Contents September 2011 Issue 173
94
CHARTER Canaries Day Skipper
52
USED BOAT TEST Moody 34
Buyers Guide p38
86 CRUISING Norway, Part 2
44 SEAWORK SHOW Latest gadgets
04 Sailing Today September 2011
www.
www.sailingtoday.co.uk
sa
Gear at the Show To buy a back issue call 01442 820580
104
PRACTICAL Hatch repair
This month News AND views Sailing news Readers’ letters View from the RYA Riding light
6 12 16 146
GEAR AND EQUIPMENT
108
ESSENTIAL TOOLS Router
Books Just in Gear on test Buyer’s guide: Propellers Group test: Multi tools
22 24 28 38 46
BOATS Used boat test: Moody 34 New boat test: Delphia 47
52 58
CRUISING Southampton Boat Show preview Beale Park Boat Show My MARINA Jersey Dinghy cruising Norway part II Day Skipper in the Canaries
67 72 76 80 86 94
SEAMANSHIP Weatherclass
100
PRACTICAL Reinforcing your hatch covers Essential tools: Router Q&As with Nick Vass
104 108 112
WIN! WIN! WIN!
76
My MARINA
Jersey
ailingtoday.
Old Pulteney 12-year old whisky Pair of Barton’s maxi ‘K’ cam cleats Mastervolt battery chargers
12 14 92
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64
September 2011 Sailing Today 05
columnist
A pragmatic view on piracy Richard Falk, Training Manager at the RYA, keeps us abreast of the ups and downs of the latest safety and education issues around sailing. We all remember the good old days of watching black and white movies where Errol Flynn portrayed a dashing young fellow who had been unjustly treated by the law and had moved on to become the Robin Hood of the seas. Invariably he got the girl and managed to save the day. Swashbuckling looked like a great career option. Unfortunately, times have moved on and today both recreational sailors and deep sea commercial shipping operators face common threats with regard to piracy. Hardly a week goes by when we do not hear about either a ship or a yacht being attacked or hijacked by pirates somewhere in the world. Here are some frightening facts. As of 13 June 2011 for the year to date: • There have been 243 pirate attacks reported worldwide in 2011 • 26 of these have involved hijackings • There are currently 23 vessels and 439 hostages held by Somali pirates alone • Seven people have been killed by pirates this year. A quick look at the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre website will tell you that the hot spots are those waters bordering the coast of Somalia, various parts of the West African Coast, the NW section of the Indian Ocean, much of South East Asia, parts of the Caribbean and South America. Pirates come in many forms. They can be opportunistic fishermen who take the chance to make some money by taking advantage of ‘rich foreign sailors’ who happen to pass by. At the other end of the spectrum, they can be highly organised, well equipped gangs run from mother ships with the support of aircraft. They are well armed and use high speed craft to enable them to approach and overpower the crews of vessels quickly. They are no longer opportunistic – rather they have become predators with well developed intelligence networks. This is the reality that is faced today by both recreational and professional mariners in some locations around the world. One can only assume that with the increase in political instability in many of these areas the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. I can remember many a debate in bars around sailing clubs about whether it is sensible to carry a
firearm when transiting areas known to be of higher risk in terms of piracy. I am afraid those days are long gone – whatever you may be able to pull out of your arsenal you can be assured that the weaponry any potential pirates have will be significantly larger and there will be more of them. They are also more likely than ever to be willing to use them. There is a lot being done however. Various international agencies have banded together to begin to develop strategies to combat piracy in the worst affected areas. Naval task forces have been formed and, more recently, private companies have been established for the protection of shipping. Anti-piracy devices are being developed and are being made available to larger vessels. These range from infra-red cameras and sonic non-lethal weapons through to laser devices with a range of several miles that will disable a crew of pirates (at least in the short term) by impacting the middle ear. What does all this mean? Should we give up sailing and take up golf (not while I still draw breath)? Should we no longer take pleasure in cruising to far exotic locations? One of the first principles of long distance sailing is that of passage planning. It isn’t new – it isn’t even that clever. Historically we have planned for weather, navigation, spares, food water and one or two other things that we may have found useful. The increase in piracy over recent years simply means that we have a little more work to do in planning our cruising. There are no guarantees in life (other than taxes and death). Personally, one of the great satisfactions I get from sailing is the fact that there is always something unexpected around the corner. However, in the same way that you would not choose to cross the southern part of the North Atlantic during hurricane season – you can mitigate the risk of piracy by carefully planning where you cruise. There is a wealth of information available on the internet about piracy hotspots and how best to avoid them. A little bit of due diligence before you depart may well assist you in staying safe and avoiding becoming one of the many piracy statistics. Safe sailing. ■
What does this mean? Should we give up sailing and take up golf?
