Choosing the Right Waterproof Jacket for Boating
A jacket that keeps you dry ashore may perform very differently after an hour of rain and spray at the helm. For boating, keeping water out is only part of the job. You also need to move freely, see properly with the hood up and wear the jacket comfortably with a lifejacket. For most leisure […]
Should You Choose a Skippered or Bareboat Charter?
If you want to spend a day boating in the Solent, one of the first decisions is whether to choose a bareboat charter and take charge yourself or opt for a skippered charter. The difference goes well beyond having another person at the helm. With a bareboat charter, you take responsibility for the boat, the […]
5 Solent Anchorages to Consider for Your Next Trip
The Solent has plenty of places where a Motorboat can stop for lunch, wait for a tide or spend a few hours away from a marina. Choosing where to anchor, though, needs more than picking the nearest bay on the chart. Wind direction, tidal height, available depth, swinging room and traffic can all change whether […]
12 Checks Before Buying a Used Motorboat
A used Motorboat can look excellent at the berth and still hide expensive problems. Before buying, you need to understand the condition of the hull, engine and onboard systems, check the paperwork and see how the boat actually behaves on the water. Not every mark or worn fitting should put you off. Used boats will […]
How to Make Family Motorboat Trips Enjoyable for Everyone
Taking the family out on a motorboat can be one of the best reasons for owning one, but the first few trips do not need to be ambitious. Children are unlikely to care how many miles you covered or how technically interesting the passage was. They are much more likely to remember seeing something from […]
What to Do After Buying Your First Motorboat
Buying the boat is one thing. Getting comfortable using it is another. The first few weeks of ownership are usually when you discover the details that did not seem particularly important during the purchase. How strongly does the stern pull in reverse? How much room do you really have around your home berth? Which battery […]
Planning a Birthday Boat Charter
A birthday on the water has a very different feel from a celebration on land. Instead of booking a table or hiring a function room, you have changing scenery, fresh air and the freedom to enjoy time together somewhere a little less ordinary. When everything comes together, it creates the sort of occasion people remember […]
How to Improve Close Quarters Boat Handling
A boat that feels calm and predictable in open water can suddenly feel awkward in a marina fairway. Learning how to improve close-quarters boat handling is rarely about brute force or fast reactions. It comes from slowing everything down, understanding what the boat wants to do, and practising simple techniques until they feel routine. For […]
Navigation Decisions That Catch New Skippers Out
A skipper leaves the berth with a full tank, a working chartplotter and a fair forecast, then still ends up uncertain about position, tide and the next safe decision. That is how many navigation decisions that catch new skippers out begin – not with recklessness, but with small assumptions that stack up quickly once the […]
How to Build Confidence at the Helm
Most skippers do not lose confidence when the boat is running comfortably in open water. It usually happens when the berth is tighter than expected, a crosswind starts pushing the bow away, or several decisions need making at once. Building confidence at the helm is not about becoming fearless. It is about understanding what the […]