Classic Sailor No10 July 2016 by Dan Houston

WWW.CLASSICSAILOR.COM

JULY 2016 Â£3.95

Tow and go Trailer sailers An all you need to know guide The world comes to Brest

2000 boats gather in maritime celebration RACING PILOT CUTTERS TO SEA WITH L PLATES SWALLOWS & AMAZONS FILM SAILING TO BRITTANY

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SUFFOLK CLASSICS ART OF PILOTAGE

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From 13th to 19th July

THE WORLD’S MOST MAGNIFICENT SHIPS ! 1 000 boats & 9 000 sailors 5 miles of waterfront Around 4 000 musicians & artists + 20 000 sqm of entertainment area A British village full of surprises !

Let’s go

FÉV RIE R 2016 – Photo : Jacques Vapillon

16 to Brest 20 0! from £ 11,4

www.brest2016.fr/en

JOHN CADD

Contents

42 Editorial

Signals

Old working boats – and that important cup of tea Swallows and Amazons on screen and stage; vets sail round Britain; Classic Sailor at Brest; boat fun in Venice; Jolie Brise the pub

Brest or bust!

East Coast eclectics

Gordon Buchanan’s passage plan for sailing to the Festival – starting from Scotland It’s Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classics time – and a medley of boats

Around the yards

Welcome to the Brest Festival

Association news

The Coastguard’s job

Classic Coast

Pilot Cutters at play

Smylie’s boats

Tow and go – all you need to know

The Post

This cruising life: facing the Clacton Chop

IBTC Lowestoft expanding under new owner; Stirling dingies go round the world; Beccles boatyard plans another party Arun YC pushes the boat out; Hostellers head to Holland Glasgow – what’s become of the Clyde Suffolk Beach Boats Your letters - on wooden 12s, Dragons... and recycled flip-flops

Andrew Bray

Nardi’s nods

Some new nautical language The Elizabethan 29 – one of Kim Holman’s most popular designs

Instructor’s tales: RIGHT AND COVER: GOLANT GAFFER EDNA – DAN HOUSTON

One, two, three... pierhead jump!

Previewing he world’s greatest maritime get-together, and Classic Sailor is to be part of the British presence in Britanny Eyes on the coast are electronic these days On board for the Bristol Channel Cock of the Channel race The complete guide to trailer sailing – boats, kit, techniques Part 1: choose your trailer – size, safety and second-hand condition Helen Lewis, the Scipper and Sea Lion venture out into the ocean

Norfolk beach boats 60 Robert Simper revisits the North Sea double-enders

When Princess Anne called on David Moss

On and Off Watch

Practical: Pilotage

Practical: Build a boat in a day

Practical: The through dovetail joint

Calendar and Next Month

The last word: The dinghy experience

The Merseyside boatbuilder celebrates half a century

Kit list, Artist of the month, Guy on gin, books and Shoreside

Navigation using line-of-sight Well, a sort of emergency raft. Trevor David Clifton shows how A step-by-step guide to making one

Events for the coming month and year, and what’s in our next issue Lucy L Ford on inflatables – and deflatables

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E S TTRHADAITM I O NA L

HENL

E Y- O N -T H A M E S

SPECIAL APPEARANCE

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

The Thames Traditional Boat Festival returns in 2016 with an even bigger display of vintage & classic boats, cars and aeroplanes! Highlights include: the exclusive Bluebird K3 returning to try again for her first ever Thames run, WWII Dunkirk Little Ships, WWII fast patrol boats, WWI dog fights, amphibians, military vehicles and over 180 traditional boats that makes this the largest event of its type in Europe plus all the quintessentially English eccentricity that makes it so utterly unique!

Following the great success of 2015, with over 10,000 visitors, the “Trad” will run for 3 days from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th July. Please see website for details.

Supported by

PHYLLIS COURT MEMBERS CLUB

FREE PARKING

FREE FERRY FROM HENLEY

Friday to Sunday 15 • 16 • 17 July 2016 Fawley Meadows • Henley-on-Thames www.tradboatfestival.com

Editorial Dan Houston

Why should we continue to sail, or even build replica, boats of our working fleet?

The pilot comes aboard: after a voyage of three or four months, cut off from all news of the world, the arrival of the pilot, with newspapers and often letters, was a welcome event.

As a conﬁrmed retronaut myself I can only say that the cup of tea on Vigilance halfway through our race was a fantastic refreshment

GORDON GRANT

t’s always impressive to see old boats being sailed in a race. I’ve just got back, a few hours ago, from witnessing the Brixham Trawlers Pilgrim, Vigilance and Provident vying for the annual King George V cup on a course in front of the town, on the blue waters of Torbay. There wasn’t enough wind to make the old ladies go; they always said the Brixham boats did not bother to leave harbour in anything less than a force six – or they couldn’t power their beam trawls across the sea bed. But nevertheless there was a breeze and at one point we were trucking along at six knots. There were the beginnings of a discernible tilt in the rig at that point – not as much as the ‘O’ in the word sailor on our cover, but then these boats were built to be as stiff as a maiden great-aunt at church and it takes quite a blow to wash their lee rails in some salt water. There’ll be more on this next issue – we can only make a very small report on p9 because our printer already has his sleeves rolled up and this is the last leaf... as usual! There is a bit more of a working boat theme in this edition with our report on the pilot cutters and the annual Cock of the Channel race. This year they invited (and I must say this is highly unusual) they invited newer and non-original pilot cutters to take part with the handful of originals – most well over a hundred years old by now. Luke Powell – who has probably done more for the revival of pilot cutters with his new builds than anyone else, was delighted to take part. “We went and raced and it was brilliant; I think we came second, but in the end they could not give us a prize,” said Luke, who then turned his ship (Agnes 2003) around and doubled back round the toe of Land’s End to race in his home event at the St Mawes Pilot Cutter Review. As we put more time and technology between ourselves and boats like these it seems increasingly rare to be sailing them. Modern sailing is all about going three times the speed of the wind and literally flying over the waves on foils that reduce the wetted surface area to nearly nothing. And no doubt the pilot on the right here, getting into his mid-fifties and feeling his heart trying to leap into his mouth as he jumps and scrambles up the swaying rungs of a ship’s boarding ladder, would probably regard the new classic sailor’s approach as being too retrograde for his own good. As a confirmed retronaut myself I can only say that the cup of tea on Brixham’s last-built sailing trawler Vigilance halfway through the afternoon and about halfway through our race was a fantastic refreshment, and an aspect of sailing I have always been delighted by. And to that I’d add cooking aboard, reading or just general living while you are making progress across a piece of sea, or an ocean. And in many ways I think I would always prefer that, certainly when sailing offshore, and hence the need to know and understand these seaworthy boats that looked after their crews so well – through almost any kind of weather. These boats always need helpers by the way. It may not be fast sailing but it will refresh body and soul in other ways.

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Signals How Swallows (and Amazons) make a summer, veterans to sail round Britain, Jolie Brise has a pub named after her, and Brest – we’ll be there RANSOME ON SCREEN AND STAGE

Summer of Swallows fans. A new backstory has been introduced for ‘Captain Flint’ (aka Uncle Jim), played by Rafe Spall. It involves Russian spies and is curiously reminiscent of Arthur Ransome’s own younger days, reporting on the Bolshevik revolution. This has been denounced as sacrilege by some diehard fans, but worse than that, to many of them, has been the decision to rename Titty, the second youngest of the ‘Swallows’, who is called ‘Tatty’ in the film. The reason given is to avoid ‘distracting’ children and giving rise to sniggers, but Sophie Neville who played Titty in the much-loved 1974 film version and is now president of the Arthur Ransome Society admits to mixed feelings about the name-change. “I loved playing Titty and still get recognised for it – but the new film has to attract audiences worldwide.”

STUDIO CANAL

This summer sees not only the release of the long-awaited film remake of Swallows and Amazons, but also a stage version of Arthur Ransome’s We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea. The film, which opens on 19 August in 400 cinemas, has been over five years in the making and has already caused controversy among Ransome

Look, no life-jackets! The new Swallows and Amazons film goes for period authenticity. Left: A scene from the original 2008 production of We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea by Eastern Angles

However Ransome fans will be relieved to find that the film takes a “pre health-and-safety” approach to children having unsupervised adventures in boats. And the boats are suitably authentic – two RNSA dinghies, rerigged, and a prewar motor cruiser for the houseboat. Meanwhile, the stage adaptation of We Didn’t Mean

to Go to Sea, in which the Swallows are cast adrift in the North Sea, is being revived by the regional theatre company Eastern Angles. Opening on 23 June, it runs at a venue near Woodbridge, Suffolk, until 9 July, and then transfers to Peterborough for a week. Details and booking: www. eastern-angles.co.uk.

TURN TO STARBOARD – ROUND-BRITAIN CHALLENGE

SOLENT

Royal send-off for injured veterans

Cowes Classics

Shaun Pascoe with some of the beneficiaries preparing to sail around the British Isles starting in early June. The Turn to Starboard Round Britain Challenge 2016 will see a crew of up to 30 veterans – many with little or no sailing experience – sail aboard the Spirit of Falmouth (donated by the Prince’s Trust)

SI SWEENY

Princess Anne has helped to launch injured veterans sailing charity Turn to Starboard’s round Britain Tall Ship challenge. She flew into Falmouth’s Pendennis Castle by helicopter to meet staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, and met Turn to Starboard Founder, RAF Squadron Leader (retired)

Princesss Anne with former Royal Marines Dan Fielding and Stephen Spear

for the complete voyage or smaller sections of the route. The 2000-mile expedition is expected to take 8 weeks and is planned as a way to help participants gain new skills while highlighting the challenges some veterans face. During the visit, the Princess Royal congratulated the charity on supporting injured veterans by teaching them to sail and gaining new qualifications. She also presented Yacht Master certificates to two former Royal Marines, Dan Fielding and Stephen Spear, Turn to Starboard is run by Armed Forces personnel, civilian staff and volunteers who believe sailing has a therapeutic and calming effect on participants.

If it’s July then it’s Cowes Classics both in terms of the British Classic Yacht Club regatta from the 16th to the 23rd and also the earlier Cowes Classics Week from the 11th to the 15th. It does not take the brains of an Archbishop for the keen sailor to work out that there is a whole fortnight of racing of reasonable and sometimes very pretty-looking boats. The BCYC is a medley regatta, sponsored by Panerai with around 60 or 70 boats. Cowes Classics likes the one off designs too but this year has invited Loch Longs coming down from Suffolk, wooden Dragons, Tempests, some 65 XODS, around 10 S&S Swans and numerous other classes and one-offs – including a healthy glassfibre classic contingent to total around 200 boats.

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The 2000-mile expedition is planned as a way to help participants gain new skills while highlighting the challenges some veterans face QUAY PEOPLE

BRITISH VILLAGE AT BREST FESTIVAL

CS spearheads ‘invasion’ hand splicing wire rope; the International Boatbuilding Training College Portsmouth, boatbuilding; the Kipper house, smoking fish; Jim Corr a block maker; boats made with flax and of course Classic Sailor magazine. The aim of the British Village is to showcase some of the ongoing skills that are still practised in the UK and also to be able to offer advice on restoration, using boats or about where to find the right person for a task which needs traditional knowhow.

Above left: Mandy Coates basket-maker, above right: Kipperman Mike Smylie; left: skills on show will come from IBTC Portsmouth

FINDHORN DROWNING

TEIGNMOUTH

Frank Whyte

Jolie Brise... the pub

The Moray Firth village of Findhorn is mourning the loss of one of its sailing stalwarts following a yachting tragedy in the bay. Frank Whyte Jr, 69, was thrown into the water when his vessel capsized after being hit by a sudden, violent squall in which seven boats were overturned. Emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 2pm on 21 May after alerts of a man in difficulty. Frank was taken ashore, but was declared dead at the scene. Frank Whyte was respected as an integral member of Findhorn Coastal Rowing Club, always happy to offer support and expertise, and an inspiration to all. The club tells us “He always had time for a yarn and a word of encouragement with his wicked wit and cheerful manner. He was instrumental in the construction of our beautiful boat, Joppa. He kept us right, and ensured that we maintained his exacting standards. A true gentleman whose integrity ran though every aspect of his life, he will be sorely missed as so many were touched by his generosity of spirit. He will be missed as a club member and as a mentor but most of all as a dear friend. Findhorn’s thoughts are with his family.” Speaking of the squall, RNLI helmsman Kenny Foggo said “It literally came out of nowhere. It went from flat calm to storm force winds, thunder, lightening and hail so fierce we couldn’t see in almost an instant. After about 10 minutes it was over and everything was completely calm again.”

Legendary pilot cutter Jolie Brise breezed into Teignmouth in May on a two-day courtesy visit to mark the opening of a new pub in the town... JD Wetherspoon’s ‘Jolie Brise’. The 103-year-old Le Havre pilot cutter is linked to Teignmouth through her one-time owner and skipper George Martin who bought her in 1923 and fitted her out there for both the first of his three Fastnet victories in 1925, and the Blue Water

Nick Barton, film producer and classic sailor is someone who has an enduring passion for the books of Arthur Ransome. In May he was in Cannes promoting his latest film Swallows and Amazons, but flew home for a day to meet the UK yachting press at the Marine Advertising Agency’s annual lunch in Gosport. See opposite.

Medal winning transatlantic crossings in 1926. George’s skipper, Sid Briggs, lived in the town. Today’s skipper Toby Marris and his crew were delighted with the town’s reception, which included a celebratory flotilla accompanying them in, with enthusiastic crowds running from the Point along the Back Beach trying to keep up – as well as the buffet at the Jolie Brise pub itself, which followed.

Jolie Brise – now has a pub named after her Photo by Rick Tomlinson

RICK TOMLINSON

Classic Sailor will be part of the British Village at the fouryearly Brest festival this year. It’s the largest maritime event on the planet: July 13-19. Our village will be sited on the Quai Malbert in the heart of the site in the commercial docks. Mike Smylie – aka Kipperman – is co-ordinating this British village and we have assembled diverse marine craftspeople such as Mandy Coates, basket maker; Guy Venables, caricaturist; John Greenaway, caulking; Nigel Gray, traditional rigger

Count Gino Coia One of the admired yachts at the Sydney Classic Boat Festival was the 52ft Monte Cristo built by Hobart shipwright Ray Kemp and her dashing, enigmatic owner, 84 year old Count Gino Coia who often sails her single handed. Gino grew up in UK where he was a character actor on stage, film and TV. He sailed to Australia the ‘wrong’ way, against the Trade Winds, in an old Thames Bawley, with cannon balls from the Napoleonic Wars as ballast. In Sydney Gino became a shipwright. How did he become a Count? “I got a letter in the mail. My father emigrated from Italy to UK before I was born. Apparently I am a descendant of Italian nobility.” What did he do then? “I finished working on that client’s boat, retired, and bought a Huon Pine ketch with a Gardener diesel and have lived aboard ever since.”

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Signals Bliss on a Venetian lagoon, return of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, an eco cruise, relaunch of a Peter Duck ketch plus Brixham and Thames news VENICE, ITALY

CARDIFF

Venetian challenges

Return of the Ancient Mariner

This May the beautiful but shallow Venice Lagoon hosted three varied events for fleets of small boats, within the space of eight days, reports John Cadd. British boats joined others from Europe and all around the world as well many Italian and local Venetian vessels in one or more of the challenges. The famous Venice Vogalonga 2016 is a pleasure rowing event for about 500 vessels of all kinds propelled by oar and human sweat. The 20-mile course is not a race but a serious test of endurance in boats from tiny canoes to mighty dragon boats and of course gondolas. After a recovery day another ancient and modern multinational fleet of about 50 small shallow-draught boats

Another Venetian view as sail and oar boats raid the peaceful Venice Lagoon. A few British boats took part – more next issue

explored the roughly 50-mile length and 20-mile width of the lagoon in the ‘Venice Raid’ over a five-day period. This is a sailing event when the wind blows and a rowing event when it does not. When all else fails outboards engines do get used and in many places the lagoon is shallow enough to get out and walk (although

no one had to). CS will cover the divine 2016 Venice Raid in the next issue. The Raid and the final of the three challenges, the Velalonga Sailing Race, are organised by the Cassanova Sailing Club (CVC). This third event is a 12-mile sailing race around the city’s islands for 200 vessels of all description.

The Matthew caravel replica with a crew of ‘ghosts’ (below) drops off the Ancient Mariner near Cardiff ’s Mermaid Quay as part of the Coleridge in Wales Festival celebrating 200 years since the poet wrote the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. A pilot (Wm Loram) rowed the AM to a wedding re-enactment while Zombies (another Coleridge creation) marched behind a piper to Mermaid Quay to recreate scenes of the famous poem. The festival ends in August: coleridgefestival.org

PETER DUCK CLASS RESTORATION

Wooden Spoon is relaunched On 9 May the Mayor of Eastleigh, Mrs Jane Welsh, officiated at the recommissioning of the yacht Wooden Spoon at Swanwick Marina, which was then blessed with holy water by the Vicar of Hamble, Father Graham Whiting, whereupon John West, Rear Commodore of the RAF Yacht Club, hoisted the club’s burgee and then raised her defaced blue ensign. The ceremony was the culmination of years of work by Dr Trevor Gordon-Pullar who has lovingly restored the 1964-built wooden ketch to her current pristine state. One of 38 Peter Duck class ketches, built on the east coast to Laurent Giles’ design, she was purchased by Trevor and his

father in 1988 and transported from Pin Mill to what was then Moodies, where she has been berthed, virtually ever since, and is now the only wooden yacht in the marina. Trevor took over ownership from his father within six months and embarked upon a major restoration programme. All internal fittings were removed, polished and lacquered; hundreds of screws were replaced with silicon bronze imported from America; all galvanised stanchions, rigging etc were redesigned, strengthened and remade from stainless steel, as well as all the mast fittings. Replacement masts were sourced from another Peter Duck to replace those lost by

one of the boatyards; a new engine installed to replace the original much heavier BMC Captain and some 200 kg of lead pig ballast removed. All the wood was scraped back both, inside and outside the yacht and painstakingly sanded smooth and painted or varnished. Due to extensive rot in her timbers major

joinery work had to be undertaken throughout the hull. All wiring was replaced and the electrical equipment restored and fitted with LED bulbs where possible. All the original fittings and instruments have been retained but, for reasons of safety, doubled up with the up-to-date navigation lights.

Wooden Spoon looking trim and rather smart for her relaunch

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It is an ancient mariner, and he stoppeth one of three. ‘By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, now wherefore stopp’st thou me?’ Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1834 QUAY PEOPLE

STATESIDE

Chesapeake ecology cruise The historic buyboat Winnie Estelle departs with passengers from Chesapeake Bay’s Maritime Museum, for an ecology cruise on the Miles River. Cruisers learn how to monitor the water quality of the river, perform water testing, and explore the life on an oyster reef. Birders enjoy the route, known for its eagle and osprey population. Buyboats were used to haul seafood and cargo along Chesapeake Bay waterways before many of the Bay’s peninsulas were connected by bridges. As the seafood harvest declined and highways became the mode of travel, the large graceful buyboats faded from local waters, leaving no more than 30 of the oyster buyboats remaining on the Bay. Built in 1920 by Noah T Evans — a native of Smith Island — Winnie Estelle was used as a workboat on the lower Chesapeake for more than 50 years, carrying seafood and produce to market across the Bay. She has been part of the historic ﬂoating ﬂeet since 2014.

Peter Taylor, above, is the Vice Commodore of the Royal London Yacht Club, on Cowes Parade, and also regatta chairman of the Cowes Classics Week from the 11 to 15 July, where he will also act as a race officer, together with Bob Milner, below. There promises to be good racing! (See also p6)

DEVON

RIVER THAMES

Brixham Heritage regatta

The Other Boat Race

Pilgrim leads Vigilance as three trawlers, including Provident and other boats sail the historic course in Torbay by Brixham in May

Classic Sailor shipped aboard the Brixham Trawler Vigilance for Brixham’s historic Heritage Sailing Regatta on May 29, the highlight of which is the King George V silver cup. George V gave this to the trawlermen as a perpetual challenge cup, to be raced for by any Brixham registered trawler of over 40 tons. And this year there were three trawlers racing, Pilgrim, seen here ahead of Vigilance and then Provident. These historic vessels are all based in Brixham where they can be seen and chartered. Pilgrim (restored a few years ago) won this year. There were great sights as the trawlers were joined by the luggers Grayhound and Iris and gaffers like Edna (on our cover). Full story next issue!

The crowds lining the Thames from Mortlake to Putney waiting for the Boat Race are entertained by a procession of traditional rowing boats. Somehow, however, the procession looks awfully like a race. The boats are Thames Waterman’s cutters, based on the wherries that used to act as London’s taxis, and replicas of the racing boats were used in the very first boat race in 1829, referred to as the Oxbridge cutters. The Waterman’s cutters are owned by City livery companies and various rowing clubs. They appeared in full ceremonial gear with canopies known as tilts in the stern to protect the passengers. The Oxbridge cutters, 46ft long, are operated by London Youth Rowing. The pine on oak craft were initially painted in green for Oxford (which won) and pink for Cambridge, but are now picked out in today’s dark and light blues. The ‘procession’ was fiercely contested, with the Company of Scientific Instrument Makers coming in first in 30m 42s, and the PLA Ladies ‘winning’ the female ‘procession’ in 39m 58s.

Rowing shallops and cutters on the old rolling Thames

Let’s hear it for the newsagents! They are the main way a new magazine like Classic Sailor can reach out to a new readership – even in this day of websites and Facebook it’s good to know that you can still browse a magazine rack while you wait for your train. So please support them! This is Vineet from the Ecrin minimarket at 434 Portland Road, Hove in Sussex, on the south side of Portslade Railway Station.

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Signals: Around the yards Big changes at the East Coast boatbuilding college; worldconquering Stirling dinghies; boatyard fun at Beccles LOWESTOFT COLLEGE

It’s coming up to a year since Mike and Lyn Tupper took over the 40-year-old International Boatbuilding Training College on the edge of Lowestoft’s Lake Lothing, and there are plenty of signs of change. Buildings are being refurbished, the site itself is being extended – and there are some alterations to the courses on offer. “We’ve reintroduced practical lofting as a core element in our 47-week course” Mike explains. “The course had become a bit diluted, and the practical side of lofting had become optional, but we feel it teaches so much about boats and their construction.” Deck-laying, using sampler pieces if no actual decks are available, is also back. IBTC’s method is, and always has been, to train its boatbuilding students through work on real boats – mainly brought in for restoration but also a good percentage of new-builds. I lost count after 20, but Mike told me they always have around 24 on the go. He points out a few of the more interesting examples as we got round. There’s the Swan, upside down, a 22ft Victorian gentleman’s yacht once owned by Maurice Griffiths, with doublediagonal construction. Among the new boats is a beautiful part-planked 23ft Maxwell cutter and a 15ft dinghy in frame, being built by students as the new workboat for the Lowestoft trawler Excelsior. IBTC also has a ‘commercial’ side, strictly separated from the student boats, and in fact a fully professional

boatyard specialising in restorations and employing around seven shipwrights. Mike’s unhappy about the ‘commercial’ name tag – “It can give the impression we’re only interested in working boats” – and he’s in the process of renaming IBTC Marine Services. Even so, the yard is busy, The latest boat to arrive is Our Lizzie, a massive former fishing boat, built in 1925 and converted 10 years later –“In a fairly rustic manner,” comments Mike – to a gentleman’s yacht. It’s a contract he’s particularly pleased to have secured: “The owner’s brought her in for a full refit, back to bare hull and frames and back up again with new accommodation – it’ll take about a year.” Meanwhile, the boatshed is being given a new roof, with transparent panels to let more light in, plus new toilets. And outside, the big news is that IBTC is taking over adjacent land from Sealake Marine, where the owners are retiring. It comes with waterfront access and pontoons, plus a 25-ton crane and a 40-ton hoist. “Students will be able to bring their own projects to work

PETER WILLIS

IBTC expands under its new ownwer

Above: Student Seb works on the Excelsior work boat; in the background is the part-built 23ft Maxwell cutter. Below: Mike Tupper and Our Lizzie

on during the course, or live on their own boats.” As for the students themselves the most surprising fact to emerge is the number of ex-dentists seeking a career change. But among younger people, “The 16-17-year-old apprentices are hard to get,” says Mike, “but we find people in their late 20s and early 30s evaluating their careers and moving over to boatbuilding.” “We have to expand as a centre,” explains Mike. Already the college is an RYA recognised centre for

teaching Day and Coastal Skipper courses. Soon it will have a RIB to do powerboat training. Owners can take course modules to help them renovate their own boats. But the core course is still the 47-week course, “It has to be relevant to the industry,” explains Mike. “Graduates are not so likely to be asked to build a wooden boat as to renovate one or to do wood work in GRP or steel hulls. We can’t be a ‘museum’ of skills – there’s a huge industry out there that needs boatbuilders.”

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We’ve brought back practical lofting as a core element of the 47-week course – it teaches so much about boats and their construction. GALMPTON

PLYMOUTH

Stirling dinghies Whilst the heavy work has kept the majority of the team at Stirling and Son warm over the winter, a shipwright and an apprentice have been concentrating on finer work in a sheltered corner of the No. 1 Covered Slip. The yard has recently sent dinghies to three points of the compass: east to India, west to Chile andsouth to Spain. New build dinghy No 33 is under construction and will be delivered to the River Yealm, just round the corner from Plymouth. Clinker repair work has also continued with work on a 100-year-old Broads dinghy and the Help for Heroes rowing gig Ann Glanville.

Lyoness of Fowey Devon Wooden Boats, at Galmpton Creek nr Brixham have just taken on the task of restoring Lyoness of Fowey, a Mounts Bay lugger from 1921. She needs a complete rebuild with 70% new planking according to DWB’s Peter Newbery-Thornton.

Lyoness - a total 1-2 year rebuild

N FAMBRIDGE

Blue Hawk

BECCLES

Hippersons Boatyard plans another party For the second year running, since they bought Hippersons boatyard in Beccles, Simon and Mary Sparrow held a ‘season kickoff ’ for customers, suppliers and friends. “We believe it’s a great way to bring people together before the season starts in earnest, to talk about boats, see what Stephen and Luke our resident boat builders have been working on and enjoy some great food!” says Simon. They clearly enjoy a party – the next event at the yard, on 2-3 July, is part of Beccles Charter Weekend and will feature live music, food and visiting boats including the Broads wherry Maud. Hippersons is a long established local business. “We’ve been building on the success of the previous owners and are updating where needed to make it a vibrant small yard for the 21st century,” says Simon.

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Lloyd Walker, whose father designed and built the Tideway dinghy, and his partner Joy have almost completed restoration of Blue Hawk, a 19ft 6in cabin yacht built in Brightlingsea in 1939 by Douglas Stone. “As soon as we saw her I made up my mind as she seemed so much bigger inside than our Memory 19. Also she fulfilled my long held wish to have a proper old boat rather than a replica,” says Lloyd.

