In this issue

CHOOSE, TRY & BUY
What to look for at each step of the boat-buying process, from searching to sea trial.

EASTER ISLAND AND PITCAIRN
Why these two remote outposts were the highlight of a Pacific crossing for two sailors.

DRONES AFLOAT
Master your flying skills from your boat, for photos and more..

FIRST TEST GT325

A boat that dares to do things differently, the GT325 blends elements of the old and the new to remarkable effect

9 mins

Why sailors love a good problem

Never underestimate that for some boat-owners (though not necessarily their crews or partners), it is the maintaining and problem-solving that form half the satisfaction. Especially the latter: a puzzle is always satisfying.

3 mins

Extend your stay in Europe

Dancing the Schengen Shuffle' is a new challenge for British sailors in the Mediterranean and elsewhere in Europe. Mike Morgan looks at how to keep sailing beyond 90 days

7 mins

TECHNICAL THE FUTURE OF CRUISING YACHTS

Predicting the future is never easy, but Patrick Dixon's job is to do just that. As a liveaboard sailor, he shares his ideas about what lies in store for yacht design

9 mins

HOW TO PLAN OFFSHORE VOYAGES

Choosing the best ocean route can be daunting. Jimmy Cornell explains how to do it, and how the parameters are changing

10+ mins

CRUISING MY MAIDEN VOYAGE AROUND BRITAIN

When novice sailor Katrina Megget said yes to four months on a 28ft boat sailing around Great Britain, she didn't know what she was in for...

10 mins

MY BEAUTIFUL BALTIC

Niklas Sandström grew up next to the Baltic Sea and has witnessed how it has changed. His article was runner up in the 2022 Brian Black Memorial Award

9 mins

'SHOULD WE CONTINUE OR SAIL BACK FOR HELP?'

A collision and a fouled prop put Amanda and Victor Tettmar in a tricky situation mid-Channel, surrounded by shipping with night falling

6 mins

PILOTAGE SWAPPING STUDLAND FOR SWANAGE

Studland's valuable anchorage is now a no-anchor zone, so Ken Endean looks at alternatives

4 mins

TECHNICAL VHF ANTENNAS

The range and effectiveness of your yacht's radio communication depends on the dimensions, position and quality of your VHF antenna.

7 mins

FROM LOCKDOWN ΤΟ LOCK MANIA

Nic Compton and assorted crew members lock into the French canal network from the Channel to the Mediterranean

8 mins

My boat is a welcome retreat

Tracey and I have just commenced construction of our very own Grand Designs in so much as we are self building a long dreamed of off-grid house in our little corner of Cornwall. It’s cool to be using technology that we used to test and develop during the early days of short-handed racing.

2 mins

FIRST TEST - X-YACHTS X4³

X-Yachts' latest model promises to be a fast passage-making cruising boat that's fun and engaging to sail but won't scare your socks off. Theo Stocker went to find out how well the X4³ toes the line

10+ mins

THE ARCTIC IS CHANGING COLOUR

Tobias Carter launched the Unu Mondo project to document climate change in the Arctic. His article was runner-up for the 2022 Brian Black Memorial Award

9 mins

TESTED EWINCHER ELECTRIC WINCH HANDLE - £2,099

Designed for yachts from 30 to 60 feet, Ewincher is an electrically assisted winch handle recently upgraded and relaunched with more power and longer battery life.

2 mins

A GUIDE TO HAVING YOUR BOAT DELIVERED (OR HELPING DELIVER ONE)

If you need help getting your boat from A to B after a purchase or for a cruise, a delivery crew might be the solution,

10+ mins

HOW TO NAVIGATE 'ORCA ALLEY'

In the last three years, orcas have started 'attacking' yachts on their way through the Gibraltar Straits. James Kenning looks at how to minimise the risk

10+ mins

The lessons we should not forget

Sailors have famously short memories. Arriving in New Caledonia after blast-reaching in near gale conditions up from New Zealand, we had that slightly wild-eyed, salty-haired look that comes with an eventful passage. And we weren’t even meant to be in New Caledonia. A weather forecast shortly after setting out from Opua showed a low forming just off these islands, deepening rapidly and moving eastwards. Our planned passage up to Fiji would have meant we would effectively be ‘racing’ this weather system to Fiji. Our ETAs would be pretty much equal. Not good.

2 mins

'THE ORCAS SHOOK THE BOAT LIKE A TOY'

Theo Wakefield’s boat was significantly damaged and his nerves shaken after an encounter with orcas off Portugal

7 mins

Magic of the Moray Firth

This leg of Mark Ashley-Miller’s epic Harbour Master challenge takes in northeast Scotland’s varied coastline

4 mins

Heads up for a rite of passage!

Heads on yachts, as we all know, represent a range of challenges. Some are physical, some mechanical, and some spiritual.

2 mins

CRUISING CATS

Catamarans are becoming ever more popular with private owners, especially for blue-water adventures. Theo Stocker takes a look at two new models

4 mins

PETE GOSS DESIGNING OUR PERFECT BOAT

The legendary offshore yachtsman talks us through the design of his latest boat

10 mins

NAVIGATE YOUR WAY HOME WITHOUT POWER

Electrical failure can put you in the dark when your instruments go down. A few traditional skills, and a good tool kit, can see you safely home

10+ mins

TECHNICAL WATERPROOF FABRICS

Exciting advances in textile design are leading to drier, warmer and lighter marine clothing. Sam Fortescue explains the benefits, and the science

9 mins

BUYER'S GUIDE - MARINE BINOCULARS

Developments in optics and materials mean marine binoculars now offer better value than ever before. Dennis O’Neill rounded up the best pairs – for all budgets

8 mins

FIRST TEST ELAN E4

Elan’s smallest boat is a huge amount of fun, but would she make a sensible cruising boat? Theo Stocker set out to find her limits

10 mins

THE 2022-23 GOLDEN GLOBE RACE : THE RACE OF ATTRITION

Katy Stickland talks to the five finishers about routing, gear failure, their seamanship and how they coped spending eight months alone at sea

10+ mins

'ROLLED & DISMASTED IN MONSTER SEAS'

Ian Herbert-Jones found himself dismasted and injured in an 80-knot storm deep in the South Atlantic after 219 days at sea in the Golden Globe Race. He told Theo Stocker about the experience

8 mins

My first Biscay crossing

Kate Fraser’s first overnight sail was both testing and exhilarating in equal measure

3 mins

Read all stories from Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK Magazine Description:

Published by Time Inc (UK). Yachting monthly is at the heart of the British yachting market and is for people who actively sail their boats - whether cruising across the channel, around the coast or further a field in blue waters. It provides an entertaining mix of vital information for cruising yachtsmen with all levels of experience, which maximises their enjoyment, increases their skills and gives them the confidence to broaden their horizons.