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MYSAILING.COM.AU
Cruise on the wild side Tackling Tassie’s west coast Sailing ships resurgence
In praise of steel a viable alternative
BOAT TEST We test the Jeanneau 440
PRACTICAL
Bilge pump basics
AUGUST 2018
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
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CONTENTS
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48 28 PRACTICAL
DESTINATION
32 BOATS TO SEE AT SIBS
14 WILD WEST
This second year in Sydney’s new exhibition halls promises to be bigger than the first. But Cruising Helmsman takes a closer look at what will be available to view in the pond. Lots of new arrivals from all the major boat builders from around the world. Have a read and plan ahead as to what you want to visit.
Tasmania has always been a destination favourite but too often the west coast is neglected due to the difficulty in getting there and its wild reputation. Christine Danger took her catamaran and found it is a lot easier than she thought and way more fantastic than she ever imagined. It just takes a little planning.
40 JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 440
20 OLD TIME TRADING TURNS PROFITABLE
As a precursor to the boat show, Cruising Helmsman took the latest Jeanneau showpiece out for a spin. In what was expected to be another standard boat test of a standard 44 footer, this yacht has come out with a few tricks to get you thinking.
46 IDEAS LOCKER
Don’t look after them and you may well pay with the loss of your yacht, such a simple piece of equipment but it is not so simple on selecting the best for your boat and making sure it is properly maintained. Bruce Nicholson gets in up to his elbows.
Back in the mists of time, chartmaking was a mystical art as new boundaries were pushed. In this special feature Rob Weatherburn looks back at the history of cartography to see how these remarkable maps were made and set the course for exploration and trade.
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DEPARTMENTS 04 06 10 28 46 72
FROM THE HELM WATERFRONT LETTERS ESSENTIAL KIT IDEAS LOCKER CLASSIFIEDS
MYSAILING.COM.AU
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48 BILGE PUMP BASICS
66 MAPPING HISTORY
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To tie in with our boat show special, editor Petrea McCarthy delivers her experience and knowledge on the ten things you should take note of when peeking into every nook and cranny on a potential yacht purchase at the show.
In this feature article, Rosemary Jilderts takes a look at some enterprising young Norwegians who have rebooted using sailing ships as traders. Sailing between exotic locations with exotic goods to sell to Europe they not only carve out a niche method of trade but also train the next generation of sailors.
Cruise on the wild side Tackling Tassie’s west coast Sailing ships resurgence
In praise of steel a viable alternative
BOAT TEST We test the Jeanneau 440
PRACTICAL
AUGUST 2018
$8.95 (inc. GST) 08
60 IS STEEL THE REAL DEAL? In a world full of mass-production fibreglass yachts, is there still room for other building materials? Rick Page thinks so and explains why steel is much maligned and unfairly so.
Bilge pump basics 9 770812 408004
ON THE COVER This striking new yacht is the Jeanneau 440. See its boat test beginning on page 40. Phil Ross photo.
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
FROM THE HELM
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Festina lente PHIL ROSS – EDITOR GIVEN it is the month of August I thought it might be relevant to start off with a quote from the person after which this month is named: Augustus Caesar. Festina lente, or ‘make haste slowly’ is probably his most famous quote and what a perfect one it is for the cruising sailor. It reminds me of a corollary I heard often used in the armed forces: “hurry up and wait.” However, this quote is slightly different. It hints at the whole concept of going cruising: you want to get somewhere, that is fine but make sure you do it properly and fully prepared otherwise you shall rush into a disaster. Who knew Imperator Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar and the first Roman Emperor, took the time off setting up the Roman Empire to go cruising the Mediterranean! Just goes to show everyone should set this time aside as an imperative. His quote is probably quite appropriate for this month for another reason: the Sydney International Boat Show (SIBS) is upon us; one of my favourite months. Since SIBS has moved into its larger premises there is so much more to see and upon which to gawk. But there is also plenty of things that are but a distraction and will slow you down. Cruising Helmsman is here to help, well, we are trying to help. Just at the centre of the magazine we have a listing of some of the major yacht agencies in Australia describing what they will have on display in the pond at Darling Harbour; because, after all, that is really what we are going to SIBS to see! So, following Augustus’ advice, we should hasten slowly. Take the time to read the article and make your minds up as to which yachts take your fancy. Personally I love to check them all out, what better way to get a good handle on not only what sort of yacht you want but how you would like it set up. I often look at fifty footers and see ideas that are perfectly adaptable to a 35 footer and vice versa. But, naturally, this takes time so one must plan the attack and stay focussed, make haste slowly. Or, you could just come back the next day! The quote in our headline is also the perfect segue into the first destination article in this month’s issue: Sailing the wild side. Here our author explains how they took their catamaran down the formidable west coast of Tasmania.
Having done three Melbourne to Hobart yacht races, plus one Golden Fleece Great Circle Race, I can testify as to how rugged this water can be. But this cruising sailor did not panic; she and her partner planned carefully, provisioned properly and took their time to make sure they could get to Bathurst Harbour in suitable conditions. They had a target and planned to accomplish it; time was not the driver, success of the mission was. While we are on the subject of historic figures, this issue has a bit of an historical bent in two of its articles. Firstly one contributor discusses the history of cartography. Those early map makers must have been worshipped as gods in the early days of maritime exploration. As with most scientific discoveries and adventurous pursuits, it is often accomplished standing upon the shoulders of others. Each new piece of information helps to fill in another hole in the jigsaw puzzle. Fascinating reading. Fascinating too, is the article about the three Norwegians who have begun a successful venture in trading goods from various locations to buyers in the Mediterranean. What sets them apart is that all their goods are transported by sailing ship. As shipping companies begin to research other ways to power their ships, either by sail or solar, these guys are already doing it the old fashioned way. Of course there is lots more in this issue so I will not hold you up anymore. What I will leave you with is the interesting note that Augustus was ruthless, cruel and ambitious; he was devious, untrustworthy and bloodthirsty. Does that read like a lot of captains you know? See you at the show, I will be the one all logoed up and camera-laden. Feel free to stop me and chat. Travel light ≈
EDITOR Phil Ross (02) 9213 8253 philross@yaffa.com.au
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
6
WATERFRONT
Fleet enjoy the Beneteau Pittwater Cup
IMAGES: JOHN CURNOW
A RECORD 28 Beneteaus of all ages and sizes took to Pittwater for the 18th. annual Beneteau Cup. Typically sailed in light nor’easter’s this year was not different. 170 skippers and crew needed to keep a keen eye to propel their craft around the course. Some of the Beneteaus on display were just three weeks old, while others had 30 something years of water under the keel. Eleven of the Beneteau fleet competed in the spinnaker division, which shows a growing trend to take on the larger sails; with the remainder opting for the non-spinnaker division. They ranged from 23 to 50 feet in length and were a grand sight as they motored up to the start at Taylors Point. After wind delays, division one got away cleanly and out came the kites. The best on offer for the day would end up being eight to ten knots in the puffs, but spent a lot of time in the 4kn to 6kn area, or much less if you happened to be unfortunate. Nigel Edgar’s Elysian won the non-spinnaker division, with Phil Dressler’s Czech
Mate in second. Last year’s winner, Kevin Gray’s Eau de Vie came third. The new Beneteau Oceanis 41.1 Performance did so well as to take out the spinnaker division but, as Mike Coxon and Micah Lane from Flagstaff Marine were skippering her, she was instantly classed as
disqualified! This newer generation yacht showed a clean pair of heels when required, especially in the light airs. In the spinnaker division it meant Bob Batchelor with his crew on Beau Soleil won the day. Second was Greg Newton’s Antipodes, which is one of the forty-five footers out there. Paul Eriksson’s crew on Danske had their smart attire on, but could not replicate the full extent of the pace they showed last year due to halyard failure, so they had to take third place. Debbie Holder from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and her team did a terrific job to get the racing completed for all without having to revert to a shortened course, or worse, abandoning the day. Flagstaff Marine director, Graham Raspass, commented,
“an event like this would not be possible without the help and support of our partners. Also, without the dedication of our terrific owners, we just would not see so many smiling faces out on the water, and on the dance floor later on in the evening.” Many Beneteau owners do the cup as their one regatta for the year, but a lot are now choosing to bookend the Pittwater Cup with the Beneteau Cup on Sydney Harbour. This year that event will be on October 26. flagstaffmarine.com.au ≈
ABOVE: Rod Cowdroy’s Tobruk heads up Pittwater. Sometimes the going was quite slow. LEFT: Galileo (Red) and Bombolo (Blue) head off with Division One.
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BEDS on Board, the sharing economy platform that connects guests and owners for stays on boats, moved a step closer to being welcomed into the marketplace. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) released the consultation draft of the proposed ‘Marine Safety (Short term marina accommodation) Exemption 2018’. The exemption will enable owners of private vessels berthed in marinas to rent their boats out as overnight accommodation and in doing so offset some of their costs of ownership. This use has not been permissible to date under Australian maritime law. The exemption, when finalised, will pave the way for the program to proceed. Darren Vaux, Australian director of Beds on Board said, “we have been working with AMSA and the industry for over a year to develop a sensible regulatory
framework for this activity. This now provides the opportunity for the industry and boat owners alike to understand the framework and to have their say.” Beds on Board lists thousands of boats around the world and sees Australia and the South Pacific as ideal locations for this accommodation offering. Like other sharing economy platforms, Beds On Board provides the opportunity to monetise underutilised assets and opens up a new market for the marine industry. The success of the platform in the UK and Europe has seen guests staying on boats for weekend breaks, events, business trips and to celebrate special occasions as well allowing prospective boat owners to ‘try before you buy’. Marinas are seeing the added benefits of supporting customers with this use, with Beds on Board guests coming to the marina and
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Boat bnb closer to reality
spending money on services like restaurants, bars, charter and hire boats and in doing so are seeing greater market exposure, particularly through social media. “All the latest boating industry research points to the need to embrace peer to peer platforms to engage with our customers of the future,” says Vaux. “Beds on Board provides the opportunity to open up the boating and marina
lifestyle to a wide range of new customers without the risks associated with navigation. It allows private and charter boat owners to offset the cost of boat ownership and marinas the opportunity to increase market exposure, creating positive outcomes for all involved.” www.bedsonboard.com. ≈ ABOVE: Beds on board launch at SIBS 2017, left to right: Nicky Vaux, Darren Vaux and Jason Ludlow UK.
Four days of records broken EXHIBITORS are claiming millions of dollars in sales across the four days of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show and organisers report visitor numbers were up ten per cent. It was not until the final day four of the 30th anniversary show when the weather was at its best to draw the total up to 45,866 people through the gates from Thursday to Sunday. Organisers said 2018 was one of the biggest shows yet, with 180 boats on
water and 275 boats on land, along with more than 300 individual exhibitors. “It’s been a great event,” said SCIBS general manager Johan Hasser, “visitor numbers are up on last year and our exhibitors have benefitted with many generating major sales results,” he said. “We can’t wait to do it all again next year.” The 31st SCIBS will be held on May 23 to 26, 2019. www.sanctuarycoveboatshow. com.au. ≈
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
BEST OF THE WEB MYSAILING.COM.AU/CRUISING
WATERFRONT
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AROUND THE WEB TAKE NOTE - TAKE CARE It has been a busy last few months out on the waters around the world. On our statistics of the top stories on the mysailing. com.au website the top news stories were all disasters. Either it has been a dangerous sailing time or you readers are a morbid lot! Here is the list of recent marine disasters that topped our readership stats: yachtsman dies in Port Phillip race; freak wave sinks boat, throws skipper into water at Ballina Bar; Australian cruising family stalked by pirates off Yemen; three yachties rescued off South African coast after yacht sinks; six row to safety in punctured dinghy after catamaran sinks; John Fisher lost during Volvo Ocean Race; Banque Populaire capsizes off coast of Morocco and finally the Cheeki Rafiki owner cleared of yachtsman’s deaths. Sad month.
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Merchant marine piracy still a problem PIRACY events off the Horn of Africa doubled last year compared to the year before, according to the annual ‘State of piracy’ report released by One Earth Future (OEF)’s Oceans Beyond Piracy program, indicating Somali criminal networks are still capable of sophisticated attacks. Overall incidents in the Latin America and Caribbean region increased by 160 per cent, indicating the opportunistic nature of actors in the region. Piracy continues to pose a threat in the Gulf of Guinea despite a broad array of countermeasures implemented by coastal
states and maritime security companies. Kidnap-for-ransom incidents in Asia decreased by 80%, in large part due to the effective cooperation by regional law enforcement actors. Maritime crime in Latin America and the Caribbean is also on the rise. The piracy situation in Asia improved considerably in 2017, with overall incidents down by over 20% from 2016. Most encouraging was that kidnap-for-ransom attacks decreased from 22 in 2016 to just 4 in 2017. “We believe that much of the credit for this progress is due to the trilateral patrols between the Philippines, Malaysia,
and Indonesia,” says Gregory Clough, Ocean Beyond Piracy’s acting director. OEF has observed growing consensus that piracy and other crimes cannot be comprehensively addressed unless the maritime community begins to address the broader issues that create insecurity at sea. “Piracy is just one issue in a complex web affecting maritime security,” says Larry Sampler, OEF’s president. “Where there is good governance seas are safer, coastal communities are healthier and the blue economies grow stronger. OEF is committed to promoting global maritime security.” ≈
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THE Marine Industry Foundation (MIF) has provided a $4,000 grant to Sailability at South of Perth Yacht Club. Public Officer of MIF, Colin Bransgrove, said the funding is aligned with one of MIF’s two core objectives. “the foundation provides funds to assist with the training and development of young people in the recreational marine industry and, secondly, to increase the access and inclusion of all people to recreational boating opportunities. “In this instance, MIF is pleased to be supporting a voluntary organisation with a solid track record for providing sailing experiences to people with special needs.” The funds will be used for the purchase of new
safety gear and another sailing dinghy. The current impressive fleet of nine boats consists of Access 2.03 and 3.03 dinghies; an Etchells and three Red Witch yachts. Lynn Newton is the coordinator of Sailability at the club. She said “Sailability at South of Perth Yacht Club has a base of some 40 volunteers. On average we take 34 participants sailing each week during our sailing season. We are most grateful to MIF for the grant that will be used to purchase new safety gear and a 3.03 Access Dinghy.” Details of MIF and the support it provides to the recreational marine industry are available from the Foundation’s website. www.marinefoundation. org.au. ≈
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MIF grant to Sailability at South of Perth YC
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
LETTER OF THE MONTH
LETTERS
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ONGOING BRIDGE DISPUTE Ed writes: we received this letter sent to the relevant state parliamentarian. We will publish the response when we receive it.
WIN!
