Classic Sailor No6 March 2016 by Dan Houston

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Contents

32 Editorial

COVER STORY The Twister that went to Cape Horn

Signals:

Dutch classic capers

People of the Sea: Clifford Adams

Sumurun’s transatlantic run

Rowing: Down the Misissippi in a Thames skiff

Marine Motorist: First Lady of power

On Watch and Over the Yardarm

Off Watch: the boat’s bookshelf

An instructor’s tale

Boat skills: docking

Surveying: Epoxy

Restoring a Mirror dinghy: the big finish

Fitting quadrant steering

Des Pawson: solo serving

Calendar and Next Month

The last word: Artist of the Month

It’s floods. Once they get serious how do you navigate? Cowes yard fire; fake lifejackets; racing down under; Gaffers shall go to the Brest ball; London Boat Show and what was missing

Around the yards

Devon Wooden Boats; Classic Marine moves to Suffolk Yacht Harbour; Ashley Butler buys a yard, and looking for a large shed

Association news

OGA honours Ed Burnett; Seagull races, Rivals, Twisters, Strange yacht

Obituary: Roger Wardale

Chronicler of Arthur Ransome’s boats

Classic Coast

Orfordness Lighthouse

Smylie’s boats Itchen Ferry

The Post

The livelier letters pages

Andrew Bray

How, and why, to speak ‘boat’

Guest column:

Sam Lewellyn on the forum and the Swiss Army knife

Nardi’s nods

IW 31 Varvet - more insight into GRP classics

16 17 17 18 21 23 25

Trevor Clifton tells us what he likes about his Twister Cracklin’ Rosie Sue Lewis and Victoria enjoy racing at Hellevoetsluis Still building Redwings at 91

A galley’s eye view of the 101-year-old Fife’s eventful, magical passage What Olympic champion John Pritchard did to fund-raise for charity Lady Violet Aitken, her boats, her races, her broken ribs. Brandy Spotted at the London Boat Show, and Whiskey with an ‘E’ First Atlantic Race, East Coast Pilot, Return of Racundra and more How to make tea at sea

Lines and fenders at the ready? Space spotted? Now to get into it Wonderful stuff, but you have to watch out, says Aidan Tuckett It’s time to put on the paint.

The better ways of wheel steering – and oddly neglected No it’s not that thing but it is about being single handed... Events for the coming month and year, and what’s in our next issue Tony Williams, winner of the RSMA’s Charles Pears Award CLASSIC SAILOR

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Editorial Dan Houston

The threat of floods have always been there. So how does the sailor prepare?

oel’s flood is a joke by Geoffrey Chaucer in his Miller’s Tale - part of the Canterbury set. It’s invented by the young wife of an older carpenter, and her would-be lodger lover to persuade him to set up barrels hanging from his roof rafters into which they should climb at night, to be sure of staying afloat as and when the waters rose. Needless to say it all goes wrong and one of the oldest stories in the language ends in ribald hilarity –1380s style. I don’t remember not having a sense of humour as a kid but I distinctly recall a sense of scepticism when I first read the story as a teenager. “Barrels, in the roof, to navigate flood waters that might be 20ft deep? I don’t think so,” my young navigation-aware person inwardly scoffed (before I had got to the really good bits). And surely as a carpenter would he not know the basics of boat-building? Even if it was just a punt, square in section, made of deal planks it would be better than a stupid barrel. Whoever heard of a barrel as a boat? Of course I was doing that aware-naive thing and not really getting the point of the story, but for some reason I used to think about a flooded world a lot in my preteens and I had already decided that whether it was of Noah-size or Noelsize the trick would definitely be to have a good boat.

So I spent hours working on scenarios, like how would you navigate in a world underwater? Somehow dimly I worked out that the contours of depth and height would remain the same, it would just be the sea level which changed. When I joined Sea Cadets I paid acute attention to stuff like using a lead and line and learned how to read charts as soon as I could. The lead and line though, the basic compass, positioning by seamarks, landmarks and the stars – all these seemed to me to be great skills to acquire especially if you find yourself in waters which have suddenly risen. Of course I was actually just interested in basic seamanship of the kind that allowed anyone sailor with half an ounce of nous to get into a strange river system, predict tidal range and pick his way through the shoals using the most rudimentary of tools. Since those early days of wanting to understand navigation I’ve been blessed with a life that includes some sailing and it’s a fun exercise to use a lead weight on the end of a boathook and pick your way up a strange river channel - sounding ahead to see where the channel twists, and shelves. But against that backdrop has been a life of global warming, ice melt, sea level rise and a more ominous threat of floods. Can’t stop it if it happens of course, can we? But the one thing I hope we won’t be doing is hanging barrels in the roof.

And while we’re at it... How many fans of the old Gaul Getaﬁx – cartoon druid from the Asterix comic book series, totally failed to get the drugs pun in his name and instead hoped (like your editor when young) that he was some kind of wizard of navigation; master of the position line and running ﬁx, who at any moment (this being the 1970s) was about to demonstrate this power in a maritime graphic novel of splendour, swapping golden sickle for golden sextant? Yet alas all he did was to keep on serving up woodoo soup!

Getaﬁx – hoped-for wizard of navigation... master of the position line and running ﬁx CLASSIC SAILOR 5

Signals Around the world via the Antarctic, Auckland, the Brest Festival and back to the London Boat Show BOATYARD BLAZE

Aftermath of the huge fire in Cowes A dozen or more businesses were made homeless when a huge fire engulfed the Medina yard in Cowes at lunchtime on January 25. The fire started in the workshop of TJ motors and within minutes had travelled the length of the building which was steeped in tar from its years as the boatshed of Samuel White’s. It spread to boat sheds destroying more than 30 yachts including the Dunkirk Little Ship Vere, a 1902 Charles Sibbick racing yacht Witch and the 58ft 1927 Mylne ketch Fedoa – which was due for relaunch this spring after a lengthy restoration.

Seven XOD class daysailers were destroyed in the blaze as were 15 Etchells, five Dragons and the Quarter-Tonner Espada. More than 50 firefighters had battled with the blaze which left a plume of black smoke over West Cowes – residents in nearby streets were evacuated. Patrick Moreton, who runs Moreton Marine said of Fedoa – the boat he has been restoring for several years: “Nothing remains but a piece of charred keel and some keel bolts. We heard the fire start when cars in the workshop next to ours started exploding. We had a few minutes to get some tools out

but there was nothing to be done – it was an inferno and it just vapourised anything that was not solid metal – an aluminium bicycle in the shed just disappeared.” The complex of workshops belongs to the Harrison Trust which closed the area for a

few days. Some businesses have been able to return but people like Moreton are homeless. “Luckily Fedoa’s owner was insured and is talking about starting again,” he said. “But it’s going to take a little while to get back on our feet.” DH

PEOPLE TRAFFIC

Counterfeit buoyancy aids sold to Syrian refugees The Worldwide Tribe, a charitable humanitarian group has just sent us a counterfeit buoyancy aid. This particular type is being sold to Syrian refugees in Turkey for the already perilous crossing from Turkey to Greece in inflatable dinghies, paying up to £1000 each. (For what would otherwise be a 20 Euro crossing by ferry.) According to figures from the Turkish Coast Guard, more than 60,000 people were intercepted on the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas this year since January alone and at least 130 people died when 6 CLASSIC SAILOR

their boats capsized and sank. Last year the death toll was 3771. As the sea is at its roughest around this time of year, reliance on life jackets becomes increasingly vital. What is so deeply insidious about these particular

buoyancy aids is that, on close inspection, not only are they badly made (single stitching, false logo, poor strapping) but the foam that is inside them is made, not from closed cell PVC slabs but from sheets of water

Water-absorbent foam inside trafﬁckers’ fake buoyancy aids

Devastation as blaze rips through Cowes boatsheds. This shows Fedoa ablaze

absorbent plastic sponge wadding. This means that you’re probably better off with nothing at all rather than being dragged down by one of these once in the water. The traffickers, it seems insist on you wearing some kind of life preserver and often sell these for as little as €15 to unsuspecting customers. (Real ones being around €70.)Yamaha has expressed its deep regret that its usually good name is being used for deadly counterfeit goods. A secret factory in Izmir, run by five men was raided recently and hundreds of counterfeit buoyancy vests were seized. The sheer scale of production exposes a depressingly callous disregard for life that, in a court of law would probably throw up a multiple murder verdict. We plan to do controlled buoyancy tests on these jackets and posting our film on facebook and writing up the results in next month’s issue.

A secret factory in Izmir, run by ﬁve men was raided recently and hundreds of counterfeit buoyancy vests were seized. QUAY PEOPLE

DORSET

TS Pelican crowd funds for new engine Tall Ship Pelican is turning to crowd-funding to raise the cost of a refit, and in particular, a new engine. The charity that owns her, Dorset-based Adventure Under Sail is planning to dry-dock her over the next couple of months and needs to raise £30,000 to replace the engine alone. The charity has started a crowd-funding campaign with GoFundMe. Go to gofundme.com/7deakxgs or to adventuresundersail.com and click through to the appeal page. As we went to press, the

sum raised was around £2,500, so there is still some way to go. Pelican is now one of only five Class A tall ships for sail training left in the UK and has she has no equivalent among square riggers. Traditionally rigged with three masts, Pelican’s unique main mast barquentine rig and sail plan is derived from the Barbary Coast pirate ships. Her beautiful clipper hull gives her unique performance to windward and a great turn of speed. She was originally built in France in 1946. Her

Pelican, showing off her unique main mast barquentine rig

conversion from Arctic trawler to tall ship was completed in 2007. She now sails thousands of miles each year and Adventure Under Sail invites people of all ages to take up the ‘Pelican Challenge’.

Lifetime award for Mike Peyton Mike Peyton, described as ‘The world’s foremost yachting cartoonist,’ was given the Yachting Journalists’ Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the associations annual lunch in Trinity House, London, in January. Peyton, who celebrated his 95th birthday on January 8th, has, for 60 years, been an unique commentator on the sailing scene. His cartoons have been

MALDON

Gigs boost winter race The Maldon Little Ship Club’s sponsored Row and Gig race, which took place on 27 December to raise funds for the RNLI was the most successful in its 39-year history, partly thanks to the increasing numbers of rowing gigs wanting to take part. Organiser John Rogers explains: “We had to include a gig race which takes the large rowing gigs on a longer course down to Hilly Pool buoy (off Blackwater SC) to keep them away from the smaller boats. With the renewed interest in coastal

Harker gigs racing at Maldon

rowing we had six spirit gigs and six Harker gigs plus a host of other boats making a total of 52 craft with 155 rowers on the river. It was quite a spectacle enhanced by the presence of John Dines’ steam launch Sea Otter and the West Mersea lifeboat. There was a splendid atmosphere, everyone had a great time, the fancy dress was superb and the 3000 spectators along the prom were so appreciative they threw nearly £700 into the RNLI buckets to help make a total of over £11,000.”

Mike Peyton with YJA Chairman Paul Gelder

ROYAL MAIL

Shackelton’s heroic feat stamped into history

published in scores of magazines from Japan to America, the antipodes and nearly every sailing magazine in Britain. The Yachtsman of the year award went to Ian Walker, from Warsash in Hampshire – the first British skipper to win the Volvo Ocean Race in the event’s 37-year history, when he led Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing to victory in 2014/15. Young Sailor of the Year is Topper National Championships winner Eleanor Poole from Dunsford, Devon.

New Royal Mail commemorative stamps have been issued to mark the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s historic Antarctic Endurance exhibition. Eight designs have been created from original glass photographic plates held by the Scott Polar Research Institute and the Royal Geographical Society, featuring scenes captured by pioneering photographer Frank Hurley. Another series, for issue in February features six Working Sail paintings by Pierhead Painters, including Falcon By John William Green in 1897, in Fleetwood, Briar by Fish Porter Alexander Harwood in Aberdeen, 1907, Harry by Reuben Chappell, Margaret, 1890 by Henry Lawson, a ﬁsherman in Pittenweem.

CLASSIC SAILOR

Signals Racing in New Zealand, and a special Brest deal for Gaffers NEW ZEALAND

Mahurangi Regatta Auckland Anniversary Weekend

The Mahurangi Regatta weekend kicked off on Friday 29 January in glorious summer sun with a ripsnorting feeder race starting off Aucklandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Devonport Yacht Club. After a flukey windless 3pm start the breeze filled in and the fleet split either side of the Hauraki Gulf â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main channel, avoiding the last of the adverse tide. Gaff cutters Thelma (1897 Arch Logan) and Waitangi (1894 Robert Logan Snr) stayed inshore

8 CLASSIC SAILOR

while Prize (1923, Chas Bailey Jr) took the seaward side skirting Rangitoto Island. The wind built steadily and lee transoms were soon awash in the reach to round the point of the Whangaparoa peninsula. Thelma and Waitangi rounded first but bermudan cutter Prize, helmed by owner Chad Thompson, overhauled Waitangi, to pinch second on the upwind leg into the finish at the entrance to Mahurangi Harbour.

Above, Waitangi heads upwind in the evening light. Right, wet scuppers en route to Maharangi. Below left, Moana (1895 Arch Logan) in the foreground with Prize behind awaiting her crew pre race. Below right, Chad Thomson helms Prize while his 5-yearold grandson Theo enjoys the ride in the cockpit.

‘ENGLISH VILLAGE’

QUAY PEOPLE

OGA fleet invited to Brest Festival Following a successful regatta in St Malo with fellow Gaffers from France and Holland, the OGA has been extended a special invitation to take its fleet to Brest this coming July. Last August in St Malo, the director of the Fête Maritime de Brest, came across the fleet of OGA gaffers that had proudly sailed from the UK and tied up along the old town quay. So taken was he by the colourful sight that he issued an invitation to his big fête to all OGA and their boats wherever they might be. “We are planning an English Village as a central stand so we want all the English gaffers we can muster. You will be our special guests in 2016.” Free berthing, free access to all events and entertainment. The Brest Maritime Festival is a dazzling international celebration of the sea. The whole harbour is transformed by the masts of the square riggers and historic boats lining the docks. There are warehouses filled with exhibits, boat building demonstrations, and hundreds of stands with

wine, craft beers, and Breton specialties and foods amongst them. For those who want to get away for the day, cruising in the Rade de Brest is ideal for small boats. There are quiet harbours to visit and hidden bays to anchor in. Brest’s generous invitation to the OGA is a unique offer and those who enjoy a good parade of sail can join the thousand-strong

Grande Parade de Voile southward to the coastal town of Douarnenez. Sign up to Temps Fetes festival that follows on, 19-22 July. All events are free at both festivals to those who

Dutch doyen of classic maritime miscellany Thedo Fruithof surveys a French river barge in Brest. Photos: Nigel Pert

Above: The exodus after Brest of sailing towards Douarnenez is a spectacle of sail

subscribe and are accepted. Subscription is managed online and directly through the two festivals’ websites. The OGA is planning to arrange a flotilla for those who like to sail together. Classic Sailor readers who have a place at Brest or Douarnenez or who plan to book their boats into one of the local paying marinas, may be interested in coming along with us for the company. We are an inclusive bunch! To get a berth in Brest skippers must apply directly to the festival organisers for their births at https://www. brest2016.fr/en The OGA ‘fleet’ will leave from Lymington early in July, to allow plenty of time to manage any contrary winds along a route to suit the conditions. We will stop for a Gaffers party in Roscoff before the last lap along the Finistère coast.

ANTI-POLLUTION

lakes, harbours, water ways, ports and yacht clubs. (Basically, where most of the problems start before they’re washed out to sea.) Right now they have a perfectly working prototype and they need to set up a viable production line. Our help is needed. Your advertising goes on the top. www. seabinproject.com

Sumurun p42, is one of those beautiful boats of the star fleet that lifts the heart as she sails by. She is kept in impeccable condition by her captain Armin Fischer and crew

and has been owned for 34 years by Robert Towbin, a New York banker. Bob threw a memorable party for all his ex and present crew, plus friends to celebrate Sumurun’s centenary in 2014. Sue Lewis cruises Victoria p32, and also acts as the OGA’s secretary. We hope you enjoy her hands-on writing style conveying the appeal of small boat sailing.

Seabin seeks funding The Seabin project is a brilliant yet simple piece of marine design. The brainchild of Andrew Turton & Pete Ceglinski it is an automated aquatic rubbish bin that catches floating rubbish, oil, fuel and detergents. It designed for floating docks in the water of marinas, private pontoons, inland waterways, residential

Classic Sailor was privileged to be invited to the Rival Owners post AGM dinner, and talk in January. The Rivals (Rivallers?) are passionate about their craft - none more so than class chair and secretary Steve and Cathy Lacey, who own the Rival 34 Wild Rival which they have restored.

Seabin, its designers... and dog

CLASSIC SAILOR

Signals: London Boat Show London, a case of an opportunity missed for the classic contingent but for us it was a great way to spend ten days meeting old and new friends We have to say it but there was a missed opportunity at this year’s London Boat Show. Anyone who has been to the show in the last ten years will know that the classic exhibit was one of the main attractions – with a group of somewhat nutty people keenly engaged in explaining what they do in the boating world, writes Dan Houston. Without the exhibit you would not really know from a prestigious boat show like London, that there was a whole industry out there of builders and restorers of old boats and boat designs from another era, much less some of the best events in the sailing calendar. That exhibit worked because people gave up their time, usually for little or no pecuniary gain and manned the stand to give advice or show how things were done – like Collars making those gorgeous oval loom sweeps out of new sitka spruce; the air filling with the clean citrus tang of the newly worked wood. This year there was an effort to do the same thing, with a 1960s exhibit of an E-Type Jaguar, Fairey Huntsman, a Riva and Mirror dinghy. Elsewhere in the show the magnificent Altricia - a McGruer’s Cruiser 8-M. But the 60s stand was not manned and so attracted a sterile interest. An opportunity missed! There were things for fans of the traditional line and likeness though and Cornish Crabbers, Drascombe Boats and Swallow Boats all had good looking stands with trad lined GRP designs. Arthur Beale was there too with a range of classic gear. We met some great new readers – thanks to all those who came to find us – and some interesting people like Bob Godzicz (right) developing a new audio compass for blind and partially sighted sailors. 10 CLASSIC SAILOR

QUAY PEOPLE

Above: Altricia, restored at Mylor. Right: IBTC Lowestoft with a talking point. Below left: Swallow Boats with a good range to choose from; below right: Massey Shaw does her thing with the hoses in the dock. Bottom right: Tom of Fine Wooden Boats and his new £300,000 slipper launch! Bottom left: Bob Godzicz and his proto-audio compass

Don Street (on left) was joined by Federico Nardi (right) on our stand during the show. Don’s writing on classic sailing is known the world over and Federico – despite being our de facto expert on GRP classics (see p25) is best known for a series of superlative restorations bringing 1930s boats like Dorade and Stormy Weather back to life as well as the 12-M yachts Vim and Nyala. The pirate you see in the background is not an extra... but

our very own Nick Beck, p58, master and commander of the Amelie Rose. It was Nick’s stand we were camping on! He was joined halfway through by crewmate Julie Harris as wench whereupon the conversation turned a bit arrr. We were pleased to see a good number of our new readers

and some old friends too. The atmosphere definitely improved with the influx of Old Gaffers on the second Saturday, there for their AGM, like Dick and Pat Dawson, of the Solent chapter, above.

Around the yards Dan Houston visits Devon Wooden Boats, Classic Marine is taken on by Suffolk Yacht Harbour and a couple dream of a big shed. Devon Wooden Boats

Breathing new life into an old working yard A visit to Devon Wooden Boats reveals a yard which is coming out from a period of disuse with the aim of establsihing itself as a centre of excellence for classic and wooden boats, in picturesque Galmpton, around three miles upriver from Dartmouth in Devon. This used to be the Torbay Boat Construction yard, and is also known as Dolphin Boatyard, and several Brixham trawlers were built here. However since last April the new tenant is Peter NewberyThornton, shipwright and wooden boat nut who started Devon Wooden Boats in 2010 and who is now relishing a place with the space to expand. “We’ve taken over what was essentially a working shipyard, there are all the machine tools, a special metalwork and engineering facility, hard-standing, a couple of sheds and the space to hopefully develop with a slipway and maybe even a dry-dock,” Peter enthuses. Peter was joined by James Kent in July and Will Longworthy (part time). They were working on a Maurice Griffiths design as well as Cleone, an 1880 gaff cutter with an artist owner which we will cover next month. DWB also makes the Devon Darlin’ an 11ft dinghy with wheels which Peter designed over his kitchen table! When he took over the yard apart from some excellent machinery and a spare parts bin which could take years to catalogue, Peter discovered a pile of plans and designs for the yachts that were built at the yard. He is archiving these with the yard owner, the architect Ben Morris who developed Texlon, the roof material of the Eden project. “We’d love to build some of the boats in these designs which go back to the early 30s,” Peter says. And I get the feeling he soon will. 12 CLASSIC SAILOR

Clockwise from above: painting in the shed; Peter with the discovered designs; restoration in the second shed; Will, Peter and James - they are looking for a new person to join the team; some more designs.

“We are aware many customers have traded with Classic Marine for many years and would like to reassure them we plan to make no major changes to the business” LEVINGTON

Suffolk Yacht Harbour acquires online chandlery Classic Marine Classic Marine, the online retail chandlery founded by Moray MacPhail, has been purchased by Suffolk Yacht Harbour, and is to be run as a ‘visit and view’ store next-door to the Levington marina’s existing chandlery. This acquisition is part of the east coast’s largest privately owned marina’s business expansion, whilst building its classic marine services and expanding its offering to a wider client base. Based on the River Orwell in Levington, Suffolk Yacht Harbour already offers a wellequipped on-site chandlery, and has proven success and a long association with classic boats. As well as hosting the popular

Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta for the past 15 years, the marina offers extensive classic yacht refit and repairs via its specialist on-site workshops, which underwent a significant renovation earlier this year. Managing director of Suffolk Yacht Harbour, Jonathan Dyke, said: “The acquisition of Classic Marine, which has an international client base, is a natural extension for us. It will allow Suffolk Yacht Harbour to expand its existing chandlery offering and build on an already strong reputation as the east coast hub for chandlery supplies and classic boat repairs. We are aware many customers have traded with Classic Marine for

several years and would like to reassure them we plan to make no major changes to the business, we are simply bringing it under the capable hands of the highly experienced team at Suffolk Yacht Harbour.” The business will continue to supply trade and retail customers under the Classic Marine name, and is retaining the existing www.classicmarine. co.uk website. Two dedicated staff members, Richard Gadd

SOUTH COAST

Part of the Classic Marine range now at Suffolk Yacht Harbour Photo: Emily Harris

Meanwhile, stop press... we hear that Traditional Boat Supplies is also on the move – most probably to Bristol

PENPOL CORNWALL

Ashley Butler buys Ocean Yacht Co yard

Shared-space boatshed project A large boat shed which can rent out space to multiple build or restoration projects is the vision of Anthony Venetz – and he is currently hunting for a suitable building , of around 5,000 sqft, in the Chichester Harbour Area. Anthony, a former commercial pilot currently completing a one-year boatbuilding and restoration course at IBTC Portsmouth, explains: “During the course it has become apparent that one of the sticking points for individual wooden boat builders is not so much the desire to take on a project but rather the how and where aspect of it,” Providing a space equipped with tools will help to keep

(chandlery manager) and Tom Allen, will oversee the online ordering and day to day running of the retail business. Run by Moray MacPhail for the past 25 years, Classic Marine has a loyal clientele and a reputation for excellent customer service. Moray MacPhail will continue to make bespoke products for trade customers under the name Bronzework, and will remain in Woodbridge. www.bronzeworkmarine.co.uk

Anthony and Jennie: currently seeking suitable space

costs down, he adds, and there will be an on-site wooden boatbuilder to provide advice and assistance. In addition, with multiple projects under way, an atmosphere of camaraderie and collaboration will develop. Anthony and his partner Jennie, an former project

manager, are currently inviting prospective tenants to help guage interest by completing a short online survey at www. surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ thewoodenboatshed. There’s a chance to win a subscription to Classic Sailor as an encouragement.

