Sailing Today

SAILING TODAY ISSUE 182 JUNE 2012

SAFETY GEAR

YOUR BUYERS’ GUIDE TO THE BEST MAN OVERBOARD EQUIPMENT

WIN!

PLYMOUTH TO ICELAND • MY MARINA - SUFFOLK • NEW XC 38 • USED ELAN 380 • GROUP TEST - RIGID INFLATABLE TENDERS • BUYERS’ GUIDE - MOB PRODUCTS • PRACTICAL - PLUGGING HARDWOOD

JUNE 2012 £4.10

AN INVERTER GENERATOR WORTH £595

WWW.SAILINGTODAY.CO.UK

CRUISING

PLYMOUTH TO ICELAND 2,700 MILES IN A SMUGGLING LUGGER MY MARINA

SUFFOLK

YACHT HARBOUR

PUBLISHING

BOAT BOA OA OA AT T TESTS

NEW XC 38

CRUISING THE DANISH WAY

USED ELAN 380 THE BENEFITS OF BUYING NEARLY NEW GROUP TEST

RIGID INFLATABLE

WWW.SAILINGTODAY.CO.UK

TENDERS WE TEST SIX MINI RIBS FROM 2.4 TO 3.1 METRES

YOUR BOATS

BEST EVER MINI CRUISER?

ONE MAN’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH HIS DABBER

FREE ANTI-FOUL: HELP US TEST THE LATEST HIGH-TECH COATING

Untitled-2 1 ST182 COVER V.indd 1

17/04/2012 17:47 17/4/12 09:22:17

Donald Davis I Cruising Yachtsman & Yacht Club Captain

B&G Triton instruments from £475 RRP inc VAT.

Zeus Chart Plotter with Broadband 3G™ or 4G™ Radar

Why not give your boat a spring upgrade.

The Finest Sailing Instruments • One instrument any display • Low power • Zero condensation guaranteed • Ideal for retro fit with simple and easy installation • Large 4” screen Proven Pilots • Intelligent sail steering with compass, navigation and wind modes • Smart manoeuvring with a simple intuitive controller • Control from your Zeus Chart Plotter

Zeus - The only Chart Plotter designed for sailing • Sailing specific navigation features with upwind and downwind sailing angles • Wind and weather overlay • Wind plot for tracking of weather trends • Pre loaded with embedded navionics cartography • Radar and AIS compatible Best in Test Broadband 3G™ and 4G™ Radar • Crystal clear image • Lowest power consumption of any marine radar • InstantOn allowing dangers to be identified in seconds • Safe and easy to use

For more information visit www.bandg.com

B&G Sailing Today Triton-Zeus full page Ad 03-12.indd 1 ST182_002Ifc.indd 2

14/03/2012 15:41 16:20 13/04/2012

?

ICS 2012 TRON s 6(& IN ELEC s !)3 s 2!$!2 NEW ). 0,/ T’S 0-%.43 44%23 s %0)2"3 WHA$%6%,/ ,!4%34

O.UK

WWW.SAILINGTODAY.C MAY 2012 £4.10

HEBRIDES RED UNCOVE IN THE THREE WEEKSISLANDS WILDERNESS

ASTRO EASY MADE

LEARN CELESTIA NAVIGATION

MY MARINA

BRIXHAM THE WEST

L

,)&%*!#+%4 ERY LIGHT LOTTYOU.. .

IT COULD BE

ING PINNED MARINA HANDL

GATEWAY TO

A 33 SIGMSTALWART USED ONE DESIGN SOLEIL 39 NEW GRAND ITALIAN STYLE EXPRESS CRUISING

ON BY A GALE:

WHAT WOULD

YOU DO?

TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY CALL 01442 820580 – OR VISIT WWW.SAILINGTODAY.CO.UK/SUBSCRIBE

GROUP TEST Rigid inflatable tenders

40

WELCOME ABOARD! CHECK OUT OUR DIGITAL ISSUE AT THE APP STORE OR BY GOING TO POCKETMAGS.COM

WIN!

Old Pulteney Whisky p12 Force 4 chandlery voucher worth £50 p13

Tenders can be a touchy subject: Of all the various paraphenalia that cruising sailors collect, the decisions around solid, folding, nesting, inflatable or semi inflatable dinghies seem to be defended almost as robustly as the choice of cruising yacht itself. A charter holiday i took in Turkey last year helped me see the benefits of a rigid hulled inflatable for use as a tender. With just a five horsepower motor the boat planed effortlessly even in chop with two aboard. The hull was light enough to lift onto davits with simple 2:1 purchases, yet robust enough to withstand the frequent beachings onto stony shores. However, this tender was snugly stowed between the two hulls of a high freeboard catamaran, nicely clear of the water and not obstructing the view aft at all. Had we had a smaller monohull, without davits, I reasoned that the decision might not have been such an easy one to make. Having said that, we tried one of this month’s group test’s rigid hulled inflatables on the foredeck of Duncan Kent’s not overly substantial Jaguar 27, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that it was possible to hoist it

aboard, deflate and lash it securely down in five minutes and the view forward from the cockpit was not compromised. We wondered how many cruisers might now consider, thanks to their light weight, one of the new breed of aluminium and GRP hulled RIB tenders. Turn to p40 for our rundown on five rigid and one semi-rigid inflatable.

