What would you do if you were sailing towards a cumulonimbus cloud? James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship
Weather
‘The hurricane had us confined to the aft cabin for 24 hours’
Holly Turner shares some lessons from a turbulent hurricane season in the Caribbean with a 10-month-old baby and Scrumpy the Jack Russell
Storm sailing: ‘The boat was slammed over and water poured in’
Randall Reeves leaves the storm jib in its bag while braving the Southern Ocean to prove that speed is safety when storm sailing
‘Lightning destroyed the boat’s electronics’
Paul Tinley recounts a truly shocking lightning experience aboard his Beneteau 393 Blue Mistress and the subsequent insurance claim
How to cope with gusts and squalls
Spikes in wind strength can range from a blustery sail to survival conditions. Dag Pike explains how to predict which it will be and what to do when the wind…
Day Skipper: What you need to know to get through
With her husband Theo out of the way, Georgie Stocker shows on her Day Skipper course that she is more than capable of taking charge
Jonty Pearce: Storm Francis blights cruising in August
Storm Francis at the end of August causes Jonty Pearce to amend his cruising plans with friends
How to raft up safely and securely
James Stevens looks at the seamanship and etiquette needed to raft up and identifies the benefits and pitfalls of coming alongside
Night sailing tips for first timers
Cruising after dark doesn't need to be stressful. Toby Heppell shares his tops tips for night sailing
10 seamanship skills every skipper should master
The 10 common mistakes..and how to avoid them. We ask the experts about the skills every good skipper should have in their armoury.