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MINI FISH FINDER

BREAM TEAM

Slick sonar from Garmin

Posh nosh for fishing folk

BUYER’S GUIDE

What to look for in a lifejacket

HUNDREDS OF NEW AND USED BOATS FOR SALE

SEPTEMBER 201 1

ONLY £3.50

www.boatmart.co .uk

Practical boating at its best

SEA CHAMPION FIRST UK TEST

THE BOLD NEW £22K FAMILY FISHER

6

TOP TWEAKS Boat improvements that make sense

Used bargain A six-berth cruiser for just £10,000

PUBLISHING EXCELLENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE

PRACTICAL GRP Care

Top tips for perfect gelcoat

Super Sealant The best product for the job

DIY Lighting

NEW BOAT SPOTLIGHT

DIY

PROJECT

Remote control for the hi-tech skipper

5 FRESH BOAT BUYING OPTIONS

GREAT NEW GADGETS

MINI FISH FINDER

BREAM TEAM

Slick sonar from Garmin

Posh nosh for fishing folk

Inside this issue...

BUYER’S GUIDE

What to look for in a lifejacket

HUNDREDS OF NEW AND USED BOATS FOR SALE

Whether you’re excited about the approach of the Southampton Boat Show or perplexed by the nearing of the season’s end, this month’s magazine is a genuine treat.

SEPTEMBER 201 1

ONLY £3.50

www.boatmart.co .uk

Practical boating at its best

SEA CHAMPION FIRST UK TEST

THE BOLD NEW £22K FAMILY FISHER

6

TOP TWEAKS Boat improvements that make sense

Used bargain A six-berth cruiser for just £10,000

PUBLISHING EXCELLENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE

PRACTICAL GRP Care

Top tips for perfect gelcoat

Super Sealant The best product for the job

DIY Lighting

NEW BOAT SPOTLIGHT

DIY PRO

GREAT NEW GADGETS

JECT

Remote control for the hi-tech skipper

Not only do we have an exclusive test on the new 18-foot Sea Champion Fisher from MRL (p54), but we also have an article on the venerable Viking 24 (p30) - a quality six-berth cruiser for year-round entertainment and a great used buy at just £10,000.

5 FRESH BOAT BUYING OPTIONS

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17/08/2011 15:31

Cover Image: Sea Champion 18 Fisher (by Alex Smith)

EDITORIAL Editor: Alex Smith Email: boatmarteditor@gmail.com Art Editor: Mark Hyde Contributors: Paul Antrobus, Peter Caplen, Simon Everett, David Greenwood, Susan Greenwood, Paul Guinness, Irving Stewart, Ted Tuckerman, David Webber

ADVERTISING Tel: 01489 585225 Sales Executive: Abigail Champkin Private Advertising Queries: 01489 585225

PRODUCTION Production Manager: Guy Foan Ad Design: Mark Hyde Tel: 01489 585225 Email: copy@boatmart.co.uk

SUBSCRIPTIONS

If your budget won’t stretch to that, fear not. You still have plenty of options, as we prove with a selection of the month’s best boating packages at £1K, £2K and £5K (p36), plus five more boat buying options, ranging from the modest Tetra inflatable to the immense (if slightly peculiar) Limo tender on page 40.

For most of us, however, good value boating tends to revolve around a diligent DIY schedule and this month’s magazine offers plenty to get your teeth into. We have six top gadgets (p48) and five homemade fittings (p82) - all designed

to improve your boat without costing a fortune. And we also take a look at the best sealants on the market, so you can remedy any issues before the winter weather sets in (p19).

