Most leisure sailors from around the world hail from the Northern Hemisphere. Unless you’re fortunate enough to live in the US or Caribbean you’re limited as to the length of your sailing season – around this time of the year most yachties are winterising their boats and many are hauling them out for winter repairs. […]
Northern Europe and the US East Coast storm season is upon us. Already a cargo ship has sunk with the loss of 30 crew in Hurricane Joaquim. For most people a Force 6 wind is what is termed a ‘yachtsman’s gale’. This piece will look at two shipwrecks in hurricanes and show how, no matter […]
Traditionally, northern Europeans and Americans head south for their summer sailing holidays. There you can spend 10 minutes waiting in a stinking French marina washing facilities waiting to do your morning constitutional in a blocked toilet, and in the evening another 15 minutes waiting for the embattled waiter to serve you another drink during a […]
There is a saying – “teach your kids to love sailing and they’ll never have enough money for drugs” This holds true, with a range of programmes being run all over the world where kids who have had problems are being sent on sailing courses to help refocus their minds from crime and antisocial behaviour […]
Europe is a major sailing destination for people from around the world. From the fjords of Scandinavia to the crystal clear seas of the Mediterranean and inland seas such as Constance and Lake Geneva, the region has varied and beautiful sailing locations. We have discussed the ins and outs of the International Certificate of Competence […]
Over the last year I have talked about being a good all rounder and how it benefits you as a boater. There is a common misconception, that I myself have fallen prey to, that just because you have learned to sail while doing 1000 miles on a tall ship it makes you an expert yachtsman. […]
There are two sure fire ways of attaining a certificate of boating competence that is accepted abroad – either a commercially endorsed seafaring qualification or the so-called International Certificate of Competence (ICC). Since you must have a high level of fitness and undertake years of training to achieve the required certification to get a commercially […]
As with navigation and other boating courses, there are different grades of First Aid and medical courses that may come in useful depending on how adventurous your seafaring plans are. Most people don’t stray too far from a place of safety on their yacht, sailing mostly in daylight hours along the coast and thereby only […]
All sailors have fond memories of a brilliant reach they have done in 10 – 12 knots of wind, sat on the windward rail with a beer in hand, watching the coast scream by as their yacht goes as quick as it is designed to go. Add in some sunshine and you have perfect sailing […]
There are two forms of sailing – inshore racing and offshore sailing. To be the best sailor it helps to gain experience of both as they compliment each other. This piece will look at what you will get out of each type of sailing discipline and why learning them both together, you will be a […]