Classic Sailor No12 October-November 2016 by Dan Houston

WWW.CLASSICSAILOR.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 £3.95

Man on a

mission to get us sailing

HOW TO ANCHOR THE CLASSIC BROKER’S BOAT OYSTERS UNDER SAIL VALUATION SURVEY LIFEBOATS OF THE SURF TRAILER MAINTENANCE

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7873AD_UK_Antifoul in the Autumn_Classic Sailor_UK_225 x 295 29/07/2016 08:39 Page 1

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DAN HOUSTON

Contents

22 Editorial

Laughing along with Barney Sandeman

Signals

Oysters ahoy!

A short sail with Dave Selby

Sam Llewellyn on the Cornish Shrimper

Launching the Lifeboat

The comeback of the Couta Boats

Eastwood Whelpton carries on

Dorothy Ratcliffe and Tern IV

Tow and go – all you need to know

This cruising life: into the Baltic at last

Practical: Anchoring when the fog comes down

On and Off Watch

Practical: the lapped dovetail joint

Practical: Des Pawson on hooks

Calendar and Next Issue

The last word: Lucy L Ford isn’t jealous

More monthly musings from the Editor Barges in London, Jolie Brise grounds at Hamble, Thames barge launch, Bembridge pollution, 20 years of knotting

Around the yards

First graduates at IBTC Portsmouth, The Blue Peter meets a bridge, Adrian Donovan at Southampton, Charlotte latest and more

Association news

Thames Trafalgar Race, Arun Yacht Club, Enterprise rule change

Classic Coast The Fal River

Smylie’s boats Manx Nickeys

The Post

Panerai protest, and saving Seaway dinghies for young sailors

Andrew Bray

Feeling grounded

Nardi’s nods The Arietta 31

The Turn of the Bilge

Aidan Tuckett on valuation surveys

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What does the broker who specialises in beautiful yachts sail? We go dredging under sail in Essex Brighton to Portsmouth in an 18-footer The surprisingly accommodating trailer-sailer Meeting and beating big seas

Australia’s classic fishing boats are enjoying a revival The famous Broads yard is under new management Claud Worth’s famous boat and an adventurous lady owner Our complete guide to trailer sailing gets to the hub of things Helen Lewis and the Skipper find themselves a long way from home Not only where you are but how much water’s beneath you

Kit list, books, mead, Shoreside and Artist of the Month

COVER: PHOTO BY DAN HOUSTON

A step-by-step guide to making one

Why don’t we make more use of the humble hook? Events for the coming months and what’s in our next issue ...as her spouse becomes intimate with his new mistress CLASSIC SAILOR

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Editorial Dan Houston

The case of Cheeki Rafiki the fin-keeler which foundered with the loss of four lives

he news that Doug Innes, director of Stormforce Coaching, the firm that managed the yacht Cheeki Rafiki, which capsized with the loss of all four crew in 2014, has been charged with manslaughter, reaches us just as we are at press. Details are necessarily scant: Douglas Innes is charged with four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and will appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on 3 November. Cheeki Rafiki went missing in the North Atlantic when she was returning from Antigua Week in May 2014. The 40ft (12.2m) yacht was found turned turtle 720 miles east south-east of Nova Scotia a few days later with her keel missing and with no sign of her crew. Her life raft was still on board. Skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey, James Male, 22, from Romsey, Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater in Somerset and Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel in Somerset, all lost their lives. Famously the search for the boat was re-started after it had been called off after two days by the US Coastguard. That followed an online protest from the sailors’ families and friends, and an intervention by the British Government. The crew had been in touch with Stormforce before their loss and had reported that she was taking on water. Andrew Bridge had messaged: “Just hit a big wave hard.” Then in the final message a few minutes before contact was lost he messaged: “This is getting worse.” Cheeki Rafiki was a Farr-designed charterracing fin-keeled Beneteau 40.7 and it is public knowledge that she had had keel repairs after groundings.

A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch was published in May 2015. It notes several “groundings” including being “dropped on to the ground” when in the trough of a wave during the 2010 Round the Island Race off St Catherine’s Point. There are some details of repairs following these groundings – which occurred before Stormforce took over the management of the charter yacht. More importantly perhaps the MAIB report cites Stormforce applying for a three-year Category 2 Coding for chartering Cheeki Rafiki in March 2011. This ran out on 18 March 2014 while the yacht was in the Caribbean and the MCA (Marine and Coastguard Agency) refused to extend the coding, so that meant it had expired before she was homeward bound. A Category 2 coding allows a yacht to sail offshore within 60 nautical miles of a safe haven. (Category 1 allows 150nM and Category 0 is for trans ocean/anywhere sailing for commercial vessels). However the report notes that Stormforce believed Cheeki Rafiki was being used non-commercially at the time of her return to the UK, and it asks for more MCA clarification over the “when is it commercial and when is it just for pleasure” question for the purposes of the law. The case will throw up these questions and should address the wider safety certificate issue for boats going offshore; many in the yachting community do question boats which can only commercially sail in coastal waters being taken deep sea. But we note that Mr Innes and his company are also charged with breaking merchant shipping laws.