As for me, well as I sit here on my liveaboard boat, attending to my own DIY with great (if rather ham-fisted) enthusiasm, I can vouch for the fact that there is nothing more pleasurable than boating for pennies - and nothing more comedic and instructive than getting things just a little bit wrong. Check out my latest installment on page 68 and consider yourself forewarned . . . www.boatmart.co.uk Practical Boating at its Best

Alex Smith Editor

Boat Mart Production Crew

Subscription Hotline: 01442 879097 Fax: 01442 872279 Email: boatmart@webscribe.co.uk Managing Director: Rich Olsen Web: www.boatmart.co.uk

PUBLISHED BY: CSL Publishing Ltd, Swanwick Marina, Lower Swanwick, Southampton, SO31 1ZL Tel: 01489 585225 Fax: 01489 565054 © 2011 CSL Publishing Ltd CSL Publishing also publishes All At Sea, Sports Boat and RIB, Jet Skier & PW and Boat & Yacht Buyer magazines.

Mark Hyde

Abigail Champkin

Rich Olsen

Irving Stewart

Art Editor Mark is the man behind the layout and design of the mag, the website and the monthly newsletter

Advertising Manager As the new Ad Manager, Abigail aims to offer the perfect cross-section of marine products

Managing Director The MD is a man with a proven track record in the publication of successful, reader-focused magazines

Technical Consultant As an expert on marine engines and obscure boats, he is all set to answer your questions

Peter Caplen

Simon Everett

David Webber

David Greenwood

Practical Writer Peter is a font of knowledge on all forms of boat improvement and DIY maintenance

Features Writer An expert on classic boats, Simon continually tours the UK in search of the big stories that affect you

Features Writer David is a big fan of inland cruising, with a column on how to buy, use and maintain a GRP cruiser

Features Writer David is the man for trailer advice, buying used, angling kit and engaging maritime anecdotes

Printed by Garnett Dickinson Distributed by Comag Specialist Tavistock Road, West Drayton UB7 7QE DISCLAIMER The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Every care is taken to ensure that the contents of the magazine are accurate but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors. While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements, the publishers cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions.

They will however investigate any written complaints. CSL prints advertisements provided to the publisher but gives no warrantee and makes no representation as to truth, accuracy or sufficiency of any description, photograph or statement. CSL accepts no liability for any loss which may be suffered by any person who relied either wholly or in part upon any description, photograph or statement contained herein. The advertiser warrants that the advertisement does not contravene any Act of Parliament nor is it in any way illegal or defamatory or an infringement of any other party’s rights or of the British Code of Advertising Practice. For artistic purposes, lifejackets are not shown in all images. Boat Mart advises that lifejackets are worn on the water at all times.

Copyright No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without the prior written permission of the publisher. Photocopying or other reproduction without the publisher’s permission is a breach of copyright and action will be taken where this occurs.

MINI FISH

FINDER TIPS AND PRO ICE,sonar PAGES OF ADVSlick from Garmin

BUYER’SBEST BOATING GADGETS GUIDE

BREAM

JECTSTEAM

YOUR

What to look for in a lifejacket

Posh nosh for fishing folk

R 70 NEW ON GUIDE RESTOR ATI NEW OVE BOAT TO GET TRE ASURE HUNDREDS OF NEW AND USED BOATS FOR SALE G FOR LEINSS LOOK BUD BOATING HUNDREDS OF NEW AND USED BOATS E FOR E SALE SU INSID IS S FOR SALE - SEE BOAT OF REDS HUND £1K, Best buys for £10K £2K, £5K and

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND GET 3 ISSUESSEE 20 FOR JUST £1 PAGE

ONLY £3.50 Practical boating atM itAsYb2e0s1t1

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BOAT SHOW BARGAINS Highlights of the 50th festival Birmingham boat

100

INLAND ADVENTURES Ten great reasons

5 BOLD NEW BOATS

1930s On board a classic sailing canoe French Neptune

to buy a GRP cruiser

RT DIY EXPEWOR K

PIPE YOUR D WITH TIDY THIS WEEKEN PUT IT RIGHT -STEP PROJECT OUR STEP-BY

RVICE YOUR

DIY PROJECT

UNVEILED

£10K INLAND CRUISE R

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ONLY £3 www.boatmart.co .50 .uk Practica l boating at it s best

