How do you equip a small yacht for your first ocean voyage, especially with few crew or sailing single-handed? Jake Kavanagh gets some tips from the Jester Challenge skippers
seamanship
Sailing in fog: tips to keep you safe
Fog looms large as one of the things sailors most fear – but circumstances mean it often can’t be avoided. There’s no need to panic, however. Sticky Stapylton has advice…
8 expert pilotage tips for sailors
You’ve made a pilotage plan: now’s the time to put it to the test. Sticky Stapylton explains pilotage techniques that’ll keep you safe on the water
Simple tweaks to sail faster and safer
The ability to sail faster and more efficiently can also be safer and more satisfying. Peter K Poland explains...
Springing off and on a pontoon
Whether you’re getting into or out of a tight berth, getting alongside against a strong breeze or getting off a berth when being pinned on, a well-placed spring will give…
Understanding weather: a quick guide for sailors
Only the foolhardy would put to sea without first checking the weather and forecast – understanding how to make use of the information available is a vital part of sailing,…
How to keep new sailors happy on board
RYA chief instructor Clive Vaughan explains how to encourage new sailors aboard and keep them coming back for more with some simple steps
Becoming a Day Skipper
From classroom conundrums to night-time navigation, dinghy instructor Margaret Norris decides to give big boats a go
Tips to stay in control while close-quarters manoeuvring
Seasoned sailor Rupert Holmes shares his tips for better close-quarters manoeuvring under sail alone
Boat handling in a tight space
You might one day need to sail your boat into a marina without an engine. Rupert Holmes explains useful techniques for boat handling in tight spaces
7 sailing knots every boater should know
Ben Lowings shares how to tie the most useful sailing knots
Trysail trimming: a guide for sailors
Ben Meakins explains how to set and deploy trysails to improve boat control in high-wind conditions
Hoisting and lowering the mainsail: troubleshooting problems
What can you do if your mainsail is hard to hoist or reluctant to drop? David Harding offers some advice
Lessons learned from the sinking of Morning Cloud 3
50 years on, Rupert Holmes looks at what the Morning Cloud 3 tragedy taught us about heavy weather sailing
What I learned during a boat knockdown while sailing alone
Freya Terry gets an early lesson in the perils of single-handed sailing when she embarks on a round-UK and Ireland circumnavigation in her distinctive She 31
Heavy weather sailing techniques: how to protect your boat in storm conditions
Øyvind Bordal and Magne Klann explain the steps you need to take to protect your rig and sails when the weather turns
The Juggens manoeuvre to get you off a lee shore
Peter Kersey draws on the wisdom of an old smack sailor to get his engineless Drascombe Lugger out of trouble off a lee shore
Sail trim: Sailing downwind without a spinnaker
Sailing efficiently when the wind comes astern doesn’t mean you have to fly a spinnaker or cruising chute. David Harding shows how to make the most of your upwind sails…
Solo sailing tips – anchoring and berthing
Andrew Blyth, who regularly sails his 9m Maurice Griffiths cutter single-handed, describes a selection of methods for dealing with tricky berthing and anchoring situations when single- or short-handed
Why you should still make a passage plan
Cruising guide author Robert Bailey explains the importance of not being completely dependent on electronic chartplotters and why it is still vital to make a passage plan