16 Sailing Today September 2011
Richard Falk RYA Training Manager and Chief Examiner
15 – 24 September
subscribe at the stand for an exclusive discount Plus find out what our special Mystery prize is!
There’s no business like (boat) show business J
ust when you think the sailing season couldn’t get any more enjoyable, along comes the Southampton Boat Show to really round things off with aplomb. This is your opportunity to augment your bosun’s locker, wander the pontoons and cast your eye over the latest yachts on sale, possibly allowing yourself to dream of upgrading. This year the show promises to be an absolute belter: Much the same as last year, but at the same time, so much better, boasting over 1,000 boats on display in Europe’s biggest show marina. All the usual yachting stalwarts such as Sir Robin Knox Johnston (right) will be there to take their turn in the limelight and delight the crowds. If the Southampton Boat Show was a meal, it would be a big juicy burger with all the trimmings and a hefty serving of French fries on the side to boot. You just want to sink your teeth deep into it and let its juices
ooze down your chin. There’s so much here you just don’t know where to start. Indeed, if you have an insatiable thirst for all things
nautical, then this is the place to slake it. Rest assured, the Sailing Today team will be there, quaffing their fill from this font of nautical delight: Sniffing out the latest bits of gear and innovations, sizing up the latest yachts on show and savouring the show’s other myriad delights. We’re delighted to be able to offer our loyal readers a £5 discount on show admission as well, enough for at least half a shackle or a pint of Guinness. We’d love to have a catch up and shoot the breeze with you, our loyal readers, so if you fancy a quick chat, why not swing by our stand. We assure you a warm and enthusiastic welcome. In addition to this, we can let you know about our mystery prize!
Special £5 discount on pre-booked tickets for Sailing Today readers! Call 0871 230 7140 0r visit
www.southampton boatshow.com
and Quote ‘P32’ For added value, two children aged 15 and under will be admitted free for every adult ticket purchased. Offer excludes Public Preview Day on 16 September.
OPENING Times Fri 16 Sept (public preview day) 10am to 6.30pm Sat 17 Sept to Sat 24 Sept (inclusive) 10am to 6.30pm Sun 25 Sept 10am to 6pm September 2011 Sailing Today 67
group test
a toolkit in your pocket?
8 marine multi-tools One of the most common items in any boat owner’s kitbag these days has to be the ubiquitous Multi-tool. Here Duncan Kent takes a selection of the latest, most popular marinised models and puts their many functions to the test.
T
that pops out of a small hand tool is never going to match the real thing when it comes to heavy duty work, but for an instantaneous, temporary fix they will do the job nicely. Other features such as bottle and can openers, corkscrews, files, saws etc are all nice to have, but are not top of most yotties’ must-have list when it comes to a tool that can be carried on your belt for the myriad tasks that frequently pop up unexpectedly when out sailing. There are many different types of multi-tools available today from
chandlers, supermarkets, camping shops and the internet. Many of these are fine for general light use and represent great value for money, but for constant marine use, we feel it’s well worth spending a little more to get a well-developed tool that has been designed with the boat owner in mind (ie often with only one hand free) and that is as rust resistant as possible given the harsh, salty environment in which it is likely to spend its entire life. For this reason we shall only be presenting the crème de la crème of multi-tools here, in the fair knowledge that any one of these will likely give you a minimum of 10 years of excellent service in even the worst conditions.