Hippersons Boatyard: vibrant business

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Signals: Association news Showcasing clubs and classes around the country

Supernovas increase

Arun YC pushes the boat out Arun Yacht Club reckons it’s the area’s best-kept secret. Located on the West Bank of the River Arun, its stunning, newly refurbished clubhouse looks out over the river, to the town of Littlehampton. So it decided to join in the RYA’s ‘Push the Boat Out’ campaign to attract new and returning sailors, and opened its doors to welcome visitors. Saturday 21 May was for staff and families of Worthing company, Bowers & Wilkins, who generously support the Club’s Cadet and

youth activities. Many of the hundred-or-so visitors took advantage of the sailing taster sessions that club members provided in their sailing dinghies and cruisers, before enjoying an excellent hog roast lunch in a marquee within the club car park. Sunday, a brighter day, with a lighter breeze, was open day, Throughout the day some three to four hundred visitors and members visited the club, and approximately 100 people enjoyed sailing tasters in dinghies and cruisers, with

many more taking RIB rides at sea and in the river. It is the club’s Diamond Jubilee and this was the first of a number of events that signal a welcome to all people in the area to come and share the fun. As a Community Amateur Sports Club Arun provides a wide range of boating activities, including dinghy and cruiser sailing, racing and training, organised club cruises, secure marina-style moorings and a spacious dinghy pen. Call the Club on 01903 716016 to find out more.

The class association’s 20th Anniversary Nationals saw 120 Supernova dinghies signed up. The singlehanded Supernova is currently enjoying a flourish of interest as the class celebrates its 20th anniversary year. In its effort to maintain what has always been a popular singlehander since its launch in 1996, the Association has successfully reversed the trend of what’s happening in many other dinghy classes where attendance is static or, in some cases, on the decrease. Chris Hawley, chairman of the Class Association said: “We aim to create an enjoyable environment for all of our members both on and off the water. We have some really great sailors and a friendly supportive attitude through the fleet.”

Supernovas line up at another start

Fireflies at 70 Hostellers’ open boats tackle Friesland The first production boats in the Firefly class came off the moulds at the Fairey Marine factory in Hamble in 1946. The lines of this pretty planing dinghy were actually drawn by Uffa Fox in 1938... but war stopped play, as they might say. The class was originally developed for team racing and was requested by Oxford and Cambridge Universities – both of which continue to sail the class. Because it could be mass produced it was chosen as the leading class for the 1948 British Olympics and around 30 were built. Initially hot moulded with thin layers of mahogany, the Fireflies adopted GRP in 1968. Today both models are raced and there is a thriving class association. www.fireflyclass.co.uk

The Hostellers Sailing Club is a small but long established group that has been involved in sail and oar open boat cruising over many decades. It specialises in dinghy cruising, and owns a couple of Wayfarers members can use; it’s affiliated to the Youth Hostels Association, and organises walks in the winter. Its sailing base is at Paglesham, Essex, and its membership rates are absurdly low, as are the day rates for using the club boats. More details on its website at www. hostellerssailingclub.org.uk Most of its club cruises have been in the waters of Essex, Suffolk and Kent in the UK, but it has also participated in some of the major sailing festivals such as the biennial Semaine du Golfe in Brittany. In 2014, for the first time, they decided to include a

foreign open boat cruise in the club program. Two boats, trailered over by ferry, took part. Here’s a shortened report. “We chose Friesland in the Netherlands because it offers the possibility of sailing on the tidal waters of the Waddenzee if the weather is good and also the option of extensive lake and canal cruising if the weather is not so good. “We stopped off at Den Helder where we visited the large naval museum then

HSC members’ Dabber on passage from Harlingen to Vlieland, with a typical Dutch barge behind

continued to a camp site outside Harlingen, an old port on the Waddenzee. “We wondered where we might launch our boats, then realised that there was a canal running right alongside the camp site. We rowed through the canal network to Harlingen, then a big mechanised lock took us into tidal water. It would be at least a 20 mile open water sail to the island of Vlieland but we had several hours of fair tide to help and an easterly breeze – ideal to get there, if not to get back. Much of the Waddenzee dries at low tide, so you have to follow winding channels between extensive sand banks. It was a slightly hazy day so we were out of sight of land for some of the passage ...” For the rest, see the website! We hope to carry more from this interesting club anon.

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Smylie’s boats

Classic ClassicCoast Coast

Itchen Ferries Suffolk beach boats

PETER WILLIS

IO Orfordness Lighthouse Glasgow

By the time you read this, the very real possibility of this imposing Shipbuilding, and yachtbuilding, structure tumbling sea and are long gone frominto thethe Clyde, mayformer have been averted, least for the yards alongatGlasgow’s another winter. severe waterfront haveUnusually been replaced south-easterly stormsand have pushed with shiny concert conference coastal erosion theBut Suffthere olk coast’ venues and theon like. ares Orford Nessand to within a few with feet the still active lively links of the maritime lighthouse’past. s foundations, city’s andKnown members of the Orfordness locally just as ‘The Tall Lighthouse Trust have been working Ship’ , the 245ft , three-masted flat out Glenlee to install, ‘soft defences’ the last big – barque bags of shingle wrapped Clyde-built sailing shipinaflsausages oat in of high-performance geo-textile the UK, is moored there. She’s bonding – to keep the sea at baya (see both a tourist attraction and orfordnesslighthouse.co.uk). fantastic educational resource The 98fttolighthouse – thanks Glasgow’swas freebuilt in 1792 andpolicy, decommissioned byout museums her well-laid Trinity House 2013,are in view of displays in theinholds always the threat with fromparties encroaching sea. crawling of fascinated It has already survived an attempt schoolchildren. byHer the National Trust, which owns history, although long, and the Ness, tofour impose a policy of including circumnavigations, ‘controlled ruination’ (ie let it fall is not particularly distinguished down). she had three name-changes, and The Lighthouse Trust aims though built as a cargo-carrier to keep it standing, and open –tobut also served as a sail-trainer visitors, ‘forher as long as possible’ . the life of seamen, and the Visiting, onof open daysaonly, challenges sailing shipinvolves with a short ferry tripcarrying and a 40-minute nineteen sails, a range walk, each way, across the Ness. Dates for toTall be Ship Above: Old2016 and are newstill – the announced, and in areGlasgow’s dependent on Glenlee reﬂected Riverside Museum. the continuing stability and safety of Right: Sir Thomas the structure andLipton’s its surrounds.

‘Gamest Loser Trophy’, presented by respectful and affectionate The spiral staircase Orfordness Americans after theat last of his Lighthouse may still be climbed ﬁve unsuccessful America’s Cup by visitors challenges

Orford Ness itself is a classic example of an ever-changing of different cargoes are vividly coastline.to Thlife. e long, shifting spit of brought land separates Riverand Ore , herthe masts Ththat e Glenlee from theare searefl is quite rigging ectedcapable in the of closing mouth and forcing frontagethe ofriver’s another shiny new abuilding breakthrough higherHadidup, where the – the Zaha river’s alternative name is the Alde. designed Riverside museum of It’s mecca for of bleak, transport. It’sconnoisseurs mostly land-based exposed seascapes (andfascinating WWII though none the less military on Havergate for that,detritus but it does include some Island). boat, is carefully marine Access, items –by especially the restricted by the National story of Glasgow grocer Trust. Thomas A goodfive everyday alternative Lipton’s attempts with hison five the nearby mainland theAmerica’s equally Shamrock yachts onisthe bleak stony beach known asthe Shingle Cup. Th e display includes Street. actual cup awarded to Sir Thomas pubs, at Orford the endvillage of his has lastthree attempt in including Jollysilver Sailorand down 1930 – thethe gold, enamel by the harbour; an excellent ‘Gamest Loser Trophy’ paidfish for by restaurant, the Butley Orfordone16,000 Americans through Oysterage, and the fine Pump Street dollar subscriptions. bakery. Peter Willis Peter Willis

owned an Itchen Ferry have fond memories of Suff her beached ne of my once very and favourite boats is the 18ft olk beach alongside the old shed at Woolston, across the river Three Sisters , IH81, built in Th orpeness for a boatSupermarine Pal ofSeveral Itchen she wasI’ve called though was no from Southampton. Mr Ralph. times been out offshe the coast pal of the newbetween bridge they were building at the time.drift We –-netting me andfor my Aldeburgh and Felixstowe Pal that is – were the fiaboard rst ones this to crash oneher of owner the support pillars. herring boat,into with Robert This was mostly down(p60). to twoOk, facts:sothat thebeen sailsrebuilt didn’t really fit the Simper she’s but she boat and the Stuart-Turner engine my time remains as much in never spirit started now asthroughout she was when she with was, though, great learning on ‘why not to buy was fithe rstboat. builtItfor fishing off aand around Thexperience orpeness back in 1896. a boat’ . I typical often wonder what happened to her. She’s for working craft along this coast; it is said that these Wonder was, craft in fact, a fine example double-enders of an Itchen Ferry. Built by thefrom greatthe small but solid were originally and evolved Wonder, SU120, has our beentravels lovingly restored and sails Dan Hatcher in 1860, Norse influence we’ve seen throughout around the northern from Faversham. I remember her a fewinfl years back theanywhere Swale part of the UK. In fact, this seeing boatbuilding uence is during apparent Barge Match. Daniel G Hatcher, as King Dan to his contemporaries, north-about from the Thamesknown through to Southern Ireland and the was a very successful builder of yachts at his Belvedere yard between 1845 Bristol Channel. and 1880 andboats thus his equally renowned speed. For these theworking transomboats was were adopted in the first halfforoftheir the 19th Wonder was his fastest, speedy she was. Not that through century the necessarily need for more space but aboard to carry fish and to The roots (andperformance name) improve sailing as they were seldom just rowed when of these craft came from these were called ‘boats’ in contrast to Southwold working. In Aldeburgh the fishing village ofthey were andsmall Walberswick where Itchen lying clinker-built on the ‘punts’,Ferry but these tworiver Itchen in common the eighteenth masters were anywhere from century. Small sprit-rigged almost Lowestoft to the river Deben, clinker-boats the such as including tinyworked beachoff landings beach, fishing out as far Bawdsey, Hollesley andasShingle Beach. the of Wight. Their size All Isle showed the characteristics of being grew they trawled goodas sailers, capablefurther of working off the away their base. and set a dipping steep from Suffolk beaches Consequently lug main and they smalladopted standing lug mizzen the rig as many working on agaff bumpkin. fellows Thesome boatshistorical were If youdid. read three-quarter decked information on thesewith crafta, you could small cuddy that withthey two berths, be forgiven simply fished for asprats cupboard and from coal stove to as those Aldeburgh have while away thesprat hoursboats. whenIn truth, been termed not Gaff -rigged evenfishing. if sprats were vital to an Aldeburgh fisherman’s survival, like most with a long-boom overcommunities, the beach-based fishing these vessels were general workhorses. stern headsails, They and weretwo used to drift for herring in autumn, going spratting in winter, some wereinasspring long asand 30ftsummer, in trawling as well as sometimes shrimping and length. of the setting Much the odd potcatch for lobsters and crabs. Come the summer, serving the was oysters andsail was more fruitful for many than several localshrimps touristsand with a hour’s they home to thus land. taking trippers out was a normal pastime. hoursraced fishing, and Inree 1872, according toengine the fishing registers, there were 570when second-class Th Sisters had an fitted in the 1920s, a time new boats boats fattened working the Solent and another the 61 inweight Poole of where theunits. boatsAs were were up to counterbalance these the boats similar. Theindesign widespread around Southampton Water and the increased weightwas and hauling up the beach became almost impossible, Solent– being referred to as Hythe fidisappeared, shing cutters.with Otherthe well-known most of some the beach-based communities boats being builders were Alfred PayneAldeburgh and Fay, both Northam, andand Lukes, kept in the river Deben. wasofthe exception, thewhose odd boat Pal before moved to Hamble. They yardoperates was aboutdirectly the same I keptthough still offspot the as beach, thehe numbers have severely were mostly fishermen who crewedhas. for the fraternity declined justworked as the by general fishing industry Thyacht-racing e added problem today during the regatta season, and the too aboard their own craft. is unchanged from a century agofishermen – the lack ofraced access to market – and Freda, CS110, Bess , CS32, Itchen Ferries have beensmall survivors: it’s no wonder that these communities failed.Black Many had to travel Nellie,to SU71, but catch see www.itchenferry.org for more as fithey adapted to engine miles sell the they’d achieved from a day’s shing, and traipsing power quite well and others lurk way-out One day I’ll ask‘elf them if around the neighbourhood wasinoft en the places. only choice. Today’s & safety’ of Itchen anyone knows happened my Pal wouldn’t even whatever let you, even if you’to d the energy to do. so! A good thing, then, that each time I’ve been drifting for herring in Three Sisters, we haven’t caught more than we can eat in a few sessions of chomping.

Thecould rootsbe (and name) these craft You forgiven forofthinking that came they simply from of Itchenwere Ferry, lying ﬁ shedthe for small sprats,village as Aldeburgh’s called sprat on theIn river Itchen thegeneral eighteenth century. boats. truth they in were workhorses CLASSIC SAILOR 13 17 CLASSIC

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The Post Email or post letters and replies to the editor – see opposite; we’ll make sure responses to queries are forwarded on. Siesta and Kate

Loved the June issue, as well as the writing the photography’s so good. I particularly liked Detlef Jens’s article on Siesta; well written and a mouthwatering pictures too. If Philip Walwyn was still around he might take issue with the claim that she’s the first new wooden 12 in 50 years as I believe that Kate (2007) is also wooden, built on the slopes of St Kitts with local labour and local materials. I don’t think that he used composite structures, she is traditionally planked. Ian Nicolson helped with her build as he was the keeper of Mylne plans and records. Keep up the good work! A Bray

Stolen identity?

For professional reasons, I hide behind the pen name of John Quirk or Quirky. Most of my autobiographical articles reflect poorly on me and I don’t want clients thinking they are entrusting their projects to a sea-going Mr Bean. So I was amused to receive an email from an Australian mate who is now based in the UK... “.... Have you seen this new magazine Classic sailor? Some bl**dy good practical stuff here. None of that gold-plated *ankers’ BS. I’m scanning you a bit about building a dinghy where some blaggard called John Quirk has copied your drawing style. Scratchy fine lines and a bit of sloppy water paint. Can’t read his writing either...” Alan Williams, Patonga Creek, Australia

British Raiding on the Clyde: update

Following a recent visit to Scotland by Pete Chesworth and myself, we are delighted to announce that we have agreed to base the fleet at Rhu Marina (www.quaymarinas. com/our-marinas/rhu-ma-

rina). This means all crews will now have walk-ashore access to their boat from the pontoons at the Marina. The live-aboards will thus have easy access to the Shower and Lavatory facilities there. There is also an excellent cafe on-site as well as WiFi.    The Blairvadach Centre will remain the main base for the Raid and launching and recovery will take place at the Blairvadach Centre. We have also been able to firm up on our evening meal locations. One of the Suppers will be at the Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club, one of the most historic Yacht Clubs in the UK, and they have also very kindly agreed to allow us access to their bar facilities for the duration of the Raid as guest visiting sailors.  I have updated the Programme 2016 page of the website (www.raidengland. org/) so that you can read all the details. If you have already registered then there is no need to do anything at this stage. If you have not yet registered then I am sure you will wish to do so via www. raidengland.org.  Best wishes  Geoff Probert, Henley-onThames, Oxon

1. Gypsy a 1933 Anker and Jensen; at 83, the oldest Dragon still racing ? 2. And... at 85, is Don Street the oldest dragon skipper still racing?

Is she a Buchannan?

I have bought a wooden sailboat here in Denmark and I’m searching to find out where she is built because she needs to be restored and I would like to find some drawings. She has been standing on shore for the last 11-12 years. Her former name was April Too of Portsmouth and I think she should be an Alan Buchannan design. She is 30’06” long beam 8’, have hull number 303148 and should be from 1962. I hope that with your network you can help me on where I can find some information. Thanks in advance. Steen Rokkjaer, Denmark

DON GOES ON, AND ON, AND SO DOES GYPSY

Dear Classic Sailor The old British Dragon year books listed Gypsy as a 1938 Johannsen, old but not distinctive, as by that time the class had become so popular probably 600 or more had been built. But my son Richard playing in the International Dragon website discovered that Gypsy is an Anker and Jensen 1933 build, thus one of the first thirty or forty ever built. How about running the above two pictures with these captions so we can find the answers to the above questions? best Don Donald Street, Glandore, Ireland Don Street tells everyone Gypsy and he are aiming to celebrate their 100th together!

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There is a tangent of eccentricity to him that is really delightful to witness

Letter of the month Too salty

Congratulations on an excellent publication, aimed at, in my opinion, a large untapped market. After buying several issues I have recently subscribed. This is the perfect chill out read for relaxing moments at the end of the day creating images of the best of sailing... with one exception. The exception is John Clarke’s article. Despite the less than pleasant illustration, having faith that the editor would have acted if the article matched the illustration I read on. The images and aromas that the article portrayed had nothing to do with any sailing that I do, let alone enjoy and at a stretch might be a story to be shared by males at the club bar on a Friday night. I had to get out of bed, have a cup of tea and find some other relaxing read to dwell on before I went

to sleep. Not your greatest decision as an editor! Good luck and I look forward to enjoying Classic Sailor for years to come. Kind regards Steve Barham

Oh Steve I am so sorry! It was a bit full on wasn’t it? John and I have sailed for years together and I suppose I have become used to his salty humour. And his charter and sea school boats do see a lot of use. The image of him and Lee at last discovering the cause of this random odour, and both dashing down the pontoon to inspect the boat’s batteries seemed to be pure Ealing comedy to me. As was his insouciantly asking the next charterer if they would rather the offending battery was put back aboard! And Colonel Sticky has to be met to be believed; he is

Flip-flop carve-up

Writing of plastic waste at sea in CS003 (Guest Column) and Letters CS008, brings about the thought of flip-flop. How many sailors the world over wear such attire on their feet, one wonders? Maybe not in these cold climes – though I have seen a few – but in the warmer Indian and Pacific Oceans, flip-flops are the preferred footwear for the vast majority of coastal dwellers, whether they work at sea or not. Millions of folk then. After their usefulness, they are routinely discarded and eventually litter endless miles of the littoral fringe – golden beaches and the more mundane – as well as floating out to sea, or washed up, and destined for more harboursides and rock-strewn coasts. Thus flip-flops have become the second largest beach pollutant in the world.

Flip-ﬂop elephant sculpture

But do not despair. Just as Lucy Woodall hopes all sailors will dispose of their plastic properly, there are those already working to rid our shores of this blot on the seascape. One such outfit is Ocean Sole in Kenya, who are paying locals to collect these flip-flops, and are then putting the said footwear through a process that allows them to be glued together into blocks. These blocks are then carved by local artisans and transformed into wonderful animal shapes. In various sizes they

classicsailor.com charming and a very capable sailor but there is a tangent of eccentricity to him that is really delightful to witness. Decorum and taste set aside I do think the piece brings home the message that one should not “mess” with a battery like that. But I’ll keep an eye on this sort of thing and I do hope it didn’t make you upset your drink or capsize your canoe, or anything like that. Apologies offered herewith. Ed

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

produce a whole host of these animals - elephants, giraffes, warthogs, hippos, rhinos, lions, gorillas, pandas and zebras, as well as various others such as dolphins, turtles and penguins. Not to forget the dinosaurs. One of my favourites is the turtle doorstop at £8. All are sold through the Fairtrade label. There are several outlets in Britain but the one close to my heart is the Fish out of Water Gallery in Wotton-under-Edge where there is a large stock of these exceptionally lovely multi-coloured flip-flop sculptures. Find the gallery on Facebook or phone 01453-844316. OK – so I have a vested interest here but, although it might be the tip of the iceberg, it does show just what can be done in recycling waste from our oceans. Yours flip-flopping, Mike Smylie, Wotton-under-Edge.

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7 Haslar Marina, Gosport, Hants. PO12 1NU admin@classicsailor.com Editor Dan Houston dan@classicsailor.com

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+44 (0)7747 612614 Art Editor Stephen Philp Sub Editor Peter Willis peter@classicsailor.com Contributing editor Guy Venables guy@classicsailor.com Columnists Andrew Bray, Federico Nardi Advertising Catherine Jackson catherine@classicsailor.com +44 (0)7495 404461 Lynda Fielden Lynda@classicsailor.com +44 (0)7788 722438 Admin Evie Farrelly evie@classicsailor.com 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

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Andrew Bray It’s not what you say but the way you say it – more on the need for nautical language, with some new terms

Gybing could be entertaining – “no not that blue one, the other blue one!”

know as the “up f****r” and the “downf****r”. Crude perhaps, but clearly understood especially when a watch captain shouts “dump the downf****r or we’re f****d!” This is language that a crewman of one of Henry VIII’s ships would have understood, less for their vulgarity than

their meaning for swift and appropriate action. On Maggie May we have somewhat more genteel terminology, although anyone who sails with me knows that if any request is accompanied with a quiet “please” through clenched teeth then it’s time to hurry up and do something.

GUY VENABLES

touched on the subject of marine terminology in an earlier column and how many newcomers to sailing find it confusing and question its necessity. Why have port and starboard, tradition apart, they argue when left and right are much more easily understood as they are in everyday use? That’s an easy one to answer and it’s the same reason that port and starboard are used on aircraft. Port and starboard refer to the sides of the boat or aircraft. Left and right are directions. If you’re looking aft you can point to something over to your left but it will be on the starboard side of the boat and vice versa. Most terminology has evolved out of necessity. On a large sailing ship with a multitude of lines of many descriptions and serving many purposes it was vital the instructions and orders given to crew were easily understood, especially as many of those lines would be under huge load. An order misunderstood could easily lead to damage to the vessel, her crew or worse. So there is no ambiguity in the instruction to “Ease the port fore brace” or similar commands. Not many CS readers will own or sail boats or ships with fore braces, catheads or top gallants but they may well have martingales and highfield levers and the reason for understanding their names and functions are the same as on a tall ship. Out of racing new descriptions have emerged as well, which operate alongside the traditional terms. A barberhauler is used on a sheet to change its lead, ease still means let go slowly but dump! means do it in a hurry or you’ll be in big trouble. You might dump the vang, the spinnaker sheet or guy before you wipe out, or broach. Multicoloured modern ropes have made things easier. If your beginner crew doesn’t know which is the peak halyard he or she might be able to identify the red-flecked one (as opposed to the solid red one; life is still not simple). I was a bit cash strapped when fitting out one of my boats and a job lot of blue-flecked line was something I couldn’t resist. I detest spinnakers but this boat had one. She also had an inner forestay so had two poles, which meant that each had its own topping lift, downhaul, sheet and guy which came to a total of eight lines. You can probably guess what colour they all were. Gybing, with crew unaccustomed to the strange ways of the Bray boat, could be entertaining. “No, not that blue one, the other blue one!” I didn’t need to explain the meaning of broach. Also from racing came another new term. It was, I believe, during one on the Whitbread Round the World Races that two lines on the boat with no traditional description became

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Nardi’s Nods

by Federico Nardi of Cantiere Navale dell’Argentario

The Elizabethan 29: With a classic long keel and sweet lines by Kim Holman this 1960 design sails well and has a distinctive grace

DAVID HARDING / SAILINGSCENES.COM

he Elizabethan 29 was designed by Christopher Rushmore ‘Kim’ Holman in 1960 on behalf of Peter Webster Ltd, of Lymington, for Webster’s line of Elizabethan yachts. One of the first glassfibre production yachts built in England, several hundred were built in his Ropewalk Boat Yard from 1961 until 1976. The cast-iron ballast keel was hung from the hull until 1967 when it was encapsulated in the mould. Further boats were built when the moulds were taken over by Drummond Bayne Marine. Beginning in 1965 Henri Wauquiez, at Neuville en Ferrain near the Belgian border, built about thirty, establishing his reputation for sturdy, quality construction. The boat has extremely classic lines with a traditional full keel; her pronounced sheer gives her a distinctive grace. The deck is bonded to the hull and the toe-rail is covered by teak capping all round. The mast and boom are in anodized aluminium, extruded and riveted by Proctor. The selfdraining cockpit is deep, yet wide enough to brace your legs when heeled over; the coaming is in plywood with moulded corners. A large lazarette is located under the after deck. There was no internal moulding, so the cold interior polyester was covered by widespread use of wood in the bulkheads and furnishings, both solid and ply mahogany. Below, she has four berths, a separate head and basic cooking and navigation areas. As the mast is stepped on deck it should be carefully checked, along with the chainplates and the hull/ deck joint. She is not part of the category of yachts made for long passages, but she behaves very well in confronting variable and unpredictable weather conditions. She can be found from around £4,000 on the market.

Partly based on the clinker-built wooden Stella – Holman’s successful interpretation of the Folkboat, the Elizabethan 29 continues to ﬁnd fans among those who want a comfy seaboat that can stand up to some weather. The narrow hull gives her a good sense of stability and she has good speed for racing as well as cruising. Her coachroof (below) has a well designed step that gives 5ft 10in (1.8m) of headroom below.

TRANSLATION BY JAMES ROBINSON TAYLOR

ELIZABETHAN 29 LOA: 29ft 0in (8.8m) LWL: 20ft 0in (6.0m) Beam: 7ft 6in (2.3m) Draught: 4ft 2in (1.3m) Ballast: 2,800 lb (1270kg) Sail area: 320 sqft (29.7m2)

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Instructors’ tales: The pierhead jump In which Trevor Clifton describes some of the skills needed to sail out of harbour

The two stranded crew members leapt for the shrouds

they didn’t sheet in. I could see the sails flapping. Unable to clear the entrance, and with nowhere to turn they ran into the old tractor tyres hanging against the wall at the far side of the entrance. Two of the crew ran up to the foredeck and pushed the bow away from the tyres. The wind blew the boat sideways, back towards the harbour, the crew kept the bow away from the wall until they were clear. Still beam on to the wind, the boat shot forward and grounded on the shallow bank in the northeast corner of

the harbour. They were lusty lads and it was a sunny day in summer; one of them jumped over the side, got himself to the front of the boat, put his shoulder under the bow and pushed, she was free. She sailed off down the harbour minus that one member of the crew; he managed to climb back onto the wall. Their second attempt to get out of the harbour was much the same as the first, except that this time, when they rammed the wall, the pulpit got stuck in one of the tyres, too tightly for their man

on the wall to push them off. Another brave member of the crew leapt ashore. Between the two of them, pushing the pulpit with their feet, they managed to disengage the boat from the tyre. She bore away, filled, and sailed off down the harbour again, now minus two of her crew. On their third attempt they sailed out through the harbour mouth with millimetres to spare. As she cleared the pier head the two stranded crew members leapt for the shrouds as the boat sailed by. And made it.

