‘During the past four years I have sailed through some of the major crossroads of the cruising world: Rhodes, Gibraltar, Antigua, Panama, Tahiti… and everywhere I was struck by the…
Cruising
Around the world in a 5.8m boat! Meet the sailor preparing to race a Class Globe 5.80
British sailor Adam Waugh is currently building his 5.8m boat at his home in Northumberland before taking part in the 2025 Mini Globe Race across the Atlantic Pacific and Indian
What does my child need for dinghy sailing?
Alice Thorogood has three children who are members of the UK National Cadet Class Association. She shares what parents need to think about when their child starts dinghy sailing, from…
Stuck up a 75ft mast in the middle of the Atlantic
Karen Parker had been sailing onboard their Oyster 56, Mistral of Portsmouth, with husband Chris and two crew, when their Code Zero headsail, designed for light winds, became jammed. With…
Choppy start for ARC 22 as yachts set sail across Atlantic
The fleet departed Las Palmas, Gran Canaria yesterday for Saint Lucia on the 37th edition of the ARC, with over 800 crew taking part, in monohulls, multihulls and one motorboat.…
Maximus sets sail – Chichester to Poole shakedown
The day was finally here; time to take Maximus, our Maxi 84, from Chichester Marina to her new home in Poole. After many sleepless nights, last-minute trips to Force 4…
‘Orcas are playing with the yachts’ – experts’ theories after sinking
Marine biologists say evidence suggests that orca interactions with yachts are ‘playful’ rather than aggressive, but at risk of becoming ‘learned behaviour
Transatlantic joy as Sweet Dreams sails again after tragedy
“John’s death was very sudden and unexpected,” says Roz Preston, a former special advisor to Tony Blair. “The first time someone asked me what I’d do with the boat, I…
Zeasar: the sailing cat
Cats have long enjoyed a relationship with sailors; living on trading, exploration and naval ships to control vermin, but it’s not often you see them on a 47ft yacht. Weighing…
Cleaning up plastic pollution in paradise: Cruising notes from the Aegean Sea
Contrary to expectations, my first introduction to sailing in the Mediterranean was disappointing. Aleko was returning home to Greece after a three-year voyage in his Nicholson 32 Beduin. I’d joined…
A very nautical proposal – with help from an RNLI lifeboat
Steve Hodges hatches a proposal plan with the RNLI Eastbourne Lifeboat crew, hoping they don’t get a shout and that his girlfriend knows her flags
New system for notifying overseas pleasure craft voyages
The UK government, via Border Force, has introduced the single Pleasure Craft Report (sPCR) service for those travelling to and from the UK on pleasure craft at www.spcr.homeoffice.gov.uk…
How I converted my 8m catamaran to run off solar power alone
I’ve always been environmentally conscious and with an increasing concern about climate change, converting my new-to-me sailboat to fully electric propulsion was an idea that just wouldn’t leave my mind.…
Cruising with children: Top ten tips for a happy boat
1. Take time to take time It’s easy for the skipper to get caught up in the charge to get from A to B. It’s true that time and tide…
Boating with children: Bringing up very small kids on very small boats
Mahogany Bob, our 55-year-old LH Walker mahogany on oak clinker dinghy looks lovely and attracts admiring comments everywhere we go, but because she doesn’t get used as often as she…
Sailing with kids: How to bring children on board safely and get them hooked
Twelve years ago my husband and I bought our first boat – a Sadler 29 – before kids and even before marriage. We relished the opportunity it gave us to…
Orcas left us rudderless! Yacht couple tell of terrifying ordeal off Spain
Zoe Barlow shares her experience of losing a rudder during sustained attacks by orcas whilst sailing her Sun Odyssey 40 from Spain to Morocco.
Save the Jubilee Sailing Trust – here’s how it helped my friend Tony
The Jubilee Sailing Trust, a sail training charity that has helped Sam Llewellyn's friend Tony and many others, has launched an urgent appeal
“Sir, your boat is on fire” – one PBO reader’s charter trip drama
Prolific Learning from Experience author Chris Mardon recalls a suspicious yacht fire in the Caribbean
Sailing short-cut to spectacular Scottish hiking spots
Norman Inglis rediscovers a love for Scotland’s west coast, one of the best locations in the world to combine sailing with hill walking