Attention: The Hon. Kate Washington, Member for Port Stephens Dear Kate Recently I became aware of the proposal to build a new fixed bridge over the Clyde River at Batemans Bay. This new bridge is proposed to have a clearance of only 12 metres above the water and will replace a lifting span with unlimited clearance. I wrote to the Minister for Roads to voice my concerns about the proposal. I am outraged that the respondent has made patently untrue claims about the accessibility of upstream anchorages if the new bridge is only 12 metres high. In fact, 12 metres precludes most cruising yachts from passing under the bridge. The respondent did not survey usage accurately. In addition, I am outraged that the respondent claims that stakeholders in the boating community were consulted adequately. They were not and were never even told of the proposal. There has been no publicity in the boating media eg.: Afloat, Cruising Helmsman, the 2,700 strong Women Who Sail Australia Facebook Group, the peak yachting body Australian Sailing or through the Boat Owners Association. An increasing number of cruising boats and racers, including those in the Sydney to Hobart race, are plying the east coast of Australia. This coast is challenging to sail with
many barred entrances, including the one to Batemans Bay, with limited shelter in many. Even with a marginally-improved jetty on the seaward side of the bridge, there will be inadequate space and shelter for the number of boats moving up and down the coast. I note Minister Pavey has replaced the bridge over the Clarence River at Harwood with one 30 metres above the water. If she can do that in her own electorate she has an obligation to provide a new bridge at Batemans Bay, which is at least 20 metres above the water to ensure access is maintained to many miles of navigable water, just as she has done at Harwood. Comments in the response about engineering challenges at Batemans Bay are nonsensical when they are considered in relation to the same challenges that have been met and overcome in building the Harwood bridge. I would appreciate if you would make the Minister aware that the person who has responded on her behalf has misrepresented the facts. Further, I request that you make representations to the Minister to change the Batemans Bay Bridge to a height that will continue to allow access by most sailing vessels, not a limited few mastless motor boats. Yours sincerely CHERYLLE STONE
WITH GROTTY YACHTY CLOTHING Submit your letters to the Editor and be in with a chance to win a Tee from Australia’s own sailing brand. This month’s winner should phone 0411 271 387 to claim their prize!
Hi Phil, I just received an update from Booderee National Park about their mooring upgrades. Please see updated words below. Cheers. Murray’s Beach, Hole-in-the-Wall and Bowen Island moorings available as upgrade work continues. Booderee National Park manages a series of moorings to prevent damage to important sea-grass and reef habitats. A newly engaged contractor is currently upgrading the moorings in the marine area of Booderee. The public moorings include: one at Murray’s Beach, upgraded for smaller recreational vessels; five at Holein-the-Wall where three mooring upgrades completed and two currently removed for servicing requirements. Mooring buoys at Hole-in-the-Wall can be used by the public for a period
of 48 hours. A limit of 40 tonnes in weight and 20 metres in length per vessel. Please do not moor in winds greater than 30 knots. Of the three Bowen Island moorings set for permitted commercial dive operators, one has been upgraded plus two in service. Recreational vessels are prohibited from using these moorings. A temporary mooring will be installed while the Bowen Island upgrade is undertaken. Booderee National Park will continue to provide update(s) on the progress of the moorings upgrade work. Meanwhile work, to ensure remaining moorings are refurbished as quickly as possible, continues. MARK SAWA MEDIA MANAGER PARKS AUSTRALIA
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JERVIS MOORINGS UPDATE
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
LETTERS
12
CATALINA CALL OUT Phil: I am the webmaster/board member of the Catalina 350 International Association (C350IA). Catalina produced about 500 Catalina 350s, which were unique at the time in the use of space below. C350’s have been found cruising all around the world, mostly in the USA of course. My thought is that we must have multiple C350s in Australia. I am an Australian C350 owner but live in the USA. I am aware of several C350 owners down under. I would like to see how to reach them to try to recruit them to our association and
all it has to offer. I do not know the e-mails/contacts for C350 owners, other than a limited number who are already members. Is there some mechanism we can use in Cruising Helmsman to try to reach these owners? Please check out our website: www. catalina350.com. CAPT BRUCE M. WHYTE USCG LICENSED CAPTAIN. Ed notes: any readers out there that are, or know of, Catalina 350 owners? Contact us or go direct to Captain Whyte’s webpage and let us know.
BILLIARDS ANYONE? So I have done all the research, bought the right Nylon mooring line, cut it to the right length, spliced loops into one end and then placed tubing over all the chafe points. Now what? In some marinas, conditions are so gentle that some would have you believe that tying up consists of little more than plugging in the shore power lead. Of course they are joking, but I am sure you get the picture. At the other end of the spectrum, our marina is effectively in the ocean (Coffs Harbour NSW),
so things can get somewhat ‘lively’ when there is a blow. My open question, which I hope may result in yet another excellent technical article in CH, is this: should you tie up loose, tight, or somewhere in between? Recently, while my partner and I were walking along the dock back to our yacht, I was rudely reminded of the scoring in a game of Billiards when the yacht in the berth next to ours almost scored two points as it came racing towards us. The ‘cue’ in this case, was its anchor on the bow, had it hit it would have canonned me into my better half and her into the water, shopping and all. Personally, I tie K-Sera II up quite firmly, with the springers tuned to somewhere around bottom F# and the bow and stern lines almost taking tension when calm. To my mind, this prevents the boat from gaining too much inertia before the lines take the strain. However, as a relatively inexperienced owner, I would really like to know ‘best practice’ for this most important of tasks. STEVE O’NEIL SV K-SERA II Ed adds: this can start an interesting discussion. What do others think: tight lines or loose? And why.
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
DESTINATION TASMANIA
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Sailing the wild side
SAILING the wild side of Tasmania, its west coast, has been a long held goal: remote, rugged, less frequented, all aspects we value. But to cruise there safely, with a chance to see and explore pristine wilderness in all its moods, you need time. You cannot be on a schedule. So although we have often sailed to Tasmania, we had never been able to venture right along the West Coast, not till we had retired and lived aboard. So let us take you through some of the passage planning and practical aspects of a trip down the wild side, before showing you around its two iconic destinations: Macquarie Harbour and Port Davey-Bathurst Harbour.
NOTHING QUITE BEATS THE WEST COAST OF TASMANIA FOR BOTH ITS BEAUTY AND ITS DANGER. CHRISTINE DANGER
PASSAGE PLANNING Whether you talk to locals or check the wind roses, it seems the best time to go along the west coast of Tasmania is from February to April. The weather is a little more settled, the winds and seas calmer. We were most interested in northeast conditions since we were going south from King Island and the Hunter Group. Off the west and south east coast of Tasmania, during the winter and spring, winds in excess of 20 knots occur over 30 per cent of the time and winds in excess of 35kn occur approximately 10% of the
on the way to Macquarie Harbour; on either side of Point Hibbs with Hibbs Pyramid at the northern end, behind Bird Island at the southern end; and at Elliott Bay just past Low Rocky Point. We chose Sandy Cape on the passage to Macquarie Harbour and Hibbs Pyramid on the passage to Port Davey. All these are typical west coast anchorages, never totally free of swell but quite comfortable for us on our catamaran. Taking your time when a little voice inside you might be whispering “get south as quickly as possible”, has special rewards. The coast is beautiful, rugged and spectacular, the wildlife active and it is amazing to be sailing at a good pace in this often inhospitable seascape. A sense of achievement and exhilaration fills you. You cannot help but reflect on how lucky you are. For all our Tasmanian wanders, we refer to two cruising guides to help us map out our passages and select anchorages, these are: ‘Cruising Tasmania’ by J. Brettingham-moore and ‘Tasmanian anchorage guide’ published by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. They are our bibles.
The view towards Port Davey from Mt Stoke.
15 www.mysailing.com.au
time. During summer and autumn however, winds in excess of 35kn occur less than 4% of the time. As it turns out, we did get the northeast conditions to get down the coast but very strong and persistent westerlies in excess of 35kn in Macquarie Harbour and even more in Port Davey-Bathurst Harbour. In fact we had unseasonably strong winds and rainy weather. So one important part of passage planning is to allow plenty of time, not only to sail there and explore but also the chance you will be weather bound. You can be stuck for several weeks more than anticipated, waiting for an appropriate weather window to move on. You also need at least two weeks in each major location to do these stunning wilderness areas justice. But first, you have to get there. For us, this means finding ways of avoiding overnight sails. We therefore look for safe ocean anchorages along the way to break the journey. In the right conditions, you can anchor overnight along the daunting west coast. For instance in an easterly breeze you can find shelter at Ann Bay in the northwest corner of Tasmania; at Kenneth Bay near Sandy Cape
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
DESTINATION TASMANIA
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PRACTICAL ASPECTS Sailing to remote areas can mean limited VHF weather reports and sporadic internet service to download forecasts along the coast or in the two main harbours. For instance, once out of Strahan there is no internet nor mobile phone service. In some anchorages in Macquarie Harbour you will be able to communicate with Tas Radio Hobart on the VHF or HF, but once up the Gordon River you have to rely on HF, a satellite weather system or at least carry an HF receiver as we do. In Port Davey the only place with internet and phone coverage is at Melaleuca Inlet at the little aerodrome, but that is it. So you are reliant on HF, satellite weather or the goodness of people relaying forecasts.
“WE HAVE COME OUT FEELING INVIGORATED, CHALLENGED AND, MORE THAN ANYTHING, HAPPY TO BE SAILING WITHOUT A SCHEDULE.� When westerlies blow on the west coast, they come a long way across the Southern Ocean and thus pack some punch. We have found that, especially in Port Davey when strong winds pick up with fierce gusts and swirling willy willies, it is safer to anchor along the shore and tie yourself back to trees or bushes with stern lines, rather than anchor out with large lengths of chain. Once tucked in you are secure and most winds will fly over your mast, not through the rigging. So we carry two 50 metre and two 40m ropes. Tasmania and especially the west coast are not known for their balmy weather. So one needs to be equipped for all sorts of conditions, specifically for the cold and the wet, no matter
the season. This goes for clothing and bedding! Merino or thermal layering will keep you warm and dry quickly if your clothes get wet. An outer shell, gloves, beanies are essential. If you decide to go ashore for bushwalks, boots, gaiters or waterproof pants can be life savers. Not just in case of rain and rivulets underfoot, but also in case of mud; oh and leeches. A walking pole is also handy to help with steep climbs or descents in slippery terrain. One of our conclusions from this trip is that gumboots would actually have been more practical than walking boots in the soggy conditions we enjoyed; plus a lot easier to clean once back at the dinghy or boat. Last but not least, do not venture down the west coast without a well-provisioned boat. There is only one spot for reprovisioning along the way: the little IGA at Strahan. So food, drinks, sundries including the all-important loo paper, fuel, must all be gathered in sufficient quantity to last for several weeks. We have a standard provisioning list that keeps two people autonomous for six weeks or four people for three weeks as was the case for us this time. It is based on a full menu for a week and got extended over time. It includes treats, since cruising is about pleasure, not pain. We bake on board, make our own yoghurt and grow sprouts. We run a good size fridge and a 40 litre freezer, mainly used for storing meat. We fish, not very successfully, plus forage for shells. For fresh water, we collect rainwater to top up our tanks and run the washing machine. We have a water maker, but it did not get used on this voyage given we had ample rainwater supply. You can find fresh water in Macquarie Harbour and Port Davey-Bathurst Harbour but it is tannin stained.
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MACQUARIE HARBOUR WANDERINGS When you think harbour, you may well have an image of a port with artificial structures and jetties. But picture this: an enclosed waterway six times the size of Sydney Harbour; empty it out of people and townships and, instead, fill it with rainforest wilderness right down to the water. The surrounding untamed forest and the mighty Gordon River that flows through it make for an outstanding, otherworldly setting; wonderful for cruising, with numerous isolated anchorages. The only settlement is the village of Strahan with its fine old buildings dating back to the 1800s and the mining and timber boom. The rest is grandeur, isolation and the jewel in the crown of Tasmania’s Western wilderness. There is no one around, it is so big and breathtakingly beautiful. Two charts prepared by Trevor Norton are well worth the investment of $20 each as it gives detailed information about approaches to anchorages and river details up the
Gordon. You can obtain these in Strahan, where Trevor operates the commercial yacht Stormbreaker. We stayed at the Back Channel upon arrival at Risby Cove in Strahan, where there is very limited jetty side mooring space available, at Betsy Bay and at Double Cove on the western shores, at Sarah Island, down Birchs Inlet at the southern end, at Kelly Basin on the eastern side. All had their charm and attractions. We could not resist going twenty miles up the Gordon River, all the way to Sir John’s Falls. We stopped in a few places along the way, enjoyed breathtaking reflections, sunsets and sunrises as the mist enveloped us and the river. But we have one word of warning: if strong wind is forecast, great protection is offered in the Gordon; however, if rain is also forecast, stay right away or be prepared for f looding and log hazards. When we were there, the river rose by two metres and we saw hundreds of large tree trunks careering down the river.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Crew friends enjoying a selfie on a Gordon River reflection. Arrival at Bramble Cove, Port Davey. BELOW: Cape Sorrell, near Macquarie Harbour, the tallest lighthouse in the southern hemisphere and needed on this rugged west coast.
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
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PORT DAVEY-BATHURST HARBOUR
DESTINATION TASMANIA
If you seek an untamed, pristine, remote environment this is the ultimate. With no settlement, no permanent population, no road for hundreds of kilometres, no access other than via sea or air, this is the truly, aptly-named south western wilderness. The two large water expanses of Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour are linked by the seven mile narrow Bathurst Channel. There are numerous anchorages in the two harbours and in the channel, with a mix of large bays and more intimate coves.
ABOVE: Yacht anchored at Iola Cove, off the Bathurst Channel. It looks diminutive underneath Mount Rugby. RIGHT: Spiderwebbed at Casilda Cove, Bathurst Channel. It’s often the best way to weather strong winds.
We arrived at Bramble Cove in Port Davey, spider-webbed ourselves at Wombat Cove and Casilda Cove along the Bathurst Channel. In Bathurst Harbour we anchored at Clayton’s Corner and King Cove, sneaked up the Melaleuca Inlet and wandered all the way into Moulters Inlet. We ended our stay at Spain Bay, back at Port Davey, before heading south around South West Cape, bound for Hobart. In most anchorages there are opportunities to stretch your legs and climb the surrounding hills, which afford panoramic views of the waterways and mountain ranges. Although there are few made tracks, it is worth the effort. The environment here is impressive because high, rugged, jagged mountains surround you, making you and your boat insignificant in this vastness. The weather in this region reigns supreme; actually it just rains supremely! But even in adverse conditions this place is spectacular and, having come all this way, you cannot help but explore, no matter the weather, and find the landscape overwhelming. It is the big things, like climbing daunting Mt. Rugby or Mt. Misery, or the little things like the bright orange fungus in the middle of the muddy track, or even the surprise glimpses of a quoll, or the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot, or a platypus or two in their natural environment. It can only leave a lasting impression. But be aware that more people dare to come and experience this wilderness for themselves. So, like us, you may be surprised by the number of yachts visiting these so called remote regions. We had been there before and had it nearly to ourselves: not this time. We now look back at this part of our Tasmanian voyage with great pleasure. It lived up to and beyond our expectations, fulfilling our goal of sailing down the west coast, discovering new anchorages and pushing the envelope. We have come out feeling invigorated, challenged and, more than anything, happy to be sailing without a schedule. You can do so much more when time is on your side even if the weather is not always cooperating. ≈
CHRISTINE DANGER Chris and her partner Wade Bishop have been sailing on catamarans of various sizes for over 15 years, cruising Bass Strait, Tasmanian waters and Australia’s east coast. In July 2017 they finally retired, moved on board their beloved Take It Easy and are now sea gypsies. Follow their adventures on www.sv-takeiteasy.com.
