Dedicated to Cruising the world under sail including destinations, navigation, sailing tips, safety ideas, yacht & multihull reviews along with stories and insights for the sail cruising life in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Residing on an island continent, Australians have always been drawn to the sea, with approximately 85 per cent of Australians today living within 50 kilometres of the coast. From First Nation Peoples who sustained communities for tens of thousands of…
A story in Cruising Helmsman in 2004 sparked a visionary dream in Robert Latimer that he has lived to see fulfilled — delivering life-changing eyecare services to the remote islands of Vanuatu by yacht. But now he needs a new partner…
When I spoke to Kristina Costalos on the phone from my home ‘office’ mid-Sydney lockdown (the closest body of water to me is the Cooks River in Sydney’s south-west) she was cutting up fruit on a 50ft yacht at anchor…
Getting crew can be fraught with danger, while Cruising Helmsman contributor Michael Kildea went through the agony he ended up with the right Juan. This is the story of Juan and me, okay more about me than Juan. I was…
With dreams of cruising the east coast, Cruising Helmsman contributor Justine Porter discusses that there is plenty to see before you get there. After numerous farewell parties starting in November we finally could not delay our departure from Gove. Knowing…
Luxury sailing yacht Calmao, available in the Mediterranean in the summer and in the Caribbean and the Bahamas in the winter, is all about taking life easy as guests admire the gorgeous views of some of the world’s most popular charter grounds. A professional crew of three…
Cruising Helmsman September 2016 edition: It is difficult to get much further west than Canarvon, Western Australia, so Condy Clark finds it is a good place to hang loose. I have been up the Fascine Channel to Carnarvon a few…
Brett Campbell has interviewed over 20 live-aboards after he and his wife moved onboard their yacht. These and their own experiences form the basis for a series of articles on living on board which Brett wrote for Cruising Helmsman. In…
The Riviera is reopening, with charter yachts still available. Phones started ringing at the Luxury Yacht Charter charter office as soon as the decision was announced: The European Union was easing travel restrictions for visitors vaccinated against COVID-19. “Inquiries have…
Looking for a good all-round family cruising boat with a good turn of speed, there are plenty of strong contenders, including the Moody S38. Partners Mick Jeffrey and Val Conway have owned boats and sailed together for decades and have…
Golden Horizon is the world’s biggest commercial sailing ship and it makes for a pretty special cruise holiday. Dave Monk headed on board to see what’s on offer. To stirring music and the backdrop of a crescent moon in a…
Dave Carey discusses how he made major changes to the rigging of his 47ft cruising yacht, all- while living aboard with his family in the Caribbean. As a former RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) aircraft technician, I was always going…
Julia Jones discusses Good Little Ship; Arthur Ransome, Nancy Blackett and the Goblin by Peter Willis. When I first reviewed Peter Willis’ biography of Arthur Ransome’s Nancy Blackett on its publication in 2017, I had enjoyed it far more than I’d necessarily…
A couple have packed up their life and bought a yacht in an attempt to escape to the never-ending cycle of lockdowns on land. Melbourne-based reporter Kristina Costalos and her pilot partner John Tilley started their life on the water…
In late 2018 my wife, Roxy, and I took a few suitcases of belongings and moved aboard our 47 foot Cheoy Lee monohull to start the cruise of a lifetime. So far, a familiar start to a familiar sounding story. Except unlike…
Windstar Cruises has resumed cruising on four of its six small ships now that the flagship Wind Surf, the world’s largest sailing ship, has launched voyages in the Mediterranean. The 342-passenger Wind Surf departed Aug. 8 from Barcelona on an eight-day…
Destinations to check out in August include Australia’s western and northeastern coastlines, where spring is making a welcome return, kick-starting the Southern Hemisphere’s yachting season. Not sure where’s best to drop anchor this month? Here are some of the best…
As voted by superyacht captains and crew, Coral Sea Marina has been announced as a Runner-Up in the ACREW Superyacht Business Awards 2021 in the Best Superyacht Marina category. The Superyacht Business Awards is a global awards program, with a…
Would you decide to move to a new anchorage if it meant sailing through shoal water in approaching bad weather? James Stevens looks at the problem and provides the solution. Rachel is on board her yacht Pampero, an 11m Sadler 34,…
The Greek and Turkish coasts are a haven for fun seekers, sun worshippers and culture lovers who want days exploring ancient wonders and nights partying under starry night skies, and luxury gulets like HIC SALTA are the most efficient way…
Mapping the seabed is an ancient practice engaged in by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians as they plied the waters of the Mediterranean — but an ambitious plan called Seabed 2030 means to take this to an entirely new level….
