Sailing Today April 2013

SAILING TODAY

192

APRIL 2013

GROUP TEST: SIX YACHT TRACKERS USED BOAT TEST: SCANMAR 33

APRIL 2013 ISSUE192

CRUISING TRANSATLANTIC

ADVENTURE

Sailing the Atlantic

• MY MARINA: YARMOUTH HARBOUR

Could you take on the ARC? NEW BOAT TEST

Family flyer

Powered up in Bavaria’s 33C

NEW YACHTS FOR 2013 SPECIAL REPORT AND PHOTOS

• NEW: BAVARIA 33C

• USED: SCANMAR 33

• 6 SECURITY TRACKERS TESTED

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Yarmouth Harbour Jewel of the Western Solent

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news & views

Sailing newS from around the uK

Shackleton

Re-created

T

he crew of the Alexandra Shackleton have completed their daunting re-creation of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s rescue mission of 1916.

The team of six British and Australian adventurers finally concluded their remarkable 800 nautical mile voyage across the Southern Ocean, from Elephant Island to South Georgia in a 22ft replica of the James Caird.

Three members of the team then went on to cross the rugged peaks of South Georgia.

Perhaps more impressive than the distance and time was the endurance shown by the crew as they battled the elements in traditional 1916 clothing on the exact replica boat. Along the way, they have witnessed 50kn storms in the southern ocean, struggled with sleep deprivation as all six

men attempted to sleep in the same tiny boat and problems with trench foot from the endless damp and cold.

“These early explorers were iron men in wooden boats and while modern man mostly travels around in iron vessels, I hope we’ve been able to emulate some of what they achieved,” commented expedition leader,Tim Jarvis on completion of the epic.“There’s no doubt in my mind that everyone has a Shackleton double in them and I hope we’ve inspired a few people to find theirs.”

The epic was manned by: Expedition Leader – Tim Jarvis, Skipper – Nick Bubb, Mountain Leader – Barry Gray, Sailor and Navigator – Paul Larsen, Expedition Bosun – Seb Coulthard and Expedition Cameraman – Ed Wardle.

TRagic loSS Five crew are dead after a routine Lifeboat drill went wrong aboard a Thomson operated cruise ship, in the Canary Islands on 10 February.

The five crew were aboard a lifeboat as it was lowered over the side of the ship into the water. On raising the boat, one of the cables snapped plunging it upside down into the sea.

Four of the staff on the lifeboat were pronounced dead at the scene and a fifth was pronounced dead later.

06 April 2013

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Send Your StorieS to newS@SailingtodaY.Co.uK

Moth’s

Dinghies on show The rYA Dinghy Show is fast approaching; set to take place over the weekend of 2-3 March. Over 200 exhibitors from sailing clubs, classes and associations to commercial businesses will fill the exhibition halls at the Alexandra palace.

There are a number of special events taking

Months

Gypsy Moth IV, the boat in which Sir Francis Chichester circumnavigated the globe in 1967, has announced its 2013 summer programme.

forcing workers to evacuate as the fire brigade was called in to quench the flames.

This incident follows one in 2011 when a £9 million Sunseeker went up in flames days before it was due for transport to its new owner.

Similar concerns were raised this time as the shed contained the brand new £18 million boat currently under construction for F1 legend Eddie Jordan. The boat is said to be undamaged, however and workers were back in the following day.

place over the weekend. in particular, the Jack Holt designed Mirror Dinghy class are celebrating their 50th anniversary and will have a number of Mirrors through the ages on display.

There are also set to be many competitions and prizes up for grabs.

After taking part in the Round the Island Race on 1 June, she will be at the Panerai British Classic Week.The plan then involves a return visit to Plymouth from 19 July, coinciding at the end of the week with the Plymouth Classic Regatta. She will return to Falmouth for a week from 23 August. Passage making opportunities will be available between ports of call.

The Trust will also be making the yacht available for private and corporate bookings.

Fire Fire!

Sunseeker got away with limited damage when their poole factory caught fire,

DON’T MISS OUR SISTER TITLES

Dates for the london Boat Show 2014 have been confirmed following the success of the 2013 edition.

The new-for-2013 format where the whole show took place in the South Hall of the Excel centre is set to remain. Feedback from industry figures and visitors alike suggested this to be a popular decision, making for a more condensed and therefore exciting show.

The london Boat Show will now take place one week earlier in order to avoid any overlapping with the Dusseldorf Boat Show.