The case will throw up these questions and should address the wider safety certiﬁcate issue for boats going offshore; many in the yachting community do question boats which can only commercially sail in coastal waters being taken deep sea. CLASSIC SAILOR 5

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Signals London gets a new hit parade – of sailing barges, the inaugural Hamble Classics, HMS Terror is found and a new barge is launched LONDON

Barges in London The Hit Parade The magnificent sight of nine Thames Sailing barges, sailing together is quite rare, and almost unheard of in the upper reaches of the river or in the Pool of London itself. So organisers of the Thames Sailing Barge Parade (TSBP) on the weekend of September 17-18 were pleased to be congratulated by the Port of London Authority –normally a very risk averse organisation when it comes to non commercial users of the river. The barges had steamed, under engine, into the heart of the city through Tower Bridge and held station against the strong ebb current

before turning in line to steam back downriver. Livetts Launches acted as tug boats in the event, helping the barges turn quickly in the tide. The barges then stopped in West India Dock where a “pop up museum” was erected and the event became open to the public, as part of the Totally Thames Festival. “It’s important barges are open to the public so they can learn of the barges’ history as well as meet, mingle, eat, wine and dine with barge owners, crew members, sponsors, donors, publicists and historians,” said organisers. The Lord Mayor of London

Alderman Jeffrey Mountevans who is the admiral of the Port of London spent the day onboard Sailing Barge Lady Daphne and later on in the evening at West India Dock where the barges became a live Popup Museum. The event was the

brainchild of Jonathan Fleming and co-organised with Jane Harman (opposite). It was such a success that the plan is to make it a biannual event celebrating these fabulous workhorses of the old river and remind us of when they were a common sight.

A bunch of barges stem the tide in the pool of London before turning back downstream. The event is being called the Hit Parade among the sailing barge community

SOLENT

Hamble Classics Heavy going happiness The inaugural Hamble Classics Regatta got off to a glorious start over the weekend of 24-25 September with a big entry, big parties, and big weather to match, writes organiser Jonty Sherwill. A total of 65 boats ranging from two tiny Herreshoff gaffers to the mighty Swan 65 Desperado put on show the most inclusive range of classics of recent Solent-based regattas. When added to the long history of the Royal Southern Yacht Club, now with its new Prince Philip Yacht Haven being able to accommodate half this classic fleet, it was an ideal venue, especially when the Elephant Boatyard

supplied a Caribbean-style pontoon rum party along with warm sunshine after Saturday’s racing, as one of six supporting partners. Only minutes before the reggae music was turned on (Tom Richardson says it will be louder next time!) half the fleet had hurtled up river, some under spinnaker in 20 knots of southerly breeze requiring two gybes to reach the finish line just 200 metres down river from the Club. The first boat home was

Steve Powell’s International Folkboat Mahjong in IRC Class 2 proudly taking the gun but soon to be beaten on handicap by John

Above left: sailing conditions were great with plenty of wind in the waters of the Solent. Above: Jolie Brise managed to find the ground on Hamble Spit and spent some frustrating hours outwaiting the racing. Left: Jonty Sherwill and partner Vicki Weston

Mulcahy’s Estrella and our own Cockleshell, while close behind came the Gaffer 2 class led by David Pennison’s Sepia and the XODs with Mos Fitzgerald’s Kathleen turning the tables on the two earlier wins that day by Hamish Calder’s Caprice. Steve Meakin’s Cormorant won her class while Giovanni Belgrano’s Whooper revelled in the heavy going to win IRC 1, and taking line honours in all three races. Full feature next month.

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HMS Terror: “She’s pristine. If you could lift her out of the water and pump her out she’d probably still ﬂoat...” QUAY PEOPLE

NUNAVUT, CANADA

HMS Terror found HMS Terror, one of two Royal Navy ships lost in Sir John Franklin’s illfated North West Passage expedition of 1845, has been found in pristine condition at the bottom of a Canadian Arctic bay. The ship was discovered around 60 miles south of where experts believe she was crushed by ice, off King William Island, Terror Bay, Nunavut. She was discovered by the Arctic Research Foundation’s ship Martin Bergmann with the help of a local Inuit, Sammy Kogvik who had come across one of the ship’s masts sticking out of

the ice in a hunting expedition seven years ago. He and his late buddy James Klungnatuk thought no one would believe them, until the Bergmann expedition came to the area. HMS Terror is described as a massive find, potentially more relevant than the discovery of HMS Erebus, Franklin’s ship two years ago. Team leader Adrian Schimnowski described the ship with stuff like her bowsprit intact; to desk drawers open and things inside. “She’s pristine, if you could lift her out of the water and pump her out she’d probably still float,” he said.

David Skinner, SYC, at Southampton

Above: Franklin with his crew dying crew (WT Smith) and, below, the Terror stuck in ice in 1837 by Lt Wm Smyth

MEDWAY

A second new sailing barge After the launch of the traditional Thames sailing barge Blue Mermaid, CS11, comes news of another TSB Snark, which was launched on to the River Medway on Saturday 3rd September. Snark was ‘soft’ launched at Turks Boatyard in Chatham Dockyard but her planned pull out from the slipway and into the River Medway was delayed for ten days due to a technical issue. The Snark has a long and complicated history, originally built in four sections in a back garden in Essex by David Speight, and his son Nigel she was then temporarily assembled on the beach at Redcar to serve as a backdrop during the filming of the blockbuster movie Atonement. Following her starring role she was taken back to Essex where it was hoped that she would be finally completed. Sadly David Speight died and the interest in fell by the wayside.

The project was acquired by architect Paul Jenkins who’ll use her as an office as well as some charter work. The four sections were taken to Turks in December 2015 where they were put together and her engines and interior were installed. Snark is the first new TSB on the Medway since the Cabby in 1928. By Patrick Bonniface

The ex Commodore of the Sussex Yacht Club told us of plans to rebuild the existing (Shoreham) club as part of the port’s scheme to create a tidal flood barrier wall that would extend around the existing premises (plus a few metres upstream as far as the walk bridge and downstream to the public hard. There are plans to revamp the clubs ancient premises in Southwick as well, restoring its original oasthouse features and creating a small museum. The public consultation was due on October 20. See more at: www. sussexyachtclub.org.

Jane Harman

SOUTHAMPTON SHOW

Making new friends at Britain’s premier show

The Thames Sailing Barge Snark seen shortly after her soft launch within the historic slipway at Turks Boatyard in Chatham Dockyard.