SUMMER 2011

SEA FIRST UK TEST CHAMPION 4 SEASON CRUISER TOP TWEAKS www.boatmart.co.uk

EASY WEATHER

www.boat mart.co .uk

OUTWARD BOUND WITH YAMARIN

MASTERCLASS FROM

THE THE BOLD NEW £22K FAMILY FISHER

6

Boat improvements that make sense

OPEN UP THE OPTION YAMARIN’S ALL-WEA S WITH THER CABIN RANGE

Used bargain A six-berth cruiser for just £10,000

DIY

PUBLISHING EXCELLENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE

PROJEC

PRACTICAL GRP Care tips for

Fit your own steering system

PLUS Create your own

T

www.brig.co.uk >> See us at the 2011 Southampton Boat Show - Stand C001 <<

BRIG Eagle 645

Eagle 780

Eagle 380

Falcon 500

SB1109 Wolf Rock

Falcon 570

>> See us at the 2011 Southampton Boat Show - Stand C001 <<

The Wolf Rock Boat Company

Unit 6J, The South Hams Business Park, Nr Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 3QH. All boats under cover.

www.buyarib.com

Call 01548 855751 / 07974 087459 / 07974 248949

Please call for a personal service before visiting The Wolf Rock Boat Company

Email paul@buyarib.com or leon@buyarib.com

Contents

54

August 2011

EXCLUSIVE UK tESt

the Sea Champion 18 Fisher from MRL

Subscribe MINI FISH FINDER

BREAM TEAM

Slick sonar from Garmin

Posh nosh for fishing folk

BUYER’S GUIDE

What to look for in a lifejacket

HUNDREDS OF NEW AND USED BOATS FOR SALE

SEPTEMBER 201 1

ONLY £3.50 Practical boating at its best

www.boatmart.co .uk

SEA FIRST UK TEST CHAMPION

THE BOLD NEW £22K FAMILY FISHER

6

TOP TWEAKS Boat improvements that make sense

Used bargain A six-berth cruiser for just £10,000

PUBLISHING EXCELLENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE

PRACTICAL GRP Care

Top tips for perfect gelcoat

Super Sealant The best product for the job

DIY Lighting

NEW BOAT SPOTLIGHT

DIY

GREAT NEW GADGETS

PROJECT

Remote control for the hi-tech skipper

5 FRESH BOAT BUYING OPTIONS

BM SEPT COVER1_MH.indd 1

17/08/2011 15:31

get 3 issue for just £1 see page 100 for more

Boats For Sale 111 Narrow Boats 113 Cruisers 116 Fishing

Newsline

Buying Advice

12 UK News

31 Used Viking 24

All the latest news from the UK boat scene

The six-berth cruiser for just £10,000

16 Boating Accessories Top boating gear for you and your crew

119 RIBs 121 Sports /Speed

36 Deals of the month

126 Sailing Dinghies

Best boat packages from £1,000 to £10,000

126 Trailer Sailers

40 New boat spotlight

127 Sailing Yachts

Five of the month’s most interesting new boats

131 Engines

48 Five boat tweaks Affordable upgrades for your boat

132 Chandlery Looking to Sell?

19 Skipper’s tips

If You’re Looking To Sell Your Boat, Then Boat Mart (In Conjunction With Boatandyachtbuyer.Co.Uk) Can Help