GUY VENABLES

e sailed everywhere. No engines was the rule. That was when you could tie up on harbour walls. It’d be a bit more difficult these days when everyone parks in marinas. We ran the courses on Contessa 28s, usually with a crew of five: one instructor, one potential skipper and three Competent Crew students to a boat. On the last day of a five-day course the instructors would swap boats to get a second opinion on the crews’ competence, particularly of the trainee skippers. And this was boat swap day. We’d moored in Marstel harbour, Denmark; a narrow, rectangular shaped harbour, with a long, north/south quay on the western side; the entrance is a thirty-metre gap in the northern wall. The wind was blowing from the north – straight in through the entrance. One by one the boats beat up the harbour, aiming for the northwest corner where they tacked onto port, bore away a little to pick up speed along the northern wall, then hardened up to pinch out through the entrance. I watched the boat on which I’d been instructing with interest. They beat up to the wall well enough, tacked, eased the sheets, picked up a bit of speed and turned closer to the wind at the entrance, only

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PASSAGE TO BREST 2016

THE LONG WAY TO

Brest Gordon Buchanan has been working up a leisurely, scenic passage plan to the festival, starting from Scotland

aving been to the Brest Festival twice before, and arrived late both times due to weather delays, the plan I drew up for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event meant allowing for similar delays. A bonus would be the possibility of being able to visit more places en route from the Clyde to Brittany. Various pleasant winter evenings produced a passage plan with hopefully enough flexibility to allow for a relaxed cruise while still ensuring arrival in time to be at Brest for the duration of the event.

A departure in early June suits both family commitments and the opening of the Festival at Brest on 13 July. I picked 7 June for departure from Port Bannatyne as high water at 1507BST means that leaving about lunch time would give a favourable tidal flow through the Kyles of Bute before the tide turns south. Depending on wind conditions a first evening stop at Lochranza on the Isle of Arran or at Carradale, on the Kintyre peninsula, would give flexibility and allow most of the trip to be completed with a boost from the tide. Tides in the Clyde estuary are all pretty gentle but why fight nature? Navigational hazards

are all well charted so should pose no difficulties. Admiralty chart 2131 covers the whole area. For the passage south, picking up crew at Campbeltown is the reason for using Kilbrannan Sound, rather than the slightly more direct route to the east of Arran. Campbeltown Loch is used by commercial ships as well as the Royal Navy, and the entrance, guarded by Island Davaar with its conspic. lighthouse, is well marked although the leading lights can be difficult to identify, especially when the sun is in the west. Yes, the sun does sometimes shine in Scotland. The new marina facility is to the west of the main harbour,

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Port Bannatyne Cambeltown

Belfast Peel

Holyhead

Miford Haven

Tresco

Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Aber Wrach Brest

the entrance marked by a starboard hand buoy that marks shoal ground immediately to the west. Next planned stop is Bangor Marina in Belfast Lough, a distance of about 45 miles that includes crossing the North Channel with its strong tides. Through this narrow gap between Scotland and Ireland flows most of the water that fills the northern part of the Irish Sea, so it is not surprising that flow rates are worthy of note. As I intend to spend a day or so storing in Campbeltown it is likely that departure will be around the 10th, almost a week after spring tides. This means a start from Campbeltown at about 0700 in order

Above: Tantina II approaches the rocks guarding the entrance to Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Aber Wrach, and the 77m tall Ile Vierge lighthouse. Right: Gordon Buchanan sails his 31ft 6in sloop Tantina II, left, out of Bute, Scotland CLASSIC SAILOR

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PASSAGE TO BREST 2016

After the party at Portaferry I would like to visit Peel on the Isle of Man again to allow time to exit the Loch and make for the south end of the Kintyre peninsula, before the tide starts to flood. Or an hour later, if departure is delayed until the next day, a delay that is quite possible as a result of weather or even festivities ashore. These calculations are based on the assumption that the wind will behave and not blow hard from the south, as a strong wind against tide situation in the North Channel is perhaps best avoided. A final sight of the light on Sanda Island position 55°16’50”N, 05°35’01”W before heading towards Ireland initially on a course of 190°M should make use of the incoming tide as well as keeping a safe clearance from any hazards. Departure waypoint from Sanda for those using electronic aids is 55°17’N, 05°31’W. This avoids the area round Paterson’s Rock which should be left to starboard. Initially the tide should only slightly push to the east but as progress is made towards the Irish coast the full flow will be experienced so an alteration to a course of 200° should lead to the entrance to Belfast Lough. Hazards to be avoided are the rocks known as the Maidens some 10 miles to the north of the entrance to Belfast Lough, but the course mentioned should provide adequate clearance. As always a careful eye on progress is prudent. I usually plan on achieving an average speed of about 5 knots, so for bigger or faster boats the times will need to be adjusted. When heading south, my preferred marina in Belfast Lough is at Bangor, good shelter and a plethora of good pubs a few steps away! Hopefully arrival time will coordinate nicely with opening times. The next stage of the cruise to Brest is a planned stop at an Old Gaffers event at Portaferry in Strangford Lough. Tides in the entrance can reach 8 knots so some degree of caution is required. Due to the geography of the area, it is almost always safe to enter the Lough but leaving with the ebb can be dangerous if the wind is blowing onshore. This is certainly true for winds over Force 3 when a nasty sea develops at the bar that guards the entrance to Strangford Narrows. Leaving Bangor an hour before LW Belfast, say about 1030 on 13 June would give a fair tide for all but the first hour or so , and should also mean arrival at the entrance to Strangford Narrows in time to catch the last of the flood into the Lough. Otherwise it is a question of waiting outside for the next tide, as I cannot envisage any joy in trying to stem the outgoing tide. There are numerous little bays where anchorage can be found outside the entrance, but if the weather is poor there is always the possibility of a temporary berth alongside in Portavogie. This very busy fishing harbour is not particularly well

equipped for yachts, but does offer good shelter although the entrance is also dangerous in strong onshore winds. The passage from Belfast Lough is simply a matter of keeping a good offing from the shore and following the coast southwards. My preference when leaving Belfast Lough is to use Donaghadee Sound, unhelpfully marked on some charts as unsuitable for pleasure craft. With due attention to the channel marks, it is not a difficult passage. After the party at Portaferry I would like to visit Peel on the Isle of Man again. Exiting Strangford Lough will be timed for a departure at about 1400 on 20 June – not ideal as this means that the passage out to sea will be taken just after HW when the flow is likely to be at its strongest. A course of 105° allows for the tide pushing north on the passage to Peel with its friendly harbour with good shelter and welcoming yacht club.

After the hustle of Ireland the passage across the Irish Sea promises some relaxation, so the 35mile trip only needs to take account of the access times for the harbour. The flapgate that maintains the harbour depths is open HW±2, with HW being a few minutes after Liverpool. A few days relaxing and enjoying the sights of the island before heading for Holyhead should refresh both boat and crew. For amusement, and if the weather plays along the short trip through Calf Sound might well be an option, before heading south on a course of 175°. As there is a separation zone to cross before entering Holyhead some care will be required to ensure that this can be crossed correctly at right angles. As the tide during the crossing will be trending east, landfall off Anglesey is likely to be just north of the east-west part of the zone. This will allow a correct crossing before turning west

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PASSAGE TO BREST 2016

Main photo: Gaffers racing in Campbeltown Loch. Insets: upper: Sanda Island; lower: Leaving the harbour at Peel, Isle of Man

to a course of 195°. This avoids the hazard around Skerries and allows the Langdon SCM to be left on its seaward side before finally heading for the harbour at Holyhead. If all goes to plan, a marina berth will be available, and a, probably necessary, shower before a meal ashore. The next part of the trip is a long haul to Milford Haven. This is over 100 miles so will entail an overnight passage across Caernarvon and Cardigan Bays. A course of 200° should mean that a good offing will be maintained from the area around Bardsey Island off the tip of the Lleyn Peninsula. Over the duration of such a trip several tides will be experienced so my preference is to plan to pass any ‘difficult’ areas at the best time. In this case the strong tides and rocky area with attendant overfalls around the Bishops and Clerks off St. David’s Head are best avoided so it would be good to arrive a few miles offshore

as the tide begins its south flow. This starts at approximately HW Dover or Milford Haven +5. Likely date for arrival is 25 June and as HW Dover is at 1501 BST this will mean a start from Holyhead at lunchtime on Friday 24th. One advantage of a mid-afternoon arrival time is that the entrance to Milford Haven will be in daylight. My first arrival here a few years ago was at night and the myriad of lights coupled with poor visibility made it a rather fraught process. Hopefully that will not be repeated and

Rather than going all the way to Milford Haven, sheltered anchorage will be found at Dale, a mile or so from the entrance

rather than going all the way to Milford Haven, sheltered anchorage will be found at Dale, a mile or so on from the west side of the entrance. There is a mooring pontoon in the middle of the bay for visitors although it is subject to movement from the tides in the bay. Following a rest it will be good to meet up with some Welsh friends and perhaps a pint or two at Dale YC. As stores are likely to be getting low a trip to Milford Haven is probably going to be necessary. The bus service from Dale passes through some very pleasant country so this might be the preferred option rather than taking the boat all the way to Milford marina. I estimate that it will be nearer the end of June before starting the next leg so my hope of being able to visit Lundy Isle for the first time would happily coincide with neap tides on the 29th. Obviously this will be weather dependent, and CLASSIC SAILOR

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There is a good hotel a few steps from the landing pier at Tresco, so I can look forward to a treat as we all know... Although it might be possible to manage the trip in one tide there is nothing better than getting a fair tide the whole way. I calculate that a departure from Dale at about 0530 on the 29th will give a mainly favourable flow. If the weather does play along this would mean that arrival at Lundy will be early afternoon so should give time for some exploring. The anchorage on the east side of the island is obviously exposed to winds from that direction so some caution will be required. As I have an arrangement, fortunately flexible, to meet up with family members at Padstow, that is the next planned stop. The entrance to Padstow is only passable at neaps about 1.5 hours either side of HW so timing of arrival is probably more important than getting a fair tide to help on passage, however a departure from Lundy at about 0400 on 1 July should mean that most of the trip will be with a fair current. My entrance waypoint for Padstow is 50°35’N, 04°57’W, from where the channel marks should be visible. If conditions are perfect for the sail from Lundy it is possible that I may have to wait for the tide before entering the channel but past experience has shown that perfect conditions don’t often happen, especially if one is relying on them. There is an area just outside the gated harbour where one can moor or anchor to await suitable depth for entry. As the only shelter between Padstow and my next planned stop at the Isles of Scilly is in drying harbours a very careful check of likely weather will be vital, as I don’t like drying out. The combination of deep draught and narrow beam makes that a fraught adventure. If the wind blows from the south-west, its prevailing direction, this next leg of the trip will be a beat for over 60 miles with the added entertainment of the need to keep clear of the shore and a separation zone to cross. In the event that it is a beat my plan is to set a course well offshore once past Trevose Head and not tack south until the Scilly islands can be reached in one tack. This would keep me offshore of the Cape Cornwall Bank with its breaking water as well as keeping a course that avoids the separation zone entirely. The likely time for this passage, if a beat, could be 18 hours or so. Departing Padstow at about 0700 on 5 July will give the benefit of a lee bow tide for the first leg, with the flow rates gradually decreasing as the course takes me further offshore. July in Scilly is likely to be busy so anchoring is probably going to be the preferred option, and if conditions are suitable the anchorage in New Grimsby Sound between Tresco and Bryher is usually quite pleasant. There is a good hotel a few steps away from the landing pier on Tresco and a couple of choices on Bryher as well so the inner man, or woman, can look forward to a

treat. I only plan to spend a day, or two at most before crossing the Channel, so this visit to these interesting islands will be a short one. L’Aber Wrach on the north Brittany coast is far enough east to mean that a direct course from the Scilly Isles keeps clear of the Ushant traffic separation zone. It is a lovely place, and with at least a week before the Brest event starts, another visit has a lot of appeal. Although it is not easy to predict an accurate ETA when crossing the Channel, a best guess for the planned trip is approximately 24 hours so leaving Tresco at 0730, just before HW on the 7th will allow the shortcut to the passage between St. Mary’s and Gugh and after that to a course of 140° should suffice initially. Tides on the Brittany side of the Channel are strong so some serious chart work will be required once within about 20 miles of the coast,

and very much depending on time of arrival at that arbitrary waypoint. For those using electronics that is 48°53’N, 05°00’W. Assuming that everything goes to plan – unlikely I know – the above waypoint should be reached at about 0200 so the light at Le Stiff on Ushant should be visible to the south. The weather will of course be clear with no hint of the fog that is common in this area... I hope. Equally agreeable, of course, will be the last three hours of the east-going tide, meaning a course correction to 147°, or in reality steering approximately 150° as I am sure I am not alone in not being able to steer to an exact degree if there is any sea running. The last hour of the approach to L’Aber Wrach should coincide with slack water and the beginning of the ebb. Although the rocks and shallows in the entrance will mainly be hidden the

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PASSAGE TO BREST 2016

Opposite page: upper: The harbour at Milford Haven, the marina is to the right of this picture. Lower: Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly is exposed to the SW, and can be quite uncomfortable in a gale. This page: upper: A cracking sail across the Channel; lower: Brest Festival by day and by night.

navigation marks should be readily identifiable. If possible the leading lights should be identified but as the sun is likely to be in almost direct line this may not be possible. If that is the case the Libenter WCM is the outer mark from which to head on a course of 100° for the charmingly named Petit Pot du Beurre port mark. From there the buoyed channel should be easily visible and this leads nicely to the marina, and hopefully an arrival in time for some fresh croissants. A few days rest and good Brittany cuisine, and then the hop around the corner to Brest. This means using the Chenal du Four, with its dubious reputation. It is not as fearsome as some say if reasonable forethought is applied. I plan to leave L’Aber Wrach on 12 July when the west-going tide should begin to flow at about 1230. My preference is to sail the offshore route thus keeping a good clearance from the hazards closer in. This

route is only a mile or so longer and much better for the blood pressure. Altantic swell means that sightings of the different marks may be intermittent, but even with the tides approaching neaps, the passage should be quick. Chenal du Four is well marked and provided visibility is good, a series of hops from one buoy to the next leads to Pte St Mathieu and the turn into the Rade du Brest. If everything has gone to plan the tide will turn just in time for the passage to Brest. The only offshore hazards here are Coq

The Chenal du Four is not as fearsome as some say... sailing the offshore route is much better for the blood pressure

Iroise, an isolated outcrop a mile east of Pte St. Mathieu, and then the easily avoided Plateau des Fillettes at the entrance to the Goulet de Brest. This can be passed on either hand although the north side is wider and the more direct approach to the harbour at Brest. As I will have left home long before the Festival organisers get round to sending out the details of berthing arrangements, hopefully I will have an email showing where to berth, either in the marina area or on a pontoon in the River Penfold. Berth duly sorted it will be time to enjoy the next few days of the festival and thereafter perhaps even go on to the parallel festival at Douarnenez. The sight of all the boats pushing through the narrow gaps between the rocks of Les Tas de Pois is something to cherish until the next event in four years’ time. CLASSIC SAILOR

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31/05/16 5:08 PM

SUFFOLK YACHT HARBOUR CLASSIC REGATTA

East Coast eclectics It’s an annual display of very varied, very beautiful boats in a beautiful setting, with an element of competition. Peter Willis previews the year’s Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta Photos by Gill Moon

eally, it’s what the East Coast had always needed. Which is no doubt why Suffolk Yacht Harbour’s Classic Regatta, with its entertaining and eclectic mix of beautiful boats, has gone on from strength to strength and is now, in its 15th year, a fixture – and high point – in the region’s yachting calendar. Jonathan Dyke, managing director of the marina, who runs the event, always cites the America’s Cup Jubilee at Cowes in 2001 as the inspiration for the regatta. “I was blown away by those celebrations,” he says. “I came away thinking why isn’t there something going on up here for bermudan classics?”

The first event, in 2002, stipulated yacht-built boats, bermudan rig (on the grounds that gaffers already had a multitude of events on offer), of wooden construction and built between 1920 and 1970; it attracted 18 entrants. Nowadays the regatta annually attracts around 50 yachts, and the rules have been relaxed slightly – gaff-rigged boats are allowed (as are bermudans at Old Gaffers events) and the dates have been stretched – at both ends. Leila for example was built in 1892, and Betty Alan for all her classic looks is just a couple of years older then the regatta itself. In fact the requirement to be built of wood also appears to have lapsed. Current requirements specify “Yachts of classic character and conventional monohull design,” with the

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SUFFOLK YACHT HARBOUR CLASSIC REGATTA

rider, “by invitation”. Engines are required, except where an exemption has been given – there is in fact a trophy for the fastest engineless boat, won by Zest last year. The real delight of the regatta is the sheer diversity of the boats taking part, in both design and size. The range and variety is enormous, from out-and-out racers, meticulously prepared, like Richard Matthews’ Fife Kismet, or Jonathan’s own Robert Clark 40-footer Cereste, to family cruising boats such as the Maurice Griffithsdesigned Malwen, or the remarkably nimble Woodwind. The largest participant this year is likely to be Spirit Yachts’ 52ft Flight of Ufford, built in 2007, and recently renovated, owned by Sean and Jenny McMillan. At the other end of the scale are the Stellas, at just under 26ft. Stella owners have always supported the regatta, and get their own class start – appropriate since their designer, Kim Holman, was a founder director of Suffolk Yacht Harbour. As well as the Stellas, there are Fast and Slow classes (as decided by the regatta’s own handicappers)– and ‘Slow’ boats have been known to beat ‘Fast’ ones. The marina is well-placed to host such an event, located as it is near the mouth of the broad and beautiful River Orwell, and its confluence with the Stour, all leading into Harwich Harbour. Courses cover all these waters and out to sea as far as the Cork Sand, giving a good range of conditions, with opportunities for shoreside viewing. There are three races – two on Saturday, one on Sunday. This year’s regatta is on 11-12 June.

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SUFFOLK YACHT HARBOUR CLASSIC REGATTA

ZEST – 80, fast and engineless

For Zest, Jonathan Thompson’s 27ft Swedish Tumlare, coming first overall, as well as in class, at last year’s Classic Regatta, was a suitable way of marking her 80th birthday. If it was. Jonathan believes she was built in Sweden, yard unknown, in 1935. He does know that the type was designed by Knud Reimers and discovered by Uffa Fox who wrote about her in his second book. (Adard Coles also wrote about her later on, in Sailing Days.) Zest, along with Zara, was owned by Roger de Quincy, who brought the two boats to the UK, among half-adozen ordered by members of the Aldeburgh Yacht Club. This little fleet eventually dispersed, and Jonathan found Zest about five years ago in a shed in Dumbarton. He’d read about her restoration by David Spy in a 1994 issue of Classic Boat, and discovered that she’d been preserved in the shed ever since. After he brought her back to Aldeburgh, Peter Wilson did some work on the hull, Collars provided spars, and sails were made by Parker and Kaye. Jonathan has taken part in every SYH Classic – initially in his previous Tumlare (it’s Swedish for ‘porpoise’), the UK-built Imari, then in his Stella Aquarius – both boats gaining the Spirit Flask, awarded to the crew most in need of a stiff drink. Zest also won a third trophy last year – for the highest-placed boat without an engine.

LEILA – training sailors

One of the oldest boats in the regatta – she was built in 1892 – Leila has taken part in every regatta since she was restored and relaunched in 2013. She was built by F W Wilkinson of Charlton, on the Thames just below Greenwich, as a ‘gentleman’s racing yacht’ and won the Round Britain Yacht Race in 1904. Long and slim, 40ft overall by 9ft 8in beam, with a long deep keel and a generous counter stern, she was fast in her day, though she can struggle to keep up with more modern classics. She’s now owned by the Leila Sailing Trust and following an extensive, and troublesome restoration, is based in Lowestoft’s heritage harbour and operated as a sail-training ‘small ship’ under skipper David Beavan, with a policy of offering subsidised sailing to young people who would not otherwise be able to afford the experience. Later this summer she’ll be taking part in the ASTO Small Ships Race from Dartmouth to Gosport (some berths available), and in 2017 she’ll be racing in the full Tall Ships Baltic circuit taking in Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Poland. With just six crew bunks, it’s very hands-on and trainess learn quickly. See leila2c.org for more details.

Previous spread: Betty Alan passing Felixstowe container terminal in the 2014 regatta This spread: Top: Zest leading the fleet last year. From left: Jonathan Dyke’s Cereste, Leila and Arrow

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SUFFOLK YACHT HARBOUR CLASSIC REGATTA

ARROW – from the Solent

“You can’t take the regatta’s sailing too seriously – it’s just a gathering of really good-looking boats” Phil Plumtree, Arrow “It’s such a nice regatta, I like Jonathan’s approach to it so much” Ed Maggs, Betty Alan

The West Solent Restricted class has been a mainstay of the Classic Regatta since its beginning – since before the beginning in fact. In 1996 when Jonathan Dyke owned a West Solent, Benita, he organised some races for the class. One of those who took part was Phil Plumtree, who had recently bought – and still owns – Arrow, W1. For some reason a revival of this tall, handsome, 34ft 1920s south-coast class (‘the poor man’s 6-Metre’ according to some) coalesced on the East Coast around the Blackwater in the 1990s. About a dozen restored boats were involved, though the fleet has now dwindled as various boats have been sold away. Arrow, however, is still here – last year she came fourth, with a redesigned, taller rig. “We found a pre-1938 photo of her with a taller rig, so I decided to try it,” says Phil. “We took a big rating penalty, so I’ve reverted to the original sized mast.” It’s a new one, built for him by Adrian Riva of Maldon, with new sails by John Parker. “I’ve had the boat 21 years, but it’s like starting again,” he adds. Despite all this effort, Phil say “You can’t take the regatta’s racing too seriously. It’s just a gathering of really good-looking boats.”

BETTY ALAN – like a Mylne

Back this year and guaranteed to attract the eye is the gorgeous 50ft Betty Alan. Her last, and first, appearance in the Classics, two years ago, ended in ignominy. “We came last,” says owner/ skipper Ed Maggs with mock (possibly) disgust. It was all due to her IRC rating he believes, which mixed up the headsail sizes and produced a harsh handicap. He’s hoping for more lenient treatment and a better placing this time. Betty Alan particularly deserves a fair shake because she is, in truth, a child of the regatta. It was when their Stella Polaris was dismasted in the windy 2011 event that Ed and his wife Frances decided to look for a bigger boat. The one they eventually found was Betty Alan, as she’s now renamed by them after respective ancestors but then called Diligent II. Her lines, and her tall ketch rig. evoke memories of Mylne, largely because her original owner used a photo of a Mylne ketch to show his designer, Jeremy Lines of Camper & Nicholson, what he wanted. Diligent II was launched in 1999. In another, slightly more tenuous connection with the Classic Regatta, she took part in the 2001 America’s Cup Jubilee, which Jonathan Dyke always cites as his inspiration for launching Suffolk Yacht Harbour’s event. “It’s such a nice regatta – I like Jonathan’s approach to it so much,” comments Ed. CLASSIC SAILOR

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‘The real power of Brest is the sea. No matter what the place looks like, the ocean is always there, vast and immutable. Ports – commercial, naval and pleasure – embody possibilities beyond the horizon. The indecipherable tangle of quays and warehouses, of ships, cranes and containers speaks of dangerous distance and worlds away. That has been Brest’s daily diet for centuries.’ Anthony Peregrine The Telegraph 32 CLASSIC SAILOR

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THE MARITIME FESTIVAL TO FEAST ON

Bienvenue à Brest! (Welcome to Brest!) It’s the biggest, most delightful maritime festival in the world – and it’s just across the Channel! Sail over, or drive or fly. But come – and meet us there! Words and photos by Nigel Pert

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BREST FESTIVAL OF THE SEA 2016

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BREST FESTIVAL OF THE SEA 2016

n our troubled times of uncertainty and gloom it is refreshing to witness, from time to time, that the efforts of a handful of dedicated hardworking enthusiasts provide pleasure for thousands, for years to come. I believe that in our field of boating there are many examples to be seen of this, but perhaps few as spectacular and enduring as the phenomenon of the maritime festivals held every four years in Brest at the western extremity of Brittany. The precursors of this series of festivals, then mainly for work boats, were held in the early 1980s at Pors Beac’h, in one of the many creeks within the Rade de Brest. These were followed by somewhat larger events in 1986 and 1988 in Douarnenez in the next big bay south of the Rade de Brest, the other side of the Crozon peninsular. A core of dedicated people lead by Jakez Kerhoas was at the instigation and continuation of these events. In 1992 the magazine The craft to be Le Chasse Marée, which had found at Brest launched the construction of replicas and restoration of encompass just existing working boats with about all that ﬂoats, their ‘Boats of the French from Tall Ships to Littoral’ competition a few years earlier, worked with this cedar-strip canoes, group to organise the first via recordfestival at Brest. breaking yachts The festival at Douarnenez continued with the grand parade around Crozon from Brest marking the start of the few days of celebrations there. This formula has repeated itself every four years since and the parade of one to two thousand boats is always one of the most evocative spectacles of the meeting. Every other two years Douarnenez has a festival on its own. The Brest festivals attract a great number of visitors. Even the first edition saw around a million visitors to the site and around the coastline to watch the 1,500 or vessels sailing in the bay. In 1996 the number of invited craft attending swelled to some 2,500, Including the Pride of Baltimore and HMS Rose both of which sailed the Atlantic to be present, giving Pride of Baltimore the opportunity to have several races together with another vessel carrying the topsail schooner rig: Brest’s own emblematic replica of an eighteenth century corvette, La Recouvrance. The schooners’ race has since become an ongoing tradition of the festival.

Top: Three Pen Duicks, from left, I, II and Vsmall pix: Left:Party time, little boat from Croatia, Jangada from Brazil

Quay People from past Brest Festivals – are you here? If so, come and have your photo taken at the UK Village and win a subscription to Classic Sailor

There is always something of interest to be found for everyone with a love of the sea. There are plenty of interesting exhibits on shore, for those who haven’t managed to get out on the water with one of the visiting vessels. The French Marine Nationale play their part admirably, opening up the Penfeld river, which is normally totally off limits to the public within their military base. This in itself was a great moment for locals in 1992, as it was the first time those who didn’t work within the fences had the opportunity to visit the town’s secret garden. This gives a total of some seven kilometres of quayside space for stands, demonstrations and stages for the numerous musical shows that animate the site into the small hours each day. From its early origins concentrated around work boats, the craft to be found at the Brest festival encompass just about all that floats from tall ships, such as the world’s largest sailing ship the Russian Sedov, to small cedar strip canoes, passing by multihulled, advertising-plastered record-breaking yachts (Thomas Coville sailed directly into the festival after his quickest ever Atlantic crossing in 2008), not forgetting classic yachts and leisure craft of the sixties. Motor vessels are not left out either, CLASSIC SAILOR

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with old steam vessels such as Léchalas or the tug boat John Brown. In 2012 the huge Russian ice breaker Saint Petersburg arrive in the Brest Roads side by side with her compatriot the four masted barque Kruzenshtern. Both vessels are to be seen again this summer. Another key element of the success of the Brest festivals has been their cosmopolitan nature with several countries being guests of honour for each edition. This encourages the attendance of a fleet of traditional boats and many cultural exhibits from those countries. The mere fact of having that date of a major festival has given impetus to many organisations, large or small, to complete projects and get there on time. And there have been many extraordinary stories of boats arriving at Brest after voyages This year, the that have extended the pleasure United Kingdom of the event. In 2000 two has been invited curraghs arrived at Brest under oarpower from Ireland. They to bring over made a short stop in the Scillies diverse marine to shelter from the bad weather crafts-people conditions and were accompanied the rest of the – and of course way by a kind fishing vessel Classic Sailor concerned for their safety. Another year the association of Mediterranean pointues, lateen rigged fishing boats, arrived via the inland waterways and left by the same route. I witnessed the return of some of their members to the Mediterranean, that autumn at the regattas in Nice. The craft and cultures of more exotic countries have included Mexico and Indonesia in 2012. Brazil in 2004 brought its fleet of colourful, frail coastal fishing boats: the Jangadas. One afternoon these were sailed with celebrity sailors on board including yachting journalists, naval architects as well as stars of blue water racing including our own Dame Ellen MacArthur and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. There were several canoes from Vietnam built like baskets being rowed facing forwards and sometimes using the feet, towing coracles of a similar construction method, up and down the Penfeld in 2008. Madagascar was represented the same year by one of its small, sailing coastal cargo boats lovingly named Sourire (smile in French) From the first Brest festival in 1992 the British contingent has always been very strong with some 700 vessels attending that first year. This year the United Kingdom is one of the invited countries and a UK village will be set up on the Quai Malbert in the heart of the site in the commercial docks. Mike Smylie – aka Kipperman – is co-ordinating this British village and has so far assembled diverse marine crafts-people such as a coracle maker, a caricaturist, a sail maker, a traditional fisherman, a materials supplier, the International Boatbuilding Training College Portsmouth, a rigger, a boatbuilder, a guy who specialises in overhauling blocks, an artist and of course Classic Sailor magazine.