Ashley Butler has bought the Penpol Boatyard, former home of Brian Pope’s Ocean Yacht Company. The purchase of the Restronguet-based yard on the River Fal once more gives Butler and Co a base in West Cornwall, following the firm’s departure from Gweek Quay. It still owns the Old Mill yard in Devon, currently tenanted. The Penpol yard has swinging moorings, pontoon and alongside berths and dry storage, with craneage and slipping. There are plans for improvements and upgrades. The team, which includes previous staff, are currently working on Sheltie, an Itchen Ferry; the 40ft 1913 Ayesha; a 50ft Fred Shepherd designed yacht Amourka from 1936 and a 36ft Sea King class Leslie Ann. Ashley Butler said “I am looking forward to the company being able to contribute to the dynamic marine construction industry of West Cornwall and look forward to a new era for Butler and Co.” CLASSIC SAILOR 13

Signals: Association news “It would be wrong for this trophy to exist without Ed’s name on it”

Seagull racing: alive and well on the River Lerryn

Seagull racers in the Cornish winter on the River Lerryn

Friendly meet with Rivals Last Saturday of the Boat Show and it was off the Rival Owners Association for a convivial dinner and then talk in the ever-pleasant surroundings of the Cruising Association, Limehouse Basin, in London. The Rival association boasts a lively 302 members and a good few had made it into London, no doubt enticed by the evening’s entertainment which was Geoff Hales talking through his race in the 1976 OSTAR (Observer Singlehanded Transatlantic Race) on Wild Rival. Geoff ’s blow by blow account of how he was able 14 CLASSIC SAILOR

to get a boat for the race, then how to get her ready for such an arduous crossing and then the description of the gruelling passage itself, constantly sailchanging and sans electronics was a fascinating jump through time to a different era – some would say a different planet. The Rival Owners Association was founded in 1974 by Rival designer Peter Brett and his daughter Jane Ashe is the honorary president. Around 600 Rivals, from the 31 to the 41 model were built and have a strong following. Membership is open to anyone interested in Rivals

“What care we though for wind and weather,” was the apt refrain of the intrepid mariners who took part in the 28th annual River Lerryn Yacht Squadron Seagull Race. Despite gale force gusts, piercing showers and an early 10.15 am start, 34 boats and about a hundred people fortified with mulled wine and mince pies, entered the race which took place on 19 December on the river near Lostwithiel, Cornwall. The race is open to all, the only requirement being that the boats must be powered solely by a traditional Seagull outboard motor. The theme this year was ‘Old Time Music Hall’ and many of the competitors and boats, regardless of the conditions, were in appropriate fancy dress. After a safety briefing and an orderly Le Mans style start, competition was both frenzied and fierce as two laps of the taxing course from Lerryn to and costs £15 a year. The group exists to provide help and encouragement to owners (with local rallies for instance) whether in home waters or undertaking long distance

St Winnow Point and back were negotiated. To ensure that all was safe six safety boats were deployed in case of incident. The RLYS would like to give particular thanks to the Devon and Cornwall Police who supplied two officers and a fast response boat to assist in safety cover. The results were as follows: Winner largest class and Ship Inn trophy: R Philp Winner over 12ft: A Southgate Winner canoe: A Osborne Team prize: Lowertown Fast lady: Becky Bruce Best dressed boat: R Smith Best costume: Treeve Fowler Spirit of the contest: A Reddall Concours d’elegance: J Kimble Mystery place: J Hayward The sum of £214 was raised for the RNLI and £261 for local charities. Thanks to all the members of the RLYS who, once again, put on such a quirky and entertaining event. To see more photos of the event, go to: lerryn.net.

cruises. It also provides a forum for discussion about alterations to existing boats and advice regarding completion of hulls. The ROA has an active website: www.rivalowners.org.uk

Geoff Hales, on the left with Steve Lacey – Wild Rival’s current owner and association secretary, at the CA

OGA honours Ed Burnett Also at the AGM, the OGA announced its decision to open its online Boat Register to public access. Over a thousand boats will become visible, subject to members’ right to redact their boat details. Editor of the Register Pat Dawson said “The Boat Register is a unique database of gaff-rigged work boats and yachts built over the past two hundred years in and around Britain and Ireland. As such it is an important part of our maritime heritage. We hope that the more people who see it and contribute information, the more accurate and extensive it can become.” And the OGA has been invited to take part in this summer’s Brest Festival, 13-19 July, with free berthing as part of the English Village. So far over 20 members have signed up.

KEITH ALLSO

At its AGM, held during the London Boat Show, the Old Gaffers Association’s Jolie Brise Trophy was awarded posthumously to the late designer Ed Burnett. The Trophy recognises ‘significant contribution to the development of gaff rig’ and by tradition the nomination is the prerogative of the previous year’s recipient, in this case fellow-designer Nigel Irens, who gave Ed his professional start. Nigel stated: “Although there may be no precedent for a posthumous award of this kind I believe it would be wrong for this trophy to exist without Ed’s name engraved upon it. It is hard to think of anyone in the world whose depth of knowledge, both historical and scientific, could match that accumulated by Ed in what turned out to be a sadly foreshortened life.”

Irens/Burnett designed Foxhound

Twister Class

Strange’s Tally Ho seeks rescuer The Albert Strange Association is trying to find a good home for Tally Ho (above) – a 47ft (14.3m) Albert Strange-designed cutter lying ashore in Oregon, USA. Tally Ho was built (as Betty) in 1910 and was a great ocean racing and cruising design – she won the Fastnet in 1927, the year only two boats were able to finish the course. She has had a long and hard life, including being worked as a long lining fishing boat and being damaged on a Pacific reef. She had got into a state of neglect at Brookings Harbour, between San Francisco and Seattle on the Pacific Coast, and was threatened by the harbour-

In 1963, Kim Holman was looking for a new yacht that would be competitive under the rating rules of the time. Finding nothing that would quite do, he designed his own and with her he had a succession of race victories over the next few years. This was the Twister. Other yachtsmen ordered them and thus the class was born. About 300 have been built, in GRP or wood. When asked what made the Twister so successful, Holman replied “I don’t know .... I just got it right.” About 300 were built in total. Widely regarded as one of Holman’s prettiest designs, Twisters are also renowned for being remarkably seaworthy for their 28-foot length (see Trevor Clifton’s article in this issue – that’s his Cracklin’ Rosie below). They have their own classes in the Falmouth and Cowes Classics where crews compete and party hard. Recent summers have seen several Twisters exploring Scotland and the West of Ireland. There is an informal class association which runs a website (www.twister.org.uk) – a valuable technical resource – and publishes a magazine where members share their experiences. Contributed by Rod Webb

master with destruction. A local artist and retired boatwright had her hauled out and ‘took her on’, doing some essential work, and setting up a trust, before he died suddenly a year or so later. At this point the ASA stepped in and established a limited company to secure the title, a local member made a robust cover for her, and they have since been seeking a ‘white knight’to restore her. The ASA has her original line drawings plus some alternative interior ideas from Paul Spooner of Fairlie Yachts with family or communal use in mind More at: albertstrange.org

CLASSIC SAILOR 15

Obituary: Roger Wardale Chronicler of Arthur Ransome’s boats and ‘godfather’ to Nancy Blackett. A personal appreciation by Peter Willis

Roger Wardale at the 1989 relaunch of Nancy Blackett, the Ransome boat he did so much to support both before and after that occasion

unerals can be odd, and unsettling events. Sometimes they succeed in adequately celebrating the achievements of the deceased. Sometimes not. Rarely though is one given the opportunity, the obligation really, to bid farewell to somebody whose influence had a profound effect on the course of one’s own life. Roger Wardale, who died aged 79 just after Christmas, and whose funeral took place towards the end of January, can be credited, whether he realised it or not, with being the individual outside my immediate family to have had the greatest effect on the course of my life. It began in 1993, when as newly-joined members of the fairly recently-formed Arthur Ransome Society, we – myself, my wife and our two young daughters – decided to join a walk organised by the local region, up Beacon Hill in Newbury, Berkshire. We knew nobody in TARS (as it calls itself) so when we arrived we looked around for somebody to introduce ourselves to. A tall, craggy man in an Arthur Ransome Club of Japan sweatshirt looked as if he might be vaguely in charge. This was Roger, and, as regional chairman, he was. It proved a delightful day, during which we met many new and lasting friends – at one stage I found myself walking alongside Taqui Altounyian, one of the original Swallows. At the end of the day I bought a book, by Roger, titled Nancy Blackett: Under Sail with Arthur Ransome. It was about

The current edition of Roger Wardale’s ‘biography’ of Arthur Ransome’s boats, from before Racundra to the last Lottie Blossom. It is available through the Nancy Blackett Trust, nancyblackett.org

16 CLASSIC SAILOR

the boats owned by Ransome, and in particular, his Nancy Blackett, which he’d used as the model of the Goblin in We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, and which had been recently restored – with, though I didn’t know it then, advice and support on authenticity from Roger. I was entranced by the book, and still regard it as having a place in the trio of titles that– along with Christina Hardyment’s Arthur Ransome and Captain Flint’s Trunk, and Hugh Brogan’s biography – cemented the Ransome revival of the late 80s/early 90s and provided the foundation for TARS. A year later, I visited Nancy Blackett herself and watched her racing on the River Orwell. Two years after that, she came up for sale, and I surprised myself by deciding to kick-start an appeal to raise the money to buy her. I ended up running the appeal (not exactly the plan) and, once it had succeeded, the subsequent Nancy Blackett Trust. Which means that thanks to Roger Wardale, Nancy has been a part of my daily life for the past 20 years, and, more to the point, has been preserved and made available to sail for any Ransome fans who care to enlist as crew. Roger’s involvement in her survival is therefore twofold (at least) and although, self-effacingly

he would have resisted the title I can’t help regarding him as godfather to both Nancy herself and the Trust that supports her. Annoyingly, the book that started it all went out of print soon after the trust was set up, but when Roger updated it for reissue in 2010 as Arthur Ransome Under Sail, I felt honoured that he asked me to contribute the preface. Roger of course did much more than that – he’d corresponded with Ransome in his youth; he wrote, and provided the photographs for, numerous books about his hero; he restored Ransome’s Swallow II, tender to Selina King ; he helped found the Arthur Ransome Society, edited its journal and served a spell as its chairman. His life otherwise was very simple: He taught for the whole of his career in one school: Nyewood C of E Juniors in his home town of Bognor Regis and he devoted a lot of time to athletics, as runner, coach and official. His funeral, on a bleak day in Bognor, was well attended by local people who had benefited from his dedication. But just half a dozen Ransome devotees had made the trek to the Sussex coast. His contribution deserves to be more widely recognised, and I hope it will be.

Smylie’s boats

Classic Coast

Itchen Ferries

I Orfordness Lighthouse By the time you read this, the very real possibility of this imposing structure tumbling into the sea may have been averted, at least for another winter. Unusually severe south-easterly storms have pushed coastal erosion on the Suffolk coast’s Orford Ness to within a few feet of the lighthouse’s foundations, and members of the Orfordness Lighthouse Trust have been working flat out to install ‘soft defences’ – bags of shingle wrapped in sausages of high-performance geo-textile bonding – to keep the sea at bay (see orfordnesslighthouse.co.uk). The 98ft lighthouse was built in 1792 and decommissioned by Trinity House in 2013, in view of the threat from encroaching sea. It has already survived an attempt by the National Trust, which owns the Ness, to impose a policy of ‘controlled ruination’ (ie let it fall down). The Lighthouse Trust aims to keep it standing, and open to visitors, ‘for as long as possible’. Visiting, on open days only, involves a short ferry trip and a 40-minute walk, each way, across the Ness. Dates for 2016 are still to be announced, and are dependent on the continuing stability and safety of the structure and its surrounds. The spiral staircase at Orfordness Lighthouse may still be climbed by visitors

Orford Ness itself is a classic example of an ever-changing coastline. The long, shifting spit of land that separates the River Ore from the sea is quite capable of closing the river’s mouth and forcing a breakthrough higher up, where the river’s alternative name is the Alde. It’s mecca for connoisseurs of bleak, exposed seascapes (and WWII military detritus on Havergate Island). Access, by boat, is carefully restricted by the National Trust. A good everyday alternative on the nearby mainland is the equally bleak stony beach known as Shingle Street. Orford village has three pubs, including the Jolly Sailor down by the harbour; an excellent fish restaurant, the Butley Orford Oysterage, and the fine Pump Street bakery. Peter Willis

owned an Itchen Ferry once and have fond memories of her beached alongside the old Supermarine shed at Woolston, across the river from Southampton. Pal of Itchen she was called though she was no pal of the new bridge they were building at the time. We – me and my Pal that is – were the first ones to crash into one of the support pillars. This was mostly down to two facts: that the sails didn’t really fit the boat and the Stuart-Turner engine never started throughout my time with the boat. It was, though, a great learning experience on ‘why not to buy a boat’. I often wonder what happened to her. Wonder was, in fact, a fine example of an Itchen Ferry. Built by the great Dan Hatcher in 1860, Wonder, SU120, has been lovingly restored and sails from Faversham. I remember seeing her a few years back during the Swale Barge Match. Daniel G Hatcher, known as King Dan to his contemporaries, was a very successful builder of yachts at his Belvedere yard between 1845 and 1880 and thus his working boats were equally renowned for their speed. Not that Wonder was necessarily his fastest, but speedy she was. The roots (and name) of these craft came from the small fishing village of Itchen Ferry lying on the river Itchen in the eighteenth century. Small sprit-rigged clinker-boats worked off the beach, fishing out as far as the Isle of Wight. Their size grew as they trawled further away from their base. Consequently they adopted the gaff rig as many working fellows did. The boats were three-quarter decked with a small cuddy with two berths, a cupboard and coal stove to while away the hours when not fishing. Gaff-rigged with a long-boom over the stern and two headsails, some were as long as 30ft in length. Much of the catch was shrimps and oysters and they raced home to land. In 1872, according to the fishing registers, there were 570 second-class boats working the Solent and another 61 in Poole where the boats were similar. The design was widespread around Southampton Water and the Solent– some being referred to as Hythe fishing cutters. Other well-known builders were Alfred Payne and Fay, both of Northam, and Lukes, whose yard was about the same spot as I kept Pal before he moved to Hamble. They were mostly worked by fishermen who crewed for the yacht-racing fraternity during the regatta season, and the fishermen too raced aboard their own craft. Itchen Ferries have been survivors: Freda, CS110, Black Bess, CS32, Nellie, SU71, but see www.itchenferry.org for more as they adapted to engine power quite well and others lurk in way-out places. One day I’ll ask them if anyone knows whatever happened to my Pal of Itchen.

The roots (and name) of these craft came from the small village of Itchen Ferry, lying on the river Itchen in the eighteenth century. CLASSIC SAILOR 17

The Post Email or post letters and replies to the editor – see opposite; we’ll make sure responses to queries are forwarded on. Classic Sailor - a very acceptable item

My family gave me a splendid collection of nautical books and magazines for Xmas; they know my interests. One very acceptable item is Classic Sailor, which I had not met before, so I am very happy to congratulate you on such a fine production. Matters arise as follows. ‘Whaler project ?’ (David Hart, Essex). The picture shows a whaler mark 2, (carvel) built of laminations. The traditional whaler (of the same shape and size) was a clinker built craft. In 1957 the boatbuilder Lavers of Dartmouth was building a prototype MkII for the Admiralty. The air cooled engine would make her more useful and ready to launch. They should sail well, though I have not had a chance to do so. You could refer to Uffa Fox, “Sailing Seamanship and Yacht Construction ” page 122 on ‘Valhalla’s Whaleboat’, aboard which he took the Cowes Sea Scouts to Normandy and up the Seine. Plymouth Mayflowers. They were robust, safe and excellent in every way. Devon County Council used a fleet of seven of them for sail training for youngsters, in the 1960s, with a safety feature of bright yellow sails (but not

fluorescent). I had many happy hours aboard one as a sailing instructor in Plymouth Sound or the Dart. Regards from Harding Jenkins, Via email.

Serving solo

Normally, when serving with a serving mallet, one person operates the serving mallet while another person passes the ball of marline that is feeding the mallet. Two people are needed to do a decent job. However on Iolaire which I owned for 52 years, one person did all the serving. When I bought her I found on board a serving mallet with a hole diagonally drilled lengthwise through the handle. It took me a few weeks to figure out why the hole had been drilled. Balls of marline feed from the centre, thus some marline

COCKLESHELL WAR HERO I noticed the reference to Cmdr Goulding, and the recent celebration day on Hayling Island in your January edition. Cmdr Goulding was clearly one of the unsung heroes of the war. He was responsible for the development of many of the seaborne commando units (including the SBU), which were the precursor of today’s SBS. He also participated in the training and preparation for the Dieppe raid. In addition, he reportedly made more landings on enemy coasts than any other British serviceman, delivering and retrieving agents, among other secret work. He was also responsible for the of training canoeist units, including the RM Boom Patrol (of Cockleshell Heroes fame).

18 CLASSIC SAILOR

Above: Chinda - the Silver cruiser Below, solo serving mallet/board in bronze with reel

Very little of this is in the public domain as it remained secret long after the war. Cmdr Goulding himself died a matter of weeks after the end of the war in 1945, and his immediate family knew little or nothing of his wartime career until recently when a cache of documents were discovered by his granddaughter Jill. It was a great day, and included the unveiling of blue plaques at the site of the old HMS Northney base on Hayling Island, and at Moss Rose Cottage where Cmdr Goulding lived. We were transported to the site by ML1387 - a restored WW2 high speed launch, and passed the restored reconnaissance canoes en route.

Peter Samain, via email

is pulled from the center of the ball, fed through the diagonal hole, around the handle and over the base of the mallet. The ball of marline sits over the handle, and serving commences. No one needs to hold the marlin as it is on the handle and feeds through it. When I met Brian Toss at a boat show, described this, and drew him a sketch, he was so impressed he gave me a signed copy of his book “the riggers apprentice” as a gift. D M Street jr Glandore, Ireland And we have some solo mallets on p76 Don! Ed

Antipodean greetings

Greetings from a southern part of the Antipodean colonies. I picked up the December issue at a newsagent recently and read every article. What is interesting to me though, is that a few months before, a column in the free Australian magazine Afloat described the story of how this magazine was founded. I didn’t expect to find it in a newsagent so quickly though, I thought it’d take a few more months. It’s also a little hard to find newsagents with good magazine ranges here, unless you’re in the city. I paid only AUD9.00 here for the issue in store, and so it is better value than subscribing. Anyway, I think it is GREAT that you got such a quality publication up and running in such a seemingly quick and painless manner. You’ve also done really well to get a supplier so close to me. Best of luck to you. David Morton, Geeveston, Tasmania

Where to share...

The Blue Plaque on Hayling which commemorates the SBU and later SBS as well as others

There appears to be a surge of interest in the 1930-1960 Gentleman’s Yacht type of motor vessel at present and I was particularly interested in the article in January on Chinda the Silverleaf. The owners appear to have been through the same

Find a femme fatale, half your age... classicsailor.com escalating renovation journey I am now on, with my renovation of a 1935 TSDY, and I’d like to get in touch to maybe be able to share our experiences. The sort of thing I have in mind is the sourcing of appropriate and complimentary fittings; marinas who might smile kindly on the “classic vessel”; moorings up kept by, or in close proximity, to a recommended pub or restaurant, and yards who have a particular affinity or skill with a wooden boat? Basically anything that helps preserve the stories of these boats and keeps them running on an ongoing basis. I do know of the Dunkirk Little Ships Association but there does not appear to be anything for those of us who fall outside that honoured group – unless, of course, you know different? Doug Smith, West Kirby, Wirral This subject comes up from time

to time and perhaps there is need for an over-arching organisation - which can act on behalf of old and historic boats. Ed

✉

7 Haslar Marina, Gosport, Hants. PO12 1NU admin@classicsailor.com

That Seagull affliction

In reply to a letter last month on becoming addicted to Seagull outboards: This is a common affliction, suffered by many men over 50. This sad condition has associated complications: a predilection for Series 1 Land Rovers and an unhealthy interest in steam trains, loitering on railway platforms... This demeaning and incurable disorder is most pronounced after the imbibing of real ale – which results in arbitrary talk of the Good Old Days. The growth of beards and wearing of sandals are some of

Editor Dan Houston dan@classicsailor.com

✆

+44 (0)7747 612614 Art Editor Stephen Philp Sub Editor Peter Willis peter@classicsailor.com

the first manifestations of a slow decline into a life of morrris dancing and sea shanties. If you are afflicted by this sad malaise, find a femme fatale, half your age, and see how your life changes...for the better. Paul Knight, by email

Letter of the month GRP Classics: Westsail 32

To begin with, I wish to congratulate you and your wonderful Magazine for acknowledging that older GRP boats can indeed be “classics”. For far too long our boats made of “frozen snot” have been looked down upon by lovers and owners of fine wooden boats all over. I found the term “Plastic Classic” scoffed at when I referred to my own 53 year old Sea Sprite 23 as

such. Designed by Carl Alberg, she’s a derivative of the sea kindly Folkboat with her shapely prow, long keel, and long overhanging counter stern. As much as I like the Swede’s designs, I digress to point out a classic boat with roots that go back over a century. The WestSail 32. This heavy GRP vessel can trace it’s sea kindly and globe girdling lines back to Colin Archer and his Double ended Rescue boats, with a direct line to William Atkin who turned them into pleasure boats. The Westsail 32 is a direct descendant of Atkin’s Eric and Thistle, with the well known Designer William Creelock only cleaning up her lines to make it easier to mold them in GRP. From there, as they say, is History. Over 800 of them built between 1971 and 1977 that, with a well thought out marketing campaign, ignited the “cruising craze” into the brilliant fire it is today Art Haberland, New Jersey, USA

Contributing editor Guy Venables guy@classicsailor.com Columnist Andrew Bray Advertising Catherine Jackson catherine@classicsailor.com +44 (0)7495 404461 Jodi Whitby jodi@classicsailor.com +44 (0)7478 275399 Lynda Fielden Lynda@classicsailor.com +44 (0)7788 722438 Web design Tim Allen tim@classicsailor.com Publishing director John Clarke Chairman David Walker Classic Sailor Ltd Published monthly: ISSN 2059-0423 Subscriptions See our latest deal at classicsailor.com or call: + 44(0)1273 420730

Write for some fizz Each month our letter of the month will be sent a bottle of de Bleuchamp Champagne

CLASSIC SAILOR 19

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he non-sailor might reasonably assume that surrounding all things nautical with language that is as obscure as it is archaic is a deliberate ploy to make the business of sailing and going to sea as incomprehensible as possible. He or she might have a point. “By the deep, five”, calls the mate as he swings the lead from the starboard chains, “and there’s fine shell and sand.” Why, it might reasonably be argued, doesn’t the leadsman just turn on the depth sounder and say that it’s about ten metres? It’s a lot less messy for a start and there’s no need to carry tallow to arm the lead – there I go again. Then there’s all that business of fo’c’s’le, for’ard, aft, going below – never downstairs – abeam, aft, abaft and, of course, port and starboard. There may have once been a logical reason for this terminology but isn’t it all obsolete? Do we sailors continue with these traditions just to make it all seem a bit more colourful? Just imagine Roger and Janet getting ready for sea. “I’m going downstairs’” he says “to make up the beds and put the food into the kitchen cupboards.” He gives the toilet a few pumps to make sure the BlooClean flushes away. And when he goes upstairs he asks “do you want to drive? I’ll just undo the ropes”. They sally forth whilst Janet puts the fenders and ropes away. “I can never remember if we leave the red buoys to the left or right”, he says as they motor out of the river. Once in open water they get ready to hoist, that’s to pull up, the mainsail. “Pull the white rope,” says Roger. “No the other white one. The one just to the left of the doorway – no the other side.” The mainsail flutters, climbs a few metres, drops to the deck, the halyard – sorry, white rope – fouls – sorry, tangles with – the other white rope and drops neatly over the side to foul – I mean wrap round – the propeller. They drift quietly onto the nearest mud bank to the accompaniment of even more decidedly un-nautical language.