The new revised dates for the london Boat Show in 2014 are 4-12 January. More information can be found at www.londonboatshow.com

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i

PHoTo: Jo STeWaRT

show shift

Classic Boat APrIl 2013

in aPRil’S claSSic BoaT

The closest Vendée Globe ever - exclusive Magic interviews with the top boats who made it round the wIN of a Merlin world in less than 80 days ■ Switching from crewing to helming - Olympic TOP 20 medal-winning crew Stu Bithell tells us how he went on to win the Merlin nationals BOSSING IT! ■ Key stories - three winning tales from a glorious Key West Race Week ■ Plus new boats, including a focus on the Ker 40, the latest events, news and comment

■ AWARDS Results. Our readers have voted… now Get out on the water!

300 Events to find out who won.

■ James Cagney’s boat, the American schooner Martha, has been restored to sail (with no dirty rats aboard).

■ Owning a Peter Duck ketch: Ransome hated the design when it was created for him but it’s a lot of boat in 28 foot ■ Crossing the Channel in a 14ft clinker dinghy – hairy stuff ■ Electronics update – and a proposal of marriage from the Mid-Atlantic using a Yellow Brick

£4.30 ISSUE N°1660 APRIL 2013

yOur vEry OwN SaIlING dINGhy!

MAST MendIng

Expert tips on how to go faster

Exclusive insight on the closest Vendee yet

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T h e W o r l d’ s M o s T BeAUTIFUl BoATs

Award winner as voteds by you

in our worldwide guide

MArThA . MALLArd . MASerTI.

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by Olympian Stu Bithell

APrIL 2013 . ISSUe no 298

■

CLASSIC BOAT

in aPRil’S YacHTS & YacHTing

James Cagney’s schooner restored

Ransome was wRong!

Love a (Peter) Duck

CRossing to the ChanneL isLes

In a 14–footer

PRoPosing fRom mid-atLantiC

Electronic wizardry

April 2013 07

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Photos: RicK BuettneR

New boat test

April 2013 13

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Bavaria 33c

Bavaria 33C

Changes to the styling of Bavaria’s new 33ft cruising yacht have improved her looks no end, but do the improvements result in a more user-friendly yacht?

Duncan Kent took her out on a blustery February day to find out.

12 April 2013

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the Arc

A voyage of

self discovery Sailing across the Atlantic: Columbus first did it in 1492 and in recent times an ever increasing procession of yachts has followed his lead. Why? Sam Jefferson joined the hordes on the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers to find out.

26 April 2013

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I

t was on our second day out from Las Palmas, less than 200 miles into our 3,000 mile journey that I was overcome with nausea. It wasn’t that I felt seasick – I am thankfully not troubled by that ailment – it was simply that I suddenly became aware of the enormity of the Atlantic. We were alone, six people trapped on a very small boat for the foreseeable future and all we were going to see was this vast unfathomable stretch of water. I began to tremble, my knees buckled and I headed for my berth in order to get a grip on things.

Prior to this, there had been little time for serious musing on what I was undertaking. My girlfriend, Ivory, and I had decided to take part in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers with little more reason than we didn’t want to shell out on an air fare. We had signed up on Coral IV, a Norwegian Hanse 462 via the World Cruising Club’s ARC forum, and spent the past few days helping to prepare the vessel. The pontoons of Las Palmas marina had been a circus as the 200 plus fleet prepared for departure. In between the seminars, drinks parties and endless chats with yachting bores, it was very tricky to get a handle on what we were actually doing.

gusting up to 35kn and there was a 3m swell running. Conditions weren’t dangerous, but they were challenging. I was rather fascinated as hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of hardware were put under more strain than their manufacturers would have liked. The modern yacht is rarely more than an auxiliary motor vessel, a floating caravan with all the same luxuries. Now suddenly 200 or so of these creations were undertaking what was ostensibly their primary role: to sail. I can only compare it to organising a caravanning convention at the top of some alpine mountain and then urging the entrants to race their unwieldy vehicles to the bottom via a steep off road track.

The result was fascinating and threw the absurdity of modern cruising into sharp relief. You are so cosseted down below, that it is easy to forget you are actually in a tiny, insignificant craft afloat on an unimaginable ocean. Thus it was that first night; down below on many yachts, the off watch grumbled as their USB cable for their electric tin opener was malfunctioning or their built in TV and DVD player skipped occasionally in the heavy swell,

Setting up twin foresails was a stress free set-up for dead downwind sailing.

We set off straight into the tailend of a huge low pressure.

A rough stArt Even at the start things didn’t really sink in; the main emotion was relief at finally leaving the grimy fug of Las Palmas behind. The start had been postponed by two days which hadn’t helped, and now we were racing across the line with hundreds of other yachts, trying desperately not to hit anyone in the melee.