Thanks to all our readers who came to visit us at our stand in the Ocean hall of the Southampton Boat Show in September. We had a great ten days promoting the magazine and meeting old and new friends. The show had quite a buzz to it this year and there is clearly more interest than perhaps we could say of previous years. From the classic sailor’s point of view this is a kit show, with a chance to buy gear that you might not ﬁnd at your local chandler. But the boats are, as always, new and largely unaffordable to normal sailors. It would be good to see a used boat and classic area. Small old boats were being promoted by Dave Selby though, whose mission we support: see p34.

Jane Harman with husband Andy run the crack barge Edme, which they have also used to transport cargos, and charter. Jane organised the Thames Sailing Barge Parade into London in September, which saw nine barges sail into the pool of London. She wanted the parade to help unite the sailing barge community and highlight the importance of keeping the old vessels, some as old as 120 years, going. See story of event opposite. CLASSIC SAILOR

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Signals Bembridge to clean up their Houseboats act, Drascombe, Barge, Smack and Coble festivals and 20 years of the knotty issue BEMBRIDGE IOW

Bembridge house boats get eco-loos Bembridge Harbour Authority is to equip houseboats with eco-toilets as a measure to clean up the pretty harbour on the eastern coast of the Isle of Wight. The initiative was announced after the harbour authority realised that several houseboat owners would not be persuaded to fit their own holding tanks. At present several of the 26 houseboats still pump out into the harbour and it is seen as a long running problem. “It’s particularly nasty for the dinghy sailors who use the harbour,” said BHA’s Malcolm Thorpe. “Frankly they can be sailing along and find themselves with a bit of raw sewage in the boat; it’s time to remove the problem.

“So we have a fund of £100,000+ to fit tanks or eco-sanitation facilities to houseboats that don’t yet have them. And we will bear the cost of it. “The Harbour has been home to many houseboats for nearly a century now – most of them being moored before any planning laws came into effect (in 1948). These houseboats come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from old motor torpedo boats, ex-fishing boats, converted trawlers to custom designed and built versions with all modern facilities. They are a colourful part of the community.” Malcolm with wife Fiona purchased the Harbour in December 2011. Since then

all new houseboat arrivals have been required to fit either a waste holding tank or eco-system equipment to cope with their waste. And this has proved a positive way forwards. The couple want to be more pro-active in improving the water quality for all Harbour users as well as working in conjunction with the houseboat owners. Existing houseboats moored in the Harbour and without such provision have been encouraged to consider

installing facilities, with only limited success. So in March 2016 a Lawful Development Certificate was applied for to the local planning authority (currently under consideration) in order to regularise the historical planning position of all the houseboats within the Harbour. This will allow BHA to infill unused houseboat plots and to fit sewage systems, at its own cost, but the application could take three or four years to complete.

POOLE

SWALE, KENT

Drascamp here we go

Swale match 2016

Cleavel Point in Poole Harbour, Dorset was the perfect setting for the first ever Drascamp held in August this year, writes Sharon Geary-Harwood. Several Drascombe owners were behind the idea of this event, which was supported by Churchouse Boats. With 102 people attending overall and 32 different boats, it was the first time that nine different Drascombes were on the water at the same time in the premier small boat sailing area on the south coast. There was something for everyone with day sailing around Poole, a harbour based treasure hunt, evening entertainment of communal BBQ, sing songs around the fire, alternative horse

Mooring up at Drascamp in the ideal waters of Poole Harbour. See more at www.drascombe. co.uk and at ladydrascomberblogspot. co.uk

racing, fancy dress, fireworks, the Bournemouth Air Show, and a fish and chip supper on the last night as well as local sightseeing, walking and cycling. As a first event for camping and sailing for Drascombers it was a great opportunity to spend time together on the water. The event was so successful that we will be holding it again in 2018. In 2017 we will be holding the Drascombe Golden Jubilee at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

The Swale Smack & Sailing Barge Match attracted close to 50 entries this year. The Swale Match has evolved during its 44 year history and now the traditional working boats share the waters of the Swale Estuary with a variety of old gaffers, replica smacks & bawleys, classic Bermudans and Dutch barges. Conditions for this year’s match were ideal. A light morning

The houseboats of Bembridge are a part of the harbour history, but the time has come to improve the sanitary conditions

breeze allowing for a gentle run to the outer mark before the breeze picked-up for the beat home to the finish. Sailing barge Edme and Harris smack Marie were the quickest of their respective classes. There are few finer sights than these old working boats at full chat. The event was organised (again!) by Lena Reekie (opposite) and there will be more next month.

TSB Repertor seen through the leeboard chains of another sailing barge

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IPSWICH

QUAY PEOPLE

20 years of ropes and knotting Des Pawson MBE, acknowledged authority on all things to do with knots and ropes, celebrated the 20th anniversary of his Museum of Knots and Sailor’s Ropework with an open weekend in August. The museum, located in and around two sizeable sheds in the garden of his Ipswich home contains a vast and well-organised quantity of ropework items and recondite pieces of ropemaking tools and machinery. Many have stories attached, which Des is only too happy to relate. The museum is normally open only by appointment – for details see despawson. com – and for a sample of Des’s wealth of knowledge, please turn to page 93.

Matteo Salamon S&S Swan author

Matteo Salamon is the founder of the Sparkman & Stephens Swan Assocation whose new book on the class, Sparkman & Stephens Swan – A Legend, runs to 288 pages. With lines plans (published for the first time), deck and sail plans, it is already being called the bible. It costs €85 and can be bought at www.classicswan.org

BRIDLINGTON

BARRY PICKTHALL PPL

Sailing Coble Festival Organisers of the Bridlington Sailing Coble Festival on 13-14 August have hailed it a great success. The weekend in the historic Yorkshire port saw more cobles sailing together than since most people could remember. The fleet included several restored sailing cobles and some had come far, like David Warwick’s Christina which he towed from Mevagissy. The weather was fine on the Saturday for a sailing parade with no less than 12 cobles taking part. Grace, Two

Brothers, Morning Harvest, Madeleine Isabella, Imperialist, Free Spirit, Mavis, Ranby, Christina, Three Brothers, Gratitude, and Misnomer made a great view as they left the quay by the Heritage harbour Museum and headed out to sea where the sailing cobles had to reef in F5 conditions. Sunday saw calmer conditions with the cobles sailing under full sail with Madeleine Isabella even landing on the beach stern first as these boats were designed to do; a great sight.

