Tidal height curves delivered by a chart plotter are among the most useful advances in recent years.

When something goes wrong on the foredeck, the natural instinct of most fore-and-aft sailors is to luff up head to wind.

A recent Expert on Board article produced an interesting postbag revealing that a number of readers had been assuming the course ‘dialled up’ on their autopilot…

Laid up afloat? Only popping down to check her every so often? If that’s you, shift your lines a few inches every time you visit.

Laying up for the winter, you can take away all the worry of gales blowing onto the berth by suspending a big fender fore-and-aft from the pontoon cleats.

There’s usually one critical line to get ashore when you return to your home berth, and far too often the job can be a nightmare, particularly in marinas beset with tidal streams.

Next season when you’re stocking up for that extended cruise, don’t forget to fill the fuel jerry-cans from a garage and use the car to hump them down to the boat.

Navigation lights, radar scanners, spreader lights and everything electrical on deck take a beating in season.

Creeping around headlands close in is all very well by daylight, so long as you keep a good lookout…

Here’s a proper red sky and it’s at night, promising sailors a day of delight after breakfast in the morning.