That first night there was little room for repose. The fleet had been fired out into open ocean into the tail end of a low pressure system; winds were

it soon became clear that cultural and temperamental differences might well tear this crew apart.

April 2013 27

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Solent serenity toby heppell gets the low-down on the isle of Wight’s Yarmouth Harbour, an idyllic little stop-over in the West Solent.

Indeed, we quickly became aware of how tight-knit the community is when we started asking locals for their opinions of the best places to shop. Usually interviewees are quick to select a favourite but in Yarmouth people would say the name of a place before adding ‘that’s not to say Kevin’s isn’t any good though, oh and if we are mentioning Kevin we need to talk about Tracy’s fish and chips…’ This made

the Old Gaffers Festival attracts some beautiful boats.

discovering the best spots to have a bite to eat tricky and in other circumstances might have been outright frustrating if it hadn’t been so heartwarming. Besides, it is all but impossible to get wound up here and the slow pace of life and smiles seem to infect visitors shortly after disembarking the ferry.

Photo: Ken Wiper ©Yarmouth harbour commissioners

Y

armouth is awash with history, first being mentioned way back in 991AD. The town became prominent much later thanks to the castle built there by Henry VIII – an attempt to protect the then often-invaded Solent and south coast of England.

In years gone by Yarmouth had a strong fishing industry but today it seems the town gains most of its business from tourism, with the harbour featuring heavily on this front. There is still a working fishing fleet but this appears to be increasingly giving way to jaunts around the bay or mackerel fishing trips.

Yarmouth itself gives off the air of sleepy, traditional Britain, replete with – we are told – pancake races, festivities on the green and a rubber duck race down the river Yar. In fact, a handful of minutes spent here gives you the distinct impression it could have been the set for the Vicar of Dibley or some such nostalgic TV show harking back to a bygone age.

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Photo: teecee ©Yarmouth harbour commissioners

Photo: tracey cooper

Yarmouth harbour

bErthING aND FaCIlItIEs FACilitieS:

loCal bErth holDEr DAVID KENNETT – 33FT MOTOR LAUNCH

Arriving at Yarmouth Harbour and chatting with David, it is initially unclear which has been here the longest, the harbour or the man. I jest of course but Dave – as he prefers to be known – has been involved here in various ways since his early teens – he is somewhat older now.

Dave is the proud owner of a 33ft motor launch, which he has had for the last ten years. Previously he has been Coxswain of the Yarmouth Lifeboat (25 years in total), has had a number of jobs and businesses in the local area and lives in a house overlooking the harbour. In short, he appears to be the authority on all things in and around Yarmouth.

Principally, what David enjoys about the area is the sense of community not just in the harbour itself but in the town as a whole. This sense of local community is partly enforced with permanent berths –

around 250 in all – only being available for those living within a 7 mile radius of the Yarmouth church spire – though their 250 visitor berths are obviously not limited.

In a similar vein, another big draw is what can only be described as the continuous community events and regattas that take place, particularly in the summer months. Perhaps the biggest of these is the Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival in May. Another event Dave is particularly fond of is the Needles Relief, which started life as a supply trip to those working in the Needles lighthouse. However, it has since become something more like a small celebration and cruise as the lighthouse is now fully automated, needing no supplies.

Calor Gas & Camping Gaz Crane up to 5 ton disabled Facilities electricity Fuel launderette Showers – prepaid tokens only Slipways Waste disposal Water & ice Wi-Fi

hArBOUr dUeS Prices based on a 35ft boat from April 2013 for friday, Saturday and public holidays, cheaper rates apply at both different times and sizes of boat, see the Yarmouth Harbour website (www.yarmouth-harbour.co.uk) or contact the harbour on +44 (0)1983 760321 for more details.

Walk Ashore moorings – £34 Walk Ashore Finger Pontoon – £37 moorings (except walk ashore) – £20.50 Short Stay moorings – £9.50 Anchorage (outer harbour) – £5.00

Have any Yarmouth Yarns? let us know on twitter @Sailingtodaymag

April 2013 49

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vinyl wrapping...represents a cheaper alternative to spruce your boat up

PHOTO: GUY FOAN

SPRING CLEANING

54 APRIL 2013

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It is surprising how quickly pins can work themselves free.

Safety kit needs regular servicing.

Sail repairs and are often required pre-season.

Toby Heppell runs over some of the vital checks and spruce up hints needed before launching for the new season.

