Sailors bound for the orca interaction hotspots of the Strait of Gibraltar and Iberian Peninsula can feel reassured that their insurance cover will not be in jeopardy.
After three years of research scientists still don’t know why some orcas are interacting with yachts. Credit: Grupo de trabajo Orca Atlántica (GTOA)Since the launch of its orca project in June 2022, the Cruising Association (CA) has received 154 reports of interactions – mainly bumping or ramming the hulls of small yachts and damaging rudders.
The hotspots follow...
An invasive non-native worm species has been discovered on two boats in Ramsey, Isle of Man, and on boats at Whitehaven in Cumbria
A non-native invasive worm species has been found on boats in the Isle of Man and Whitehaven in Cumbria.
A boat-crane operator alerted the Isle of Man’s Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) in early October after noticing an unusual growth...
Modern outboard engines are fuel efficient, but there are still ways you can get more miles per litre from your boat, says Jake Kavanagh
Your crew can be considered as ballast. Here is the boat is struggling...and consuming more fuel as a resultWith the price of petrol on garage forecourts and in marinas regularly rising, there has never been a better time to think about boat fuel economy.
Owners and prospective buyers of large modern...
When cruising in powerboats, especially small open boats, safety is paramount. Jake Kavanagh shares his advice for relaxed high-speed adventures around the coast and at sea
Safety in numbers - covering long distances in small powerboats takes preparation, planning and practiceWhen cruising in powerboats long distance, across wide spaces of ocean, extra precautions are necessary.
The most obvious is that boats have enough...
Katy Stickland meets Fons Oerlemans who has sailed across the Atlantic by raft, truck and even in a giant bottle
Fons Oerlemans and Kee Arens’s last Atlantic crossing was in Message in a Bottle. It took 81 days to sail from Tenerife to Barbados via the Cape Verdes and Dakar. Credit: Fons Oerlemans and Kee Arens“We had to fight across the Atlantic, 24 hours a day. In the beginning, we had an automatic steering...
Ali Wood meets the youngest and oldest sailors as well as a veteran transatlantic dog
ARC 2023 Start - Luffe 48 Sassicaia and Allures 45.9 Tengri passing the Committee vesselA record-breaking 95 boats left Las Palmas, Gran Canaria on the ARC+ this morning, the largest number to date for the World Cruising Club rally. The yachts from 24 different nations (a third of them British) are now on their way to Port Louis, Grenada, with a stopover in Mindelo, Cape Verde.
ARC 2023 start...
Ali Wood meets the oldest skipper on the ARC+ and gets some top tips on finding the perfect crew
Chris (right) with crew Dimitri“I was born in 1935; you tell me how old that makes me? Age is just a label,” says French skipper Christian Lotthé onboard his 41ft Beneteau, Namaste.
Chris will turn 88 when he arrives in Grenada after his Atlantic crossing.
The number is significant, not because it’s his age, but because it’s his fundraising target – the €88,000 he wants to raise to help victims of the war in Ukraine. ...
Duncan Kent chooses a selection of the best sail and motor boats under 40ft most suitable for adventurous cruising along the coast
The Hurley 27/70 has good close quarter handling and tacking agility. Credit: David HardingOne of the delights of coastal cruising is discovering and exploring new anchorages, harbours, beaches, towns and villages.
A long passage at sea is fine if you’re voyaging from country to country, but you can’t beat sailing within eyeball distance of the coast, where the gulls and cormorants swoop and dive while...
Rupert Holmes looks at negotiations, surveys and the legal aspects of buying a second-hand boat
Found the boat you’d like to buy? Next comes the serious negotiation... Photo: Jo Doylem / AlamyBuying a boat: the essential guide
Once you’ve found a boat with enough potential to make an offer for it, a whole lot more questions open up. How much to offer? Is there a set formula I can apply? What about the legal process: is there proof of unencumbered ownership? Will any deposit be safely held? What about surveys?
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