What to look for in a marine sealant

50 Used tow car test Is the all-American Jeep a cut-price classic?

24 Strange but true The UK’s most

EXCLUSIVE 54 Sea Champion

peculiar boating stories

First UK test of the all-new 18-footer

40

36 On the water

Practical Expert

60 Events Diary

74 GRP care

The best boat events in September and October

Best methods for maintaining that shine

62 Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Letters

76 Practical Kit

From canopy cleaners to trailer tyres

From belting books to silicone strapping

66 Jumble Watch

78 Practical Project

Highlights of the jumble season so far

Retro-fit your own remote-control lighting

68 The Good Life

82 Accessories from scrap

A fresh DIY schedule for our liveaboard editor

DIY boat gadgets from hardwood off-cuts

70 Show Focus

85 Mini Project

Big news from Southampton, Wales and Birmingham

Build a copper brace for your on board pipes

88 RYA Expert The RYAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to greener boating

92 Bream team Posh nosh for the canny angler

96 Trailer Advice Expert tips for the ideal used trailer

DIY

PRO

JEC

T

Newsline

Trio of titles for 11-year old Powerboat racing youngster Ben Jelf from Maidstone in Kent (who only recently appeared in these pages) has been crowned 2011 RYA British JT250 Sprint Champion, his third major title. Continuing his winning form from his recent World and European Championship titles, Ben took another clean sweep of wins in his heats to take his third championship title for the 2011 season and his third British title in just three seasons of racing. “Once again we’re very proud of Ben!” commented Dad, three times World F2 Champion, Colin Jelf. “Britain’s Youngest ever World Champion, European Champion and now a British title in his third season of racing, his mum and I couldn’t be prouder of him!”

Kit News - P16

From books to bags and electronics to accessories . . .

The good news for London is set to continue with a revamp of St Katharine’s Dock

New lease of life for St Katharine’s Dock St Katharine’s Dock has been acquired for £156 million by new owners who have pledged to breathe new life into the central London marina.

Located on the Thames, in an iconic spot next to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, the ten-acre St Katharine’s Dock currently comprises 160 berths set in three marinas. It also includes 500,000 square feet of office, restaurant and retail space. The estate has been acquired

by Max Property Group Plc, and will be managed by Max’s external managers, Prestbury Investments.

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● www.boatmart.co.uk ● Boat Mart

Prestbury’s Nick Leslau said: “St Katharine’s Dock is in a beautiful location and is one of London’s real jewels. The marinas within it are the lifeblood of the Dock and their improvement is fundamental to what we want to do with the whole estate. We have set aside significant investment to develop the marina so that it reflects the prestige of its location and becomes even more appealing to showcase events and visiting vessels. Our aim is to turn the Dock into a stunning waterside environment for yacht owners, workers and residents alike.”

What To Look For Marine Sealants David Webber by

Today’s sealants are very advanced and can be used for all sorts of applications both in the marine and building industries. Most commonly used for boats is the silicone variety, offering good flexibility, adhesion and waterproof qualities. The lower priced silicones can be used for topsides where required, as they can easily be replaced, but for below waterline applications, use a product that is applied correctly and made for the job to avoid costly midseason haul-outs.

NEWSLINE

BOAT ACCESSORIES

Budget v Expensive Have you ever spent all day hanging a fishing rod from the boat only to come back empty-handed? Yes, so have we - and the sea can often feel like a lot of water to choose from when trying to catch fish. So how about a fish finder? Garmin designs its Echo series (three greyscale and three colour options) around the needs of the cost-conscious angler and those who operate small vessels.

Budget Option 3M 4200 Single-part polyurethane product with moisture reaction cure. Flexible adhesion to fibreglass, timber, plastics and metals. Once cured this product and can be over-painted and sanded. Good watertight weather resistant seal both above and below the waterline.

Price: £9.99

Sikaflex 292 This high-strength, high-modulus adhesive can be used on a variety of materials and is ideal for interior construction jobs and deck-hull structure. It is also a good sealant, with superior water-resisting qualities.

Price: £25.79

Dow Corning Marine Silicone. Black-White-Clear With flexible gap-filling properties, it will adhere to fibreglass, metal, glass and painted timber and it is unaffected by immersion in salt or fresh water, with a long life after application.

Price: £8.99

3M 5200 Marine Adhesive-Sealant Excellent performance both as a sealant and adhesive, above and below the waterline. Touch-dry in an hour and fully cured in 24 hours, this single component product offers a good joint with no shrinkage and a long life.

Price: £19.99

Sika 291i For bonding and sealing above and below the waterline, this is cured by moisture and is a good all-rounder. Top dog and Boat Mart recommended.

Price: £9.79 There are many other products that are suitable for marine use, but always refer to the manufacturers specifications before application.