A

few short weeks ago – or so it always seems – I was putting my pride and joy to bed, with whispered promises of winter make-overs. Now Christmas is long gone, ditto the January diet, the days are getting longer and it is with a light cursing I realise the season is upon me once more. All the jobs I promised would be completed are, at best half done but it is now time to abandon them and look to the list of vital tasks before launching for what we all hope will be a long, hot summer.

Some of the advice here may have been undertaken as part of your over-wintering preparation and there may be boat specific jobs required not listed, so this is by no means exhaustive. It does, however represent the minimum I might check, repair and or otherwise replace before I was happy launching my boat.

SAFETY Advice given to me some years ago that I have since heeded is to keep a running log of all the service/ replacement dates of all safety kit onboard. It is then very easy to check the top of the list for what needs doing before the end of the coming season and get it all done before launch – do remember to add the dates of any new or serviced kit.

Obviously flares require checking over for any damage, ensuring they are within date and replacing if not. It is also worth taking time to consider the container within which the flares are stored. On many occasions I have seen them located in inaccessible spots, or containers so large the flares can rattle around and get damaged. The main thing here though is that the case is watertight.

Liferafts require servicing at regular intervals so check this before launching. If in need of a service this will require a professional safety company to complete. The ‘due date’ for this service will be written on the side of the raft.

Lifejackets should be checked for a service date if needed. I like to manually inflate mine and leave

them blown up for a few hours to check for leaks.

Use a hand pump as saliva does them no good.

Check jackstay webbing and the point at which it connects to the decks – usually a shackle – for signs of wear and replace if necessary. Jackstays do suffer from UV degradation, so note when you buy them and replace on a regular basis. There are those who might say you can hand repair webbing or the stitching. I am inclined to think that, although there are many areas in sailing we can save money, jackstays are one area I am happy to spend it.

Check stanchions and lifelines for signs of wear.

When it comes to lifelines I will usually run a light felt cloth or ball of wool along the length of the wires, which gives an easy indication of any slight breaks in the threads. This is a process I also tend to use when checking shrouds and stays (see the sails/ rigging section). All that is really required for stanchions is a firm tug to ensure they remain wellseated and a quick visual check for any signs of hairline cracking etc.

Finally we need to check gas hoses and connectors for kinks and signs of wear and replace where necessary. Gas piping these days has a ‘use until’ date, if yours does not I recommend you change it for new piping.

SAILS/RIGGING Hopefully, sails will have been hosed down, inspected and repaired ahead of the winter; the sails should have then been dried with battens removed and put away in a dry storage space. If not, they will want checking over for mould, tears or patches of wear and weakness. Batten pockets should be given particular attention, as should all reefing points and cringles.

Sticking with sails, now is a good time to thoroughly clean and lubricate either sail slugs or boltrope and ensure you have done the same to the track in the mast and on the forestay for said slugs or boltrope.

When it comes to rigging I would recommend checking all halyards and lines for wear/chaffing

WRAPPING UP?

If hull stains are deeply ingrained it is unlikely they can be fully polished out. Options after that are fairly limited and have traditionally involved re-gelcoating.

Today, boat owners have another option in the form of vinyl wrapping.

This represents a cheaper alternative to spruce your boat up but will need replacing after about a decade.

The Sweden Yachts 54 on p52 recently had her topsides transformed by wildgroupinternational. com

APRIL 2013 55

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BIGGER BETTER BRIGHTER!

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SAILING TODAY, the magazine for adventurous sailors, is getting bigger, better and brighter.

Always renowned for our top-notch cruising stories and rigorous product testing, we continue to inspire and enhance the sailing lifestyle with great coverage of the best places, boats, people, new gear and practical ideas.

And from next month our most popular features will be joined by a host of new ones, including: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Exquisitely crafted tales of adventure near and far Return of the much-loved Gull’s Eye marina guide Interviews with leading sailors bigger, better, brighter !

Entertaining new columnists Cruising Clinic, where experts answer your questions All-new sailing skills section

23

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SAiling TODAY may 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk £4.20

sail better i go FurtHer

South to the sun

HEADING HERE XXXX

Ebb and flow S EVENTS / GOSSIP / NEW

MUNITY FROM THE SAILING COM

ATLANTIC RALLY

line Once across the finish the crew dived into the to warm Caribbean water relax both cool down and

sets sail First ever Oyster rally

Chipping Norton YC opens for business

Safety are Safety experts, Ocean to familiarise inviting yacht owners al safety themselves with essenti company throws equipment when the ers at its its doors open to custom on 16/17 offices in Southampton th.