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Old school
fair trade with fair
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
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winds
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THREE FRIENDS DECIDE TO FIND OUT IF ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND SHIPPING CAN STILL BE A VIABLE BUSINESS. ROSEMARY JILDERTS
WHAT could be more breathtaking than the sight of a majestic old sailing ship, unfurled sails billowing in the wind, as it cuts a path through the ocean? Back in the day they would have been taken for granted. Today the appearance at sea, or in a harbour, evokes thoughts of an era of romance, adventure and camaraderie. I cannot imagine a soul on earth who would not admire these vessels, or who wouldn’t appreciate the skill needed to navigate them around the globe as they travelled from port to port delivering the cargo without the benefit of engines or modern equipment. Times do change however and, with the advent of motorised shipping, the days of commercial sailing ships eventually came to an end. So instead of beautiful but slow sailing ships, the world now has noisy vessels that growl their way towards their destinations, time being of the essence. Questions were often raised whether this was a good thing. For a long time they were only questions with no action, but the tide may have now turned with many people taking a step back towards a slower, cleaner lifestyle. People from all walks of life are going back to the old ways, to an earlier time where the emphasis was on doing things the natural way. It is not only the housewife growing her own vegetables and keeping a couple of chickens. It’s become bigger than that and some companies are also slowly changing the way they do things. Quality of life and protection of the planet has now become, for many of them, more important. Three friends, Arjen van der Veen, Andreas Lackner and Jorne Langelaan, ‘saw the light’ while sailing on the Dutch barque Europa and, impressed by the beauty and power of great sailing ships that use only the wind for propulsion, in
LEFT: The company’s flagship Tres Hombres.
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
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2007 they decided to start the world’s first modern emission-free shipping company. The ‘tres hombres’, as the friends were nicknamed, realised that there was a world-wide movement towards recycling; taking care of energy use; using, producing and buying local products. From farmers to housewives; from producers to users; people were eager for change. They wanted a return to a quieter and more natural lifestyle, thus reducing their carbon
“THE ANCHOR WINCH STARTS MOVING BY THE AGE OLD ENERGY FORM OF NORWEGIAN (ELBOW) STEAM.” footprint on our world. There was a growing desire to return to the old way of life; the old values with more emphasis on clean air and clean oceans. The decision made, the tres hombres’ goal was established. The prime intention of their Netherlands based company, which they named Fairtransport, is to sail cargo emission-free with a focus on transporting special products which are organic or crafted traditionally, such as olive oil, wine and rum. They also wanted to raise awareness about the large amount of pollution created by the modern shipping industry and, hopefully, affect positive
change in the way trade goods are shipped around the world. The movement of cargo was not their only interest. They were eager to introduce others to this new/old way of doing things so, as well as carrying freight, their 32 metre schooner Tres Hombres became a sail training vessel. These days, there are many square riggers that work as sail training vessels but the difference with Fairtransport is that they combine it with carrying freight and this is what makes it so special. One of the founders, Jorne Langelaan, as captain of the Tres Hombres, explained what his focus was in regard to the trainees, “I feel my personal goal here on board is to inspire them for a career at sea, a return to sea, or at least an unforgettable memory and love for the precious place the ocean is.” He quoted Longfellow: Wouldst thou – so the helmsman answered, Learn the secret of the sea, Only those who brave its dangers Comprehend its mystery! Trainees learn by doing and this takes a lot of time; but Capt. Jorne also tried to organise a short lecture every day where they discussed, apart from safety procedures, such things as ship design, shipbuilding, history of sailing ships, standing rigging and bringing up lower and topmasts the traditional way.
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THE SHIPS The company currently has two ships; another is on the drawing boards and in time more ships are planned to be added to the fleet. Tres Hombres was originally a minesweeper, a cutter built in 1943 and rediscovered in Delft in 2007 by the three friends. She was restored and has been sailing emission-free since December 2009 when the company began a transatlantic emission free freight service to the Caribbean from Europe. The ship became famous in her own right as the world’s only engineless sailing cargo ship. She has a capacity for 35 tons of cargo and maintains a shipping route for transport of cargo between Europe, the islands in the Atlantic, the Caribbean and America.
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They also started an experiment where each new trainee was coupled to one of the experienced crew members, re-enacting the old tradition of having a seafather appointed to a green hand. The intricacies of the arts of the seaman are being successfully taught by the seafather on a one to one basis. Traineeships can be as short as a few days or half a year. Trainees begin on the lowest rung of the ladder. They are not passengers; they are members of the crew and learn to recognise safety issues, maintenance of the ship, taking the helm, lookout and sail handling. Life on board the ships, with only ten trainees and five professional crew, relies on teamwork, communication and trust. Life is not easy, so the rigours and challenges that they must endure ensure these seafarers learn a wide range of skills and disciplines that, sadly, are no longer practised in the modern maritime industry. Trainees can become able seaman; learn marlinespike seamanship, basic navigation and manoeuvring under sail. In time, with experience, they can become boatswain. In 2017 some experienced new captains joined the company with one of them having started sailing with Tres Hombres as a trainee and working himself up through the ranks of deckhand, second mate and chief mate. You never know when you first go on board as a lowly trainee where you could end up. The trainees obviously benefit greatly, learning a lot and enjoying their time on the ship, in their own words: “a truly life changing event”. They leave the ship having gained more than traditional sailing knowledge. The company states: “at sea one learns to cooperate, be self-reliant and develop a respect for the elements.”
ABOVE: The rum arrives in the Dominican Republic. LEFT: The original business
plan of the tres hombres, sailing cargo between Europe and America using the old trade routes. OPPOSITE PAGE: The three founders: Andreas Lackner, Arjen van der Veen and Jorne Langelaan, the tres hombres.
The wooden ketch Nordlys, built in 1873, was refitted and put into service in the North Sea and greater Europe. She promotes emission free shipping in European waters. She travels from Norway to Portugal, from France to England, Scotland and Germany taking regular cargoes of local organic wine, stockfish, olive oil, ale, whiskey and other goods. Nordlys has now come out from under the shadow of the flagship Tres Hombres. Wherever she docks the media is out in force taking photos and filming her. As possibly the oldest sailing cargo ship in the world she deserves the attention as she sails from port to port with olive oil, olives and natural wine in her holds and is a thing of beauty with her red fluttering sails.
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
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CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Loading Tres Hombres Rum by hand in the Caribbean. Unloading cacao beans from the Dominican Republic in Amsterdam. Unloading organic Tres Hombres coffee from Colombia in Amsterdam.
Nordlys carries a complement of twelve sails but she has set up to 19 in calm Caribbean crossings. Currently, a clipper ship, which will one day shine as the crown jewel of Fairtransport, has been designed and costed with preliminary line drawings, specifications and business plan having been developed for this large sailing cargo ship. She will operate an expanded version of the current Tres Hombres voyages in the North Atlantic Ocean, including trips to mainland North America. Each ship has a separate route with familiar ports of call and the unique cargo each vessel carries becomes a symbol of the ship’s contribution to sustainable transportation. The company was so impressed with the goods they were transporting that they began buying some, such as coffee, chocolate and several varieties of rum. These are rebottled and repackaged and labelled with the ship’s name and can be purchased at many outlets in their part of the world.
The rum, in particular, interested me as a collector’s item; so I asked to buy one or two bottles. However, they remain so true to their belief in their business remaining emissionfree that I could not get them to agree to mail them to me. I respect them for their views although disappointed. As with the iconic Tres Hombres Caribbean rum, each ship of the fleet will have a signature cargo. The upcoming clipper ship could bring traditional Scandinavian Aquavit to the Caribbean and North America and Nordlys could herald her history by transporting a Nordlys brand English ale. Fairtransport are currently cargo hunting for special, unique, fair-trade and organic goods from around the world. The round trip from Europe to the Caribbean has been hugely successful for carrying cargo and trainees, with each trip north having a cargo hold full of rum, coffee and chocolate from the Dominican Republic. With no engines the ships move cargo completely using only the elements, using solar panels, tow-generators and wind turbines for renewable energy and depending on the strength of their crew. There are no electric winches, roller furling or autopilots on board, enabling all those lucky enough to sail them to use all their senses to successfully navigate the ships.
THE JOURNEY Trainees usually arrive on board the day before the ship departs. The captain chooses the fastest and safest route to its destination and, depending on the weather and distance, the trip could take just a couple of days or weeks; but arrival at their destination is not the end of the trip.
GOODS FROM FOREIGN LANDS Following are verbatim extracts from the Tres Hombres’ blog: The most important destination to pick up cargo for the Tres Hombres has been, since the beginning, the Dominican Republic. This is the place where the Amsterdam chocolate makers source their organic cacao. This is the place where the first editions 2010, 2011 and 2012 Tres Hombres rum came from. Later, of course, Andreas also found an excelent rum distillery on La Palma. The distillery with the ancient copper distilling apparatus.
“TODAY THE APPEARANCE AT SEA EVOKES THOUGHTS OF AN ERA OF ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE.” Year after year, Andreas added other Atlantic and Caribbean islands, to load as much as a variety as possible, for our fine rum. But until these days, the Dominican Republic always has been the origin of the main cargo. Sometimes there were different other products added. There has been a long standing relationship with Belarmino from Caribbean labs, as a source for coffee, honey, cacao and the famous mamajuana. Mamajuana is a drink from the Dominican Republic that is concocted by allowing rum, red wine and honey to soak in a bottle with tree bark and herbs. The taste is similar to port wine and the colour is a deep red.
Year after year we have been taking big barrels of molasses for a rum distillery in Germany. On a small and experimental scale we have been taking cigars from Hispaniola, the island which the Dominican Republic and Haiti share. The cigars proved a tricky cargo to comply with the customs, so we did not continue this. As for the ports in this Caribbean jewel our fine vessel has been, there are: the open roadstead of Cabo Rojo, the metropole of Santo Domingo and the commercial port of Boca Chica. Cabo Rojo, is a place of tropical atmosphere, with white beaches. Where even the footage of a commercial for the rum, starring Capt. Andreas Lackner himself as the sea (movie) star, was shot. This was also the first place where the ship was anchored for three weeks in 2010, to repair the rigging after the topgallant mast was broken. Santo Domingo, is the biggest city in the Caribbean with three million inhabitants. Here the ship moored in 2010 as well, just after visiting Cabo Rojo and this is where Capt. Andreas met Mr. Forrest who introduced us to the fine port of Boca Chica.
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Days are filled with many instructive and interesting activities as the ship is prepared for port: cargo is taken off and loaded on, some maintenance that can only be done in harbour is carried out and there is also the opportunity to go on shore leave. All seafarers know how changeable the weather on the ocean can be but how enjoyable and satisfying it also can be when we learn to accept and enjoy its rhythm. As Captain Lammert Osinga on Nordlys said, “the rhythm of nature is our engine. To sail a ship by wind means to respect the rhythm.” The blogs written by the captains of both ships are inspiring and worth the read to get the blood stirring and the heart racing. They make for fascinating reading despite the occasional spelling mistake, remember English is their second language.
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
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ABOVE: Trading ketch Nordlys. RIGHT: Loading organic olive oil on Nordlys in Porto, Portugal.
Since that day Boca Chica has been our most important loading port in the entire Caribbean. It is a place one will never forget about, when entered or left by a ship under sail. Sailing through a narrow buoyed channel; dealing with the officers on the gates of the port; and drinking rum with the ‘shipping magnates’. A port of extremes, a port where the crew of our brigantine loads the barrels and bags by hand into the cargo hold, while a few hundred metres away the most high tech container cranes are discharging the biggest container ships. A port with a fishing harbour where the most tiny fishing boats fish from. A port where every weekend the sound of merengue, salsa and bachata, mixed with the tropical heat and smell of fried fish and fresh ocean breeze are competing. This is the Caribbean… Hasta luego, Capt. Jorne Langelaan
MAR 19, 2018 Hands to the anchor winch! The deckhands move to the foredeck while the mate is giving
orders. The claw on the chain is taken off and, on both sides of the pump windlass, two sailors take their places. Somebody keeps the chain under tension to the aft and, another deckhand is sitting next to the galley to feed the chain down to the chain locker where again, one of our hands is stationed to flake the chain. The anchor winch starts moving by the age old energy form of Norwegian (elbow) steam. The monotone sound of the pawls is the only sound you can hear. The power that the anchor, anchor chain and winch is putting upon the ship is felt everywhere in the form of a silent vibration. There are two and a half from our four shackles (a shackle is 27 metre) of chain out. The ship has been anchored here for two weeks, in ten metre deep water. Not the best holding ground, fine sand, she has dragged around a little but lately, assisted by this sufficient amount of chain she has been holding well. Now each time a shackle comes up the mate communicates it aft. When the chain is almost up and down, the order is given to set the foretopmast staysail. The sheet and sail is held aback over portside to push the bow, gently, to starboard while the hands heave in the last metres of chain. Now the mainstaysail is set. While the bow falls off further we start moving in a forward direction. We are sailing now! While the anchor is still hanging partly below the waterline, the command is given: “hands to the braces, brace to port tack”. This means the yards, who where braced over portside, called starboard tack, will now be braced to the other side. So the wind can actually catch the sails. Now the sail configuration of our good ship changes rapidly. The topsail is set, followed by the topgallant and royal. Now the starboard watch is setting the other main staysails, and the portside watch hoists the jibs. To complement the picture, the course and mainsail are set with the whole crew. While the sun is setting on our starboard bow we are leaving Cabo Rojo, bound for Boca Chica. A gentle swell and beautiful starry night accompanies us out to sea. Ahoy, Capt. Jorne Langelaan ≈
ROSEMARY JILDERTS Rosemary Jilderts and her husband John began cruising in 1984, exploring the Queensland coast before travelling overseas into S.E. Asia with which they immediately fell in love. Nowadays they stay closer to home and Rosemary spends much of her time writing although the sailing life is still their first love.
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j ea n n ea u a u s t ral i a . c om SUN ODYSSEY 440 QUEENSLAND Mooloolaba Yacht Brokers 07 5444 4822 boats@yachtbroker.com.au
NEW SOUTH WALES Performance Boating Sales 02 9979 9755 info@performanceboating.com.au
VICTORIA 38 South Boat Sales 03 9772 8976 info@38southboatsales.com.au
TASMANIA Boat Sales Tasmania 1300 288 007 info@boatsalestas.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Mira Marine 0408 110 679 bob.lushey@miramarine.com.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 38 South Boat Sales 08 8248 5600 info@38southboatsales.com.au
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
ESSENTIAL KIT
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Essential Kit OUR PICK OF THE BEST RELEASES POWER EQUIPMENT POWERS UP DUYFKEN More than 400 years ago a small Dutch ship called Duyfken captained by Willem Janszoon, made a voyage beyond the known world at the time. It was the first recorded European ship to reach and chart about 300 kilometres of the Australian coast on Cape York Peninsula. Some 393 years later, in 1999, an authentic replica was built in Western Australia. The Duyfken replica is as authentic as possible. It is built from European oak sourced from Latvia, its sails are flax and its rigging, including the standing rigging, is hemp rope. However, late in 2017 a storm pounded Duyfken while moored. Flooding through the exhaust outlet resulted in the starboard engine being written off. A single engine replacement was not feasible because the engines had to be paired to ensure balanced power delivery to Duyfken’s two propellers. Experts from local Yanmar dealer Stem2Stern Marine Service and Power Equipment’s WA team were brought in. Two John Deere 78 kilowatt marine diesels offered the most suitable engine speed and performance characteristics
to match Duyfken’s twin props to optimise propulsion, fuel efficiency and seaworthiness. The whole repowering project was completed within three weeks. It cost about $140,000. Power Equipment, its specialist WA team and John Deere are proud to be playing a key role in keeping the Duyfken story sailing into history. www.duyfken.com
MULTIHULL CENTRAL FACILITY OPENS AT RQYS Multihull Central, in partnership with the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, has opened a hardstand area for the out of water storage and display of pre-owned cruising catamarans and trimarans. This display opens up a convenient location for multihull owners who moor their boats on Moreton Bay or in the Brisbane area. The facility also provides a central and convenient shopping experience for multihull buyers with a range of boats anticipated to be on display, close to Brisbane Airport, half an hour from Brisbane city while enjoying world class facilities of the RQYS including its restaurants, bar and onsite accommodation for travelling customers. Multihull Central will be relocating from its office location on the Esplanade in Manly, to a new office location adjacent the Multihull hardstand display area inside RQYS. The display area consists of up to a dozen large multihull spaces on an area close to trade and shipwright services. The RQYS will soon have a dedicated lifting apparatus designed to haul-out multihulls. As a result maintenance services dedicated for multihulls will offer further convenience to multihull owners on Moreton Bay. “We have worked closely with the RQYS for over twelve months to make this site available for multihull sellers in south east Queensland,” said Multihull Central’s Director Brent Vaughan. Multihull Central, incorporating Multihull Yacht Sales Australia, have offices in Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand. www.multihullcentral.com.au
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SPOT YOURSELF A SAIL IN DALMATIA
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Croatia is one of the hottest destinations for those who enjoy yachting. So take advantage of a Sunsail flotilla setting sail from the Ombla River for the islands of the Dubrovnik-Neretva county. This Sunsail Kor ula flotilla route is a sociable adventure for all ages. Enjoy line-of-sight sailing and short island hops suited to families or couples, also for less confident sailors perhaps taking their first selfskippered charter in Europe. Highlights of trip will include, beside superb sailing conditions, plentiful scenic anchorages, historic sites, charming sleepy fishing villages and cosmopolitan towns. With the sound of cicadas filling the air, sail your yacht to Kobas Stonski Canal and up the narrow inlet between densely-wooded hillsides to the picturesque cove of Kobas, a perfect overnight anchorage. RRP: from AU$999 per person on a three cabin monohull Sunsail 36i, for a seven night charter. Bareboat charters in Croatia require an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) licence, or a recognised equivalent. www.sunsail.com.au.