Garmin echo 100 Price: £99.99 The echo 100 offers stateof-the-art target-tracking technology, enabling you to see images with enhanced separation and definition on a fast-refreshing, fourinch greyscale display. The single-beam (200kHz) transmitter with 100 watts (RMS) of sonar power can scan to a depth of 600 feet with a 60-degree beam. Its quick-release tilt mount and versatile transom-mount transducer are included in the box to make installation straightforward.

Expensive Option

EGarmin echo 550c Price: £419.99 The echo 550c offers video-quality images with an amazing level of detail, including fish returns, structure and bottom contours on a five-inch colour display. It is also possible to rewind your sonar history to ensure you haven’t missed a thing. The dualbeam transducer offers a viewing angle of up to 120 degrees and the 500 watts (RMS) of sonar power can scan to a depth of 1,900 feet.

Installation takes only a few minutes using the quick-release tilt mount and versatile transommount transducer, included in the box.

02380 524000 www.garmin.com/uk Boat Mart ● www.boatmart.co.uk ●

19

Strange but true Irving Stewart revisits the world of wind and considers our bizarre preoccupation with blurring the boundaries . . .

Given today’s preoccupation with speed, we tend to forget the raw power of the wind, which of course has been the traditional means of powering ships for centuries. But perhaps it’s worth a second look.

Perfect power The first ever fivemaster windjammer was completed in 1902. With six sails per mast, the 5,081-ton, 482-foot steelhulled monster, Preussen, had no auxiliary power and yet she could carry 8,000 tons and still achieve 20 knots under sail - just one knot less than the Titanic, with its vast engines. Having established umpteen world records, she came to grief in 1910, when she was rammed by a cross-channel ferry but it goes to show just how potent wind power can be.

Never bloody happy Man is a most curious and illogical species.

For example, over centuries, we have striven to perfect methods of transport to cope with every one of our planet’s various terrains - and you would think we might be happy with that. But of course, we have pushed the barriers further, in a wilful attempt to blur the roles of our various forms of transport . . .

For instance, boats were originally designed to float on the surface of our oceans. But firstly, we submerged them and created the submarine. And then we developed variants such as the Hovercraft and Hydrofoil in a bid to lift the craft above the water’s surface. We even gave them wheels so that they could climb the land.

And finally, we gave boats wings, so they could soar into the skies or skim just above the water’s surface.

And it’s no different with cars. Originally designed to travel on smooth, hard surfaces, we obviously weren’t happy with that, so we developed all-terrain vehicles and amphibians, and (yet again) we made road vehicles fly.

As for planes, we gave them floats so they could land on water and modified them so they could land on ships - and even trains didn’t escape our schizophrenic design fetish. Originally conceived to run on tracks, today’s most advanced versions don’t actually touch their tracks and are

24

● www.boatmart.co.uk ● Boat Mart

The Tall Ship resurgence

Those of you into tall ships will know that quite a number of historic craft are still at sea, many in the role of Sail Training Ships - and some were built as far back as the late 1800s. What you may not know is that even in the last two decades, quite a few very large schooners and barques have been commissioned and built.

At the turn of the millennium, the largest was the 617-foot, five-masted Wind Surf belonging to Windstar Cruises and built in 1990. Particularly unkind

capable of almost aircraft speeds.

In short, blurring the boundaries between various means of transport by combining their attributes might be fun but it leads to some rather perplexing conundrums. For instance . . .

(1) If a boat can hover or fly above the surface of the water, is it still a boat?

(2) If a car is as happy on water as it is on land, is it a car or a boat?

(3) If you hang a small boat under a hanggliding wing, is it a boat or a plane?

(4) If a hovercraft travels without touching the road or the surface of water, what the hell is that?

purists may say that her futuristic lines, computer-controlled sails, and the fact that she is a motor-sailer disqualifies her from being a classic Tall Ship, but she is indisputably beautiful.

In 2000, the Gdansk Shipyard in Poland launched a new classic windjammer called Royal Clipper. The brainchild of Zygmunt Choren, this 5,000-ton, 439-foot beauty actually used an existing (though highly modified) steel hull and her design closely followed that of Preussen a century before. She features five masts, carrying no fewer than 42 sails, totalling 5,202 square metres of sail.