Ian Welsh in his midsummer rig

Classic Sailor welcomes Ian Welsh to the small but dedicated team. Ian has run the Classic Sailing Club for many years and owns the Buchanan yacht Marcita.

PLYMOUTH

Chichester Bronze Plaque The UK remembered one of its pioneering sea heroes in August by marking the 50th anniversary of Sir Francis Chichester’s departure from Plymouth at the start of his solo one-stop circumnavigation to Australia, writes Barry Pickthall. Our photo shows Francis’ son Giles with the plaque on Plymouth Hoe. Chichester’s restored Gipsy Moth IV re-enacted the 27August start offshore with a gun from the Royal Western Yacht Club.

Lena Reekie, Faversham

Cobles seen sailing together are now a rare sight

Lena Reekie is the tireless organiser of the Swale Smack and Sailing Barge Match, though she says she would like to retire... We have an interview with her next month. CLASSIC SAILOR

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Signals: Around the yards Graduation and award at the Historic Dockyard; marine industry’s problems of success and some project progress PORTSMOUTH

First Boathouse 4 IBTC students graduate The first students studying for a diploma in traditional boatbuilding in Boathouse 4 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard have graduated. Ten students of the International Boatbuilding Training College (IBTC) Portsmouth have completed their Practical Wooden Boatbuilding Diploma. CEO of IBTC, Nat Wilson, said: “Our courses are all ‘practical and hands on’ and the training is all on real boats, not in the classroom. Meanwhile the Portsmouth Branch of the Association of Royal Naval Shipwrights has wound up their club but has used some of its last money to create a new student award, creating a trophy for the International Boatbuilding

Training College (IBTC) Portsmouth, for the ‘Most Improved’ student of the year. The group donated £100 to the college in May. The award ceremony took place Boathouse 4, and the award was given to 24-year-old Richard Atherton. Richard, from Petersfield, said: “The course has been really hands-on, which is something I like. It’s a nice atmosphere in Boathouse 4 and it’s like working in a real boatyard.” Students learn the techniques of traditional boatbuilding and related skills required to work in conserving wooden boats. They were joined by students from the new Solent Marine Academy in September. Student Richard Atherton is presented with the Association of Royal Naval Shipwrights trophy

NEW YORK

The Blue Peter breaks her mast on a bridge It’s a moment that makes many sailors nervous – you’re passing under a bridge and you wonder if there is enough air draught for your mast. For Mat Barker of the 1930 Mylne-designed 65ft teak sloop The Blue Peter the manoeuvre in New York’s East River resulted in the sound of cracking timber as her mast hit the bridge. He told CS: “I was redirected under the bridge by the coatguards. Advertised height of bridge is 99ft which should have been fine except they didn’t open the bridge fully for some unknown reason!” The Blue Peter lost the top 10 feet of her mast, which was only five years old. She sailed up to Martha’s Vineyard, to the Gannon & Benjamin yard where Myles Thurlow got to work on the repairs straight away.

Launch moment for SCOD Aurigny

CORNWALL

SCOD launch on the Lynher Phil Russell’s self-restored South Coast One Design Aurigny – see £1500 SCOD CS No 11 – has now started her new life. Saved from being scrapped and sporting a new coat of paint she slipped

into the river Lynher. Says Phil: “We looked forward to enjoying the fruits of our labour as we proudly motored down the river to the Tamar and across Plymouth Sound to her marina berth.”

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Some ashes of one of the owners and a family friend were found in special wooden caskets secured under the foredeck SOUTHAMPTON

CARDIFF

How one Swallow (23) is a summer

Prawner Charlotte’s milestone

We know Adrian Donovan is a perfectionist... his Whitehall rowing skiffs or a little sailing dinghy like the Francois Vivier design Morbic 12 are just joys, more jewel than boat, you might think. And now, at Southampton, he’s surpassed himself! He’s laid a teak deck on a Swallow Bay Cruiser 23. These are neat boats from Swallow but Adrian’s painstaking craftsmanship just took our breath away. Other features on the boat – a carbon rig and separate sea toilet for instance, take the price well into six figures. But what a boat!

The restoration of the 108-year-old Morecombe Bay Prawner Charlotte (see Yards, CS No 8) has hit another milestone with the lifting of the 1.8 litre 65hp Ford Escort engine at the Restoration Zone of the World of Boats in Cardiff Bay. The engine took up a large part of the cabin area when she was owned by four local brothers, who thought it necessary to push the tides of

NORTH FAMBRIDGE

Blue Hawk afloat at last

Apprentices in the marine industry needed

MARINE INDUSTRY

UK boatbuilders held back by skills shortage

Recruitment across Britain’s marine industry increased by 2.7% in 2014/15 and is expected to increase a further 2% in 2015/16. However British Marine statistics released at Southampton Boat Show show that an inability to recruit skilled workers is holding back growth: 30% of companies have identified critical skills gaps Industry leaders are calling for sector to be core part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy. Howard Pridding, Chief Executive of British Marine said:“The marine industry is dynamic and growing but a lack of relevant skills is a barrier.”