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TAKE YOUR YACHT ABOVE AND BEYOND Do you have a yacht capable of coastal adventures but you find you are not actually heading out there? Boat owners who use their boats often realise they do not know everything. The most confident and competent boat owners are the ones who take the time to understand their boat and the systems on board, from berthing the boat to managing major equipment failure, so as to remove any hindrance to heading out. After 20 years of delivering training for people on their boats, Above And Beyond Boating have drilled down to identify the most important factors you need. This knowledge has been put into a stepby-step program ‘The online skipper’. The focus is on what is most important to using your boat, making you safer and more relaxed with your family, friends and crew. One customer, who Above & Beyond Boating helped achieve a life goal of skippering his boat to the Whitsundays and back, put it: “it was a real life changing experience for me. I wish I’d done more of this years ago.� www.aabboating.com.
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
ESSENTIAL KIT
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TOUCHSCREEN AIS TRANSPONDER
RUB RAIL FROM 316 FASTENING 316 Fastening Shop has been chosen by Grand Banks to supply their stainless steel rub rail to its Grand Banks and Palm Beach motor yachts. These motor yachts are known for sleek lines and the polished rub rail is the perfect addition showing they would not be out of place on a yacht. The stainless steel rub rail is available in a solid or a hollow back profile. The solid profile is designed to be fixed directly onto the boat and comes in three sizes: ¾ inch, 1 inch and 1¼ inch. The hollow back profile is designed to fit in the PVC moulding that is used on most production and trailer boats to disguise the deck join. It is available in two sizes: ¾ inch and 1 inch. The rub rail strips are available in 3.6 metre (12 feet) lengths with countersunk holes approximately 6” apart. The gunwhale strips are made with marine grade 316 stainless steel and are batch tested on arrival to Australia so only the best product makes it to the market. 316 Fastening Shop is the sole importer of the rub rail and supplies shipwrights around the country. www.316shop.com.au.
Vesper Marine, a manufacturer of marine safety products, has released what it claims to be the world’s first touchscreen Class B AIS transponder with the introduction of the WatchMate Vision2. The Vision2 is designed to look as good as it works with a seamless blackbezel front panel and glossy black sides to complement any helm or navigation station. But behind the attractive exterior, Vision2 features a responsive, easy to use capacitive touchscreen, allowing users to scroll through menus, zoom in and out, select vessels for additional details and navigation data, change alarm settings and more with the gentlest of touches. Its bright 5.7 inch colour display provides optical clarity over a wide viewing angle, even with polarised glasses.
Vision2 combines navigation sensor data and GPS and AIS data with intelligent alert logic and triggers alarms in the event of hazardous situations. Vesper Marine’s smartAIS units can: continuously calculate crossing situations and generate collision alarms for critical navigation action; alert the crew of an anchor dragging as well as changes in wind speed, wind direction and water depth while at anchor; and activate alarms in case of a man overboard with continuously updated positions for quick retrieval. These capabilities are built right into the transponder itself and with an audible alarm these critical safety features do not rely on any other equipment. In addition to the audible alarm, the Vision2’s built-in NMEA gateway and Wi-Fi capability can communicate alerts as well as all transponder information to a user’s Android or iOS smartphone or tablet using the WatchMate app or the smartwatch using its award-winning deckWatch app. Vision2 enables up to eight devices to be connected simultaneously for greater flexibility and has the latest high-speed wi-fi technology for faster access and automatic updates. RRP: approx Au$1600 www.vespermarine.com.
SPECTRA CONNECT FOR AUTOMATIC WATER Spectra Watermakers has released its Connect controller that will allow users to control, monitor and run a watermaker remotely from a phone, tablet, computer or from the Connect touchscreen. Its One-Touch Fill Tank feature will fill your yacht’s water tanks with fresh water, then automatically flush the pipes with fresh water after use. Spectra Connect is self-regulating, providing maintenance interval monitoring to take the guesswork out of maintenance upkeep. Data logging and remote access capability will allow technicians to troubleshoot the watermaker from anywhere in the world. The Spectra Connect can be accessed from a boat‘s local network, or Spectra’s unique access system can be installed to connect wirelessly. www.southernseasmarine.com.au
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
BOAT SHOW
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A VERITABLE CORNUCOPIA WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT SIBS, HERE IS A TANTALISING PREVIEW TO ASSIST IN YOUR SELECTION. PHIL ROSS
Let’s go
cruising
DIVERSITY DOZEN FROM WINDCRAFT Windcraft this year will have more yachts on display than ever before. Six premieres will be in the line up including the Hanse 548 with its distinctive hard top bimini, plus the Italian Solaris 47 and the racy Dehler 42. The Hanse 548 is strikingly different with its hard top, second forestay for a genoa with electric furler and its incorporated dinghy garage. The display model has been highly optioned to intentionally showcase the Hanse 8 series. The hard top protects all in the cockpit from the sun, while its low profile glass windscreen gives shelter from the wind but maintains a
360 degree view. The interior has a new stylish finish, which has been introduced to all upcoming 8 series models. Other stand-out debuts in the Hanse range are the 388 and 418. Fitting into a twelve metre berth, these models have been a best selling size yacht in Australia and New Zealand. Versatility of use is the prime factor in the appeal of all Hanse models. Any Judel/Vrolijk designed hull and sail plan can be sailed just how the owner wants: racing or cruising. If you are after a smaller size then be sure to check out the babies of the range: the 315 and the new look 348. If you are looking for unmistakeable Italian style then the Solaris is a headturner anywhere in the world. The yacht on display has just been commissioned for a Sydney Harbour customer and will be on its way to Hamilton Island Race Week straight after the show. Windcraft’s owner Anthony Bishop has recently returned from the annual Solaris event held in Sardinia where he and Ric Hawkins were able to test sail some of the larger Solaris models. Visit them at the Windcraft stand for the latest news from Solaris. On the speedier side, Windcraft offer Dehler Yachts to sailors who like to step up to satisfy a competitive spirit. The Dehler 42, with full carbon rig and competition specifications, follows the 46 which has already found a market niche in Australia and New Zealand with nine sold already. The 46 will also be on display with the Dehler 38. The Moody range will be represented with the elegant Classic 41, plus a 45 deck saloon recently delivered to Melbourne and the Moody 54 deck saloon. The 54DS on display has recently arrived in Australia after cruising 2200 nautical miles in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Windcraft will be alongside the Smart Boating display where fractional ownership has become very popular. Smart Boating have shares in the Hanse 455 and a new 418 for sale at the show. www.teamwindcraft.com.
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TWO IMPRESSIVE LAGOONS TO VIEW striking lines are hard to miss. People are always keen to take a closer look at the latest model, and we can’t wait to show them around such an impressive boat.” The Lagoon 42 continues to prove to be a stand-out performer with the Australian market. Maintaining the family resemblance, she also shows off a unique look with sleek curves and a groundbreaking single level cockpit. The boat’s silhouette is elegant and simple. Her new ergonomics demonstrate a use of space for ease of movement on board. The ergonomic helming station at the coachroof bulkhead allows for direct communication between the cockpit and saloon and improved movement. Her interior spaces are elegant, functional and generous. Her VPLP performance features include the mast moved further aft and the self-tacking jib, reducing pitch and guaranteeing stability, manoeuvrability and performance under sail. “Competition for 42 production slots remains fierce," explains Cowpe, "this is a dynamic boat with a broad appeal - we have young couples, retirees and even liveaboard families taking the 42 across the globe. She is the complete package,” explains Cowpe. Contact TMG to register for private viewings during the show. www.themultihullgroup.com.
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The Multihull Group (TMG) will showcase its eagerly anticipated, Lagoon 40 and the everpopular Lagoon 42 at this year’s show. TMG specialises in bringing sailing and power catamarans to Australia, the crew were awarded Lagoon world distributor in their first year. For TMG the reputation of the Lagoon brand is best represented by the Lagoon 40 and Lagoon 42. The 40’s new look is designed to lure you in. While she is still faithful to the image of Lagoon’s heritage, she presents a new style: a streamlined design featuring large portholes and panoramic view. Set as the perfect entertainer, the 40’s cockpit area is exceptionally comfortable, with the starboard dining table accommodating up to twelve guests. But she also offers maximum fun out on the water, with large aft transoms and spacious swim platform allowing for easy access to the tender and the additional living area by the forward cockpit offering a perfect sunbathing spot. The 40’s ergonomic helm station, accessible from the cockpit or deck, enables free flowing communication between the skipper and crew. Her interior areas are of elegant design, luxurious and spacious. TMG’s John Cowpe says, “we expect there to be a lot of buzz about the 40 at the show. Her design is exceptionally well thought out and her
LEFT: The Lagoon 42 cruising in comfort.
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
BOAT SHOW
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TO THE FORE Performance Cruising Yachts will have four of the latest from the Grand Large Dufour range on display at SIBS; plus the latest Elan E5. Developed by Umberto Felci Yachts, all yachts in the GL range have an easy access at the boom gooseneck area by inclining the boom forward. Dufour have also taken on board suggestions from clients, designing a deck to enhance the onboard experience. There are six layouts the Dufour 382GL offers, with different galley designs the most notable allowing satisfaction of individual preferences for any customer; even the inclusion of a second head if desired. The Dufour Grand Large 412 is the evolution of the respected Dufour 410. Starting from the optimisation of the exterior spaces has resulted in a new closed cockpit with aft seats that cleverly conceal an exterior galley. Every single part of this yacht offers multiple functions for different comfort versus performance levels, to suit any purpose. Italian architecture, lead by Umberto Felci, tops off the comfort experienced on the 460GL, inspired by the Dufour 500 and 560. The hull and roof of this 13 metre yacht were redesigned to optimise space on board without compromising on performance. The Dufour Grand Large 460 has an increased number of redesigned living areas for improved comfort, including a bow galley, reading seat and spacious master cabin. On deck there is an exterior galley, long sunbathing seats and wide aft transom. The deck lines are transformed by illuminated handrails. The 520 Grand Large has a redesigned aft platform to maximise the functionality of this entertaining space with its electronic double level swim platform. Perfectly integrated into the transom, it enhances the onboard lifestyle by allowing easy access to the yacht at anchor. The outdoor kitchen, equipped with a barbecue and a sink, are concealed by the rear seats close by. A fridge drawer of 39 litres is integrated under the cockpit table on stainless steel feet. A rear central seat which swivels through 180° provides additional seating around the table. http://performancecruising.com.au.
MULTIS GALORE AT MULTIHULL CENTRAL Multihull Central have announced its biggest showcase of multihulls for this year. The display will feature six different multihulls including the Australian launch of the Corsair 970 trimaran, the Seawind 1190 Sport with daggerboards and the Seawind 1160 Lite charter catamarans; plus three Aquila Powercats. The 32 foot Corsair 970 combines the creature comforts required for cruising, with the speed and stability for thrilling sailing or racing; plus the versatility of easily towing the boat on a trailer. Its sleek lines and buoyant floats make it as safe as it is attractive, while its interior features two double beds, galley and saloon plus a separate toilet and shower. Just fold away the floats and lower the rig for trailering. The latest Seawind catamaran, the Seawind 1190 Sport, is a combination of high performance sailing and cruising comfort. Taking the muchloved Seawind 1160 design and interior layout, the design was optimised by Francois Perus in collaboration with Alan Carwardine, two of the industry’s leading multihull designers. By using carbon where possible her weight has been reduced by 600 kilograms. This, combined with daggerboards and dagger rudders, reduces her wetted surface area greatly. The large square top mainsail with deck sweeping jib, make for a performance catamaran under 40ft. The Seawind 1160 Lite on display is built to commercial survey to operate as a charter boat on Sydney Harbour or in the Whitsundays as a bareboat, while also being the ideal sized catamaran for a couple to cruise and live aboard. The 1160 Lite will be operating RYA-accredited courses on Sydney Harbour for those looking to expand horizons. Multihull Central are exclusive distributors of Outremer, Seawind, Corsair, Privilege and Aquila. Multihull Central also offer marina berthing on Sydney Harbour and hardstand storage and display at their new site at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Brisbane. www.multihullcentral.com.
Oceanis 46.1
WORLD PREMIERE Sydney International Boat Show
Shaping he future. Seasoned sailors with high standards will enjoy the superb design of this newest addition to the best-selling Oceanis range. Her stepped hull design with a shape widening to the bow frees up unbelievable interior space whilst maintaining high performance under sail. Enjoy a rare and impressive combination of elegance, space, clever features, comfort and performance.
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
BOAT SHOW
36
FLEET OF FIVE FOR JEANNEAU
“NOWHERE ELSE IN AUSTRALIA CAN YOU SEE EVERY SIZE, SHAPE AND SORT OF YACHT IN THE ONE PLACE.”
