A reliable boat is a prerequisite for a relaxed and enjoyable summer sailing adventure. Rupert Holmes outlines some key checks and easy, useful improvements
A summer cruise really can be idyllic if you’re relaxed enough to know your boat is thoroughly sorted. All photos: Rupert Holmes unless otherwise statedSummer sailing usually involves greater distances and spending longer periods than usual on board, and this can trigger some of the breakdowns and breakages that are, to some extent, an inevitable part of boating.
However, there...
Sit-on kayak or sit-in? Inflatable, plastic or composite? A bit of research can go a long way when choosing your first kayak, says world champion paddler Andrew Morton
Paddling round Kerrera: 12 miles in under 2 hours. All photos: Andrew MortonI was chatting to a friend, whose husband has a small yacht, and we were comparing the pros and cons of motorboats and yachts. I thought she summed it up perfectly when she said ruefully, “In a motorboat, you get there”.
My father had a couple of small yachts, which I learned to sail as a...
Clive Robertson swaps a London media career for four years in a boatyard working on his wooden boat restoration project and recording it all expertly on Youtube.
Playing around with Andromeda’s rigging optionsIt was October 2015, I was 30 years old, and dreaming of sailing the world some day, perhaps even owning a gaffer of my own.
By weekday, I was a media producer, by weekend, a sailor. For years I balanced this compromise, the prospect of ‘climbing the ladder’ versus being on the river in East Anglia, something I wasn’t willing...
Want to improve your starts? Take this short starting tactics quiz in a video from Roble/Shea Sailing. In the video, Steph and Maggie show eight boats near the starting line with 30 seconds remaining. They ask you to decide what…
The post Starting Tactics Quiz: Boat Thoughts at 30 Seconds appeared first on SailZing.
You’ve done your pre-race routine, decided where to start, and made your starting line approach. Now it’s time to get aggressive and execute the start. Successful sailors use four key skills: they get to the front row, fight hard for…
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After two years in a boatyard, the survey results for Maximus, our Maxi 84, were surprisingly encouraging... although the 45-point job list might take a while to get through
If you’re thinking of buying a new boat – or maybe you’ve inherited one or are renovating a wreck – you should really consider booking a boat survey.
PBO was recently offered a project boat called Maximus...
If you can’t get on the water get in it! Here's what to wear for year-round wild swimming in the sea or lakes
Ice on the beach at Bournemouth on New Year's Day!If, like me, you’re missing your sailing club and are desperate to be on the water, why not try wild swimming instead? Is there a lake or beach nearby? If so, all you need is the right gear. And if you’re a dinghy sailor, you’re half-way there already.
There’s no better way to lift the spirits than a bracing dip! I’ve been wild swimming in Dorset for many years, come rain or...
Choosing which type of electric propulsion and battery bank to fit in your boat is a question of defining your requirements and fitting what's left into your budget (and your hull). Paul Sumpner reports
During the first lockdown in March 2020, my wife, Kay, and I began musing about the possibility of trying to be a bit greener in the forthcoming build of our 58ft 6in narrow boat Old Nick. The boatbuilder we had chosen – Ortomarine, based in the...
The UK's first ever diesel vs hybrid-electric narrow boat performance trials set to reveal interesting comparison data including a test of HVO diesel
A fleet of narrow boats powered by a mix of hybrid-electric and HVO-diesel-fuelled engines are set to ‘race’ each other along a stretch of the River Severn and the Droitwich Canal this weekend.
Eight boats will set off from Worcester at 0900 on Saturday 29 May heading north up the River Severn, through Bevere Lock, then turning east at Hawford Junction onto the Droitwich...
Here’s a drill to sharpen your puff response techniques. Most sailors know about “ease/hike/trim,” but many do not execute it well in different wind conditions. The No-Hike Hands Drill will help train your hands to respond correctly in a variety…
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