Lloyd Walker is nearing completion in his restoration of Blue Hawk, his 19ft 6in cabin yacht built in Brightlingsea in 1939 by Douglass Stone and sons that we featured in these pages in Classic Sailor No 9. He has partially replaced 10 steamed ribs, rebuilt the cockpit and sheathed the coach roof with 4mm ply – and fitted an inboard engine. He tells us:“The original engine was a Stuart Turner but it had been removed long ago and an outboard motor installed on a bracket. I have used a refurbished Yanmar and to do this I had to make new bearers. I have a small problem (I hope) with the engine to sort out and I haven’t finished fitting the jib tracks yet.” She’s been launched and took up “pretty fast considering she’d been ‘out’ for 2½ years.” She was soon sailing and she attended Maldon Town Regatta. Lloyd, son of Lew Walker who designed and built the Tideway dinghy, is planning to moor Blue Hawk in the Walton Backwaters.

Blue Hawk back afloat - she took up “pretty fast”

Lifting the engine

the Severn Estuary. After the death of the last brother, the 22ft Charlotte was bought by World of Boats in partnership with the Bristol Channel Old Gaffers Association, whose members are providing the elbow grease to bring her back to her original conformation and condition. The project involves complete replanking, now ready to begin, and redecking under lead shipwright Matthew Goode. Among curios and Victoriana that came with her was a coal burner from a BR guards van, and some ashes of one of the brothers and a close family friend, found in special wooden caskets that were secured under the foredeck. If anyone has any details of Charlotte’s history, please email shellduck16@gmail.com CLASSIC SAILOR 11

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Signals: Association news Showcasing clubs and classes around the country – send us your stories

The fourth Thames Trafalgar Race The 4th Thames Trafalgar Race Weekend – conceived by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston when President of the Little Ship Club and jointly organised by the LSC and Erith YC – started with a convivial evening Briefing, followed by supper, at the LSC Headquarters in the City of London on Friday 9th September, writes Richard Keen. Saturday dawned cloudy with a brisk southerly wind. Some competing yachts were berthed in the delightful Limehouse Basin Marina (£140 for two weeks – TTR special deal) from which locking-out to run downriver began just after 0700. By 0900 all the competing yachts were tacking back and forth across Blackwall Reach

awaiting two starts, the first for the faster ‘A’ fleet and the second for the slower ‘B’ Fleet. The weather caused a slight delay, but the ‘A’ Fleet started at 0920 and the ‘B’ Fleet followed ten minutes later. The gusting wind drove both classes quickly around 02 and onto a beat towards Greenwich YC and the turn into Woolwich Reach and the Thames Barrier. In accordance with PLA regulations, yachts had “engines on and sheets free” as they motored through. Down-stream yachts were signalled “engines off ” and the competitors continued to race, on past the Woolwich Ferry and into Gallions Reach. The increasing powerful

CLUB VISIT

Arun Yacht Club When a Yacht Club holds a beer festival local sailors need to take notice! And that is what Arun Yacht Club did back in April this year, partly to celebrate 60 years of “sailing from the west bank” and partly, we suspect, because beer is beer! Classic Sailor visited in August when we shipped aboard Dave Selby’s Sailfish 18 (we say we, but really there was only room for one and that was obviously the editor) and sailed into the Arun from Brighton, see page 34). The welcome from Will Harvey, Roger Cole and Barry Almond was fabulous and we relaxed in the club’s bar and dining area recently refurbished by Abby Wilkinson. It’s a pleasant riverside setting. The club with 800 members or so is trying hard and a cadet scheme, to sail Toppers Lasers etc, with regular training days, is open to all at £24 a year. This certainly seems to be a club which means it when it says Visiting Yachtsmen Welcome!

A new look for the Arun Yacht Club, at Littlehampton

Light (and then heavy) wind conditions made for some tricky sailing in the demanding waters of Father Thames. Some 30 yachts took part and the successful event will be held again next year.

wind conditions resulted in several broaches. But all competitors were safely moored off Erith YC by early afternoon and, that evening, everyone enjoyed a terrific ‘Trafalgar Dinner’ on both floors of Erith clubhouse. Sunday saw sunny and calm conditions, with lighter

S to SW’y breezes slowly filling-in. The tide dictated a relaxed morning with the second up-river leg scheduled for 1330 and all 30 yachts started together – and what a grand sight it made! All yachts finished in time on the demanding waters of old Father Thames.

Rule change for Enterprise Class World Sailing in conjunction with Enterprise International have approved changes to the Enterprise Class Rules, allowing epoxy resins to be used for the construction of all versions of Fibre Glass Boats. The rule change was requested by Peak Dinghy Spares through the UK Enterprise Association and now enables them to build the Mark 2 Foam Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Enterprise boats using Epoxy Resin. Peak Dinghy’s mould is the original mould owned by Holt which introduced FRP Enterprise construction. This was later used to produce the Speed FRP hull and has improved the build quality in recent years. It was taken from a successful Ovington hull. With this rule change, Peak Dinghy Spares will now also be able to offer Epoxy hulls

Enterprises can race together because of their strict one design rule

bonded to a wood deck. “This option will be attractive for Enterprise owners, who want the advantages of a maintenance free, long lasting, stiff and strong Epoxy hull with the good looks of a beautiful wooden deck,” says Glyn Rawson of Peak Dinghy Spares. The new FRP Epoxy boat will cost around £7995. The other licensed builder of FRP Epoxy boats is Rondar

Raceboats Ltd, which developed a new Mk 3 deck design with the UK Enterprise Association. This features a self-draining, interior mould, with better ergonomics and reduced maintenance, also £7995. The Enterprise is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and its long lasting success is due to adherence of strict one design rules which allow new and old boats to race together.

