Yachting Monthly

Summer is well and truly here, and if you’re not already off cruising, then this issue of YM is bound to give you itchy feet to set sail. The British Isles, Ireland and northern Europe are uniquely privileged with truly breathtaking coastlines. What’s more, at least a couple of the best cruising areas are accessible from most of the main yachting hubs around the UK in little more than a daysail. The difficult thing is not finding somewhere to sail, but deciding where you’re not going to sail (p33). Rachael’s Sprot’s advice on how to avoid a dunking in your dinghy, or worse, is apt given the importance of the tender on a cruise. I know I’ve developed a few lazy habits that aren’t necessarily the best small-boat seamanship. Realising that…

DIY lithium battery installation insurance risk Boat owners wanting to upgrade their batteries to lithium-ion are being warned to seek professional help rather than do the work themselves or face problems securing insurance for their vessels. Insurance companies have raised concerns over the risk of lithium-ion batteries failing and bursting into flames due to their flammability and sensitivity to high temperatures. A number of fires involving boats and electric vehicles are alleged to have been caused by lithium battery failure. In 2018, the 40m motor yacht, Kanga, sank in Croatia after a fire onboard which was believed to have been caused by faulty lithium-ion battery packs on electric surfboards. As they have become cheaper, the use of lithium-ion batteries has risen in the sailing sector, as owners find ways to cut fuel costs and…

Swedish yacht brands Najad and Arcona have been split into two separate companies – Arcona Yachts AB and Najad Yachts AB. Arcona’s operation will continue to be run by the same team led by CEO Urban Lagnéus. A new CEO, Fredrik Malmqvist, has been appointed at Najad. He will start in September. ‘We have considered different strategic options for both brands in order to best accelerate their growth. Our conclusion is that both companies have a better ability to grow by being run as two separate entities with a 100% focus on each brand,’ explained Håkan Eksandh, owner of Arcona Yachts AB and Najad Yachts AB. Holding company, Orust Quality Yachts AB, originally owned Najad before acquiring Arcona in 2018. At the time, it was announced the companies would continue to design and…

83 Japanese sailor Kenichi Horie has become the oldest person to sail solo and nonstop across the Pacific. He left San Francisco in March and took 69 days to reach Japan, aged 83. 4 byelaws banning bottom-towed fishing gear at Dogger Bank in the North Sea, Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge off Lincolnshire have come into effect. Autonomous Atlantic After a 40-day and 3,500-mile voyage, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship successfully completed her mission to cross the Atlantic from Plymouth to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving on 5 June.…

Building work is continuing at Premier’s Noss on Dart site in Devon, with the marina’s boatyard, dry stack and boat launch/hoist dock now operational. The £75 million investment by Premier’s owner, the Wellcome Trust, includes 232 berths, a new fuel dock, 24 commercial units providing servicing and electrical services, as well as the new base for the South Devon College Marine Academy for 200 students, which opened recently. A marina control building is currently under construction which will house the new berth holder facilities, shower rooms and a berth holder lounge. Later in the summer, work will begin on a 69-bed hotel, including two separate restaurants and bars, and a spa. It will be built to replicate the shape and style of the old, iconic Philip and Son shed at Noss, and materials,…

A stretch of the Crinan Canal will be closed to navigation from the end of September 2022 as part of £4.5 million of improvements to the network. Work will be taking place to upgrade four lock gates and the Cairnbaan Swing Bridge, which will require the draining of the canal between Lock 5 and Lock 15. It is part of a £12 million capital investment programme by Scottish Canals. Boats based at Bellanoch, Lochgilphead, will be relocated elsewhere on the waterway. Navigation will fully reopen before Easter 2023.…