If you’re fortunate enough to sail a gaff-rigger, she should really come with a dictionary of terminology to differentiate the bobstay from the snotter, the bowsprit from the bumkin

There is, as all CS readers will know, no such thing as a rope on board a boat, especially a sailing boat. There are warps and springs, sheets and halyards (or halliards if you prefer), lanyards, parrells, twine, cord and ‘stuff ’. The mast is held up with stays and you heave or surge a line under load, not pull or let go – although you can let go when you are letting go. There are blocks and sheaves, or shivs if you’re a traditionalist and you identify objects outside the boat as being for’ard or abaft the beam, not “over there”. There is much, much more and confusing it may be but unless you insist on pronouncing everything with a pseudo West Country accent (unless you are genuine West Country when an East Coast burr should suffice) most of it is there for a purpose. A sailing boat is a complex machine and even the most basic day-sailer will have halyards, sheets, warps and a kicking strap. And if you’re fortunate enough to sail a gaff-rigged boat she should really come with a dictionary of terminology and an instruction manual to differentiate the bobstay from the snotter, the peak from the throat, the gaff from the yard and the bowsprit from the bumkin. And there is an awful lot more if you stray into the realms of square rig. I wonder how many readers know the real meaning of ‘it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’? If Roger and Janet had used the correct terminology and he’d popped down below, and she’d selected the right halyard then they would probably have sailed serenely on as he picked off the port and starboard hand marks to the channel. Perhaps. As for the ‘monkey’, it was an indented iron plate that was placed between layers of cannon balls when they were stowed. A shortage of iron meant that at one time they had to be made from brass. As brass has a different rate of expansion, when it was cold they contracted more so that the iron cannon balls fell off. CLASSIC SAILOR 21

GUY VENABLES

Say it right, me matey

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Guest column: Sam Llewellyn Asking an online forum for some simple advice? What’s that like then? Thread: Sea Knives 8th January 0855 Seasailor McDodder. Mudd. Original Poster

I am off to the Boat Show, and I expect boat knife manufacturers will be there in force. I need a knife for cutting, cooking, defence, survival obviously, repairing the engine and doing my nails. I hate multitools, because my Granny was scared to death by one (she actually thought it was an insect). What’s the best? 8th January 0856 Enzo Rumamunga GCHQ, Cheltenham

Swiss Army Knives are great, but no good for cooking. There is one with 2712 blades apparently plus a magnifying glass and vacuum cleaner apparently but no fish slice. Apparently someone fell overboard with one of them in his pocket and apparently it took him to the bottom like he had a brick in his pocket and he drowned. 8th January 0931 Roger Cumley-Bunch, at sea

It is all very well coastal sailors saying Swiss Army knives are no good for cooking. This may well be true if your idea of a good feed at sea is a Waitrose curry in the ship’s microwave, you pansy. Ocean sailors, a community of which I have the good fortune and sheer brute courage to be a member, know that there is nothing like a majestic duff in a bucket for dinner. But sooner or later the duff stuff runs out. At this point I and almost all my friends turn to cannibalism. This is where the Swiss Army Knife comes into its own. Gutting, amputation, brain removal – there is a specialist dedicated tool for each. Oh, yes, certainly, we would be lost without the old Victorinox. 8th January 1005 Strom Pfaeffli, General, Swiss Army, The Matterhorn.

My attention has been drawn to a correspondence on this webforumdiscussiontopicentre happenink. Our military knife is entirely peaceful in intent, and the tools you mention are not for brain removal etc designed but for the repair of cuckoo clocks, also cheesemaking. 8th January 1013 Derek Crosspatch, no location given

I notice that the OP has ducked out of this conversation. He has got a nerve. Who the hell does he think he is, getting everyone to write in to help him and not writing back to argue? No seaman, obviously. Seamen don’t have nails. 28th January 0900 Weston Civilisationasweknowit, West Wittering

Mention of knives brings to mind steel, and steel of course brings to mind the guns forged by Krupp for the Schlieffen Plan, which so nearly brought western civilisation as we know it to an end in 1914. It behoves us one hundred years on to remember the great British victory at Jutland, which saved western civilisation as we know it from the print of the jackboot on the beaches of Essex. 28th January 1029.5 Gottfried Himmelfart, Berlin

The British did not win the battle of Jutland, which was not called the battle of Jutland but the battle of the Skagerrak, and was won decisively by the Germans. 28th January 1032 Cynthia Rugely, in a bit of a state

I do not think it is fair to equate a battleship with a pocket knife.

28th January 1033 Derek Crosspatch, no location given

Why not, you idiot? Today 0634 Cynthia Rugely, in a bit of a state

I just don’t

Today 0635 Knacker of the Yard, Letsby Avenue, IOW

I knew this bloke who posts on forums under the name of Derek Crosspatch who used to sail a Westerly Centaur until he lost his rag stuffed the boat with gelignite and rammed it into the lock gates at Mudd Marina. Something to do with berthing charges, apparently. He is in the secure psychiatric hospital at Rampton now. Today 0639 Derek Crosspatch, no address given

Broadmoor actually. Can nobody on this thread get anything right? Today 1045 Seasailor McDodder. Mudd.

I hate to interrupt, but actually I was going to the Boat Show and that was weeks ago? Because I thought there would be knife manufacturers there? Today 1050 Jimmy Narked, Eastleigh

You’ll be lucky. Last year SWMBO and I went down there and spent £2401.63 on two pints of Guinness and a pie. Today 1052 Barry n Chantelle, Basildon

I don’t know. We was down on the Baywatch stand because we are thinking of upgrading from the 37 (metre’s, not feet) to the 150 Ribbed Stimula. Lobster’s and bubbly all the way, and all we done was “buy the boat.” JJJ 1059 Seasailor McDodder, Mudd.

Has anyone got any ideas about sailing knives? 1100 Derek Crosspatch, no address given

You are hijacking the thread. Go away. CLASSIC SAILOR 23

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Nardi’s Nods

by Federico Nardi of Cantiere Navale dell’Argentario

IW 31 Varvet ‘Built for ocean races – which gives extra confidence when you sail with the family’

ith the IW 31 I would like to dispel the cliché freeboard comes at the expense of headroom, but it’s a sacrifice that we can that older boats do not perform well in light happily live with if we prefer beauty to space. Nevertheless the IW 31 is airs. Designed by S&S in 1968 for the Swedish nicely fitted out in mahogany disposed in a classic layout: five berths and a boat builders I.W. Varvet (over 350 were built in walk-through head that leads to the V-berths in the bow cabin. their Orust Island yard), in the The relatively low ballast to displacement ratio of same period that this design was IW 31 VARVET 43.58% (with a total displacement of 7,800 lbs) is probably also built, with minor differences, by Derek and Simon LOA 30ft 5in (9.3m) a consequence of having a keel bulb in cast iron and is the Fitzgerald’s South Hants Engineering (hence named their Beam 8ft 10in (2.7m) only false note in this design; changing the keel bolts would She 31, see CS5). Draught 5ft 6in (1.7m) give us one less thing to worry about. The dimensions of the With his usual finesse, Olin Stephens once again managed Sail Area 357sq ft (33m2) boat are quite limited, but her excellent sea-keeping qualities to make the most of the IOR and this half-tonner is a living Displacement 3,538 kgs permit demanding deep water sailing, while the original example. In light airs the IW 31 is nimble and points well; brochure from the yard defines her as “Built for ocean races and although known as a submarine, she performs well when it blows. – which gives extra confidence when you sail with the family”. Today she still cuts a fine figure in club racing. Versions built before 1980 (the Mk I and the Mk II) are surely preferable The IW 31 is steered by tiller, while the rudder blade is supported by – later versions have a perforated aluminium toe-rail! The properly sized a skeg; the deep fine hull has a quick shape. Very elegant with a compact mast is single spreader above deck and keel stepped below. There are many and streamlined superstructure and varnished wooden toe-rail, her low available on the market, from €15-20,000.

The IW 31, tilller-steered has a ‘quick shape’ and low freeboard which means a sacriﬁce of headroom. The toe-rail is varnished hardwood. Note bronze ﬁttings

CLASSIC SAILOR 25

CRACKLIN’ ROSIE

Time of the Twister Trevor Clifton bought his Twister over a quarter of a century ago. He’s sailed her to Cape Horn and the Falkland Islands. He must like something about her

‘A

medium sized family boat’. That’s how a yachting journalist described the Twister about forty years ago. Younger sailors (and millionaires) might think 28 feet a bit short for a family boat but we believed it! I bought Cracklin’ Rosie in 1988, when we lived in Upnor, on the western bank of the river Medway. As an RYA Instructor for

more than 25 years, and a military adventurous-sail-training instructor before that, I’ve been lucky enough to experience sailing many different boats; Cracklin’ Rosie is the only offshore boat I have ever owned. Our first long trip was over to the Baltic via Holland and the Kiel Canal; there were six of us: me, my wife Ida, two of our teenage sons and two of their friends. At sea, with three people on deck and three off watch below, sleeping arrangements

Left: Struggling to windward during the Round the Island race 26 CLASSIC SAILOR

were comfortable; in harbour, with the four proper berths occupied, a blow-up mattress on the saloon floor made another bed and one lanky teenager slept on the chart table with his feet through the hatch in the aft bulkhead, resting on a couple of fenders in the cockpit locker. Talking of chart tables, mine is big enough for a full-size Admiralty chart, which was and still is a major plus for me; there’s no seat, but who sits down to navigate at sea? I chose my Twister for her good looks, her long keel and her stern-hung rudder. And because I could just about afford the loan repayments. Believing that your boat looks good is an essential requirement of ownership. The Twister’s keel and rudder configuration was exactly what I wanted: I had

dreams of sailing the oceans and visiting distant shores. I believed then, and still do, that a long keel makes for steadier tracking, and for more comfortable sailing in heavy weather; plus there’s less chance of serious damage in the event of a grounding – and who ever heard of a long keel falling off? OK, long-keeled boats are difficult (impossible?) to steer in reverse but with a bit of forethought most tight manoeuvring situations can be successfully negotiated; there’s always a way even if it means running a doubled line over to a cleat somewhere to windward. Having the rudder hanging on the after end of the keel greatly reduces the chances of picking up a fishing-pot line or any of the other junk that floats around in our seas, and should it be damaged there’s a chance that you can get at it to fix it.

Apart from all that she sails well. We came fifth in the Round the Island Race a few years ago, on handicap (you know: eyesight failing, difficulty in differentiating between port and whisky, garbled instructions

I didn’t want to spend the rest of my solo-sailing days hanging over the lee side to see what was behind the foresail to crew, and so on). Actually we get a favourable handicap because my sails are a little smaller than those in the official sail plan. The foot of a standard Twister genoa almost touches the deck; I didn’t want to spend the rest of my solo-sailing days

hanging over the lee side to see what might be hidden behind the sail, so a sailmaker friend and I designed a foresail with a shorter foot and a higher clew (see diagram overleaf); not only do I now get a much better forward view but the sail rolls up more neatly (because the turns of the thicker material at the foot don’t overlap) and therefore tighter, which gives it a better shape when partially furled. We drew up a new mainsail too, a tiny bit smaller than the original but with a really deep third reef so that it could serve as a storm sail. I was grateful for that off the southern coast of Argentina where, having congratulated myself for having safely negotiated the Estrecho de la Maire, the strait between Staten Island and mainland Argentina, we were suddenly attacked by a vicious,

Cracklin’ Rosie sets sail for Cape Horn on Trevor’s 2005 single-handed voyage

CLASSIC SAILOR

CRACKLIN’ ROSIE Various views of Cracklin’ Rosie (Right is off South Parade Pier , Southsea Diagram far right shows Trevor’s revised sailplan, in red

28 CLASSIC SAILOR

TIME OF THE TWISTER

A CQR, which we’re told is now outdated and outperformed by modern designs. I’ve hung on that anchor in 64 knots of wind with big rollers crashing into the bows. It didn’t budge

LOA: 28ft 3’in (8.4m) LWL: 21ft 6in (6.5m) Beam: 8ft 1in (2.5 m) Draft: 5ft (1.5m) Displ’t: 9968lb (4.5tons)

Far left: A long keel with the rudder hung on the transom Middle: Cracklin’ Rosie at hull speed in the Round the Island Near left: Skipper Trevor

katabatic wind blasting down the mountain side and out over the sea. Despite the halyard being winched as tight as I could make it, the luff was ‘scalloped’ between the slides by the pressure of the wind. I could have done with the sail being even smaller! There doesn’t seem to be much loss of performance from the reduced sail area, and I can carry full sail in slightly stronger winds, which is quite often useful in our windy waters. The mast is deck-stepped, in a tabernacle. Useful on occasion: I can raise and lower it myself. (The piece of timber lashed across the stern pulpit in the photograph overleaf of the wind vane was for the lowered mast to rest on). Cracklin’ Rosie carries three anchors: A folding stock anchor – like a fisherman when ‘unfolded’ but with enlarged flukes – a really useful ‘lunch hook’, easy to deploy and stow but not powerful enough for strong winds or currents. A Fortress – assembled, ready, but never used, largely because I’m wary of ‘Danforth style’ anchors after twice dragging in the middle of the night when, at the turn of the tide, the anchor picked up a stone which jammed between the shank and one of the flukes so that it couldn’t dig in. A CQR, which recent magazine articles tell us is now outdated and out-performed by more modern designs. I’ve hung on that

anchor in 64 knots of wind with big rollers crashing into the bows. It didn’t budge. An accessory that isn’t part of the original design is a Neptune Windvane steering unit. What a fantastic piece of equipment that is! I’d suffered five electronic tiller-steering unit failures on my way down to Cape Horn. The first one gave up after about 250 miles! We were in a bit of rough weather when it died. The reaction when I sent it back to the manufacturer for repair was that it looked as if it had had about five years’ worth of use; the purchase date on the receipt proved otherwise. Three new Autohelms and four more failures later they gave me a new, more powerful unit; this one developed a glitch within 500 miles. That’s when I bought the windvane. Everyone should have one! It performed faultlessly on my trip from the Falkland Islands back to UK. I made and fitted a smaller vane for when the wind blew hard – which it did from time to time; I don’t know if that was necessary but it seemed like a good idea. Trenchard Bowden, the designer, didn’t disapprove! The stern mounting for the windvane was made by our local stainless steel fabricator who subsequently added ‘horns’ for the pulleys which you can see in the picture overleaf, mounted on the steel tubes I improvised with. Type ‘Neptune Windvane’ into Google for more information. It can’t be all good, there has been the odd problem: I had to fit a new stainless fuel tank to replace the old one which was approaching disintegration, the Taylors paraffin cooker is something I throw things at, it requires constant cleaning and frequent maintenance and they don’t make spares for that model anymore. And there’s a two-page job list – which I could photocopy and pass on, it’s probably not much different from yours! Happily I’ve had no problems with the all GRP hull other than the boredom of scrubbing off. Ten years ago I decided to apply Coppercoat: it worked well for some time but it didn’t frighten the barnacles in Fareham Creek! Once a fortnight or so I row out to the pontoon where Cracklin’ Rosie is moored, check the mooring lines, step aboard and put the kettle on. I check the bilge, check the batteries and run the engine for half an hour. I get the job list out of a saloon locker, look at it then put it back. I’ll deal with that in the spring. ★ CLASSIC SAILOR

CRACKLIN’ ROSIE

Twister Cape Horn round trip

he sea was as confused as I’d ever seen it; I looked up at the mast dancing wildly against moonlit clouds racing across the sky. But it was nothing that Cracklin’ Rosie and I couldn’t handle. We were about 85 miles SSW of Falmouth, heading south. For years I’d dreamed of sailing around Cape Horn. I smiled, we were on our way. A big wave crashed into the side of the boat. The cockpit was suddenly full of sea. The sails were rattling and the autohelm was lying on its back, whining. I grabbed the tiller, bore away a little, and watched the water slowly drain from knee deep to ankle deep, wondering what to do next. The autohelm was dead. I didn’t fancy steering by hand all the way to the Horn so I tacked, rigged the spare, very ancient, tiller steering unit and headed back to Falmouth. “That was quick!” my wife said when I phoned. I bought a new autohelm. We passed our turn-around point in a friendly wind from the north-east. Eight weeks later, at 1039 UT on 27 November 2005 we crossed the Equator. I started to pour a small libation to the King of The Sea; then I thought: “I don’t really believe there’s a king down there” so I drank the rest myself. For the first time in my life, I put an ‘S’ after the latitude in the log. Generally the winds blow anti-clockwise

Falmouth

Santa Cruz

Mindalo

Noronha Rocho Salvador Rio de Janeiro

SOUTH ATLANTIC

Laguna

Rio Grande

Buenos Aries

Punta Este

Pueto Machyn Deseado

The Falkland Islands Cape Horn

30 CLASSIC SAILOR

Opposite page:”Everyone should have one!” – Trevor’s trusty windvane, and the timber rest for the tabernacle-stepped mast when it comes down

Portmouth

Faal

NORTH ATLANTIC

Right: This one came on board! Below right: Mid-atlantic dip, (done with self-timer) Below far right: Conceicao Bay, Noronha

As far East as I got in the S Atlantic

around the South Atlantic, so following the east coast of South America down to the Horn should have been comfortable sailing. A friendly member of the Iate Clube Atlantico Sud, in Puerto Madryn, Argentina, told me that the winds had been unusually contrary that year. We had ‘pit-stops’ on the way because I used the engine to maintain a bit of progress. A glimmer from the afternoon sun struggled through the clouds to briefly lighten the dark hills of Cabo San Vicente, as we approached the Beagle Channel. I was pleased to have up-to-date charts. Captain FitzRoy was making them! A couple of days later I cast off from Ushuaia, the world’s most southerly town, heading for the Horn. I lowered the anchor in Caleta Martial, a delightful little bay on the island of Herschel, less than a day away from my goal. I sat in the cockpit with a beer as the sun went down; a young herring gull swam up close to the stern to share my peanuts.

At dawn we sailed further south; there was a fine drizzle in the gentle, west wind. Not far from the sharp, pointed rocks off the western end of Isla Hornos I looked over my shoulder: huge, dark clouds were billowing over the horizon; it became a race to see if we could beat the weather. I turned towards the east as a sudden, fierce wind blasted us with hail and rain. A mile or so to the north the Horn disappeared in the grey blanket of falling water; waves built quickly into short, steep breakers that threw us violently left and right. I had to steer by hand again when the autohelm gave up the fight. Brief shafts of sunshine shone between the racing clouds to illuminate patches of hillside and waves crashing against the rocky shore. Icy spray mixed with the rain and hail flew horizontally across the breaking crests as we corkscrewed our way round into the lee of the island. We’d rounded the Horn! ★

For the first time in my life I put an ‘S’ after the latitude in the log

CLASSIC SAILOR

SUE’S CRUISE PART 2

Members of the OGA are welcomed with open arms – and a polite blind eye is turned to the presence of exworking boats. Pretty though she is, Victoria falls into that category. 32 CLASSIC SAILOR

THE DUTCH CLASSIC YACHT REGATTA

Victoria’s Dutch secrets An off-the-chart harbour and a (shhh!) workboat origin... it’s all part of the merry mix of the Dutch Classic Yacht Regatta for Sue Lewis in Part 2 of her log of gaff cutter Victoria’s Netherlands adventure.

he gaffer class stands out in the company at the Dutch Classic Yacht Regatta which comprises quite a jumble of different types and styles of boat. Traditional Dutch flat-bottomed working boats are not invited to this biennial event but members of the OGA (the association for gaff rig) are welcomed with open arms – and a polite blind eye is turned to the presence of ex-working boats. Pretty though she is Victoria falls into this category, having been built in 1897 for the River Police in Essex.