The sailing line up from the French brand Jeanneau is comprehensive and will satisfy a wide range of Australian sailor’s demands. As the world’s largest production boat builder, Jeanneau provides an international network of dealers with offices in every state of Australia giving customers peace of mind for continuing backup and service. 2018 has seen the launch of a number of new yacht models with the new generation Sun Odyssey turning heads and attracting awards all over the world. At the Sydney International Boat Show Jeanneau Australia dealers will be displaying the multi-award winning Sun Odyssey 440 and holding the premiere of the Sun Odyssey 490. The Sun Odyssey 440 was announced in 2017 with four being sold immediately from the plans to keen Australian customers. The 440 has gone onto win the European yacht of the year (family cruiser), Sail magazine best boats (best monohull cruising boat 40ft to 50ft), Cruising World magazines boat of the year (most innovative), and the Asia Boating Awards (best monohull sailing yacht – up to 65ft). With features such as walk-around side decks, cathedral rigging for ease of moving forward, full length chine, twin rudders and a lower boom, the Sun Odyssey 440 and 490 will be very first on the list of yachts to visit at the Sydney Show. The show also sees the
Australasian premiere of the bigger 490 which is sure to be as successful as the 440. Also on display will be the bestselling Sun Odyssey 349. After the launch just a few shorts years ago the 349 has gone on to be a success with over 500 being sold worldwide, over forty of them to Australia. The model has appealed so much to the Australian market for its performance and general ‘bang for buck’ that the Sydney dealer just recently held a weekend rally just for this model. From the larger yacht cruising range the Jeanneau 51 will be on display. The 51, and the larger 54, have been designed by world renowned naval architect Philippe Briand, and superyacht designer Andrew Winch for the interior. Their level of finish and bespoke orientated options has assured that luxury yacht lovers are satisfied for every aspect of their sailing needs. The last yacht on display ensures that the racing heritage of the brand will continue. The Sun Fast range has gone from strength to strength with the latest example, the Sun Fast 3600, ensuring podium finishes for the racing inclined. The particular yacht on display, Maverick, has just returned from finishing in the Melbourne to Oska short-handed race. Maverick finished third on IRC with a West Australian SF3600 finishing second, and a Queensland SF3600 finishing fifth. www. jeanneauaustralia.com
The X range displays a true embodiment of what X-Yachts desires to bring to the market, which is intended to set it apart from competition. To sum up the passions X-Yachts adheres to, its intention is to design and produce yachts which deliver superb sailing pleasure. There are four models in the X range X-4.3, X-4.6, X-4.9 and X-6.5. The 4.3 and 6.5 were launched 2016, the 4.9 made her debut at Dusseldorf in January 2018 and the latest version of the 4.6 will launch in August. The new range has been received well around the world with ten 4.9s sold off plan and over 60 4.3s already sold. The X-4.3 will make her Australian debut at the Sydney International Boat Show. Come along and take a look at it and discuss with Andrew Parkes where your next X-Yacht will take you. www.x-yachts.net.au
BLUEWATER 420 Centre Cockpit
The Bluewater 420 is probably one of the best cruising yachts ever built in Australia, with world class construction and fitout. Sabbatical II (2012) is in excellent condition with an impressive inventory, and is ready to sail anywhere. She features a two cabin layout with queen size aft island berth, large nav/office, 1,000 lt water, 580 lt diesel, 4.5 tonne integral lead ballast, 135°+ AVS. $525,000 NEGOTIABLE. VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR FULL INVENTORY OR CALL DAVID TODAY. David Bradburn 0412 656 271 • 39B Munibung Road Cardiff NSW 2285 • Email: david@bluewatercruisingyachts.com • www.bluewatercruisingyachts.com
37 www.mysailing.com.au
X FACTOR AT SIBS
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
THIS PAGE: The Beneteau 46.1 inside and out.
BOAT SHOW
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BIGGEST BENETEAU DISPLAY EVER Flagstaff Marine are flagging SIBS vistiors to get ready for the biggest display of Beneteau yachts ever assembled in Australia. All Australian and New Zealand Beneteau dealers will present its most impressive lineup yet; highlighted by the world premiere of the Oceanis 46.1, but also with the Australian premiere of the Oceanis 51.1. The group will also be showcasing the Oceanis 41.1 Performance version and the continually popular Oceanis 38.1. The Oceanis 46.1 is a marked progression of the best-selling Oceanis 45, which has enjoyed worldwide success and was awarded the title of ‘European Yacht of the Year’ in 2012. This seventh generation Oceanis 46.1 promises unrivalled space and light below deck, she is designed to be sailed shorthanded with all controls accessible from the twin helms. Available in three versions: Smart cruiser with self-tacking jib and in mast furling as standard; traditional cruiser with furling 105 per cent genoa and classic lazy bag main; or, for those who enjoy fast cruising, the First performance version with a taller mast. You choose
aluminium or carbon offering 35% increased sail area combined with a deep lead-bulb keel to reduce drag, plus upgraded sheets and halyards coupled with performance Harken winches. Launched late 2017 in Europe, the Oceanis 51.1 has already shown itself to be a best seller. Like its smaller sister the Oceanis 46.1, the 51.1 boasts a huge owner's cabin up front, with two spacious double berths in the rear. There is the choice, however, of three, four or five cabins and two, three or four heads, you can choose the layout that suits your specific needs. The easy to navigate companionway leads to an equally as spacious cockpit with comfortable seating for eight people. All controls are to the rear of the cockpit and in easy reach of the helm. The transom incorporates an electric swim platform that provides easy access to the water and the option of a integrated grill. The Oceanis 41.1 Performance is a design win/ win. Perfect if you want to win around the buoys and also perfect if you want to win the family over to come sailing with you. The Finot-Conq hull design, combined with a taller mast, racing rigging and deep keel, delivers consistent, exciting performance both up and downwind. As this is a Beneteau, the quality is everything you expect from the number one brand: top quality deck fittings, Elvström sails, Dyneema lines and an intelligent layout for the racing crew. Its key features include: extended mast adds a metre in height; German system two-way mainsheet at the helm station; flat deck furler for jib; adjustable jib cars; performance Elvström Windward sails; and Dyform standing rigging. Main and genoa halyards, plus main outhaul, are all in Dyneema. The Beneteau team will be on hand at the stand to answer all your questions. www.flagstaffsail.com.au/sibs-2018. ≈
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
BOAT TEST JEANNEAU SO440
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A change from the norm
Sun Odyssey 440 AS THE MARKET GETS TOUGHER IT IS HARD TO MAKE YOUR YACHT DESIGN TO STAND OUT, BUT JEANNEAU HAVE MADE SOME INTERESTING CHANGES, DO THEY WORK? THE Sun Odyssey range continues to impress with some different thinking packed into a performing hull form. Following on from the worldwide success of the SO349 there is some similarities in this 45 footer but, markedly, mainly in the guise of improvements on factors that worked in the smaller sister, rather than direct copies. A nice fifteen knot true wind blowing on a wintry but sunny day, good steady testing conditions.
HULL FORM In a comparison with the smaller 349, similarities can be seen in the underwater hull shape profile
PHIL ROSS
view: shallow forefoot, smooth angle drop to the centre sections with a long flat run before gently angling back up to the twin rudders at the stern. It is, however, more surprising what is happening with the hull shape above the waterline and when viewed from the masthead. Jeanneau’s use of renowned naval architect Philippe Briand is paying dividends. The SO440 is the eighth design iteration of the Sun Odyssey range since they began in 2012. Briand has taken some cues from the mind-boggingly designed, scow-hulled Mini 6.50s being raced single-handedly around France and Europe. In those radical designs the forward sections are so rounded they challenge current thinking; but they are proving hard to beat. To incorporate such a feature, but in no way as radical, Briand has not only made a fast design that is easy to sail but the extra beam pushed so far forward delivers volume up front that makes for quite the spacious forward cabin down below. This added volume is enhanced with a full length chine as well. A win/win for a cruising yacht.
ON THE WATER From our test it appeared this hull shape really began to click through the gears once the true wind clocked over a mild ten knots; with most effective attained at 15kn. Taking the helm of the test yacht, when hard on the wind at 10kn, I found we were about 30° to 35° off true wind angle, trucking nicely at over seven knots and not requiring any helm
41 on the chine and powering forward, leeward rudder working nicely; note the full-rounded bow topsides. Note also the skipper outboard but able to sit facing forward; plus all the award stickers on the transom for the 440.
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OPPOSITE PAGE: Sitting
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
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JEANNEAU SO440
incorporates cathedral rigging: a small diagonal above the top spreader to effectively give you three diagonals in a two spreader rig. This reduces the need for a heavier mast section up high.
DIFFERENT THINKING
TOP: Lee Condell shows how the sloping side deck is beneficial to the skipper. ABOVE: Note the full length chine raking upwards at the stern, plus the savagelyangled boom.
correction as the chine tracked the yacht nicely in the flat waters of Pittwater. This was sublime sailing, the twin rudders are unaffected by keel turbulence and dig deep for good grip. This is pleasing but, as we all know, the important measurement is how she performs when the sheets are eased. We bore off to 60° true wind angle and the boat speed leapt up to the mid-8 knots, hitting theoretical hull speed easily in the 12kn breeze. It is important to note here that the heel is not onerous. Performance is enhanced by a full consideration of all aspects of this yacht’s design; the 7/10ths high aspect rig, for example,
On deck is probably where the most change has occurred in this design. Many of you may have already seen the inclusion of the sloping-sided deck alongside the cockpit. Follow this link for my short video, which best illustrates how it works: www.mysailing.com. au/boats/teaser-yacht-test-coming-in-augustissue-cruising-helmsman. Starting at the bow, there is a neat short bowsprit that is an integral part of the deck mould, not a bolted addition, allowing the anchor to be on the centreline while not endangering the hull. Just aft of the chain locker is a deep sail locker that can hold a full suit of sails and all the fenders and still have room to hide the bodies; courtesy of those full bow sections I suppose. It is interesting to note that the forefoot is so shallow up here that the optional bow thruster is retractable, due to not enough hull below the waterline for a permanent hole. The spreaders are quite wide, allowing the opportunity to have the outers tanged at the hull/deck join but the inner diagonal well inboard. This provides possibly the widest gap between shrouds I think I have seen on a yacht this size; the afore-mentioned video shows how wide this gap is as well. It also provides good, tight sheeting angles for the headsails. The mast base is standard and wellorganised, but the rig design takes a cue from multihulls with the gooseneck fitting low to the deck. The boom, however, then angles up as it goes aft and ends at well over two metres above the cockpit floor for a nice safe crew area. There is a nice high handrail running on the corner edge of the cabintop. Then we come to the cockpit. The sloping side deck does make you think how it affects space below, but we will come to that later. Considering the ages of some people for which this yacht would be perfect, this easy access into the cockpit is quite smart. It does not affect the cockpit and there is minimal disruption to the skipper. No more scrambling over high coamings in that most dangerous of manoeuvres, although there is still the ability to do that with a step provided on the outside of the coamings. There is the added safety factor as the deck length bulwark remains
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or when the transom platform is lowered. Access to the quadrants and emergency steering is via another hatch in this space. The centre table is large to hold a 12 volt portable fridge. The cockpit benches are over two metres. They have another interesting design addition, the coamings can be unlocked and unfolded to lie flat and make spacious daybeds for some wonderful lounging. This option, however, is quite expensive and I am unconvinced as to the necessity. Probably due to the size of the forward locker, the lazarettes under each bench are not deep. They are wide but shallow, good enough for most cockpit paraphenalia. The upside is it means the headroom in the aft cabins is improved, often a negative for a lot of such sleeping areas. So lets head down below. Our test yacht was the three cabin/two heads option. First up it is good to see a dedicated navigation station making it back into interior design. I think this is a flow-on from Jeanneau’s Sunfast series of racing yachts; alongside the companionway the portside nav. seat is the perfect spot for crew to sit while
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at the same height, providing good protection for the crewmember as they go down to cockpit level; again, watch the video to see it in action. There is a large drain at the bottom end to catch any seawater from the side decks washing into the cockpit proper. The other advantage of this sloping pathway is the ability it gives the skipper to sit outboard but facing forward while still helming comfortably. The twin steering stations have large wheels connected to binnacles integrated into the hull mould for strength integrity. The sheet winches are easily reached here and there are two cupholders on top. A strong handhold rises high to stop people grabbing the wheel. The skipper can sit on a dedicated spot on the side bulwark or on seats directly aft of the wheel. The port aft seat houses the gas bottle with options available under the starboard seat. Under the deck, at the transom, are two large hatches. On the port side is a marineply box ready to accept a generator set and/or watermaker. The starboard hatch is ready for the liferaft, which can be accessed via this hatch
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44
BOAT TEST JEANNEAU SO440
on standby. To this end the seat is cushioned appropriately for a person to sit facing the nav. table or facing inboard and lie back to rest. Forward of the nav. table is the tight G-shape galley. The shape ensures safety while also providing good bench space. This galley design, I feel, is an indicator to where Jeanneau see the Sun Odyssey 440’s market: there is no dedicated freezer compartment. The idea, according to broker Lee Condell, is to carry one or two 12V portable fridges that will fit nicely under the nav. table or saloon table, plus up under the cockpit table. This makes providoring easy, but it suggests to me the SO440 is most suited for coastal cruising. Sure, you could fit it out to do a Tasman crossing or New Caledonia; this is not a complaint, just an observation of where this design may be targetted. Without the space-hogger freezer the set-up of this galley becomes interesting. It is smallish, which is good for securing the cook but it limits the amount of cabinet cupboards. The answer is to have cutouts in the benchtop for top down access into large spaces; one of which is set aside for a pop-up microwave option. There is shelving across the back of the galley along the port hull, same behind the lounge to starboard. Around the rest of the saloon is
“PERFORMANCE IS ENHANCED BY A FULL CONSIDERATION OF ALL ASPECTS OF THIS YACHT’S DESIGN.” all manner of cabinets for plenty of storage, especially under the seating and berths. Jeanneau are using a new style of cabinet door closer that makes a nice flush finish on the doors. They look stronger, thankfully, than the popular push button. Finally, there is a massively large storage holder under the main floorboard, pneumatically hinged for ease. Seacock access is easy, although larger openings in the floorboards may have been nicer. The starboard saloon lounge is comfortable with Jeanneau’s now ubiquituous thick, white leather seating. This white leather matches the wood panelling for a bright welcoming interior. The fiddlework is both deep and strong and dotted plentifully around the saloon, which is good as there are no overhead handrails. Hull windows run nearly the full length of the saloon and all three cabins, adding to its spacious feel. Which brings us to the cabins. This is where those full bow sections show off. Past the double doors in the fore bulkhead, the master cabin double berth is 160 centimetres wide and two metres deep. In fact, all three cabins have the same size berths, which fit standard linen sizes. They consist of two double single mattresses so lee cloths can be rigged in between. Hanging lockers are to starboard and the master head to port. While the head is tight, I could put my hands on my hips and rotate in the shower with the door closed, so that is adequate. Headrooom was a comfortable 190cm. Seriously, you could find a same size forward cabin on a yacht ten feet longer. The starboard aft cabin has a separate entry to the head aft of the lounge. This head is slightly larger than the master head. The port aft cabin has the batteries neatly laid out underneath.
POWER TRAIN ABOVE: Main cabin with slight walk around and mirror at head to accentuate space. RIGHT: Tight galley but plenty of bench space and light and air. Note how far inboard the D1 shroud appears.
Time to head home and put the 33kW Yanmar through some paces. Cruising revolutions per minute is usually 2,500 and, at that rate, we were nearly hitting theoretical hull speed. Condell says you can sit on 1800rpm and still cruise at a decent 6.5 knots for more economical usage.
AIS Systems Wireless Internet NMEA Interfaces Sensors
SPECIFICATIONS Length:
13m
Waterline:
12m
Beam:
4.29m
Draft (standard):
2.20m
Displacement:
8561kg
Ballast:
2280kg
Air draft:
18.46m
Sail area:
90.30m²
Theoretical hull speed:
8.40kn
Base boat price
$423,750
Review yacht supplied by Performance Boating Sales, with thanks www.performanceboating.com.au.
Push the throttle lever to maximum speed and we got over 3,100rpm for a respectable 9.2kn. Its 200 litre fuel tank should give you around 50 cruising hours.