Last month, as a leader to this month’s cruising piece on a trip to Iceland, we suggested this was ‘cruising how we wish we could do it’. Having now put the piece together, I’d suggest it’s more like ‘cruising how we’d never get away with’. On so many levels this trip feels somewhat beyond our lowly capabilities. Firstly the author makes the boat, (out of what appears to be a forest), secondly his trip from Plymouth to the Arctic circle is the boat’s shakedown cruise. My last shakedown trip was five miles across the Solent, ample opportunity to unearth countless seemingly insurmountable indications of the boat and crew’s un-readiness for sea. Will Stirling’s account of this impressive trip aboard Alert to Iceland starts on p72.

Best not try to emulate it.

Jake Frith

WWW.SAILINGTODAYDAY.CO.UK JUNE 2012 SAILING TODAY 03

ST182 Contents_sj_jf_SJ_gf.indd 3

17/4/12 14:06:48

JUST IN Duncan Kent browses the boating market to bring you a heads up on the latest new kit.

FOAM-FILLED FENDERS FROM £143 Using Flexible Integral Skin Foam Technology for its new Ocean range of products, Plastimo Marine has developed a polyurethane injection moulding technique to produce its new Solovela marine fender. Compression against the walls of the mould creates an external skin with a highdensity, perfectly smooth surface, while the inside part of the sandwich remains as a flexible foam. Using the same material for both outside skin and inside foam eliminates any risk of imperfect bonding or delamination.

Polyurethane is colourfast and a specific anti-UV coating inside the mould ensures many years of reliable service and good looks.

These innovative fenders cannot deflate or burst – even under a heavy load (up to 12 tons over 100cm²) – and when submitted to a strong impact, it simply gives a little, before returning to its initial shape. Even if cut or otherwise damaged, the Solovela fender retains its mechanical properties and remains fully operational.

Dimensions: 38 x 60 x 19cm; weight: 4.2kg.

Plastimo’s Ocean range of mouldings also includes bow and stern fenders, rigging screw and spreader end covers, drinks holders and many more items.

CONTACT: NAVIMO LTD WEB: SEE WWW.NAVIMO.COM FOR DEALERS

IPAD ANCHOR ALARM APP £6.99 The iPad App, iDrifter XL, serves to continuously monitor your vessel’s GPS position when anchored. The program displays the current drift of the yacht relating to the anchor – selectable either as a radar-style screen or as a map in Google Maps.

The current position, in relation to the anchor, is identified every second and shown as a dot on the display. As soon as a preset distance from the anchor fix is exceeded, an acoustic alarm will sound.

The program has three modes: Ship-centred mode The base value for the alerting threshold is the position of the vessel when monitoring starts. The display of the actual vessel’s position and the history points will roam in a half circle through the center of the radar view. The distance shown is to the starting point.

Anchor-centred mode The actual vessel position and the history points in this mode are moving in a half circle near the outer margin of the radar circle, if the anchor is safe. If the vessel leaves this green sector, the alert is activated, as it is when the alerting distance is exceeded.

Mapview mode By selecting this monitoring mode, the current position and the recent positions (history points) are shown in an overlay to Google Maps. The display style of the map may be changed between map, hybrid and satellite by using the symbol in the right toolbar.

In this view it is also possible to switch between ship-centred and anchor-centred mode.

CONTACT: APPLE APP STORE

ICOM IC-M423 DSC/VHF £299.95 Icom’s latest fixed-mount DSC/VHF radio, the IC-M423, with its high definition dot matrix display and optional HM-195 CommandMic, is extremely compact and can be flush or surface mounted. It also boasts an easy to use ‘Marine Family User Interface’, which will be incorporated into all future Icom radios, that includes a rotary selector and directional keypad for intuitive operation.

The IC-M423 can be integrated with the Icom MA-500TR Class B AIS Transponder, enabling you to transmit DSC calls to a vessel without manual MMSI entry – handy if you need to quickly contact a vessel in an emergency.

Other features include Active Noise Cancelling Technology, in which intelligent filtering circuits are said to reduce background noise by up to 90 per cent, making it easy to hear it when the weather conditions are poor or if the engine is running.

The IC-M423 can also be remotely controlled by the optional HM-195 CommandMic, which enables all radio functions to be operated from the cockpit. The HM-195, which utilises the same user interface as the IC-M423, also provides an intercom facility between itself and radio, for dual station control.

CONTACT: ICOM UK LTD TEL: 01227 741741 WEB: WWW.ICOMUK.CO.UK

22 SAILING TODAY JUNE 2012

ST182 JustIn_dk_cj_JF_SJ.indd 22

16/4/12 17:07:11

THE LATEST GEAR

WASH DOWN KIT £103.49 Whale’s new Washdown System comprises a high-pressure, self-priming (up to 3m head) pump, designed to give a smooth, constant flow of water (18ltr/min) to wash down decks, anchors etc. Available in 12V or 24V versions, the salt/fresh water pump can be run dry and has an internal pressure switch that turns off the flow when the trigger-activated spray head is closed to conserve water and eliminate back pressure in the hose.

A simple push-in deck fitting is supplied so the hose can be connected/disconnected with the minimum of fuss and bother.

CONTACT: WHALE PUMPS TEL: 02891 270531 WEB: WWW.WHALEPUMPS.COM

TRI/ANCHOR COMBI £129

STYLISH NEW DECK SHOES £45-£85 Chatham Marine is launching new professional women’s deck shoes for this summer that boast British styling and traditional craftsmanship, and offer comfort and durability in shoes that look good and feel good.

