Index

An index of tips, articles and some  posts on this site, some of which were written with the novices on the Achilles Owners site or the Achilles Flickr site in mind. 

The Cruise Index is on a dedicated page.

Sailing round GB:

• General tips, planning and more detailed index including:
• Charts & Guides for a Round GB trip.
• US MSI Sailing Directions, list of lights etc (includes UK) free to view or download (External link),
• Passage making:
• South Coast.
• West coast.
• Navigating the Pentland Firth.
• East coast.
• Anchorages, marinas and harbours:
• Notes on marinas and moorings opens in new window for reference.
• The Solent.
• The Needles to Rame Hd (Plymouth).
• Rame Head to Lands End.
• The Isles of Scilly. 
• Lands End to The Mull of Galloway excluding Ireland.
• The East Coast of Ireland from Carnsore Pt to Carlingford.
• N. Ireland
• Ireland clockwise from Carnsore Point.
• Mull of Galloway to South of Crinan.
• Crinan to Ardnamurchan Point.
• Ardnamurchan Point to Skye Bridge.
• Skye Bridge to Rubha Reidh (west of Loch Ewe).
• The Western Isles.
• Rubha Reidh to Duncansby Head.
• Orkney and Shetland.
• Duncansby Head to the Solent. 

Threads as PDF's - new December 2025:

In anticipation of the web site disappearing (probably in the fairly distant future) I have converted the cruise threads into PDF documents so I'll have a continuing record. These are somewhat easier to read, I have not made any significant edits but there are far fewer pictures and only a few videos - that is more significant from 2023/4 as I started taking more. Links from downloaded copies should still work if on line. I may later put further links to Flickr for more videos but probably not for the slide shows because of the effort required and the likely hood of the Flickr library disappearing with the web site or before; with thousands of images it has to be paid for.

• 2018 Gosport - Alderney (September) to come.
• 2019 Gosport - Alderney (March)
• 2019 Gosport - St Mawes (April)
• 2019 Gosport - Alderney (May)
• 2019 Gosport - Plymouth and The Jester Baltimore Challenge.
• 2019 Hamble - Fowey (September).
• 2020 Hamble - Round GB
• 2020 Hamble - St Mawes (July).
• 2020 Hamble - The Isles of Scilly (August / September).
• 2021 Hamble - Round GB.
• 2021 Hamble -  A shorter than planned summer cruise.
• 2021 Hamble - Late summer cruise to the Isles of Scilly.
• 2022 Hamble - S. Uist
• 2022 Hamble - Celtic Sea Circuit.
• 2023 Hamble - St Kilda.
• 2023 Hamble - The Isles of Scilly and an emergency dash home.
• 2024 Hamble - Orkney and another dash home this time via Milford Haven.
• 2024 Milford - Late summer cruise.
• 2025 Milford - Shetland and a third early return.
• 2025 Milford - Padstow.

Safety

• Pyrotechnics or Electronics for Emergency / Distress Signalling?
• Sailing in fog.
• First Aid Kits, the Grab Bag and Life Jackets.
• Low level riding (anchor) lights.
• Gas system.
• Washboards.
• Pre-Cruise check list
• Radar Reflector guidance from the RYA (External link)
• Royal Institute of Navigation - Guidance on the use of Electronic Navigation Systems. (External link).
• RYA Safetrx: register your boat details and optionally trips for the CG, also check lists (External link)
• World Sailing safety requirements (External link)

Articles:

• St Kilda.
• The Crinan Canal & the Clyde Puffer

Deck Gear and Rigging

• Installing an anchor windlass on an Achilles 9 metre.
• Anchors, Drogues and Emergency steering.
• Mainsail Reefing.
• Rigging lazy jacks.
• Main Boom Preventers.
• Storm & heavy weather Jibs, including rigging.
• Self Steering Systems.
• Rigging Spinnaker Sheets.
• Halyards and Halyard Diverters.
• Splicing & the rope - chain -rope bridle.

Below Deck & Maintenance

Dried out for a scrub.

• Installing a holding tank (Thread).
• Replacing the fuel & water tanks (Thread).
• Some thoughts on (diesel) fuel management.
• Diesel Bug.
• Converting the forepeak to a wet storage area (post). 
• The engine water pump (2 posts).
• Rain and Spray protection (post).
• Propeller removal (post).
• Changing the starter motor on a Yanmar 2GM20 (Post).
• Exhaust elbows on Yanmar engines (post).
• Painting Sancerre (Thread).
• A failed Seacock (Thread).
• Drying out for a scrub (Post).
• Refurbishing / cleaning vintage ships clocks (post).
• Laying up - running rigging.
• Refurbishing a Seagull outboard (Thread).

Communications, Electrics & Electronics:

• Iridium Communications with Sancerre (when active).
• Rebuilding the navigators area, electrics & electronics (2 posts)
• Shore Power and Galvanic Isolators / Zinc savers.
• Boat electrics (wip).
• See also under Boat documentation below.

At Sea and Seamanship

• Stores and tools for extended cruising.
• Notes on Marinas and Moorings.
• How to secure to a visitor Buoy (Post).
• Anchoring in storm conditions.
• Sleeping & avoiding exhaustion.
• Eating at Sea. and  "My most frequent scratch made meals".

Miscellaneous

• An overview of Yacht Stability Metrics.
• A9m Buyers Guide.
• Picture Gallery.
• Boat pics 2022 (Link to Flikr). Opens in a new window
• Boat pics 2023 (Link to Flikr). Opens in a new window

Boat Documentation

• The electrical system
• Wi-Fi networking and application integration on Sancerre.
• Sails and running rigging.
• Engine and stern gear notes.
• Safety Equipment incl ground tackle etc.

Links

• My Flickr Site.
• Achilles Web  Site.
• Achilles Flickr Site.
• Achilles Facebook page.
• RAFYC.
• RNLI.
• Jester Challenge
• Weather.
• Harbours and Marinas.