customs…
How Jasmine Harrison became the first woman to swim the length of the UK
Last month Jasmine Harrison, 23, became the first woman to swim the length of the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Harrison lived aboard her Bavaria 38 support yacht…
What should sailors do if they encounter migrant vessels at sea?
What would you do if you came across a migrant vessel adrift at sea? It’s a scenario many sailors have discussed because, unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to find desperate migrants…
How to future proof your sailing – Jimmy Cornell’s top tips
‘Sailing routes depend primarily on weather, which changes little over the years. However, possibly as a result of the profound changes that have occurred in the ecological balance of the…
East-bound Atlantic crossing via Bermuda
We tacked for the first and only time on our 13-day crossing. The view off Ultima’s bow revealed the alluring sight of not only an approaching landfall but elevation too.…
Quit your job and live on a yacht? 8 ways to make it happen
When my family and I set off on what we thought would be a two-year sailing sabbatical in 2018, we didn’t have any plans of working along the way. We…
Sailing the Gambier archipelago
I didn’t expect to see it. I was on watch, on my 23rd day at sea, when the island of Mangareva appeared in the distance in front of my bow.…
Roving Commissions extract: Calm in the Storm
Not for the first time, the Royal Cruising Club’s wonderful annual journal Roving Commissions has turned up a jewel of seamanship. Delving into the 2021 edition I found an account…
Two sailors’ epic eastbound journey halfway around the globe
Departure time is a time of optimism for Ginger and me. All the stress of decision making and the work of planning and provisioning is behind us, and we are…
Where the sky is born: cruising the Yucatan Channel
Key West, at the southernmost tip of the United States, is a place of non-conformists, colour and curiosities. Arriving at night, I spotted the Gunboat Traverse resting peacefully on the…
Ovni 370 review – go-anywhere shoal draught cruising
With its distinctive range of bare aluminium lift-keel cruisers, Alubat’s Ovni brand has been synonymous with bluewater cruising since the 1970s. After a barren period it came out with a…
Using Google imagery for yacht navigation?
Every cruiser is familiar with that tingle of doubt: is my chart really up to date, and is that shallow bank still in that location? Careful ‘eyeball’ navigation in tropical…
Chasing summer sun from Falmouth to Formentera
Slipping our lines on a sunny day in the last week of June, we left Falmouth under blue skies and a gentle breeze, heading south towards warmer waters. We felt…
Through the Panama Canal in a yacht
Romeo hops over the guardrail at sunset. Our young Panamanian advisor, here to guide us through the first three ascending locks of the Panama Canal, politely turns down a Coca…
Diving from a boat – advice from the experts
As cruisers, we can find ourselves in some of the most beautiful places this world has to offer. But more often than not, the real magic lies just below the…