Choose from Kat G2 in a two-tone, high quality technical fabric and nubuck, and Jasmine G2 or Alcyone G2 – classic moccasin deck shoes in traditional lace-up – and pretty slipon styles with striped side panels.

In the Chatham Life collection there’re also attractive new fashion styles such as Brizo – a stylish penny loafer.

For a little patriotic flair you can also choose from the classic sailor’s colour palette of red, white and navy in block colours or stylish two-tones. Chatham’s top-sellers include Pacific Lady G2 and Crest G2 (both of which have new colours) and Bermuda Lady G2.

CONTACT: CHATHAM MARINE TEL: 0845 2700 217 WEB: WWW.CHATHAM-MARINE. CO.UK

By popular request NASA Marine has launched a combination LED masthead light, the Supernova Combi, that includes both tricolour and all-round white anchor light.

Designed for vessels up to 12m in length, the Combi incorporates both lights in the same weatherproof enclosure. The Combi uses high efficiency LEDs, to ensure long life and low power consumption. Both tricolour and anchor light draw a meagre 200mA each and can be seen from at least 2nm, with up to 25º of pitch and roll.

A tough, polycarbonate enclosure protects the electronics from the elements, while a GoreTex membrane vent ensures equalisation of pressure on the waterproof seals.

Supplied with a universal mounting kit, the Combi requires only two wires, as simply reversing the polarity changes from tricolour to anchor light. A pre-wired reversing toggle switch is supplied with the unit.

CONTACT: NASA MARINE TEL: 01438 221023 WEB: WWW.NASAMARINE.COM

FLEXIBLE WIND VANE £19.95 After years of research, Sailsteady has launched a small, flexible wind indicator designed to be mounted on the bow of single-handed dinghies. This robust, spring-loaded wind indicator is believed to be the first of its kind and helps sailors maximise the performance of their boats when out on the water.

A simple, yet highly effective addition to any small boat, Sailsteady is a flexible design that will withstand rough handling and impacts from ropes, and features the usual reference arms to assist in sailing upwind and downwind.

CONTACT: SAILSTEADY WEB: WWW.SAILSTEADY.COM

JUNE 2012 SAILING TODAY 23

ST182 JustIn_dk_cj_JF_SJ.indd 23

16/4/12 17:07:20

BUYERS’ GUIDE Our Buyers’ Guides complement our group reviews and long term gear tests, providing essential background information about the latest marine gear and equipment available.

MOB RESCUE GEAR MOB RESCUE KIT IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A VESSEL’S EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT. IT’S EASY TO JUST BUNG A BUOY ON THE RAIL AND FORGET ABOUT IT, BUT IT’S WORTH GIVING IT A LITTLE MORE THOUGHT IF YOU WANT ANY POSSIBLE RESCUE TO GO SMOOTHLY AND SAFELY – PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU’RE SAILING SHORT-HANDED. It’s very easy to just buy the most basic horseshoe rescue buoy and attach it to the rail without a second thought as to how you might use it in anger. But there are myriad different types of rescue buoy and throwing line available, many of which do the same job, but in a very different way.

For instance, the standard horse shoe buoy might look fit for the job of aiding a MOB to keep afloat and attached to the vessel, which most likely it is, but have you ever tried hauling someone out with one? No easy task! So maybe you should also consider keeping a strop or sling aboard for that purpose – particularly if you frequently sail as a couple, relying on the other to recover you should you fall overboard.

You might prefer to try an inflatable buoy instead of a solid foam one – certainly they chafe the casualty less and can often be launched at the equivalent of a button press.

Some even have inflatable dan buoys and lights attached, which are far less likely to get tangled up as the standard horshoe/dan buoy/light combo often does – being all tied together with a light line.

Throwing a line to a person in the water is not always that easy either – particularly upwind – but lash a proper weighted throwing line in a bag to the stern rail and you’ll find it a good deal quicker and easier.

Of course there are more sophisticated and expensive devices for recovering MOBs from the water when sailing well offshore and

especially when the victim is unconscious, but in many cases it can be quick and easy to get an MOB back with the minimum of fuss or danger by simply having the right tools for the job immediately to hand.

Here we have selected a number of the most commonly used and reasonably priced rescue devices available from almost all the larger chandlers and offer you a brief explanation of what they do.

DAN BUOYS Dan buoys are simple tall floating beacons that allow the MOB to be seen from a much greater distance. They should be attached to the rescue buoy so they drift along at the same rate and course as the victim, and they should have a high visibility flag on the top, so they can be spotted above the waves.

Ideally they would also have a flashing light at the top.

HORSE SHOE RESCUE BUOYS Most simple horse shoe buoys are solid and are made from high density foam with a PVC covering. While they might all look the same, some are easier to don than others. It’s also probably worth buying the buoy and light as a set, because it’s often cheaper.

Also, look out for the type that has a ‘gate’ – a line or strap that can be closed after you get inside it to stop it coming off.

Life on the stern rail can be pretty tough on a buoy, so if you can find one with a spare, extra cover, or that comes packed in a UV-proof bag that hangs on the rail, then even better.

THROWING LINES It’s handy to have a good throwing line on board – not necessarily just for rescue situation. A good weighted line in a bag strapped to a rail in the cockpit can be really useful if you need to get a line ashore in a hurry. Just remember when you attach it to the rail to tie the end of it to the boat, or it’ll all go over when you need it in a hurry!

