Catamaran sailing: can you fast track multihull skills?

An intensive course promises a fast-track ticket to skippering a catamaran. Helen Fretter goes catamaran sailing to find out more Can one week change your life? That’s a whole lot of pressure to put on a holiday. But for a surprising number of graduates of the Nautilus Sailing catamaran sailing course, that’s exactly what their […]

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How to be a valuable first mate

Whether you’re stepping aboard someone else’s yacht, or want a co-skipper’s support on yours, Elaine Bunting has key advice on how to be a valuable first mate Our image of the lone sailor as the hero of the high seas, battling the elements in isolation, does all the second-in-commands of the world a disservice. Every […]

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Second hand boats: Buying a family yacht

Will Bruton takes a look at the positives and potential pitfalls in buying a family yacht so you can cruise the world with the kids in tow Buying a family yacht with room to accommodate young and old means looking for some very specific characteristics. Having enough space for living, studying and – increasingly commonly […]

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How to sail a multihull Q and A

Nikki Henderson reveals what you really need to know before going bluewater multihull cruising It has become routine now for me to bookend the summer sailing season with a trip to the south of France for the biannual ‘Outremer Week’. This hugely popular event gathers 100-plus new Outremer catamaran owners for five days of training, […]

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Second hand boats: getting a yacht survey

Commissioning a yacht survey before buying a boat is essential due diligence, giving the buyer an independent review of the complex craft with numerous systems they are about to buy. But how should you go about it? ‘Subject to survey’ might be the most powerful caveat to a serious offer on a yacht, yet what […]

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