The three great capes that mark a non-stop circumnavigation include the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Lleeuwin and the most legendary and feared of all three capes – Cape Horn. Starting from Europe, the first to round is precisely the…
Thousands of visitors are set to arrive on the Whitsunday coast for the annual Great Barrier Reef Festival (August 5 – 8), as Airlie Beach comes alive to celebrate the Whitsundays’ lifestyle and the communities at the heart of the Great…
Nestled in the quiet waters of North West Bay south of Margate, one of Tasmania’s newest and best equipped marinas is continuing its major redevelopment. Margate Marina represents one of Tasmania’s largest private marina investments, ideally situated on the gateway…
Triple amputee army veteran Craig Wood is cruising around the world to raise awareness of sailing with disabilities. He shared his story with Katy Stickland. Three months after his 18th birthday, Craig Wood’s life changed forever while on deployment to…
Known throughout the sailing world by his first name only, Onne (pronounced “on-ah”) is still creating indelible images, 40 years after his photos first made a splash in Sail magazine in 1982. He was a professional sailor back in those days, sailing…
Doyle Sails is pleased to announce their partnership with Rachel and Joshua from Voyages of Agape. Voyages of Agape was dreamt up by two love birds addicted to travel and enamored by the sea. After sailing away from their homeport…
25-year-old welsh sailor, Dani Rowe has been named as the recipient of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Yachtmaster® of the Year award for her exceptional demonstration of sailing skills during her RYA Yachtmaster certificate of competence exam. Dani, an Aerosystems Engineer Officer in…
After receiving a distress call on Monday morning of a vessel that was experiencing mechanical problems 12.5 nautical miles northeast of Planta Cays, HMBS Rolly Gray, under the command of Lieutenant Themo Berkley, was called upon to assist. On arrival,…
Manuel Pardi recently returned to Buenos Aires after a three-month 4,000-mile voyage in Pequod (a restored 28-ft steel yacht), which he sailed to Antarctica, powered entirely by solar and wind energy. This wasn’t Pequod’s first trip to Antarctica. The first…
Action cameras, adventure cameras, body- or head-cams; call them what you will – we’re talking here about the type of cameras often referred to generically as ‘GoPros’ after the company largely responsible for bringing this type of image recording device…
Magnetic Island has turned heads for eons, but since SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week was added to the northern sailing regattas in 2007, competitors from far and wide have been captivated. Four years ago, when James Permezel competed for the…
Most of us sailors have thanked one or more Gods of the Sea on more than one occasion for safely delivering us from a potential disaster, as is the case for veteran sailor John Kretschmer. In Kretschmer’s 2014 highly popular…
On Lake Taupō, New Zealand, Sue Hoffart finds a nautical saga that has it all. Although Dave Nesbitt may have been born to sail, he’s taken some unlikely detours en route to yacht ownership. And he’s certainly struck some rough…
With leisure boat sales on the rise, the Whitsunday region is experiencing unprecedented levels of new visitors this year, many of which are experiencing our spectacular backyard for the first time. In addition, the annual migration of cruising yachts is…
Knowing the right sailing terms to use on board a boat is not just a way of sounding super cool and impressing your friends, though it does works for that too… It’s actually very useful, and sometimes crucial in communicating…
Three sailmakers take a look at off-wind sails that will keep your boat moving on a reach and a run. Not so long ago, most production sailboats featured sail plans that were a bit different from what one might encounter…
It’s been a tumultuous year for the world, and getting away from it all on a recreational boat has given many the respite they’ve needed. With lives upended, some recreational boat owners have chosen to reflect on the times when…
A solo sailor has spent seven hours trapped on his yacht after it smashed onto rocks off the Coffin Bay National Park on South Australia’s west coast. Key points: Will Fantom was circumnavigating Australia when he ran aground near Coffin Bay…
Personal floatation devices come in two main forms buoyancy aids and life-jackets. Worn correctly a personal flotation device could save your life.
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