Top: Grand parade to Dournenez near the Tas de Pois (heap of peas) rocks small pix: Japanese junk; one of the many small sailing dinghes taking part; basketmaking from Galicia

This year the festival which will take place from 13-19 July will have many emblematic vessels of our maritime heritage such Bessie Ellen, Biche, Cuauhtémoc, Kruzenshtern, Belém, and Zuiderzee. But surely the star of the show will be L’Hermione (CS4), the replica frigate that after nearly 20 years in the building, at Rochefort, France, last year recreated the voyage of 1780 that took the Marquis of La Fayette to America to announce France’s support to Washington in the War of Independence. She will only sail for about six weeks this year, with a stopover in St Malo, (2-9 July), before attending Brest 2016. So that’s her, them, loads of other characterful vessels and sailors, and us (p7). And you?

More Quay People from past Brest Festivals – are you here? If so, come and have your photo taken at the UK Village and win a subscription to Classic Sailor

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FALMOUTH COASTGUARDS

Coastal command Sue Kittow goes behind the scenes at Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre and discovers the difference technology is making to sea safety

K Coastguard James Instance greets me, muttering, “Excuse me. Got to deal with some pyrotechnics,” then approaches a gentleman with a large box that they take outside. It turns out to contain 25-year-old flares, which James disappears with, for safe disposal – just another task for Falmouth Coastguards. Looking out over Falmouth Bay, five tankers are lined up on the horizon; on Pendennis Head the ice cream vans are setting up, and a single yacht passes St Anthony’s lighthouse, heading out to sea. From this idyllic spot, Falmouth has been at the forefront of worldwide rescue for many years. “As radio watch and GMDSS (Global Marine Distress and Safety Station) and 24-hour full time coastguards, we’ve been here since 1981,” James tells me as we sit

next door to the Operations Room, where coastguards face an impressive array of computer screens. “Before that there was a lookout station and coastguard station for well over 100 years, but there were lookouts every 15 miles around the coast. Falmouth became the MRCC, renamed the CGOC – Coastguard Operation Centre.” James has worked here for nineteen and a half years, with 22 other full time coastguards plus a few admin staff. “There are about 330 full time coastguards around the country, 100 full time coastguards that work with volunteer rescue team members, and about 3,000 volunteer coastguards.” Coastguards are renowned for their search and rescue operations, but that’s not all. “There are six core functions that have to be provided by coastguards all the time,” James says. “There’s the co-ordination of search and rescue, then counter pollution. Third is the provision of maritime safety information, in the form of broadcasts to

Search and rescue helicopters are now run by the Coastguard

seafarers. Fourth is monitoring vessel traffic. Fifth is dealing with civil contingencies, for example, flooding, and lastly, maritime security.” He grins. “Is that six?” There has been much controversy over merging some coastguard stations, fearing the loss of local knowledge would hazard rescue operations, but James explains that is not the case. “Falmouth CGOC’s area of responsibility used to run from Dodman Point to Marsland Mouth, no matter what. If we were very busy, we couldn’t undertake some of those other roles. We also weren’t able to help out another coastguard station that was very busy. “Additionally, each station stood in isolation: you had your technology and your radio setup, but if something happened to the station or one of the aerials, you could just drop out and that area could be without any coastguard cover. So from September 2014 we have a far more resilient and flexible ability to be able to perform all our functions.” He leans back. “In 2009 we were struck by lightning and we were out for about three days. I had to send people down to

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“The technical changeover was completed in January so our use of the flexibility the network offers us is maturing all the time”

Land’s End with mobile phones listening to an aerial because that was the only way we could listen to the radios. Now those functions can be picked up by any of the other stations in the network.” And how is the changeover going? “The technical aspect was complete in January 2016 so our use of the flexibility the network offers us is maturing all the time. “The shifts here are 12 hours long, from 7.30 to 7.30, 24 hours a day – although we now have a slightly varied pattern to bring more people into the station during the predicted peak times; typically weekends, the summer, bank holidays – statistics leap up dramatically in July and August.” The other Coastguard Operations Centres are at Milford Haven, Holyhead, Belfast, Stornoway, Shetland, Aberdeen, Humber, Dover, London and the National Operations Centre in Fareham. “Most phone calls we receive in Falmouth are from Cornwall and North Devon,” James tells me. “But it could easily be South Devon (Plymouth to Exmouth) if we need to assist colleagues elsewhere. When it comes to dealing with beacon alerts or satellite

alerts, between ourselves and the National Maritime Operation Centre, we can be dealing with calls anywhere around the UK but we pass them onto the people dealing with that part of the coastline.” When it comes to international rescues, either Falmouth or the Fareham centre takes responsibility for managing GMDSS after daily agreement. “When an alert is received, from a vessel outside the UK search and rescue region, the position is plotted and we attempt to identity the vessel involved,” explains James. “If the position is in an area where there is another responsible SAR organisation, such as Canada or America, we’ll confirm details by phone and pass coordination of the incident to them, as well as emailing all available information. The incident is then co-ordinated by them with updates to us. “If an alert comes from one of the more remote areas of the world, IMO rules state that you co-ordinate that incident until you can hand it on to someone better able to do so,” adds James. “So we liaise with the authorities in the area but also help co-ordinate that rescue using satellite

Inside the Operations Centre, the eyes and ears of the modern Coastguard service. Below: dog handlers

technology to broadcast to shipping in the area, and also use monitoring systems to see what vessels are in that area and additionally speak to individual vessels to ask them to assist. In that way we can add to the overall rescue effort.” What about the dangers of drifting containers, or whales off the Azores? “Hundreds of containers have been lost in Biscay over the last few years so there is a continual risk, albeit minor, to the maritime community from containers – and whales as well,” James says. “If we get reports locally of any hazards to navigation we log them and pass it on to the UK hydrographer who either puts it out to navigation warnings that are part of our broadcasts, or can put them out as wider navigation area warnings to vessels and shipping out beyond the area of the inshore waters forecast.” Looking at all the screens next door, I wonder how technology has changed over the years. James grins. “Vastly. Technology has developed at a frightening speed. A brilliant example is outside the window: the old MARSAT dome (a huge white dome) and the new ones next door, which are 1/500th of the size, so everything is much smaller and quicker. “The ability to access global communications and monitor vessels has come on hugely,” James adds. “All the phone apps and social media means that it’s easier to trace people. When I first joined, vessels would frequently disappear, but now with the various logging information requirements for LRIT and the ability to be able to search AIS and replay, and those that use CG66, it’s much easier to trace people.” Boat owners can register for CG66 online.“We would definitely advise people

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to use it,” says James. “The advantage for ourselves and the boat owner is that it gives a huge amount of information and contact details about the craft, the people on it and shore contacts to the rescue services. As it’s increasingly accessible online, people are able to update it and provide all the information you would want to ask on a distress call, including when they will be travelling and to where.” Nowadays, as most people have mobile phones, surely there’s less need for other forms of communication? “We’ve had incidents which have largely been sorted by the fact that the caller has a phone that’s GPS encoded,” agrees James. “But we’ve always said don’t rely on a mobile phone as the only method of communicating with the outside world, whether that be the coastguard or someone ashore, because of the coverage levels. Some people expect the same level around the coastline as they do inland, whereas it’s a land based communications device: it faces inland, not out. “So VHF radio is great, or an EPIRB or a PLB would be fantastic. A DSC radio is brilliant as well. As we move onward into more digital communications I think they will become less linked to radio masts and more satellite driven. Then global communications will be far easier.” Digitial communication also plays its part, working in combination with other forms of communication. “Digital Selective Calling is our preferred method of initial communication,” explains James. “We then

send the caller to a working channel and speak to them verbally. That works for routine or distress traffic as it clears the distress channel (channel 16) to make clear and concise communication. The digital format gives a measure of certainty of who and where they are which we can react to straight away.” With all this increase in technology, what about Morse code? James grins. “We’re not trained on it any more but we have several ex-naval people who make it a point of pride that they can communicate in flags, Morse and various other historic means.” As a regular walker of the coastal footpath, I have encountered many National Coastwatch (NCI) stations around Cornwall. James nods. “We are not an organisation that relies on eyes out of the window: the NCI are a valuable additional reporting and logging organisation: they give us those eyes on the coast.” The work of the RNLI is well known, but the search and rescue helicopters are now run by the UK Coastguards. “The old RAF Navy Sea Kings have gone – they were fantastic but it’s now our responsibility,” says James. “We would not be able to operate without the RNLI, and the operating systems that we put in place are well used and exercised and discussed regularly as to how we are doing things, how to improve and review things.” Several months ago, there was a lot of press coverage of two Americans who called

“The most important thing is that we were prepared to help them at any time. We’d much rather deal with someone half a mile out of St Ives harbour than rounding Lands End”

It’s not all screens and comms – a water rescue team in action

out the coastguards eight or nine times in a few months. “They were in Ireland and South West England in winter which isn’t the preferred time of year to be there,” says James. “However, they regularly informed us what they were intending to do and they did listen when people warned them if something wasn’t safe. The major difficulties seemed to be getting into harbours, onto moorings, securing themselves.” So what could be learned? “The most important thing to say is that we were prepared to help them at any time,” says James. “We’d much rather be dealing with someone half a mile out from St Ives harbour than rounding Land’s End with great problems. “The main thing is, anyone going to sea needs to have the skills, capability and competence to navigate safely and look after themselves and the vessel on the water and to manage that situation in case anything starts to go wrong. And it wasn’t clear whether they were capable of doing that.” Given these incidents, James has three points of advice for anyone going to sea. “Number one, always prepare yourselves, and make sure the vessel is checked and is seaworthy. You don’t want to be taking risks.” Contact is second. “Contact the coastguard if something begins to go wrong, not when it has gone wrong. Then we can put something in place before things get catastrophic, and don’t worry about communicating with the coastguard – nothing is too stupid or an intrusion. Our job is to keep seafarers safe through the provision of maritime safety information and vessel traffic monitoring – that is part of our role, and that communication is part of it.” And lastly, communications. “Ensure you can speak to people ashore with DSC or VHF radio or an EPIRB or PLB - don’t just rely on a mobile phone.” Then James’s pager rings and it’s back to business. “It could be a dog going over the cliff in North Cornwall, a container vessel in distress in the Atlantic or a yacht coming out of Padstow – the breadth of work that we do is amazing.” He grins. “We never know what’s going to happen.”

Important acronyms AIS - Automatic Identification System DSC - Digital Selective Calling EPIRB - Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon GMDSS - Global Marine Distress and Safety Station LRIT - Long Range Identification and Tracking MARSAT - Satellite Telecommunication MCA - Maritime Coastguard Agency MRCC - Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre NCI - National Coastwatch Institution PLB - Personal Locator Beacon

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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.

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DIY BOAT DES IGN THE CRUISING LIFE

NIGEL IRENS AND ANNIE COWES CLASSIC SEAGULLS: A STA S CLASSES RTER’S GUIDE POLISH UP YOU R HULL

COCK OF THE CHANNEL

Crowing rights This year’s Cock of the Channel race tested Bristol Channel pilot cutters over 125 miles in their natural environment. William Loram signed on to crew Swansea’s Olga

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here is something that is undeniably good and right about sailing an historic working boat in the waters she was designed for – especially if she’s an example of the best type of sailing vessel ever designed. And what better time to do so than during the 80th anniversary of the Cock of the Channel, the race run by the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Owners Association with Barry Yacht Club to continue the traditions of testing the sailing abilities of these cutters, their skippers and crews in a good offshore race, so the winner can crow as they are crowned Cock of the Channel. For this special anniversary year the course was to be 125 miles round the southern tip of Lundy, and back to Barry, instead of the shorter overnight course that is usually sailed. The extra length was to give a more authentic feel with a distance that was nearer to the original courses raced by the sailing pilot veterans who kept alive their traditions with races in the 1920s. Very nice. Very romantic in a wet sou’wester hat sort of way, but the weather forecast for the first May Bank Holiday weekend was typical for a Bank Holiday, predicting a badly behaved gale around the corner, but in the meantime illuminating the predictions with strong wind warnings. And it was cold. Spring was definitely sulking and refusing to come out of its box. My date for the race was Olga, owned by Swansea Museum, with an impressive sweep of clean deck for a full 17m (56ft) plus bowsprit, with ratlines and belaying pins, and the original Edwardian tiller cap, recovered from a role as a garden ornament. It’s complemented by a lovely authentic wooden interior below decks, thanks to years of work at Tommi Nielsen’s yard in Gloucester Docks. Brass oil lamps dangle in the saloon, and there’s a comforting coal stove for long winters nights. “In 1995 I first fixed the ship,” says Tommi. “Then we slowly rebuilt her over the years in

stages as funds have been available.” These funds came mainly from Swansea City Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund. “It involved a lot of research by the museum to find out what she would have been likely to look like when she was a working boat,” he added. To those who are not steeped in the pilot cutter story, the reason why the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters arrived at such a pinnacle of excellence is the Darwin effect of trying to operate in such a nasty bit of sea – and win the race with each other to be first to find the ships coming into the Bristol Channel and South Wales coal ports in the age of steam. In 1911 Rhondda steam coal accounted for a third of the global coal production. That translates into a lot

The Darwin effect of trying to operate in such a nasty bit of sea – and win the race to be ﬁrst to ﬁnd the ships coming in of ships taking on the most efficient coal in the world for coaling stations to keep the Empire ticking over nicely. The Bristol Channel suffers from the second highest tidal range in the world, with a tide race of up to five knots; endlessly shifting sand and mud banks as a result; prevailing westerlies on to an English lee shore, and short steep seas just to make everything as uncomfortable as possible. The pilot cutters were designed to be fast into the wind to be able to get off a lee shore in a hurry, and then sit out in the Atlantic for up to two weeks. Sailing the Olga with a muster of eight skipper and crew, it makes you sit down with awe to consider that these boats were sailed with a pilot (who would have spent most of his time drinking tea, issuing orders in his collar and tie and smart waistcoat,

and scanning the horizons for his next prize), a man-the-boat who was the mate and jack-of-all-trades, and a Boy or apprentice who was just as likely to be aged 30 as 14 – learning his trade. A hoist of Olga’s mainsail took us five grown men clustered round the mast, huffing and hauling. Despite the high winds of the previous day, the wind had dropped overnight. So the fleet of four original pilot cutters, plus Luke Powell’s charter crew on his modern replica Agnes, a pilot cutter-inspired Jan Rolan, and ferro cement gaffer stalwart WorkingYacht 1 pottered around the start line in a decidedly moderate breeze in front of Barry Yacht Club. Of the originals, the smallest at 38ft (11.6m), Roger Capps’ Dolphin was using the race to test out the boat for another trip to Arctic Greenland – and crew member Ken, whose previous boating experience started and stopped at sailing a Mirror dinghy across the Menai Straits. Meanwhile Willem Scholtes was continuing his love affair with the 15.8m (52ft ) Alpha, which he had fallen for as a young man in St Katharine Docks in London, and eventually at 50 years old managed to buy from Michael Humphries, who had saved her and ran her as a charter in Scotland. Next up in size was Olga at 17.1m (56ft), under Tommi Nielsen. And then the giant Westernman cutter Mascotte at 18.3m (60ft) built in 1904 for two generations of Prosser pilots of Newport to clean up on the trade with ships coming in from the Atlantic. Her saloon takes on an almost boardroom feel in its feeling of space and grandeur. Alas, Simon Winter whose insurance firm sponsored the race was unable to bring the family’s Cornubia up from Plymouth. The complement aboard Olga was a mixed-bag collection of volunteers, with a couple who had never sailed apart from on this venerable queen of the Bristol Channel. There was Kevin the roofer, whose only association with the sea before had been drinking

Pilot cutters at play, from left: Agnes, Olga and Mascotte

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COCK OF THE CHANNEL in the Pilot pub on The Mumbles. Now, as well as reading Conrad novels of the sea, he was bringing his roofer’s knee pads as a recommended accessory for the working deck of the cutter. With many hands making light work, Matt Williams, Swansea Museum’s Marine Technician and workaday skipper of Olga, marshalled the crew to do Tommi’s bidding. The main was hoisted, and sweated, and the gaff peak set to get the maximum out of the sail. Jib and staysail up and set, and not a winch in sight. The topsail, also a tricky customer when it comes to not looking like a pile of poo, was gingerly manoeuvred into position above the fullness of the main. In the enthusiasm to set as much canvas as possible, the jib topsail, which is flown above the heads of the jib and staysail, was up on deck and ready to be hoisted, as we watched anxiously to see what Mascotte was wearing. With the windspeed climbing to 20-25 knots at the noon gun to start the race, it stayed where it was for the moment. With the tide against us, we kept inshore to take advantage of the slacker current, and to keep in touch with Mascotte – the ship we need to beat to take the silverware. Down below in the galley, Les was getting ready to slam into the oven a lovingly prepared organic joint of Welsh beef for a long slow roast, and a tray of veggies. “Should be ready for a nice roast dinner at about 4 or 5 o’clock,” he told me. The fleet divided as we tacked up channel, with us pacing and comparing performance with Mascotte, but keeping more to the Barry shore, while the big Newport pilot cutter took long tacks towards the English shore. As the wind rose gusting to near gale Force 7, and the seas got steep and confused, it became more difficult to find tacks that consistently paid. But Olga felt solid as a rock, even before we winched in a reef with the big-toothed Appledore roller-reefing system for the tree-trunk boom. At every tack Mark goes forward to call the set of the foresails, because as Matt said “he’s good at it”. But then again, you would expect it of him, as a surfer turned kite surfing instructor who is hoping to turn his hobby into his job. At 9 o’clock the watch system kicked in, with four on deck at a time, and Tommi relinquished his command of the tiller, after over nine hours since casting off from the dock in Barry. Olga is 35 tonnes of longkeeled ship, and she can be a bit heavy on the helm, so a lanyard is turned around the tiller to make it easier on the helmsman. No sign of the beef dinner. The oven was turned off when the beef fat started spilling on the galley floor. No one seemed hungry. Something to do with the chop. We layered up for the first watch as clear skies and tardy winter made themselves felt. The wind had dropped as the tide turned,

As the wind rose gusting to near gale Force 7 and the seas got more steep and confused it became more difficult to find tacks that consistently paid.

From top: Agnes, leading us; Mascotte; Making sail on Olga

and the night sky shone in all its glory of pin-sharp stars. I love night sailing for its sense of serenity, where water sounds are suddenly louder, and on a clear night the heavens offer a startling collection of diamonds on their velvet curtain. On the port quarter was Ilfracombe. And there it stayed, as the tide turned, and the best performance we managed over the ground was to tread water. However, Matt did rashly hand me the tiller, and it was a glorious experience to feel at first hand the sway and power of the cutter as she sliced through the chop. After a contented hour upon the helm, I gave it up to Tommi to resume his commune with the splashy sea sprites, and went down below to strip down the layers for sleep in my trusty maggot sleeping bag. Lundy was near, I was told in the cold pre-dawn light. The wind was picking up

to gusting maybe 15 knots from the west, but nothing like the SW Force 4-5 from the south-west, gusting 7, on the inshore waters forecast at 05.00. At 05.11 we recorded rounding the southernmost mark in the course to starboard. But the real joy was witnessing a dramatic red sunrise creeping up behind Lundy South Lighthouse. Off watch and dived into maggot with cold feet again. Roused at 10.00, and immediately regretted the hour extra sleep that we had been given by Tommi and his watch, because they were having so much fun. The wind had got up enough so Olga could pick up her skirts and gallop toward the West Helwig buoy - the second and last mark for the race. They had sighted other boats, and it looked like we had Mascotte in our sights again. While dressing for deck, Tommi came down the companionway crowing and whistling because he had worked out that

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QUAY PEOPLE

his watch was 27 times better than mine because they had gone 27 miles, while the wind and tide had conspired for Olga to travel 0 miles in three hours. With the wind veering more southerly, it was all hands on deck for the gybe down wind in 20 knots, with four people on the aft deck to haul on the main sheet. After a successful gybe, I breakfast on day-old cold roast vegetables in a ciabatta bun â&#x20AC;&#x201C; luxury. No one has been brave enough to look at the beef, swimming in grease and water from condensation in the oven. After rounding the West Helwig, we were going well on a tight reach on 15 knots apparent from the south west. At Nash Point on the Welsh coast at 13.00 it looked like we would be home for tea. Then the wind died. We sat with sails flapping in a gentle swell, windex spinning, and tell-tales limp

as the coastguard sniggered the same forecast as at 05.00. We watched Mascotte in the mist towards the centre channel off Nash Passage. It looked like they were heeled over, but it was deceptive at that distance with the fuzzy visibility. But it also looked like they had sailed into a hole, and there was a palpable lift in spirits as we felt that the southerly that was going to fill in, would catch us up and we would romp past Mascotte before they caught it. The wind dallied. We flew the flying jib, but it did not make Olga fly, as the wind was still not there. We kedged at 15.15, despite the depth, as the tide was starting to shoot out, and we were slopping in irons. We were bored, so we ate the beef and potatoes. Then three spectres of small sailing ships emerge out of the mist. The kedge is persuaded out of the sea bed and we are racing again. But down in

From left: Jan Rolan, Agnes, Mascotte and Olga

Willem Scholtes Alpha

John Laband Working yacht 1

Matt Williams Olga skipper

Roger Capps Dolphin

Richard Clapham Mascottte skipper

Tommi Nielsen Olga

Wesley Massam Jan Rolan skipper

Luke Powell Agnes

the mouth as we sit there helplessly as our earlier hopes are dashed as Luke Powellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lighter modern pilot cutter Agnes ghosts up behind us, and edges ahead. They put in 10 sail changes to stay ahead, while we exhaust the limits of our sail wardrobe. Eventually in the early hours of the morning, after we had accepted our fate to Agnes, we just beat a changing tide to creep into Barry. And party... In the end the last were first, with handicaps kicking in and the dedicatedly uncompetitive Roger Capps in Dolphin picked up the Cock of the Channel, looking embarrassed with his big pot and winning burgee. Exciting, thrilling, adventurous, and fun. Knocking around with old ladies can be more feisty than you first think. CLASSIC SAILOR

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PILOT CUTTER HISTORY

Olga: from 1909 to 2016 Built in Cornwall, worked as a pilot cutter for just eight years, Olga passed through many hands, and many locations before coming to Swansea Museum in 1984

lga was built by John Bowden of Porthleven, Cornwall, in 1909 for the Newport pilot Henry Edmunds, who had a dual licence for Newport and Barry and carried the licence number 23. She was 17m (56ft) long with a pleasing elliptical stern giving her a waterline length of 14.5m (48ft), with a beam of 4m (13 ft 6ins), draught of 2.5m (8 ft 6ins) and weighing in at 35 tonnes. Olga was named after Henry Edmunds’ daughter. She worked out of Barry, and then passed to Henry’s son Harry, before being sold as a fishing boat in Swansea in 1917, before becoming a private yacht for Ronald Heard, and thereafter various owners until being bought by Swansea Museum for its floating exhibits display in 1984. In 1921 she was in the hands of a JW Lewis in Fleetwood, and a petrol engine was installed in 1926. In 1927 she was registered in the Isle of Man by Charles Martin, a retired Liverpool brewer. In 1935 she changed hands to William Nicholson of Langbourne, and again in 1935 to Herbert Fernando of London. In 1947she was sold to Lt Col Phibbs of the Royal Marines based in Plymouth. In 1975 she was sold to Roger Robinson of Brockenhurst in Hampshire, before being rescued out of a mud berth in Tollesbury, Essex and shipped back to Swansea in 1984. Since then Olga has gone through a number of refits at T Nielsen shipyard in Gloucester Dock since 1995, starting with frames, and decks, and then building a new interior using research photos and authoritative books such as the late Peter Stuckey’s Sailing Pilots of the Bristol Channel, with funding from Swansea City Council and National Heritage Fund. A new suit of sails from James Lawrence and a new engine sees a pilot cutter brought back to its prime. Olga has now got MCA rating to be able to charter with up to 12 passengers for day sails and longer trips around the Bristol Channel and along the Welsh Coast into Milford Haven for this year, and a more extensive itinerary for following years. For details contact Matt Williams at Swansea Museum at matthew. williams@swansea.gov.uk or 01792 653763

Main photos show Olga at various stages of restoration in T Nielsen’s yard, at Gloucester

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JOHN RYAN

PILOT CUTTER RESCUE

Above: the view from aft with Mascotte behind. Left: the new interior in sumptuous timber; for many years Tommi and co sailed her with bare frames below!