RESCUE BUOY LIGHTS Most rescue buoy lights use dry cell batteries and filament bulbs. While it’s unlikely you’ll need anything more sophisticated, those that intend crossing oceans might want to pay a little bit more for an LED type that’ll make the batteries last considerably longer.

RESCUE SLINGS It always looks much easier than it really is to lift a person from the water, but be warned, you can actually hurt them pretty badly if you do it incorrectly or don’t have the right equipment. Just trying to lift them out using a standard harness is not the answer – particularly if the wearer has crotch straps, when you might well seriously upset their future family plans! Using a proper rescue sling is much safer and will hurt the victim less, because they are padded with wide webbing strops to spread the load.

36 SAILING TODAY JUNE 2012

ST182 BG_MOBv2_dk_cj_gf_JF_SJ.indd 36

16/4/12 17:04:20

MOB RESCUE KIT

MOB RESCUE KIT MAN OVERBOARD RESCUE KIT £65 This safety kit contains everything that is likely to be needed in the event of an emergency at sea. All three items, horse shoe buoy, floating light and 30m long throwing line, are stored in a waterproof bag that can be attached to the boat so they will always be to hand.

CONTACT: SECUREFIX DIRECT TEL: 07833 717577 WEB: WWW.SECUREFIXDIRECT.COM

OCEAN SAFETY HORSE SHOE LIFEBUOY £77.99 These super-soft traditional horseshoe lifebuoys have been designed for long term durability and high flexibility to ensure that they are suitable for all crew members. All horse shoes have a high visibility, zip-on cover and come with a 6mm diameter floating safety line.

The lifebuoy set includes a substantial rail mounting bracket and the new Sirius light that has a sealed lithium battery with a 5-year life and Ship’s Wheel approval. They are available in yellow or white.

IMPORTER: OCEAN SAFETY SUPPLIERS: TCS AND OTHER CHANDLERS WEB: WWW.OCEANSAFETY.COM

PLASTIMO RESCUE LINE £29.99

The Plastimo throw-bag comprises a 20mlong floating retrieval line in a bag, which enables the survivor to remain connected to the boat. The Rescue Line is very simple to use. It is weighted, so it can be thrown with accuracy for a good distance, even against strong winds, and it features a grab loop at both ends, enabling both the rescuer and the

Ocean Safety Horseshoe Lifebuoy

survivor to easily remain attached to the line.

The Rescue Line is equally useful in other, non-emergency circumstances, such as getting a line to a dock from a greater distance than normal.

MANUFACTURER: PLASTIMO SUPPLIERS: MOST MAJOR CHANDLERS WEB: WWW.PLASTIMO.COM/UK

TCS STANDARD LIFEBUOY LIGHT £18.50 Standard lifebuoy light for use with lifebuoys or independently as a safety light. A simple reed switch activates the light when the body is inverted into its normal floating position.

The Lifebuoy requires D-type batteries, which are not supplied.

CONTACT: TCS CHANDLERY TEL: 01702 44 44 44 WEB: WWW.TCSCHANDLERY.CO.UK

PLASTIMO OFFSHORE DANBUOY £139.99 This telescopic IOR dan buoy complies with the ISAF/ORC racing regulations and features superior stability. Its easy-release glassfibre telescopic body is locked down with a quarter turn and its shockproof cylindrical, PVC flotation buoy measures 360mm high x 180mm diameter.

The steel-ballasted buoy can be attached to a lifebuoy using the 3m floating line supplied and it is topped with a 450mm x 350mm red and yellow flag.

When the optional light (powered by a 9V dry-cell battery) is fitted, it is situated 2.3m above the waterline. As the Danbuoy is thrown into the water, the lanyard detaches the clip from the light, which activates it automatically.

Plastimo Rescue Line

TCS Standard Lifebuoy Light

MANUFACTURER: PLASTIMO SUPPLIERS: MOST MAJOR CHANDLERS WEB: WWW.PLASTIMO.COM/UK

JONBUOY INFLATABLE LIFEBUOY £94 The Jonbuoy Inflatable Horseshoe Buoy is a direct replacement for the traditional rigid lifebuoy. Available as single or double versions, these compact units come fitted with an oral tube, drogue, retro-reflective tape and an automatic inflation system as standard. An automatic light is an optional extra that can be fitted to the horseshoe.

The weighted pouch allows an accurate throw to the casualty and the buoy automatically inflates on contact with the water. The unit can be re-armed and repacked by the user.

UK MAIN DEALER: OCEAN SAFETY SUPPLIERS: MOST MAJOR CHANDLERS WEB: WWW.OCEANSAFETY.COM

BALTIC HORSE SHOE BUOY £25.99-£54.95

This is Baltic’s classic horseshoe buoy, manufactured with a firm core covered with a durable, weather resistant coated nylon and fitted with a grab line around the outside.

Available in a choice of three colours – Red, White or Yellow. Set also available that includes LED and mounting frame for £54.95.

Spare outer covers available for £16.50.

CONTACT: CREWSAFE TEL: 01489 584695 WEB: WWW.CREW-SAFE.CO.UK

BALTIC RESCUE SLING £105 The Baltic Rescue Sling provides an effective man overboard recovery system in a neat,

Plastimo Offshore Jonbuoy Inflatable Baltic Horseshoe Buoy Danbuoy Lifebuoy

JUNE 2012 SAILING TODAY 37

ST182 BG_MOBv2_dk_cj_gf_JF_SJ.indd 37

16/4/12 17:04:24

group TeST

Is a RIB the Ideal

yachT TenDeR? Gone are the days when a 30ft cruisinG yacht was considered larGe and as yachts have Grown in size so have their tenders. duncan Kent taKes a looK at some solid hulled riB tenders.

