Seamanship tips and tricks

People on dinghies learning dinghy sailing skills

What can a lapsed cruising sailor learn from a dinghy course? A lot, as Ali Wood discovers when she returns to the water for her RYA Level 3

A headland in the UK

A suitable anchorage can let you rest and await a fair tide: Here’s our pick of some useful passage anchorages for cruising this year

A yacht with an orca

The Cruising Association is reminding sailors of its advice on orca encounters along the Iberian Peninsula, and the importance of reporting either an interaction or non-eventful passage

A boat fire at sea

For sailors, there is no hotter topic than fire on board. Sticky Stapylton looks at methods of prevention – and ways of dealing with fire should the worst happen

Boats alongside on a harbour

Peter Jones shares a technique for departing a pontoon with limited room for manoeuvre, against a pontoon or between rafts of boats

A man wearing a hat reversing a long keel sailboat in a marina

Long-keelers are known for having a mind of their own when going astern, so how do you let them know who’s boss? David Harding offers some suggestions

A woman wearing a red jacket and a lifejacket talking into a VHF radio on a boat

Seasoned boat owner Gilbert Park shares his tips for making your time on the water as safe and stress free as possible

A crew dropping a cruising chute on a yacht

For non-racing sailors, a cruising chute is often the downwind sail of choice: it’s nothing to be afraid of, but how do you use it to best advantage? David Harding…

Two people in a boat sailing in waves

Why the correct manoeuvres for the sea conditions will reduce hogging and sagging stress on both ship and crew

A man reversing a yacht to a pile mooring

Picking up a pile mooring can be a challenge – especially in a tidal harbour. David Harding explains how it’s done