photos Stewart Wheeler
here have been fancy penknives around for hundreds of years, which have gradually become more sophisticated and useful. Yes, some take gimmickry to a new level with a plethora of fairly pointless features, but many are now being used as essential, everyday tools – particularly on board a boat where you might need a selection of devices in a hurry, without having to dig deep into a locker for the toolbox. The most obvious of these is a good, sharp knife, able to cut any line or warp on board in an instant, maybe to avoid a possibly disastrous outcome. Another is a pair of pliers – probably one of the most useful items a sailor can have to hand when tackling a rig problem. Then there are the screwdrivers. Okay, a screwdriver
GE September 2011 Sailing Today 47 RB ER • L EATH ERMA N • V ICTORIN OX • GERB ER • LEATHERMAN • VICTO 46 Sailing Today September 2011
marine multi-tools
They’re all quite capable of handling a multitude of tasks.
GERBER
Makers of combat knives and other hand tools since 1939, Gerber know a thing or two about these devices and how to put them together in the most ergonomical fashion. The company, now part of Fiskars, produces some 20 different types of multi-tool and 15 knives for almost every hobby or profession imaginable.
Compact Sport MP400 £45.00 Weighing just 193gm, the Compact Sport is a smaller version of the Multi-Plier 600 series, but still with many of its best features. The flick-out pliers are useful for singlehanded work and they’re robust enough for most tough jobs. The locks hold every tool firmly in place while in use and the handles are smooth and comfortable.
★★★★★ Verdict It’s annoying that you have to have the pliers open to access the other tools and not being able to open the handles further than 45º makes getting the tools out, unlocking them and putting them away again quite awkward. The half-serrated/half plain combo blade is also not as good as having two blades, because they were definitely not so quick or effective at cutting rope. HIGHLY DED EN
RECOMM Suspension £39.00
NDED K RECOMME FIRST LOO Y T BUoutside Open type handle covers look the business in Titanium grey and we liked the tools opening from BESthe of the handles, thereby not requiring them to be prised apart first. We also liked the spring-loaded pliers, which are easy to deploy, and it’s good to see a lanyard ring for times when you’re hanging precariously over the side. It also features an excellent locking mechanism on all tools, which is simple to release with one hand, but almost impossible to unlock accidentally while in use. Unlike the Compact, it has separate serrated and plain edged blades, which is a great improvement, but we found them to be a little short.
PREMIUMT PRODUC
UY
BUDGET B
Note: The Bear Grylls version – one of which we give away each issue as a prize for the best Reader’s Tip – is almost identical, barring the covered handles. Otherwise the tools are the same.
★★★★★ Verdict A good all round multi-tool that has most things a yachtsman would need for general dayto-day maintenance. We felt longer blades might improve rope cutting and sawing, but in all it’s a neat, attractive package that’s compact enough to be carried on your belt at all times.
Crucial Corkscrew £49.99 This neat, stylish offering comes in a gift tin, making it an ideal pressie for a yottie – although a pouch would be a lot handier on deck. It is very compact and lightweight, but still contains a good number of very useful tools, including, as its name suggests, a corkscrew and a reasonably chunky pair of pliers.
★★★★★ Verdict Not the easiest to use, due to its strangely shaped handles, and the locks are a bit fiddly to release, but it has many quite handy features – plus a steel belt clip. Its stout, locking combination blade (serrated/plain) is a reasonable length, but not very effective at cutting quite heavy line. Better to be one or the other we felt. We also felt some of the other tools are more suited to a penknife and might not therefore stand up to rough treatment.
ORINOX • GERBER • LEATHERMAN • VICTORINOX • GERBER • LEATHERMAN • September 2011 Sailing Today 47
PHOTOS: ROD LEWIS
USED BOAT TEST
Mood
swings
The Moody 34, Bill Dixon’s replacement for the Primrose-designed 33/336, quickly became one of Moody’s most successful cruising yachts. Duncan Kent reports back after sailing one of the last to be built before the model was superceded by the 346.
