We hit a wave, the bow bouncing into the air. The roar reverberating from inside the covered cockpit intensifies and I look out of the bubble window to a wall…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques
Roving Commissions extract: Calm in the Storm
Not for the first time, the Royal Cruising Club’s wonderful annual journal Roving Commissions has turned up a jewel of seamanship. Delving into the 2021 edition I found an account…
Citizen science on a yacht – how you can help effect change
The notion of conducting scientific research or citizen science on a yacht can sound intimidating. It conjures up images of experts in white coats, working in clinical laboratories. The idea…
Satellite communication: how to stay connected at sea
Our desire for almost constant communication and messaging, even when onboard, and our reliance on the internet continues to soar. Technology and the ability to stay in touch has allowed…
How to handle heavy weather
On Tuesday 15 June 2021 our Swan 48 Isbjorn was positioned near 51° North, some 350 miles south-west of Fastnet Rock. She was in deep North Atlantic waters, charging north…
Bluewater sailing with young children
While going on a bluewater adventure with your family is a popular dream, the advantages of having a child that can understand instructions, occupy themselves with a book, and have…
Webinar: Knut Frostad on digital sailing
Don’t miss the final Bluewater Sailing Webinar series by Grand Large Yachting, in association with Yachting World. In this latest episode, former Norwegian Olympic sailor and legendary offshore circumnavigator, Knut…
Webinar: Nikki Henderson on co-skippering
Don’t miss the fourth in the Bluewater Sailing Webinar series by Grand Large Yachting, in association with Yachting World. In today’s webinar Nikki Henderson, British yachtswoman and Yachting World contributor,…
Webinar: how to manage your boat on a circumnavigation
Don’t miss the third in the Bluewater Sailing Webinar series by Grand Large Yachting, in association with Yachting World. This Thursday’s webinar covers the key topic of technical boat management, led…
Eco-friendly anchoring: how to preserve the seabed
When my toes get cold, I know the wind has piped up. The dorade over the foot of our bed only seems to move air when it’s blowing over 20…
Mid-ocean repairs: Vendée Globe sailors tell all
Some of the damage we saw at the Vendée Globe finish was simply staggering, yet this edition was also remarkable for its small number of retirements. Many boats suffered major…
The offshore skills you need to be bluewater ready
You might have a departure day circled red in the diary and be furiously working through a to-do list to get there. Or maybe you’re considering a bluewater sailing adventure…
Through the Panama Canal in your yacht: everything you need to know
Cape Horn sailors and ditch diggers sacrificed all to make the path between the Atlantic and Pacific easier for the rest of us. It is a surreal situation to find…
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 series
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 3: Coping with squalls
Discover the best way to cope with squalls and weather them safely in the latest instalment of our Bluewater Sailing Techniques series
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 video
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 a spinnaker safely for long downwind passages when offshore cruising or ocean crossing
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 6: anchoring in coral
Anchoring in coral is illegal in many places and should certainly be avoided if at all possible. A nice patch of sand is better for holding, better for your ground…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 7: man overboard under spinnaker
Man overboard at sea is thankfully a very rare occurrence. But with any risk assessment, you have to consider the likelihood with the consequence and an MOB on an ocean…