WHERE WE AT? Over the past decade it has been difficult to find any significant differences between the competing production yachts coming to Australia from around the world. A successful formula has been found, so each builder cleverly massages the formula to suit the target market. Following the Sun Odyssey 349 from a few years back, Jeanneau appear to have found a significant tweak to that formula, producing a range of yachts showing there can be a difference that still produces the goods. ≈
45 www.mysailing.com.au
AIS & Satellite Communication Specialists
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
3pm Oct 1764 Total Observations
BY PETREA McCARTHY
Calm*
46
BUYING A BOAT AT THE BOAT SHOW: 10 TIPS FOR GETTING THE BEST DEAL
IDEAS LOCKER
1. do your homework. Know what you are looking for and what you can afford. By the time you walk through the gates you should know whether you want a cat or a mono, how many berths you need and where you intend to sail 2. remember to factor in the cost of mooring, insurance and upgrades when deciding on your budget 3. boat shows are superb for comparing boats. The disadvantage is the up-sell effect. The next size up always looks better, but is it within your budget both to buy and to operate? Buying excess capability only multiplies the cost of your cruising. Bigger is exponentially more expensive all round 4. take a list of the gear you need and/or want on board. This includes things you may consider obvious, like sails. New boat prices are pared back. Even sails may be an option, but this is not as silly as it might seem. Different buyers will have differing requirements, depending on intended usage 5. at the other end of the equipment list are popular options like gensets, desalinators,
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
dinghies, liferafts and electronics. The purchase and fitting of all these adds considerably to the base price alternatively, a secondhand boat will have all the gear included. It may also have outdated electronics, tired sails and rigging. Or not; but you should have already considered the advantages or otherwise of buying new v used consider resale value. As your used-boat investigation will have shown, some boats depreciate quickly in their first couple of years and you don’t get back the money you pour into improvements. As with cars, established brands hold their value best. The real value in a new boat is knowing exactly what you want and then keeping it for a few years. Once the boat is initially sorted, maintenance and replacement costs will be minimal boat shows can be overwhelming. Beware of buyer fatigue where you begin to feel pressured to make a choice regardless of the logic, listen to your gut. If the boat feels wrong, it probably isn’t the right choice for you lastly, be sure to lock in a realistic delivery date. For various reasons, manufacturers can be overwhelmed with orders. Your excitement will wane if a promised hand-over date cannot be met.
LEFT: Would the layout in this Jeanneau suit you?
IMAGES: BOAT SALES TASMANIA
BELOW: Boat shows are excellent for comparing dream boats, but can be overwhelming.
3pm Aug 1719 Total Observations Calm*
YOU’RE HEADING SOUTH WHEN? It is getting towards the end of winter and many cruisers are considering when to head home from Queensland’s Coral Coast. Finding the best weather window between the southeast trades and the start of the cyclone season can be difficult. However, historically, the later you leave it the better. The Bureau of Meteorology has records going back 60 years to 80 years showing that August is too soon and October or November have much more variation in wind direction. You can access monthly information for locations Australia wide from the BoM website. Each wind rose shows the likely strength and frequency of wind from any direction, as well as the percentage of calms (not much in this case). They are an excellent, low-tech planning tool. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/ wind/selection_map.shtml. ABOVE: Wind rose for October clearly shows better conditions for heading south than August.
MARINE TOILETS FOR DUMMIES
Marine toilets often inspire one of two reactions: either such fear of an embarrassing glitch that the visitor refuses to use it, or bashful questions about how to avoid accidents. Most adults and many children are uncomfortable discussing how to use a toilet, after all, such private matters are usually learned early and never spoken of again.
Kim Revell tackled the challenge head on. The toilet on her Hans Christian 38T Anchee III has detailed instructions even the most dedicated landlubber can follow with confidence. This is far clearer than instructions to operate certain levers in a particular sequence with no explanation of each one’s function and vastly less confronting than the simple direction to not put anything in the toilet unless one has eaten it first.
Black Lever Pump Handle
REJUVENATING SUPERSEDED INSTRUMENTS Our old radar screen went black in the middle. This is a common problem that renders an otherwise perfectly functioning instrument obsolete. The usual answer is to fork out for a new one. The radar was ancient in electronics years, so buying a new screen was not an option. We had recently pulled the mast out for a complete overhaul so were reluctant to start over with a new radar, which would mean fitting a new scanner up the mast and attempting to get the fat cable down a small conduit and then all the way back to the cockpit. Over to social media: the 21st century grapevine, maybe someone had an identical screen available? No one did, but a guy who turned out to live close by had replaced an entire suite of electronics and had the old radar screen sitting in the shed. Same brand, same vintage, but bigger. We collected it, plugged it in and found it was working fine. The bracket was not included in the carton of beer price, so we had to find one and quickly as the boat was about to leave for the Whitsundays. Rather than waste time searching, we removed the existing bracket, cut it diagonally as shown in the photo, drilled some extra fastening holes and re-installed it with the ends further apart. A fast, almostfree, permanent fix, courtesy of the Facebook fraternity, and a little lateral thinking. ABOVE: Modifying the existing bracket was cost and time effective.
LEFT: Eliminating the mystery helps avoid accidents you’d rather not deal with.
This is the manual toilet pump located beside the toilet bowl
DIDUNO
PICK OF THE MONTH
Whitehaven Beach on Queensland’s Whitsunday Island may be known for its crystal white silica sand, but Hyams Beach, in Jervis Bay NSW, is recognised as having the whitest sand in the world.
TEA BOX WINNER WIN THE PERFECT CUPPA This month’s prize will go to Kim Revell. Thanks to the Australian Madura Tea company for supplying one of these boxes. www.maduratea.com.au
CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME Ideas Locker is your forum to share tips that make cruising easier, safer, or more fun. Email Petrea@petreamccarthy.com or write to Cruising Helmsman at GPO Box 606, Sydney 2001. Photos should be clear close-ups of the item described – if electronic; jpgs of at least 250KB. For more cruising ideas check out Petrea’s Cruise Under Sail Facebook page.
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ZZZ ERDWFUDIW FRP DX VKRS
47 www.mysailing.com.au
TEA BOX WINNER
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
PRACTICAL MAINTENANCE
48
Bilge pump basics HIDDEN AWAY UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS DOES NOT MEAN THEY NEED TO BE FORGOTTEN, HERE IS THE SIMPLE GUIDE TO MAINTENANCE. BRUCE NICHOLSON BILGE pumps, we all have them or should have them; they have saved many a vessel and it would be crazy to go to sea without one. The thing about a bilge pump is that you do not give them much thought until you need them, it can be something as simple as clearing the bilges automatically every ten minutes because the stern gland has started to leak with a hundred miles left to run before landfall. While it would be possible to do this with a bucket however, the truth of the matter is the electric or fitted manual pump is convenient and just so much easier to use.
On that same note the electric pump can take control and clear the bilges without you needing to get a look in. But with this automation you need to be sure it has been done right and have some form of back up or alarm if things do not go as they should. Not long after taking possession of our boat we almost sunk while tied alongside due to a series of events and the bilge pump system was right there in the middle of it. I would even go as far as saying it was the cause of it. With the usual excitement of having a new boat, while not entirely new, it was new to us. I was cleaning under the floors and in the bilges with a garden hose.
This was not an easy job and required plenty of elbow grease because, like a lot of boats, the bilges and under the floorboard spaces had not seen the light of day or a clean for some time. While I was washing and scrubbing, I collected and removed an assortment of debris but furballs were top of the list, followed closely by small amounts of sawdust and the odd cable tie off cut. During the job I kept an eye on the operation of our electric bilge pumps. I like to check the float switches are operational whenever I get a chance and this was a good time for a simulation of water ingress.
onto the bottom as the tide went out. Not having heard these noises before we were looking around. Just out of curiosity I lifted the floorboards to have a look and was alarmed to find water lapping just under the sole. We immediately set the electric pumps on manual run to clear the bilge, there was no time then to investigate why the float switch did not activate the pumps automatically. While we hear stories of time slowing down when in stressful situations, now the pumps seemed to be taking forever to make any headway. While the electric pumps ran we spent several minutes looking for a leak, all the seacocks looked OK and the water level started to drop so we knew there was not a lot of water coming in.
“WHILE ELECTRIC PUMPS ARE GREAT, DO NOT HAVE THEM AS YOUR PRIMARY.”
Electric bilge pump switches are one of those pieces of gear that can die silently and no one knows it has gone until needed. After checking the float switch was floating freely and working correctly electrically, I gave the guard screen around the switch a clean to remove the build of slimy goop that had started to grow around it. I am not sure where this sticky stuff comes from but it slowly builds up over time and can cause the float switch to become troublesome. I left the hose dribbling into the bilge while I was cleaning the float switch that had been unclipped from its mount. The water level was rising so I had Deb manually run the electric pumps from the
bilge pump control panel on the dash. I washed the last of the suds into the pump before turning off the hose and had Deb stop the electric pumps. Everything looked good and the bilge was clear so I clipped the float switch back into position on its bracket before putting the floorboards back down and we carried on with our other jobs. Later in the evening after seeing our friends off we headed to bed, however once in bed things just did not feel right so we got up to try and find the reason for the boat creaking and groaning. In hindsight I think it was due to the bilge full of water having the boat settle
Things were under control so we went looking for the large manual bilge pump handle so I could help the electric pumps. As it turned out the entire collection of manual bilge pump handles we had inherited with the boat were too short for efficient long time use of the pump. While some handles did fit the mechanism and we were able to move the diaphragm, the problem experienced was the amount of work required to operate the pump. I was quickly tiring due to the effort required to operate the one gallon per stroke pump. It is simple physics, the shorter the lever the higher the work required to move the load and, in the case of pumping bilges, it is moving the load, i.e. water, uphill. We had checked the manual bilge pump operation dry before taking the boat home but I did not unscrew the strainer and drop it into a bucket of water and pump water as I should have. So my tip is to have a look at the leverage and handle pumping position
49 www.mysailing.com.au
LEFT: “Honey, I don’t think the bilge pump is working ...”
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
50
any more water. I can only assume the previous owner installed two just to have another pump.
PRACTICAL MAINTENANCE
Keep the manual pump access ports well greased.
THREE-WAY BILGE PUMP CONTROL SWITCH PANELS
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE? How much water will flood in from a through hull/seacock failure? 50mm hole at 300mm = 296lpm or 17,715lph 50mm hole at 600mm = 427lpm or 25,665lph 50mm hole at 900mm = 514lpm 30,888lph
ELECTRIC BILGE PUMP CAPACITIES 2000gph = 34gpm = 129lpm 3700gph = 62gpm = 235lpm 4000gph = 67gpm = 254lpm gph = gallons per hour gpm = gallons per minute lpm = litres per minute
THROUGH HULL HOLE SIZE ROUGH GUIDE Fitting
Hole size
3/4”
1.041”
1”
1.3”
1¼”
1.65”
1½”
1.9”
2”
2.35”
of the manual bilge pump you have on board your boat with the outcome of the exercise to see how long you or one of the crew can physically pump the handle moving water before wearing out. A very experienced sailor said to me that we should also check how easy it is to steer the boat and manually pump the bilges at the same time. Can one person do it or is it a two person job? After having a long handle made for our manual pump one person can now steer the boat and pump the bilges, leaving the other(s) to look for and minimise the source of the leak. So how were our electric pumps configured? We had two electric bilge pumps: a small 360 gallon per hour (gph) and larger 2000gph. Both were run from a float switch that was connected to a three-way bilge pump control panel, configured: auto – off – manual. We also had and still have a large volume manual pump. The manual pump moves approximately four litres (one US gallon) per stroke and, after checking the volume that can be moved, we found thirty strokes per minute is easily sustainable and should move approx. 7200 litres per hour (1850gph). I am not sure why there was two electric pumps of different sizes, the smaller pump did not run on and clear
If your boat does not come out on a trailer at the end of the day, my opinion for what it is worth would be to modify it or get rid of it. The electric bilge pump control we had was one of those panels with three-way switch position that has an off position; I really have to question why a vessel that stays in the water has an off position for a bilge pump. I do not want to be over-critical of the switch panel manufacturers. The pretty brochures advertising the switch panel are telling us what a wonderful idea it is to have the central off position for doing maintenance on the bilge pumps or float switch. But come on guys, really, if we think about this when you need to service the pump and want the power off, simply remove the fuse that is right there on the panel. Do not have a switch that can be knocked or, for that matter, placed into the off position, it is flirting with danger. Another thing about most, admittedly not all, of these panels is there is no visual indication the pump circuit has power, the fuse could be blown and will go undetected. During the evening in question and, as I have said the boat was relatively new to us, Deb was unaccustomed to the panel and did not know that leaving the switch in the central position disabled the float switch. Having not paid any attention to the type of panel, I said after checking the pumps had cleared the bilge “that’s all good you can stop now” and that is exactly what happened, the switch was left in the off position. What we think happened was that over the next couple of hours water trickled past a small piece of debris caught in the large bilge pumps non-return valve. With the pump control switch in the off position we did not have any idea the water level was getting higher and higher in the bilge, there was no visual indication or alarm.
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
PRACTICAL MAINTENANCE
52
TOP TO BOTTOM: Aqua Air bilge pump switch does not need to be fitted in the bilge. Assortment of emergency plugs. Access key attached to bilge pump handle. Bilge information available at the chart table. Cockpit warning.
A major oversight was that the large, electric centrifugal bilge pump did not have a vented loop to prevent back syphoning. The previous owner had installed a non-return valve to stop water flowing back in to the bilge, a definite nono for this type of pump. The rule is: unless the outlet skin fittings are well clear of the waterline, hoses need vented loops, a syphon breaker, with the vent fitted up high above the waterline no matter what angle of heel. So we had two faults, a lack of a syphon breaker and a non-return valve fitted in the outlet hose of the bilge pump. A word of warning and I am surprised we did not have this problem: the next rule is that you should never plumb two bilge pumps into one outlet. If you have centrifugal pumps and one pump fails the water pressure from the good pump will force water back through the other pump losing valuable discharge volume. On the subject of siyhon breaking, vented loops, recently I was talking with several people and it appears that there is a general consensus of opinion that only toilets need vented loops and other hoses only need a loop, sometimes called a gooseneck, up above the waterline. Not having a vented loop is only OK if the outlet is well clear of the waterline on any angle of heel, so it is a worthwhile exercise having a look at your outlets. A new boat may have the outlet’s clear of
experimenting and found the flap valve would not always open immediately when the pump started. On more than one occasion I had to cycle the pump to open the valve. Considering the weight of water is almost nine kilograms contained in the 38mm x 8m of tube, it is a lot of force the pump has to exert on start up and, in all bilge pump applications, that weight of water has to be moved uphill as no bilges I know of are above the waterline. Keep in mind that some chandlery catalogues advertise one-way valves in the bilge pump section of the book. For proper operation of your system please read your pump manufacturers installation instructions carefully, there are some pumps that will benefit and others that will not work as intended with a valve installed.
FLOAT SWITCHES When we first took possession of our boat both float switches had failed; we found this during the checks prior to taking her to her new home. I guess I am now a little paranoid with bilge pumps and control circuits. Check your float switches often and, if you have electronic sensor type switches, throw a bucket of water in the bilge to make sure they are working. Recently over sundowners I heard complaints from a couple of cruisers that if the sensors get oily they do not always work as intended.
From an environmental viewpoint some are designed not to pump oil, the reasoning is that no oil can be pumped over the side causing pollution. I do not have the full facts on the oil content in the bilges of the guys who made these comments to me about their switches not working. But, on the other hand, I have had people tell me they have never had a problem, no oil in the bilges? Perhaps. Whatever type of bilge pump float/water level detection switch you have fitted to your boat they only work properly if kept clean. So check their condition visually from time to time and lift them, wet them, or submerge them to cycle the pump.
