As the 30-seater inter-Caribbean turboprop aircraft banked to starboard, through my small window I caught a first glimpse of Tortola and the Sir Francis Drake Channel. I felt my pulse…
Family cruising
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…
Pete Goss: a new mini-exploration yacht that’s a bit different
They won’t come into a marina very often, but when they do, Pete Goss and his wife, Tracey will be doing a lot of talking. They were in Mayflower Marina…
Discover the best Baltic sailing routes: from Scandinavia to hidden eastern gems
The Baltic is one of the best cruising grounds in Europe, with a myriad of options to choose from. But how can you make the most of sailing the Baltic…
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…
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.…
From ocean racing to catamaran cruising: an adventure for all the family
Nobody could ever accuse my wife Sophie and me of taking the easy route in life. For one of our first proper ‘dates’ we cycled from Land’s End to John…
Bluewater sailing with young children
While going on a bluewater adventure with your family is a popular dream, the advantages of having a child that can understand instructions, occupy themselves with a book, and have…
Cruising England’s south coast: a green and pleasant land
It was around the moment that we both huddled over the vent of our diesel air heater for warmth, droplets of condensation forming on the hatches overhead, the smell of…
Cruising Mexico with a newborn: one couple’s story
The earth inhales. A treeless desert fevers under a rising sun, breathing the cool air that rests at sea. In the evening the earth exhales, its warm breath accelerates down…
How to make a living on your yacht
In late 2018 my wife, Roxy, and I took a few suitcases of belongings and moved aboard our 47ft Cheoy Lee monohull to start the cruise of a lifetime. So…
Swedish sailing: Exploring archipelagos in a classic Norlin 34
My first real memories — tangible memories that I know to be my own and not false memories born of old photos and stories — were formed as a nine-year-old…
Family sailing to Hawaii in a 34ft classic boat: Vixen’s great Pacific voyage
In September 2004, Bruce Halabisky and Tiffany Loney sailed from Victoria BC bound for Hilo, Hawaii, in their 1952 Atkin-designed 34ft gaff cutter Vixen. Eleven years later they have two…
Sailing with teenagers: Honest advice from cruising families
Sailing with teenagers. Did that thought prompt you to wince or shake your head? Conventional wisdom steers many long-term cruisers to sail home before kids start high school — or…
European Yacht of the Year 2019: Best family cruisers
It was really positive to see a mix of mid-sized entries shortlisted for the family cruiser category, from the innovative new 25ft Swallow from Wales to the Beneteau Oceanis 46.1,…
Family cruisers: The best multihulls for space and comfort at sea
While many prefer the looks and potential speed of performance catamarans, in reality the majority of sailors do not actually want to cruise particularly fast. This is the wind-down time they’ve…
Sailing away: how to turn dreams into a successful family circumnavigation
This is part two of the Craven family’s story – read part one here. We approached Cocos Keeling at first light and had to pick our way through the coral…
RM970 on test – award-winning plywood family cruiser from Marc Lombard
When I visited the RM yard in La Rochelle in 2012, I was really impressed by the quality of the company’s plywood epoxy construction process. Not only is plywood more…
Baby on board: a parents’ guide to the challenges and rewards of sailing with children
Like any couple on the brink of starting a family James and I would talk about having a baby, but couldn’t really comprehend how it would work sailing with children.…