Get Hitched

with Paul Guinness

If you fancy classic Jeep looks, a fun driving style and top value for money, a used Jeep Wrangler could be just the ticket, says Paul Guinness.

When Jeep returned to the British market in 1993, it gave us the family-friendly Cherokee and the super-tough Wrangler - the closest new model we had to the WWII legend, now in updated ‘YJ’ guise and powered by a 4.0-litre petrol engine. Front and rear live axles underpinned it, while selectable 4WD and a dual-range transfer box ensured its off-road credentials. Buyers had a choice of hard-to-remove soft-top or more practical hardtop models.

The trouble is the ‘YJ’ Wrangler wasn’t a great drive, being crude, noisy and unrefined, with less than predictable handling. Happily, however, the Wrangler improved dramatically with the launch of the ‘TJ’ series in 1997, with similar styling but boasting coil sprung (instead of leaf-sprung)

Specifications

ENGINE:

2,464cc in-line four-cylinder petrol MAX POWER: 122bhp @ 5,300rpm MAX TORQUE: 148lb.ft. @ 3,200rpm PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 13.6secs 92mph ENGINE:

3,960cc in-line six-cylinder petrol MAX POWER: 174bhp @ 4,750rpm MAX TORQUE: 240lb.ft. @ 3,950rpm PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.8secs 100mph MAX TOWING WEIGHT 2,000kg (braked trailer)

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● Buying Advice ● Boat Mart

suspension for a better on-road drive.

This also allowed much greater axle articulation (a huge 180mm more) to the delight of offroad fans, while a strengthened ladder-frame chassis ensured extra rigidity.

Buyers could now choose 2.5 four-cylinder or 4.0 six-cylinder petrol engines - the latter offering 240lb.ft. of torque (at 3,950rpm).

And for the towing brigade, a maximum towing weight of two tonnes (for a braked trailer) proved perfectly acceptable.

Most affordable Wranglers now are obviously the earliest ‘YJ’ models. But if your budget will stretch to a 1997-on ‘TJ’, we’d recommend that you spend the extra. Apart from better handling and ride quality, you get a smarter dashboard, a roomier cabin and other creature comfort improvements,

plus a choice of Sport or Sahara trims, the latter coming with a standard-fit removable hard-top (including glass side and rear windows), plus a rear-wiper and heated rear screen. Sahara versions also got alloy wheels and a better stereo.

What will it do?

The Wrangler might be a crude machine by today’s standards, with a choppy ride and handling (that even ts biggest fans might describe as entertaining) but that’s to be expected. It doesn’t pretend to be a sophisticated SUV - and, for us, that’s all part of its appeal. Get any Wrangler into an offroad situation and it’s far more at home, with enough big-engine grunt, all-wheel drive traction and decent ground clearance

Events Diary September is one of the greatest months for marine and maritime events on the UK boating scene, so make sure you don’t miss out . . .

04 September Sands of Time Festival, Bognor Held at West Park and the seafront, this festival will include sandcastle competitions, classic vehicles, craft, gifts, history exhibition, entertainers, children’s activities, dance, open-top bus tours, donkey rides and a funfair.

September 03-04 Sep Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival Held on the South Quay, you can expect Tall Ships, a replica 18th Century frigate, lifeboat demonstrations, Royal Naval simulators and guided heritage walks. There will also be music from shanty groups, craft marquees, street entertainment, Punch & Judy, seafood and a beer tent. www.great-yarmouth.co.uk 04 September Great British Duck Race This astonishing charity event will see a World Record 175,000 rubber ducks launched into the River Thames on a course at Molesey Lock near Hampton Court. It costs £2 to adopt a duck

09-11 September Newquay Fish Festival Expect live bands, cooking demonstrations, a sand castle competition, local fish and produce stalls, live marine and rock pool demonstrations, a shark throwing competition, dolphin spotting trips, an art exhibition, a seafood barbecue and the excellent Newquay male voice choir. And yes, that was a shark throwing competition. www.newquayfishfestival.co.uk