Left: a typical pilot cutter interior from the 19th or early 20th century, showing “pilot” berths

Cutaway view and, below, an old galley stove

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TRAILER SAILING

Parked ’n’ dried: Boats t In the first part of this beginner’s guide David Parker outlines choosing the

wning a trailer sailer can be one of the most liberating forms of boat ownership – saving on mooring costs and opening up new cruising grounds. Indeed there are many advantages to trailing and sailing, however one you may have overlooked is that it’s a great way to take your monkey on holiday. You remember monkey… you know, from The Chimp Paradox which I mentioned in the Mirror restoration articles (CS, issues 3-7). It’s the book about mind management which the uber high achievers rave on about that explains the conflict in us all between our rational ‘human’ self versus our volatile inner chimp, prone to kick off at any time. So, trailing and sailing with an unstable, emotional chimp, what’s not to like? Still not with me? Ok I’ll explain. For a start you would have thought that the whole business of towing something that is possibly over 20ft on today’s

roads should be a stressful business. Not a bit of it. Admittedly it has its moments but with a bit of conscientious preparation and if you do your maintenance, well... it is paradoxically some of the most relaxing driving I have ever done. The monkey loves it and sits in the back of the cockpit making obscene gestures at those other drivers whose usual single mission in life is to harass you. The boat is your defence and suddenly these road ragers are holding back and wary of this weird shaped hull thing looming in front of them. For example I’ve noticed that people rarely tailgate you because if they come right up your backside that mast could go straight through their windscreen. Or perhaps the outboard skeg might come bouncing down the road like a stinger – so they back off. You sit unhurriedly in the motorway slow lane most of the time and let everyone move around you. You can’t speed – not allowed; the maximum speed on motorways and dual carriageways for cars with trailers is 60, 50 on other roads. If you come to overtake, lorry drivers are unnervingly

nice and flash lights when you are clear because rubber duck, you are hauling a rig and one of the guys now. You can even park in their car parks unmolested and enjoy all that extra space and manoeuvring room. Also on quieter roads, unlike when towing a caravan people don’t want to shoot you but seem more patient and cautious of the whole boat paraphernalia bit. You’re unusual, a bit different, you’re taking your time, you’ve got a boat – and if anyone has to back down a narrow lane how can they reasonably expect it to be you? Be polite and you’ll be surprised what you get away with. “I’ve only parked on the roundabout while we have our picnic officer.”

Choosing the right boat

So we’ve established straight off the towing part might not be the fear trip you expect it to be. It’s exciting to have your boat behind you, new adventures beckon and the monkey loves his moving throne. In fact it’s worth hitching up a boat to go shopping just so everyone keeps out of your way in Tesco car park. More pertinently a set of wheels

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TRAILER SAILING

s to moor in your drive boat, and the basics of making sure you get the right trailer to go with it

PHOTOS BY GRAHAM YOUNG

Opposite page: The Crabber 17, an ever popular gaff rigged trailer sailer. Image courtesy of Cornish Crabbers. Left and below: Pickle, a Morning Tide 14 built by Graham Young and designed by Paul Fisher. Here’s a trailer sailer which is a modern stitch and tape version of the old heavy displacement pocket cruisers.

will open up whole new, fresh, quieter cruising areas that you wouldn’t otherwise get to. You have the freedom and flexibility to be able to tour with your boat and your trailer sailer will also save you money reducing the cost and commitment of boat ownership. True there is the upfront cost of the trailer but ongoing mooring or marina fees are now dramatically reduced – and even non-existent if you can store the boat at home or cheaply close by. Your boat on your drive, if you have one, think of that – you can potter away on her to your heart’s content. You have more time to make the most of your investment because maintenance becomes quicker and easier. If you don’t have space at home, there are options to store her in far cheaper places than boatyards as well. If you live inland then a farmer with a field or space in an old barn is ideal. In those winter storms you can rest easy knowing she’s tucked up safe too. So in many ways trailer sailing can simplify the whole boat-owning process but for all these benefits to work the first thing you need to think

about is choosing the right boat. This might sound obvious but the trick about choosing the boat is to pick a manageable craft that you will enjoy owning and being able to use. How many boats rarely get used because people have been over-ambitious in their choices? They have gone for craft that are just too big to be practical to tow,

How many boats rarely get used because people have gone for craft that are just too big to tow? launch and retrieve on a regular basis. When you start, a key thing to think about is weight. In my experience for the beginner weight makes a huge difference to the whole experience of trailer sailing. The heavier that a boat is, the harder she is to handle ashore and get in and out of the water. It doesn’t matter how good your trailer is, if you need to rely on too much help to launch and retrieve your craft,

particularly if conditions are bad, the more potential for problems there will be. With an overly heavy craft people can get themselves into real difficulties particularly when retrieving the boat on steep slippery slipways or when the wheels get stuck in the mud at low tide. The whole exercise can become a burden that will stop you using your boat. This is particularly the case if you are starting out. As you get more experience, handling bigger boats gets easier off the water as it does on the water but don’t over stretch yourself to start with. Think of the fantastic voyages Frank and Margaret Dye undertook in their Wayfarer and remember all the opportunities that small-boat cruising offers if you rig up a boom tent and have camping equipment on board.

Suiting the wheels to your hull

When you have decided on the right boat then you need to choose the right trailer to go with it. Again if you’re starting, remember that big boats need big, heavy, expensive trailers and you can’t tuck those away in the corner of the car park on CLASSIC SAILOR

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Three great trailer boats: Left: the iconic Cornish Shrimper Below: the Drascombe Drifter, Right: The GRP production version of Andrew Wolstenholme’s Kite; it weighs no more than the marine ply original

GILL MOON

DAVID HARDING

TRAILER SAILING

a busy bank holiday weekend. If you are buying new you may well decide on a boat/trailer package and this is an ideal way to begin because then as far as the trailer is concerned the dealer or boat builder has done the thinking for you. But if you do have to buy a separate trailer the key questions you want to talk about with the trailer manufacturer are the weight and design of your proposed boat and the vehicle you will be using for towing. The average 1.8 or 2 litre family saloon can cope with towing most medium sized trailer sailers and I will be writing about towing techniques in a later article. However, if you take a look at your vehicle owner’s manual it should give you your maximum towing limit. It is also useful if you can speak to the boat builder or designer for their advice on the most suitable trailer for their craft, but still consult a professional trailer dealer as well. Without wishing to decry some boat builders you may have seen pretty ‘interesting’ trailers being used to haul craft around boat shows. Sometimes it’s what’s available in the yard and it does the job but may not necessarily be what you would choose to take down the motorway on a Friday night. The trailer professionals do it for a living so they are the people you need to consult when you do your homework. Reputable trailer dealers will regularly consult boat builders and manufacturers anyway to ensure what they build is appropriate to the design of hull to be carried. Secondhand boats also often come with a trailer. But buying a secondhand trailer needs careful consideration and I’m going to bang on about this for a bit but it’s literally better to be safe

than sorry. If you are not confident in your ability to survey it thoroughly do not buy it – or at least don’t attempt to tow it before you know that it’s roadworthy. When I discussed this article with Dan, Classic Sailor’s Editor, he recounted the surreal experience of once towing a boat and being overtaken by a single wheel. The wheel was one from his own trailer which isn’t really what you want to see is it? I also remember vividly the first boat trailer I ever owned. It came with the boat and both had seen better days. I’m convinced the better days

Ask yourself why would anyone be selling a trailer without a boat? Is it a liability someone wants to get rid of cheaply? for the trailer were when it was part of the Forth Bridge because it was huge. It was made of great steel sections with car wheels and motorcycle mudguards to match (BSA, circa 1952). Painted black it was a mean looking set of wheels – one of which literally exploded when driving through central London. My second trailer was thankfully far more roadworthy and one I built myself for a dinghy. I didn’t have a welder at the time so I designed it so all the sections would bolt together. It did the job but I made the mistake of painting it instead of getting it galvanised to save money so it suffered from salt water corrosion pretty badly after just

a couple of seasons. So whether a trailer is big or small, especially beware of any ‘unconventional’ second hand models, particularly if they have that quirky air of the home custom build. Amateur boat builders can produce some worthy craft but don’t necessarily continue their expertise when it comes to hurriedly building a trailer to get afloat. It’s a different thing building a general purpose box trailer to haul garden rubbish or camping gear around. Standard parts and frame sections are readily available for this type of design from high street trailer dealers. This is not the case when buying frame sections for specific marine trailers, although other serviceable components are readily available.

Beware of ill-fitting ‘bargains’

If you do find yourself with a boat but no trailer to go with it, then hunting online for a cheap model to match your needs has to be done with caution – particularly in regard to suitable supports for the hull shape. Adapting one can be expensive - a bit like when people buy a boat at a knock down price then discover that they’ll need an engine to go with it that may well cost more than the boat itself. You must ask the question why would anyone be selling a trailer without its boat? Ask yourself this question even more seriously if the ‘bargain, no reasonable offer refused’ has just had a new coat of paint to hide any corrosion. Do you really want a liability someone is trying to get rid of cheaply? Even if you spend hours and a fortune rebuilding it won’t have a good resale value. By the time you’ve forked out for new suspension

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TRAILER SAILING

PETER CHESWORTH

Pushing the boat out: Andrew Wolstenhome’s 21ft Kite (this is his original marine ply version) can be comfortably trailed behind a 2-litre family car and launched with only getting the trailer tyres wet

units, rollers, brackets, wheel bearings and all the rest you would have been better off going for a new one in the first place. It will at least retain a reasonable value when you come to sell it. If you need a trailer just to transport a boat occasionally remember that they can also be hired. If you are told a trailer has been professionally built then it should have the builder’s specifications plate on it. Also, due to new laws, most new trailers built after 28 October 2012 must be sold with an approval certificate. As well as detailing load specifications the builder’s plate should also have a serial number so you can trace where and when the trailer was manufactured. If it doesn’t have a builder’s plate alarm bells should ring. Also beware of secondhand factory-made models which have already been modified in some way. The basis of any trailer is its chassis and major alterations are rarely as simple as they may appear. If buying a secondhand trailer from a dealer or private seller ask about the service history and what previous maintenance schedules have been. The overall condition of the unit for its age will tell you a lot about how it’s been looked after and the use and abuse it’s been given. When parts such as rollers or buffers have degraded due to sunlight and saltwater have they been replaced? If the visible signs are poor then it’s likely things you can’t see like the bearings will also have been neglected. How to recognise this sort of fault and many others will be covered when it comes to the feature on maintenance. Secondhand trailers can also get overloaded when people hang on to the trailer but upgrade their boat. If trailers have habitually been wrongly

loaded then uneven pressure will have been put on the suspension units. If suspension units are worn they will not be able to take the boat and its load or cushion the hull effectively. You can identify this fault when the trailer is loaded from the angle of the arms of the stud bearings coming from the suspension units. Normally they should be at an angle of 60º or possibly between 45º and 60º, but if they reach 90º the whole suspension unit needs replacing. Inside the suspension unit the solid rubber bars will have flattened out and because they have

The overall condition of the unit for its age will tell you a lot about how it’s been looked after and the use and abuse it’s been given been pressed in they cannot be replaced. So what tyes of trailers are available, and which will suit your boat? Single axle trailers, as you’d expect, just have two wheels. This type is a straightforward road trailer that will be easy to manoeuvre and economical to maintain. Trailers without activated brakes should be limited to loads which are 50% of the kerb weight of the vehicle or 750kg (1653lbs), whichever is less. Double axle trailers with four wheels are for heavier craft and are usually for loads of 1,500 kg (3,306lbs) and upwards. Heavier boats will also require a braked trailer with its own independent brakes operated by a hydraulic damped coupling.

As the vehicle’s brakes are applied, trailer inertia means its own brakes will also engage. They have a mandatory handbrake too, which is very useful on a slipway, and it should be capable of holding the trailer on an 18 per cent gradient. Modern braked trailers also have an autoreverse system. Since 1989 it has been a legal requirement that trailer brakes are fitted with a mechanism inside that senses when you’re reversing so that the braking mechanism is overridden. On older trailers the brakes have to be disconnected when you reverse. A point which will get repeated in this series is that braked trailers should be fitted with a coupling that stops the trailer if it becomes detached from the vehicle. Never disconnect this. With double axle trailers four wheels are obviously better than two if you have a puncture, but you should always carry a spare anyway. Braked trailers will also require more maintenance particularly if the wheels are regularly immersed. If it is unavoidable that wheels are immersed allow the hubs to cool down first after a long journey before dunking them into cold water. This means that when they contract they will not suck more salt water into the brakes and bearings. The two common trailer chassis designs are A-frame or T-frame. T-frame is the type that tends to be used for lighter craft. You’ve probably come across this type, for example with combination trailers that carry launching trolleys. If the boat is light enough a launching trolley can be incorporated which sits on the back of the road trailer and has supports for the boat. This type of ‘combi’ trailer is an excellent way of making CLASSIC SAILOR

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TRAILER SAILING Heavier craft can still be trailed but will require a 4-wheel drive vehicle and a mooring when you get there. You don’t want to be doing too much launching and retrieving of a boat this size.

launch and recovery easier and dramatically extending the life of your road trailer which won’t be having its bearings constantly immersed in salt water. The A-frame chassis is a sturdier construction for heavier boats. Instead of one central spine connected to an axle bar or box section for the axles, the whole chassis itself is more like a braced box section. On the A-frame two outside parallel frame bars come together at a V at the single coupling bar at the tow hitch end.

Getting the balance right

Specific legal requirements and towing tips will be looked at in greater depth further on in this series but the bottom line is boat trailers need to be able to transport boats safely from A to B. That’s the law as well as common sense and craft and trailer need to be well balanced. Long overhangs aren’t only illegal but the hull needs to be supported properly throughout its length. For example a trailer chassis designed for a 16ft boat (5m) shouldn’t be tampered with to take a 20ft boat (6m). Adding 4ft of steel on the back of a trailer that wasn’t designed for it is positively dangerous. The weight of the boat needs to be distributed over trailer wheels, not taken by the tow bar of the car. If you have too much nose weight (i.e. the downward load on the towball of the towing vehicle) you will notice this the first time you try to corner. The steering will be too light and you will lose traction with front wheel drive vehicles – particularly trying to get up a steep incline such as a slipway. Too little nose weight can be just as bad and single axle trailers are particularly sensitive to poor load distribution. The nose weight should be 7-8% of the total loaded trailer weight. It can be measured by a spring balance or scales and blocks supporting the weight of the hitch at the towing point and at the coupling height. The chassis design you select will need to support your boat properly because obviously different types of hull will need support in

different places. Most traditional displacement and semi-displacement hulls will take most of the weight along the keel. So she will need central supports along the chassis spine or have the central supports fitted to the cross braces on an A-frame. It will then require lateral supports with height adjustment which are used for stability and to stop the boat leaning or slipping sideways. Stout anchor points to secure the boat to the trailer at the bow and amidships on either side are also essential. Often you will have to rig something up to take the lighting board depending on the transom shape. This will also be covered later.

Too much nose weight will mean the steering is too light; you will lose traction with the front wheels – especially on slipways For lighter craft and power craft with planing hulls trailers are designed with pairs of offset swivelling rollers to support the hull skin itself. These multi-rollers make launch and retrieval easier for this type of boat but wouldn’t be suitable for a carvel or clinker design because the plank lands or seams aren’t designed for this sort of load bearing. Other types of A-frame trailer you might come across will have parallel support bars known as carpeted bunks. These are designed for soft hull inflatables and larger models for RIBs will also have central roller supports for the rigid keel. Whether the weight of the hull is taken by its keel or the hull skin it should be supported at regular intervals on the trailer. The heavier a boat the more hull supports it will need. When properly supported a hull should only need a reasonable push to launch it and when retrieving it should orientate itself comfortably on the trailer without too much manhandling. Some trailers have pairs

of pivoting self-aligning rollers or swinging roller beams to help align the hull, others a simple ‘kick box’ which is an extended roller with guides to help locate the keel as you winch or pull it back on to the trailer. Some owners fit launch and recovery poles which act like a cage so that when the boat floats in between them she is automatically sitting over her hull supports. Brochures listing all the different trailer specifications and types may seem a bit confusing at first but the dealer should quickly be able to highlight a couple of trailer models suitable for your weight and design of boat. Now we come back to where we started when I advised making sure you choose the right boat in the first place. A boat salesman might assure you a heavier displacement boat, up to 2 tons or more, is ‘towable’ but in reality it would not make a manageable true trailer sailer and is really designed to be towed somewhere, launched and left in the water all season. As this is a beginner’s guide, for me an ideal starter boat would be something reasonably light that would only require a two-wheel unbraked trailer. But even if the boat is light something all trailers should have is a jockey wheel. Even with a modest day boat you can still strain your back when it’s loaded full of kit if there’s no jockey wheel to help move it around. If a boat is heavier and needs a winch, make sure the winch is up to the job and is rated to the correct load capacity. The reduction gear on a more powerful winch will make the job of winching the boat back on to the trailer much easier on you and the winch mechanism. Webbing on the winch is preferable to steel cable. It is much easier to handle and if it breaks under pressure it is less likely to cause serious injury. Future articles in the series will focus on matters such as electrics, towing techniques and more of the legal stuff. Next issue however we look at a very important way to ensure successful towing – how to maintain your trailer properly.

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MARINE MOTORING

Into the Clacton Chop Helen Lewis and The Skipper finally head out to sea and, still with L-plates on, set off to discover the delights of the East Coast

ow, for those of you who have never visited it, you may be surprised to learn that Chatham Maritime Marina is magnificent. Great pieces of stone beautifully crafted like building blocks for a giant. For us on this first visit there was also pelting rain and wind. The harbour looked as if mighty warships had just slipped out but moments before and someone had thrown a scattering of plastic bath toys in their place. The area around had been incongruously bijou’d up with a shopping centre fit for nothing but still the grandeur of the solid stone steps and ancient iron fittings shone through. The lock was also serious, all states of the tide and operating 24 hours a day. So it was that after a short night’s kip Cap’n Andy led us like sleepy schoolchildren out to sea in the deep dark night with rain still lashing and all the greens and reds flashing blurs to our uneducated eyes. The decks were shiny with rain and the sides of the lock led up to the Harbour Office many feet above small Sea Lion. The Skipper later related how while in there just before departure to check the weather, Cap’n Andy stood back in the manner of a great teacher. The Skipper, but a babe in arms, had had to decide if we should

continue to sea or return to our still warm bunks. Lambs to slaughter, we went out through the cavernous jaws of the lock and on into the mouth of the estuary. Cap’n Andy was a cool customer, no doubt about that, but he had taken precautions. With us we carried a spare fuel tank, diesel and enough tubing for us to operate an alternative system. All other systems had also been checked and we were fully geared for THE SEA. Calmly he instructed us on wave direction, and where a flat-bottomed little vessel might find calmer waters. When things got a little lively and Sea Lion slapped down over the tops of the waves he distracted me with knots and the coiling of lines while suggesting quietly to the Skipper that a slightly different angle might make things more comfortable for all of us and asking us to consider the patterns of the approaching waves. Thus he guided us along the coast on a journey that seemed interminable to us but was but a hop and a skip to seasoned sea-goers. We have never forgotten the Clacton Chop and never again experienced it in quite the same way. Hours later we glided into the River Orwell bewitched by our own achievement and entranced by the beauty of this wide majestic river with Felixstowe to the right, a boisterous busy container ship port, and

Pin Mill - one of our magical East Coast anchorages

ancient Harwich on the left. “Harwich for the continent, Bognor for the incontinent,” as the Skipper liked to mutter. Skirting frighteningly close to the towering container beasts and understanding only dimly, at this point, about shipping channels we soon found ourselves in rich green countryside with small sandy beaches and fine native oaks lining the banks. The East Anglian Sailing School is based in Suffolk Yacht Harbour and is home port for Cap’n Andy. Here he safely brought us in and explained that for the next few days we would be doing manoeuvres in these waters – the Orwell and the Stour and out to Landguard buoy. He was about to equip us with a hefty lump of learning in and around a busy sea port. He took us out on a night cruise in pouring rain and without electronic navigation. He patiently coaxed us to concentrate on the flashes of the buoys and how to preserve our night vision. Passages were plotted, poor misbegotten buckets and lifebelts were tossed overboard and retrieved in man overboard exercises at the most unlikely times and in direct contravention to a hot cup of tea. Anchors were put down and hauled up and we were

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THE CRUISING LIFE: PART 4 Left: the Skipper approaches Havengore Bridge Right, from top: Sea Lion at Queenborough; Relaxing at Levington; Seadog Lola learns the ropes in the Broads

made to decide if the weather was a ‘go’ or a ‘no go’ time and time again. After our four days were over we were apparently deemed competent to be in charge of our boat alone. This came as a bit of a surprise to the Skipper and me (and proved to be on the optimistic side). Not to be daunted we retrieved our dog from our daughter and decided to try out our new skills by taking a short cruise to the Norfolk Broads. The journey up to Lowestoft was calm and uneventful and we relaxed. There was a small altercation between the two of us as to the direction of a significantly large merchant ship that had crept up behind us. Skipper decided it was quite obviously heading on up the coast, I was not so sure. We forged on, entered the harbour and cunningly changed VHS channels ready to enter the Broads. Dithering

Our dithering increased and – as is often the case – several things happened at once

just inside the entrance we were met with a flotilla of tiny sailing craft with equally tiny people at their tillers. Our dithering increased and as is often the case several things happened at once: a Harbour Official started screaming at us from the shore to answer our radio (on the Lowestoft Harbour channel, not the Broads one of course!), the flotilla bobbed about just in front of our bows and from behind us the ship suddenly loomed trying to get into her berth and restricted in her ability to manoeuvre. Neither of us has ever forgotten the cool voice of the Harbour Mistress demanding: “What are your intentions, Sea Lion?” Nor the Skipper’s entirely inappropriate response: “Loitering with intent, Madam!” In case you should be wondering the Broads are in fact partially tidal, and unless you like garden gnomes and grottos it is probably best to stick to the Southern Broads, where you can find delightful moorings in rural settings and have a jolly fine holiday. Our favourite was an alongside by a field which turned out to be the hunting ground of a resident white owl who swooped and dived every evening in an aerobatic display for us

alone. In the early dewy mornings you can pick field mushrooms for your breakfast. One evening at twilight we drifted along behind the huge Norfolk Wherry White Moth gliding silently through the water in full sail. Time was also spent ensuring the furry crew was happy in her lifejacket and could nip in and out of the dinghy in a shipshape fashion. It was while on the Broads on a particularly windy day that Sea Lion’s ability to skid across water and her complete unwillingness to go astern in a controlled way became glaringly apparent. (See Skipper’s Word.) Over the next few years we cruised the East Coast and its beautiful rivers. We marooned ourselves on the mud off the famous Butt and Oyster pub, learnt how to row on that mud – the stickiest in the world – and to keep our wellies on a hot standby. We overcame our fear of the shifting bar at the entrance to the Deben and fell in love with the little town of Woodbridge that lies at its head. We twisted and turned with the river meanders, occasionally running aground, and imagined the Vikings coursing over the same route to claim Sutton Hoo for their own and make it one of their most CLASSIC SAILOR

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MARINE MOTORING The Skipper’s word

famous burial grounds. We spent a few winters in the delightful Tide Mill Yacht Harbour and were nurtured by a fine team of boaties who quietly taught us a bit more. When we ventured out we could rely on the steady glow of Mike the Pipe, the Harbour Master, guiding us with quiet confidence and practicality back to our allotted mooring whenever the tide was high enough to allow re-entry. For us the East Coast is still the nearest we have to home waters and the Home Port of our hearts is possibly a borrowed mooring buoy up river from the Ramsholt Arms on the Deben. Here there is a strong sense of a comforting history, and we but a particle in its making. The Harbour Master is George Collins and so was his father before him. You will find him aboard his

see stars clear and bright but you will also be able to hear those birds still a-chattering. While Suffolk was home, holidaying in Essex became our norm: a joke at our places of work, where people headed for Umbria or maybe Cumbria but certainly not Essex. We explored the Roach and the Crouch where Darwin’s Beagle is said to rest below the water at Paglesham Creek. Fortified by a glass or two of wine at the Plough and Sail we found our dinghy way out across the mud and used a huge rusty anchor chain to totter back in bare feet. Long afterwards we fantasised that the Beagle’s chain may have been our saving grace. We crept out of Havengore and over the submerged Roman Road following the withies while the firing range behind us decided to resume practice rather more quickly than advertised. We There was sometimes mild debate anchored off Mersea island at Pyefleet Creek and sat on the between us as to where exactly we trots at Brightlingsea, visiting the fish and chip shop and had tied up the previous Sunday meeting the biggest rat ever. Linger a while munching and you too may see him scurrying back to his small yacht Brio or, if the weather is less clement, sitting cosily in a small boat drawn hole under the antique wooden bus shelter, up on the beach. Don’t think you are seeing a chip grasped firmly in his jaws. double for he may be accompanied by his Eventually we ventured further afield, twin brother, Billy. If he isn’t around you taking a cruise to the Isle of Wight and will more than likely find him checking moving Sea Lion back over a series of weekends. During this period there on the small sluices and ditches that nestle was sometimes mild debate between us along the banks of the river or counting as to where exactly we had tied up the the cygnets of the pair of swans who nest previous Sunday. Carting our dog and there every year. He is never more than a our possessions on public transport, with stone’s throw away from where he was born its weekend vagaries, was all part of the nor from the church which sits in paternal adventure. Work began to be an annoying protectiveness above the pub, and where his interlude between sea voyages and very ancestors rest. slowly, without us really being fully aware, Just up river we found that an our confidence was growing. enterprising farmer had started cultivating And then the Skipper sprang his master oysters exactly as they did in ancient times. plan. We would ‘Go Foreign’. Here you can wander through the native woods and see the remains of the wooden Next month: Going foreign for the first time fish traps along the shore. The birds will – meandering canals and watery towns. The wake you from your slumbers and if you Skipper casts his bread upon the water.asitio. venture on deck at night not only will you

Thames Sailing Barge off the Isle of Sheppey

The sea was like glass, the wind was holidaying abroad and we had just rounded North Foreland on passage from Dover after a jaunt to the Isle of Wight. Sea Lion chugged contentedly past Margate and I felt like a drop of tea. With son Matthew asleep off-watch below I had no option but to make it myself. I checked nothing was in reach of us, tightened the locking nut on the wheel and moved sharpish. When I came back up with a mug of Yorkshire’s finest all seemed right as rain. Yet as I sipped my tea the thought crept up on me that something was very wrong. Sea Lion was made for river and estuary work on the East Coast. She drew 2ft 6in, with bilge keels to take the ground, and tipped the scales at just three and a half tons. She didn’t make much impression on the sea, but the favour was not returned if the wind got up, particularly on her beam. Then she was quite likely to slide sideways and roll like a piglet. This rarely mattered as we didn’t venture out in much over a Force 3 and on that basis she took us where we wanted to go. Astern was a different matter. She would go backwards, but not with any consistency. She might go over there now, but ten minutes later – with wheel and throttle in the identical position – she preferred to wind up here. At first I thought it was me, but then a senior RYA instructor of instructors had a go and Sea Lion showed him no respect either. It led to me going to ridiculous lengths to avoid evolutions astern, which Sea Lion obligingly made possible by being highly manoeuvrable as long as the gear stick was shoved forwards or in neutral. We slipped into a minuscule berth behind the fuel pontoon in a jam-packed Kiel Olympic Yacht Harbour, wound ship in Rodvig in little more than her own length and scudded happily round the slalom of withies across the Maplin Sands. She had this in common with the latest combat aircraft. Some bright spark worked out that planes designed to be stable will resist being flung around the sky. So now they build ones that are inherently unstable to reduce the effort needed to make them change direction in a dog-fight. Of course they can only be flown by banks of computers presided over by a tekkie whiz-kid, not by a dusty old skipper in a baggy jumper enveloped in pipe smoke. Which takes me back to that halcyon day off the North Kent coast and my finally twigging what was wrong. Margate had been to port when I went below, but was to starboard when I returned to the helm. While I was brewing up, Sea Lion had turned snappily through 180˚ and was making her way back towards North Foreland. You know how it is: some passages are so good, you never want them to end. Jonathan Lewis