When you’re going long-term cruising, one of the most important items in your inventory will be the tender. It’ll be your transport, shopping trolley, people carrier and general dogsbody for a million and one uses, so it needs to be tough and versatile. It’ll need to be easily rowed for those times when you don’t want to bother with an outboard and be capable of taking a powerful enough engine to fight the tide or take you and your crew around the headland and into the next bay for snorkelling – or to sample the delights of a tropical beach bar.

hulls In the past, by far the most popular hull material for a RIB was GRP, but recently aluminium hulls have been making an appearance and now the majority of RIB manufacturers have an aluminium-hulled range in their portfolio. A metal hull has all the advantages of the solid GRP version, plus several more. The most obvious is its

Why choose a RIB? An inflatable is pretty much the tried and tested style of tender these days, as they provide excellent buoyancy and load carrying ability. But the weakest point of a standard inflatable is its vulnerability to hull damage from arriving on rough beaches and slipways or even bouncing off the odd coral reef.

This is where a Rigid Inflatable Boat comes into its own. A RIB is a lightweight, high performance, high capacity inflatable boat with a solid (usually GRP or aluminium), planing hull. RIBs are usually very stable and, as with all inflatable tenders, the buoyancy in the tubes allows them to remain afloat even when a large quantity of water is shipped.

The deeper the ‘V’ in the hull shape, the more comfortable the ride, but a shallower V will enable the boat to plane more easily and with a less powerful engine. Most smaller RIBs compromise with a deep Vee forward, flattening off from amidships aft. This helps it to plane more easily, but at the expense of losing some steerage at low speeds unless the RIB’s load is carefully balanced.

resistance to damage when scraped over rocks, coral and concrete. Also, many of the aluminium-hulled models are actually lighter than the GRP composite equivalents.

The main downside of aluminium used to be cost, but even this appears to be evening out now.

TuBes Very few inflatable dinghy tubes are now made from Hypalon – a superior, but expensive synthetic rubber compound.

Hypalon is not, however, airtight and so is combined with Neoprene when used to build tubes.

Today virtually all tubes are constructed using advanced plastics such as PVC and most are ‘heat welded’ rather than glued – the only method of construction when you are

using Hypalon.

PVC and some of the other plastics used are not as resistant to the sun’s UV rays as Hypalon, so unless you protect them with a cover or pack them away in a locker when you’re not using them, you might well end up replacing your dinghy after five years or so – as opposed to the 20-30 years you could often get from a well cared for Hypalon tender. Hypalon is also easily repaired using glued patches.

The advantages of plastic tubes, however, is that they’re quicker and easier to manufacture and thus considerably cheaper than their Hypalon equivalent.

The most notable new aspect of almost all modern inflatable tenders is the tube diameter, which has increased noticeably. This results in substantially increased stability and load carrying capacity. The further aft of the transom the tubes are carried, the heavier the engine that can be supported.

FlooRs On the aluminium hulled RIBs we tested the hulls were single-skinned, which results in their floors being vee-shaped as well. This we found to be generally annoying as they were slippery and not easy to place loads on. I’d prefer to see some sort of inflatable floor cushion instead, which would have the added benefit of keeping your feet out of any water collected in the ‘natural’ bilge created by the V floor/hull. While this would slightly diminish its overall ruggedness, I see it as preferable to a bare hull.

I certainly think the non-slip surfaces on single-skin hulls could be improved, if nothing else.

DRaIns All of the RIBs we tried had self-bailing drains – with or without extra plugs. Two of them leaked as well, which wasn’t encouraging.

One thing we did notice was that almost all the RIBs had drains that were a good few inches above the bottom of the floors, with

40 Sailing Today JUNE 2012

ST182 Group tenders_dk_sj_cj_JF.indd 40

16/4/12 14:28:21

pHoToS: STeWarT WHeeler

tENdErs

the obvious problem that you can’t drain the last few litres without tipping it up ashore or on board. The result was that we ended up using a bailer, which rather defeats the object! Only one – the Excel – had a small bilge with a low drain that allowed all the water to be evacuated on the move.

oaRs anD RoWlocKs I expect that a large majority of dinghies will never be rowed these days, but one fairly universal complaint about pretty much all the dinghies in previous trials was that their oars were too short or they hit your knees.

It appears this isn’t so much of a problem these days as all were long enough to grip the water and the bigger tubes allowed the oars to be mounted higher, thus easily clearing your knees.

Also, all now appear to have captive rowlocks, whereby the oar is held permanently in place with a fully articulating bolt. All had stowing loops on the tubes as well to keep them firmly locked onto the dinghy.

ToW RInGs, hanDles anD lIFelInes Carrying a dinghy up the beach or a slipway can be hard work, so the more handles/lines it has all round, the easier it will be to carry.

There has been a notable increase in the number of handles, which can only be a good thing to our minds.

However, there also seems to be a new tendency to fit ‘grab type’ handles onto the tubes instead of continuous safety lines.

Clearly the latter are much easier to get hold of should you fall overboard and present an infinitely adjustable handrail when ashore so that it is possible to lift by the centre of gravity wherever that is due to any cargo aboard.

One item we all felt essential was bridlestyle towing rings, which keep the tender in a straight line when it is being towed. Also, a central pad eye on the bows for attaching to a trailer’s winch cable can be very useful – especially on the larger models.

