Features

Main image: Trying to escape the ‘tide’ in the movie Interstellar – Warner Brothers. For those who have not seen the movie, the tide scene can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6C1Nk1YbnE Meteorologist Malcolm Riley reflects on the gravitational effect…

25ft pocket cruiser Job #1242 Halvorsens 1967 by Jonathan Stone So, I bought a boat, with a mate (Mat). It wasn’t our first boat – we had done half a dozen Sydney to Hobarts between us, in offshore racing yachts, also co-owned. This one…

The flash and crack of a lightning strike becomes a very vivid memory for anyone unfortunate enough to be hit while at sea. Although lightning strikes can be fatal, they also cause concern due to the potential damage. A lightning strike can be hard…

By Sage Tucker Sage is 10 years old, and with her dad, loves a bit of adventure. This is her story.  I wave good-bye to my mum, from the beach, at Victoria Point. We hop onto the boat, and my dad…

Alf Gladys and baby Alf Jan 1928 The 18 footer class has a rich tradition of family generational competition and one of the most prominent families in all skiff racing is the Beashel family which, for five generations, also has an incredible history right…

“Honestly, I haven’t always been into boats and it took even longer to get into wooden boats, but now I am and have started down this path, I don’t really see anything else in mine or my family’s future.  I grew up in Goolwa…

Chris Webb was the most famous 18 footer skipper during the early period of the class. He was a legend and a major draw card every time he raced for the Sydney Flying Squadron (SFS), won four ‘official’ Australian Championships, 1913-14, 1923-24, 1924-25 and…

by Martin van der Wal There’s something about the two words, ‘Home’ and ‘Harbour’. A resonating harmonic as undertones common to both begin to amplify warm feelings of safety, refuge, familiarity. For those of us lucky enough to call Sydney our home harbour these…

A watermaker is one of the best investments you can make for your boat and one which will transform your lifestyle, allowing you to cruise further and stay away for longer. Although the process of buying and installing a watermaker might seem daunting, this…

Talk to any modern-day America’s Cup sailor and life at 50 knots is exhilarating. Scary at times. They are a breed apart from the average day-sailor or weekend sailboat racer and you are left wondering how their lives will ever be the same again.

James Backwell by James Backwell Last November, at the very end of COVID lockdowns that had prevented this trip for nearly two years, my mate Warren and I took our trailer sailer GEM 550 down the Murray River. Starting at Yarrawonga, the trip was…

For long-term cruisers, a marine desalinator or watermaker is one of the most essential pieces of equipment on your vessel and can be the difference between life and death on a long voyage. You may or may not have a watermaker onboard currently but…