February and Plymou along bring to invited Sailors are other liferafts, lifejackets, and ent to be serviceable safety equipm s expert checked by Ocean Safety’ e to turn up team. Everyone is welcom strations to watch general demon day - but if you held throughout the liferaft inflated want to see your own and checked or equipment opened

of Marc Guillemot, skipper TC) Safran, line at 10:22 local (14:22U l the French racing yacht giving AFTER OVER 3,300 nautica on 7 December 2012, fined £9,381 and Vaquita of 12 days, has been miles the Class 40 yacht of £4,125 them an elapsed time ordered to pay costs s in the has taken line honour in way hours. wrong 1:37 from for traveling the line ARC 2012, having sailed Once across the finish 12 days. the Dover Strait Traffic warm Gran Canaria in just over the crew dived into the the Separation Scheme (TSS). to both cool Vaquita blasted across water the ean in back Caribb d As reporte the crew finish line at 14kn with celebrate their Today in front of down and August edition of Sailing of those pushing the boat hard Lizard success, to the delight (ST184) Guillemot left tional or the local and interna 6 June cheering from the spectat Saint Point in Cornwall on media in Rodney Bay, ake a record boats alongside. undert to The 2012, ber. f Petter, Lucia, on 7 Decem sail Skippered by Christo the attempt for the fastest leading Austrian crew of six crossed m Vaquita, had a crew of around the United Kingdo , Austrian sailors aboard and Ireland. mp, the including Andreas Hanaka At 11.43pm that night Ocean Volvo

by Dover former Team Russia Frenchman was seen time two in a North Race skipper and Coastguard, traveling sailed an the South Olympic star. The yacht Easterly direction, in from extreme northerly route of the TSS. On the 7 g speeds of West lane failed to Gran Canaria, clockin June at 4am, the yacht g. crossin the during riate 25kn up to proceed in the approp traffic This is the team’s third traffic lane in the Sunk in the its During . consecutive year racing separation scheme ng the nt ships ARC, each time favouri passage, several mercha each time a avoid northerly passage, and to altered course the route has paid off.

23

d Private navy assemble to fight pirates

e wind park Developers of an offshor nt reductions have announced significa an area just off to their plans for the e. coastlin the Isle of Wight’s wind farm, the behind y The compan Ltd, have Navitus Bay Development that the revised plans and stated result of change was a direct k received. consultation feedbac moving the The changes include out to sea and development further These making it smaller in scale. d to reduce the changes are designe main areas three visual impact on s and Durlston Head, The Needle

ALL ARE DELIGHTED Her Majesty The Queen has announced that the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Service has been awarded The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering

A whole host of rallies have been planned in various location around the United Kingdom

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rates 20 years in style Tonnerres de Brest celeb exclusive g a significant milestone iation will be celebratin iation The Old Gaffers assoc 50 years old. The assoc e of 2013 as they reach cours own jubilee. the t ghou throu commemorate their very to ed plann s s event has a plethora of Jubilee Festival in Cowe OGA the be will h whic Perhaps the biggest of be music, games, food, ded in this event will from 15-18 August. Inclu

bluewater luxury

Southerly’s new 47 takes

you anywhere ita in comfort 40ft success for Vaqu nautical AFTER OVER 3,300 Vaquita miles the Class 40 yacht s in the has taken line honour from ARC 2012, having sailed over 12 Gran Canaria in just days. the Vaquita blasted across the crew finish line at 14kn with in front of pushing the boat hard tional the local and interna

down and celebrate their Saint of those media in Rodney Bay, success, to the delight The or Lucia, on 7 December. cheering from the spectat the Austrian crew of six crossed boats alongside.

TC) (14:22U local f line at 10:22 Skippered by Christo giving 2012, ber a Decem on 7 Vaquita, had crew of of 12 days, Petter, time elapsed an sailors them leading Austrian s 1:37 hours. aboard, including Andrea line Russia Once across the finish Hanakamp, former Team warm and the crew dived into the Volvo Ocean Race skipper cool The star. ic Caribbean water to both Olymp two time e extrem an sailed yacht Gran northerly route from of up Canaria, clocking speeds g. to 25kn during the crossin This is the team’s third in the consecutive year racing ng the ARC, each time favouri each northerly passage, and off. time the route has paid aEt Et magnis am nem vellend sit hitate nimusam volupta m simus arumquam il minciu tur peri oditeces dolupta Itas as simFaccatempori dio. alit que rem labo. Ita cuptatisit odis nonsequide omnietur, est, unte eiciur, que autTium consere ea sam quam catempori perumluptatur simFac

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Your guide to the best new clothing for serious sailors

Win turkiSh holiday Win a dream charter for four in the Med

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CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES

On test

4

electric Windlass

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‘The islands have a vibrant mu tradition, best expressed in sical harmonies of the steel dru the ms’

2013 sailingtoday.co.uk April

Left: This mahi-mahi stood no chance against the battery of trolling lures and fish exciters Summer Song deployed Right: I had imagined much more US-style development, but even Nassau had a sleepy Caribbean feel to it.