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● On The Water ● Boat Mart

(plus £3 recommended donation to the charity of your choice) and you could win the first prize of £10,000 or one of 30 other prizes. At midday, the ducks will be loaded into Molesey Lock and at 1330 they will be released into the River Thames. The natural current will take them down the 1 Km course (a Guinness World Record requirement) - and chances are it will take several hours to complete. www.thgreatbritishduckrace.co.uk

rhythm, plus face painting, T-shirt making, ethnic crafts, stalls and food and drink.

02392 862224 www.efestivals.co.uk

04 September Portsmouth Multicultural Festival Two live performance stages at Castle Field in Southsea will be playing Afro Urban, Salsa, Reggae and Indie Rock. There will also be Street, Irish and Flamenco dancing, with workshops featuring drumming, Salsa and Latin

10-11 September The Mayor’s Thames Festival While our attention is naturally drawn to the more traditional coastal regions of the UK when looking for events of nautical interest, London (which itself is technically a coastal city) has a very rich and diverse maritime calendar. Even toward the end of

04 September Monmouth Charity Raft Race Due to kick off at midday at Monmouth Rowing Club, with a 6.5-mile course down the River Wye to Tump Farm, Whitebrook, there will be entertainment and refreshments laid on.

September October 2011 the season, as all eyes turn to the big Southampton Boat Show, there are a couple of top class regional events to keep us entertained in the capital - and one of them is the Thames Festival. Between Westminster and Tower Bridge you will find a mixture of street arts, carnivals, pyrotechnics, illuminations, art installations, river events, massed choirs, and a circus. As many as half a million people are likely to turn up to this one.

02070 211686 www.thamesfestival.org 17-18 September Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival This event will see stalls with a huge variety of dishes, including ostrich burgers, oysters, cuttlefish, barbecued wild local game and locally smoked fish. Organised by Hastings Borough Council, with an emphasis on music as well as food, this is one of the biggest events of its kind in Europe. www.visit1066country.com 22-24 September 2011 Swanage Comedy Festival If you’re after sun, sea and standup, the Swanage Comedy Festival is for you. Held at three venues in the town, it is run in association with the Piddle Brewery. www.swanagecomedy.com 24 September The Great River Race London’s Docklands will see 300 boats and 2,000 competitors race for 35 trophies on a 22-mile course - making it the biggest race of its type in Europe. You can join thousands of spectators at the riverside near Ham House or at Chiswick Pier and enjoy a barbecue and live music. www.greatriverrace.co.uk

on Boat Show The Southampttem ber, the undisputed King From 16 to 25 Sep again descend upon of UK boat shows will once ectations from the Mayflower Park to lofty exp gest outdoor show, visiting public. As the UK’s big 42 years of and e-built marina with Europe’s largest purpos y September -da ten ual ann it, this successful exhibitions behind nation’s ed to justify its place as the festival is once again expect ). .com ptonboatshow favourite event (www.southam

2011

SEPT

16-25

Show Focus uthampton Showng of The RYA at the So , to workshops and the crowni

From launches and awards thampton. to see on the RYA stand at Sou champions, there will be lots begin b of the Year competition will Nominations for the RYA Clu th Sou the sor to last year’s winners, the process of finding a succes be also will oks the RYA’s new eBo Staffordshire Sailing Club. And or iPod to anyone with an iPad, iPhone g blin ena w, launched at the sho Books’ app by downloading the free ‘RYA download its publications. And RYA the in ld even win yourself an iPad2 from the App Store, you cou prize draw. da RYA 32 finalists of the 2011 Hon On Sunday 18 September, the of e hop the in tle bat do in once aga Youth RIB Championship will press rine ma - though witnessing the clinching the championship title ter bet a be ht mig Day the kids on Preview attempt the same course as ctive. bet from a spectator’s perspe e Sailing ng book and the RYA Offshor nni Pla e sag Pas RYA The new re whe , will a mini OnBoard festival book will also be launched, as also can you And nts. in dinghy racing eve d’ youngsters will be competing tlan Por to ge ssa ‘Pa d Gol the RYA Sail for d find out what lies in store at Gol for Sail Olympic sailing venue to the event - from a tour around the nd Jubilee celebrations. regatta and the Queen’s Diamo week, s will be held throughout the talk ert exp And finally, the RYA’s on dez Men n Joh , Trim Gibson on Sail with speakers including Rob ion. A full on sextants and basic navigat tt Ellio n Joh and ing motorboat k). rg.u RYA website (www.rya.o timetable can be seen on the

