Last week we had a jaunt around the world looking at what beginner cruising courses there are available for the man or woman who dreams of going to sea but hasn’t quite taken the leap. This week, we’ll look at those who may have been sailing for a season or two but want to […]
A lot of people dream of casting off and seeing the world from off the coast. But not everyone gets around to actually doing it. I’ll never forget how, as soon as we left the dock at Milwaukee the heave of my sailing ship on a very gentle sea set a trainee’s stomach at full […]
Every advanced sailing nation’s teaching syllabus requires an element of experience. This enables you to gain something you cannot be taught – Sea Sense. Sea sense is roughly described as common sense linked to the sea, and it’s something that you can only gain through experience. The sea – not unlike a giant cat… The […]
With even the hardiest winter regatta series drawing to a close as autumnal storms start to make sailing uncomfortable for complete sailing nuts, now is the time to put your boat ashore for the winter. You don’t have to join a crochet class or get involved in your town council’s local politics to keep your […]
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. […]