TRansoM All but one of our tested RIBs had a rigid transom bonded permanently to the floor, meaning that – even when deflated, it doesn’t go down flat. Just

one – the Zodiac Cadet – had an articulated transom that folded down just like a standard inflatable dinghy would. We found this an innovative and practical solution for a small tender, which allowed it to be lashed down on the foredeck without obscuring the view ahead although the lower structural integrity reduces the maximum allowed engine size.

We also favoured transoms with aluminium reinforced motor attachment plates, as they seem to stand up better to the constant outboard mounting/dismounting that cruising yachtsmen tend to do.

ValVes anD PuMPs Almost all of the new breed of inflatables use the twist to lock style plunger valve, which works well if matched with a compatible pump. The Zodiac, however, seemed to have the wrong fitting on the pump, which meant that it became a two man job to inflate it and it was extremely annoying when the plunger twisted into the open position as you detached the pump – letting half of your hard pumped air pressure back out!

Many PVC dinghies feature pressure release valves, which stop them from being over pumped or over expanding in the hot weather, but none of our test dinghies came with a pressure gauge on the pump.

Thankfully, none came with a stirrup action pump, common on smaller dinghies, which tends to put your back out in minutes. Most had the standard, low capacity foot pump.

JUNE 2012 Sailing Today 41

ST182 Group tenders_dk_sj_cj_JF.indd 41

16/4/12 14:28:36

NEW BOAT TEST PHOTOS: ROD LEWIS

X-TRA SPECIAL ESTABLISHED IN 1979, X-YACHTS WAS CREATED PRIMARILY TO DESIGN AND BUILD IOR YACHTS FOR WORLD CLASS RACING, IN WHICH IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL. TWO DECADES LATER IT DECIDED TO UTILISE ITS EXPERTISE TO BUILD HIGH QUALITY PERFORMANCE CRUISING YACHTS AS WELL. DUNCAN KENT SAILED THE NEW XC-38.

The Xcruising (Xc) range was designed for eating up the sea miles in style and comfort, yet they retain the same design and build qualities that X-Yachts’ Performance (Xp) designs are renowned for. The first in the family, the Xc 45, was awarded the 2009 European Yacht of the Year the year of its launch. It was soon joined by the Xc 42, then in 2010 the range was further expanded with the introduction of the Xc 50 and the Xc 38

– the latter again taking the 2011 European Yacht of the Year award.

As with her bigger sister ships, the Xc 38 is an aft cockpit design with attractive, classically styled lines that maximise the deck space and give her such a gorgeous profile.

The Xc’s hull lines are fuller than those of the Xp models and have a deeper V-section forward of the keel for a more comfortable motion on lengthy ocean passages. The larger

hull volume also increases the space available for a more powerful engine, larger tanks and greater battery capacity – enabling them to undertake extended offshore cruises without foregoing those home comforts.

Despite her bluewater cruising credentials the Xc 38 still provides the performance, response and exhilaration under sail that X-Yacht owners have come to expect from any X-Yacht. Her generous fuel and fresh

52 SAILING TODAY JUNE 2012

ST182 NEW XC38_dk_sj_jf.indd 52

17/4/12 17:34:00

X-YACHTS XC38

water tanks are all strategically located – low and central in the yacht for optimum weight distribution. Her greater displacement requires a larger sail area to retain a similar performance to her Xp stablemates and her shallower draft requires a heavier keel bulb to keep her stiff in a blow, but in return this provides a yacht that is more forgiving and more easily controlled by a short-handed, or even single-handed crew. The only real

compromise over her Xp sisters is her sailing performance in very light airs, when her extra displacement and wetted surface understandably takes the edge off her speed.

As with all X-Yachts, the Xc 38’s hull is constructed around an immensely strong steel frame that dissipates the loads from her keelstepped mast and lead/cast iron keel over a large area – saving her hull from possible distortion when her rig is under severe stress.

JUNE 2012 SAILING TODAY 53

ST182 NEW XC38_dk_sj_jf.indd 53

17/4/12 17:34:13

SAILING TODAY ISSU E 181 MAY 2012

R E F F O SPRING

ELECTRONICS GUID

S E U S S I 3

E 2012 s (%"2)$%3 s USED 3)'-!

WEEKS IN T WILDERNESS ISLA

s -

SEAMANSHIP

ASTRO

. MADE EASY s "5 9%2 3 '5)$%

MADE EASY

LEARN CELESTIAL NAVIGATION

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

T

WWW.SAILINGTODAY .CO.U K

thered typing one? Can’t be bo Got a smart ph teeny keys? its th wi in dress de! our subs web ad Here’s our QR co

HEBRID U NCOVE THREE

9 -!2).! BRIXHAM s !342/ .!6)'!4)/

R E T R A U Q R E P 8 £ N HE T

I B E D T C E R I D Y B Y A P U O Y N E H E W C I R P R E V O C F F O 0 9 .

1 £ G N I V SA

MAY 2012 £4.10

CRUISING

s NEW '2!.$ 3/,%),

1 £ R O F

WHAT’S

,!4%34 $%6%,

EXCLUSIVE

,)&%*!#+

L IGHT LOT T

IT COULD BE Y

MARINA HAND LING Untitled-1 1

PAY JUST £8 PER QUARTER!** ✔ SAVE £28.50 OVER 15 MONTHS ✔ FREE DELIVERY ✔

CALL 01442 820 580

OR VISIT WWW.SAILINGTODAY.CO.UK/SUBSCRIPTIONS

QUOTING ST182 *This offer is limited to UK addresses only. Please allow up to 28 days delivery. Closing date 27 June 2012 ** Only available to subscribers paying by Direct Debit.