We approach from the south and meet up with other participants at Steenbergen. This harbour, situated as it is at the end of quite a long approach canal and ‘off the edge’ of Dutch charts, is a good place to know about – quiet and a good place for provisioning. Next day we sail on in company to meet with the fleet from the north at Willemstadt. Departure time from this charming harbour is determined by the timetable of the lifting section of the Haringvliet Bridge and the need for taller boats to be there on time. It is one of the great joys of sailing little Victoria in the Netherlands, having done so before

Main photo: the Classics fleet in Voorhave at Hellevoetsluis – spot Victoria in the centre. Right: Avola’s ‘Sarah party’ – Sarah is sitting astride the boom. CLASSIC SAILOR 33

SUE’S CRUISE PART 2

‘Fun race’ is a Dutch term which we think is supposed to indicate that this 26-mile-long race to Hellevoetsluis should not to taken too seriously. But racing is racing! with a taller boat and been greatly inconvenienced, to sail under the fixed sections whilst the bigger boats must decipher complex almanacs in Dutch, plan carefully – and even then, usually, wait around. It is obligatory to carry up-to-date copies of the Dutch Wateralmanak on board and as it comes in two volumes we find it hard to resist the temptation to refer to it as ‘Double Dutch’. ‘Fun race’ is a Dutch term which we think is supposed to indicate that this long race from the Haringvliet Bridge to the regatta base at Hellevoetsluis should not be taken too seriously. But racing is racing! After a noon start we beat up the Haringvliet in a stiff westerly breeze covering 26 miles and holding our own well. When the results go up on the board later we have taken third place on handicap behind Jason in first place and Heard Falmouth work boat Gwylan in second. This is a pattern which will become familiar in the next few days. Jason is a very fast boat sailed really well. Her hull is a Dutch Whaleboat (bit like a Montagu Whaler) but her rig is a one-off designed by her owner, and even with handicapping we don’t expect to get near them. But there’s a little lightweight aluminium boat we do think we should challenge: called Kleiner Jager. We nickname her Half a Lager as she’s smaller than us and although on this occasion she has come fifth we will find her hard to beat. The first ‘real’ races are on Thursday and we get a fifth place on corrected time in the first, then in the second race we improve to third, losing a long tussle with the half-pint boat. So fourth overall at the end of the day behind Jason, Gwylan and Half a Lager. No racing on Friday morning as there’s no wind, but there is hope of a race later on so we keep busy and stay out of the pub. We eventually start at 17.40 and it is quite a start.

I can’t read the skipper’s mind (to his disgust sometimes) so I have no idea quite how he comes to the decision that we can sneak up to the ‘wrong’ end of the start line and on port tack just nip in front of the rest of the fleet as they all start on starboard tack. Maybe he spots a wind shift that makes it a risk worth taking. It’s a close run thing, we hold our breath when the wind drops a little, but we get past. My photo shows it: only Jason is out of shot having made a perfect start and pulled away. The rest of the gaffers are sailing straight at us. Despite this great beginning and all the clear air we gain they catch us up and we finish fourth, beaten by Gwylan on corrected time by just one second. The day is nicely rounded off by a birthday party on Avola. She was launched 50 years ago this year and the Dutch tradition for 50th birthdays is to have a ‘Sarah Party’ (or Abraham for a male). Photos of the event show ‘Sarah’ (obligatory guest) looking rather bedraggled perched insecurely on Avola’s boom. The weather on Saturday again does not permit racing: here we have F8 gusting 10; on the coast at nearby Stellendam it’s 10 gusting 11. This is where Victoria really is a bit too small even in the harbour – her cockpit is wet and uncomfortable as the wind pushes the wet tent to and fro and our only other options are to lie on our bunks either side of the large centreplate box or to visit friends with more comfortable cabins. Sunday brings good racing weather and we have two short races to make up for lack of results yesterday. In the first race we are pleased to finish ahead of Half a Lager (but perhaps not far enough ahead?). It’s downhill from there: we have trouble with a tangle in the furling gear before the second start and then are fouled twice approaching the start on starboard by boats on port tack. In all the confusion of this (tangled gear and shouted Top: View of the regatta ﬂeet from Victoria Middle: Jan Blank sailing to the regatta Bottom right: Anemone passing us, to the delight of her skipper

34 CLASSIC SAILOR

THE DUTCH CLASSIC YACHT REGATTA

Above, from top: Kleiner Jager (aka Half a Lager), second; Gwylan, Heard workboat, fourth, and Jason, Dutch Whaleboat with ownerdesigned rig, first. Left: Windbreaker behind Transcur

apologies) we miss the fact that we are over the start line before the gun. They later say we went back but not far enough, but at the time we are just trying to miss all the boats that are where they shouldn’t be. We hear the second gun but we don’t think it’s us and foolishly we don’t look back to check for the signs that the committee boat is happy. We think we have sailed our best race yet, blissfully unaware that we have been disqualified, and return to harbour hoping for third place. But disappointment awaits us and it’s Sylvia Green’s day, a speedy Tradewind which wins both Sunday races. There’s no point crying over spilt milk but we reckon that having to discard that last result, good as it would have been, may have cost us two places in the overall results of the Gaffer Class: First, Jason; second, Kleiner Jager; third, Sylvia Green; fourth, Gwylan... and fifth Victoria. We drink beer and congratulate the worthy winners and then are so tired from all the hard work of racing that we sleep well despite the rocking and rolling of a windy night in the outer harbour.

Overleaf: Victoria’s history, from her 1894 origins as a Colchester police boat CLASSIC SAILOR 35

VICTORIA’S HISTORY

Above: Two photos of Victoria from the late 1950searly 60s when she was owned by Sid Hunt. Right: Ladies race in 1929

Victoria’s police-boat origins

n January 1897, the year of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the Watch Committee of Colchester Borough Council had a problem. Inspector Poole of the Colne River Police was complaining that his patrol boat had proved “so unseaworthy of late” that he could not use it in winter nor visit his men on patrol at night. Poole recommended the construction of a new boat, 21ft by 7ft and decked. The cost would be approximately £60. The Watch Committee agreed, it was put out to tender and Aldous of Brightlingsea won the job for £65 in February of that year. On 14th April 1897, according to the Watch Committee minutes, “the new boat was tested by the Head Constable […] and Councillor […] in a good stiff breeze.” They attested that “she is sound and well built and will prove to be fast and powerful for a boat her size” and “it was resolved unanimously that she be named Victoria”. And so Victoria went into service as one of a small fleet of sailing police boats patrolling the busy and profitable oyster fisheries of the River 36 CLASSIC SAILOR

It’s her very small number of committed owners that has enabled Victoria to survive Colne in Essex. In 1902 the deckplan was altered and Victoria was given a cabin at the cost of £10, and then in 1908 some extensive “needful work” was carried out, by Aldous again, at the cost of £19 17s 6d. Originally clinker built, her hull was ‘carvelled over’ just a few years later (“I had her doubled and made carvel” wrote Inspector Poole to a later owner), so we think this was possibly the “needful work” done in 1908. To this day she retains this original double-skinned hull as well as the original cabin, though the latter acquired a sliding hatch along the way. There was usually just one police officer on board at a time, but the boats worked day and night so a little ‘bogey’ stove kept the man warm. She retired in the 1920s and was acquired by Poole

himself who raced her successfully for many years at Brightlingsea Sailing Club. In 1929, according to the Essex County Standard, Victoria “had [that season] won 16 prizes out of 17 starts, nine of these being firsts,” and Poole commented proudly on this in a letter: “many of these races were with the latest 18ft one designs”. It is the very small number of committed owners she’s had which has enabled Victoria to survive so long. We think there was one interim owner but then Sid Hunt owned her from the 1930s – 1981 and kept her in the River Orwell. In his care she survived WW2 although he did sell the lead keel after the war and replace it with iron. He put a little engine in, and by removing the plate he made room inside for cruising the East Coast with his family: rather cramped, but his two children (now grown up) are both still keen sailors. In 1981 Sid was getting on and Victoria was not being sailed. Her condition was deteriorating. Sid had refused to sell her to members of his club who had made offers but then he spotted this tiny lineage advert in the local paper: “Old traditional yacht required, 20ft plus, any condition, seen”. Luckily Sid picked up his phone. Ben Powell and Roddy Monroe were the two young men who had placed the ad and Sid met with them and agreed to sell her for £650. With the help of boat builder Mick Newman (who went on to co-found Spirit Yachts in Ipswich with Sean Macmillan) the new owners carried out renovation work including a new beam shelf either side of English elm, new oak floors, new oak deck beams, marine ply deck overlaid with resin and woven glass fibre. The centre board was reinstated with a new slot through her iron keel. The old coach roof was retained. Newman wrote of it: “Oak sides; pine top; oak beams; all sound”. Of the two of them it was Ben Powell who made most use of her and kept her sound and spruce for almost 30 years. Ben cruised her locally from his home base at Pin Mill (where she still has her summer mooring) and he won many races with the East Coast Gaffers (OGA). Even after all that time it was only reluctantly and in stages that he let her go. We have some photos of Ben sailing Victoria taken at Pin Mill in 2005. Why do we have these pictures when we didn’t even know Ben at the time? Because we were already stalking her… We (Howard Wheelton and myself) coveted Victoria for a few years then finally passed a gruelling interview and co-owned her with Ben for a while from 2008. Eventually he said good bye to her and since then we have enjoyed extensive cruising and racing in the UK and Netherlands as well as taking her by road to the Morbihan for the Festival there. We too will have to part with her one day as she is not the ideal cruising boat for the stiff joints and lower level of fitness we have to look forward to, but we will be making sure that her next caretaker is as committed to her welfare as Inspector Poole, Sid Hunt and Ben Powell all were.

Next month: Hellevoetsuis to Harwich – homeward bound via inland waters, with some tide-fighting, then Belgium, France and back in time for a Kentish barge match.

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PEOPLE OF THE SEA

Clifford Adams Legendary Cornish boatbuilder Clifford Adams is still singlehandedly building Redwing dinghies at over 90 years of age. Phil Russell went to East Looe to seek him out in his workshop

s I walked through East Looe in Cornwall on a dark and damp winter afternoon the almost deserted narrow streets and alleyways seemed endless. With closed shops awaiting the next season, the place had an almost Dickensian atmosphere. Old buildings seem to lean outwards and muffled voices clung to the walls like whispers from the past as I tried to retrace the last visit I made to Clifford Adams’ workshop, tucked away somewhere in the narrow back streets. I last made this journey over 38 years ago but that was in the height of summer when the streets were filled with visitors. Then the last piece in the puzzle clicked into place and there he was in the dimly-lit workshop as usual, with the keel of the next Redwing laid out before him. There is nothing that is more evocative than the smell of pine and hardwood

being worked by a master. These days it is increasingly difficult to find someone who has the experience to produce boats with as much loving care as Clifford Adams has over the last 77 years. Clifford started his apprenticeship in May 1939 at the tender age of 14 and served his time with Pearns of Looe after attending

There he was in the dimlylit workshop as usual with the keel of the next Redwing laid out before him the local school. During the war years Pearns made harbour launches and various naval craft for the MOD and Clifford’s apprenticeship served him well. After the war he ventured out on his own but during these difficult times commissions

were few and far between so he drove a taxi to make up the shortfall. In the construction of the Uffa Foxdesigned Redwing very little has changed save the use of stainless-steel screws and glues – and of course the price. In the 50s a Redwing would cost you about £57 when the average wage was around £10 a week. Now the cost of a new one is in the region of £15-20,000, that’s of course if you could find someone to make it to the same standard and quality as Cliff ’s. He only makes one a year now and only the bare boat at that but if you have the chance of getting one yourself then you are buying 77 years of experience and of a quality second to none. Clifford says that as he is getting on a bit now he likes to keep his work as a hobby though he is very fit, does not drink and could easily pass for 75, rather than over 90. Last summer Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall visited and the Prince showed great interest in the workshop and

Clifford at work on the current Redwing – he’s built around 170 of them 38 CLASSIC SAILOR

He only makes one a year now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but if you have the chance of getting one you are buying 77 years of experience

CLASSIC SAILOR

PEOPLE OF THE SEA

Left: Clifford, with two of his Redwings – and some champagne ready for a launch. Below: Wave Dancer’s launch at the East Looe slipway attracts quite a crowd

the history of the Redwing sailing dinghy, of which Clifford thinks he has built some 170 during his lifetime and still counting! He has done this virtually single-handed and says he would rather work on his own. “Of course, I have built other things,” he said as I was about to leave, and proudly showed me images of Wave Dancer, an Alan Pape-designed 22ft power boat boat he built for his daughter and son-in-law. She’s built in Brazilian mahogany, has a 5-cylinder Volvo Penta engine and is capable of 30 knots. Clifford has recently taken up hillclimbing in his Baby Austin – he takes great pride in his various classic cars and took me to see his latest purchase, a bright red MGB GT with wire wheels, overdrive, the lot. He is also involved it the restoration of a property in Bideford, north Devon, for which he has made new gates and windows – and in the meantime the latest Redwing is taking shape, alongside a restoration job on what looks like an early Chris-Craft that recently arrived in his workshop. Clifford shows no sign of stopping working – he sees no point in sitting around when there are things to be getting on with, he has just decided to take things a little easier these days! 40 CLASSIC SAILOR

Clifford shows no sign of stopping working as he sees no point in sitting around when there are things to be getting on with

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Falmouth Classics 2016 Sponsored by Tilley Endurables

Fri 17th - Sun 19th June

A fun-filled weekend of classic sailing Sponsored berthing - Parade of Sail – 3 friendly races Includes a great social programme and the opportunity to enjoy the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival

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@FalClassics /FalmouthClassics 08/01/2016 17:24

TRANSATLANTIC BY FIFE

Across the Atlantic on Sumurun Borne on the 90ft 1914 Fife ketch and a gulfstream of consciousness, ship’s cook Louis McIntosh records his reflections of a voyage from Maine to Cowes

nd on the afternoon of the third day the grey waters turned sea blue and the crew awakened fresh after two days of acclimatization to the watch system. Three hours on and six hours off, three on and six off, three on and... well you get the drift. It was a rotating system of three watches incorporating three people. Hope that makes sense to any landlubbers out there. In between I cobbled together meals for the ever hungry sailors, having already cooked and frozen down at least 12 large meals in Maine. Breakfast was at 8, lunch at 12 and dinner at 6.30. The systems were all

in place for a Transatlantic crossing. Camden Maine USA to Falmouth and then Cowes UK. Sumurun was to attend the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 200th anniversary regatta in July. Departure date May 9th. The first two days people were adjusting to the imbalance of a delivery, getting their ‘sea legs’ after months of land-based refit work as the 24-hour motion of the ocean can take some getting used to. Eat, sleep, steer, repeat. The second day out we lost the breeze and motored eastward to find some through choppy, bouncy seas and a grey, misted night. Phosphorescence eerily sidled by. No moon or stars were visible through the grey, listless sky overhanging the grey, white flecked waves. The third day came alive soon after

PHOTOS: LOUIS MCINTOSH

Left: Sumurun ready for final stowing, extra fuel containers etc, before the Transatlantic trip. Right: Crew photo, from the top, Dougie, Marli, Maximilian, Louis and George

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breakfast as the wind picked up and from the right direction, aft of the beam propelling us on port tack to nine knots with all the new sails having a shakedown to remove stiffness. The sails bent and filled gracefully to the freshening breeze. Harry Beach, our guest salty dog and raconteur extraordinaire, had set up the fishing rod astern and we hoped in the warmer waters of the Gulf to possibly catch some fish. I was halfway through telling a tall tale to Armin when the unmistakable whirr and whizz of the fishing line announced something had taken Harry’s fancy disco lure. Harry stepped up, Hemingway-style as the Fish Hero, manfully struggling with the rod as he brushed or swatted Armin away from it, announcing to all present, and possibly any nearby boats, that he had a “worthy opponent”. As he was virulently prone to hyperbole we took his pronouncement with a pinch

of salt. But after twenty minutes of wrestling with bent rod and taut line we surmised he might just have a point. All crew were now on deck with knives, winch handles and also vodka. Pouring vodka into the gills hastens death by sending the fish to instant alcoholic oblivion and is supposed to be a more humane death than repeated clubbing with a winch handle, and of course less bloody. The plastic ice chest was brought up to accommodate a large, angry fish as Harry got the boat hook into the tuna, oh yes,

Harry stepped up, Hemingway-style as the Fish Hero, announcing to all he had a ‘worthy opponent’

tuna, as he drew it alongside the boat. Muscles straining he launched the fish up and over the lifelines and into the waiting icebox with one swift manoeuvre, where it threshed and thrashed wildly. Harry calmly poured vodka into its gills and with diminishing twitches it died, ahhhh. It was at least 50lbs of yellowfin tuna. Harry cleaned and filleted the beast, offering still warm and faintly twitching slivers to the watching crew. I cleaned huge fillets in seawater and clingfilmed half straight into the freezer while the rest was for dinner; sear and serve. As all this was underway the crew were steering, filming or readying for a sail change as 40-knot winds were forecast later. And then out popped the sun for a brief visit, for the first time prompting stripping off the wet foul weather gear and breaking out the shorts. Along the lifelines bright yellow wet weather gear hung out to dry alongside towels and sodden shoes.

Sumurun in her element, waves crashing over the bow, a prelude to the 40k squall to come

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The old girl never ceased to amaze me with her prowess, reminding me how she got through Hurricane Kate, safe and sound, battle-scarred but unbroken and unbowed With the excitement of the fish capture the appearance of the sun and the freshening wind had buoyed spirits. Sumurun, free of the yard after a long, cold winter was now off her leash and chasing down the North Atlantic waves, in her element, the sea, the wind, the Big Adventure. Bring it on. The fun never ends. The forecast was for 30/40 knots of wind in the coming lows so while the sun shone on our drying clothes we put a reef in the main and mizzen ready for the rough ride. Luckily the wind direction would be aft pushing us in the right direction on port tack at 110-120 degrees towards the Azores. (Would we stop there? Who knows? I hadn’t been there since 1981, a lifetime ago. ) Somehow, out here in the middle of nowhere, we had acquired a tired, exhausted sparrow, whom we named Jack for obvious reasons, so we fed him crumbs and water for a few days but he took off after seeing how we treated the fish. Probably thought he was destined for a pie crust. The tuna was delicious, we all had two big steaks topped with wasabi sauce and a lime twist and oven-roasted vegetables and couscous. George, our dry and laconic deckhand, announced it would be a 40-dollar meal on the mainland. As night fell the mist cleared momentarily allowing the benign stars to twinkle, Jupiter glowing brightly, all-seeing all-knowing, on our vessel, a mere speck on this watery wilderness. It glowed aft of the stern highlighting our way forward. Sumurun metaphorically picked up her skirts and elegantly as ever picked her course through the choppy white

tops. Off the leash, unbridled, enthusiastic she surged ever forward, relishing the spray, the shifty winds and confused seas. The tactical battle with Neptune and the Wind Gods was on. The old girl never ceased to amaze me with her prowess, reminding me how she got through Hurricane Kate, from Bermuda to Antigua, all those many moons ago, safe and sound, battle-scarred but unbroken and unbowed. Now she moaned, she groaned as an old lady would, but her strength and solidity was impeccable. In our bunks hunkered down under thick, fleecy duvets, strapped in with a taut lee cloth we were snug as bugs in rugs. The chill air of Maine for the first few days now gave way to a balmy warmth and gloves and hats came off, though the odd resounding splash over the scuppers reminded you to keep your foulies handy. With heads clear of lists and jobs to do and our worldly worries reduced to the 90 feet of wood that is Sumurun it was easy to relax and settle into our daily/nightly routine. I came on watch at 12am till 3am with waves crashing over the bow, winds gusting up to 35k and boat speed hitting 10,11,12k with Sumurun thundering on. Glorious fun, gripping the wheel, wrenching it to course, bucking the waves, spray stinging your face, all in a night’s work. Lunch next day was a fresh Tuna Nicoise and as I left the galley I bumped into Lisa, the owner’s wife, who came out with the quote of the day: “You smell good, you smell like lunch.” The fourth day saw us still rocking along almost halfway to the Azores...will we

Below left: Louis reclining between watches in the focsle with his diary; bottom left: Dougie and George channelling their inner Jason Statham and Leo Di Caprio poses. Below right: Armin, in halfway party pirate hat, spots the Peregrine Falcon

PHOTOS: LOUIS MCINTOSH

stop? Sumurun bobbing and weaving, ducking the swells and still clocking 11, 12k for a great day’s run. Through the night the winds topped a howling 40k and to maintain course took all our strength, but aching arms and lower back mingled with the pure exhilaration of the ride, the big adventure. 1100 miles in under five days, whereas in the Rolex Race of 2005 we took five days to cover 400 miles, big difference! If boats could talk, said Marli the stewardess, they would say “Give me wind and I’ll give you miles.” So right. And Sumurun thrives on wind. She prods or burrows, dashes or darts around or through the swelling swells with a gay abandon, fearing nothing and staying true to her trim. An elegant beast of a boat. God bless her. Build your own burger for lunch with all the trimmings went down well with the crew with lazarette-ripened fresh pineapple. On watch Armin, our still fearless Leader, and I reminisced about our time in Perth for the 44 CLASSIC SAILOR

PAUL WYETH

SUMURUN

America’s Cup as well as all those compadres we have lost touch with over the years. On watch also one can open up about fears and fortune, love and luck or whatever subject tickles your fancy at that point in time. Your head is clear of the clamour for attention of the daily grind, the endless lists and things that must be done... now. Freedom from clutter, now it’s mind over mutter. So eight days to go, nine, 10, who cares, who’s counting? We are all relishing the rest and routine of seafaring and as we entered the sixth day the sun bore down, a good healthy breeze was a-blowing and the Atlantic was swelling and subsiding but in a friendly mode, nudging us eastwards at a fair clip. I pressure-cooked some lamb shanks for dinner and pulled one of my 12 pre-cooked dinners from the freezer, a coconut vegetable curry. As the days go by we enter a blissful state of reverie, of detachment from the Real World out there beyond the briny and more

attachment to our world within a 90ft vessel. It contains all we need for our creature comforts. Food, warmth, shelter, safety. Feeling immune to any elements that Mother Nature and Father Neptune chose to throw at us. We are more than capable of accommodating their combined tempers and tantrums as well as their blessing in the guise of fair winds and following seas, sunshine and moonlight and stars burning bright, bestowing on us good fortune and fortitude. As crew we look out for each other, respect the elements and have unwavering faith in the good ship, even as her timbers creak, moan and whinge occasionally. Maybe she’s just sighing to herself, or groaning with pleasure that she is off the dock, out of the yard and in her true element, the sea. She does what she does best, surfs the waves, chases dreams, searches for the perfect wind and point of sail to prove to herself and us all that she still has what it takes after 101 years. A grande old dame of the sea taking her bow on

this watery stage, admired by the loving crew as she demonstrates her majestic capabilities. The bruising confrontations of the last few days recede in our memory as the wind drops to 15 knots – a leisurely, sedate pace befitting the old dame. On the 3-6am watch we came out to grey skies but a poignant sliver of silvery moon perched dead ahead on the horizon beckoned us, brightly. As it rose and faded the sun’s orb pierced the cloud bank with a vague promise of a hot day to come. Day Seven and a gorgeous sunrise after the 6am watch finished, so stayed up to soak up some rays, fry up a big breakfast for a ravenous, as usual, crew and with low wind and flat seas indulged in storytelling of yachting days past to while away the time with the older members of the crew. Wind dropped. Engine on DONK, DONK,DONK. 1200 miles to go as we reflect on the experience so far, cathartic, relaxing, muscle building, good food, Shredded Wheat at midnight, scrambled eggs farm fresh still, Cadburys bars

