Captain’s notes: heaven and hell, or contrasting views of sailing the Solent

We’ve only spent a few days in the Solent – and only the western half at that. But it was enough to persuade us that, with the exception of Yarmouth, it’s no place for us. July 2019 We were congratulating ourselves on successfully navigating the Needles Channel for the first time (having dealt with a …

Captain’s notes: whatever the forecast, be weather aware when sailing

Sailors would get into an awful lot of trouble without weather forecasts. In fact, they can still encounter challenging situations even with them – as we have learned from experience. For, while we now have access to a great many sources predicting the weather, the chances are that they are not going to be 100 …

Captain’s notes: best books to support the RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased theory course

Any training provider delivering a shorebased course for the RYA, whether online or in a classroom, will give you access to all the materials you need. There’s a lot to be said for reading around a subject, though, so here are our recommendations for books supporting the Yachtmaster theory programme. The Complete Yachtmaster, Tom Cunliffe …

Captain’s notes: is this the best tablet-based chart plotter app combination in the world?

We’ve discovered what we think is the best tablet/app/chart combination in the world for navigation… We have a dedicated chart plotter on Amneris, a rather old but still functional Garmin. And of course, we have paper charts in the navigation table to cover whatever waters we’re cruising in, along with pilot books and the indispensable …

News: OCC award for Polish sailor who broke round the world record in tiny boat

If you thought you needed a massive yacht for big, blue water sailing, take a leaf out of Polish skipper Szymon Kuczyński’s book – he’s just won the British Ocean Cruising Club’s Jester Award in recognition of his 270-day, non-stop, single-handed circumnavigation via the three Great Capes in his 6.36-metre Atlantic Puffin. Szymon set a …