Yachting Monthly UK

SHOULD I HAVE SAILED ON?

It was round about then that the main business of this voyage started to unfold, and it began as no more than a tiny dot at the indistinct junction between the ocean and the sky. I had not seen anything quite like it at sea: there was something odd about its shape and scale. After weeks of observing nothing but the subdued and soft-edged shades of the natural world, I was jolted by the brightness of this whatever-it-was, by its garish intrusion into the all-pervading grey. I pulled out my binoculars and studied it more closely. It was orange-yellow in colour and without doubt a man-made artefact. Was it some sort of strange ship? Or was it something smaller? A scientific measurement buoy, perhaps? For a while I could not decide whether it was something very big a long way away, or something small much closer. We were moving slowly towards it, and I could now see that it was roughly triangular in shape. It did not seem to be moving in any direction. I unhooked the self-steering gear and took control of the tiller myself, to make sure we passed close by.

Yachting Monthly UK

ADVENTURE EXPLORING THE DANISH ISLANDS

Chris Carr ventures out to visit just a few of the hundreds of islands in the South Funen Archipelago

Yachting Monthly UK

Aberdeen celebrates the 2025 arrival of Tall Ships Race

Between 19 and 22 July, the city of Aberdeen will welcome around 50 tall ships and over 100,000 visitors for a four-day maritime extravaganza as the only host port in Britain in the Tall Ships Race 2025.

Yachting Monthly UK

Extend rope life with proper coiling and regular end-to-ends

Taking proper care of your ropes is key to extending their life.

Yachting Monthly UK

RYA OnBoard turns 20

The RYA celebrates 20 years of its OnBoard initiative, one of the UK’s largest grassroots programmes for encouraging children and young people to participate in watersports.

Yachting Monthly UK

HOW TO USE SHORE POWER SAFELY

A shoreside AC supply is convenient but potentially lethal, advises Andrew Simpson

Yachting Monthly UK

Take the small wins for our seas

Almost every day we are alerted to a crisis, be it social, political economic or environmental. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and start to block out everything and assume the worst. As sailors, we are all too aware of climate change, warming seas and how that affects our activities.

Yachting Monthly UK

Securing shackles in permanent moorings

Large shackles used as part of permanent moorings are normally secured against loosening by seizing wire or cable ties. Sometimes, they're welded right up.

Yachting Monthly UK

Penny Black invites entries for Brian Black Memorial Award

The Brian Black Memorial Award for Marine Environmental Journalism is in full swing again this year, and the judging panel includes a new member, Brian's granddaughter Penny Black, who will help assess the junior photography category.

Yachting Monthly UK

Search and rescue yacht detained

Mediterranean rescue yacht Nadir was detained by Italian authorities on 8 June after mooring in the Port of Lampedusa, the first time a sailing vessel has been detained in conjunction with migrant search and rescue operations.

Yachting Monthly UK

Smashed in two by a cargo ship

It is every sailor's worst nightmare. Crossing a busy shipping lane at night, at speed, to be crushed by a cargo ship. Clinging to the wreckage, the two skippers miraculously survived.

Yachting Monthly UK

Having a blast around the CELTIC TRIANGLE

Theo Stocker reports on the YM Celtic Triangle Race, and Jayne Toyne shares her offshore check list

Yachting Monthly UK

MG SPRING 25

Compact and affordable 1980s yacht perfectly designed for a spot of lively weekend family cruising - or racing...

Yachting Monthly UK

SAILING THE SHIPPING FORECAST

Celebrating 100 years of the BBC Shipping Forecast, Jane Russell takes us on a series of coastal cruises through the forecast's sea areas, exploring some of the special places on offer in each zone

Yachting Monthly UK

A HUNDRED YEARS OF THE ROYAL OCEAN RACING CLUB

This is a magazine for cruising sailors, but even the least competitive amongst us cannot fail to recognise the powerful influence that the Royal Ocean Racing Club has had on recreational sailing as a sport and the boats themselves

Yachting Monthly UK

How to choose the best power pack for your boat

A portable power pack is a game-changer for anyone who doesn't have shore power or want the expense of an inverter. Fox Morgan reviews 8 of the best...

Practical Boat Owner

Tree of the fruit of good and evil

Why we are no longer cooking with gas

Practical Boat Owner

'Sécurité, sécurité, sécurité! All ships! All ships!'

Solo sailor Owen Moorhouse recalls having to make quick contingency plans at night while battling fatigue

Practical Boat Owner

East Coast passage

With a little help from local friends, Trevor Cherrett takes his 22ft harbour launch from the mud of Maldon to the rivers of Suffolk

Practical Boat Owner

How to install a Halyard Aquadrive in a Contessa 32

Colin King shows how he fitted an antivibration system for smoother, quieter cruising and reduced wear on his yacht's engine and gearbox

Practical Boat Owner

New big boat vs old small boat

Based on his experience, Saša Fegić examines whether new, larger yachts are better than older, smaller models

Practical Boat Owner

Replacing a shaft seal

Will Renlinson replaces a shaft seal on his Jersey 36 motorboat before aligning the engine with the stern tube

Practical Boat Owner

Avoiding collisions

If you're at the helm, can you spot a risk of collision with another boat? Do you know when to 'stand on' and when to 'give way'?

Practical Boat Owner

Improving the splice in a continuous line

Roger Hughes shares his new technique for making a smooth, continuous splice in double-braided line

Motor Boat & Yachting UK

DUNKIRK SPIRIT

The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) marked the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo with a cruise in company from Ramsgate to Dunkirk.

Motor Boat & Yachting UK

HARDY 45 EUROPEAN

If variety is the spice of life, it doesn't get much spicier than this

Motor Boat & Yachting UK

SAVE THE WHALEBACK

Motor Boat & Yachting UK

SEVEN PORTS IN SEVEN DAYS

A solo cruise along the coast of Brittany gave Gilbert Park the perfect excuse to visit seven ports in seven days while feasting in seven different restaurants

Motor Boat & Yachting UK

AQUASPIRIT 7 M RIB

Keen boaters will know how effective a well-designed RIB can be at cutting through lumpy seas, but until now that has often come at the expense of a rather cramped cockpit.

Motor Boat & Yachting UK

VAN DEN HOVEN VOYAGER 50

LOA: 50ft 4in (15.33m) BEAM: 15ft 8in (4.8m) TOP SPEED: 22 knots ENGINES: 2 x Volvo Penta D6 480hp PRICE: From €1.29m ex tax CONTACT: www.bvandenhovenjachtbouw.nl