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NORTH NORFOLK COAST

Crabbers & whelkers The fishing boats of North Norfolk have Danish and German origins, being built for beach work on the North Sea. Robert Simper probes their history

or many centuries North Norfolk’s links with the outside world were by sea. The early links were across the North Sea to Scandinavia and northern Germany and voyagers brought clinker boats to settle on the coast of Norfolk. These links grew weaker, but the fishing boats of north Norfolk remain very similar to those that worked off the beaches of eastern Denmark. The pointed sterns allowed the boats to come ashore through surf, parting the breaking waves that boil up astern. The clinker hulls had a basket-like quality that means that they bend rather than break when they hit the hard sand. It was not just fishing boats that landed on these beaches. In the summer, trading schooners used to run ashore and their

cargoes were discharged into horse-drawn carts. In order to get a vessel unloaded and hauled off by the stern anchor in one tide, the horses often worked in water up to their bellies. The schooner Ellis was once caught on the beach by a sudden gale and spent the winter at the bottom of a cliff before being jacked up and relaunched. The main ports were Sheringham and Cromer, but cargoes were also brought ashore at Trimingham Gap, Bacton Gap, Watch House Gap, Walcott, Cart Gap and Horsey Gap. These Gaps were just that: gaps in the sand dunes or sandy cliffs where horses and carts could get down on to beaches. The Upcher family owned the Sheringham Estate and to try to eliminate poverty and hardship in the area they backed the building of the ‘Great Boats’. These were 70ft luggers that went to Yorkshire after crab in the summer. The crab was used as bait for

Right: Aboard the whelker William Edward returning with whelks. Tony Jordan Collection

Left: The whelker Bessie with her lugsail on deck at Wells, Norfolk, David Hewitt Collection, Right: the whelkers Marion and Malvina at Wells in about 1938. David Hewitt Collection. Photos courtesy of Rescue Wooden Boats

long lining for cod in the winter, after the herring nets were put ashore. These luggers returned to Sheringham and Cromer to be repaired on the beaches, and were then laid up at Morton or Great Yarmouth. In the late Victorian period these luggers were abandoned and their crews often went on the Yarmouth steam drifters for the herring season. Often, in fine weather, the drifters came inshore and anchored off the villages on Sundays so that the men could go home and see their families. Even when the great luggers had gone men went to sea in double-ended ‘pinkies’ and the smaller ‘hovellers’, two-masters with small removable cuddies in their bows and horses were used to help with launching. The crews lived aboard as they followed the herring around the coast to Southwold

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The pointed sterns allowed the boats to come ashore through surf, parting the breaking waves that boil up astern

and in the winter they returned to North Norfolk to go longlining for cod. In the summer over two hundred men from Sheringham worked in the inshore crab fishery, but when there were not enough crabs to support them many Sheringham men and their families left to join the growing fishing fleet at Grimsby. When the Grimsby lifeboat station was closed in about 1926 it was said that every man in the crew had been born in Sheringham. Some families moved to Hornsea and to Yorkshire beach landings, or south to Felixstowe and across the Thames to Whitstable, taking their double-ended crab boats with them. The men of Sheringham were known as ‘Shannocks,’ and the Cromer men were called ‘Crabs.’ The crab boats were much the same at all beach landings. Although the CLASSIC SAILOR

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NORTH NORFOLK COAST men spent more time at home than most fishermen it was a hard and dangerous life. When coming ashore in bad weather the boats could be swamped or even sunk by the breaking sea. Sheringham had been the main fishing port on the North Norfolk coast until 1877 when the Great Eastern Railway opened a line to Cromer. This town on a cliff top soon grew to be the main holiday and crabbing centre on the North Norfolk coast. The classic Norfolk crab boat of the 19th and early 20th century usually had a 12ft keel and was 16ft from stem to stern. The boat sizes were limited because they had to be light enough for men to carry them ashore each day. They did this by pushing two oars right through the boat in ‘orrack’ (oar ports) in the top plank and with two men on each side they carried the boat up the long sandy beach. This was hard work at the end of day after hand hauling crab pots. To keep the boats light they didn’t have a strong gunwale but just an iron band along the top plank edge. These boats were rowed when pot hauling, but they carried a small dipping lugsail to get back to the beach. The sacks of ballast carried were tipped overboard as they took on more catch. The inshore fishing craft changed when engines were introduced, but North Norfolk sailing hulls were not suitable to have them fitted. Sheringham builder Harold Emery is credited with being the first person to have the wide stern-post built with a cavity for the propeller. The new boats were heavier and needed a different method of landing. In 1935 a wealthy visitor gave Sheringham fishermen an electric winch, while the firm sand at Cromer allowed tractors and trailers to be used. On the soft sand at East Runton some fishermen used tractors for the six boats there, but an old caterpillar tractor was more useful. Crab boats also worked from West Runton, Overstrand, Trimingham, Mundesley, Bacton and Happisburgh. One by one men gave up the struggle to make an income from these beaches. The wave pattern off Weybourne beach was particularly steep and dangerous, but in 1987 three crab boats and a transom-sterned skiff were working here. A few years later it was only Richard Matthew with the fibreglass Northern Star which was towed up on to the low cliff with a caterpillar tractor at Weybourne Hope. In 1989 David Hewitt built the last wooden crab boat, the 22ft Valerie Teresa for John Ball of Cromer. Fourteen years later John Ball, who had been working the Valerie Teresa with two men, needed a smaller boat because his sons had taken jobs ashore, David designed a totally new type of crab boat with a sharp snip bow, powered by an outboard. In 2016 only one wooden crab boat remained working off the North Norfolk

... she has been restored to an open boat with a cuddy to carry passengers for trips along the coast

Above: The Salford returned to an open boat

beaches. This is John Jonas’ Mary Ann, built at Potter Heigham in 1973 by Billy May. The last two hovellers, Liberty and Edna, the larger version of the crab boats, were still operating off the slipway at Sheringham in the early 1950s, but this type was reinvented to be used as a whelker from the harbour at Wells-next-the-Sea. Whelks are caught in pots and sold to the public or to other fishermen for bait on longlines. Originally the North Norfolk men just worked the whelk grounds near the coast while the smacks from King’s Lynn were working the grounds off the coast. These smacks used to sail from Lynn at the beginning of the week and anchor near the Dudgeon Light vessel. They towed their 18ft boats astern and used them to work the whelk pots. The working conditions in the open sea were difficult and on at least two

occasions the boats became separated from their smacks and the men had to row all the way into Yarmouth. The 58ft Lynn smack Britannia built in 1915 by Worfolk was a whelker and a year later he built the larger Grace & Ellen, fitted with an auxiliary engine. The Grace & Ellen was apparently sailed to the United States later, but the Britannia has been converted to a yacht with a high bulwarks and wheel steering and in recent years has been lying in the outer harbour at Brixham. The Wells whelk fishermen had worked old ship’s boats and crabbers from beach landings, and in the 1930s were going out about eight miles to the Race Bank – past the Cromer Knoll, four hours’ steaming. The new whelkers were built as larger versions of the crab boats, but still had a beam and shallow draught so that they

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CRABBERS & WHELKERS

could get in early on the tide over the Wells entrance bar. The Bessie, built by Johnson at Sheringham in 1939, used to set a lugsail in fair winds to “take the weight off the engine”. The 30ft William Edward built by Emerys in 1949 was the largest whelker. She had a lug-sail and was used until 1978. In 2000 a mould was taken off the William Edward and the first fibreglass whelker hull was produced. The fibreglass Bulcher is still fishing from Wells. Emery built the last wooden whelker, the 26ft Harvester, in 1951. The last whelker working was the 30ft Knot, built in 1938. Until about 2001 she was going some 26 miles out to sea from Blakeney Harbour daily. This took over four hours and as the crew got very bored they had a television in the wheelhouse. After the introduction of hydraulic pot haulers on larger boats, more pots could be worked.

Graham Peart became fascinated with these North Sea whelkers and bought two of them out of fishing, the Harvester and the William Edward He had the Harvester rigged as a gaff cutter with a half-decked cuddy forward and voyaged to the Netherlands. Later, he very generously gave the Harvester to a trust for young people to sail. The Knot had been built for Gerry Bullard to go leisure fishing and seal hunting, but during World War II became a commercial whelker to help to produce more food. In 1999 Henry Faire, Bullard’s son-in-law bought the Knot and had her restored for leisure. Later Henry commissioned the first new wooden sailing crabber for 25 years from David Hewitt, who built the hull over a period of two years in about 1,500 hours. This 17ft crabber Auk was launched in October 2014.

In 1951 Worfolks of King’s Lynn built the 30ft Salford for Mr Large of Wells, with a 12hp engine and lugsail. Later she was given a deck and wheelhouse to be used for fishing, but after being bought by Henry Chamberlain she has been restored back to an open boat with a cuddy to carry passengers on trips along the coast. The only fibreglass crab boat left working is the Anna Gail at Weybourne Hope. Cromer has several skiffs, a catamaran and the wooden Mary Ann fishing off the beach. George Hewitt has kept the traditional Norfolk crab boat type alive by building a great many fibreglass hulls for leisure sailing. Norfolk’s beaches are mostly left for walkers, anglers and holiday visitors. It is difficult to believe that just over a hundred years ago so many men earned a living fishing from this coast.

Top: Henry Faire’s new Auk just after launching at Morston 2014. With Henry at the helm, and builders David Hewitt and apprentice Tom Above left: The ‘motor boat’ stern of the Auk Above right: Snip-bowed skiff and catamaran at Cromer

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YARD VISIT: DAVID MOSS

Great northern David Moss’s 50 years as a wooden boatbuilder merited a Royal visit; what’s he been up to all that time? Quite a lot as Marc Fovargue-Davies found out

hat do you want to go into that for? There’ll be no demand for it…” His dad’s assessment didn’t put David Moss off the idea of a life with wooden boats though; fifty years later, HRH Princess Anne was more encouraging. “This is a good business, this is...” And this is what happened in between. Getting started wasn’t easy; the exponential increase in GRP boatbuilding meant that many yards were going over to the new material or closing altogether, with apprenticeships usually going to locals, or family. In the end though, David served a five-year apprenticeship; the first two were at the Anglesey Boat Company at Beaumaris, which maintained

RNLI lifeboats, giving him a healthy respect for the seakeeping ability of double-enders. Eventually, that would result in the sought-after ‘Sea Otter’ canoe yawls. The final three years of training were with Allanson’s yard, near Preston. Being able to turn your hand to anything is an advantage in a rapidly changing industry; following a stint at a canal boat yard in the Midlands, marriage then brought a move to the Alfred Mylne yard in the Kyles of Bute. This was boom time for North Sea oil, and drilling rigs were being built in the lochs; as David wryly observed, “You could make a fortune on those – even as the tea boy!” But rigs aren’t the same as boats, so another move followed, this time to shipwright Rolly Casson at Glasson Docks in Morecambe Bay, where he first met Andrew Wolstenholme. Andrew was also at the beginning of a long and successful career, and lunch hours spent David with Princess Anne – she lingered at the yard for an hour and twenty minutes

avidly reading the yachting books in the Old Customs House, were followed by David building the first Wolstenholme design, a 16ft New England cat boat, five of the 12ft version and a car port for the Wolstenholme family – all of which are still going strong. David Moss Boat Builders was set up in 1974, taking on its own first apprentice in the process. The fledgling yard started in farm buildings 11 miles from the sea but in spite of his father’s dire warning, soon ran out of space to expand. By the early eighties, the yard was making the move to its present halfacre site in Skippool, ‘Site’ though, was the operative word – and whilst now only separated from the water by a road to the yacht club, there were no buildings, no services and a variety of landscaping difficulties. Over the next three years, David and his two apprentices installed the services, built the

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yard and landscaped the site with over 400 trees. In spite of fitting in the work between paying projects, the new yard was completed in three years. It hasn’t always been easy to find people with the right skills in the North West, so David’s spent a lot of time training his own; but perhaps being one of the relatively few yards in the region – and having a reputation for craftsmanship – has had other advantages. A lot of interesting boats have found their way to David’s yard, so apprentices can be sure of a variety of boats to work on, and boats of course, are what its really all about. The Sea Otter canoe yawls were the result of David’s early experience with double enders, and a client wanting a more practical single-hander than his Drascombe Lugger. The books at Glasson Docks had included works by both Albert Strange and George

Holmes – whose Ethel provided the lines for the first 13ft Sea Otter, with Andrew Wolstenholme providing the sail plan. She was a very appealing boat, and more enquiries soon followed. People drawn to this kind of boat aren’t usually looking for something ‘off the

David’s apprentices can be sure of a variety of interesting boats to work on shelf ’, preferring to incorporate their own ideas. As a result, as well as open day boats, Sea Otters can be cruisers with raised decks, inboard diesels and (relatively!) comfy accommodation as well as anything from 13 to 25ft LOD. Aside from their name and canoe sterns, they also share the characteristic tiller.

These are works of art in themselves with a laminated double curve to accommodate the mizzen, and sporting a carved sea otter’s head at the end. Most of the yawls were the subject of magazine reviews, which helped to keep the order book full; however, David is firmly of the view that “if you only want to build new boats, you probably won’t survive” and that repair and restoration work is essential to keep a yard going. One of these restoration projects, was Phyllis – a Mersey Restricted Class cutter – which was returned to her former glory over five years, and eventually shortlisted for Classic Boat’s restoration of the year award in 2011. On arrival at Skippool though, this now gorgeous and businesslike gaffer was in a sorry state. In what could only be described as an ill-advised attempt to make her a more capacious cruiser, at some point in her past,

Above: Phyllis during restoration; more of her overleaf

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YARD VISIT: DAVID MOSS Phyllis, during restoration – before and after removal of her previous deck – and, far right, at her relaunch

she’d had her topsides raised by 18in – but whoever had done it, had even left the original beam shelf and chain plates in place. The result not only spoiled her looks, but was both weak and rotten. Fortunately, the original plans were still available and whilst tatty, were good enough to restore her to her original lines and rig. Restorations are not limited to sailing boats; currently at the yard is Scolopendra, a racing motorboat built by John Thornycroft for the first Harmsworth Trophy race at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in 1903. Her beam of 4ft 10½in made her very slender for her 30ft length, whilst her ½in American elm frames and ⅜in cedar planking helped keep her weight down to around 800kg. With her 20hp engine, she couldn’t beat the highly powered Napier for the Harmsworth Trophy itself, but she had little difficulty in winning the Yachtsman’s Trophy on handicap. She was sold to Canadian owners in 1904, where

she served with the government as an armed patrol boat, pursuing poachers on Lake Erie. Back in private ownership, she later had 6ft of her stern, including her elegant beaver tail, removed and replaced by a transom. Given her lightweight construction, it’s no surprise that her shape has moved over

Her situation has certainly improved since she was found close to sinking the years, with her beam increasing by a couple of inches. The framing for her stern and beaver tail was rebuilt before her return to the UK, but fully restoring her hull shape will also involve a new keel, and to allow her to be trailed, the thickness of her new bottom planking in Honduras cedar will be increased by 1/8in, then faired into the 3/8in topside

planking. The hunt to replace her original Stirling engine – of which only four are known to remain – is ongoing. Whilst work on Scolopendra continues apace, others at the yard like the elegant 7-Metre Ancora still await their fate. The 1920 Olympics at Antwerp included 16 classes, some with only one entrant; Ancora however, had to beat Norway’s Fornebo for her gold medal. She’s also very slender, 43ft on deck, with a beam of 7ft 3in, and has a fairly extreme looking gunter rig, with a very long yard. Whilst not yet under restoration, her situation has certainly improved after she was found, close to sinking, on a mooring in Holyhead Harbour. Having seen other businesses – but few anywhere near Liverpool – receive royal visitors, David felt that after spending forty of his fifty years as a boat builder passing on the skills that go with the job to others, it was about time that wooden boatbuilding was

Right: Princess Anne admires Iris. Far right: a David Moss catboat 66 CLASSIC SAILOR

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YARD VISIT: DAVID MOSS Polly, the new 31ft gaff cutter being built by David, and named by Princess Anne during her visit

also acknowledged. Given his interest in young people and sailing, Prince Charles was the first thought; his schedule though, was just too tight, but Princess Anne also has a keen interest in boats. David had just seen coverage of her at Cockwells Yard, so he decided to approach her. To everyone’s surprise, the visit was soon agreed. Preparations were quickly put in hand; clients were invited, several of whom had had a number of boats built – the record probably going to the owner of Iris, a strip-planked dinghy of David’s own design and the fourth boat he’d ordered since his first Sea Otter. That left the question of a suitable gift for the Princess; given the yard’s extensive use of half models in the design and build process, it didn’t take long to decide on a half model of Bloodhound, built by Camper & Nicholson in 1936 and formerly owned by the royal family – both Princess Anne and Prince Charles had learned to sail on her. This half model would not be simply a hull though, like those used

for building purposes, but would include the doghouse (the later one, the original having been given to the Cirdan Trust’s 1912 yawl, ‘Duet’) plus full rig and delicately carved sails. A Sea Otter owner from Edinburgh went to the Britannia Trust at Leith to confirm the colour of her topsides; the same blue

“Meeting the owners and working through their ideas makes the job interesting” as the Royal Yacht Britannia, and her name is engraved in tiny letters to the correct scale. On the day, Princess Anne spent an hour and twenty minutes at the yard; she looked at Iris and chatted to the two young people who’d built her. She was also impressed by Ancora’s rakish lines and then moved on to the 31ft gaff cutter currently in build – another

of David’s own designs, evolved from several half models and predictably destined for yet another ex Sea Otter owner. Although she wasn’t ready for launch, Princess Anne had readily agreed to name her – Polly – and having done so added: “I’d like to see this boat again…” Looking at the video footage of her visit, there also seems to be a certain reluctance to leave; perhaps it was the same feeling that seems to affect most Sea Otter owners, and keeps them coming back. So having proved his dad wrong, what are David’s thoughts on the future for wooden boat building now? “There’ll always be a demand, but unless plastic gets really expensive, it’ll never be big again. Meeting the owners and working through their ideas is part of what makes the job interesting, and many end up as lifelong friends; you won’t get rich, but you’ll probably be working most of your life – so you might as well do something you enjoy.”

Far left: a 15ft Sea Otter; left: Scolopendra’s beaver stern restored CLASSIC SAILOR

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On watch: kit for ship and crew Compiled by Guy Venables

ACR electronics Pathfinder pro

Woosh Gallego Electric folding bike

Greatly enhancing search and rescue efforts, the manuallyactivated ACR device is designed to assist in the rescue and recovery of life rafts and survival craft. It transmits a series of pulses which are displayed on a ship’s radar screen as a line of dots, providing a bearing to the survival craft. When powered on, the SART remains in a standby mode until it is automatically activated by an X Band Radar sweep which may come from any vessel in the vicinity. Lithium battery provides over 96 hours of operating life in standby mode and provides 12 hours of active operating life while being interrogated by radar. It’s also 10m waterproof. Expect to pay around £350. www.acrartex.com

Getting on an electric bike brings out the kid in all of us. It’s just fun. This one has pedal assist, so you can still do some of the work or just all throttle with no pedalling. The wheels are small so mind those pot holes, but it also means it folds up to very small indeed. It has the 36V 7.5AH battery housed in the frame making it less of a target and is easy to use and fold. If you’re elderly it’s a godsend, if you’re not it extends your range and speeds up journeys. Better than that, at £699 it costs the same or less than many unpowered folding bikes. www.wooshbikes.co.uk

Mazmic magic towels

Often things designed for other purpose find themselves on boats. Not least these handy tiny little coin pills that, once steeped in water, turn into cloths. The coins are chemical and perfume free and are also 100% biodegradable with 90% of the material degrading within a 12-week period. They are also compostible. Here’s the decider though: a bag of fifty is just £2.99. www.mazmik.com

R.A.W. pro edition Head Torch

Fast usb rechargeable, high intensity strobe, red and white light, up to 200 lumens with differing outputs, battery display feedback, waterproof, single click operation. We’re pretty sure it’s the best one we’ve used. Should be too at £119 but hey, you get what you pay for. www.exposurelights.com

Keysmart

Although initially we thought this was just solving a problem we didn’t have we soon realized that we did have it. A big bunch of keys is a bit of a nuisance, and the Keysmart enables you to screw all the yales into one block and use them like the tools on a penknife. Other bulkier fob style keys can be attached separately. £13 www.getkeysmart.com

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Sea areas for your wall

We love this ceramic wall plaque of the Shipping Forecast sea areas from potter Katherine Greenwell of Atlantic Ceramics, in W Yorkshire. There are two sizes – 23cm and 29cm at £40 and £60 in four colours, celadon or fingal green and whelkie or speedwell blue (as above). Add £7.50 or £8.50 for p&p from Ullapool’s Cabinet, www.cabinetullapool.co.uk, or Katherine herself: atlanticceramics.co.uk

A star to guide you

Visit us at the British Village at Brest or the Thames Traditional Boat Rally in July and pick up one of these natty 32mm badges for your hat/ jean jacket/backpack... or, er, sock drawer. They have a matt finish to match our cover! We’d send them out too but none of us can decide on a price yet. Free to subscribers of course.

Artist of the month

Aerorganic Sculpture by Adam Warwick Hall Fascinated by aircraft, animals and plants from an early age, Adam trained as a sculptor and then worked as sculptor and model maker for the film and TV industry at Shepperton and Pinewood Studios. His work has a surrealist nature in the combination of organic life and sunken aircraft from forgotten wars. His choice of subject is unsurprising seeing that he’s also a qualified Spitfire pilot. The original sculptures are cast via the lost wax ceramic shell process in limited editions of 12 in either bronze or aluminium and then an individual patina is applied to each piece. All of Adam’s finished work is available to see on his website, www. aerorganic.co.uk, his Facebook Artists page: Adam Warwick Hall and at a number of galleries through the UK. Guy Venables CLASSIC SAILOR 69

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Over the Yardarm

Guy Venables discovers remarkably simple secret behind the proliferation of artesan gins There is a moment of unadulterated smugness that one feels when, as someone remarks how good the gin you’re serving is, you reply “Do you think so? Oh good. I made it myself.” You see the reason why there are so many new gins about is that there’s a shared conspiracy amongst gin makers. Their secret is that making gin is actually pretty easy. By saying this I have broken a solemn silence and there’s probably now a bounty on my head. (If I get whacked before the next issue it was the Brotherhood of Gins. Avenge me.) You can do it at home nowadays and you needn’t deny anyone the bath. To put us off the trail, and successfully I might add, Sacred Gin has come up with an excellent blending kit with which one can use their own separated and bottled liquid ingredients (juniper, citrus, angelica, cardamom, licorice and coriander) to either blend your own gin from scratch or add a little of the ingredients to a bottle of their gin. The sense of unearned pride one can achieve by this act of vicarious plagiarism is that of a limpet showing off the smoothness of the hull to which it’s attached. And it’s fun. I’ve been using nonsensical phrases like: “I add a dash more angelica than they do, it ensures the gin doesn’t sulk,” or: “Only a fool would counter that kind of citrus with star anise. It’s not 2013 you know!” (Pulling off this level of arrogance is easiest if wearing a smoking jacket.) This is a particularly problem-free way of doing it with almost guaranteed success. (I’ve tried making my own elderberry wine; it is consistently disgusting.) However my confidence in my abilities as a gin blender being temporarily and artificially high I decided to concoct my own gin from scratch using mere base spirits and herbs. The herbs I’ve chosen are grown by my wife and are particularly rare as she works in an historic garden. The base spirits are three litres of cheap vodka. I talked to Christopher at Chilgrove Gin (one of the finest) who told me to make sure I added Orris root. It’s an effective stabilizing flavour binder as well as having a light violet taste. At the time of writing I have several bottles filled with herbs and spices sitting on a shelf quietly infusing and patiently awaiting blending. I say patiently – it only takes a week or so. If I survive, more next month…

Off watch Books: Sailing – can be amazing and/or stress-free

Amazing Sailing Stories By Dick Durham With section headings like Survival, Calm, Storm, Human Error, Tragedy and Deliverance this is a book which promises an element of instruction within its overall remit to entertain. And it does not disappoint. From the first short chapter it’s a bit of a rollicking read! That is called Voyage of Desperation and introduces us to the lovelorn merchant seaman John Caldwell who, in 1946, buys a 29ft yacht to sail to Australia to be with his new wife. Afrer a hurricane things get bad and he ends up running out of food, frying the fish he catches in hair oil and vaseline before eating his army boats after soaking them in seawater and frying them in the macassar as well. It’s a cracking read... as are the other 59 stories which cover the gamut of sailing experiences from history through to the present day. Fleet street trained, Dick tells his stories with a terse spartan style that ensures you never get bored or find your eyes wandering off the page. DH £12.99, 264pp, 2016, fernhurstbooks.com

Stress Free Sailing By Duncan Wells Who doesn’t want Stress Free Sailing? Well without the capitals surely it’s what many of us are attracted to in the pastime of boating. But of course stress is an attitude of mind and while some people are shiveringly sick to their bones in heavy weather or when things start breaking, others burst into song as if the threatening calamity was just another chance to display their inner happiness and joy at being tested by the greatness of the salty waterworld. And that could be down to confidence, itself down to experience, knowledge and self reliance... which is what this book is really about. Because in 11 chapters it covers a huge number of sailing techniques aimed principally at single and short-handed sailors. It’s written, in a plain no-nonsense way, by Duncan Wells, principal of the Westview Sailing School which produces tutorial videos as well as running RYA training courses. There are loads of photos and diagrams on each page explaining the methods and it’s a concise treatment of the skills required to skipper a boat – not bad as an aide memoire either! DH £16.99, 160pp, 2015, adlardcoles.com

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Shoreside Places we love

With 48 miles of shoreline, incorporating sand-dunes, beaches and ancient woodlands, Chichester Harbour, is designated An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Rent: Canute Cottages

This sounds just the ticket for solving those mixed-age holiday horrors. Canute Cottages are four characterful, holiday homes grouped on a secluded peninsula in Chichester harbour, with private water frontage 700 metres away, from which children and adults can be thrown into canoes and dinghies. On top of that, there’s a large old Sussex barn decked out with ping-pong, skittles and basket ball, an adjoining games field with football goal and swings and, for tiny children, toys, cots and high chairs in the cottages. Best of all for teenagers are the loft-space sleeping dens, accessed by ladder and out of the way of prying eyes. With 48 miles of shoreline, incorporating sand-dunes, beaches and ancient woodlands, Chichester Harbour, is designated An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. One cottage sleeps 2/4, three sleep 4/6, from £290 per week. For boat hire, inquire with owners. Canute Cottages, www.canutecottages.co.uk. Tel: +44 (0)1243 572123

Sale: Creekside, Restronguet, Mylor, Falmouth,Cornwall.