ST182 SubsSpread_gf_JF.indd 4

16/04/2012 11:04

WHAT’S NEW IN EL ECTRONICS ,!4%34 $%6%,/0%.43 ). 0,/44%2

3 s %0)2"3 s !)3 s

SUBSCRIBE AND

SAVE MONEY

2012?

2!$!2 s 6(&

BY PHONE CALL 01442 820 580 ONLINE www.sailingtoday.co.uk

AY 2012 £4.10 WWW.SAILINGTODA Y.CO.UK CRUISING

BY EMAIL sailingtoday@webscribe.co.uk

HEBRIDES NCOVERED REE

WEEKS IN THE LDERNESS ISLAND S

3 ISSUES FOR £1, THEN £8 PER QUARTER WHEN YOU PAY BY DIRECT DEBIT

PUBLISHING

YOUR DETAILS Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms

Forename

Surname

EAMANSHIP

STRO

Address

N CELESTIAL GATION

Daytime phone

DE EASY

MY MARINA

CLUSIVE

&%*!#+%4

HT LOT TERY

OULD BE YOU...

BRIXHAM

GATEWAY TO THE WES

T

BOAT TESTS

USED SIGMA 33

ST182 Closing date 27.6.2012

Postcode Mobile Email

HOW TO REPLY

✉ Complete this form and return in an envelope to: SAILING TODAY SUBSCRIPTIONS,

WEBSCRIBE LTD, UNIT 8, THE OLD SILK MILL, TRING ,HERTFORDSHIRE, HP23 5EF UNITED KINGDOM (Closing date is 27 June 2012)          

ONE DESIGN STAL

NEW GRAND SOLEIL WART 39 EXPRESS CRUISIN G ITALIA

NA HANDLING PINNED ON BY A GALE: WHAT WOU LD

N STYLE

YOU DO?

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To:The Manager

Bank/Building Society

Originator’s Identification Number

8 3 9 4 4 4

Address Reference

20/3/12 10:39:20

Postcode Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society Please pay CSL PUBLISHING LTD Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with CSL PUBLISHING LTD and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Signature(s)

Branch Sort Code

Bank/Building Society account number Date

Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account

DDI5

The Direct Debit Guarantee (Please retain this section)

• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit CSL Publishing Ltd will notify you 14 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request CSL Publishing Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by CSL Publishing Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society • If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when CSL Publishing Ltd asks you to • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

CSL PUBLISHING LTD

Your details will be processed by CSL Publishing Ltd. (publishers of Sailing Today) and our suppliers in full accordance with UK data protection legislation. We will use the contact details supplied to communicate with you regarding your subscription.

Please tick if you do not wish to receive information about other products and services from CSL Publishing Ltd by phone by post . Please tick if you would like to receive information or offers from CSL Publishing Ltd by email by SMS .

Please tick if you would like to receive information or offers from carefully screened companies by email by SMS .

*This offer is only available to UK subscribers. The normal cost for 15 issue is £61.50. This offer is for a minimum term of 15 months and refunds cannot be issued during this initial period. Gifts are subject to availability, only available to UK subscribers and will be delivered separately within 45 days after your payment was taken. The closing date for this offer is 27/6/2012. Non-UK subscribers can order online at www.sailingtoday.co.uk/subscriptions

ST182 SubsSpread_gf_JF.indd 5

16/04/2012 11:04

cruising

“

EVENTUALLY THE DAY CAME WHEN WE RETIRED FROM FULL TIME WORK

Leaving Plymouth for a new lifesyle.

INTO THE REFRIGERATOR AFTER BUILDING AND LAUNCHING A BRAND NEW REPLICA LUGGER, BOATBUILDER WILL STIRLING DECIDED TO TAKE HER FOR A TEST SAIL WITH A QUICK JAUNT FROM PLYMOUTH UP TO ICELAND – JUST TO SEE HOW SHE PERFORMED, YOU UNDERSTAND. With a pregnant girlfriend left at home, there was some pressure to return from my trip before we’d even set off. In order to return, we therefore had to depart. Due to persistent bad weather there was no time for extended sea trials. On a mid-May morning, Alert’s bows lifted to a swell for the first time, during a brief maiden voyage that took us around Plymouth Breakwater. The following day we set off, bringing up to anchor only a short time later in Cawsand Bay as the wind was still a bit strong. I suspect it was the first time a smuggling lugger had anchored off Cawsand for a very long time. We bade farewell to the West Country the next day in high spirits; the first port of call was Oban, on a journey that would take five days. Manning the capstan, the anchor was retrieved. The jib, fore-lug and mizzen hauled

aloft and the sheets pulled in tight to sail closehauled to the Eddystone Lighthouse.

Having reached the Eddystone, marvelling at our new machine, we tacked and sailed closehauled back! Two days later, on a dark night, in a slightly lumpy Celtic Sea, we spent half an hour tying all the boat’s ropes in knots in order to complete a single tack. Spirits were somewhat dampened; both crew and boat clearly needed setting up.

gone to icelAnd During a sunny, calm spell the bosun’s box was brought up. The chain halyards were sent down and rope halyards rove in their place; this gave Bill (a former pilot) the opportunity to demonstrate some admirable mousing splices. Spare blocks were sent up to increase purchases and sheet leads

improved. John (a resourceful boatbuilder and sailor) settled down to digest the standard text for lugger sailors, Edgar J March’s Sailing Drifters. Seaman Hingley, (Morwellham’s redoubtable blacksmith who had gamely shipped aboard as cook having never been sailing) took up the galley reigns.