Sumurun sails the Solent during the summer of 2015 after the crossing

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Reflections Spending long periods at sea with the same watch partners can make for interesting conversational anecdotes, sharing the past, fears or dreams or staying silent huddled under foul weather gear, lost in your own private thoughts or contemplations with barely a word spoken. Mind is emptied, mindfulness takes over. What’s the heading? What’s for lunch? All the immediate concerns of the minute, hour, day, take priority, not looking too far ahead as the future will take care of itself if you just take care of the Now. At sea you can get away from yourself, as our owner always says “I come on the boat not to think,” it’s a time to Get Simple and realise what is vital or important in your life and what is not, in my humble opinion. My credo would be “Do not be defined by money, be defined by your attitude, aspirations and your passion, whatever it is”, “Life is 90 per cent attitude and aptitude and your ability to adapt to Life changes.” Louis McIntosh (Sumurun chef)

Sumurun’s Able Assistants

PHOTO: LOUIS MCINTOSH

Our fearless leader, Armin the Skipper Dusty Justin (Mate), cool and collected Dougie (Techie Deckie) indomitable and indefatigable and barking mad. George, (Deckie) intriguing, king of leatherwork Marli, (Stewardess) minister of the interior, the gin princess Max, (Deckie) eagle-eyed skipper in the making Louis, (Chef) Mama Louis Harry, (Delivery Crew) A legend in his own mind, the tuna killer Lisa T (Boss’s Wife) willing and able, the quinoa queen

secretly stowed, writing, reading, sleeping, laughing, steering. At night under inky skies, the soporific swoosh swoosh of the bow cleaving the night sea. The slap slap of the waves breaking on the fine hull. The interminable droning hum of the wind in the rigging and the heavy rustle of the arching sails contribute to the night chorus. Morning on the eighth day sees the breeze freshen, engine off, sun up, fingertip steering, light touch, Sumurun knowing the way. What’s not to like? Dangling my unbooted feet over the transom, aft of the wheel, to let the ocean tickle and refresh. Lying back with the others for some rare sublime sunbathing. The sea’s power reduced to a burbling, gurgling, like a happy child in the bath, as it passes under us in our slipstream. The happy peace of the crew reading and the nonchalant posture and steering of the helmsman as he executes the perfect course, 46 CLASSIC SAILOR

In sight of land... at the Needles

under perfect conditions on this perfect yacht, ahhh bliss. Halfway now, we allowed ourselves a dark and stormy (rum and ginger) along with nibbles and natter and were blessed to see a peregrine falcon, a raptor, the fastest creature on earth, some say, swoop and circle the boat before alighting on the top spreader. Minutes later a school of 20 dolphins arched gracefully off the starboard bow, a special few moments indeed. Breakfast of blueberry scones and pancakes. Late afternoon only 3 knots of breeze, topped up fuel tanks with with our extra containers of diesel and motored on donkdonkdonk, in a sea of rippled, dappled waves swelling gently then subsiding to Neptune’s heartbeat, undulating seductively in slow motion. Insistent engine’s pistons breaking the aural calm, pushing us landward at a languid pace. What’s the rush? Weather forecast change, squalls ahead, as a lone exhausted swallow divebombed and

circled the boat again and again as we willed it to stop and rest up. Which it eventually did into the warmth of the doghouse. He remained with us for a few days calmly perched in the warm salon pecking at breadcrumbs and spoon-fed water till he gained his strength and flew up and out and away. Bon voyage, little feathered friend. All crew on deck at 1.30am, on a dark and stormy night, to drop mainsail in preparation for the impending squall. The shifty wind and rain and confused sea are in conspiratory mode to thwart our progress, pushing us northward when we want to go east. Sumurun, the gallant vessel, plows on bishbashbosh into the stubborn waves creating a massive bow spray and juddering shudders that resonate throughout the boat. The rain though cold and annoying is oddly invigorating and at least washes off the saltwater residue. Next day, lumpy, wet and miserable so log entry reads “In general, it sucks”.

SUMURUN In the Solent, in her element, right

Ketch Sumurun 1914 Wm Fife LOA: 94ft (28m) LWL: 68ft 5in (20.8m) Beam: 16ft 6in (5.1m) Draught: 12ft (3.7m) Sail area: 4,000 sqft (370 m2)

An irritating day of sodden foul weather gear, constant showers, lumps and bumps, judders and shudders. Moodometer on low. Food that sticks to the plate today, risotto (lunch) and lasagne (dinner). Through the squall and out the other side after a pummelling, punishing day Sumurun feels off the leash, unfettered as she surges forward surveying the calmer waters ahead. Managing a preferred 60-degree course, it’s exhilarating, a woo-hoo glad-to-be-alive moment as we enter the homestretch passage. Shake out reefs, hoist more rag and we are turbo-sailing 8 knots, 9 knots and rising, the odometer now into three figures, under a thousand miles to go. Still no sign of the English Summer, does it exist or is it a myth? Now several seagulls, swooping silently, surround the boat from the grey laden sky. Skimming skilfully the surface of the restless sea they soar high to strike yet again, searching and searching for their seagull repast.

Coasting, wings outstretched, they circle and circle almost in a welcoming manner, or just to show off, as they cut in front of the bow skimming the sea with breastbones inches from the seaswell. Sumurun glistens in a dewy morning mist, gliding graceful as a ballerina, her keel caressing the mild, rolling waves. Neptune paves our way with fair winds and friendly seas coaxing a steady 10 knots from the old gal on a favoured course of 85 degrees to the famous Lizard waypoint. The fo’c’s’le residents are well fed, well rested and raring to go. Watches now have an added frisson of excitement as our destination becomes ever nearer and clearer. We’ve conquered the Atlantic, yet again, and taken whatever she has thrown at us – unruly squalls or 40-knot gale and she has rewarded us with this fine passage in. We could bemoan the lack of sun, moonlight and starry skies but it’s been one tack, fast sailing and on course for the most part so mustn’t grumble. Misty, shifty, shitty, damp. Light winds, so Mizzen staysail up and big No 1 jib gives us extra 2 knots but we’re rolling not rocking. Flip, flap, flop, will the flogging ever stop? Sails flapping like a frightened goose. Downwind rolling slowing us down, smiles replaced by frowns, just when we are on the last leg. Staysail down, staysail up, conserve fuel, stay on course, engine on donkdonkdonk. Crew polishing stainless, practicing knots, formulating work lists for arrival and also slowly decompressing after an eventful passage. The sea awakens from its slumber but the wind is comatose and hungover it seems, hardly breathing, mainsail standing

alone for balance, flogging desperately with no wind to fill its belly. Find myself singing ‘Rock the boat’ at the wheel as we donkdonked through the oddlynamed Porcupine Abyssal Plain with 400 miles to go. Log entry reads “Pissy mist and f**king fog” as an almost Dickensian fog like a smoker’s breath, clammy and disconcerting, envelopes the boat, visibly creeping down through the doghouse. A do-nothing day. Slow, slow progress with our objective so, so near. Sedately cruising with welcoming gannets circling overhead. Landfall tantalisingly close, the Isles of Scilly and Bishop Rock lighthouse in our sights. A sense of boredom pervades the crew as this last leg draws out, pottering, stuttering without fanfare or the thrills and spills of the earlier legs. And now we cross Cockburn Shoals, Melville Knoll and Haddock Bank and suddenly a fresh breeze, a surge and we are off again, 10 knots and flying out of the traps, mood lifts and with a beautiful sunset behind us there before us is Wolf Rock lighthouse and not too far away The Lizard. For once a clear, mistfree night with a big, old crescent moon ascending aft in a very light night sky and there ahead the dim glow of lights on land, Land’s End. With a tired but still enthusiastic crew, Falmouth came into view and early morning we found our mooring in the sheltered harbour. We tied on. It was over. The feeling of being static was strange. Non-movement. No Creaking. No Flogging. No Donkdonking. No Waves or Wind to trouble us or help us. It felt like something wasn’t quite right... but of course it was. We did it. 15 days and 22 hours. ★ CLASSIC SAILOR

PAUL WYETH

The sea awakens from its slumber, but the wind is comatose and hungover it seems, hardly breathing, mainsail standing alone for balance, flogging desperately

ROWING

Ol’ man river by s Olympic champion John Pritchard rows a Thames skiff down the Mississippi to fundraise fo charity, reports Chris Partridge

2,500 miles down the Mississippi to raise a million dollars – and more – for the Right to Play charity

ou might be forgiven for thinking that having rowed in the Boat Race, the World Rowing Championships and the Olympic Games John Pritchard has nothing left to prove, but now he’s taking on some of the world’s longest rivers. Pritchard won silver at the Los Angeles games in 1980 as part of the British eight, and in 1981 took silver at the World Championships. He rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race three times, winning in 1986 to stop Oxford’s winning streak and denying them the right to keep the trophy. (He was also in the boat that famously sank in 1984 but let’s draw a veil over that.)

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Nowadays, however, he prefers to row traditional fixed-seat boats at the Skiff Club on the Thames at Teddington. “Skiffs have all the upside of rowing and none of the downside - you can just get out on the water and do your thing without having to get a crew together, and it is a more agreeable stretch of the river than Putney where I spent most of my competitive life,” he says. But he is still in need of a challenge, so recently he combined his skiff rowing with his other mission, supporting the charity Right to Play which helps deprived children through sport. The challenges: rowing 2,500 miles down the mighty Mississippi and raising a million dollars for Right to Play.

The idea was to take two double skiffs and get supporters to pay to row individual legs. Some, such as fellow Boat Race and International rowing veteran Paddy Broughton, would row for extended periods. “The boats were Thames racing skiffs, derived from Georgian water taxis that plied their trade on the river,” John says. “They are both beautiful and intensely practical boats for river use because they have no outriggers and no sliding seats.” The skiffs were built in mahogany on oak by Stanley and Thomas in Windsor, and named Richmond and Doreen after people John met at a school in Ghana during a visit on behalf of Right to Play. The boats proved to be capable of meeting everything the Mississippi could

JOHN PRITCHARD

y skiff

throw at them, which was a lot. “At the source of the Mississippi the river is two or three feet wide and at its widest is four and a half miles where you have very significant commercial traffic,” John explains. “We had a headwind for two months and one week of the three-month trip, so it can get pretty chewy. The boats coped astonishingly well.” The river’s underwater topography created alarming and unpredictable dangers, John recalls: “The floor of the river is pitted so the water flows in and creates whirlpools that move you sideways suddenly by twenty or thirty feet, like being grabbed by a giant hand. Initially it was pretty scary but eventually we learned to relax as there was nothing you could do about it.”

Waves were breaking over both sets of oars simultaneously. In our little skiffs we felt pretty insignificant

From top: the two fixed-seat Thames skiffs ashore, and in action. Right: Been there, done that, got the tea-towel

Lake Pepin was a particularly dangerous stretch of water, surrounded by high bluffs which create flukey winds. “We had a moment when waves were breaking over both sets of oars simultaneously. In our little skiffs we felt pretty insignificant,” John says. “Every single day we learned the river is in charge. There is an old saying on the Mississippi - if the river hasn’t got you, it’s going to get you.” Not only did the boats perform well, they attracted huge attention in a country where traditional wooden rowing boats are now very rare. “Wherever we went, people flocked to see them,,” John says. “What was so wonderful was in the US they have lost the words so they didn’t know what to call them. They said ‘Wow, those are really neat... canoes?’” The journey took them into an area of the United States that holds a central place in its mythology (after all, the great American novel, Huckleberry Finn, is set there) but has been marginalised. “There is a smallish town every nine miles because that is as far as a steamer could travel on one load of wood,” John explains. “I developed a deep respect for these small communities because they are deserted - the river and the railway used to go to them but now go through them.” Finally, the boats reached New Orleans after three months, raising $1.2 million for Right to Play, a staggering total that rose in the subsequent months to £2m. An unexpected by-product of the challenge was the chance to introduce more people to rowing: “We had just under 50 people joining us to row various legs, and at least 30 actually learned to row to take part,” says John. This year the challenge was more mundane - the Thames from Lechlade to Teddington – but it had its own dangers: “I did get crapped on by an enormous buzzard.” The next major challenge is now being planned. “I am hatching a new project to row with Paddy Broughton,” he says. “He is now based in Sydney so we are thinking of rowing the Murray River from the Snowy Mountains to Adelaide. It’s only 1,500 miles long and much less commercial so it is much less dangerous than the Mississippi – but it has its own challenges.” To support Right To Play, go to: www.righttoplay.org.uk CLASSIC SAILOR

MARINE MOTORIST

First lady of power Violet Aitken discovered powerboat racing through her husband Sir Max – but went on to make her own mark, as she told Mike Taylor

L Lavy Violet in the cockpit of her RoundBritain 606 50 CLASSIC SAILOR

ady Violet Aitken, wife of newspaper chief, Sir Max Aitken, came to powerboat racing by chance. “Max was a huge boating enthusiast, he took part in the Fastnet Race several times and, against huge opposition, started the London Boat Show,” she explains. Modern offshore powerboat racing could be said to have begun in 1956 with the 184-mile Miami-Nassau event. By 1959 the race was drawing top powerboat designers, builders and drivers. That year Sir Max watched the spectacle and decided to bring powerboat racing to the UK. The inaugural Cowes-Torquay race was held in 1961. The following year Sir Max entered himself in a boat bought from US designer, Dick Bertram called Glass Moppie. “We kept her down at Brixham near the family holiday home,” continues Lady Aitken. “One day Max was called back to London and said I’d have to drop him off at the pier so he could catch a train. This meant driving Glass Moppie solo back to Brixham. Out in the open sea, I opened the throttles and got bitten by the bug.” A second Bertram was ordered for Lady Aitken, which was named Ultra Violet. “Max did give me a little advice: ‘always respect the sea and don’t get in the way of the men’,” she chuckles.

VIOLET AITKIN

With 48 hours before the next race she returned to the hotel and had several large brandies

Above: The Bertram Ultra Violet, Lady Violet’s first boat Left: Sleuth – cracked ribs in the 1988 Worlds

In her first race Lady Aitken finished 5th while Sir Max came in 10th. “Communication was a little stilted for a week or two afterwards,” she says. The next year Lady Aitken finished 15th while Sir Max, in a new diesel-powered 38ft Bertram, fared better, finishing 7th. For the 1965 C-T event Sir Max bought his wife the ex-Jim Wynne racer, Yo Yo. “ButI was on a hiding to nothing with that boat,” recalls Lady Aitken. “I finished 22nd.” During the following year’s C-T race Lady Aitken

stopped mid-passage and was picked up by her husband. “He would have won his class had he not stopped. As it was he finished 16th. I felt awful.” Within eight short years powerboat racing had taken a strong hold in the UK and it was decided to hold a race which circumnavigated the British coastline. “I loved the Round Britain race of 1969 more than anything. It was sponsored by BP and the Daily Telegraph. Ford Europe wanted to promote their new Sabre marine diesel

engine and planned on winning the team prize with four Fairey boats and me taking the Lady’s Trophy.” Finishing 5th in class and 8th overall the lady’s team proved formidable as well as showing the ability of the Ford Sabrepowered Fairey Huntsman in the first event of its type. Then, using the same boat, Lady Aitken finished 7th in the C-T event two months later. “It was in Class III racing when I really started to have fun”, she recalls, grinning. At sign-in for the Putney–Calais race Lady Aitken was told there were 20 entrants and 19 protestors. “Eventually, they agreed to let me take part and over time I became huge friends with the Class III boys.” Looking back on her career Lady Aitken says she considers herself to be amazingly lucky because, with one exception, she did not hurt herself taking part. It happened in the World Championships in Guernsey in 1988. “After Max died I decided to enter one more race,” she recalls nostalgically. “There were about 50 starters with three races, each separated by a rest day. The seas were really something and my boat Sleuth was by far the smallest boat. Nevertheless, by the end of the first race we were lying fourth. It was during the second race when I really took a knock. I was coming down and the boat was coming up, we met in the middle and I realised instantly that I’d done something pretty stupid. But at the time, you are concentrating very hard and you are only vaguely aware.” When she got back St Peter Port the severity of the pain signalled something severe. “I couldn’t get out of the boat, a couple of large Marines had to heave me out. I trotted round to the doctor and he said I think you’ve definitely broken a couple of ribs and gave me some strong painkillers adding, ‘don’t whatever you do mix them with alcohol’.” With 48 hours before the next race she returned to the hotel and had several large brandies and a couple of pain killers. “Come the day of the final race and the conditions were calm, so I decided to have a go. I took a cushion from the hotel and wedged it between by ribs and my arm tucking it inside my lifejacket. We finished fourth. But I thought, ‘Fifth in the World Championships – how can you not race’.” Overall Lady Aitken competed in 14 C-T races. She says wistfully, “I have so many treasured memories: so many friends and races mixed with a great deal of fun.” CLASSIC SAILOR

On watch: London Boat Show picks

Vaavud Mjolnir Windmeter

Spinlock’s Lume On

Here’s a brilliant idea. A pocket-sized independent wind vane that plugs into the headphone jack of a smart phone and then acts as a wind meter that you can read off your screen, cutting down price and storage. www. Vaavud.com £27.99

The best thing at the boat show this year was also the smallest. Winner of the design awards at METS these are compact LEDs that stick to the bladder of lifejackets, which uses the large fluorescent surface like a diffuser to maximise the visibility of the flashing light. Once activated by water it can provide up to two hours of intense flashing light and eight hours light in total. Now being fitted as standard to many new lifejackets. www.spinlock.co.uk £14.94 for a pack of two.

Zhik Jacket

As their range expands some interesting features are emerging from Zhik and we were impressed by their new Isotak 2 Offshore smock which is very light and sports a well designed hood/collar combination, elasticated waist and special pocket liners that dry your hands. Red or black. £499.

Heyco mobile grip system

If you’ve ever wished you had a vice on board (apart from rum drinking) then this is just for you. Ingeniously it uses two mole grips as the teeth, and housing that you screw to any surface to slot them in, this system is simply a brilliant invention that turns any table or surface into a workbench. In some ways it’s even better than a fixed vice as you can easily store it all away. The grips can be removed from the clamps for normal use too. We tested it with a lump hammer and it survived intact. www.arthurbeale.co.uk £58.80

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Keelcrab

The Keelcrab is an Italian-made underwater robot that carries out cleaning and inspection operations on your hull while you drive it from above. The camera also films the hull on an sd card as you go so you can study it afterwards. Works on any hull and looks like pretty good fun to use. If you can’t afford it, persuade your marina to buy it. Then borrow it. £3,230. Watch the footage of it being used at www.thewetworks.co.uk

Ceramic gas hob

Also from the wetworks we saw this interesting touch-control ceramic stove top which dramatically cuts down on your gas consumption by special burners under the unit that burn the gas at a much higher temperature than normal. It has a food warming section, and a child lock but it’s not for all of us as it does need to be set into a worktop. Ideal for flat water sailors, canals and motor boaters. Two-burner model is £449. www.thewetworks.co.uk

Over the Yardarm Guy Venables has been road (or crash) testing whiskey with an E. The Irish sort, still rather underrated.

New Deadeyes

New sets of deadeyes are being made by Devon Wooden Boatworks. “It’s taken a while to work out how to make them,” says boss Peter Thornton. “The process involves simmering them on and off for a week in a mix that includes Stockholm tar, tallow, oil varnish and boiled linseed oil. Then they have to be left to dry for two months and are bees-waxed before use. “The blocks will be made in elm; lignum vitae is the traditional material but now costs around £600 a cubic foot! Elm is also difficult to get hold of because of Dutch Elm disease but we have a plank that has been air dried and is nearly ready. You can’t use kiln dried timber as the kiln alters the structure of the wood. These deadeyes should last years - and if they lose their colour you just redo the slush. Price on application. www.devonwoodenboats.co.uk

Crewsaver Ergofit 190 automatic/ harness lifejacket

Here’s a lifejacket that’s a long way ahead of the cheaper rivals for not much more money. It’s 190N so you float higher; chin support keeps your head back especially if unconscious; figure hugging when worn; easy donning with just two buckles and winner of ‘Best on Test’ by UK magazine Yachting Monthly. If you have any doubts, Crewsaver are the sole supplier for the RNLI. Expect to pay around £135 www.crewsaver.com

I have been drinking Irish whiskeys all month. It’s my job. Which is pretty much the biggest humblebrag one can make. There are hidden downsides. I’m not entirely sure if I’m married and the other day I woke up in a revolving door... however the good outweighs the bad in spades. Irish whiskey is an oddity. I have always gone for it in pubs. No, not in coffee but when I don’t want another pint and single malt Scotch seems a bit pushy when someone else is buying. It’s always warm and gently comforting and the others round the table will give an approving distant nod when they hear you order it, as if remembering absent friends. As a general rule of thumb the barley used for Scotch whisky is dried over open peat fires which gives it that smokiness. The malt in Irish whiskey is dried in sealed ovens, locking in a pure malt flavour instead. Irish whiskey is distilled three times as opposed to only twice for scotch. It used to be the case that the few surprises one gets from the modest uncomplicated Irish whiskey meant there were few disappointments, however there’s a new breed of them that have surprised, delighted, puzzled and eventually quite badly injured me. I won’t go through them all but here are my favourites, some old, some new. Firstly my pub choice is Bushmills Black Bush. All pubs have it and it’s a glorious rich, dark blend, containing mostly triple-distilled single malt, aged in Oloroso sherry casks for around 8-10 years before marriage with the grain giving it far more complexities than ordinary whiskey. (And it’s only around £25 a bottle for chrissakes!) One of the new breed that I adored was the Dublin Liberties Oak Devil (about £35) of which I drank so much, I rode my bicycle through a fence on the way home. It’s a really heavy sweet bourbon casked whiskey with a long, warm (fence-smashing) finish. The third, the finest and only a little more expensive is Redbreast 12 year old. A stunning whiskey, beautifully balanced possibly because it was the only one I’d had from a single pot still with a whopping warm, generous texture, rich, sweet flavours and a spicy kick (about £40). I tasted this without a bicycle so I cannot give it a crash rating but it nearly brought me to tears just sitting by the fire. Yes, we all have a close relationship with Scotch but may I urge you to reach out and look a little to the west. Sláinte! CLASSIC SAILOR 53

Off watch: the boating bookshelf

East Coast Pilot: Great Yarmouth to Ramsgate by Colin Jarman, Garth Cooper, Dick Holness

