Sailers

Practical Sailing, Scuba Diving and Coastal Travel Guides

Sailers helps people make better decisions on and around the water. We publish beginner-friendly sailing guides, UK coastal safety advice, boat-handling explainers, scuba diving features and marine travel ideas, with a focus on clear, practical information you can actually use.

Written by sailing and diving enthusiasts, with safety-focused guides checked against official sources where appropriate.

Latest Articles from Sailers

New to Sailing?

Learn the parts of a sailboat, the basic principles of sailing, and how wind moves a boat.

Planning a Coastal Trip?

Start with our UK coastal sailing safety guide before checking weather, tides, navigation and crew preparation

Interested in Diving?

Explore family scuba, marine life, shark conservation and dive travel ideas

Meet the Sailers Team

Sailers is written by people with real interest and experience in sailing, scuba diving and marine travel. Our guides are designed to be practical, readable and safety-aware, especially for beginners building confidence on the water.

David Harken
Licensed yacht captain and lifelong sailor, David has logged passages across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and South Pacific. He writes about seamanship, passage planning, and kit that actually earns a place on board, and champions ocean conservation every chance he gets.
Sally Minard
A certified Dive Master with 10+ years underwater, Sally has guided dives from warm coral gardens to chilly drop-offs. She covers dive travel, training, and photography, and is passionate about protecting the marine life that makes every descent worth it.

How We Create Sailers Guides

Our goal is to make water-based activities easier to understand without making them sound simpler than they are. For safety-related sailing and diving content, we prioritise clear explanations, current guidance, practical checklists and links to official or specialist sources where appropriate.

  • Beginner-friendly explanations
  • Practical checklists and diagrams
  • Clear author bylines
  • Corrections welcomed
  • Safety topics linked to official sources where relevant
  • No substitute for qualified instruction, skipper judgement or emergency services

Recent Articles

What are the Parts of a Sailboat and their Functions?

A sailboat is made up of five main systems: the hull, the keel or centreboard, the rig, the sails, and the steering system. The hull keeps the boat afloat, the keel or centreboard helps stop sideways drift, the mast and rigging...

15 Types of Sailing Boats

This guide explains 15 common types of sailing boats in plain English, how they differ, and which are best for beginners, racing, cruising, day sailing and coastal sailing. The important point is that these categories are not competing choices in the same...

How to Communicate and Work as a Crew While Sailing

Good crew communication starts before the boat leaves the berth. The skipper should brief the route, weather, safety kit, emergency procedures and each person’s role. Underway, the crew should use short, clear instructions, repeat important calls back, and agree the words...

Navigation

Essential Sailing Guides

The UK Coastal Sailing Safety Guide

Safe UK coastal sailing starts before the boat leaves the berth. The essential question is not simply, “Can we go?” It is: “Can this boat, with this crew, on this route, in this forecast, still get to shelter if conditions change?” UK...

Scuba Diving and Snorkling

Family Scuba Diving: How to Get Kids Started Safely

Children can get started with scuba diving through age-appropriate pool sessions, try-dives and junior courses, but age alone is not enough. A child also...

Shark Conservation Dive Travel: How to Choose an Ethical Trip

Shark conservation dive travel can support education, research, local conservation and better public understanding of sharks, but only when the trip is run responsibly....

Marine Animals Found in Australia

Australia is an island nation that offers an impressive range of unique marine life. From jellyfish to seahorses, the waters around Australia are home...

Environment

Shark Conservation Dive Travel: How to Choose an Ethical Trip

Shark conservation dive travel can support education, research, local conservation and better public understanding of sharks, but only when the trip is run responsibly. Choose operators with clear wildlife rules, qualified dive professionals, transparent conservation partners, small-group control, local permits, emergency...

Marine Animals Found in Australia

Australia is an island nation that offers an impressive range of unique marine life. From jellyfish to seahorses, the waters around Australia are home to a variety of incredible creatures that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. If you’re...

Training

Family Scuba Diving: How to Get Kids Started Safely

Children can get started with scuba diving through age-appropriate pool sessions, try-dives and junior courses, but age alone is not enough. A child also needs swimming ability, comfort in...

Deep Blue Sea

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Fresh Stories

Shark Conservation Dive Travel: How to Choose an Ethical Trip

Shark conservation dive travel can support education, research, local conservation and better public understanding of sharks, but only when the trip is run responsibly. Choose operators with clear wildlife rules, qualified...

Family Scuba Diving: How to Get Kids Started Safely

Children can get started with scuba diving through age-appropriate pool sessions, try-dives and junior courses, but age alone is not enough. A child also needs swimming ability, comfort in the water,...

Discover Spain’s Best Golf and Sailing Destinations: The Ultimate Leisure Holiday

Spain offers a perfect blend of activities for travellers who seek both relaxation and adventure, with its rich combination of world-class golf courses and stunning sailing locations. Whether you are keen...

How to sail in heavy rain and rough weather

We've all been there. It's starts off sunny, then suddenly the dark clouds roll in and the swell starts to get choppier and the weather forecast has stitched us up yet...

7 Best Sailing and Golf Holiday Destinations

For those who love to combine sailing and golfing, numerous destinations around the world offer the perfect blend of these two enthralling hobbies. From the sunny shores of Florida to the...

Sailing In St Barts | Caribbean

There is something alluring about the idea of sailing across the Caribbean. The beauty and tranquillity that comes with being out on the open water, surrounded by nothing but sky and...