The coconut milk run
When it comes to heading out there, crossing the Pacific is usually one goal. Jess Lloyd Mostyn describes the different paths you can take. Many people choosing to set off and sail full-time do so with a big dream in…
Cruising
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.
How many mistakes have you made?
Most first-time cruisers get a lot of things wrong, Petrea McCarthy provides a salient tale for those about to get out there. 1) Thinking you have enough shade You may or may not have a great bimini, but when the…
Worthy winners for ARC January 2022
The first edition of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) New Year rally concludes in Saint Lucia. Deciding to sail the Atlantic as part of an organised fleet brings support, learning advantages, and of course entertainment and great camaraderie. It…
Cutting the lines
If you don’t want your long-term cruising dream to remain a dream, Dini Martinez outlines a few steps that might help cut your dock lines. A family of four, two children under three, a husband who has barely done any…
Double circumnavigators awarded 2021 Blue Water Medal
Ginger and Peter Niemann have been named winners of the 2021 Blue Water Medal by the Cruising Club of America for two sailing circumnavigations that took them to the high latitudes, north and south. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the second trip…
Peter Brulisauer appointed CEO of Hamilton Island
The Oatley family are delighted to announce the appointment of Peter Brulisauer as the new CEO of Hamilton Island. Peter joins the Hamilton Island family from Vail Resorts, where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of their…
Oyster World Rally starts in Antigua
Charlotte’s Point, Antigua: On Sunday January 9 at 1pm the Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams, fired the starting cannon for the Oyster World Rally. Twenty-five British-built Oyster yachts are taking part in the 27,000…
Capricorn dancing
From Gladstone to the Keppels, Anne Wilson shows the Capricorn Coast offers a diverse range of great cruising grounds and even better anchorages. “Remember, if you are passing through the ships at anchor or coming into Gladstone go to Gladstone…
Tampa Bay women reflect on nine-month adventure
Two Tampa Bay area women have returned to St. Petersburg, Florida after the trip of a lifetime on a sailboat that sent them up the east coast for nine months. Vanessa Goodrum and Sara O’Brien both had full-time jobs at…
Only six miles from care
It is incredible, thinks John Tylor, that you can be only six miles from suburbia but in a whole different world. When I retired from work my wife and I thought we would be able to settle into the grey…
Argo’s story: Part one
After years of sailing with his father on board his beloved schooner, Argo, based in Sweden, John Ingvar Ravelius has taken part ownership of the boat, alongside his brother and his father and has been updating and refitting her with…
Katie McCabe: ‘How I circumnavigated Britain, aged 14’
A dream to sail solo transatlantic is all well and good, but if you’re 14-years-old and your mum says no, it’s time to look for options closer to home. I had lived on a boat since I was two weeks…
‘Most beautiful ship in the world’ docks in Brooklyn
A 278-foot sailing vessel called by many ‘the most beautiful ship in the world’ sailed majestically into ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sunday morning. The Statsraad Lehmkuhl, Norway’s 107-year-old three-masted tall ship, will be docked at the marina until…
Sailors embark on three-year odyssey
A fleet of 32 boats holding more than 100 crew members from 13 nationalities, plus two dogs, are embarking on a three-year round-the-world adventure. Organised by blue water sailing group Grand Large Yachting and famous sailor Jimmy Cornell – initiator…
Boating Guide to NSW
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…
Man with a vision
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…
From lockdown to coastal cruising
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…
Shanghaiing crew the modern way
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…
West coast cruising but not as you know it
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…
Book your overseas trip aboard catamaran Calmao
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…
Destination Western Australia: Fascine fever
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…
True cost of living on board
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…
European yacht charter picks up pace
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…
Moody S38: Good all-round family cruising yacht
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…
Inside the world’s biggest commercial sailing ship
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…
How a thorough rigging inspection saved my mast
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…
Good Little Ship book review
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 Melbourne couple’s timely sea change
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…
Making a living while cruising the seas
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’s sailing ship resumes operations
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…
August boating destinations
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…
International recognition for Coral Sea Marina
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…
Anchorage calculations
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,…
Explore Greece and Turkey aboard a luxury yacht
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…
Seabed 2030 Project Races to Map Ocean and Sea Floors
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….
Cape to cape
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…
Perfect partnership for reef preservation
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…
Margate Marina: Major improvements continue
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 sails the world
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…
Capturing moments: Onne van der Wal
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…
