It’s easy to forget vital bits of information when setting off on a single-handed passage. Making checklists helps, but everyone’s will be slightly different
solo skipper
6,000 miles solo in a £1 boat: lessons learned from an Atlantic Circuit
The wind was coming on like my brother Alex had warned me it would, as I approached the north side of Carriacou island, one of the Windward Islands of the…
Craig Wood shares his biggest takeaways from his record-setting solo Pacific crossing
Before I set off on my solo sailing challenge, my wife suggested I take yeast. I remember saying, ‘Am I really gonna make bread when I’m out at the sea…
Last leg of the Mini Globe Race: Harris breaks records, Stitelmann still keeps the lead
With less than 6,000 miles to the finish, the Mini Globe Race fleet of homebuilt 19ft plywood yachts is drawing closer to Antigua, and to end of this world-first adventure.…
Vane gear self-steering: you guide to an offshore sailor’s best friend
Andrew Simpson looks at pendulum servo self-steering gears, and describes how to get the best out of them
Preparing a small boat for heavy weather with advice from the skippers of the Jester Challenge 2025
The Jester Challenge 2025 once again proved a fertile ground for examples of how a short-handed crew can prepare for heavy weather scenarios. The challenge began in 2006 and was…
Stitelmann keeps the lead as Mini Globe Race 2025 leaves for Mauritius
Spirits high and water-tanks freshly topped up, the last of the Mini Globe Race 2025 fleet is setting off for Stage 3 of Leg 3, a 1,500 stretch from the…
Ella Hibbert: first British woman to sail the Northwest Passage solo
28-year-old Ella Hibbert is the first British woman to sail solo through the Northwest Passage during her Arctic circumnavigation
How a ‘Sécurité’ warning and a 33 hour continuous sail saved this 87-year-old solo sailor
Solo sailor owen Moorhouse built his first 11ft Vee Jay as a teenager and has enjoyed a lifetime of yacht ownership. At 97, he lives aboard Sandpiper, a 38ft Roberts…
Sailing solo: how to go from crewed to single-handed
Round the world sailor Ian Herbert-Jones shares valuable advice on how to transition from crewed to single-handed sailing
A solo sailor shares his top safety tips
John Cotton describes the modifications he has made to his Albin Ballad to make her a safe and dependable yacht for Nordic single-handing
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
Florentino Das: a shoestring voyage of adventure across the Pacific in a 24ft boat
Richard King and Serafin Colmenares Jr. look back at the remarkable Pacific voyage of Florentino Das in his 24ft home-built boat
22 practical tips for a single handed sailor to make your boat easier to sail
Doctor Tom Miller shares some ideas to help make single handed sailing a safer and more comfortable experience
Solo yachting: sail and power boats for sailing alone
Duncan Kent looks at sail and power boats under 40ft in length that are easily managed by the single-handed sailor
Essential shorthanded sailing skills
Many sailors sail shorthanded much of the time, and it can prove a challenge. Rupert Holmes has some tips and techniques to help inspire confidence
Big C Atlantic Challenge ends in disaster as the 1m boat is smashed while being lifted from the water
Andrew Bedwell's Big C Atlantic Challenge is over, after his 1m boat was smashed while being lifted from the water
Alone at sea with whooping cough
What could be safer than being alone in the middle of the ocean during a pandemic? This has been a frequent response to the news that this year’s Original Singlehanded…
How to fit a rode counter to make anchoring from the helm a reality
I often sail single-handed and after using a rode counter on another boat, I decided to fit one to my Nimbus 365. I already had markers on the chain at…
Self-isolation comes naturally for some of us…
Self-isolating has never been a problem for me. In fact, I’ve been following government guidelines ever since 2005, when I bought my Sailfish 18, and two months later the sheet…