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Smylie’s boats

Classic Classic Coast Coast The Fal River

Itchen ManxFerries Nickeys

PHOTOS: PETER WILLIS

ID It was Easter, but bitterly cold, so we had the river pretty much to ourselves and it was like being back in the 19th or even (for Poldark fans) the 18th century. We were aboard Luke Powell’s replia Scillonian pilot cutter By the ,time read the very Agnes andyou most of this, the time, our real possibility of this only companions onimposing the river structure tumbling intoEve the sea of St were his earlier build may have been at leastgaff for and theaverted, fine Danish Mawes anotherEda winter. Unusually severe Frandsen . cutter south-easterly stormsofhave pushed The deep waters Carrick coastal were erosion the Suff olk coast’s Roads foron once mercifully Orford Ness to within a fewships, feet free of mothballed cargo of thewe lighthouse’ s foundations, and sailed cheerfully up and and members the high, Orfordness down betweenofthe wooded Lighthouse Trust banks, nosing inhave and been out ofworking the flat out At to install ‘soft defences’ – creeks. Restronguet, alas, the bags ofand shingle wrapped in sausages wind the waves frustrated us of high-performance geo-textile from making the Pandora Inn, bonding – to keep thethe seabeach at bay at (see but on another day, orfordnesslighthouse.co.uk). St Just creek welcomed Agnes’ The 98ft lighthouse builta elegant tender and wewas spent in 1792 and decommissioned by pleasant hour in the church and Trinity House 2013, in view of its magnifi centinchurchyard. theFurther threat from encroaching downstream, as sea. It has already survivedopens an attempt Falmouth Harbour out, by National Trust, whichalso owns thethe choice of destinations the Ness, toout. impose a policysmall, of broadens St Mawes, ‘controlled let it fall harbouredruination’ and with(ie a pleasant down). The Lighthouse Trust aims to keep it standing, and open to visitors, ‘for as long as possible’. Visiting, on open days only, involves a short ferry trip and a 40-minute walk, each way, across the Ness. Dates for 2016 are still to be announced, and are dependent on the continuing stability and safety of the structure and its surrounds.

waterside stroll up to the tiny cloverleaf castle is unmissable – especially during the annual Pilot Cutter Review in May. Not a bad idea to base yourself there if you can, walk out to St Anthony’s Head, or take the harbour ferry Orford Ness itself is a classic example of an ever-changing coastline. The long, shifting spit of land that separates the River Ore from the sea is quite capable of closing the river’s mouth and forcing a breakthrough higher up, where the river’s alternative name is the Alde. It’s mecca for connoisseurs of bleak, exposed seascapes (and WWII military detritus on Havergate Island). Access, by boat, is carefully restricted by the National Trust. A good everyday alternative on the nearby mainland is the equally bleak stony beach known as Shingle Street. Orford has three pubs, across to village Falmouth, which will including the Jolly busy Sailorand down seem alarmingly urban. by theleft harbour; excellent sh Turn off theanferry pier,fiand restaurant, Butleymain Orford follow the the sinuous street to Oysterage, and thethe fineChain PumpLocker Street Town Quay and Peter Willis bakery. pub, and you’ll soon feel at home. Peter Willis

Orfordness Lighthouse

The spiral staircase at Orfordness Lighthouse may still be climbed by visitors

Top: Beached dinghy at St Just, with Agnes anchored off; centre: Eve of St Mawes; bottom: Eda Frandsen

owned an Itchen Ferry once the andIsle haveoffond of hermuch beached isaster struck Manmemories in 1787 when alongside the of oldthe Supermarine shed Woolston,in across the river fishing fleet wasatdestroyed a particularly Pal of she Th wasese called she was no from Southampton. nasty gale atItchen Douglas. werethough the older scoute pal of the newtype bridge they were We infl – me and my of vessel, an building offshootatofthe thetime. Viking uence of Pal that is – were the firstbefore. ones toTh crash intobriefl one ofy the support centuries ey then adopted thepillars. smack This was mostly down to two until facts: they that the sails didn’t the really fit the in desperation encountered Cornishmen boat and the Stuart-Turner engine never started throughout my time during sojourns to the spring mackerel off Southern with the boat. It was, though, a great learning experience on ‘why to buy Ireland. The Cornish, in their powerful luggers, impressed thenot Manxmen a boat’ . I oftthese en wonder what happened to her. and when Cornishmen ventured north for the first time in the 1820s Wonder was, fact, a fine exampleherring of an Itchen Ferry. Built by the great to participate inin the Manx summer fishery – they were getting SU120, been lovingly restored andManx sails Dan Hatcher in 1860, more adventurous inWonder, their quest for fihas sh – so impressed were the from I remember seeingtheir her a few years back during the Swale fi shersFaversham. that they decided to adapt Bargevessels Match.and Daniel G Hatcher, known own dandy-rigged their as King Dan to his contemporaries, was a very successful of yachts boats by adding a lugbuilder mizzen. One at his Belvedere yard between 1845 and 1880 and thus his working boats were equally renowned for their speed. man, Captain Quilliam, is renowned was necessarily his fastest, but speedy she was. Notbeing that Wonder as in the forefront of the change, The roots he being the (and man name) who steered Victory of thesethe craftBattle cameof from during Trafalgar in 1805. the the small fishing village of had become By 1840s these boats Itchen Ferry lying on known as ‘luggers’ . the river Itchena in the eighteenth Within generation the Manx were century. Small building their sprit-rigged own luggers, the first clinker-boats offQualtrough the being built byworked William of beach,StfiMary shing in out1869. as farItaswas modelled Port the these Isle ofCornish Wight. Th eir size on boats and after others grewbeen as they trawled further had added, these had begun to away from their base. even if it does be referred as Nickeys, Consequently adopted seem a slightlythey bizarre name for a type thevessel. gaff rigOne as many working of favoured notion is that, fellowsthe did.Manx The boats were when first encountered the three-quarter decked a they noticed Cornish off the Irishwith coast, smallmany cuddyofwith berths, that the two Cornish were called Nicholas and thus ‘Nickey’ soon a cupboard coal stove became theand nickname fortothe Cornish fishers. Then, when they arrived off while coast away the their to fihours sh, it when simply passed from fisher folk to fishing boat. Others not fishing. Gaffthat -rigged might tell you the first lugger fishing these waters was itself called with a long-boom thea bit too tenuous and I tend to favour the former. Nicholas , but thatover seems stern and twoCornish headsails,counterparts, and indeed those from the east coast Like their some were asseen longlast as 30ft in these were powerful luggers, though, unlike of Scotland month, length. Much ofset theacatch the Scots, they mizzen topsail and a large staysail between the two was shrimps oysters and though equally matched by the Cornish, and masts. Theseand were fast boats, they racedwas home to land. 10 knots easily achievable. It is said they sailed from Port St Mary to In 1872, according Kinsale in 28 hours. to the fishing registers, there were 570 second-class boats the Solent another 61 inaPoole where the boats were Theworking crew consisted ofand seven men and boy until steam capstans similar. e design was widespread around Southampton and the reducedTh the crew to six. Accommodation was cramped,Water as always, and Solent– as Hythe from fishinga cutters. Other well-known was justsome abaftbeing the fireferred sh hold,to accessible companionway just forward builders were Alfred andwere Fay, both of Northam, Lukes, whoseprove. of the mizzen mast. Payne But they a popular boat asand their numbers Palintroduced before he moved towere Hamble. yard was–about same aft spot I kept In 1879 just athe decade er as they were – there saidTh toey be were mostly by fion shermen whoTh crewed for year the yacht-racing fraternity in excess of worked 300 based the island. at same there were over 1,000 during the regatta season, and the tooasraced their own craft. boats from Scotland, Ireland andfishermen Cornwall, well aboard as the island, fishing Freda , CS110, Black , CS32, Itchen Ferries have been in the Irish Sea between thesurvivors: isle of Man and Ireland. ButBess within another Nellie, SU71, but see www.itchenferry.org for more as they adaptedhad, to engine decade they had become too burdensome, and the Manxmen power quite well andtoothers lurktype in way-out One day ask them if once again, turned another of boatplaces. to rebuild theirI’llfishing fleet. Pal of just Itchen anyone whatever to my Theirs, knows then, was a shorthappened life indeed, coming in. the nickey of time, so to speak, before the Manxmen abandoned them in favour of the later nobbies. But that’s a story for another time.