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2

‘One thing you don’t want in your ground tackle setup is doubt’

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YACHTS YACHTING

3

2 Chain gypsy . including dissimilar metals quia debis vellupt r gasket Baham es ew weeks ago I mentioned as The unit comes with a rubbe asperum aut eos isn’t that the windlass was which thick, mm 2 that is about nobit eos eostrup I any of severely corroded and that clear up taspicium, offictat enough raise the unit was planning to repair or old windlass, omnis debit modis et water on the shelf. On the ed replace it. When I remov the gasket lant, cus, sinctet fugiat. water had seeped between a worked and it from the boat and got g housin um Id maximaxima quis del and the alumin the it, of side matter under simple the a look at ipsant ullupti volupta It would have been screws The . severe corrosion was pretty au to mold a riser into the Benete for cast the bly to that hold the gypsy assem or perhaps make the shelf, ss windla completely water would aluminum housing were shelf slanted enough that PB Blaster made this frozen and no amount of run off, which might have the corrosion could loosen them, and essary. Anyway, once the unnec t projec severe was it on the fitted checkI around the mounting studs made was plate about the windlass. I also took enough to give me doubt the opportunity to entire base of the back all the screws for casting. One thing you the gypsy and back don’t want in your cover out and give ground tackle is them a liberal coat of doubt, so last weekend 3 Rope attachment m aut Tef-Gel before I replaced the entire es quia debis vellupt asperu um, re-tightening them, unit, and while I was eos nobit eos eostrup taspici et lant, and did the same to at it I built a spacer offictat omnis debit modis to studs ard axima the mounting out of StarBo cus, sinctet fugiat.Id maxim a tinist before installing them. raise the windlass up quis del ipsant ullupti volupt beats Tef-Gel so that whenever there As far as I know, nothing in the mating parts, is water standing on its shelf for preventing seizing of in it. sitting be not will it , . anchor locker including dissimilar metals matter r gasket It would have been a simple The unit comes with a rubbe into the gypsy and which isn’t for Beneteau to mold a riser back all the screws for the that is about 2 mm thick, s make the perhap or of any them a liberal clear shelf, ss up windla back cover out and give enough raise the unit would water ss, that h tening shelf slanted enoug of Tef-Gel before re-tigh the shelf. On the old windla on coat water this made to the the gasket run off, which might have them, and did the same water had seeped between ay, once the ing them. worked install and g before housin studs project unnecessary. Anyw um ting alumin moun and the it on the beats Tef-Gel matter for plate was made I check-fitted As far as I know, nothing It would have been a simple opportunity to g parts, windlass. I also took the to mold a riser into the preventing seizing of matin au for Benete and gypsy . s make the back all the screws for the including dissimilar metals windlass shelf, or perhap them a liberal r gasket would rubbe a water with that h comes back cover out and give enoug unit The shelf slanted tening which isn’t made this coat of Tef-Gel before re-tigh that is about 2 mm thick, run off, which might have to the of any them, and did the same essary. Anyway, once the h raise the unit up clear unnec t enoug projec them. ing old windlass, it on the mounting studs before install water on the shelf. On the plate was made I check-fitted beats Tef-Gel opportunity to As far as I know, nothing windlass. I also took the mating parts, for preventing seizing of

28

We compared...

1

chris edwards our anchoring expert best the explains how to pick and compares windlass for the job to offer what the market has

23

Vertical axis

m aut es quia debis vellupt asperu um, eos nobit eos eostrup taspici et lant, offictat omnis debit modis axima maxim Id cus, sinctet fugiat. tinist a quis del ipsant ullupti volupt

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Chain gypsy

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Id maximaxima quis del

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NEW LOOK

idignimus. omnia Xerum rectoribus, aliqui  Contact: Lowrance, am nonessi dundanis volori www.lowrance.com i tetur facest et ius aut pliquod coral-strewn £1,099 From Yellow  Price: Bank, the Exumas antium eatemod erum aut provided a dreamy 10 days of exploring.

The reputation for difficul t pilotage was overblown. On the other hand, there were empty coves and beache s, astonishing turquoise water and plentiful fish. It was with slightly heavy hearts that we set sail on a 900-mile voyage to the Chesapeake Bay in late May, leavened only by the last minute recruitment of our old shipma te Graham for the passage.