“WE GOT UP TO TRY AND FIND THE REASON FOR THE BOAT CREAKING AND GROANING.� I give mine a cleanup with warm soapy water and going over with soft scrubbing brush to get off whatever it is that builds up on them so they work trouble free. As soon as you can, after taking possession of your new boat, familiarise yourself with the safety gear including the bilge pump handles and operation. I thought I had the right pump handles. We had several manual bilge pump handles and as it turned out none were exactly correct. Also, if you need to open an inspection hatch to get to the manual bilge pump to operate it, get a couple of keys and tie one on a long lanyard in case you lose one and make sure the other is with the bilge pump handle. Visually check your manual bilge pump, look for perished diaphragm(s) and then test the operation regularly by putting the end strainer in a bucket of water or throwing a bucket of water in the bilge and pumping it out over the side for no other reason than to check the bilge pump diaphragm is not perished, nothing is clogging the hoses and the valves have not fallen off inside the pump. I quickly modified the electric threeway bilge pump control switch so the float switch is never out of the circuit; if we needed to disarm the circuit we removed the fuse.
53 www.mysailing.com.au
the waterline when first launched, but load in a 100 metres of anchor chain, a large anchor, fill the water tanks add some spare parts, fuel and the family. Put the sails up on a windy day and, when heeled, check where the outlets are in relation to the waterline. If the outlet does go under water you could find that while you are enjoying the breeze, the boat is slowly sinking when water starts to syphon into the bilge. I have often noticed in some chandlery catalogues the vented loops are nowhere near the bilge pump or through hulls section but are bundled in the marine toilet section and appear to be called toilet vented loops. An oversight, but perhaps they should be in plumbing in their own section near the through hulls and skin fittings and called vented loops because they are not just for toilets. Following up with our near miss I went and read the bilge pump manufacturers literature. The fitting instructions clearly state not to use a one-way valve in the discharge line but use a vented loop. The installation drawings go on to explain a 300 millimetre minimum clear of the waterline without a syphon breaker is acceptable. As usual the drawing is a simple powerboat throughsection and does not address the heeling characteristics of a sailing vessel. Removing the one-way valve makes sense to me because I did do some
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
LEFT: Bilge pump location to enable steering and pumping The handle is long enough to make the job physically easy.
PRACTICAL MAINTENANCE
54
if the pump runs, as well as warning of bilge high water condition. A great safety feature when we are all out in the cockpit sailing along oblivious to what is happening below. We have heard stories from crewmembers climbing down companionway stairs into ankle deep water. It is certainly better to get early warning something is not right. While we were coming to terms with our close call, a boat at our marina sunk, some of the locals were splitting hairs saying it did not really sink. But, in reality, it did sink. But because the tide was out, it sat on the mud and the dock kept it from falling over; enough water got in, however, to make a serious mess. The discussion that evening at the yacht club was all about when a boat sinks when tied up at the marina. There was a lot of questions asked and opinions given but, through it all, the question most of us asked was “didn’t they have a bilge pump?” So after thinking about it some more we all decided that while this is a good question, it is not completely the right question. Brain storming as you do when propping up the yacht club bar, we came to the conclusion that we need to look at this at a different angle. Perhaps the question should be how did enough water get into the boat quick enough for it to sink? We have now made a new control panel with visual indication of pump and bilge conditions. We also have a secondary float switch circuit independent of the primary float switch circuit that will alarm visually and turn on a 100 decibel alarm if the bilge water depth level increases ten centimetres more than the primary float switch. This secondary circuit will also switch on a relay to run the bilge pumps should the primary float switch fail. I have also installed a counter to keep track of pump run cycles; this works well because we found we had a very minor fresh waterhose leak that we were able to quickly track down before the tank completely emptied into the bilge.
I have installed a timer I brought from Jaycar electronics on the smaller pump circuit and it will run for a minute or more longer after the large pump switches off to clear the water that runs back out the hose of the larger pump when it shuts down. The extra run time of the smaller pump clears the last of the water from the bilge and without getting in there with a sponge and bucket there is usually only a tiny amount of water left in the bottom of the bilge. Another safety feature we installed was a bilge pump power/bilge level/ bilge pump run monitor in the cockpit; this gives us indication the power to the pump circuits is OK. It alerts us
WATER ENTERING A BOAT MAKES IT SINK There are lots of things that can quickly overrun a bilge pump, but common problems are putting a hole in the boat by colliding with something in the water and water ingress from a failed through hull is certainly another. Connecting up a garden hose to the vessel as a way of having pressure water while tied up at the marina is another and has shown to be disastrous on a number of occasions. If a hose bursts and you are not there, it will be touch and go whether your boat sinks.
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
56
PRACTICAL MAINTENANCE
City water pressure and hose diameter plays a part and being at sea level the city water supply is usually at its best. Experiment next time you are tied alongside: while continuously supervising the water intake, place the dock side water hose in the bilge, turn it on and exercise your bilge pump system, then try and estimate how long your pump system will keep your boat afloat.
“... THIS WAS A GOOD TIME FOR A SIMULATION OF WATER INGRESS.�
TOP TO BOTTOM: Wood plug on short lanyard attached to seacock. Vented loop up high under the cockpit combing. Tighten up the cable on the starter motor Try doing this in a seaway. OPPOSITE PAGE: Offending non-return flap valve.
Because of the variables, this is something you will need to investigate and come to a conclusion with but, if it was me, I would not plumb in city water just for the convenience of not needing to fill the water tanks periodically. The up side is, for that little bit of extra work you know the water in the tanks is fresh when you head out on the bay. See breakout box. Once a boat starts to sink it is a compounding problem, with every extra millimetre of extra depth the hole is under water the quicker the flow of water will be: the more it sinks the quicker it sinks. Check out the electric bilge pump capacities break out box with an overview of the larger electric bilge pumps on the market. I have listed the pump capacities as US gallons per hour because this is how they are marketed. One US gallon roughly equals 3.7854 litres. The 4000gph unit draws 15.5 amps and is supposed to move 4000gph with no head when the batteries are fully charged. But, as with all electric pumps, when the batteries start to discharge the current draw increases due to the reduced voltage; the volume output of the pump also starts to decline due to the motor running slightly slower. As you can see the largest DC electric pump, requiring the biggest battery capacity will not keep up with a 50mm hole just 300mm under the water, it would need to be supplemented with extra pumps, either a manual pump or motor driven pump or both. What we know about bilge pumps is that the number printed on the outside
offshore is to be prepared. Make sure all your seacocks and through hull fittings have emergency plugs attached by a short lanyard for immediate use, should the through hull fail. When sizing the plugs do not just take the size measurement off the side of the seacock/ball valve and purchase a wood plug corresponding to that size, or you may well find the wood plug is too small when you need to use it. To get the right plug size head over to the seacock/through hull fitting section at the chandler with a plug and size them up. Check out the through hull size rough guide breakout box. Also on the market are emergency flexible plugs that can be used on ragged sized holes. Become familiar with the different methods for stemming the flow of the incoming water. One of many I know of is simply a tarpaulin that can be deployed over the side, dragged into position and held there with ropes.
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of the pump is the volume of water the pump was able to move during test conditions in the laboratory. If we add pipe friction into the mix we reduce the theoretical water flow, the actual amount will vary due to pipe type and length. We will also need to factor in the head pressure and this can be substantial depending on how high the water needs to be lifted before it is pumped over the side. The pump will require its own through hull fitting. Centrifugal pumps should not be fitted with valves on the discharge side as these will also slow the discharge volume. Do not plumb two centrifugal pumps in to one through hull, should one of the pumps stop, some (meaning: a lot) of water will circulate back through the failed pump. The other problem is the output will certainly be lower than what could be achieved with two through hull outlets. So, as far as I can see, some of the best things you can do before heading
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The pressure of the water on the tarpaulin makes an almost watertight seal once over the hole. Once the inflood of water is under control more substantial methods of patching the hull can be accessed. While electric pumps are great, do not have them as your primary bilge pump. Look more to having the electric pumps as supplementary pumps. When things start to go pear-shaped usually several things happen in quick succession. After talking with a lot of cruisers it is usually the batteries that suffer failure very quickly during a flooding. Well think about it, we keep our batteries down as low as we can to aid stability, so this area is the first to flood. Even if you do have sealed batteries they usually fail quickly as the terminals are corroded off the battery. Test your pumps on a reasonably regular basis. Test and clean the float switches, this is important to ensure the electric pumps will function when needed. I know the two pump switches I had that failed did not have mercury inside but had a steel ball to make contact should the float lever rise. I guess the manufacturers were trying to move away What everyone wants, a nice untroubled night’s sleep.
from mercury. Environmentally this is a great idea, but I am not sure if a steel ball was a good idea. When buying float switches it could be an idea to try and find out what kind of contact mechanism is inside. As a backup/alarm to my standard primary float switch, I have a bilge pump switch operated by air pressure, as water rises in the bilge, air pressure in the bell and air tube increases, operating a diaphragm switch in the unit and activating the pump. The good thing is that the electrical components are clear of the water and no sensitive electronics are used. The mercury-free switch head means there is no environmental hazard should the switch fail. Something worth thinking about is a three-way valve off your motor intake so you can select either the normal seawater intake or select water from the bilge. However you will need to make sure you have a good strainer on this pipe. Then clean your bilges on a regular basis so none of the pumps suck up anything to either damage the pump or stop it from working. If you can disassemble and inspect your pumps periodically looking for worn
or damaged components. Pay special attention to neoprene or other soft rubbery parts such as diaphragms, flap/ duckbill valves. This is not only good for preventive maintenance, it lets you learn how to disassemble and reassemble the pumps before an emergency occurs. For added safety, pack a complete spare pump assembly, whether it is a manual pump or electric. Being able to hot swap out a defective pump lets you quickly start to remove water again, this will allow you to repair the damaged pump later at your convenience. Stock a couple of bilge pump handles on lanyards so they can be secured and be quickly to your fingertips. So, in conclusion, do not take your bilge pumps for granted, give them a little respect and they will keep your bilge dry and maybe even keep your boat afloat long enough for you to figure out where that water is coming from! ≈
BRUCE NICHOLSON Bruce and partner Deb have lived aboard Matilda a Hans Christian Christina for the past 6 years. We are full time cruisers now traveling through SE Asia waters.
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Getting real about steel THE PREVALENCE OF FIBREGLASS PRODUCTION YACHTS MAY TEND TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK ALL OTHER BOAT BUILDING MATERIALS ARE NOT AS GOOD. RICK PAGE
“IT is better to travel in hope than to arrive” is the often quoted mantra of the philosophical nomad who wishes to distinguish himself from the tourist or business traveller. However, the person who wrote this has clearly never been in a howling gale on a boat he did not trust. In this case, arrival is very much the preferred state of being. Bad conditions at sea are always challenging, but can be made almost unbearable if you have less than 100 per cent confidence in your boat and spend every mile worrying about your chainplates or listening to your bulkheads creaking, wondering if they are up to the job. How you feel about the ability of your boat to survive unpleasant conditions will define not just your relationship to your boat, but your whole
attitude to both travelling and arriving. Our first boat was a 34 foot steel Van de Stadt. Every time the weather piped up, I would feel supremely confident that, whatever else happened, Jasna and I would be OK. No worries, bring it on. I have not been able to replicate that feeling in subsequent fibreglass boats, even our heavily laid up Hans Christian 36. Even if this was the only advantage to metal boats, it would still be enough to make them worthy of serious consideration. After all, what price is peace of mind? Steel boats however, have much going for them than just security.
FIBERGLASS VERSUS STEEL The majority of boats you will see for sale are made from fibreglass, ‘frozen snot’ as
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MAIN: Our Van De Stadt 34 steely was only five years old when we bought her. If she had been made of fibreglass, we could never have afforded her. Fear of steel boats can work well for those who know that not all steel boats are created equal. LEFT: Sand blasting a steel hull costs a fraction of the price of an osmosis treatment for a fibreglass hull. The results can often be longer-lived too. BELOW: Steel hulls can be as fair as any other material. There is no filler on this hull.
legendary designer Francis Herreschoff rather dismissively referred to it. Despite Mr Herreschoff`s reservations, fibreglass has proved to be a very good, low maintenance boat building material when used correctly. Fibreglass is fairly strong, does not suffer from corrosion and can be moulded into some beautiful shapes. It can be ignored with fewer repercussions than other materials. There are certainly more fibreglass boats on the market than boats of any other material, making it the number one choice for most sailors. Steel boats, by contrast do not share the same low maintenance reputation and the internet is full of warnings about corrosion and pictures of badly made steel boats that look like the portable toilets at a grunge festival. However, much has changed
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recently in the world of steel and it might be worth a look with a more modern eye before writing it off completely. Steel boats have always had their admirers and I include myself amongst them. They are strong and ductile, ie. they will deform on impact without breaking. They are stiff and can absorb loads from rigging and waves crashing on the deck, they are fairly easy to repair in a developing country and you can run aground in them with less repercussions. Yet many people are wary of steel boats because, as anyone who has owned a car will know, steel can rust quickly in water and very quickly in a mixture of salt and water. Two things have conspired in recent years though, to make steel a very viable option for the modern cruiser: coatings and design.
COATINGS Today’s modern two-part epoxy coatings have changed the way we see steel forever. Far more effective than any of the previous coatings, epoxy is easy to apply and virtually indestructible; providing a strong, waterproof barrier to the sea and therefore, corrosion. With the addition a few coats of
high-build primer, the steel boat is almost drifting into the arena of a composite. Steel hulls can be as fair as any other material.
DESIGN When steel was first used in cruising yacht design, the designs leaned heavily on the practices of traditional wooden boat builders. Many still do. The ribs would be lofted and the steel plates welded on the sides. This lead to some very ugly boats indeed. Some were ‘boxy’ to say the least and others looked like half starved horses where the plates deformed between the ribs due to bad welding practices. Furthermore, it is well known that steel boats tend to rust from the inside out because little pockets of water get trapped where you can not see them. often where the ribs join the plates.
VALUE FOR MONEY Some bad steel designs have left many sailors with a negative view of all steel boats and this can work to the advantage of the wily sailor with shallow pockets
and big dreams, because less demand means lower prices. Fortunately there are steel boat designers like EG Van de Stadt and Brent Swain who use frame-less designs for their steel boats, all but eliminating many of the traditional design problems and making some attractive boats into the bargain. Our steel Van de Stadt 34 was nice looking, as strong as an ox in shin pads and we were very pleased with her. She was practically new, but we bought her for the price of the engine, mast and sails. If she had been made from fibreglass, we could never have afforded her.
INACCURATE COMPARISONS Whenever you see a comparison between steel and fibreglass in the yachting press or in forums, they invariably come down on the side of fibreglass. These comparisons are inaccurate because they tend to compare, say, a new fibreglass hull with a new steel hull or a five year old fibreglass hull with a five year old steel hull under the misguided idea that this gives a fair comparison. These studies are made with the underlying assumption that money does not matter. Yet, for most cruisers, money or rather value for money, is a reality we cannot ignore. Confused? OK for a really fair comparison between steel and fibreglass boats, you need to talk about cost, not age. For example we bought a practically new 34 foot steel boat for $50,000. Sails, electronics, engine, transmission, rigging, in fact everything from stem to stern, was as new. With a quick visit to the boatyard we were off sailing for four years with little maintenance. Now compare this with a fibreglass boat that cost the same. There is no comparison. The same boat in fibreglass would be at least 20 years old, with a 20 year old diesel and other equipment. It is much more likely to have been in a collision than a practically new boat or repaired badly in some areas. Steering gear, wiring, plumbing, electronics, anchors, chains, dinghies, outboards, winches, sails etc., are probably also 20 years old and there may be some osmosis or waterlogging of the decks. Just about every system on the boat, from cutless bearing to anchor windlass, is a possible source of problems.
