They say bad things happen in threes. Sailing solo in the North Atlantic, Rob Henshall loses windvane self steering, then electronic autopilot and wonders what’s next
Learning curve
‘We were within seconds of striking rocks in the Swinge’
Octogenarian adventurer Peter Baylis gets a scare in the Channel Islands when sailing to Alderney via the Swinge
Surviving a storm in harbour: lessons learned
After surviving a storm in harbour while moored in Sicily, Trevor McIlwaine asks himself - do I really like to be beside the seaside?
Antarctic sailing: cruising amongst the ice with an electric drive
Manuel Pardi and crew travel to Antarctica and back without fossil fuels on a 28ft steel-hulled yacht – a poignant trip that honoured the voyage and life of history-making Argentine…
Battery gas: A close shave for one sailing couple
Concerned about a ‘hessian-like’ smell, Pat Buckley-Jones and his wife Ruth discovered battery gas was escaping from their overcharged device
Dismasted offshore: how one man got his boat home
When Jock Hamilton’s 33ft Wauquiez Gladiateur dismasted offshore, 500 miles from land, he created a jury rig using a Laser dinghy mast, sails and oars, before sailing 1,500 miles home
A nightmare Biscay crossing with minimal experience
Have you heard the phrase ‘through hell or high water’? I’ve been through both, simultaneously when crossing the Bay of Biscay in winter and with only modest sailing experience, writes…
Fouled prop in a Force 7: lessons learned
Pete John recalls bringing his Nicholson 35 from Hamble to Argyll, with strong winds, a rope around the prop, genoa furling line failure and an escort by the Campbeltown lifeboat
Sailing the French canals: lessons learned
From buying a suitable yacht to negotiating 371 locks, three tunnels and travelling 1,400 miles from Fareham, Lizzy Bolan shares the highs and lows of navigating the French canals
Sailing singlehanded across oceans: lessons learned
Chris Ayres realised a childhood dream when he sailed from Britain to New Zealand, via Panama, in a 28ft yacht – bravely setting sail solo when crew let him down…