The Chesapeake is a huge and varied cruising ground, but it was now June, and we zigzagged quickly up the 120-mile long bay toward s the C&D Canal, an inland shortcu t on the passage to New York. The highlight was anchoring in the centre of beautiful Annapolis.

Bahamas

demands of an ocean passage . With extra crew, Chris and Elise, it took just two days to provision, refuel and make everything shipshape for the off. We spent our last night alongsi de in the expensive but lovely Newpo rt Shipyard, then set sail into 18 knots from the southwest.

We soon settled into the 24-hour rhythm of a long passage and followed the 39th parallel, to stay clear of ice and shipping. Conditions remain ed benign despite some strong winds and towering swell.

After just 15 days and one whale, we reached Flores, the western most of the Azores group, and an island festooned with blue hydrangeas. It is often said that Caribbean cruisers find the Azores one of their most pleasan t stops, and so it was with us.

But at this late stage of the trip, the urge to finish passage making and hang up our wet weather gear was strong. I was also anxious about passing into the band of depressions that march across the North Atlantic, so we were glad to slip our berth on 8 August . We made landfall at the Lizard by dusk on the eleventh day after nothin g more worrying than a calamitous drop in temperature and some heavy rain. As we rounded Anvil Point and bore away 23 towards Old Harry, the Needles gleamed to the east and we were transfixed by the beauty of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.

We slid in past the Sandba nks chain ferry on the last of the flood and made our way through a busy Poole Harbour to the Town Quay. The rain could not dampen the joy at seeing my family again, dripping on the quay, and we soon moved to the pub for a long dreamed-of pint of ale.

It would be a stern constit ution

ON SAL MARCH E 28

Lowrance Precision X

tumet untiusam untia doloraline New York sky ditas integrationNam, es destis dolescidem res culpa que Later, pedi eaManhattan’s fabled skyline took ea veritatur, suntiumquis quodios eum, simodi our breath quam, dem away as to we swoope quiaec d by the dellaut reprorerum Statue of Liberty il enditatumqu re di doluptat , close past the i tet quo dolor sit moluptam, esed skyscrapers of Wall ut qui des cum nos ea que vit Street and under blandande si invendebis the Brooklyn Bridge ruptate poa ticklishnis as dit a . After eatem passage up the East River, idignimus. we motored omnia to nearby Xerum rectoribus, aliqui Port Washin Lowrance, gton, t: where  Contac Many of the old rules amyachts visiting dundanis volori restrictingnones canwww.l access tosibays spend owran ce.com two free and ports have beenet nightsi tetur ius aut pliquod on the town moorings. facest lifted, From £1,099 but the waters Price: are often auttime runnin With antium eatemod erum g short, we made for Cape Cod and sailed through fog to Martha’s Vineyard, where town, and we used it as a presidents oday.co.uk base camp, take their summer holiday April 2013 sailingt but it still boasts an astonis s. At the hingly skipper’s insistence, we pressed beautiful beach. For explori on ng by boat, through the fog to the legend many of the old rules restrict ary ing access whaling community of Nantuc to bays and ports have been ket, lifted, but before backtracking to the the waters are often shallow yachting and poorly mecca of Newport. charted.

Homewards via the Azores Cuba is well within the hurrica ne Preparations for our return belt, and we wanted to be crossing heading were much quicker than north before the end of May. they had been With three in Gran Canari a. The boat was in good weeks to spare, we hitched a ride With slightly heavy shape and we had a clearer idea towards the Bahamas on hearts that we set of the the Gulf sail on a 900-mile Stream. At about the latitude of Miami, voyage to the we turned east across the Chesape ake Bay Great Bahamas Bank. For two mirror-calm nights in a row, we simply dropped the hook on the shallow bank for a motionless night, out of sight of land. It was a totally unique anchor age, utterly outside any of my previou s sailing experience.

In fact, the Bahamas were an unexpectedly pleasure all round. I had imagined US-style develop ment, but even Nassau had a sleepy Caribbean feel to it. Thirty miles away over the

may 2013 sailingtoday.co.u k

29

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18/02/2013 10:47

gear & equiPment

group test Lost your boat?

Duncan Kent get to grips with a selection of the latest GSM/GPS boat tracking devices.

D

o you ever sit at home worrying whether your boat has parted from her mooring and is headed for the beach, or she’s been stolen and is on her way abroad? Or maybe you fancy dropping the hook and slipping ashore for a meal, but don’t fancy losing sight of her? A tracker could be just the thing for your peace of mind.