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So while a 20 year old fibreglass boat is often a better prospect than a 20 year old steel boat, a 50k steel boat is most likely a better prospect than a 50k fibreglass boat. In the end this is a much more meaningful comparison, because we all need to get the best boat we can for the money we have. I spend at least five times more on the maintenance of my old fibreglass boat than I did on my nearly new steel boat although both cost the same. Many frameless steel boat owners report similar findings. A comparison based on cost for the right steel boat would nearly always come down in favour of steel, except in Northern Europe, where steel boats fetch higher prices than elsewhere. While we are on the subject (soapbox) here are some more advantages of the newer steel boat.
OSMOSIS Steel boats do not suffer from this, older fibreglass boats often do and can cost tens of thousands to put right. Our steel boat did need a bottom job when we bought her, due to a stray electrical current that was easily detected and remedied, but the whole sand-blasting and application of epoxy resin cost $2000. Seven years later she is still sailing on the same bottom.
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CHAINPLATES The problems with joining rigging to fibreglass, wood or ferro-cement, is solved by using large steel plates known as chainplates to spread the load. This requires drilling through the hull material. These chainplates invariably take on some saltwater through the bolt holes, or where they exit the deck and begin to corrode. At the very least they are a constant source of concern because they are often buried deep in the fibreglass and not easy to inspect. You do not have this problem with steel as it is strong enough to weld an eye directly onto the deck or hull sides where they are strong and, more importantly, inspectable.
WATERLOGGED DECKS Most fibreglass boats have cored decks. This is where the decks are made like a sandwich: fibreglass as the bread with plywood or balsa as the filling.
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This boat is politely communicating with its owner. It is saying, ”someone has made a bad repair here which needs redoing”. If you ignore these polite reminders, your boat will start screaming at you.
On older boats these are often waterlogged as they have absorbed sea and rainwater over the years through gaps in the deck fittings. Not a problem for steel decks.
HULL TO DECK JOINTS Often a constant litany of leaks particularly, but not exclusively, in lightly-built boats. In a steel boat, the process of welding usually results in a watertight deck to hull joint.
COMMUNICATION Another reason I like steel boats is that they speak to you. If there is anything that needs your attention your boat will produce a little brown weep of rust to show you where it is.
LIGHTNING PROTECTION
UV DAMAGE
It may seem counter-intuitive, but steel boats are safer in thunderstorms by acting like a giant Faraday Cage (google it) which protects not only the people on board, but can help limit damage to your electrical goodies too.
Many fibreglass boats show signs of ‘crazing’ particularly on the decks. Steel is unaffected by ultra-violet.
SURVIVAL
SAILING A Bermudan rig has only one advantage over other types of rig and that is its ability to go to windward. To make the most of this, a bar-tight forestay is required. I would not feel comfortable applying such a constant high load to most fibreglass boats used for cruising and therefore much of the advantage of the Bermudan rig is lost on many fibreglass boats. A steel boat absorbs these loads without complaint.
Not an insignificant point. You are going to feel like the biggest smarty-pants in the world when you return to port safely with a boat that looks like a banana. The type of impact that would cause a steel boat to deform in this way would sink a boat of any other material.
EVERYTHING ELSE Because the price differential means that everything else on the newer steel boat will be that much less used, just about anything you can think of, from rudder
bearings to toilet seals, from rigging screws to radios, from diesel engines to sewage tanks is going to give you far less trouble than the older fibreglass boat approaching a refit. This was certainly the case for us. The newer steel boat of frameless design is starting to look like a better idea even if you do have to keep an eye on the rust. There is a caveat though: employ a surveyor who is accustomed to looking at steel boats. He will probably have an audio gauge a device that uses sound to measure the thickness of the steel and another device for measuring stray current, a big enemy for all boats, but particularly steel. Avoid all boats that have wood laid over the steel and do not shoot yourself in the foot by seeing this as an opportunity to get a bigger boat for the money instead of a better quality one for the same price. Also, you may want to learn to weld. ≈
RICK PAGE Rick Page is the author of the Amazon No1 best-selling sailing book ‘Get real, get gone: How to become a modern sea gypsy and sail away forever and is a qualified Disaster Engineer. He lives aboard his Hans Christian 36 Calypso with his partner and fellow writer, Jasna Tuta somewhere in the South Pacific. He can be contacted on www.sailingcalypso.com
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Charting
the heavens and earth THERE IS NO DOUBT THE FIRST CARTOGRAPHERS WERE AMAZING BUT DID SOME USE A BIT OF FREE LICENSE? ROBERT WEATHERBURN IN 1956 a Turkish naval officer gave a copy of an early 16th century Ottoman navigational chart, drawn by Piri Reis, a captain in the Ottoman navy during the sultanate of Suleyman the Magnificent, to the U.S Hydrographic Office in Washington D.C. That chart became known as The Piri Reis Map and drew worldwide attention because it appeared to show the coastline of Queen Maud Land in Antarctica, even though the map was drawn in 1513. More extraordinary still were the claims that the map showed that the islands and bays of the depicted coastline of Queen Maud Land are the same as they appear below the Antarctic ice sheet, as revealed by seismic echosoundings taken in 1949. The first reactions to these claims were: “OK, maybe someone sailed to Antarctica and surveyed part of the coastline before 1513, but how could they have mapped the coastline below the ice?” The world’s press was quick to take up the story of the Piri Reis map, highlighting the enigma of he charting of what appeared to be Antarctica and creating a sudden widespread interest in medieval and classical cartography.
Two of the most off-beat theories put forward to explain how and why parts of Antarctica appeared on the chart, especially those below the ice, proposed that Piri Reis must have found and used documents compiled before Antarctica was covered by ice. Those ancient documents, it was claimed, could have been prepared either by extraterrestrials, or from one of Earth’s advanced lost civilisations; perhaps even a people whose descendants are still living deep under the Antarctic ice. Recent scientific papers, however, refute the veracity of those 1949 seismic soundings in Queen Maud Land and go on to argue that the bedrock geology of Antarctica, as surveyed in 1972, showed that even by that
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date the topography beneath Queen Maud Land was largely unmapped and unknown. It was, therefore, impossible for any scientific comparison to have been made between it and what the Piri Reis may appears to show. Other studies, including that published by the American Geophysical Union of Washington D.C., as ‘Geology and seismic stratigraphy of the Antarctic Margin’, in their Antarctic Research Series, volume 68 (1995) demonstrates that at no time in the last 14 million years was Antarctica ice-free enough for maps to be drawn showing either a partially or completely ice-free continent. Yet the theories keep coming and debates continue about whether or not the Piri Reis map really shows an outline of Queen Maud Land.
ABOVE: Nicolas Desliens map circa 1566. LEFT: Copernicus changed man’s understanding of the solar system. Copernicus monument in Warsaw.
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LEFT TO RIGHT: Oronteus Finaeus map of 1531 showing Antarctica! A 16th century Ottoman ship that Priri Ries would have recognised. Surviving fragment of the Piri Reis map showing the Central and South American coast.
Rand and Rose Flem-Ath, for instance, in their book ‘When the sky fell’, even put forward the theory that the entire crust of the earth moved around 12,000 years ago and carried temperate areas into polar regions, and, because of that crustal drift, Antarctica may be the lost continent of Atlantis. Setting aside, however, speculation and all the modern debates about how, why and if it really is Antarctica that shows up on Piri Reis’ map, (and also, incidentally, on the only slightly later Oronteus Fineaus map of 1532), we can do no better than turn back the pages of history and see exactly what the cartographer himself had to say about his charts. In his most famous Atlas, the Kitabi Bahriye, and in his notations on the 1513 chart, Piri Reis tells us that he drew the maps from a composite of twenty older maps, of which eight of those were from the time of Alexander of the Two Horns: i.e. Alexander The Great. Following those clues, Professor Charles Hapgood, who later wrote the book ‘Maps of the ancient sea kings’, examined the Piri Reis map of 1513 and stated that its centre is located at the intersection
of the meridian of Alexandria: 30° east longitude and the tropic of Cancer; Greek geographers, from about 200BC onwards, often based their maps on the meridian of Alexandria. Its use as a centre on Piri Reis’ map appears to confirm his own statement that at least some of his source maps dated back to the Alexandrian period of Greek science. From the 6th century BC onwards, Greek scholars, scientists and mathematicians, men such as Thales, Anaximander, Hecataeus and Herodotus, kept detailed records of their accumulating cosmographical and geographical knowledge. It is now impossible to say whether it was Pythagoras or Parmenides, in the 6th of 5th century BC, who was the first to come up with the idea of a spherical Earth; but, by the 4th century, this theory was generally accepted by all Greek scholars. Aristotle, in about 350BC, wrote six arguments to prove that the Earth was a sphere and, from then on, the concept of a spherical Earth was accepted by most ancient geographers and scientists. Herodotus, an historian with a decidedly geographical bent, published his famous
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‘History’ around 425BC. In it he gives accounts of the Phoenician circumnavigation of Africa in about 600BC, it was from those accounts that ‘the father of history’ concluded that the Southern Ocean extended from Spain to India. It was Heorodutus, too, who wrote that the Caspian is an inland sea and not a gulf of the northern ocean, as previously had been thought. The Greeks also knew of the two 6th century BC Carthaginian voyages along the Atlantic coast; one along west Africa to Cape Palmas and the other along the Spanish and Gaulish coast to Brittany. Alexander’s great conquests took him to the Caspian Sea and northern India, near the end of those campaigns his admiral, Nearchus, sailed along the coast of Asia and the Persian Gulf. A little later, Pytheas of Massilia sailed into the Atlantic, rounded Spain and circumnavigated Britain; it was his precise observations and records of the sun’s declination in northern latitudes that sparked Eratosthenes’ research in mathematical geography. Somewhere around 300BC Dicaearchus, a follower of Aristotle, drew a line of orientation on a world map, running east and west through Gibralter and Rhodes. Eratosthenes, Marinus of Tyre and Ptolemy later went on to develop the reference-line principle to create a system of parallels and meridians and methods of projecting them; it was Eratosthenes who takes us back to Alexandria in Egypt. Eratosthenes, who lived from about 276BC to 194BC, was born in Cyrene and studied grammar in Alexandria and philosophy in Athens. He was a scholar and mathematician, eventually settling in Alexandria as librarian of the famous museum of the city that was the Greek administrative capital of Egypt and the focal point of Greek science. It was there, in
“... BUT HOW COULD THEY HAVE MAPPED THE COASTLINE BELOW THE ICE?” Alexandria, that Eratosthenes succeeded in measuring Earth’s circumference. Once he knew that the sun, at the summer solstice, was directly overhead at Seyen (modern Aswan), he measured the sun’s zenith distance at both Seyen and Alexandria. Without going into an explanation of the mathematics involved, this gave him Earth’s circumference. Assuming that he was was measuring distance in Greek stadia and that ten stadii equalled one mile, Eratosthenes was able to get his sums correct to within about 50 miles. Hipparchus, who discovered the precession of the equinoxes and who was perhaps the greatest of all Greek astronomers, whose finest work was done between 146BC and 127BC, was the first to propose the idea of a mathematical grid system for measuring and mapping the globe. His system was made up of 360 degrees of latitude and longitude for a map based on astronomical observations, employing a method of determining longitudes by timing the observations of the eclipses. This idea however, great though it was, could not be made to work to any degree of accuracy until modern times; simply because it depended upon very precise instruments to time the observations. Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus), who lived from 100AD to 170AD, wrote his ‘Guide to geography’ in about 150AD.
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ABOVE: An Arabic medieval astrolabe. BELOW: The amazing Ptolemy world map.
In this book, comprising eight volumes, he made good use of the work of his predecessors. To the ancient world Ptolemy seemed to have fulfilled Hipparchus’ dreams by constructing a map of the known world using a grid system based on 360 degress of latitude and longitude. But he had little cartographic data with which to work and made only half-hearted attempts to ascertain longitudes by the timing of eclipses. Instead he relied mainly upon dead reckoning from the reports of itinerant scholars. Yet, even though Greek science probably reached its greatest heights in Alexandria in the 2nd century AD and went on to flourish at the Byzantine court and in the hands of the Arabs during the Middle Ages, its slow decline began after the fall of the Roman Empire, into the depths of what used to be the called The Dark Ages. Then, for six centuries until the dawning light and burgeoning spirit of the Renaissance threw off the cloying cloak of darkness, Europe wallowed in a period dominated by myth and superstition. Much of what the ancients had learned from Aristotle and Hipparchus and their fellow scientists of the Greek world, including the reality of a spherical Earth, was either forgotten or denied; and the belief that the world was flat became, once more, the order of the day. To believe otherwise was heresy and map-makers had a hard time of it during the medieval period of Western Europe.
The only sources of information they could work with was put together from the few classics available to them and from whatever scanty information they could glean from the information filtering through from progressive scientists and mathematicians of the Islamic world. With the dawning of the Renaissance, however, Europe was fired with the desire and need for knowledge. By then the spread of Islam into the West had brought with it and made available Latin translations, by Jewish scholars, of much of the classical Greek scientific, mathematical and philosophical knowledge. Translations of Ptolemy’s ‘Geography’ are known to have circulated in Italy around the year 1400. In 1492, when Columbus sailed west to find Cathay, he knew that the world was a sphere. In 1474 Paolo Toscanello of Florence had sent him his world chart. Martin Berheim’s globe, published in 1492, showed the ocean separating Europe from Asia to have a width of 126° longitude. This was the knowledge that must have encouraged him to get on with the job. And now we have come full circle back to Piri Reis because, apart from his references to his ancient map sources, the Turkish captain also wrote that in 1501 he had obtained other maps from a captured Spanish sailor. That sailor had told him he had been on Christopher Columbus’ three voyages to the New World, in exchange for his freedom, according to Reis, the sailor gave him a number of charts that Columbus had used in locating the islands of the Western Hemisphere. So Piri Reis, in compiling his atlases and charts and like all the navigators since the 6th century BC, was indebted to the ancient Greek mathematicians and scholars who had formulated the concept of a spherical Earth laying the ground for the science of modern astronomy and the practical application of astro-navigational theory. ≈
ROBERT WEATHERBURN From Sydney, Rob Weatherburn was bitten by the sailing bug when he crewed aboard a pearling lugger in New Guinea. After delivering a yacht from the UK to the Mediterranean island of Malta, he made the island his second home and found one of the great loves of his life: the old Cutlas Class gaff cutter Laranda. Rob wrote for Cruising Helmsman for many years and also contributed to Yaffa’s Australian Photography: for Swissair he was the last person to interview Jacques Cousteau, who also found his yacht, Calypso, on Malta. Rob is a keen writer, photographer, painter, pianist and composer. www.thesailingartphotoblog.com
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
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Cruising Helmsman August 2018
CLASSIFIEDS
Cruising Helmsman August 2018
CLASSIFIEDS
74
CLASSIFIEDS CALL AMANDA PATRICK ON 02 9213 8287 EMAIL: AMANDAPATRICK@YAFFA.COM.AU
WWW.INSURANCEMARINE-ONLINE.COM Insurance for Sailors by Sailors
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LOCAL WATERS or ANY OCEAN IN THE WORLD
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