Book Review — Reeds Crew Handbook
(Read Mike’s the full review here) When you step aboard a yacht — whether for a Solent weekend hop, a summer cruise to the West Country, or a Cowes regatta — the difference between a smooth sail and a stressful one often comes down to the crew. Clear communication, tidy rope handling, and calm teamwork […]
Short Hops & Smooth Racing: The Competent Crew’s Guide to Coastal Passage Mastery
Why Short Hops Matter Not every sail has to be an epic offshore adventure. For many of us, the joy of sailing lies in short coastal hops: a Solent weekend from Hamble to Yarmouth, a night at anchor in Newtown Creek, or a relaxed reach east toward Chichester Harbour. These 1–2 day passages are the […]
Navigating Your First Yacht: What to Expect on Day One of Competent Crew
If you’ve signed up for an RYA Competent Crew course and it’s your first time on a yacht, congratulations — you’re about to step into a completely new world. Day One can feel like a blur of new faces, nautical terms, and boat bits you’ve never seen before, but the aim of this post is […]
FAMILY SAILING SOUTH COAST: STRESS-FREE SUMMER PASSAGES
Picture this: it’s 6am on a bright Saturday morning in July, you’re sipping coffee in the cockpit while the kids are still asleep below, and the Solent’s just starting to hum with sails and ferries. You’ve got the weekend ahead and a family crew eager for some adventure – but you also know what’s coming: […]
The Quiet Joy of Waking Up at Anchor Alone
There’s a moment, just before sunrise, when the world is still deciding whether to wake up. The water is like glass, the sky a soft bruised pink, and the only sound is the gentle clink of a halyard somewhere far off, echoing like a slow metronome across the bay. This is my favourite time on […]
BOOK REVIEW: RYA YACHTMASTER HANDBOOK by James Stevens
Bridging the Gap: A Coastal Skipper’s Review of the RYA Yachtmaster Handbook If you’ve been sailing for a while, you’ll know there’s a very particular gap between where the mental journey to Day Skipper ends and the one to Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster begins. It’s a gap filled with confidence questions: I’ve seen it many times – competent, capable skippers […]
MY FIRST NIGHT PASSAGE
The Call to Sail After Sunset Last weekend was a milestone for me. It might sound odd to some, but I’ve been sailing for nearly three years and never plucked up the courage to say “yes” to a night passage. Much as I love being out on the water, for some reason, the idea of leaving […]
Atlantic Crossing Essentials
I have to confess, when I was asked if I was interested in writing a Blog series on preparing for and passing your RYA exams, I was a bit reluctant. It’s a long time since I had to write something coherent that others can read and criticise. But here we are. The team at Chartroom Online were also […]
The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Calling the Shots Afloat
I’m delighted to be starting a new blog series here on Chartroom Online. Every Friday, I’ll be twittering on about something related to offshore sailing and my passion for being at sea. For this first one I’m taking a look at what it means to be Skipper of a yacht, so pull up a stool, […]
Weather Windows & Tide Strategy for Coastal Cruisers
Navigating the South Coast in autumn calls for good judgement and even better timing. Here’s how to find your window and make the most of every knot.