GPS trackers provide an excellent way for you or worried family to keep an eye out for your boat at all times. Briefly, it’s a small black box containing a GPS receiver and a GSM/GPRS (cell phone) transceiver.

The GPS then keeps an up-to-the-minute electronic position log, which can either be interrogated via mobile phone or online.

Most can also be set up to transmit alert messages via SMS or email to authorised contacts set up by the end user.

There are many different types of tracker, some of which have more functions than others. If you simply want to keep an eye out for your boat on an occasional basis, then the most basic will do. If, you’d like extra features such as bilge, battery or security alarm notification, then expect to pay a little extra. More sophisticated devices are also available that enable the remote control of some functions onboard – such as turning on your heating etc., but in this article we concentrate mainly on their tracking and alert functions.

SubScribe or not?

Most of the lower cost trackers are designed to be self-monitored. Either you or the supplier provide a SIM card (PAYG or contract; roaming for abroad), enabling it to send text messages – either directly to your phone or to a monitoring centre that either feeds them into a web tracking package or forwards them to a chosen email inbox.

The only costs involved with the simple units that send messages via SMS is the initial outlay on equipment, plus the SIM costs. Obviously, if you choose to have it monitored by a control centre it’s going to cost you more – usually an annual subscription of between £75-£200 on top.

ProgramS and aPPS

geofence boundary – this is a user-

Each device has its own method of handling things, so in addition to choosing the equipment to suit your needs it’s equally important to select the system that’s right for you.

The majority of suppliers allow you to download either a smartphone application or a web software package to help you access the tracking data in the most convenient way. Clearly you’re not going to want to receive a text message every minute telling you that your boat is right where you left her, so all the devices have certain user-defined detection parameters that can be set. These usually come under the following headings:

defined, electronic virtual boundary, beyond which your boat should not move of its own accord. Obviously, if you’re on a swinging mooring or at anchor you would need to allow for her swinging with the tide, so you wouldn’t enter a geofence radius of 10m!

movement detection – a feature primarily designed for land use – a boat or dinghy on a trailer, for instance. On detection of continued movement over a timed period, the unit transmits an early warning alert that someone might be tampering with your boat. This feature is usually in addition to a geofence alert.

62 April 2013

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gSm/gPS tracKing SyStemS

proDuCts testeD...

GARMIN GU10 – £149.99

The smallest tested, but still with builtin GpS/GSM antennae and a li-ion battery for up to four weeks use.

The device utilises a web-based tracking service provided by Garmin that enables you to receive location alerts via email or text, and you can also pinpoint its location on a map via a web browser, compatible smartphone and even some Garmin Nuvi satnavs.

One year’s Standard service is included, allowing unlimited emails, 25 texts per month and web interrogation.

The Deluxe service offers continuous tracking, daily reports and 50 texts.

ignition detection – some of the devices we tested also allow the detection of engine ignition into their parameter calculation, which can help you to define the problem more selectively.

Units that have these are then able to let you know in the alert if the boat has moved with or without the ignition being turned on. This will tell you if your boat has simply slipped its mooring accidentally, or whether someone has driven it away.

Some units even allow you to turn the ignition or fuel supply off remotely.

Personally I think that might lead to further problems and even more chance of your boat being damaged! Better to use the control relay to set off a loud alarm.

Set up: The unit is charged and

activated by connecting it to your pC’s USB port. You must create a ‘myGarmin’ account online, after which you can view the location of the tracker via the online map or interrogate its position on a smartphone, provided you have downloaded the (free) Garmin Tracker app (Apple or Android).

The system enables 10 named

Geofences to be set and up to five email recipients can be entered, along with the frequency of position updating required (more frequent updates = higher battery consumption).

in the box: USB cable, carrying

case, adhesive strip, karabiner, manual.

accessories: 12Vdc power cable costs

Standard: £45pa after the first year.

Deluxe: £4 per month extra.

verdict

★★★

Easy to charge from any USB port, but it needs permanent power if you want to monitor it continuously.

Annoyingly, to change the settings you have to turn the tracker off and back on – not ideal if the unit’s onboard and you’re at home!

Otherwise it’s a neat little device that is versatile, simple to set up and, being so portable, is very convenient to use. The initial cost is reasonable, considering the technology involved, and the standard annual tracking fee of £3.75 per month after the first year isn’t a lot more than you’d pay for a pAYG SiM card anyway.

Note that this device is not set up for roaming, so will only work in UK and Ni coastal waters within GSM/GprS range.

contact

Garmin (Europe) 023 8052 4000 www.garmin.com/uk

April 2013 63

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