Wild cruising

Dag Pike has spent over 65 years at sea on ships, yachts and motor boats, including a number of transatlantic record attempts

These days there are many ways to go cruising. The actual sea passage part of a cruise will remain much the same whatever you do, but it’s where you plan to spend the night that can make a significant difference.

Marina hopping, sailing from one marina to the next and tying up for the night, makes for a safe and secure night alongside the pontoons from where you can walk ashore to the pub, restaurant or yacht club.

There are still harbours that do not have a marina and where visiting yachts need to pick up a mooring and use their tender or the water taxi to go ashore for the evening. This is a halfway-house type of cruising where it is still sensible to stay sober for the inevitable journey back on board by tender.

Then there is wild cruising, where you ignore the luxuries and facilities that most harbours offer to yachtsmen and go back to the basics of cruising that was the norm perhaps 60 years ago. This is where you find an anchorage for the