Ahoy, fellow sea wanderers! If the smell of salt in the air, the rhythmic slap of waves against the hull, and the endless horizon call to your soul, you’ve found the right place. The Salty Sea Blog is a place for musings on sailing—whether it’s the thrill of a stiff breeze filling the sails, the quiet magic of a sunrise at anchor, or the camaraderie found in harbours worldwide.
From salty old sea dogs to fresh-faced deckhands, this blog is for anyone who finds peace, adventure, and a bit of mischief on the water. So hoist the main, set your course, and let’s sail into the stories, lessons, and musings that make life on the sea so irresistible.
Fair winds and following seas! ⛵
Picture the goal You step aboard in a warm harbour. Your family stows bags. You cast off, set the main, and reach along a blue coast. Lunch at anchor, swim, then a calm stern-to berth for supper. This is achievable. You can get there in months, not years, if you follow a clear route and…
Start right, save time. New to yachts, do RYA Competent Crew. Already crew with ease and want to lead, take Day Skipper Theory, then the Practical week. This guide shows who fits each path, the skills you need, common myths, and clear next steps.
Build a digital passage plan an RYA instructor can read in 60 seconds. Show “decisions for reasons” with clear evidence.
• What they check: clarity, safety margin, reasons, alternatives, backup.
• The 4-page pack: route overview, tides and streams, pilotage, weather and limits.
• Prove your sources: chart edition, model run time, reference and secondary ports.
• Keep it simple to share: GPX, PDF, and one printed summary.
• Finish with a checklist you can copy.
Read the full guide and make a plan that stands up to inspection.
Definitive guide to RYA theory exam invigilation for Day Skipper, Coastal/Yachtmaster, and Ocean, when it’s required, how to book, costs, and what to bring.
The calm before the storm—literally. Explore the synoptic charts to see what’s behind #StormAmy and when the wind and rain arrive. #MetOffice #PassagePlanning
Nail your marina approach: what to say on VHF (with scripts), when to call, and the unspoken rules on pontoons—so you look and sound like you belong.
Steering the best course to windward is about balance — the right angle and boat speed together. This guide shows why telltales are your quickest feedback, why learning to feel the boat matters, and how to combine horizon observation with VMG readings to time tacks smartly. Includes practical helming tips and progressive coaching drills to bring new helms up to speed. Read on and shave minutes off your next beat.
Bottom-up or top-down? After several practical courses with skippers trained elsewhere, I saw the same pilotage problems: plans too long to read or too thin to protect the boat. Here’s how to choose a format, avoid left/right flips, and build a cockpit-ready plan that works by day and at night.
A simple 10-minute debrief that makes every passage better—what to ask, how to capture lessons, and how to fold them back into your next plan.
Wind against tide = short, steep, wet. Learn how to spot the overlap, slide your timing, and reef early so the headland round feels easy—not epic.
If you belive the Earth is flat, you're about to fall of the end...
If you belive the Earth is flat, you're about to fall of the end...
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