With talk of the recession creating a 'Perfect Storm' in America, and clouds of depression darkening Europe's horizons, we decided to look at 'cruising through the credit crunch' in this month's issue. As fuel prices continue to rise, at least we sailors can sit back in the cockpit and revel in the self-satisfaction of free travel on the wind. Will the hard times ahead, in 2008 and beyond, herald a return to some of those lost, or forgotten, seamanship skills?
At least three of the YM team once honed their boat-handling skills as owners of engineless craft. Who needs bow thrusters, let alone a main engine burning up pound notes? As Libby Purves points out in Back to basics (p21), anchoring is so much cheaper than spending a night in a marina, which can be more expensive than staying in a Travelodge.
While you have your sea legs, does your yacht have her land legs? If you don't like crowded anchorages, and your boat doesn't have bilge keels, one way to escape the crowds is drying out in the shallows with a set of yacht legs - like the boats pictured in the Isles of Scilly. It's also a cost-saver when it comes to scrubbing off the barnacles mid-season.
With Solent boatyard bills soaring, YM's production editor Kieran Flatt explains in Sea change (p58) why, over the years, he's downsized from posh marina to swinging mooring. This year, he reckons he'll save another £1,000 by moving his yacht 170 miles west from Portsmouth to the rural idyll of Weir Quay, on the River Tamar.
Here, his boat will serve as a country cottage for weekend getaways. As an extra bonus, Kieran is looking forward to exploring a whole new cruising ground on his doorstep. Every sailing trip will feel like a 'proper holiday' he says.
Of course, there are drawbacks, as well as plus points. It's a long drive to Plymouth and he can't just pop down to check the boat before a gale warning. But making savings demands sacrifices. Sailing, after all, is a luxury. But we mustn't get trapped into feeling guilty at enjoying the Great Escape - casting off to leave behind our land-bound woes.
For a true taste of escapsim, turn to 'Tahiti and bust', our cover story, The Great Gear Test (p28). James Jermain reports from the halfway point in the Blue Water Round the World Rally. One of the boats cost just £20,000 - a budget ticket to paradise, surely?
