The message was short: “If I don’t make it, know that I love you.” I pressed send to someone who’d stood by me for many years and placed the phone…
Cruising
How to extend your summer cruising season in the Med
The eastern Mediterranean is a treasure trove of beautiful cruising grounds, spectacular natural beauty, ancient cities and amazing food. Many sailors would love to linger there for at least a…
No fridge, no shower, no engine: How we sailed around the World on £450 a month
“We made it!” said Christophe, “L’Envol has crossed her own wake, we have just completed a circumnavigation.” I looked around. We were still more than 100 miles from the Brazilian…
We lived our own Odyssey in the Greek Islands
In the lee of the island of Oxia and the low-lying mainland, we altered course and sheeted in, the wind pulsing across the deck of our Voyager 38, Namika. We’d…
Weaving through the crowded skerries of Norway and Sweden by boat
After many years of cruising in Scandinavia it never ceases to amaze us how many beautiful places beg to be explored along the island-strewn coastlines. It would take a lifetime…
Sailing from Fiji to New Zealand without an autopilot: ‘The Bay of Islands is a sailing paradise’
In the past five years I’ve done 13 ocean passages. Each has been wildly different, and yet I’m struck with a sense of déja vu as we dock Jacqeau, our…
How to find the real Greece on a sailing charter holiday
A faint purling of waves against the hull had eased us all into sleep, until I realised that another sound was nudging into my dreams. Swelling choral music echoed through…
Finding the perfect balance of paradise and sporty sailing in St Vincent and the Grenadines
How many places in the world can truly claim to be an iconic sailing destination? St Vincent and The Grenadines (SVG), a scattered chain of 32 idyllic Caribbean islands, certainly…
Half the boat had flooded. We were side-on to the sea and rolling dangerously. We abandoned ship
About one hour before abandoning Magic Bus in a raging North Atlantic Ocean, skipper Buster Pike attempted to initiate a Pan-Pan call with the US Coast Guard via VHF radio.…
Seven Seas, Five Girls, One Boat – These 20-year-old best friends are sailing around the world
What if instead of going straight into a course or a job after finishing school, you set off to sail around the world with your best friends? Lisa, Thelma, Eva,…
What to expect when you’re expecting at sea – three liveaboard mothers-to-be tell all
‘I’m just baby wrangling,’ Sara Kulins laughs over the phone as her daughter coos in the background. ‘She’s trying to chime in the conversation.’ For Kulins, the nursery isn’t a…
The long way home: Navigating broken shrouds and fickle trades on the road to Polynesia
The Río Valdivia was glassy when we slipped our lines, the Chilean shores still wrapped in morning mist. For a moment it felt as though our crossing might actually begin…
Two surfers take a journey from the outback to the ocean
One day we were standing in swirling red dust under the brutal Australian outback sun, steel-capped boots caked in sweat and iron ore. The noise of haul trucks filled the…
Sailing to South Georgia: Retracing Shackleton’s 1916 traverse
We hit the cold front square on. From light and variable in the centre of the low, bottoming out at 973mb, the wind took but an hour to ramp up…
Using Celestial Navigation to Sail the Atlantic: ‘We are at the whims of the sea’s invisible forces’
One foot east, one foot west. I stand on a line inscribed in stone: the Prime Meridian, longitude of zero. This threshold marks a rite of passage for becoming a…
Cruising the Great Loop: ‘Whatever you decide, the ocean currents will help you on your way’
Many cruisers focus on the eastern Caribbean, but there are some amazing cruising options further north and north-east: the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, the coastal waters of the US, and…
The ultimate sabbatical: The reality of raising a family on a yacht in Chile
“You need to focus on Section 10, it’s the best part!” That was the message that flooded my inbox again and again as we planned our trip to Patagonia. With…
Where to sail in 2026: The coolest charters on offer
Yacht charter and sailing holidays have moved on. No longer are your options limited to bareboat or flotilla in a smattering of locations – you can now sail higher performance…
Island nation: Cruising the Indonesian islands on a catamaran
Fleeing bait fish ping against our hulls while troops of shrimp crackle like frying bacon as they drift past. A red painted fishing boat is anchored among the shallow reefs…
Beyond the postcard: Discovering the Caribbean’s hidden corners
Seen one Caribbean island, seen them all? Not at all: the region offers amazing diversity, from incredible habitats to vibrant cultures. For many cruisers the Caribbean is an extended stopover…