The Beachman’s Coast; Suffolk by Robert Simper

This is the 4th edition of this now-established guide (it first came out over 10 years ago) and it continues to improve. Coverage has now been extended northwards to include Great Yarmouth (albeit discouragingly: “There is little to commend Yarmouth as a leisure port and we don’t recommend it as a port of last resort.”). Greater use is made of overlaid photographs, and QR codes are now included. Happily, the book’s USP, its straightline ‘rolling road’ pilotage diagrams are continued. Comparison with the ‘rival’ East Coast Rivers is inevitable – The East Coast Pilot is less discursive, in some ways easier to use – and currently more up-todate. £23.50. PW imray.com

Page 3 of this informative book contains a list of all other titles by the same author. And there are 39 others (!) dear reader, dating back to 1971. Together they catalogue the disappearance and re-emergence of so many traditional coastal craft of the east coast, and the changing communities which kept and worked them. Simper’s interest is mainly in the working craft and local customs which he reports with a keen eye and good historical depth. He possesses a rare collection of contemporary and ancient photographs and this book is liberally furnished with them – so that a sense of the beach communities (of Suffolk) are brought back to life. Many more people appeared to live on the beach 100 or so years ago as the age of photography began to take off. A good book to take cruising perhaps, where you can dip into the history of the place as you go. DH £23.99 creeksidepublishing.co.uk

Gordon Bennett and the First Yacht Race Across the Atlantic by Sam Jefferson His name is still used as an exclamation of shock, surprise and even outrage – and with some justification. James Gordon Bennett, reckless, feckless playboy son of the owner of the New York Herald is both hero and anti-hero of this wild tale of a three-yacht Transatlantic race, the result of a drunken bet that set off from New York in December 1866. Sam Jefferson, a shrewd social historian with a direct, conversational style of writing, puts the race into the context of an America just one year on from the end of the Civil War and on the verge of crazy industrial expansion. The race was supposed to celebrate the inauguration of the Transatlantic telephone cable – which ironically failed just as the boats reached Cowes and the result was ready to be sent back to New York. It’s a vastly entertaining read, full of larger-than-life characters (Bennett, the only owner to sail in the race, engaged the legendary Samuel Samuels as his skipper) and of colourful anecdotes of both sailing and shoreside skulduggery. £16.99. PW adlardcoles.com

Racundra’s First Cruise By Arthur Ransome Good to see that Fernhurst has reissued its edition of Arthur Ransome’s classic 1923 tale of his first proper yacht, and sailing her in the Baltic. This it the one edited by Brian Hammett which augments Ransome’s original maps and photographs with modern photos of the same scenes, and much additional material from Ransome’s own archives, plus details of what happened to Racundra after he sold her. Now in paperback, but still invaluable. £16.99. PW fernhurstbooks.com 54 CLASSIC SAILOR

The Way to Cape Horn by Trevor David Clifton The simple joys of owning a Twister (or similar well found GRP classic) are conveyed by Trevor Clifton on page 26 of this issue of CS, but if you enjoyed his tale of taking her south to Cape Horn and want to read a bit more on the subject then he has just published a book of his watery wanderings which tells of the trip in his no-nonsense style. £9.99 inc p&p.DH tdclifton@btinternet.com

Instructors’ tales: Tea’s up

In which Bob Hammond discovers that, as the instructor aboard, his novice crew are likely to take him, very precisely, at his word…

t is a fact that the human brain feeds off new ideas, and, when placed in an alien environment, is happy to accept without question most things that are thrown at it. This trait has led to many a hapless apprentice being sent to stores for a long stand or weight (wait), depending on who’s telling the story, sky hooks and other such nonsense. One eager young dinghy instructor, in his first role on larger yachts was happy to oblige when asked to go to the chandlers to purchase a spur-lash for the anchor, as obviously no anchor ever went in without one. Only the total collapse into laughter of the shop assistants alerted him to something being wrong with the request. What I love about being a yacht instructor is taking such innocents out for the first time, introducing them to a new world and then watching them develop into confident and proficient sea-men and women. For any yacht to run smoothly communication is the key, and this is even more important when the skipper is the only person on the boat who has ever been to sea before. There have though been occasions when I have not been clear enough. On one particularly cold, windy passage, a crew member had gone down below to make tea. The ability to produce hot food and drinks at an

“Just try making it in the sink mate,” I suggested

angle of forty-five degrees and bouncing through metre-high waves is crucial to a person’s enjoyment of our sport. We waited in the cockpit for the brew to appear, anticipating the pleasure of putting hands around a warm mug. We waited some more. Then I popped my head into the companionway to see what the delay was. Using the method which would have worked perfectly well in his kitchen at home,

the tea maker was having some difficulty getting the boiling water into the mugs. An increasingly large amount of water was sloshing about between the fiddles on the work surface; a soggy biscuit and a packet of crisps, and one stray teabag floated about in it. “Just try making it in the sink, mate,” I suggested. At least the spillage could go safely down the plug hole until his aim improved. “Good idea,” he replied.

I directed my attention back to the needs of the cockpit crew navigating the busy Solent waters, and waited. Time passed and I peeped in again. The mugs were still on the work surface. I went down stairs to investigate, and found him attempting to ladle the concoction, complete with milk, from the sink into the mugs. He had taken me at my word and used the sink as one big teapot. CLASSIC SAILOR 55

Sailing skills Boat handling under engine: Part 5 It’s been a lovely day’s sailing, and we’ve snuck into port just before the Harbour Full sign went up. But before we can take a sip of something icecold and refreshing we’ve still got to get the boat alongside and tied up safely. Nick Beck turns his eye to that final piece of the puzzle – getting alongside without becoming that evening’s talking point in the harbour-side taverns…

s with most manoeuvring situations getting alongside without undue trauma is generally eased by starting out with a plan. Indeed, on Amelie Rose, with 16ft of overhanging ’sprit and 24 tons displacement to manage, we generally aim to have one or two plans to spare. It’s not always easy to get the full picture from the harbour entrance though. Even the welcoming face in the dory may not necessarily know precisely what awaits 56 CLASSIC SAILOR

you or, more importantly, how your little ship will react to it. After all they are often more interested in appropriating the contents of your wallet than in the heroics required to park in the berth they’ve allocated. Step One: The Fly-by With this in mind, and even though we may have entered port with a vague plan, we always aim to perform a ‘fly-by’ close to the site of the potential accident. The purpose of the fly-by is to learn enough

Getting tidily tied-up involves planning and crew preparation

about our landing zone that we can form a workable plan to touch down there with our undercarriage (and indeed our undergarments) intact and unsullied. Specifically we’re prospecting the following: Tide: What is the tide up to at the berth itself and on the approaches to it? Wind: How strong is it, both at the berth and on the approach and is it a help or a hindrance? The berth: How big is it? What’s parked up around it?

Does it have an easy escape route and if so which way should the boat be pointing to use it? What sort of mooring furniture is available? How high above the water is the pontoon or quayside? Is there anything ashore that we need to avoid poking with the bowsprit? The approach: Are there any obstacles to negotiate? Where are the escape routes? Are there go/no go points along the way? Occasionally we find that a good close fly-by is

The purpose of the fly-by is to learn enough about our landing zone so that we can form a workable plan to touch down there

stream will be up to at that point can pay huge dividends. It is far easier to tackle a difficult parking manoeuvre in favourable conditions than to attempt a difficult exit in horrendous ones – especially should the morning be enhanced by our indulgences of the night before.

impossible, or at least highly inadvisable due to the layout of the harbour, lack of exits from the area or just the sheer tightness of the approaches. Even then we will always do our best to snoop some gen on what awaits us. A good pair of binoculars can be handy here – used to eyeball tidal bowwaves, fluttering flags, the state of the pontoons and to scout for obstacles en-route. With the battlefield thus reconnoitred it is time for us to move on to planning and preparation.

Step Two: The Plan The plan is formed by taking what we know of the boat and her abilities and fitting this into the scenario that we’ve observed. Ideally our plan should be to achieve touchdown in such a way as to minimise the anxiety level and use of colourful Anglo-Saxon both on the boat and from our soon to be neighbours. It’s also worth paying attention at this point to our next getaway. A quick check of the forecast for the morning and assessment of what the tidal

Tide: Our first thought on Amelie Rose will always be the tide and whether it can be harnessed or must instead be tussled with. Indeed, a strong tide pushing us off a pontoon will likely have the skipper reaching for the VHF to request a different berth or at least for assistance from a sturdy launch. A strong tide along a pontoon is a godsend for those who have learned to ferry-glide (see last issue), and even a weak tide will enable us to slow our approach whilst maintaining control – providing of course we plan to head into it. Tide pushing us into a berth may sound useful, however thought should be given as to whether this will create a monster of a getaway come the morning. Negligible tide is

less of a boon that you might think but at least will allow us flexibility in our direction of approach. Wind: With the tide factored in we turn next to the effects of the breeze. Wind blowing onto the berth makes the job easy, although we must be careful not to lose control of the bow in case the bowsprit becomes a jousting pole. Wind blowing in line with the pontoon may incline us to face the bow towards it (assuming that the tide doesn’t disagree) as it will help us to slow the boat down. If other elements militate against this then it’s usually not too much of a bother and can actually be a bonus if reversing is called for, as the boat will tend to “stern seek” (see Part 3). A strong wind blowing off the pontoon tends to be the cause of most difficulties when parking up. If it’s really blowing then we’ll need to plan to use all of the forces at our command to counter it, adjusting our angle of attack and being very positive with the power as well as ensuring that our prop kick will assist us rather than dragging the

Parking Easy: ‘A simple approach’. With wind and tide working for us, parking up is a simple task. 1) Select the target point and establish a ‘natural transit’ to monitor our track. 2) The ‘turnout’ point will be informed by experience but having crew call out the distance to the pontoon will help. 3) Once we’re alongside a blast of reverse will stop the boat and kick the stern in (if we’ve selected an approach that puts our propkick on the useful side).

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Sailing skills: Boat handling under engine, Part 5

stern away from the pontoon when we apply the brakes. We may also plan to have a short centre spring handy and to ask for that to go ashore first in case the crew struggle to get her secured before the bow blows away (see ‘Using a centreline spring’). In a really desperate blow, and given room and a slack tide we may even plan a reverse approach and then use the windlass to grind the bow in. Prop Kick: Given a choice by the other factors that we face we will always try to have our prop kick pushing the stern into the berth rather than pulling it away. Whichever way we end up approaching the berth however it’s wise to take account of the prop kick if we plan to use the engine to stop the boat. Warps ashore: Especially if short-crewed it pays to have a specific plan as to which warp we want secured first. If we’re being blown off this will often be the bow line as the relatively shallow bow will blow away faster than the deeper stern. The stern line may be called for first if we are forced into a down-tide park, are concerned that the boat mustn’t run forwards too far, or if the prop-kick will pull the stern away from the shore. If berth space is particularly tight then we may also want to ensure that fore and aft spring lines are rigged and ready so that they can be deployed quickly. Another great trick for short-handed sailing is to plan to throw a centre-line spring ashore first (see “Using a Centre-line Spring”). Rigged correctly and used in conjunction with the engine and rudder this will hold the boat close to the pontoon whilst the other lines are dealt with, and can often be deployed without setting foot ashore. 58 CLASSIC SAILOR

ARMFULS OF TIDE A strong tide can make even the tightest spot a doddle to deal with. 1) Establishing a transit to our target is even more important when ferry-gliding in. 2) Simply ferry glide down the transit. 3) Hold the boat alongside while the crew secure the warps – don’t forget to get the up-tide spring rigged before you disengage the engine. BLOWN ON Being blown on can be a bonus but it’s important not to lose control of the bow. 1) Angling the bow out slightly into the wind gives us more time to react should the bow start to blow off. 2) Run down the transit at minimum steerage speed allowing the wind to blow us in. 3) As we reach the touchdown zone stop the boat but be sure to get the stern line on smartly as the bow will blow in rapidly.

Step Three: Prepare the Boat and Crew No matter how easy the task in hand or how clever the plan we’ve got in mind, if we fail to prepare the boat and crew then chaos and confusion will likely follow. With crews who often sail together on a particular boat the brief may well be a simple “portside to, bow line ashore first please” and they will crack on with the minimum of further direction. If we are sailing with folks who are new to us, new to the boat or even, as we

often do on Amelie Rose, entirely new to sailing then time spent in this phase is rarely time wasted. Here’s our usual check-list: Plan overview As with most manoeuvres it helps if everyone knows not only their specific task but roughly how that task fits into the overall picture. Don’t overload folks with information – their specific task is the thing that should be foremost in their mind – however beginning the briefing and

preparation phase with a quick explanation of your intentions generally pays dividends. This should touch especially on any areas of concern or special importance, for instance, “It’s likely that she’s going to blow off quickly, so let’s get the bow line on and hauled in smartly.” Warps Make sure that all of the warps that might be required are in place and correctly rigged. Many a decent stab at parking has been ruined by

On Amelie Rose we have been known to enter harbour with a full set of ropes rigged on both sides of the boat if we’re not sure

BLOWN OFF This tends to be where things get tricky. 1) Our angle of approach needs to be much more positive. 2) Turn as close as you can whilst avoiding sideswiping anything on the pontoon with that bowsprit. 3) Stop the boat as usual but the crew need to act quickly to get her secured before the wind has its way with us.

FORWARDS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY With the wind blowing off the pontoon and if (unlike our demo boat) you have a counter that makes stepping ashore from the stern a possibility then consider a reverse approach. Watch out for the prop kick and tide sweeping you along the pontoon though and you may need to use your windlass to drag that bow in.

the discovery of a key warp that is led incorrectly and cannot be secured in good time. If possible alternate plans call for the use of other lines then ensure that they’re at least to hand if not rigged already. On Amelie Rose we have been known to enter harbour with a full set of warps rigged on both sides of the boat if we’re unsure. Fenders Need to be rigged in the right places and at the right heights (the fly-by will have helped to

inform this decision. We generally have someone holding a ‘roving fender’ that can be jammed in place to absorb any unforeseen contact. Again, if we’re unsure as to which side of the boat will end up shoreside then we rig half the fenders on one side and half on the other at her maximum beam. This way we are guaranteed to only be moving half of them as the situation resolves. Crew In our experience it’s best to ensure that each crew

member has a specific job – even if that job is to keep out of the way of everyone else. Everyone should also be briefed to keep out of the helm’s eye-line to the touchdown zone as it seems to be human nature to want to watch what’s going on and invariably this means that folks block your vision at just the wrong moment. Each crew member should be briefed not only on what it is that you want them to do but also on any key elements of how you’d like them to

do it. For those stepping ashore this might include a warning against jumping any gap between the boat and pontoon and specifics about how you’d like them to tie off. If warps are to be used to kill the boat’s speed (e.g. if the prop walk is likely to cause a problem or if you are attempting a down-tide park) then make sure that the crew know how to surge the boat to a standstill rather than instantly making off their line to the soon to be ex-cleat ashore. (See ‘Surging to a halt’). On a big boat like Amelie Rose we aim to send the minimum number of crew people ashore and to keep most of the muscle on board. The reasoning for this is that if we have to bail out and try again (which happens now and then), then we still have plenty of crew aboard to help. The vast majority of helm positions will lose visual contact with the pontoon in the final key moments of approach. With this in mind it’s a good idea to have someone briefed to call back the distances from the pontoon in those vital last seconds. Lastly, and this relates particularly to big heavy boats like Amelie Rose, we generally advise our crew not to take assistance from the shore unless specifically directed to by the skipper. The point here is that our crew are briefed and know exactly what is required and how to deal with the forces involved. ‘Helpful’ folks along the pontoon may well turn out to be old hands who’ll do the job right, but they are more likely to be used to boats that are far lighter and more manageable than ours. Many times I’ve been cheerfully assured “I’ve got you”, only to discover that in actual fact it’s Amelie Rose that’s got them. CLASSIC SAILOR 59

Sailing skills: Boat handling under engine, Part 5

Step Four: Execution There are essentially four phases to executing a typical simple along-side mooring: Approach Turn-out Touch-down Secure the boat Approach The initial approach may be simple or may require you to manoeuvre the boat through the twists and turns of marina fairways. In previous articles we’ve looked at some tricks to get us through these safely but eventually we will get to the stage where we’re lining up for the actual landing. Have a target At this point it’s helpful to be specific about the target point that you’re aiming at. Selecting a target, like a cleat or bollard, will enable us to use a natural transit on this point and something behind it to ensure that our approach path will actually get us ashore close to our intended spot. A fairly typical result of inexperienced Skippers not doing this is that the boat drifts along the pontoon, never quite getting close enough to touch down until she runs out of room and either crashes into something or goes around for another try. Approach track With our target point selected and a transit found we can now see and therefore react to any effects of wind and tide that threaten to deliver us elsewhere. In perfect conditions we’d aim for a fairly shallow angle of approach as this requires a less extreme turn to bring the boat alongside. The angle that the boat addresses the pontoon can be wildly affected by conditions and that the key point here is that the boat travels along the intended track and can then be brought alongside at a slow enough speed for the crew to get lines ashore and for the helm to stop her. 60 CLASSIC SAILOR

USING A CENTRE-LINE SPRING If you’ve got a cleat or fairlead in the right place then a centreline spring is a great short-handed technique or can be used to help tame a wind that is determined to blow you back off the pontoon. Despite the name, the point you require will be somewhere abaft the boats “centre of lateral resistance” (the point around which she pivots). It might need a bit of experimentation to

find it but you’ll be grateful that you made the effort. 1) With the tiller pushed towards the pontoon the boat is trying to turn away. 2) The pivot from the spring will cause her to want to turn in too. 3) The net effect is that she’ll swing into the pontoon. 4) With the tiller lashed down and engine left in forward gear she’ll lie reasonably straight against the pontoon while you busy yourself with the bow and stern lines.

BOW AND STERN LINE PIVOT We’ve all been here. The crew were a tad slow getting their warps in order and before you knew what was happening the boat is off out to sea again. If there’s room ahead (or behind) then often the easiest way out of the pickle is to engage the engine, ease the shorter warp until it is approximately the same length as the

longer and let the boat pretend to be a set of parallel rules. 1) The stern line will need easing else it will stop the boat from moving before the fore line has started to pivot. 2) But with the lines equalled and the engine driving the boat will pivot alongside nicely and sit there while you deploy a new bow and stern line.

Speed of Approach The speed of approach too will be dictated by the conditions. The rule of thumb that we work to is “as slow as possible whilst maintaining control”. Obviously this can be taken to silly extremes but the key point is that at slower speeds we gain more reaction time to deal with any unforeseen issues. Escape plan / Point of no return As we run along our approach it’s a good time to do a little mental revision on how we

might escape should we suddenly need to abort, and whereabouts lies the ‘point of no return’. Quickly running through any action plan in our head helps us to react faster should the need arise as we have already mentally rehearsed the actions that we need to take. Turn-out The point where you need to turn away from the pontoon in order to bring the boat smoothly alongside will vary depending on the boat that

you’re driving and the conditions that you face. A bigger heavier boat will need to turn earlier than a smaller lighter boat. Being heavily blown off will likely have resulted in a steeper angle of attack which will require a harder turn – however the wind will be assisting that turn. If you are being blown on then the boat may even be facing away from the pontoon crabbing sideways along her track in which case no turn will be necessary at all. In all instances prop-kick working

Care should be taken not to grab defeat from the jaws of victory by letting go of a working warp. Better to set up a new line correctly before releasing the old one

About the author:

SURGING TO A HALT If you are ever likely to be using warps to assist with slowing the boat (e.g. when you’re prop kick works against you) do make sure that your crew know how to ‘surge’ their lines. It’s nothing complicated but if they inadvertently make off their warps with (in Amelie Rose’s case) 24 tons of cutter still moving along then there’s a reasonably good chance that she’ll rip the pontoon cleats clean off.

The key is to get a turn around the cleat or bollard, and then use the resulting friction to assist as you lean your weight back to slow the boat. You will be drawn towards the cleat but will be surprised at how quickly you can get the way off even a big heavy boat like Amelie Rose.

USING PROP WASH AND WALK TO BRING HER ALONGSIDE If space ahead and astern is more limited and if your prop kick will assist then you can use kick and wash to bring her in. 1) It’s the same starting scenario as the pivot. 2) Steer hard in to the pontoon and give a couple of pulses of forwards. Make sure that the crew are ready to take in any slack that you manage to create though or else you’ll be back at the beginning! 3) Before she moves too far switch to reverse and give a long hard blast to both stop the boat and kick the stern in. 4) Keep it up until you’re where you need to be. in your favour will help to kick the stern into the shore as you apply the brakes. Having a crew calling out the distance to contact will be a big help in learning how your boat operates and identifying a replicable turn point. Touch Down The second that the shorecrews’ feet touch the pontoon we need to get the boat stopped with a heavy blast of astern. It’s then imperative to get your head up and watch to see what happens next. A

well briefed and able crew will normally have the boat captured in moments but it’s here, when folks are concentrating on their own specific tasks, that problems can creep in. A good overview is what’s required to spot and head off any nascent foul-ups. Remember that even when tied up prop kick and prop wash will still have an effect if the crew need a little help getting the bow or stern into the pontoon. If the boat ends up a way off the pontoon we’ve got a selection of

techniques available to us to get her alongside. See “Using a Centre-line Spring”, “Using Prop wash and walk to bring her alongside” and “Bow and Stern Line Pivot” for more on these. Secure the Boat A bit of shuffling back and forth is often required before a course can be laid for the local hostelries. Care should be taken not to inadvertently grab defeat from the jaws of victory by letting go of a working warp however, especially if

the conditions are less than perfect. It’s usually better to set up a new line in the correct position before releasing the old one. So there we are, tied up to a nice easy pontoon berth with whistles ready for wetting with our favourite tipple. But what if the landing zone is a little more ‘interesting’? Next month, in the last of this series on close quarters boat handling under engine we’ll have a look at how to handle some of the more unusual scenarios that we may face.

Nick Beck is a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Instructor. In 2009 he left the world of Investment Banking IT to start an adventure holiday and sail training business (Topsail Adventures) aboard Amelie Rose, his Luke Powell replica Scillonian pilot cutter. Since then he has introduced hundreds of people to the wonders of traditional sailing.

