Propulsion options

Inboard diesel engines are common for sailing cruisers, but there are other ways to power a boat, as Stu Davies explains

Orca encounter left our yacht rudderless

Zoe Barlow shares her experience of losing a rudder when targeted by orcas while on passage from Spain to Morocco

Dinghy disasters

A former inspector with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, Owen Brown reflects on sailing adventures that taught him safety lessons

Italy to England trailer-sailer tow

Alice Driscoll recalls driving and towing a 10m-long car and trailer combo carrying a J24 keelboat, 1,000 miles home from Lake Garda

Eco power for a cruising cat

The expansive deck of an 8m Catalac catamaran proves to be a huge asset for Simon Milward's solar electric propulsion project

Freeman 22 Mk2

A comfortable little motor cruiser with an interesting engine

All Sail Week

Tough as old boots, brave as lions, has our ancestors' innate skilfulness become extinct?

Best British-built cruisers around 32ft

Peter Poland shares his expertise on British-built second-hand yachts costing less than £30,000, which are comfortable and seaworthy

Solo sailing around Scotland's Small Isles

Paul Radcliffe takes advantage of good weather to explore the islands off the west coast of Scotland

Alternatives to gas

Rupert Holmes encourages a broad-minded approach to onboard cooking appliances and gadgets

A guide to seal spotting

Can you tell the difference between a common seal and a grey seal? Genevieve Leaper shares some identification tips

Replace or rebuild?

At what point is keeping an old diesel engine throwing good money after bad? PBO expert Stu Davies has some tips to help you decide

DIY fuel polisher defeats dirty diesel

Diesel engines have simple tastes, says Graham Keating, but clean fuel is one that can't be guaranteed in all corners of the world

Having a finger on the pulse

It's great living near a pier - there's always something going on that's worth watching

Heads and hosetails

Holding tanks, electric versus manual heads, and stamping out unwanted smells - Ali Wood gets some advice on sea toilets

Knockdown

Golden Globe Race entrant Guy Waites, a former Clipper Race skipper, suffers mast failure 300 miles from the Azores

Painting a Corribee Mk2

A tale of prolific boat owner Clive Marsh's Corribee Mk2 and a warning to wait a while before changing a boat's colour

Tracing a pesky leak

When Alan England's Moody 376 developed an unexplainable leak, he used detective work to find the source... but it wasn't easy

The sinking of Emma Rose

During a sailing trip in the Med, solo skipper Chris Pearsall's 1984 Jeanneau Attalia 32 sank between Crete and Cyprus

West Country stop-start getaway

Rupert Holmes recalls a week of glorious sailing and anchorages on a newly acquired and refitted boat

Tall ship Channel hop

Phil Dando tells of a gruelling Channel crossing on the sail training ship Malcolm Miller

Silhouettes

These bilge keel pocket cruisers, boasting serpentine sheer, good build quality and robust looks, can be real bargains

Shark surprise

Ali Wood finds the 4ft remains of a basking shark spine on a beach and learns how boaters can help this endangered species

Best (around 30ft) Scandinavian yachts

Swedes to include on any shortlist for solid, seaworthy 28-30ft cruisers

Anchoring essentials

Rupert Holmes looks at how to handle ground tackle on boats without a windlass

CRUISING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN Getting the kids onboard

Getting children on boats from a young age can give them a rewarding a pastime for life, says Amy Rashbrooke, but it pays to take things slowly

A windfall of yachts

George Lipscomb recalls the original Windfall yachts sailed by cadets at Dartmouth Royal Naval College

Electrical revamp for Pippin

After mid-Atlantic battery failure, John Willis decides it's time to upgrade his electrics

Etiquette under way

Andy Du Port draws upon more than 50 years' sailing experience to discuss etiquette under way

Hybrid electrical power system

Having to replace his generator, Willie Renilson comes up with the perfect solution for comfortable cruising with air conditioning