70

● On The Water ● Boat Mart

With the rapid approach of the Southampton Bo at Show, some interesting devel opments at the Birmingham eve nt and the end of the road for the two Welsh exhibitions, the re is plenty of action on the UK show scene. Mike Pullen pic ks out the month’s key news . . .

Keep it green Emma Slater explains how to go boating with a good conscience . . .

Here in the UK, we may not always get the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, but we can all help keep our sailing regions clean by making a few small changes to the way we go boating - and it’s not just about water quality.

There are a number of other effects that us boaters have on the environment such as wildlife disturbance, the spread of non-native invasive species and the burning of fossil fuels. So let’s take a typical day’s outing to an anchorage and look at some of the ways we can stay just a little bit greener.

Preparing the boat Before leaving the marina, check the bilges for any oil or fuel that may have escaped from the engine. A bilge sock will soak up any oil it comes into contact with, ensuring you only pump out clean water.

Also try to include some green tips in your crew briefing. As well as talking about lifejackets and MOB procedures, ask the crew not to throw anything overboard.

Even cigarette butts can kill marine

Going for a sail Nobody wants to litter, but sometimes the odd sweet wrapper can get blown over the side by accident. You could always treat that as an opportunity to practise your man overboard skills but it’s far more effective to try to keep as much waste below deck as possible.

If you are passing a chocolate bar up to the helm, why not take the wrapper off first and stick it in the bin.

Likewise, cling film can be removed from sandwiches and plastic bags should always stay below decks. If you think this is all a bit silly or patronising, consider the fact that, as well as being unsightly, litter causes the deaths of more than a million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles every year through entanglement or ingestion of plastics.

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wildlife so provide bins. When cleaning up after lunch, avoid washing up liquids with phosphates as these can cause algal blooms and deplete oxygen levels. Also avoid degreasers, as these can strip the oils that fish need for their gills to function properly.

Angling The bite is sharp and vicious so prepare yourself for a battle

Even after a lifetime of fishing, the prospect of a day out with my rod still excites me like nothing else.

And it especially sets my adrenaline flowing when bream are to be my target fish. These silver, deep-bellied fish are exciting to catch, because they just refuse to give up, whatever the depth of water.

Ted Tuckerman ponders that most vigorous of fighting fish, the beautiful bream . . . shoal fish so once you catch one, the theory is that you should go on catching more fish - and it usually works that way. Run-of-the-mill fish will be one to two pounds in weight. Three or four is good and even better are five and even six-pound fish, of which a very reasonable number have been caught most years.

But with the resurgence of bream shoals, some people ask me whether they are as plentiful as they were 40 years ago along the south coast around Littlehampton? And the simple answer

The modern bream shoal Black Bream (Sponddyliosom cantharus) is a summer visitor that arrives around March and sticks around until the winter water temperature pushes it back toward the Mediterranean. The south coast is the hotspot, but when they approach west Cornwall in the Spring, some migrate up the north coast into the Bristol Channel and to the north. They are a

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More Information Sprint Boats 02890 860349 www.sprintboats.co.uk With a deadrise of 24 degrees amidships tapering to 18 degrees at the transom, the Nord Fisher 170 from Sprint Boats is much sharper and deeper at the bows than you might expect of a small fisher. Safety is also paramount, so full-length

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25mm cockpit rails and a grab handle to port of the helm ensure everyone has something to hang onto.

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