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CLASSIC SAILOR 61

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The turn of the bilge Buying a classic: epoxy issues The role of a marine surveyor within the boat-buying process can be a more complex affair than you might expect. In this series Aidan Tuckett explains how to get the most out of it.

his month we’re going to look at the use of epoxy resins in wooden boat construction and repair. As previously, our emphasis is on what you should look for when buying a boat and how different structures can deteriorate. Epoxy has been widely used since the 1970s, both as a coating to seal timber from moisture and, when used with various filler powders, as a glue. Its ability to fill gaps and bond wooden components allowed many home builders to take on projects that could be built in less time and skill than traditional wooden boatbuilding methods which needed precise, tight-fitting joints for strength, whether glued or simply secured with fastenings. This gave a new lease of life to plywood boatbuilding, allowing people to move from hard-chine designs into clinker ply construction, such as the many graceful shapes from the boards of Iain Oughtred and Francois Vivier where overlapping planks are joined with thickened resin instead of copper roves and frames. Epoxy also made strip-plank and cold-moulded hulls a great deal stronger than they could ever be with edge-set nails or traditional glues. All of these techniques might have advanced further but for the introduction of the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) in

1998 which, whilst improving standards in some ways, created a considerable bureaucratic barrier for smaller boatyards already struggling against mass production yachts. Incidentally the RCD also stipulates that home-built boats should not be sold within five years of building unless they are racing yachts or close copies of historic designs – although it’s hard to see how that might be enforced. The essential factor with new wood-epoxy construction is that the wood must be dry and completely sealed against moisture ingress that might cause movement or deterioration. This lack of movement is critical for structures that rely on glued joints because expansion with moisture will break any bond regardless of what glue is used. Traditional carvel boatbuilding techniques allow for movement through caulking and clinker through the inherent flexibility of the technique, but wood-epoxy is different – whether plywood, strip-planked or cold-moulded, moisture must not get beneath the surface. If it does, it can also allow wood rotting organisms to have a field day in the relatively non-durable timbers that make up plywood veneers or softwood strips, especially if the moisture is retained by otherwise undamaged coatings. For similar reasons, sheathing traditionally built boats

The wood must be dry and completely sealed against moisture as expansion with moisture will break any bond 66 CLASSIC SAILOR

Above, Laurent Giles Sandpiper built using epoxy ply. Right, An epoxy sheathed Miller Fifer – this works because the sheathing is about 10mm thick, the layers are stapled to the hull and the hull is traditional massive MFV construction unlikely to move. Below, a strip planked classic from Spirit Yachts.

Strip-planked monocoque hulls mean the skin is the boat; there is little else to hold things together with epoxy is a non-starter unless the sheathing is thick enough to substitute the original skin, something that can only be achieved with many layers of cloth or laminated veneers. Anything less will inevitably move and separate. When used on traditional boats, epoxy coatings and sheathings should only be used on stable parts of the structure such as plywood decks. As a repair glue or filler, epoxy should only be used within a single part, or as a means of making individual laminated components. It is important to avoid creating rigidity between components that could previously move. If you are buying a used wood-epoxy boat, see if you can get hold of the plans. You want to know that the design was intended for the material and that the builder has followed the designer’s intentions, especially if it is a home build. On smaller boats, glued clinker plywood provides enough strength in its own right to create a monocoque shell needing few or no frames. Here look for signs of hard use that may have broken joints or abraded surfaces. Also look for signs that the boat has sat outside full of rainwater which is a tough call for any hull. Check the line of the planks on clinker boats; plywood is difficult to lay fair compared to solid timber and, although not critical to strength, once noticed it will never be missed. Whilst epoxy coatings can create strong watertight barriers, they don’t stand up to UV light well so see if surface coatings, either varnish or paint, have been well maintained. Often strip or cold-moulded hulls will be varnished which looks great but will need refinishing at regular intervals especially in sunny climates if the glue joints beneath are to survive. Any boat waiting to be sold might fall behind on this so keep in mind the need for stripping

Top left, Plywood bulkhead frames joined with epoxy ﬁllets. Top right, damage to a strip planked hull spreading into the wood. Centre left, Cracks appearing and rot following where an epoxy ﬁllet begins to move. Centre right, Forgotten gaps beneath plywood bulkheads allowing water in. Bottom, examples of water trapped between frames.

and re-varnishing bright finished hulls if the coatings are beginning to age. Epoxy bonds are not good when heated, rarely a problem in the UK but possible in hotter places. In fact gentle use of a heat gun is one way the material can be dismantled for repair as cutting out damaged parts can otherwise be difficult. On wide plywood strakes it may be more cost effective to re-laminate local areas with veneers. On larger cabin boats the frames are often plywood bulkheads fastened to the hull with

thickened resin fillets. This is fine for lightly loaded areas, but not for concentrated loads such as chain plates, mast steps or keel attachments which will need laminated solid timbers with through fastenings. Here look at the transition between different constructions and see if there is any opening up or cracks around the boundaries. Plywood structures are only strong if the wood stays dry and completely undamaged – the material has no margin at all for deterioration. So look for damage to surface veneers,

or exposed end grain that can sponge up water, or cracks in the joinery. Tap surfaces for signs of weakness beneath coatings or sheathings. An ‘egg box’ type construction is often used where a grid of panels will give strength but can also result in sealed compartments or non-draining areas. These places must have access hatches or limber holes – there is no such thing as a dry space on a wooden boat unless it’s kept in a shed. Strip planked hulls need even fewer frames, allowing monocoque construction principles to be applied to relatively large hulls, which means the skin is the boat. There is little else to hold things together. So look for coating failures or construction flaws that allow seams to separate. Whilst small splits can be glued or routed out and filled with splines, any large-scale separation of strip planking is likely to be terminal. As with any boat, the areas under greatest load such as the keel joint, the hull to deck construction and rig attachments are the parts that will move and potentially crack if they can, so take a close look at these. Decks are often plywood sheathed with glass cloth and if well done, this should last the life of the boat but look for areas that may have separated through excessive movement or loose fittings that allow water into the plywood. Provided wood-epoxy boats are designed for the material and kept maintained, they will last well, possibly better than traditionally built boats. The rub lies in that proviso; if a wood-epoxy hull is left to the elements, it can fail a good deal faster than solid construction. So to sum up, if it looks smart it probably is. What happens next month can be a moveable feast but the plan is to cover steel hulls and what we look for when surveying narrow boats, Dutch barges and historic vessels. CLASSIC SAILOR 67

Repairing a Mirror dinghy Part 4: Painting the hull by David Parker The restoration story reaches its final chapter, and the big finish

ollowing the restoration of the hull, the filling and the fairing has finally been done and now it’s time to pretty things up with the paint. Followers of this story will already be aware of how this project started in the first place. It is all down to The Chimp Paradox you see, and how I was tricked into the project by a primate. You can look it up, but basically it is an issue regarding our inner rational ‘human’ self and a certifiable inner chimp who has other ideas about what is good for us. It is my strongly held belief that those who take on boat restoration projects display incurable symptoms because of their inner ‘Fix-It Chimp.’ These are those unfortunates who are serial restorers and there is no help for us on the NHS. Each time we vow not to take on another project our chimp beckons us back. This internal saboteur is not 68 CLASSIC SAILOR

a good influence and what is particularly infuriating is that there is no logic to him. For example if you tell him that it is nonsense to do up another boat he just looks at you with a mixture of pity, disdain and incredulity as if to say: “When have your plans to do with boats ever made any sense?” So you try and cut him down by replying: “You are irrational. No, that’s too sophisticated a description for you. You’re barmy!” The chimp answers: “So you’re talking to an imaginary monkey in your head and you say I’m the one with problems?” But wait – there is hope. The sun has come out and the pain will soon be forgotten and you and the chimp will be best mates again. Why? Because now we can start painting! All that dirty, sticky work of ripping out and repairing is over with now and we come to the good bit when our grubby hull blossoms like a flower

in spring. Yes, painting is the final part of the restoration process but a bit of planning needs to be done first if we are to get the best out of all that preparation work. It is important that it is done properly for several reasons. As previously described the exterior of the hull has been epoxy coated, but this surface will need UV protection and a good paint system is essential to provide this UV stability. It also further protects the substrate from weathering and the degrading effects of air and water-borne dirt, as well as providing the cosmetic look of the finished boat. You can put any suitable marine paint over the top of an epoxy finish but the best coating to use with epoxy is a two-pack polyurethane system if possible. They’ve got the best gloss retention, the best chemical and abrasion resistance and very good UV resistance.

If you are using an oilbased system or single-pack polyurethane paint, allow the epoxy to first cure for at least 48 hours at temperatures of at least 15-18°C or preferably 18-20°C. This is because if the epoxy hasn’t completely cured then with some products the paint system won’t cure properly either. The coatings should be stored at the same temperature. A two-pack system can go over an epoxy as soon as you can dry sand it – ie it forms powder when you sand the epoxy surface for preparation. This will normally be between 8-12 hours if you applied the epoxy at 20°C. As with epoxy, for any paint system to be effective the surface needs to be properly prepared. Wet sanding is an ideal way to remove bi-product from a coating while abrading the surface at the same time. Whichever coating you use, check product data sheets for the full specifications

1 A single pack varnish was used on the interior and floor paint containing a fine aggregate for slip-resistant finish. One of the reasons varnishes can fail quicker than paint is because they don’t have a primer so ensure adequate varnish coats are applied. Here four coats were use.

The sun has come out and we can start painting! All the dirty, sticky ripping-out and repairing is over and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the good bit where our hull blossoms like a flower 2 Before painting of the hull exterior began, areas not being coated were carefully masked up.

3 Using a roller the first primer coat goes on. Be careful what applicators you use with two-pack products because the solvents can make cheap rollers or brushes come apart.

4 A second coat of white primer allows you to coat the area without missing bits.

5 Primers contain additives such as aluminium leaf and zinc chromate which protect the surface and a final third coat of grey primer gives a good base for the top coats.

6 Two undercoats are applied. This covers blemishes, obliterates change in colour and is easy to rub down if necessary. You need to make sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keyed in well with primer and topcoat.

7 When the undercoat is dry the two topcoats complete the exterior. Here white was chosen but if your filling and fairing was sound but a bit hurried, a dark colour paint will be more forgiving of blemishes.

8 regarding overcoating times, substrate preparation and the correct thinners. Finally, remember to get everything planned before you start, with adequate brushes, rollers, thinners and rags etc. It also makes a huge difference

Which paints? To complete this restoration, a two-pack International Paint System was used on the topsides consisting of: Primers: 2 coats of Interprotect Grey. 1 coat of Interprotect white.

to work in a well-ordered environment and try and keep it as dust free as possible. And if in doubt about anything to do with choosing or using a marine coating it is always best to speak to the manufacturers for advice.

Undercoat: 2 coats of Perfection Undercoat (White) Topcoat: 2 coats of Perfection (Snow White.) (Number 9 thinners are suitable for all of the above.) For the interior, gunwhales

8 The painting complete. Use the paint systems recommended: primers, undercoats, topcoats and thinners if required.

and transom single pack International paints were used consisting of: Bottom panels: 4 coats of Yacht Primer (Grey); 2 coats of Interdeck (Grey) Varnished surfaces: 4 coats of Compass Varnish

CLASSIC SAILOR 69

Painting tips: Get the coating right Any restoration deserves proper protection to finish it off. Marine paints aren’t cheap but that’s because they’re formulated to resist the conditions your boat will meet

ven the Buddha of the Oceans, the great Bernard Moitessier had a problem with paint. In Sailing to the Reefs he describes the difficulties he had in Marie-Thérèse II, the boat he built himself by eye working under a baobab near Port Louis, Mauritius. When he discovers more rot in his boat he rails at himself: “It serves you right chum, how often have you thought about my care and maintenance? Once, when you made me, and soaked me in linseed oil, and then once before we left Mauritius and you slapped a cheap coat of paint on me. And since then? Not a thought, not one! And yet, haven’t you noticed all these cracks that are ruining me.” But given all the financial and other hardships he faced, Moitessier’s use of cheap paint is understandable although he paid dearly for it in other ways. In those days quality marine paints were not readily available for the leisure market – and he had little money. In a way the same temptations can exist today because there are considerably cheaper domestic paint products available – so why choose a pricey marine paint in the first place? It is because what goes on any boat must withstand a far more demanding environment than the average paint used on land. The additives and formulations in marine coatings set them apart from the DIY market so boat paints will always be more expensive. 70 CLASSIC SAILOR

The main problem a boat coating has to deal with is not water but the effects of sunlight. UV degradation can seriously affect the performance and colour stability of any paint and DIY products don’t have the same UV inhibitors as their marine counterparts. Boats also have to contend with reflected light from the water, and salt crystals further magnify the effect of the sun’s rays on a surface. UV inhibitors and light-stabilising agents work by absorbing the radiation and diffusing it through the coating to convert the radiation to less harmful wavelengths and prevent the substrate from attack. But as UV properties start to fail and the coating begins to go dull, you should recoat it to save the paint job before it starts flaking off. False bodied DIY products also tend to be ‘false bodied’ and may seem relatively thick paint but in reality are not. The marine equivalent will have a finer dispersion and greater number of micron particles so paint goes on thicker. For example you could expect a DIY thixotropic (thick/viscous) non-drip enamel to give a coating of 27-30 microns with a normal brush coat whereas a traditional marine paint would be 38-40 microns thick. By the time you have put on two coats you have 25 more microns on the surface. Marine paints are more highly filtered to remove

1 1 With marine paints more stable dyes are used to give stronger and more uniform colour retention; standards of colour matching are also superior.

dust and other contaminants and pigments are milled finer to improve the flow. Also in household paints manufacturers can add microscopic traces of blues, blacks and permanent violet which initially look bright but when they weather they go grey. Pigments are chosen for a marine paint to resist this happening and prevent colours fading quickly.

Both varnish and paint finishes may be oil, solvent or water based but the resins used are typically called ‘natural’ or ‘synthetic’. All resins start life as naturally occurring materials in some form or another but the synthetics are reacted with derivatives from the petro-chemical industry such as complex alcohols and organic acids to give residues

With two-pack systems a chemical cure takes place after application which gives a harder, longer-lasting finish – up to 10 years, favoured by the professionals 2 Whatever the coating system it is a case of preparation before application.

3 Here a onepack topcoat is being used. This job is being done outside and onepack paints are more forgiving of application conditions.

4 A one-pack good quality marine paint which still achieves a high gloss finish

5 Marine coatings are better at resisting degradation due to the effects of sunlight.

which can be combined with curing agents. In practice this means you get a choice between one- or two-pack coatings. A one-pack product has all the contents for the job in one tin. With a two-pack system you get two tins and the ingredients from each need to be accurately mixed so that a chemical cure takes place after application which gives a

harder, longer- lasting finish. They are more expensive but while a one-pack paint may only last a couple of seasons, a two-pack finish can last up to ten years which is why they are favoured by professionals. More conventional onepack types have always been based on naturally occurring oils like sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soya bean oil, linseed oil and tung oil.

But the traditional paints and varnishes still undergo various processes to make them perform as an effective coating. Some oils for example could be super-heated and then have various metals like cobalt or magnesium added to make oils that will dry. Varnish is in effect paint without the pigment but both paint and varnish still have similar solvents, driers, additives and extenders to keep the paint fluid and stop it drying too quickly. Two-pack paints are more hard-wearing and often have better UV protection, but they are also much more susceptible to temperature and environmental conditions during application. The film thickness is about the same as a conventional alkyd enamel but it will dry quicker and its strength increases as it cures. Two-pack paints aren’t suitable for carvel or clinker hulls which flex, or for use on any timber which will swell and contract as the moisture content varies. They can be used on more rigid hulls such as plywood or of cold moulded or double diagonal construction. As a general rule, for GRP you can use either one- or two-pack systems and if a GRP hull is fading a two-pack coating correctly applied over the top will last years longer than any polish or lacquer. But substrates must be in good condition and on GRP you must deal with any imperfections such as gel coat crazing before using a twopack paint. For areas of harsh abrasion such as gunwales or bottom boards then a one-pack system, with the right primer, can be easier to touch up because you don’t have to worry about the mixing ratios when using a small amount. For decks and bilges you will also want something practical and easy to apply. What you

mustn’t do is put a two-pack finish over a one-pack finish because the solvents used in high performance coatings can attack the conventional coating causing softening and wrinkling and the whole system will fail. Keep it clean Whichever system you choose you need to ensure that the surface is stable, clean and dry and that you get good penetration of the substrate underneath. You also need to consider what previous coatings have been used. Natural oils from wood like teak will rise to the surface and can lift the varnish so appropriate degreasers are needed. Make sure you also select the right substrate primer. Timber and GRP are relatively straightforward in this regard but steel and aluminium can be trickier. Solvents are already included in marine coatings to make paint the right consistency, but additional solvents called thinners can be added to help control its flow. Ordinary white spirit should not be used because proper thinners for mixing with paint have been filtered and purified to a much higher level so the solvents will evaporate at the right rates when painting. The key to achieving any good coating is temperature and ideally this should be between 17°C to 20°C. At these air temperatures the coating should be a good consistency and only require a little thinner, say between 0% and 5% depending on the painting phase. But if the paint is cold and thick it will need more thinners to make it flow out. It can also be a problem if it is too warm because then thinners will evaporate faster. Despite this, marine paints designed for the leisure user are still reasonably userfriendly and tolerant of adverse conditions. CLASSIC SAILOR 71

Adding geared quadrant steering by John Flanzer and Dr Brian Leaker How to improve the helm and steering characteristics of a long-keel gaff schooner

adie G Thomas is a 47ft LOD (56ft LOA with spars) traditional plank-on-frame (Alaskan yellow cedar on oak), long-keel, heavy-displacement, gaff-rigged schooner. She was designed and built by Red Nimphius in 1985, based on the original lines of Gloucester fishing schooners. She carries 1,069 sqft on four lowers with a double-reefed 500 sqft mainsail and additional sail area that includes main topsail, fisherman and reaching genoa. She was originally built with a worm gear steering mechanism and wheel based steering. Worm steering gear is a standard fitting on larger schooners as it allows tremendous mechanical advantage; the helmsman is never overpowered by the large gaff mainsail. However the disadvantage of worm 72 CLASSIC SAILOR

gear is that the helmsman has no feel for the rudder and in particular no feel for the performance and balance of the boat particularly when going to windward. Further, manoeuvring such a longkeeled vessel in confined waters was compounded by frequent revolutions of the wheel required to produce a complete port to starboard

rudder movement; for Sadie this required at least 4Â˝ turns lock to lock. The new owner, although a newcomer to the schooner class, particularly missed the feel and precision of a conventional tiller but realized that a tiller would not be a practical option with such a powerful sail plan and limited cockpit area. He therefore

explored other options including the less common rack-and-pinion steering. Also known as geared quadrant steering, this is a long established but infrequently utilised method for steering medium to large traditional sailing vessels. Howard Chapelle describes the history of steering gears in his The American Fishing

Below: using a template to determine the available space. Below left: sketch diagram showing the relationship between the helm shaft and steering shaft via an universal joint

The quadrant system allows direct feedback from the rudder to the helmsman; it gives the same feel and sensitivity as a tiller, plus a mechanical advantage

Far left: Sadie G Thompson at anchor. Left: the cockpit, with the wheel conveniently situated for the conversion to geared quadrant.

Schooners. In about 1850 when the size of New England fishing schooners became too large for tiller steering which had until then been the norm, steering with additional mechanical advantage became necessary. Initially, this was achieved with rope-drum steering. Geared quadrant steering, consisting of a geared quadrant on the rudderpost

and a pinion attached to the helm wheel, was first used in this country by US revenue cutters in the early 1800s. Although a few of these gears were fitted on fishermen, there were problems with gears breaking and they were determined at that time to be suitable only for smaller craft. Worm gear (screw gear) steering originated in the mid-

1800s and was produced by three companies of which only Edson remains today. This steering became the standard for the fishing schooners. It also became the standard for sailing yachts with wheel helms through the mid-1900s. Worm steering is by contrast rugged, robust and rarely breaks down on a properly installed system.

However worm gear steering lacks any rudder feedback and typically takes 5 to 8 turns of the wheel from lock to lock (Edson technical data, boats 45-85 feet LOA). Other worm gear systems in larger vessels may require 8-10 turns. The quadrant system allows direct feedback from the rudder to the helmsman and provides the helmsman with

Right and far right: rack and pinion systems by Edson: reverse mounted and, far right, forward mounted.

CLASSIC SAILOR 73

Adding geared quadrant steering

the same feel and sensitivity as a tiller, while also conferring a mechanical advantage; in a typical geared quadrant system, the quadrant provides the same mechanical advantage as a 15ft tiller and yet only requires 2-3 turns lock to lock (38-48 vessel data, Edson) and typically only requires only one-third of the cockpit space of a tiller. Fitting and custom build While Sadie was undergoing a restoration at Traditional Boat LLC in Maine, the owner opted to have her worm gear removed and replaced with a geared quadrant system made by Edson. The geared quadrant system may be fitted in a similar manner to worm gear steering. It requires direct connection to the rudder stock and therefore restricts the position of the helmsman and steering typically to the aft section of the cockpit. Sadie has a typical schooner cockpit layout with the wheel aft and a compass binnacle immediately forward of the wheel with the helmsman’s seats set both abaft and athwarthips of the wheel and gear-box position. 74 CLASSIC SAILOR

Several considerations need to be taken into account in order to install a suitable geared quadrant steering system. This type of system is suitable for yachts with a traditional raked helm wheel mounted on a helm box in the aft end of the cockpit, just forward of the rudderpost. The quadrant may face forward towards or under the helm box, or aft towards the horn timber. If there is not enough room forward of the rudder post, then a reverse mounted (aft facing) quadrant is applicable. Edson makes both reverse mounted and forward mounted rack and pinion systems (see illustrations on p73). And although their catalogue shows only a smaller sized reverse mounted system, they now make this in a larger size as well. On reverse quadrant installations the steering shaft must pass through the quadrant. The quadrant’s frame is angled upward to allow for this. This enables the steering shaft to pass over the uppermost end of the rudderpost, and downward to the pinion which is below the quadrant gear. The pinion

Above,from left: Couplings hold the helm shaft in position – the quadrant is designed for rotational forces only

Right: two uprights are Sadie’s means of limiting the travel of the quadrant

needs to be below the reverse mounted quadrant because if it was placed above the quadrant as with the forward mounted quadrants, steering would be reversed. A template of the quadrant mounted on the rudderpost enables determination of the available space and fit. The proposed quadrant is patterned with luan and hot glue. The quadrant pattern is mounted on the rudderpost with a piece of two-by-four stock such that its height can be adjusted until a mock-up steering shaft oriented perpendicular to the rudderpost can pass through the quadrant’s centre

without contacting it. The use of a universal joint between the helm shaft and steering shaft enables the helm shaft to be angled other than ninety degrees to the rudderpost and also allows for adjustment of the height of the steering shaft As the steering shaft is raised (remaining perpendicular to the rudderpost) it is shortened and the helm shaft is lengthened. Conversely as the steering shaft is lowered it is lengthened and the helm shaft is shortened. (sketch diagram). Once the correct height is determined, the pattern is rotated about the rudderpost’s axis to determine if there is adequate clearance for at

The geared quadrant systems are noticeably rugged and require little maintenance; there are no cables or hydraulic systems to break or malfunction

least 30 degrees of rotation to port and to starboard from center. This correct height also determines the location of the universal coupling and the length of the helm shaft which is supported by two self-aligning bearings. The steering shaft’s length from the universal coupling to the pinion is measured and left a bit long to enable fine tuning of the pinion placement. The pinion end of the steering shaft is supported by a selfaligning bearing which is part of the pinion housing which must be securely mounted to the structure of the boat. In Sadie with the reverse mounted quadrant the pinion

housing is mounted on a white oak block secured to the horn timber and to a floor timber. An advantage of the reverse mounted quadrant is its proximity to the vessel’s backbone which makes the secure mounting of the pinion housing easier. Because the steering shaft must pass just above the upper end of the rudderpost, the rudder post’s height must be adjusted either by cutting it shorter or by adding an extension with a coupling. Edson provides cast bronze couplings for this purpose (IMG5). The minimum length of rudderpost which may be added is that of one half the

Above: the cast bronze coupling by Edson for extension.

