The autumn storm surge in October last year demonstrated this impressively: The fate of yachts in harbours often hangs on mooring lines, a simple and comparatively inexpensive product. And yet many owners save money at the wrong end when it comes to their direct shore connection.
Security for a few euros more
You can find used halyards and sheets as mooring lines in every marina. Even with an eye knotted in with a bowline. You can do this, but you shouldn't - as our mooring line test shows. Our Test & Technology editors Hauke Schmidt and Jan-Ole Puls spent three long days in the Liros test laboratory, analysing the properties of 17 ready-made mooring lines with a spliced-in eye and bowline.
The findings from this test setup are as instructive as they are unsettling. Anyone who has previously relied on lines with bowlines instead of splices will make the effort to learn how to splice after reading this - or at least sleep more restlessly during storms. You will also be sure to keep a more critical eye on the condition of your mooring lines from now on, because even minimally abraded ropes lose around 50 per cent of their breaking load! Even our cordage experts were surprised by this figure.
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What drives us: a day with the sailmaker
It is the hardware that moves us the most in two senses: sails. Reason enough to spend a day looking over the shoulder of a sailmaker. We visited the loft of the Stade sail workshop in the Hanseatic city of Lower Saxony.
If there is no wind, we need our engine, which in most boats runs on diesel. The range of fuels on offer is constantly increasing, which is why we explain what each diesel variant can do and what the drive unit runs best on.
Surprise coup from France
Beneteau, the world's largest sports boatyard, surprised the sailing industry with a small sensation to mark its 140th anniversary: the new edition of the best-selling First 30. The promising 10.33 metre boat was designed by Sam Manuard.
Enjoy this issue!
Martin Hager, YACHT Editor-in-Chief
All topics of the new YACHT at a glance:
PANORAMA
Horizon
Classic regatta in the bay of Palma de Mallorca
Current
Whales in the Baltic Sea;
GfK classic;
Harbour siltation;
Danger from tornadoes
Precinct
Which harbours in Germany and Denmark coped with the consequences of the October 2023 storm surge - and which did not
New boats
Dragonfly 36 cruising trimaran;
Retro daysailer
Sport
German Sailing League;
Sail GP;
Défi Azimut: Boris Herrmann's dress rehearsal for the Vendée Globe
Greece
The islands in the Aegean are attracting more and more charter crews.
Why is that? We were cruising in the Cyclades
America's Cup
Before Barcelona, the teams fought thrilling preliminary round duels.
An analysis and a prediction for the final
Scene meeting
Catboats stand out, if only because of their mast standing far forward at the bow.
Impressions of a curious class
Blue water
50 years ago, Rolf Bjelke and his wife opened up the polar regions for long-distance sailing. Now he has died
Manoeuvre swallowing
Gin, rum, whiskey or would you prefer a cocktail? What enriches every on-board bar
Adventure
A Heidelberg student has set course for the Mediterranean on an Etap 21i.
Interview about an unusual journey
Marine protection
How sailors can help save the oceans - extracts from a new book
A day at the ... sailmaker
How the main, genoa, gennaker and co. are made. A visit to a loft
TEST & TECHNOLOGY
First 30
Low weight, plenty of sailing power and hull lines designed to enable early planing: Beneteau has developed a new model for the fast cruising boat segment
Sailart 20
Small cabin cruisers are ideal for short trips on sheltered waters.
The six-metre model from Sailart was also designed for this purpose in 2002.
Is it still up to date today? The used boat test
SKIPPERS MAGAZINE
Mooring lines
17 ready-made lines compared:
Which has the best breaking loads and elongation values?
which one passes the abrasion and tear test?
Equipment
Ratschblock from Allen;
Twin-hull dinghy from EZraft;
Outboard motor bracket for the swim ladder;
compact GoPro
DIY
Tips on how to optimise railing wires and supports
YACHT-MARKT
Germany's most up-to-date water sports market
On nine pages the complete offer for sailors: used boats, purchase requests,
broker and insurance offers, school and charter advertisements, specialised market
The special boat
A pointed lattice hull and lateen sail were the hallmarks of the fast Gozzo.
There is still one on a small Mediterranean island. Portrait
Wake
Why a southern German skipper prefers to compete in women's regattas with women