About the owner Nigel Craine has sailed a variety of boats since childhood. He worked for Sunsail as a skipper for five years running flotilla fleets in Greece, before becoming their operations manager here in UK. He later worked for Ancasta, selling Beneteau yachts, and set up a charter division with the agency to sell Moorings charters. He left to join Raymarine as Sales Manager for Southern Europe, before joining Garmin as Marine OEM Sales Manager three years ago. Nigel has owned a number of boats, previously a Trapper 500, and sails throughout the year here in the UK, usually with his wife.
52 Sailing Today September 2011
MOODY 34
The Bill Dixon designed/Marine Projects built Moody 34 was introduced in June 1983 as a replacement for the earlier Angus Primrose Moody 33/333 range and was considerably more modern looking and streamlined thanks to her finer bows, wider beam and flatter sheer. She also has a semi-balanced rudder on a half skeg, as opposed to the 33’s full depth equivalent, and the boat came with fin or bilge keels. The interior of the 34 was a great improvement on that of the 33. By extending her beam further aft, Dixon was able to create a palatial (for its time) aft cabin that could be accessed fairly easily via a walkway past the galley to
starboard. Furthermore, the addition of more woodwork and trim below also gave her a classier, less utilitarian look than the 33 tended to portray. It is hard to accommodate such generous interior volume on such a short waterline, but Dixon did a fine job and managed to shoehorn it all in without resorting to the top-heavy superstructures that were appearing on some other production yachts at that time. In fact, some (myself included) believe he could have raised the coachroof still further to increase the light below from the rather narrow portlights, without having a detrimental effect on the sleek cabin top.
As with the 33/333 she sports a stout, but conservative, masthead rig made by Kemp with all halyards and reefing lines taken to the foot of the mast, rather than back to the cockpit. In fact, this has proved to be an ideal set up, because it keeps the smallish centre-cockpit free of lines and other clutter. The 34 became the 346 with the addition of a short transom bathing platform in June 1986 – otherwise it was an identical hull and layout. The 346 continued in production until mid-1990, with some 420 of the 34/346s built in total – thereby proving to be one of Moody’s most successful designs.
September 2011 Sailing Today 53
PHOTOS rod lewis
NEW boat test
58 Sailing Today September 2011
delphia 47
pole dancer A stylish, modern cruising yacht with sparkling performance and luxurious accommodation, the Delphia 47 is surprisingly competitive when compared to other production yachts in the 45-50ft bracket. Duncan Kent reports.
P
oland’s Delphia Yachts was originally established in 1990 to build trailer sailers and small cruisers under the Sportina brand. In 1999, following a total re-vamp of its production facilities, the yard launched a completely new range of performance sailing cruisers and changed its name to Delphia Yachts. It has now grown into one of the largest boat builders in Poland, producing 29ft, 37ft, 40ft and 47ft performance cruisers, as well as continuing to build its smaller trailerable weekenders, lifting keelers and motor boats. The new Delphia 47 is the current flagship of the fleet and is offered with a choice of a three cabin (Owner) or a five cabin (Charter) layout. She is intended to provide a truly comfortable environment for extended periods of living aboard, as well as offering a more than competent sailing performance for the enthusiastic sailor. Delphias are built to Germanischer Lloyd’s exacting quality standards and are conventionally laid up by hand using solid
polyester laminate below the waterline, doubling in thickness around the keel and rudder stock areas. Topsides, deck and superstructure are made from an Airex foam-cored composite for weight reduction and high insulation properties. She is available with two different deck/
gear layouts – both with twin wheels. Version A features a full teak deck with selftacking jib and German mainsheet system. Version B has a teak cockpit only, with a furling genoa and conventional mainsheet. The layouts, however, may be mixed and matched to suit individual requirements. >>
September 2011 Sailing Today 59
cruising La Gomera
Accelerated learning
? e n o z e h t in
Words & Pics: Guy Foan
94 Sailing Today September 2011
After a successful completion of the RYA Day Skipper theory, ST’s Guy Foan hits the sunny climes of La Gomera with Canary Sail to obtain his practical qualification and gets a little more than expected! The wind acceleration zone between Tenerife and La Gomera didn’t disappoint.