After an uneventful trip northward, Bill left us in Oban. We were very grateful for the effort he had put into preparation for the trip.

We thumbed through all of our phone books and exhausted our various contacts as we fiddled up the West Coast. Joe Hayes of Ullapool Boatbuilders joined us at Gareloch and helped sail Alert up to Kinlochbervie.

From Kinlochbervie at the far northwest of mainland Scotland, we set off for Orkney.

The day we rounded Cape Wrath was marred by two incidents of poor seamanship

72 sailing Today JUNE 2012

ST182 Iceland_sj_jf_cj_SJ_gf_JF.indd 72

16/4/12 10:56:07

PLYMOUTH TO ICELAND

Borgafjordur

“I SUSPECT IT WAS

Iceland

THE FIRST TIME A SMUGGLING LUGGER HAD ANCHORED OFF CAWSAND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.”

Seydisfjordur C A N A D A

Atlantic

Iceland

Pacific GREENLAND

Arctic

Faroes

Torshaven Torshaven Klaksvik Suduroy

EUROPE

R U S S I A

Outward Journey Homeward Journey Stornoway Shiant Is. E. Tarbert Tarbert

LOG – PLYMOUTH TO PLYMOUTH (VIA ICELAND) PLYMOUTH TO OBAN 544 MILES OBAN TO GARELOCH 122 MILES GARELOCH TO KINLOCHBERVIE 55 MILES KINLOCHBERVIE TO LOCH ERIBOLL 28 MILES LOCH ERIBOLL TO STROMNESS 57 MILES STROMNESS TO SCALLOWAY 135 MILES SCALLOWAY TO FOULA 24 MILES FOULA TO TORSHAVEN 207 MILES TORSHAVEN TO SEDISFJORDUR 305 MILES SEDISFJORDUR TO BORGAFJORDUR 24 MILES BORGAFJORDUR TO KLAKSIK 293 MILES KLAKSIK TO SUDUROY 55 MILES SUDUROY TO STORNOWAY 227 MILES STORNOWAY TO THE SHIANT ISLES 16 MILES THE SHIANT ISLES TO EAST TARBERT 14 MILES EAST TARBERT TO TOBERMORY 80 MILES TOBERMORY TO STRANRAER e 118 MILES l c ir STRANRAER TO MILFORD HAVEN tic C 257 MILES rc MILFORD HAVEN TO PLYMOUTH A 177 MILES TOTAL 2738 MILES

and

Strait

(Main pic) Alert looking every inch the jordur Olafsfjordur/Siglufjordur smuggling lugger in the Raufarhofn Husavik lmur Rif early morning mist; the Iceland lugger rests easy on kjavik Seydisfjordur her legs alongside in Heimaey Tobermory harbour (far right); some of the crew of the Alert assembled: crew member John, Torshavn Will Stirling and F a r o eskiper s Seaman Hingley (right).

olungarvik

Stromness Loch Eriboll Kinlochbervie Gaerloch

Scotland 5 DAYS 28 HRS 12 HRS 6 HRS 11 HRS 26 HRS 4 HRS 34 HRS 45 HRS 6HRS 57 HRS 12 HRS 35 HRS 3 HRS 4 HRS 14.5 HRS 17 HRS 51 HRS 30 HRS

Tobermory T obermory Oban

Stranraer

North Sea

England

Milford Haven

Plymouth

English Channel France

Hornvik

Outward Journey Part 1 Homeward Journey Part 2

Ocean

Scalloway

Foula

Fair Isle

Norwegian Sea Gulf of Bothnia Norway Sweden

Scotland Baltic Sea

enmark we were jolly lucky not to get blown ashore on my behalf, with potentially D conclusive in Loch Eriboll; it was only John’s vigilance results for our adventure. It rained and Sea helm, with lazy that kept us off the beach. Having heard having been aware North from the warning of an imminent SE F8 on the Inshore man’s inertia, of the poorly stowed fore-lug ny Forecast we turned towards Loch the price was paid, fortunately not in full, G e r m a Waters E n and g l a sail n d washed overboard in the Eriboll for shelter. Once tucked in a small when yard bay with the anchor holding, we settled Cape Wrath overfalls. Once alongside it was down to get slowly roasted by the enormous fairly difficult to get on board, because one wood burning stove. Steam rising off the wet moment it was level with the bulwark and English Channel oilskins accompanied murmurs of pleasure the next 3ft below the waterline. Later on France

ST182 Iceland_sj_jf_cj_SJ_gf_JF.indd 73

at our comfortable situation as the wind rose.

John (normally admirably quiet) spoke words of alarm, which caused the crew to vacate the comfort of the cabin in a terrible hurry.

Seaman Hingley fired up the engine as John and I boggled at the proximity of the shingle beach. The bows had paid off with the force of the wind and it was difficult to get her back up. Furthermore, by now we were on the wrong side of a small moored boat with

JUNE 2012 SAILING TODAY 73

16/4/12 16:28:39

Developed, tested and worn by Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson Olympic, World and European Champions Discover more at www.clarks.co.uk/sailing

ST182_132obc.indd 132

13/04/2012 16:10