The roots (and these craft came They noticed thatname) many of the Cornishmen were from the small and village of Itchen later Ferry, lying called Nicholas, the nickname passed on theﬁsher riverfolk Itchen in theboats eighteenth century. from to ﬁshing 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. Imperia protest

I think it could be of interest to the readers of Classic Sailor to hear a story from racing in the Panerai Classic races at Imperia, in Italy. I am representing a group of six old (70+) Swedish sailors from Gothenburg and Marstrand with a background in America’s Cup racing (1977 and 1980 with Sverige”) and Dragons, who decided to step in to the classic yacht racing in the Med. We found the yacht Enterprise in Palma just before Christmas and decided to buy her. She was built in 1939 in New York and is a Sparkman & Stephens 60ft yawl. We decided to take part in the Panerai Classic races with four regattas in Antibes, Argentario, Imperia and Cannes. Last year we all raced onboard the yacht Manitou in the same races and won overall in the Vintage Class. We did very well in both Antibes and Argentario in June and very much looked forward to the races in Imperia in September. Before going out for the final fourth race we were leading in our class and also overall and were really inspired to win the last race. Unfortunately the race was cancelled due to lack of wind. Coming ashore we were informed that we were disqualified! What had happened? Had some other boat protested us? No!

The jury had found that our measurement certificate was from 2015. A mistake made by our skipper. The correct certificate from 2016 had been presented in both Antibes and Argentario and could easily have been presented if someone from the race office had asked us. The jury never asked us to come to the jury meeting, which is another breach of the rules. A hard punishment for a small error that disqualified us for the whole regatta and losing the valuable first prize, a Panerai watch which is quite expensive. Of course we have made an appeal to the National organisation but it will take time and by then the racing season is over. We also tried to talk to the Jury and the sponsor Panerai but without any luck.

So why do I write this letter? We were the only Scandinavian boat with an all Swedish crew taking part and no-one onboard understands Italian which is absolutely necessary as very little information is presented in English. My advice is to have an Italian speaking person onboard, also with knowledge of the Italian way of handling things. We continued the racing in Cannes the last week of September and were first in our class. However we were only second overall in the Vintage Class for the whole Panerai Classic series. With the correct result from Imperia we should have been in the top. So it was Chinook again who won. Lars Wiklund, Honorary Consul, British Consulate Göteborg, epresenting the crew of Enterprise.

Lugs and stays

Your write-up of the Swallows and Amazons film by Peter Willis was excellent, but the creators of it made one mistake, or rather their boat builder and the sailmaker gave poor advice which unfortunately was followed. They felt for safety sake rigging stays was necessary because of the size of the lug sail.

Above: Enterprise – a certificate mix-up disqualified her, complains Lars Wiklund, below left

This is not true as has been demonstrated for the last four years in our harbour of Glandore in South West Ireland. Tim Cook built a very nice well shaped dinghy, heart-shaped stern with a proper sculling notch. She is about 14ft perhaps16ft, rigged with a BIG lug sail, no shrouds or stays. He sails her beautifully, even in and out of the Glandore Pier basin which is infamous for its flukey winds. When absolutely no wind, out comes a ten foot or longer sculling oar. The dinghy takes off with what in the Caribbean we refer to as a “Bahamian outboard” Don Street Jr, Glandore

Newhaven rally?