Bit of a dream this one. (next to a really good pub.) A period waterside home in a delightful setting having lovely, well established plantsman’s gardens of 1.75 acres. Hallway, cloak/shower room, dining/living room, snug, kitchen/breakfast room, 3/4 bedrooms, bathroom/WC, 2-bedroom annexe, oil-fired heating, ample parking, beautiful mature gardens. There’s a long water frontage and foreshore looking out over Carrick Roads and Restronguet Creek, absolutely one of the best sailing spots in the country with great dinghy creek sailing awnd an excellent spot from which to explore the south coast of Cornwall and beyond. £900,000. www.jackson-stops.co.uk

Run ashore Send us your favourite pubs! Address p15  The Butt and Oyster, Pin Mill Suffolk

In the hamlet of Pin Mill up the River Orwell lies the Butt and Oyster, arguably the best pub in Suffolk. Pin Mill, once a smugglers’ haven, is a lovely stretch of the river to walk off a boozy lunch. The name of the pub commemorates the oyster fisheries, once a major export from the area. In the past the pub would be full of bargemen and sailors enjoying a pint. It still is. In the summer, outside watching the water or in winter huddled round a pint next to a log fire. Pin Mill is famous as the setting for Arthur Ransome’s We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea. It is a fantastic pub with a welcoming and traditional atmosphere, good beer and great food. Butt and Oyster, Pin Mill Suffolk, IP91JW. Tel: +44 (0)1473 780764 CLASSIC SAILOR 71

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Navigation: Pilotage – The eyes have it Pilotage is all about navigating by line of sight. If you can see land or sea marks, either where you're going or where you've been, you can use them to line up the course to steer. Here John Clarke, Principal of Team Sailing, shows how it's done

ilotage is the skill required to bring a boat safely into or out of harbour, or to safely navigate when you are in sight of land. This is especially necessary when the tide is screaming across your course, and the Solent is especially useful as a training ground in this regard. The most important pilotage tool you will have in your armoury is probably your eyes – if what you are looking at doesn’t seem to make sense, then there’s probably a good reason! The key point to remember is to scour the chart looking for clues; the more you look the more you’ll see, and it’s better to have too much rather than too little information. And it’s essential to prepare a plan, which should be flexible enough to deal with contingencies, such as a wind shift which prevents you going in a straight line to your destination, necessitating some tacking. It can be written in various forms: as a running commentary, or a quick pictorial sketch are the two most usual ways.

Let us suppose that we are making a passage from Cherbourg to Southampton, and you intend to enter the Solent from the West, up the Needles Channel. The entry into the Needles is quite narrow, and is guarded by a red can and a west cardinal, but fortunately there is a safewater buoy about a mile south of these buoys. These buoys will be impossible to see at much more than a mile distant, but we should be able to spot the Needles lighthouse from a long way out. By lining up the safewater mark with the needles lighthouse on the chart, you can see that it is at an angle of 56º T or 57º M, since there is only one degree of variation to the west currently in the Solent (see Fig 2). It will be straightforward to steer the boat until the lighthouse is on a bearing of 57º M. By keeping that angle constant you will eventually 'hit' the safewater mark. You can ignore totally the direction the boat is pointing in, since the tide may make it completely different.

CLASSICAL PILOTAGE

If you cannot identify visually where you should be going, look behind you to see if there is anything behind to steer from. And then examine the chart to see the angle that this back bearing (bb) needs to be to get to your destination. Steer the opposite of that angle, but keep monitoring the b-b to stop yourself being driven off course by the tide. Again let’s examine a real situation. Suppose that you are intending to make a passage from Portsmouth Harbour to

A FRONT BEARING

If you can see where you are meant to be going in front of you, use the handbearing (hb) compass (Fig 1) to log the angle from your current position, and check the chart to make sure that there are no hazards in between. Then steer the boat in such a way that the angle remains constant. And you can use this technique imaginatively.

A BACK BEARING

Cherbourg, leaving via the East Solent. The hazard here is to avoid the rocks off Bembridge, which are guarded by an easterly cardinal. You will be able to see the forts in the East Solent from the harbour entrance, which you must go between. From No Man’s Land fort to the east cardinal is about 3 or 4 miles, so there is no way that you can see it. Again, by lining up the fort with the east cardinal, you can see from Fig 3 that the back angle is on a bearing of 332º T or 333º M. If you steer initially down a reciprocal course of 153º M, but adjust this course to keep the fort on the bearing of 333º M, then you must 'hit' (not literally, we hope) the east cardinal. LEADING LINES

These are often shown on charts and, most importantly, the angle of the leading lines is invariably also shown on the chart. Fig 4 shows the line of the Swashway marking the way out of Portsmouth Harbour if you are heading west – note it states that the leading lines are on an angle of 49º T. It lines up the war memorial with a block of flats; sadly there are several blocks of flats so which one is it? Armed with your trusty hb compass, you can measure the angle as each block is in a straight line with the war memorial, until you see the one which has the correct bearing (in this case 50º M. Then turn right to approximately 230º M (the opposite of 50º M), but looking behind you to keep the two points in a straight line.

Fig 1 Using the handbearing compass. Fig 2 Lining up a front bearing in the Needles Channel Fig 3 Taking a back bearing to leave the East Solent

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The key point to remember is to scour the chart looking for clues; the more you look the more you’ll see – it’s better to have too much information

Fig 5 shows the leading lines into Newtown Creek, a very pretty National Trust property in the West Solent. On the chart these are very prominent (shown to be at 130º T), but in reality it is just two posts sticking out of the ground, which is hard to recognise from the sea, especially if there are a lot of masts behind them in the harbour. Again use your hb compass, look down 131º M and wait for two posts to come into line and steer down approximately 131º M keeping them in line. Fig 6 shows the two posts in line, but the masts behind could easily be confused with a post, if you're not using the hb compass.

CLEARING BEARING

USING YOUR EYES

A prominent feature in the Solent is Fawley power station chimney (you can see it in Fig 7). In Fig 8 we have drawn two lines from the chimney to the east and west of a sand bank (the Bramble Bank). The respective angles are 310º T and 321º T – ie, 311º M and 322º M. If the chimney has a bearing of more than 322º M or less than 311º M then we will be in the clear! If it comes between those two numbers then you'll need to watch your depth with care! In the Solent you need eyes in the back of your head. Fig 9 shows the Lymington to Yarmouth ferry leaving Lymington.

Entering Cowes with a strong tide flowing to the left, note that the boat is pointing well to the right. And look at the land behind the red and green buoys, which I’ve circled in Figs 10 and 11. The land is moving to the right of the red buoy, which means that we shall pass to the right of the red buoy; and is moving to the left of the green buoy, which means that we shall pass to the left of the green buoy. In other words, everything is going well. Fig 12 This makes it all worthwhile –

a sunset in Chichester Harbour.

Fig 4 Leading lines, showing the Swashway, leaving Portsmouth Harbour Figs 5 and 6 The entrance to Newtown Creek, showing the leading lines, and the not-too-easily-spotted posts on which they are based Figs 7-11 Solent landmarks (see text) Fig 12 Enjoy!

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Build a boat in a day

Make the frame, it doesn’t have to be bamboo! Lash your chosen timbers together; the only critical dimension is that it is big enough to sit in.

Wrap the frame in a robust, waterproof sheet; if they don’t already exist ﬁt reinforcing grommets (cheap in DIY stores) in the corners and the middle of the sides.

An emergency, get-you-there craft. All you need are some bamboo poles (or similar) and an army poncho (or similar) By Trevor David Clifton

few years ago (1967!) I designed and built my own boat. Inspiration came to me while we were on exercise in the Malaysian jungle. We had to cross a river; not a wide river, not foaming water tumbling over rocks and waterfalls, in fact it was quite gentle, but it was too deep to wade across. Standard procedure was to wrap your backpack, and any

other weighty bits, in your poncho, like a parcel, with all the folded bits and your weapon on top, then use it as a buoyancy aid, holding on to the parcel and kicking with your legs. The army issue poncho was a superbly waterproof bit of kit, provided that you hadn’t snagged it on one of the monster prickly branches that reach out to grab you in the jungle, and the procedure worked well.

I was quite a strong swimmer so I wasn’t worried about drowning. But looking at that expanse of silverygrey water I wondered what might be lurking under the surface: are there crocodiles or alligators in Malaysia? Piranhas? Poisonous snakes? I didn’t know. I feared that even if there weren’t crocs or piranhas they might have equally nasty Malaysian relatives. We swam as quickly as we could. One or two stragglers

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I offered my design to the army for any future jungle river crossings it might be contemplating...

Use square lashings or drill and screw.

Draw the sheet up and around the frame with a long cord passed through the grommets.

worried us for a while, but we all got safely across. That was when I designed my boat. Back in the safety of our camp I put it together. No plans, no printed instructions, it was all in my head. I cut some lengths of bamboo, lashed them together in the shape of a miniature landing craft and wrapped my poncho around the frame, tensioned with a length of cord. It was a total success.

I offered my design to the army for any future jungle river crossings it might be contemplating. My offering, with photos illustrating the successful trial, prompted a smile here and there and a polite suggestion that I might get back to what I was supposed to be doing. Now I offer the design, formally prepared, free(!), to you in case you ever mislay your tender and need to get out to the boat.

Make a paddle if you can’t scrounge one – as I did for my trials. You’re afloat! Start with a clove-hitch, finish with a reef-knot. Left, the first trial: A complete success!

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Joints: The through dovetail The technique for making a through dovetail joint as demonstrated by IBTC’s Ian Cook. Words and photos by Richard Johnstone-Bryden

aking a tight fitting dovetail joint provides a real test of any woodworker’s skill. There are several variations of the dovetail joint including the through dovetail joint, mitred through dovetail joint, lapped dovetail joint and the dovetail halving joint. Dovetails can be used for several purposes including the making of boxes, cabinets, drawers and securing deck beams. Of all the derivatives, the through dovetail joint is the most basic version and provides the largest possible glue surface although the ends of both boards are clearly visible. Some craftsmen make a virtue of this characteristic by using the joint in a highly visible location while others hide it with decorative mouldings or use it where it will not be seen such as the back of a drawer. This family of joints owes its name to the angled male component which resembles the profile of a dove’s tail. They fit into a female socket of the same shape to create an interlocking joint with a high degree of mechanical strength. Fig 1 To clearly illustrate the techniques involved in the making of a through dovetail joint, Ian uses two short pieces of wood. Fig 2-3 Achieving the correct angle for the sloping sides of the dovetail is critical to the overall success of the joint. If the sloping sides are too steep, you will be left with weaker short grain at the tips which

could undermine the overall strength of the joint. Equally, if the angle is too shallow it will not offer the maximum level of strength that can be achieved by using this joint. To create sloping sides at the correct angle you should ideally aim for a ratio of 1:8 when using hard woods or 1:6 for soft woods. To achieve the hard wood ratio, divide the length of the dovetail’s sloping side by 8 to determine the measurement required to plot the position of the lower edge of the sloping side next to the shoulder. Then simply mark a straight line running from the outer edge at the top of the dovetail’s sloping side to its lower edge to create the desired angle. To make life easier the IBTC uses a standard ratio of 1:7 for all types of wood when it comes to determining the angle of the sloping sides. If you have a number of dovetail joints to produce you could make a simple metal template which can be used to mark the dovetail’s shape on the piece of wood’s face side and the end. As can be seen the L shaped template fits tightly on to the squared off end of the timber thereby allowing Ian to simply draw around the edge of the template. Fig 4 Cutting out the waste wood in-between the dovetails using a coping saw along the lower edge.

Fig 5 Ian uses a home made miniature bevel to check that the slopping sides of the dovetails are true.

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The correct ratio for hardwoods is 1:8; for softwoods 1:6. To make life easier Ian uses 1:7 for all types of wood Fig 6 Ian applies chalk to the end of the wood to ensure the scribed lines that will indicate the required shape for the sockets stand out very clearly. Fig 7 The dovetails are carefully placed on top of the wood from which the sockets will be cut out. To ensure the two pieces of wood are lined up as accurately as possible, Ian uses the ‘face side’ of a third piece of wood as a straight edge and pushes the two bits of wood up flush with it. Fig 8-9 Once Ian is happy that both pieces of wood have been correctly lined up, he uses a sharp knife to scribe lines along the edges of the dovetails to mark out the extent of the required sockets.

Description and practical demonstration of the techniques by Ian Cook, joinery instructor at the Lowestoft Suffolk based International Boatbuilding Training College (IBTC). Further Information: International Boatbuilding Training College. Tel: 01502 569663 Email: info@ibtc.co.uk Website: www.ibtc.co.uk

Fig 10 Once the sockets have been cut out the remaining vertical pieces of wood are referred to as pins. Thus, Ian repeats the steps he took during the cutting of the dovetails starting with the use of a very fine toothed dovetail saw to cut vertically down the sides of the pins. As he cuts, Ian ensures that he remains slightly to the waste side of the marked lines. Fig 11 As he nears the lower edge of the pin’s side he switches to a coping saw to cut round the corner and along the socket’s bottom edge. Fig 12 Having cut out the sockets, Ian gently lowers the dovetails into position to assess how tightly

they fit together. Although you should be aiming for a nice tight fitting joint it is important not to force the dovetails in place because if the ends are too wide for the sockets you will probably split the wood below the socket or break off the edge of the dovetail and have to start from scratch again. Fig 13-14 Ian uses a chisel to remove the remaining waste wood from the socket’s bottom edge. The difference between the initial cut and the desired result can be clearly seen in Fig 14. Fig 15 The fine tuning continues as Ian uses a chisel to carry out the final adjustments along the sides of the pins and the bottom edge of the socket. As always it is better to make several smaller adjustments rather than trying to take everything off in one go and compromising the final result by taking off too much. Fig 16 The softly softly approach to the adjustments has paid off to create a nice tight fitting joint. Fig 17 Ian uses a dovetail saw to cut off the protruding ends of the dovetails... Fig 18 ...before switching to a plane to trim them flush to create a smart looking finish. He then repeats the last two steps to trim the ends of the pins. Fig 19 The final result. CLASSIC SAILOR 77

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UK OPEN DAYS WEEK UK OPEN 77 DAYS AA WEEK

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Spirit 54’ Spirit 54’

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Spectacular looking Spirit 54’. Epic regatta yacht and also famous `Bond Boat’ Casino Royale. Gleams. Spectacular looking Spirit 54’. Epic regatta yacht and also famous asas thethe `Bond Boat’ in in Casino Royale. Gleams.

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UK OPEN DAYS WEEK Join Join our latest news UK OPEN 77 DAYS AA WEEK usus forfor our latest news

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Lymington United Kingdom Lymington United Kingdom Phone 0044 01590 679 222 Phone 0044 01590 679 222 Email brokers@berthon.co.uk Email brokers@berthon.co.uk

Rhode Island USA Rhode Island USA Phone 001 401 846 8404 Phone 001 401 846 8404 Email sales@berthonusa.com Email sales@berthonusa.com

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Nelson 80’ Nelson 80’

£2,000,000 £2,000,000 West Coast Italy West Coast Italy

The most exceptional and special Nelson them Built The most exceptional and special Nelson of of them all.all. Built byby Richardson’s 1996 and rebuilt and extended feet Richardson’s in in 1996 and rebuilt and extended toto 8080 feet in in 2006. This Nelson offers epic sea keeping and Mediterranean 2006. This Nelson 8080 offers epic sea keeping and Mediterranean specification - she spectacular. specification - she is is spectacular.

Irens Modern Classic Irens Modern Classic

€600,000 €600,000 East Coast Ireland East Coast Ireland

From pen Nigel Irens comes this stunning 63’ motor yacht. From thethe pen of of Nigel Irens comes this stunning 63’ motor yacht. Making use low displacement length ratio, she highly Making use of of thethe low displacement length ratio, she is is highly efficient a cruising speed knots. Propelled a single efficient at at a cruising speed of of 1414 knots. Propelled byby a single cummins 300hp diesel engine, this stunning motor yacht capable cummins 300hp diesel engine, this stunning motor yacht is is capable doing some serious cruising. of of doing some serious cruising.

Mystic 60’ Mystic 60’

€350,000 €350,000 Corsica Corsica

Splendid and very red Ketch from German Frers, she comes with Splendid and very red Ketch from German Frers, she comes with a fab teak interior and many, many updates sparkling, fast and a fab teak interior and many, many updates forfor sparkling, fast and stylish bluewater sailing. There a current survey report which stylish bluewater sailing. There is is a current survey report which is is available request. available onon request.

S&S Swan ketch S&S Swan 6565 ketch

USD $675,000 USD $675,000 Caribbean Caribbean

Probably most beautiful series yacht world with many Probably thethe most beautiful series yacht in in thethe world with many updates including new Jubilee, interior refresh updates including new rigrig forfor thethe Jubilee, anan interior refresh in in Finland and recent refits both sides Atlantic - she Finland and recent refits onon both sides of of thethe Atlantic - she is is spectacular. spectacular.

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Boats for sale Boats for sale

Fireﬂy Dinghy for Sale

80 yr old, now given up sailing has Uffa Fox, varnished Fairey Marine www.anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk Fireﬂy Dinghy for Sale. www.anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk old, now given upand sailing has Together 80 withyrmetal centerplate Fox,Trailer varnished Fairey Marine HaylingUffa Road and matching launching trolley. Fireﬂ y Dinghy Sale.home. Modest price toforgood Together with metal centerplate All in sound condition. and Hayling Road Trailer and matching launching trolley. Modest price871394 to good home. Offers please 01404 All in sound condition.

Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk Tel. +44 (0)1359 27& 1717 47 to sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk Every in print your potential purchaser Tel. +44 27 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk Tel.advert +44 (0)1359 (0)1359 27on-line 17 47 47 reach sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk

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Anglia Yacht Brokerage Anglia AngliaYacht Yacht Brokerage Brokerage

Deadline 20th of every month. Email: evie@classicsailor.com tel 01273 420730 Deadline 20th of every month. (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk 2000 in 2006 Kittiwake 16’ gaff gaff 2001 David David Moss Sea Sea Otter Otter Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 www.anglia-yacht.co.uk 2000 Cornish Cornish Crabber Crabber 22’ 22’Tel. in +44 2006 GRP GRP Kittiwake 16’ 2001 Moss Email: evie@classicsailor.com tel 01273 420730 Offers please 871394 lovely rigged sloop. A A very very high high end end 15’ in in lovely lovely condition. condition. 01404 Cedar lovely condition condition with with Yanmar Yanmar rigged sloop. 15’ Cedar Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter 1GM10 Bespoke road out with lots of hard sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk wood strip/epoxy construction with +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk 2000 Crabber in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff gaff 2001 David David Moss Sea Seawith Otter 1GM10 diesel, diesel, Bespoke road 22’ fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction aa Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 www.anglia-yacht.co.uk 2000 Cornish Cornish Crabber 22’Tel. in fit 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ 2001 Moss Otter lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. A very high end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar in lovely condition with rigged AA end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop.Complete Avery veryhigh high end standing in lovely condition. Cedar work. Complete with standing lug yawlcondition. rig. Complete trailer and upped rating toYanmar Complete lovely condition with Yanmar and bronze riggedsloop. sloop. very high end 15’ lovely Cedar trailer and upped work. with lug yawl rig. 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction withaaaa 1GM10 Bespoke road fitand out with lots hard wood strip/epoxy construction with 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lotsof of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with with electric motor, category B. cover covers and and 1GM10 diesel, road fitout out with lots of hard wood construction with B. diesel, break back road trailer electric motor, covers 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ 2006 GRP 16’ gaff 2001 Davidwith Mossstrip/epoxy Sea Otter Otter 2000 category Cornish Crabber 22’ in in Bespoke 2006 GRP Kittiwake Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete trailer and upped Complete work. Complete Complete with standing lug yawl yawl rig. rig. Complete trailer and upped to sloop. and bronze Complete £8,995. road trailer.Cedar trailer upped rating work. with standing lug lovely condition with Yanmar rigged A high end end 15’ in in lovely lovely condition. Cedar £37,950 lovely£37,950 condition with and Yanmar rigged sloop. A very very high 15’ condition. category B. cover and break back road trailer with electric motor, covers and with electric motor, category B. cover and covers and category B. covers and 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter £7,750 category B. break back road trailer with electric motor, covers and 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with a 2000 Cornish Crabber 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’gaff gaff 2001 David David Moss Sea Otter 2000 Cornish Crabber in in 2006 GRP 2001 Moss Sea Sea Otter Otter 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road22’22’ “Corriemhor” 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRPKittiwake Kittiwake16’ 16’ gaff 2001 David road trailer. £37,950 £8,995. Much-loved 4-berth Cedar T.24 seeks new home. Owner “Spratt” trailer. £37,950 £8,995. Perfect for some coastal cruising in style! Currently on her lovely condition with rigged sloop. A high end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar £37,950 road trailer. lovely lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. very high end standing 15’ in in condition. £37,950 road trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. Complete with luglovely yawl rig. trailer. Complete lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. AA very end 15’ condition. Cedar lovely lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. Avery veryhigh high end 15’ in condition. trailer and upped rating toYanmar swallowing hook afterCedar 47 years. Built 1969. GRP hull, Swampscott Dory built to very high standard,comes trailer near Aberdeen, we can deliver to the new owner. fit out 12’ £7,750 hard wood strip/epoxy construction with 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road with lots of 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with aaacoachroof, teak trim, £7,750 category B. cover and break back road trailer with electric motor, covers and £7,750 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road hard wood strip/epoxy construction with “Corriemhor” 1GM10 road marine-ply deck (renewed 1993) and category B. Corriemhor is ﬁdiesel, tted out forBespoke coastal cruising and enjoys a with sailing gear,air bags and oars.

“Spratt” road trailer. Much-loved 4-berth T.24 Avon seeksinc. new home. Owner Perfect for some coastal cruising in Currently on her Yanmar 1GM10 regularly serviced, Excellent standing lug yawl rig. Complete trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. standing lug rig. Complete trailer and upped rating to and bronze work.Complete high level of equipment: £16,000 £37,950 £8,995. trailer and upped rating todeliver with standing yawl rig. Complete trailer and upped rating tostyle! Complete with standing yawl rig. Complete Easily car ,used for built one week only,as new. £37,950 swallowing hook after 47 years. BuiltOtter 1969. GRP hull, 12’ toppable Swampscott Dory toGRP very high standard,comes trailer near Aberdeen, we canour to theCornish new owner. spinnaker. Sails well. Hull sound, coachroof needs 2000 Crabber 22’ in 2006 Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea For more info on the Romilly including sail around Mull 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter electric motor, covers and category Super little boattrailer cover andbreak breakback electric motor, covers and category B. cover and marine-ply deckelderly, (renewed 1993) and£2,500 coachroof, £7,750 category B. back road trailer with electric electric motor, covers and category B. B. road with motor, covers and ﬁtted out for coastallovely cruising and enjoys a with £7,750 with sailing gear,air bags andAoars. repainting, gas-cooker hence price ono. teak trim, andCorriemhor a Force 8, is see www.roxane-romilly.co.uk condition rigged sloop. very high end 15’1GM10 in lovely lovely condition. Cedar lovely with Yanmar Yanmar rigged sloop. A very high end 15’ in condition. Cedar Only£995 Yanmar regularly serviced, Avon Excellent £37,950 £8,995. roadnew. trailer. levelStephen of equipment: £16,000condition £37,950 £8,995. Ideal project. Mooring Felixstowe Ferry, own cradle ininc. Yard. Easily car toppable ,used for one week only,as £37,950 Please high contact Booth1GM10 £37,950 road trailer. diesel, Bespoke roadPeter fitTelout out2006 with lots of hard wood wood strip/epoxy construction with 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’in in fit 2006lots GRPof Kittiwake gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter spinnaker. Sails well. Hull sound, coachroof needs Contact: Hough 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road with hard strip/epoxy construction with aa 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter For more info on the Romilly including our sail around Mull 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ 2001 David Moss Sea Otter 01473 659572 or timvoelcker@gmail.com 16’ 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ Kittiwake gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter Stephen.booth@crondall-energy.com Super07840979473 little boat GRP £7,750 £7,750 repainting, gas-cooker elderly, hence price £2,500 ono. trailer and upped rating to Yanmar and bronze bronze work. Complete withend standing lug yawl condition. rig. Complete and a Force 8, see www.roxane-romilly.co.uk lovely condition with Yanmar and rigged sloop. A very high 15’ Cedar trailer lovely and upped rating to work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete condition with rigged sloop. A high end 15’in inlovely lovely condition. Cedar

lovely condition with rigged sloop. A very high end end 15’inin inlovely lovelycondition. condition. Cedar very high lovely condition withYanmar Yanmar Only£995 riggedsloop. sloop. A A very 15’ Cedar lovely condition with Yanmar rigged end 15’ lovely condition. Cedar Ideal project. Felixstowe Ferry, own cradle in Yard. Please contact Stephen Booth1GM10 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out withback lots of of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with cover and break back road trailer with Mooring category B. diesel, electric motor, covers and of 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots wood strip/epoxy construction with aa aa category cover and break road trailer covers and Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood with strip/epoxy construction with Contact: Peter Hough Telout 07840979473 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit with lots hard wood strip/epoxy construction with 01473electric 659572 ormotor, timvoelcker@gmail.com Stephen.booth@crondall-energy.com trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete £37,950 £8,995. road trailer. trailer and upped ratingto andbronze bronze work. work. Complete Complete with standing Complete £37,950 road trailer. trailer and upped rating toto and bronze work. Complete with standinglug lugyawl yawlrig. rig. Complete trailer and upped rating and with standing lug yawl rig. Complete category B. coverand and break break back back road road trailer trailer with electric motor, covers and £7,750 category cover and break with covers and £7,750 category B.B. cover road trailer withelectric electricmotor, motor, covers and category electric motor, covers and £8,995. £37,950 road trailer. £37,950 £8,995. road trailer. £8,995. £37,950 road trailer. trailer. £37,950 £8,995. road £7,750 £7,750 £7,750 £7,750

Anglia Yacht Brokerage AngliaYacht Yacht Brokerage 1990 Drascombe Anglia Brokerage Drascombe Dabber Dabber Mk2 1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Mk2 in in Tel. Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk

Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk exceptionally tidy condition rig. Complete condition with with15’ cover, exceptionally tidy 1990 Drascombe Drascombe Dabberwith 1999 Storm Mk2 in withelectric balanced lug 1990 Dabber 1990 Drascombe DabberMk2 1999 Storm Mk2inin in Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk www.anglia-yacht.co.uk 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 Tel. cover, Honda 2.3HP outboard 4-stroke and and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and www.anglia-yacht.co.uk Tel. exceptionally tidy tidy condition rig. Complete with cover, electricwww.anglia-yacht.co.uk condition with Tel. +44 (0)1359 27 17 47 sales@anglia-yacht.co.uk exceptionally with

rig.with Complete with electric exceptionally tidy condition with with Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in in 1999 Storm 15’ balanced lug cover, 1990 Dabber Mk2 roadcover, trailer. £2,250 road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HPcondition outboard 4-stroke and and and combi road Drascombe trailer. Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke outboard and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and rig. Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with £4,450 1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in 4-stroke and £4,450 road trailer. £2,250 road trailer. Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in 1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in outboard and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and £2,250 road trailer. exceptionally tidy condition condition with with rig. Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy £4,450 £4,450 exceptionally tidy1990 condition with rig. Complete cover, electric tidy condition with £2,250 road trailer. £4,450 Storm 15’exceptionally with balanced balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 Mk2 in in cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and Dabber outboard andwith combi 1999 Storm 15’ with lug Drascombe £4,450 road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and outboard and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition condition with £4,450 rig. Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy with £4,450 trailer. £2,250 road Storm 15’trailer. with balanced balanced lug lug 1990 1990 Drascombe Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in in 1999 Storm 15’ with Dabber Mk2 2006 2006 Cornish Cornish Crabber 17’ in outboard and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and trailer. £2,250 outboard combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and road trailer. Storm 15’ with balanced lug sailing 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in 1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 rig.and Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition within £4,450 established small sailing Anglia Yacht Brokers boat exceptionally tidy condition with are a well established small boat £2,250 road trailer. trailer. £2,250 road lovely with Crabber copper- 17’ in 2006 rig. Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition condition with £4,450 lovely condition condition 2006 Cornish Cornish outboard and with combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and Complete cover, electric exceptionally tidy with £4,450 outboard and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and established small sailing sailing boat Anglia boat Bury St Edmunds. Yacht Brokers are and a well established small based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. £4,450 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in builders £4,450 2006 Cornish outboard combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 2.3HP 4-stroke and and £2,250 and road trailer. outboard combi road trailer. cover, Honda 4-stroke £2,250 road trailer. lovely condition coppercoated underside, Suzuki 6HP lovely condition coated underside, established small sailing Anglia boat Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing boat 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in with 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ Bury St Edmunds. builders boat marketing and We provide 2000 Storm 15’ with balanced lug rig.clinker based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. 1973 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk1 in 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with by traditional sailing boat marketing and 2000 Storm 15’ with balanced lug rig. 1973 GRP hull, 1975 Drascombe Lugger Mk2 refurbished by £4,450 1991 Cornish Cormorant in stunning original 1989 Cornish Coble in nice condition with 2004 Green Ocean Yachts Post Boat 14’6” Vintage circa 1920 12’ Larch on Oak £2,250 road trailer. 1978 Drascombe Dabber in good condition 1992 Drascombe Lugger Mk3 with Mariner 1999 McNulty Drascombe Lugger Mk4 in 1999 Devon Dabber in excellent condition established small sailing boat Anglia Yacht Brokers £4,450 trailer. 1978 Drascombe 1999 Devon Dabber in excellent condition lovely condition with copperare a well established small sailing boat lovely condition coated underside, Suzuki 6HP coated underside, 4-stroke and break-back road 4-stroke and Designed by Storm Nick Newland of Swallow lovely condition with Tohatsu 8HP outboard, cockpit deck. Rebuilt engine 2-pack Designed by Nick Newland of Swallow Bury StMk4 Edmunds. builders 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in and lovely condition with copperlovely condition with and trailer us in under 2010. Refurbishment included 2-pack based in the UK near Bury St 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ condition and garage kept. With overhauled trailer and Yamaha 4HP 4-stroke built licence from Character Boats to a Edmunds. lug dinghy with T-frame road trailer and lovely condition with copperwith easy-launch trailer, overall cover 6HP Easy-launch road trailer, good condition with Mariner 5HP outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke boat marketing and We provide with new new easy-launch outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke 2000 15’ with balanced lug rig.clinker 1973 Drascombe Longboat Mk1 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with bysail traditional sailing boat marketing and £4,450 2000 Storm 15’ with balanced lug rig. brokerage and are always on hand refurbishment with 1973 GRP hull, 1975 Drascombe Lugger Mk2 refurbished by £4,450 services, brokerage and are always on hand with 1989 Cornish in nice condition within4-stroke, 1991 Cornish Cormorant in stunning original 2004 Green Ocean Yachts Post Boat 14’6” Vintage circa 1920 12’ on Oak 1978 Drascombe Dabber in Cruiser good condition 1992 Drascombe Lugger Mk3 with Mariner 1999 McNulty Drascombe Lugger inBoats. 1999 Devon Dabber inLarch excellent condition Anglia Yacht Brokers are acover well established small boat builders based inCombination the UK near Bury St Edmunds. 1978 Drascombe 1999 Dabber in excellent condition Boats. She isDevon in lovely condition with electric coated underside, Suzuki 6HP recent sails/furling spar andCoble easy-launch and general overhaul. Lots of andsailing is in lovely condition with electric coated underside, recent sails/furling history. respray, bare wood newinsails and 4-stroke and break-back road trailer and Tohatsu 3.5HP outboard. outboard engine. very high standard inrevarnish, Holland and stunning new tanShe sail and in 2015. recent sails. overall and 2011 Easy-launch trailer. outboard, new overall cover and new sails. 4-stroke and Designed by Nick Nick Newland of Swallow and rudder rudder in 2015. trailer. outboard, new overall cover and new sails. 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in trailer. lovely condition with Tohatsu 8HP outboard, cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine 2-pack Designed by Newland of Swallow lovely condition with copper2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ trailer. lovely condition with and trailer us in 2010. Refurbishment included 2-pack coated underside, Suzuki 6HP overhauled trailer and Yamaha 4HP 4-stroke condition and garage kept. With Combination built under licence from Character Boats to a lug sail dinghy with T-frame road trailer lovely condition with copperwith new easy-launch trailer, overall cover 6HP 4-stroke, Easy-launch road outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and 2000 Storm 15’ with balanced lug rig.and coated underside, Suzuki with new easy-launch trailer, good condition with Mariner 5HP outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in 1973 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk1 in 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with byalways 2000 Storm 15’ withroad balanced lugOak rig. brokerage and are always on hand refurbishment with 1973 GRP hull, 1975 Drascombe Lugger Mk2 refurbished by 1991 Cornish Cormorant in stunning original 1989 Cornish Coble in nice condition with 2004 Green Ocean Yachts Post Boat 14’6” Vintage circa 1920 12’ Larch on clinker outboard and Combination road trailer. 1978 Drascombe Dabber in good condition 1992 Drascombe Lugger Mk3 1999 Devon Dabber in excellent condition services, brokerage and are on hand with established small sailing boat Anglia Yacht Brokers road trailer. £16,950 outboard and Combination trailer. 1978 Drascombe with Mariner 1999 McNulty Drascombe Lugger Mk4 in 1999 Devon Dabber in excellent condition Edmunds. advice builders based are a well established small sailing boat road trailer. floorboards. She has a 2011 Tohatsu 4HP and help. We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. £3,500 £3,500 condition. Complete with spray hood, tent, £1,500 £3,750 Requires light re-commissioning. £6,450 £5,950 Angliarespray, Yacht Brokers are well established small sailing boatand Boats. She issailing in lovely condition with electric £3,750 lovelyrecent £5,950 Boats. Yacht Brokers are aa and well established small boat sails/furling spar and easy-launch and general overhaul. Lots of history. Anglia and She is in lovely condition with electric recent sails/furling bare wood2011 newinsails and outboard engine. trailer and Tohatsu 3.5HP outboard. very high standard inrevarnish, Holland stunning new tan sail 4-stroke and break-back road and rudder in 2015. recent sails. trailer. outboard, new overall cover and new sails.and 4-stroke and Designed by Nick Newland of Swallow and rudder inand 2015. overall cover and Easy-launch trailer. outboard, new overall cover new sails. trailer. condition with Tohatsu 8HP outboard, cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine 2-pack Designed by Nick Newland of Swallow trailer. lovely condition with copperlovely condition with and trailer us in under 2010. Refurbishment included 2-pack coated underside, Suzuki 6HP condition and garage kept. With Combination overhauled trailer Yamaha 4HP 4-stroke built licence from Character Boats to a lug sail dinghy with T-frame road trailer lovely condition with copper£2,250. with new easy-launch trailer, overall cover 6HP 4-stroke, Easy-launch road outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke lovely condition with coated underside, Suzuki £12,950 4-stroke and break-back road 2006 Cornish Crabber £4,500. £2,250. with new easy-launch trailer, good condition with Mariner 5HP outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke copper£12,950 4-stroke and break-back 17’ in £4,500. 4-stroke and Easy-launch trailer. cushions and Easy-launch road trailer. £6,950 refurbishment services, brokerage and are always on hand with outboard and Combination road trailer. £3,950 with road trailer. £16,950 outboard and Combination road trailer. advice 2001 David Moss Sea 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Otter road trailer. spar floorboards. She has aUK 2011 Tohatsu 4HP Edmunds. builders based marketing and and help. We provide traditional 2000 Cornish Crabber Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter £3,500 £3,500 condition. Complete with spray hood, tent, £1,500 builders based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. £3,750 Requires light re-commissioning. £5,950 Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing boat in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. sailing boat marketing and builders based in the near Bury St Edmunds. £3,750 £6,450 £5,950 are always on hand with refurbishment services, Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing boat Boats. She is in lovely condition with electric brokerage and are always on hand with recent sails/furling and easy-launch and general overhaul. Lots of history. respray, bare wood revarnish, new sails and Boats. is inoverall lovely cover condition recent sails/furling and trailer and Tohatsu 3.5HP outboard. outboard engine. high standard in Holland and in stunning new tanShe sail and in 2015. recent sails. trailer. outboard, new overall cover andwith newelectric sails. and rudder rudder in£12,950 2015. overall cover and 2011 Easy-launch trailer. outboard, new and new sails. trailer. £4,500. very £2,250. coated underside, Suzuki 6HP lovely condition with coppertrailer. 4-stroke and break-back road coated underside, Suzuki 6HP £4,500. £2,250. £12,950 4-stroke and break-back coated underside, Suzuki £4,500. 4-stroke and Easy-launch trailer. 2006 Cornish Crabber cushions and Easy-launch road trailer. £6,950 trailer. £3,950 17’ in trailer. 2001 David Moss Sea 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Otter outboard and Combination road trailer. 2000 Cornish Crabber Kittiwake 16’traditional gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter builders based the UK near Bury St Edmunds. Wehigh provide sailing boat marketing and road trailer. £16,950 floorboards. She has ain 2011 Tohatsu 4HP outboard and Combination road trailer. advice Edmunds. marketing and are always on hand with refurbishment services, road trailer. marketing and and help. We provide traditional £3,500 £3,500 condition. Complete with spray hood, tent, £1,500 brokerage and are always on hand with £3,750 Requires light re-commissioning. £5,950 15’ in lovely condition. lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. Cedar Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing boat sailing boat marketing and lovely condition A very end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar £3,750 £6,450 £5,950 Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing boat advice and help. Please ask for Alex. £4,500. coated underside, Suzuki 4-stroke and break-back 6HP road trailer. £2,250. lovely condition with copper£12,950 4-stroke and break-back road trailer. £4,500. 4-stroke and Easy-launch trailer. £2,250. £12,950 4-stroke and break-back £4,500. £12,950 provide traditional sailing boat marketing and cushions and Easy-launch roadUK trailer. £6,950 £3,950 refurbishment services, brokerage and are always on hand hand with £12,950 We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and refurbishment services, brokerage and are always on with 2001 David Moss Sea 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 4-stroke 2006 GRP Otter 15’ in lovely condition. lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. Cedar 2000 Cornish Crabber Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter lovely condition builders based in the near Bury St Edmunds. Abrokerage very high end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar advice and help. Edmunds. are always on hand with refurbishment services, Please and are always on hand with ask for Alex. strip/epoxy construction 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fitunderside, out with with a with and break-back 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with a road trailer.coated £4,500. Suzuki 6HP £12,950 refurbishment services, brokerage and are always always on hand hand £12,950 trailer. refurbishment services, brokerage and are on with advice and help. trailer. provide traditional sailing boat marketing and We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and strip/epoxy construction 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with with 15’ in lovely condition. lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. Cedar 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with aa lovely condition A very high end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar trailer. advice and help. £12,950 Please Please ask for Alex. ask for Alex. standing lug yawl rig. trailer and upped rating to and bronze Complete 4-stroke and break-back trailer and upped work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete road advice and and help. help. advice £12,950 refurbishment services, brokerage and are always on hand with £12,950 are always on with hand with £12,950 Please ask for Alex. standing lug yawl rig. trailer and upped rating to and bronze Complete trailer and upped work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction a 1GM10 with a trailer. with electric electric motor, motor, covers category B. cover and break back covers and and Please ask trailer forand Alex. category B. diesel, Bespoke road advice and help.with advice help. with electric motor, £12,950 category B. cover and covers and Please ask for Alex. Please ask for Alex. category B. break back road trailer with electric motor, covers and Please ask for Alex. standing lug yawl yawl rig. rig. Complete trailer and bronze work. Complete with Complete trailer and and upped upped rating to £37,950 £8,995. road standing trailer. lug £37,950 road trailer. motor, £37,950 £8,995. £37,950 road trailer. with electric motor, category B. cover and break back covers and Please ask trailer for Alex. Alex. category B. road with electric covers and Please ask for £7,750 £7,750 £7,750 £7,750 road trailer. trailer. £37,950 £8,995. £37,950 road

ComeCome and and see usseeatustheatSouthampton BoatBoat Show 11th11th - 22nd SeptSept the Southampton Show 22nd ComeCome and see usseeatsee 11th11th - 22nd Sept and usseeatusBoat theatSouthampton Boat 11th - 22nd SeptSept Come atCome theseeandSouthampton andand ustheCome atusSouthampton the Southampton Boat Show 11th -11th 22nd Sept Boat Show -Show 22nd Sept theShow Southampton Boat Show - 22nd £7,750 £7,750

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

1999 Sandweaver 16’16’ in gaff lovely 1979 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk2 1983 Cornish Crabber GRP hull, New Deben Deben Luggers Luggers being being built built to to order order for 1999 Weaver 16’ Mk1 with with tan sails/gunter 2006 rigged sloop. A for New Balanced Balanced Lug Lug 10’ 10’ Roach Roach Dinghies Dinghies built built 1983 Sand Cornish Crabber 2006 GRP GRP Kittiwake Kittiwake 1999 Sand Weaver New New 1979 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk2 1999 Sandweaver 16’16’ in gaff lovely New Deben Luggers being built to order 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with GRP hull,high 2006 GRP Kittiwake rigged sloop. Adelivery. order for fororder. New Balanced Balanced Lug Lug 10’ 10’ Roach Roach Dinghies Dinghies built built 1999 Sand Weaver 16’ with tan sails/gunter 1983 Cornish Crabber 1999 Sand Weaver condition gunter rig, tan sails for delivery. built to New order. 2-berth in good condition with recent cockpit and deck. engine and trailer MayMay delivery. sloop rig. She is in lovely condition and very end fit out with lots of to order. cockpit and deck. very high with end fit sloop rig. She issound inRebuilt hard wood May to 2-berth in good sound condition with recent condition with gunter rig, tan sails for May delivery. built to order. cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine and trailer to order. sloop rig. She is in lovely condition and very high end fit out with lots of hard wood May delivery. very high end fit cockpit and deck. to order. sloop She is in combination trailer.with cover and Yamaha 6HP outboard andoverall Type Approved and overhaul. Lots of history. Prices from from £14,500. £14,500. Inc Inc VAT VAT complete with spray hood, cover and and Complete £3,250. Inc Inc VAT. VAT. and bronze bronze work. work.road and general general overhaul. complete with sprayrig. £3,250. Prices Yamaha 6HP outboard and Type Approved combination road trailer. and general overhaul. Lots of history. Prices fromLuggers £14,500.being Inc VAT VAT complete with spray hood, cover and 2006 and bronze work. Complete with cover £3,250. Inc VAT. VAT. Lug and bronze work. and general overhaul. complete with spray £3,250. Inc Prices from £14,500. Inc 1999 Sandweaver 16’ in gaff lovely New Deben built to order New Roach Dinghies 1979 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk2 1983 Cornish Crabber with GRP hull, orderWe New Balanced Lug 10’ 10’ Roach Dinghies built 1999 Sand Weaver 16’ Mk1 with tanoverall sails/gunter GRP Kittiwake 16’ rigged for have built 2006 GRP Kittiwake 1983 Cornish Crabber 1999 Sand Weaver sloop.and A for £3,450 from Euro Easy Launch road trailer. £16,950 from combination road trailer. break road trailer. We have two Balanced demonstrators in stock stock £16,950 break back back road combination road two demonstrators in from Euro Easy Launch road trailer. £3,450 from £16,950 from combination road trailer. break road We have two demonstrators demonstrators in in stock stock from £16,950 break back road combination road have two condition with gunter rig, lots tan sails for delivery. 2-berth in good condition with recent built to order. cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine and trailer MayMay delivery. rig. She is in lovely condition and very high end outtrailer. with of hard wood to order. order. cockpit and deck. very highback end fit fit sloop rig. She issound in May delivery. to £3,950 £3,950. £8,995. £2,950.We £8,995. £3,950. sloop £2,950. £3,950 £3,950. £8,995. £2,950. £8,995. £3,950. £2,950. and combination road trailer. Prices from £14,500. Inc VAT £3,250. Inc VAT. Yamaha 6HP outboard and Type Approved and overhaul. Lotsoverall of history. £3,250. Inc VAT. complete with spray cover and bronze and general general overhaul. bronze work. work. Complete with cover and complete with spray hood, £3,450 We from Euro Easy Launch road trailer. £16,950 We have have two two demonstrators demonstrators in in stock stock from from combination road break break back back road road trailer. £16,950 combination road trailer. builders Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established sailing boat builders £3,950 £2,950. £2,950. £3,950. £8,995. £8,995. £3,950. builders Anglia are Anglia Yacht Yacht Brokers Brokers are aa well well established established small sailing boat builders sailing based UK near Bury St Edmunds. We provide based in in the thebased UK near Bury St Edmunds. traditional sailing sailing based in in the the UK UK near near Bury Bury St St Edmunds. Edmunds. We provide traditional sailing always boat and refurbishment services, boat marketing marketing and refurbishment services, brokerage and are always always boat marketing and services, boat marketing and refurbishment refurbishment services, brokerage and are always builders Yacht Brokers are aa well established small sailing boat builders Anglia Yachtand Brokers are well established on with advice ask for Alex. on hand handAnglia withon advice and help. Please hand advice and Please ask for Alex. on hand with with help. advicePlease and help. help. Please sailing based based in in the the UK UK near near Bury Bury St St Edmunds. Edmunds. We provide traditional sailing always boat boat marketing marketing and and refurbishment refurbishment services, services, brokerage and are always on on hand hand with with advice advice and and help. help. Please Please ask for Alex.

19901990 Drascombe Dabber 1999 Storm Mk2Mk2 in in 15’ with lug lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in 1990 Drascombe Dabber 1999 Storm Mk2 in 15’balanced with balanced Drascombe Dabber 31/05/16 10:54 PM Let us help sell your boat! exceptionally tidy tidy with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with rig. Complete condition withwith exceptionally tidy with cover, electric exceptionally condition rig. Complete condition with Email: evie@classicsailor.com or call on1999 01273-420730 and we’ll mail youlug a simple form to ﬁ2.3HP ll in. Dabber 1990 Drascombe Dabber Storm Mk2 in 15’combi with balanced 1990 Drascombe Mk2 in and road trailer. cover, Honda 4-stroke and cover, Honda 2.3HP outboard 4-stroke and and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and cover, Honda 2.3HP outboard 4-stroke and Anglia yacht brokerage 2016.indd 98 sell your 31/05/16 10:54 PM LetMayus help boat! DOUBLE 130mm x 50mm, 80 words and picture - £100 63mm x 50mm, 30 wordstidy and condition picture - £60 exceptionally tidy withSINGLE cover, electric exceptionally with rig.aComplete condition with

Anglia yacht brokerage May 2016.indd Anglia yacht brokerage May98 2016.indd 98

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trailer. road trailer. road trailer. road trailer. Email: evie@classicsailor.com£2,250 or call£2,250 on 01273-420730 and we’ll mail youroad a simple form to ﬁll in. and combi road trailer. cover, cover, Honda Honda 2.3HP 2.3HP 4-stroke 4-stroke and and £4,450 £4,450 Remember - subscribers are entitled tooutboard a 50% discount! £4,450 £4,450 DOUBLE 130mm x 50mm, 80 words and a picture - £100 SINGLE 63mmroad x 50mm, 30 words and picture - £60 trailer. road trailer. £2,250 80 CLASSIC SAILOR- subscribers are entitled to a 50% discount! Remember £4,450 £4,450

2006 Cornish Cornish 2006 2006 Cornish CrabberCrabber 17’ in 17’ in well established small sailing established small sailing Anglia Yacht Brokers boat are a are wella established small sailing boat established small sailing boatboat lovely condition lovely condition with copper-Anglia Yacht Brokers lovely condition condition with copperlovely based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. Bury St Edmunds. builders based – inAs the UK near Edmunds. Bury St St Issue Edmunds. builders “DUSMARIE” featured in Bury January of Classic Sailor Magazine coated underside, coated underside, Suzuki 2006 Cornish 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ “DUSMARIE” in6HP –provide As featured in January Issue of Classic Sailor Magazine coated underside, p81_CS0716 Boats underside, for sale.indd 80 coated Suzuki 6HP traditional sailing boat and boat marketing and sailing We Yacht Brokers are a well established boat established small sailing Anglia boat of Brightlingsea in 1884 (Daisy CK6) and marketing converted to small a sailing cruiser in by Aldous cruiser in 1933. 1933. traditional sailing boat marketing and boat marketing and WeBuilt provide

1/06/16 5:07 AM

Calendar

Send us your events! editor@classicsailor.com

This month

NEW Bridlington Sailing

Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta 11-12 June, Levington syharbour.co.uk

Coble Festival 13-14 August, Bridlington, Yorkshire A new festival to celebrate and sail this local design

Seafair Haven 2016 11-18 June, Milford Haven seafairhaven.org.uk

Tall Ships International Regatta & Maritime Community Festival 20-30 August Blyth tallshipsblyth2016.com

Falmouth Classics 17-19 June, Falmouth falmouthclassics.org.uk

Holyhead Traditional Boat Festival 2-4 September Holyhead (OGA) Sue Farrer sue@psfarrer.co.uk

Round the Island Race 2 July, Cowes-Cowes IoW Broads Yachts from the Eastwood Whelpton Boatyard at the end of Upton Dyke Sea Salts and Sail Festival 8-10 July Mousehole, Cornwall, seasalts.co.uk To be opened by Luke Powell Dartmouth Classics Regatta 9-10 July Acts as feeder race to Plymouth on Monday, royaldart.co.uk July 11 for the start of the Plymouth-Brest-La Rochelle Revival Race.

Panerai British Classics Week 16-23 July Cowes, britishclassicyachtclub.org America’s Cup World Series 21-24 July Portsmouth Contessa 26 50th Anniversary 29-31 July Lymington, contessa26.net

Sutton Harbour Classic Boat Rally 29 July - 1 August Plymouth plymouthclassics.org.uk

Thames Smack and Barge Matches 2016 Blackwater 11 June Thames 25-26 June Pin Mill (Orwell) 16 July Colne 10 September sailingbargeassociation.co.uk

Coming up Fowey Classics 2-5 August, Fowey foweyclassics.com Peel Traditional Boat Weekend 5-7 August, Peel, Isle of Man peeltraditionalboat.org British Raiding 8-12 August, River Clyde, www.raidengland.org

Charles Stanley Cowes Classics Week 11-15 July, cowesclassicsweek.org

Contessa 26 50th Anniversary Championships 3-4 September Lymington, www.contessa26.net Great River Race 3 September Thames greatriverrace.co.uk Thames Trafalgar Race 10-11 September Tidal Thames littleshipclub.co.uk/events Southampton Boat Show 16-25 September, Southampton southamptonboatshow.com

Brest Festival 13-19 July brest2016.fr/en

NEW Hamble Classics Regatta 24-25 September inaugural regatta for all classics royal-southern.co.uk

Douarnenez Festival 19-24 July tempsfete.com Thames Traditional Boat Festival 16-17 July, Henley tradboatfestival.com

Great River Race 3 September Thames greatriverrace.co.uk

A Viking voyage in the wake of the early transatlantic explorers

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 10-13 February 2017, Hobart , Tasmania australianwoodenboatfestival. com.au

In Classic Sailor next issue Venice raid, America by Viking ship and time out on the Broads We’re following some Brits abroard next month as we feature the small boats raid on Venice Lagoon – it sounds like it should acquire a position on the classic sailor’s bucket list! Then we are also hoping

to report on the Danish Viking ship replica and her voyage to America in the wake of Leif Erikson, considered by many to be the first ‘European’ to land in America. We are aboard a Ted Hood yacht and also on the Broads where the Eastwood Whelpton yard is under new ownership. CLASSIC SAILOR

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Last word: The dinghy experience Lucy L Ford recalls attempts to come to terms with inflatables

GUY VENABLES

he ‘dinghy experience’ for the ungainly housewife has never quite been welcomed as the opportunity for ‘challenge and adventure’, that it should have been. On the contrary, it is thought to have been responsible for a considerable amount of ‘nautical neurosis’. Was it … … capsizing in the surf in Worbarrow Bay? … slowly sinking on the Beaulieu River as dusk fell and the tide rose, and water poured through a two-inch tear in the floor? … finding an adder coiled around the outboard in Salcombe, attracted apparently by the languishing rubbish? … the removal of the bungs, whilst on the water, causing the tubes to rapidly deflate? … or was it that occasion when, encumbered with oilskins, sea-boots and life jacket, carefully negotiating the stern of the yacht (inevitably cluttered

with ‘sailing jumble’), in order to get into the dinghy, that the life jacket inflated, impaling its wearer on the flag pole. Overall the lasting impression of the ‘dinghy experience’ is that of sitting in a higher nervous state, ankle deep in water, with wet knickers. To counter the effect of this rapidly advancing neurosis, a ‘new’ dinghy was purchased. One would have hoped that the name ZODIAC would be an omen of a better experience, but alas it was not to be. With the new ZODIAC dinghy, tubes firmly pumped, dry underfoot, lifejacket abandoned, the nervous housewife was finally lured into a state of

perfect confidence and relaxation. Fingers trailing in the water, drinking in the tranquillity of the River L’Aberwrach on a glorious July day, now what had all the fuss been about? It was on the return trip from the shore, laden with supplies, halfway through the moorings, heading for ‘home’, anchored as ever the furthest out and against the tide, that tranquillity was suddenly disturbed by a strange, tearing sound. At first it could have been mistaken for the ‘yak, yak’ of the Terns which circled excitedly overhead. No, it was a definite sound of tearing. Daylight was appearing between the tubes and the transom; water was rushing into the dinghy; all the rubber that attached the transom to the tubes was hastily disengaging itself. Momentarily one considers that all that is between you and your God is a lot of swimming and a rapidly flowing spring tide. We did make it … just … but the “new” dinghy is now unusable, as is the new-found confidence in the ‘dinghy experience’.

The lasting impression of the ‘dinghy experience’ is that of sitting in a higher nervous state, ankle deep in water, with wet knickers. 82 CLASSIC SAILOR

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