Hannah Cotterell

You’re off sailing. You’ve plotted your course on the chart, so isn’t it now just a case of reading it off and asking the helm to steer it? Unfortunately not, and here’s why.

Many of our users requested this feature to be made available on iOS - we promised we were working on it and we have! As of today, offline chart and weather data are now available for both iOS (iOS 14 and above) and Android users!

Entering an unfamiliar marina at night, it’s something we’re all advised to avoid and rightly so as it can be dangerous. At some stage in your sailing career however you will find yourself needing to come into a new marina in the dark.

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, it’s almost time to leave land behind and set off! Before you cast off your lines, there are a few essential things you need to do in order to ensure a smooth getaway and a safe and comfortable trip.

A Day Skipper qualification forms part of a series of courses sailors can undertake such as competent crew, coastal, yachtmaster, yachtmaster instructor and yachtmaster offshore.

When you’re out boating it’s likely you’ll need to communicate with others around you (for instance to relay information or to raise an alarm), and the way you do this onboard is via your VHF radio.