RYA Day Skipper
Main: Stretching her legs, Zuleika hits the wind acceleration zone, leaving La Gomera in her wake.
RIGHT: Leaving the marina at Puerto De Los Gigantes.
RIGHT: Clive, our instructor, going through the MOB drills.
A
previous visit to the Canaries, as a keen, at best unrefined surfer, left rather a big impression. The island’s exposed westerly shores kicked up huge Atlantic swells with winds to match. When an opportunity arose to take a week out of the office to do my five day RYA Practical course in tidal waters, I immediately, like any sun loving, vitamin D denied Brit, looked south and found my old friend the Canary Islands. Could the sailing match the excitement previously found off the beaches? With bags packed I left home in the early hours with Emily, my girlfriend, who kindly drove me to Southampton train station for the 0540 to Gatwick. I’ve always found it funny how, and this only happens in airports, you manage to bump into the same people throughout the journey, check-in, Gate, baggage reclaim, hotel. I know this all seems fairly predictable to a point, but it never fails to entertain. On this particular outward journey, one such person was a gent with Sebago deckshoes and a red Musto Snugg. I had my suspicions at this stage as to where he might be going.
We landed at Tenerife South airport and, counting the pennies, I hopped on the local Titsa bus service to Los Cristianos where a short, five minute walk towards the quay would lead me to the Fast Catamaran service that blasted back and forth to San Sebastian, my destination on La Gomera. Sitting outside on the sundeck, reading my book, I finally relaxed, it was an intensely hot day and the cool sea winds soothed all but one trouble, a need for beer. Leaving the ferry I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself as I again spotted my friend. Neil, his name turned out to be, and we would be boat buddies for the next six days. We were both greeted by Darrin, a friendly member of the Canary Sail team who helped with bags and took us to our berth on the other side of the marina. There she was, Zuleika, a Bavaria 39c, looking not at all like some of the tired school boats I’d been on previously. We stepped aboard and on down to the saloon, which was incredibly roomy and, more surprisingly, colourful with vibrant scatter cushions lavishly positioned around the cabin table. A head appeared from behind a door to one of the quarter berths that turned out to be >> September 2011 Sailing Today 95
Essential tools cruising cuisine
Th e r e t u o R Whether you are doing some fitting out, a rebuild or even a new build, a router is a very versatile tool as David Parker reports.
W
hile many of us are probably familiar with the most common power tools, such as drills, sanders and jig saws, there is another powerful tool that can extend the possibilities for working on the boat and that’s the router. With its rotary cutter and add-on options it is an invaluable tool for woodwork and can be used on plastics and laminates as well for all kinds of profiling and shaping work. Initially users can be intimidated by the wide array of cutters, accessories and routing jigs available for this type of tool, but once you are familiar with a router and routing techniques it becomes a real asset to many practical projects on board. Smaller jobs include everything from cutting and
108 Sailing Today September 2011
trimming wooden plugs to carving boat nameplates with templates. Get a bit more experienced and it can be used to make a new set of companionway steps or fit extra fiddle rails. Homemade hardwood conduits can be a handy way to hide wiring but leave it accessible. The router has an enormous number of applications and will give you a clean edge for any curved shape in a boat and is particularly good for concave shapes where you can’t use a spokeshave. Depending on the specification you can pay anything from £60 to over £300 for a router and the cutters can be bought individually or in sets, but good ones will always be expensive. Various shapes of cutter can be fitted to a router depending on the job and they can be used for grooving, rebating, recessing
and cutting joints. Profiled cutters used with guide bushes can be used for machining mouldings and bearing-guided trimming cutters can be used to shape a stem, beam or knee for example.
