Sailing enthusiasts working at the German engineering firm FLIN, based in Kiel, have developed a new broad range of versatile marine solar panel systems. Products within the range include: the FLINrail, a rigid solar panel that can be used while sail

Having a much lower internal resistance, li-ion batteries will charge more rapidly than lead-acid batteries because they can accept a much higher rate of charge. A good quality battery can usually accept a charge up to its own capacity, meaning a 100

There are hundreds, if not thousands of yachts still sailing with 40-year-old diesel engines emitting smoke and pollutants, so is now the time to replace them with a clean, low maintenance, pure electric drive instead? The more I’ve looked at sailing

While not strictly related to building in wood, Spirit Yachts has applied the same approach to much of the rest of its supply chains. Raw materials and parts are sourced as locally as possible, from electrical switch panels and solar panels – all mad

‘I’ve put the dinghy pump back in the car,’ said Chris. ‘We won’t need it again, will we?’ We’d just inflated the dinghy to row out to Nimrod and transfer her from her summer mooring at Weir Quay, on the Tamar, down to her winter berth in Plymouth. S

A boat owner from Devon caught on Falmouth Harbour’s CCTV system travelling at almost three times the six-knot inner harbour limit during a busy summer’s day in July 2023, has been ordered to pay £3,061 in fines and costs by magistrates in Truro. The

Boatbuilding as we know it is not a sustainable process. The dawn of mass production GRP boats from the 1960s onwards fuelled an explosion in sailing participation and boat ownership. Rather than building each boat from scratch, as wooden boats have

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Carry a spare can. Top up the fuel, bleed the fuel line if needed. You may also need to change the filter. Diesel bug can easily block fuel lines and filters. Keep your fuel clean with additives, avoid running your fuel empty, and keep an eye on filt

FOLLOW THE SERIES HERE… www.yachtingmonthly.com/howitworks TYPICAL SETTINGS Masthead rig 0.5–1° (b = 0.9–1.75cm/m) Fractional rig 2–3° (b = 3.5–5.25cm/m) NB! More mast rake leads to more weather helm! It is important to have a correctly tuned rig. Bo

A normal fixed propeller is designed for propelling the boat and not for generating power as with a hydro-generator. However, Oceanvolt’s DAME award-winning ServoProp saildrive, suitable for monohulls and multihulls from 35-90ft LOA, features a varia

A grey seal pup, which was recently born on the Beaulieu River, is believed to be the first of its kind in Hampshire waters. Conservationists have been keeping a watchful eye and the Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour team has been guarding the pup from di

If you can’t secure the vessel, sail to safe water or resolve the engine problem, it’s time to raise the alarm. Depending on the circumstances, making a prompt call for assistance might be your highest priority. It’s particularly vital if you’re on a

Send your questions to our experts at yachtingmonthly@futurenet.com for the chance to win a bottle of Chilgrove gin It helps to remember that a forecast is just a prediction. No one knows the future; even though we have numerous models that are more

In 2021, RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews were called out to 1,968 recreational boats; in 2022, this rose to 2,081. The biggest number of RNLI call outs were to boats with machinery or equipment problems, including engine failure. The RNLI was launched

For those aboard a cruising yacht sailing without an engine due to breakdown rather than choice, the learning curve is going to be steep. In open water, it’s normal sailing, you’ll just be trying to make progress in conditions when you might have opt

Rigid solar panels currently on the market remain the most efficient and well-suited for mounting on larger boats with flatter surfaces. However, they are heavier, more awkward to mount, and can’t be walked on, so unless you have a hard top or dedica

Yacht builder, Cornish Crabbers, faces an uncertain future after a virtual meeting of creditors convened by Managing Director Peter Thomas on March 13. The Wadebridge-based group reportedly owes over £1m in bank loans and taxes and other debts. The m

French solo sailor Charles Caudrelier was first across the line in Brest, France, on 27 February to win the Arkéa Ultim Challenge Brest, the first ever solo around-the-world race for foiling multihull boats. Sailing aboard the giant foiling trimaran

Circumnavigator, Rob Hart, poked the glowing embers of his coal stove, set a cup of tea in front of me and said: ‘You know the best thing about a concrete boat?’ I had to confess I did not. ‘The worst ones are at the bottom of the sea,’ he added. ‘Co

Solar panel efficiency is compromised by both salt water and long-term exposure to UV and high temperatures. Industry experts advise that good regular maintenance will improve a solar panel’s performance by around 15%. You should clean solar panels e