Messing about in boats

Chatham’s Hidden Heroines

2021-06-18T18:46:37+01:00June 1st, 2021|Features, Life Afloat|

Hidden Heroines: the untold stories of the women of the Dockyard celebrates extraordinary women in Chatham Dockyard’s history who campaigned for change, fought against the odds and whose impact left a lasting legacy. Featuring stories from the first ladies of the Spinning Rooms and Sail and Colour Loft to tales of women boarding warships masquerading [...]

The positive effects of being a sea cadet

2021-05-28T14:20:50+01:00May 28th, 2021|Heritage, Life Afloat|

SEA CADETS HIGHLIGHT THEIR LEGAsea  Naval Charity publishes My LegaSea report – surveying former cadets on the impact of structured youth activity My LegaSea - launching into life is a ground-breaking multi-generational research study commissioned by the Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC) and delivered by independent researchers. It was was designed and guided by [...]

Pumping our way across the Atlantic

2021-06-18T18:46:04+01:00May 19th, 2021|Features, Life Afloat|

The boat was a beauty, but she let in a lot of water... By Ian Galletti Having crewed on a Contessa 32 when she was harmlessly ‘pooped’ many times during the 1979 Fastnet storm, I couldn’t understand why a past generation of yachtsman dreaded the experience. However, I was soon to learn why when I [...]

How to set your sails – the controls and their effects

2021-05-19T10:30:26+01:00May 18th, 2021|Life Afloat|

Excerpts from an interview with highly accomplished Dinghy through to Maxi Yacht sailor and North Sails sailmaker Michael Coxon. Racing tips By Brett Bowden What's the most important sail control and how does that vary from class to class? “The most important sail control for any boat is the sheet tension. Where the sheet tension [...]

A good start without instruments

2021-05-17T22:04:05+01:00April 13th, 2021|Life Afloat, Seamanship|

By Brett Bowden from Sailing to Win HOW TO WORK OUT THE FAVOURED END WITHOUT INSTRUMENTS Getting a great start in clear air can be the most important part of your race and knowing the favoured end and determining how much it is favoured will help you settle on your starting strategy. Some of the [...]

RNLI launch videos

2021-01-29T19:16:01+00:00November 5th, 2020|Features, Life Afloat|

‘Anything can happen in the next half-hour’, is how the RNLI puts it. And, with around 26 people being rescued by the institute's volunteers every day, the charity's work is never far away. This video shows the seaborne lifesavers launching their sophisticated craft, at great speed, from the exhilarating height of a slipway. From Cromer [...]

Antibes: An unusual and stunning 25th edition

2021-01-29T19:17:02+00:00September 24th, 2020|Life Afloat, News|

 Les Voiles d'Antibes regatta 2020 (September 16 - 20) Besides having had to postpone the 25th edition from June until September due to COVID, Les Voiles d'Antibes last week also had to play with the whims of the weather. Unusual heat for this time of year meant a weak thermal breeze for the first two [...]

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