Setting up the tool When you operate a router freehand, the tool body is mounted on two spring loaded columns attached to the base and the cutter is pushed down onto the job to make the cut. Alternatively, a router can be mounted upside down in a work table so the cutter protrudes from the top. Whichever way you have it set up, the actual machining of the timber is usually the quick part. The fiddly bit, and where you need to be patient, is setting up the machine itself. Routers have adjustable guides fitted for the depth and width of cut, but their accuracy can vary depending on the quality of the machine. Router tables also include guides, such as a sliding fence to determine the width of the >> cut. Smaller router tables are available
Beale Park boat show It’s a bit of a hidden gem, but this unique boat show is well worth a visit for those who enjoy small boat craftsmanship at its best, as David Parker reports. e had the driest spring for a hundred years and then what happened on the last day of an outdoor boat show with lots of people camping? The heavens opened, of course. But for the two days before that the annual Beale Park Show was a great place to visit for anyone who enjoys seeing boats with an individuality that is increasingly rare at the larger boat shows. Also with its seven acre lake on the banks of the River Thames, Beale Park, at Lower Basildon in Berkshire, has got a pretty ideal setting for a boat show. Many of the boats belie their traditional looks and maximise the use of modern materials in their construction. Take a closer look at some of the time honoured rigs on display and the spars are carbon fibre and advanced laminates have been used in hull construction. There are still the elegant clinker and carvel craft too, which have a timeless appeal, and at Beale Park you can actually sail some of the boats on the lake.
A trailerable pocket yacht, the Baycruiser 23.
Another real advantage of this show is that you can often get to talk to the builders of the boats. You might even be inspired by some of the entries in the regular amateur boatbuilding competition to have a go yourself, although be warned, some of them look far from amateur. With all the current squeezes on the
72 Sailing Today September 2011
nation’s finances, I was pleased to see some serious trailer sailers on display, which could be just the thing to save on mooring and maintenance costs.
Sleek lines with a shallow draught, the BayCruiser 23
on a Nigel Irens designed trimaran. Nigel Irens also designed the record breaking powered trimaran Cable & Wireless. He can also draw a very elegant dayboat, as shown by this BJ17 from Jachtbouw Bart Jan Bats. The unsinkable boat can carry either a lug or gaff rig and it is the two-masted high
The new BayCruiser 23 from Swallow Boats is something of a hybrid designed to combine classic looks with modern performance. She is water ballasted and weighs 700kg when built in wood/ epoxy or 950kg when constructed out of GRP. Despite her size though, she will float in 12in of water, enabling you to explore the shallows, The BJ17 dayboat, unsinkable and easy to rig. plus she’s built to take the ground. As a trailer sailer she should save on peaked lug option that really makes her wheel bearings too, because her shallow stand out. The light, carbon, unstayed masts draught means there is no need to immerse make her quick and easy to rig and she can the trailer hubs. Her fractional sloop rig has be sailed singlehanded, but the open cockpit a carbon mast with a sail area of 24m² and area also gives room for up to four people. the cockpit is self-draining. Below, she has Jachtbouw Bart Jan Bats +31 75 616 0035 a pretty standard layout, offering sleeping www.jachtbouwbartjanbats.nl. accommodation for four with a large V-berth and two quarter berths. The ever dependable Drascombes, The outboard well will take up to a 9hp a Drifter 22 standard shaft, although a 5hp should be Drascombes have an enduring appeal quite adequate. Swallow Boats, 01239 and basically there are two types, the 615482 www.swallowboats.com. undecked open daysailers and the two berth weekenders. The Drascombe Drifter 22 is one of the latter, but she is so nicely A Nigel Irens design from the fitted out down below that you could be Netherlands, the BJ17 comfortable on her for some extended When Ellen MacArthur sailed B&Q into the coastal cruises. She is rigged in the record books in 2005, to complete the then customary Drascombe style as a gunter fastest ever solo circumnavigation, she was
PRE DIST SS IN RESS
E HANDH AT E
IN GPS & LTUI
THE UL T IM
SC D
LD
VHF WITH
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