Authors: Dr Brian Leaker MD, owner of Sadie G Thomas and author for correspondence Email: brian.leaker@ qasmc.com John Flanzer, Traditional Boat LLC Maine US Email: traditionalboat@ uninet.net

length of the coupling plus the length of the quadrant hub, therefore lengthening the rudderpost may involve cutting it shorter as well. The quadrant relies on the rudder post for its support and the quadrant is designed to take only rotational forces, not forward or athwart ship forces. Therefore it is essential for the rudderpost to be adequately secured with a supported bearing either above or below the quadrant. On reverse quadrants, the bearing must be below the quadrant because the rudderpost ends at the quadrant. Sadie’s rudderpost was not adequately supported. She had no gudgeon above the propeller aperture and she had a flexible packing gland attached to a hose connected to an oversize rudder port. Sole support for the upper more than half of her rudderpost was a worm gear which had failed, most likely due to directional force loading for which it was not designed. To remedy this problem, additional gudgeons where added to the rudder, and a selfaligning bearing supported on a bronze framework was secured to the horn timber and to a floor timber. Some means of limiting travel of the rudder and quadrant needs to be provided to keep the quadrant frame from contacting the steering shaft at the extent of the quadrants rotation. In Sadie this was provided for by vertical posts shaped and fitted with hard rubber to accommodate the quadrant. The quadrant must be precisely centred with rudder centred. The quadrant fitting can be coupled with an electronic meter displayed in the cockpit such that the helmsman will know the exact rudder position for any turn of the wheel. The

position meter is especially helpful when the helmsmen undertakes close manoeuvres forward and reverse which may require rapid lock to lock movements. Sadie is fitted with a Ruddermaster which allows the helmsman an instant appreciation of the rudder angle. There is also the possibility of adding an autopilot by attaching a hydraulic drive unit to the quadrant. A shaft mounted break may be easily fitted to the steering shaft which may allow the vessel to self-steer on certain points of sail. Quadrant systems are easily maintained with a small amount of suitable grease applied at the start of each season. The geared quadrant systems are noticeably rugged and require little other maintenance. Unlike the pedestal system there is no routine required maintenance and there are no cables or hydraulic systems to break or malfunction. To conclude, the owner is very pleased with the conversion to geared quadrant steering in Sadie. She has plenty of mechanical advantage but now takes only two and a third turns of the wheel from hard over to hard over through a rudder swing of about 70 degrees (previously 4½ turns). Her helm feels alive again, and one is able to feel the pressure on the rudder and sense weatherhelm and the balance of the schooner. Close quarters manoeuvring is much easier with a significantly more responsive helm. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this conversion to those with suitable traditional boats presently using worm gear steering. Perhaps the geared quadrant has missed its place in the continued evolvement of traditional sailing yachts’ steering systems. CLASSIC SAILOR 75

Tools: Solo serving On sailing ships there were always hands to do the work but what about when you are alone? asks Des Pawson.

erving rope with either a mallet or a board, as in Classic Sailor No2, is a two-person task, one to turn the mallet or board and one to pass the ball of tarred marline or spunyarn. This is all very well on a ship with a large crew, and indeed is a good way for the person who passes the material to learn the subtle details of serving and makes serving a companionable job. However often there is no one to help and one needs to “solo serve”. There are various solutions to the problem of getting the marline round at the same time as the mallet. Don Street (p18) suggests drilling a hole through the handle at an angle, passing the line through this and sitting the ball right over the handle; a variation of this requires a slot to be cut into the top of the handle of the mallet, the line being wrapped a few times round the handle to generate the right amount of friction and again the ball of marline pushed down over the handle. Floris Hin in Amsterdam makes up his marline onto a stick with knobs on the end that he holds in his hand tight to the top of his board, allowing

the line to feed out as required. The logical development of this idea is to fix a reel direct to the mallet or board to avoid having to juggle a stick full of marline as well as the mallet. One person simply fixed a fishing reel direct to his handcarved board, whilst another took a tack lift and fixed a reel to it. Archie White in his 1948 book Tideways & Byways of Essex & Suffolk illustrates one he made using a cut-off spade handle. This inspired Ray Cook, boat builder and rigger who worked for C. H. Fox & Son in Ipswich for well on 50 years, to create his own version in the 1950s. His first attempt worked well enough; a second, with a very narrow end allowed him to serve right up tight to a hard eye. Those with a deep pocket could buy a patent serving tool. Thornley King, who worked at a boat builders in Burnham on Crouch, designed and patented in 1931 an all-wood board and a gunmetal board that had a built in reels with a friction adjustment, suitable for yacht work. The patent was taken on by Davey & Co of London, who made the gunmetal tool

Above: Don Street’s idea to incorporate a ball of Marline on the handle, with either, left a hold drilled through the handle, or right - a slot.

Right: a carved serving board with a ﬁshing reel. Far right, a turned wooden reel on a standard serving mallet Right: Ray Cook’s improved serving tool with reel. Far right, a serving tool derived from a tack lifter.

Left: Floris Hin with marline wound on to a stick

76 CLASSIC SAILOR

Tenderfoot can serve about three metres per hour of 1½ inch wire; this is slower than a rigger on his own on a good day for this size of wire...

Left: Thornley King’s wooden serving board with its patent drawing, below. Right: Thornley King’s gunmetal serving board with its patent drawing, below.

Serving machine Otto Server MK1 “Tenderfoot” in use on Wavetree’s rigging

for many years; sadly these are no longer available. There are a couple of features from Thornley King’s tools that are well worth noting when trying to convert a basic board, or mallet, into one with a reel. Firstly, to square off the end of the through bolt holding the reel and fit a metal washer with a matching square hole beneath the wing nut, so the washer does not move. Secondly, put leather washers either side of the reel to act as a clutch. These sorts of solutions are all very well for yacht work but large scale rigging jobs such as the Cutty Sark in London and the Wavetree in New York that have many hundreds of metres of standing rigging to serve need other ideas. Riggers working on this scale of vessel resort to a totally different approach. The shroud or stay is stretched out in the rigging shop, and attached to a swivel one end and to an engine the other end which turns the wire. The mallet, with a large reel, is set up at one end and the motor set to run, slowly turning the wire, whilst the mallet hangs beneath the wire and slowly moves along serving, ‘hands free’, needing just someone to keep an eye on it and to replace the empty reel of marline from time to time. A machine the riggers call Otto Server MK1 Tenderfoot is being used to serve the South Street Seaport’s Wavetree currently under restoration. Tenderfoot can serve about 3m (10ft) per hour of 36mm (1½ in) wire; this is slower than a rigger on his own on a good day for this size of wire. However, as there will be less torque needed it is hoped that this serving machine will be much faster for the smaller footropes of which there are many, hopefully catching up and perhaps passing the speed that the riggers can do on their own by hand, as their speed will not noticeably increase on the smaller diameter wires. CLASSIC SAILOR 77

Boats for sale Deadline 20th of every month. Email: catherine@classicsailor.com tel 07945 404461

Chadrak has gained the 22 square metre Championship both in Sweden and UK. In 2015 she has been equipped with a new spruce mast, brand new stainless steel and dyneema rigging Chadrak comes immensely equipped and with a fantastic suit of sails. £27,900. t 01752 823927 or email barbara@cremyll-keelboats.org.uk

International 30 Square Metre K21 ‘Aeolus’ Reimers design, built in Sweden 1989,41’ GRP hull, teak deck, lead keel, Proctor spars. Fast and beautiful boat, surprisingly sea kindly. Winner of many local Regattas and Classic Events. Sleeps 3/4. Aﬂoat in Penzance.

£35000 ono. Richard Sadler - 01736 731500 rsadler@toucansurf.com

Sulya is a very pretty long keel Morgan Giles classic, 1955. Honduras Mahogany on CRE Oak backbone. Alloy spars s/s rigging. Complete restoration, traditional style retained, with modern comforts. Lying Inverness. (20mins airport/train) L/0 30ft W/l 26ft Draft 5ft 6ins.Good survey 2011, OIRO £20,000. 01997 421909 rossmoira@hotmail.com

Maurice Grifﬁths ‘Lone Gull II’

Let us help sell your boat!

Iroko-built in c.1973 by Whisstocks and updated since with self-tacking cutter-rig, 16 HP Petter diesel, charcoal stove, Baby Blake, Taylor ParaFin cooker, GPS, radio, autopilot, new bunk cushions, cockpit cover and dodgers etc. Professionally maintained ashore every winter by Nick Gates at Emsworth over last c.18 years. Excellent condition. Viewing Chichester Harbour £18,500 nick@nickgates.co.uk or phone 07764 236781

Email ads to: catherine@classicsailor.com Include a nice big picture together with a description and your contact details, and we’ll do the rest. Please send in ads by the 20th of each month for inclusion in the next issue. We take major credit cards and you can call us on 07495 404461 and speak to Catherine catherine@classicsailor.com

“LOVEDAY” 1969 VOLKER 1000 Steel ketch built 5mm thick steel and still is. Re-engined with Thorneycroft 2.5 litre,10 metres long with good sail inventory. Interior ﬁtted out throughout in Teak. New navigator and Radar and Autohelm this year.(Raymarine) Fitted with A frame so that one person can lower and raise both main mast and mizzen. Outside steering position complete with engine controls Aft double cabin with hand basin. Double berth forward. Sleeps 5 in comfort. Life raft serviced this year with certiﬁcate. A very good cruising Ketch £35,000 Tel 01502 712311 John@tradboats.com

NB We will check your details but cannot be responsible for errors.

Choose from 3 styles 5 x 2 130mm x 50mm either 160 words or 80 words and picture - £180 5 x 1 63mm x 50mm either 80 words or 30 words and picture - £95 3 x1 64mm x 10mm 30 words - £40

trailer and upped rating to category B. £37,950

and bronze work. Complete with cover and break back road trailer £8,995.

2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in lovely condition with Yanmar 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road trailer and upped rating to category B. £37,950

standing lug yawl rig. Complete with electric motor, covers and road trailer. 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter £7,750 rigged sloop. A very high end fit out with lots of hard wood and bronze work. Complete with cover and break back road trailer £8,995.

Anglia Yacht Brokerage Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47

15’ in lovely condition. Cedar strip/epoxy construction with a standing lug yawl rig. Complete with electric motor, covers and road trailer. £7,750

1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug

1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in

outboard and combi road trailer.

cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and

sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk rig. Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with

1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in £2,250 road trailer. rig. Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy £4,450condition with outboard and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and £2,250 road 1999 Storm 15’trailer. with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in rig. Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with £4,450

2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in outboard combi road trailer. small cover,sailing Honda 2.3HP Anglia Yacht Brokers are and a well established boat 4-stroke and £2,250 road trailer. lovely condition with copperbuilders based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. £4,450 coated underside, Suzuki 6HP 2006 Cornish Crabber in We provide traditional sailing boat marketing andStorm 15’ with balanced lug rig. 2000 1973 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser17’ Mk1 in 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with GRP hull, 1975 Drascombe Lugger Mk2 refurbished by boat Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing 4-stroke and break-back road Designed by Nick Newland of Swallow lovely condition with Tohatsu 8HP outboard, cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine and trailer us in 2010. Refurbishment included 2-pack lovely condition with copperrefurbishment services, brokerage and are always on hand with builders based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. Boats. She is in lovely condition with electric recent sails/furling spar and easy-launch general overhaul. Lots of history. respray, bare wood revarnish, new sails and trailer. coated underside, Suzuki 6HP and 2006 Crabber 17’ in outboard and Combination trailer. road trailer. £16,950 floorboards. She has a 2011 Tohatsu advice and help. WeCornish provide traditional sailing boatYacht marketing and Anglia Brokers are a 4HP well established small sailingroad boat £2,250. with copper£12,950 4-stroke and break-back road £4,500. 4-stroke Easy-launch trailer. 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ inlovely condition 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’and gaff 2001 Sea Otter builders based in the UK nearDavid Bury StMoss Edmunds. refurbishment services, brokerage and are always on hand with £4,500. coated underside, Suzuki 6HP trailer. Wehigh provide traditional15’ sailing boat marketing and Cedar lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. A very end in lovely condition. advice and help. Please ask for Alex. 4-stroke and break-back road £12,950 refurbishment services, brokerage and are always on hand with 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with a

trailer and upped rating to category B. £37,950

trailer. £12,950 Please ask Alex. andfor bronze

advice and help.

work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete cover and break back road Please ask trailer for Alex. with electric motor, covers and £8,995. road trailer. £7,750

Come and see us at the Southampton Boat Show 11th - 22nd Sept

Come and see us at theCome Southampton Show 11th Boat - 22nd and see us at Boat the Southampton ShowSept 11th - 22nd Sept

1999 Sand Weaver 16’ with tan sails/gunter sloop rig. She is in lovely condition and complete with spray hood, overall cover and combination road trailer. £3,950.

2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff rigged sloop. A very high end fit out with lots of hard wood and bronze work. Complete with cover and break back road trailer. £8,995.

New Deben Luggers being built to order for May delivery. Prices from £14,500. Inc VAT

New Balanced Lug 10’ Roach Dinghies built to order. £3,250. Inc VAT. We have two demonstrators in stock from £2,950.

Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing boat builders based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and refurbishment services, brokerage and are always on hand with advice and help. Please ask for Alex.

1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug rig. Complete with cover, electric outboard and combi road trailer. £2,250

2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in lovely condition with coppercoated underside, Suzuki 6HP 4-stroke and break-back road trailer. £12,950

1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in exceptionally tidy condition with cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and road trailer. £4,450

Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing boat builders based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. “DUSMARIE” – As featured in January Issue of Classic Sailor Magazine We provide traditional boat and cruiser in 1933. Built by Aldous of Brightlingsea in 1884sailing (Daisy CK6) and marketing converted to a sailing refurbishment services, andincluding are always onRace, hand with This beautiful Colchester Oyster Smack isbrokerage very well travelled a Channel The Baltic, Mediterranean advice and andGallipoli help.and was also a regular contender in the Tall Ships Race in the 1970’s and 80’s. Fantastic opportunity to acquire your very own piece of maritime history. Available to view by appointment Tidemill Harbour. Pleaseat ask forYacht Alex.

Offers in the region of £39,450

Lying: Woodbridge

Come and see us at the Southampton Boat Show 11th - 22nd Sept 1939 LANDAMORES 36’ MOTOR BOAT

1990 MCMILLAN YACHTS 34

1955 SOUTHERN YACHT SERVICES 30’ TSMY

1971 OAKLEAF 28

£39,950

£29,950

£24,950

£11,950

Beautiful single screw motor yacht converted to an estuary cruiser in 1965 and restored to her mid 60’s sea going condition in 2005. Option of a wet boat house mooring on the Norfolk Broads if required. Superb opportunity to acquire a traditional yet practical motor cruiser. Magazine article available on request.

LYING: BECCLES

Originally built as a 30ft cutter but always intended to be a 34ft yawl. Later rebuilt by Spirit Yachts Ipswich as a yawl with a fully balanced rudder. She has recently undergone a major refit including a new engine at a cost of some £43,000. A rare opportunity to acquire a custom wooden yacht, built to the highest standards.

LYING: WOODBRIDGE

Beautiful example of this traditional wooden twin screw motor yacht built by Southern Yacht Services in 1955 to a design by Anthony Needell. Sympathetically restored over the past three years to a very high standard. Internal viewing highly recommended.

LYING: WOODBRIDGE

Well built classic cruiser with long keel and lifting plate. This particular example was re-engined in 2003/4, repainted & varnished 2014/15 with lots of new and updated equipment including new mainsail and new grill and hob (2013) and new stainless steel fuel tank (2014). Ideal for East Coast rivers and drying moorings

LYING: WOODBRIDGE

TIDEMILL YACHT HARBOUR ▪ TIDEMILL WAY ▪ WOODBRIDGE ▪ IP12 1BP

Tel: 01394 385577 ▪ Email: howard@howardfordmarinesales.co.uk ▪ www.howardfordmarinesales.co.uk

BS DIV A O CR IN FF IP E ER TIO N

It’s what you would rather be reading… Welcome to the new magazine about traditional seamanship and seaworthy boats.

WWW.CLASSICSA ILOR.

COM

MARCH 2016 £3.95

9 77205 9 04200 3

But how to get your copy ahead of the vicar? He’s a canny subscriber, realising that a yearly sub is a lot less than a case of communion wine! He gets his issue delivered direct to the vicarage door while also saving on the newsstand cover price. Join our flock and take advantage of our special rates. We can also send out individual issues at cover price plus P&P. 12 editions – £42.50 Please quote our code 16CS There are bargains for overseas readers and other ways of paying too.

Our family boat ... that I took to Ca pe Horn

FIFE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC DUT CH WELCOME PAINTING! EPO 91 YEAR OLD BOA XY PLY PITFALL TBUILDER S FITTING QUA DRANT STEERIN G

Calendar

Send us your events! editor@classicsailor.com

This month

3-5 June, Pangbourne, Berks bealeparkboatandoutdoorshow.uk

HISWA Amsterdam 16-20 March Includes a reduced version of the former Eindhoven Classic Boat Show hiswarai.nl

Falmouth Classics

Cruising Association talks

2 July, Cowes-Cowes IoW

17-19 June, Falmouth falmouthclassics.org.uk

Round the Island Race All lectures at CA House, 7pm £4 CA members, £7 non-members. theca.org.uk 2 March: Globetrotting by Charter by David Mark 9 March: Weather information for cruise planning by Dr Andrew Eccleston 16 March: Cruising the wild Atlantic Way of Ireland by Daria and Alex Blackwell 23 March: Gipsy Moth hits the rocks by Linda Crew Gee

Coming up

Sydney Classic and Wooden Boat Festival 15-17 April, Darling Harbour hosted by the Australian National Maritime Museum, it will showcase vessels from around Sydney and Australia and celebrate Maritime Heritage. The festival precinct, bursting with an array of colours, will be spread across the waters surrounding the museum and in to Cockle Bay for the first time. With

Charles Stanley Cowes Classics Week 11-15 July Thames Traditional Boat Festival 16-17 July, Henley tradboatfestival.com

Panerai British Classics Week 16-23 July The Traditional Boat Rally at Henley has become one of the boating calendar’s great outings with vintage cars joining the splendid array of slippers, punts, river steamers, Little Ships, historic vessels and of course cruisers (some of whom are dressed very jauntily). We noted better food last year, very decent beer and camping which makes it all the more festive

America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth 21-24 July British Raiding

workshops, demonstrations, kids’ activities and a symposium, the festival will boast an intriguing program for knowledge seekers, boating enthusiasts and families. anmm.gov.au

Thames Smack and Barge Matches 2016 Medway 28 May Blackwater 11 June Thames 25-26 June Pin Mill (Orwell) 16 July Colne 10 September

sailingbargeassociation.co.uk

Cock of the Channel Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters Race Saturday 30 April Barry Harbour 80th anniversary of this 125 mile race around the island of Lundy with the original and modern pilot cutters. See classic-sailing.co.uk

In 2016, Classic Sailing is offering Pilot Cutters payment to attend (and is also looking for sponsors) classic-sailing.co.uk

8-12 August, River Clyde, www.raidengland.org

Thames Trafalgar Race 10-11 September littleshipclub.co.uk/events

Oostende voor Anker 26-29 May, Ostend Harbour, It’s fully booked but you might bag a bunk on an old gaffer oostendevooranker.be

Great River Race

Yarmouth Gaffers Regatta

Southampton Boat Show 16-25 September Your event not here? send details

Classic Sailing St Mawes Pilot Cutter Review

2-5 June, Yarmouth IoW oga.org.uk/solent/events/

26-29 May, Fowey-St Mawes

Beale Park Boat Show

3 September, Thames greatriverrace.co.uk

In Classic Sailor next issue

Paintin’ and polishin’

Researching material while boating

Cleone, the one and only?

The big threat of any regatta is that it forces the sailor from the cosy confines of his bunk in the early spring and makes him pick up a paintbrush or a polishing machine... with sometimesm less than perfect results. But help is at hand with our features on the subject letting readers into the secrets of the trade and how to get the best, mirror like finish on your pride and joy.

Meet Simon Cooper, canoeist and bicyclist who likes to combine the two with a spot of camping as well. Simon has pioneered a range of lightweight home-made canoes made with flax and a natural sunlight curing epoxy. European rules state that soon standard plastics will have to be replaced with plant matter that is grown seasonally and flax is a versatile material which Simon is improving and so proving that it may be a viable alternative.

She was due for this month but then we got too busy with the Boat Show! Worth waiting for though: built in 1860 at Restronguet on the Fal, in Cornwall, rediscovered on the Stour in Essex, damaged and dilipidated, moved to Beccles, Suffolk, for restoration, thence via Brest to Devon, where her present owner believes she may be the only yawl of her age left. CLASSIC SAILOR

Artist of the month Tony Williams

inner of the Charles Pears Award at the Royal Society of Marine Artists 2015 Annual Exhibition and hailing from the school of impressionists, Tony Williams carefully chooses the subjects of the sea from the industrial Goliaths of ageing shipping to the gentle misty creeks of his stomping grounds of Devon. His brush softens even the harshest of lines and his evening palette is particularly sumptuous often with a pale moon peeking through rigging and cranes. He has many paintings held widely in private collections across the UK, Europe and the USA, and is exhibited at The Mall Galleries, London, as well as many more all over the country. www.tonywilliamsart.co.uk Dittisham heat (creek with sailing boats)

Ship with Moon (RSMA Charles Pears winner)

High Water at Appledore (sea and steps)

82 CLASSIC SAILOR

START YOUR MORGAN ADVENTURE TODAY The 2015 Morgan Classic - Hand crafted to your specification and now starting at ONLY £ 29,995.* Why wait? Join us now for an exhilarating test drive, your next adventure may be nearer than you think!

WWW.MORGAN-MOTOR.CO.UK/MORGANADVENTURE RANGE PRICES FROM: *£25,995 (+VAT). Fuel consumption mpg(L/100km): urban 17 - 33.6 (16.4 - 8.4) extra urban 36 - 54.3 (7.9 - 5.2) combined 26 - 44.1 (11.0 - 6.4) CO2: 282 - 143g/km

aero8 sailor magazine.indd 7

28/09/2015 16:44:08