Imagine you’re peacefully anchored in a tight cove on the lee of some remote uninhabited island with zero mobile phone reception. But you unexpectedly need to speak with family or…
Technology
Aceleron Essential: recyclable lithium batteries you can repair
We are increasingly turning to lithium-ion phosphate batteries to power our boats’ systems. Yet despite their many advantages they can also be associated with a number of potential problems that…
Hydrogen power: Is the future of onboard power here?
We all know that hydrogen is the power of the future. After all, scientists have been discussing it for decades. Between zero emissions, zero noise and no vibration, it is…
How hydrogen fuel cells could provide a truly clean energy source for yachts
Nearly a decade ago there was plenty of talk about hydrogen fuel cells becoming the carbon-free future for the automotive industry, yet we rarely hear about it now. So what…
How Formula 1 tech is helping the America’s Cup contenders fly around the course
But in reality it’s difficult to make such a collaboration work because the differences tend to outweigh the points of crossover. However, the word from inside Ben Ainslie’s team is…
Induction cookers on yachts: Why it’s finally feasible to ditch the gas
For most of us, cooking with gas has been so much the norm both ashore and afloat that it’s easy to forget the march of yachting technology has the potential…
Taking control: How modern autopilot systems can be your best helmsman
It’s hardly surprising. At speeds that are regularly in the high 20s with sustained bursts in excess of 30 knots, there is much to gain from getting it right and…
Is in-boom furling the next big thing in sail handling technology?
Even though this remains an expensive option, in-boom furling is one that a growing number of boat owners are adopting. Key advantages include one person being able to handle the…
The best 4G and WiFi boosters that mean you can work from your yacht
After the COVID-19 pandemic has made remote working so widely accepted, could working from your yacht be part of the future? It’s no longer an expensive option: in the past…
How new-age sailing autopilot systems are putting computers at the helm
A couple of decades ago I’d have recommended anyone planning an ocean crossing without a big crew to fit wind vane self-steering. Yet in the past five years I’ve sailed…
Navigation briefing: Mike Broughton explains why you still need radar
In a recent feature in Yachting World, my friend and highly respected yachting journalist Ed Gorman wrote a revealing article about sailing single-handed. There were many good lessons in his…
The future of yachting: Smart technology for your next yacht
It’s becoming abundantly clear that to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets set out in the 2016 Paris Agreement, we’ll need to adopt some radical changes in all lifestyles. Thankfully sailing…
4 eco-friendly improvements to upgrade your yacht
1. Ditch the teak Teak is no longer universally popular. The price has gone up dramatically, supply is dwindling, and the ethics of the supply chain are difficult to trace.…
Sonar and sounders: 4 new models that are good for more than just fishing
Sonar and forward-looking depth sounders are often seen as the preserve of those whose primary interest is fishing. However, a huge amount of effort has been invested in these products…
iPad sailing: Pip Hare’s top tips on using your tablet to navigate
These days it’s rare for me not to use a tablet as part of my navigation equipment. The fact I can take my tablet with me anywhere in the world…
ResQlink View PLB review: Visual display provides welcome reassurance
As far as we know this is the first Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) to incorporate an LCD screen to improve the interface, which fundamentally changes the user experience. In particular…
Sailor’s essential guide to AIS: Everything you need to know
If I were to pick one development that has revolutionised my own sailing over the past 10 years it would undoubtedly be AIS. Not only has it brought an enhanced…
Forward-facing sonar: Everything you need to know
Yachting is usually pretty fast to embrace useful new technology, particularly if it helps win a race or if it helps with safety. Just look at how rapidly AIS (Automatic…
How to fly a drone like a pro and land it safely back onboard your yacht
With the advent of small, affordable and user-friendly drones, many cruising sailors have adopted them as a way of achieving really impressive and professional-looking photographs and video. I speak from…
Podcast: How America’s Cup foiling is changing sailing
Since the introduction of multihulls to the America’s Cup and, since 2013, fully foiling flight, the America’s Cup has either enthralled or enraged. To those whom it enrages, the speed…