Outside the tropics much of our sailing takes place in the disturbed westerly airflow that…
Practical cruising
How to plan watches and sleep when sailing short-handed
Before you decide on the best way to run watches double-handed, answer this question: are…
Chris Tibbs weather briefing: how air mass affects the wind direction
I have a lovely old instrument at home which belonged to my grandfather; using dials…
How to be a good crew member on a long ocean passage
Matching skippers and crew can be a difficult process and while there are characteristics we…
What are the best remedies for seasickness? We find out in our transatlantic survey
Seasickness is an age-old problem, but how common is it and how can we prevent…
Chris Tibbs weather briefing: how temperature affects wind
As a group of islands the UK has a maritime climate to match our maritime…
Green flash: fact or fantasy? Weather man Chris Tibbs explains the science
Caribbean cruising is not complete without sundowners on a beach watching the sun slowly dip…
How to be a good skipper: ooze calm and confidence but don’t shout!
We become skippers by a number of different routes; many dinghy sailors will eventually become…
Tested: Pip Hare tries out five of the latest weather routeing packages
Every discerning sailor will carry out some sort of weather routeing before going out on…
Chris Tibbs weather briefing: what’s the difference between gusts and squalls?
Rarely do we have a day when the wind is steady in both direction and…
Hands-on advice for cruising in ice – expedition to Greenland
“Turn left after the berg with the Marge Simpson hair-do and continue past the one…
Google Earth navigation: how to sail off the chart with confidence using satellite imagery
Cruising in remote tropical regions can be challenging, especially where there are no charts suitable…
21 best upgrades for ocean cruising – make life on board more comfortable
If you’re considering sailing to warmer waters, whether the Mediterranean, Caribbean or further afield, but…
Taking the northerly route across the Atlantic; our meteorologist explains
In the 2012 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers the winning boats, the Class 40 Vaquita and…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 1: introducing our 12-part series with a cruise in the Pacific
We begin our new 12-part multimedia series on Bluewater Sailing Techniques in stunning Fiji
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 2: Navigating in coral
Discover how to nagivate coral reefs in the second installment of our Bluewater Sailing Techniques…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 3: Coping with squalls
Discover the best way to cope with squalls and weather them safely in the latest…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 4: sailing downwind with a poled out headsail
Discover how to sail with a poled out headsail in our latest Bluewater Sailing Techniques…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 5: How to set up a spinnaker safely for long downwind passages
In the fifth instalment of our bluewater sailing videos, we explain how to set up…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 6: anchoring in coral
Anchoring in coral is illegal in many places and should certainly be avoided if at…