My advice is to have an Italian speaking person on board with a knowledge of the Italian way of doing things

I am based in Newhaven, East Sussex, which is a bit of a classic boat desert I’m afraid. I would like to extend an invitation to other classic enthusiasts in my area (say from Littlehampton in the west through to Rye in the east, but anywhere really) to get in touch with the aim of an initial meet up and, perhaps, the organisation of a rally in 2017. Secondly, can you run information on Boat Jumbles in the magazine? It would be a good idea as owners of Classic Boats of great age can often find bits and pieces at Boat Jumbles, which are otherwise no longer in production. Thank you, Brian ‘Jim’ Skinner, Newhaven, Sussex

Two excellent ideas! – Ed

Reliant tow-car

The July article in CS of ‘Tow and go’ and particularly the advice to match the car and rig reminded me of a Saturday many years ago when I still lived in my native Essex. It was apparently a common

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8/10/16 2:49 PM

Letter of the month Saving the Seaways for future young sailors.

When is an old boat worth saving? asked Aidan Tuckett in CS No 8, which I was able to identify with as my passion is making sure that sailors of the future have suitable craft in which to learn sailing skills. When I was a young Sea Ranger in the 60s I learnt my first sailing skills in clinkerbuilt dinghies called Seaways on Fairlop Lake, Redbridge. Generations of school children and youth groups still enjoy the excitement of sailing these waters in unique little wooden boats. Seaways were hand built by craftsmen, sturdy, safe, easy to handle by novice sailors. Recently I was invited back to Ilford Sea Rangers as a trainee officer. To my astonishment these classic little Seaways were still defiantly earning their keep, and a part repaired dinghy was offered as a maintenance section of my Officer Technical Certificate. Hooked, line and sinker I spent the next six months scraping, sanding, losing nails, suffering splinters, marvelling at the skill of her hand crafted hull. Over the next year I helped maintain seven more boats and watched my girls and school groups enjoy sailunderstanding that high water in Essex was always at 11am on a Saturday morning and as I made my way home after an early morning sail, on the tide, there would always be plenty of boats still going down to the water to look at. I was, however, ill-prepared for the sight of a sailing cruiser of around mid-twenty feet coming sedately along the road towards me being towed by a Reliant three wheeler. No lightweight pocket cruiser this and how and where a sufficiently strong towbar

classicsailor.com

✉

7 Haslar Marina, Gosport, Hants. PO12 1NU Seaways at Redbridge – who will maintain them?

admin@classicsailor.com Editor Dan Houston dan@classicsailor.com +44 (0)7747 612614 Art Editor Stephen Philp Sub Editor Peter Willis peter@classicsailor.com Contributing editor Guy Venables guy@classicsailor.com

ing in classic style. My Senior Officer and I still help at Fairlop as volunteers, appreciating the fun of adventure and young people afloat. Today, after years of service, I see the fleet as part of Redbridge heritage. However, maintenance costs are high, the boats show their age, and people with the necessary skills to maintain these classic gems are hard to find. My experience bringing back Barnehurst into working condition introduced me to the skills of the boatbuilder’s art but my skills are limited. Long term, the fleet will need a was fitted to the Reliant I could not imagine. And what happened on arrival at a steep slipway, probably by that time surrounded by good Essex mud? It pre-dated marinas! I had an uncle who at that time had a Reliant which he was permitted to drive on the strength of his motorcycle combination licence because the car had no reverse gear. Possibly, and I mean hopefully, this one did! Norman Flack Jacobstowe, Devon.

skilled boat builder to save it, for future young sailors, and an injection of funding. Any advice on how to proceed would be welcome. Julia Austin. Ilford Sea Rangers

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

Folkboat finds owner

You featured my folkboat Margaradella in your last issue. Adam Greenwell contacted me and we have agreed that he will become her new owner. Margaradella has been sitting on a trailer for the last 10 years so there is plenty of restoration work for Adam. He is an experienced blacksmith, and his father David was a boat builder. I am confident that they have the skills needed to get Margaradella restored. Chris Hoare, via email\

Columnists Andrew Bray, Federico Nardi Clubs and events liaison Oliver Houston oliver@classicsailor.com Advertising Ian Welsh ian@classicsailor.com +44 (0)7711 069544 Catherine Jackson catherine@classicsailor.com +44 (0)7495 404461 Admin Evie Farrelly evie@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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Rustler 33 and Rustler 24

Modern Classics by Rustler

Beautiful yachts, beautifully built

Andrew Bray I’m a bit stuck right now. Running aground comes to us all at some time. It’s how we get off that makes the difference

tide to return. They survived. On another occasion I was sailing with a senior member of a very senior sailing club and the burgee at the masthead made it quite clear which club that was. As we tacked towards the entrance of the river that was his home port we suddenly slithered to a halt. With a loud ‘twang’ the burgee halyard parted and the masthead evidence came tumbling down. As with running aground there is also an art in getting off. To attempt to get off with churning propeller and a fog of diesel fumes lacks finesse.

Not that there is no shoal water in the south, as I know from hard (and soft) experience

A cruising sailor might row out a kedge, or kedges and ease her off with gentle pressure on each in turn. If, as on a racing boat, you’ve enough crew they can line up on the boom like starlings on a telephone line in an attempt to heel enough to get off. This, of course, is of little benefit on a bilge keeler as the draught increases as you heel. At times like this a cup of tea works wonders. There is also an art in deliberately drying out alongside. You can carefully range your anchor and cable along the deck to impart a slight angle of heel so she’ll settled safely. You can also attach a masthead halyard to a strong point and tension it up as an additional safety precaution. Just don’t forget to let it go when you refloat and before you motor off. I’ve seen it happen.

GUY VENABLES

t’s a rite of passage. Anyone who sails, whether cruising or racing, will run aground at some point. The manner of that grounding will say a great deal about the character of the skipper of that boat and the way that he or she sails. There’s the gentle nudge onto a soft and slithery mudbank, the grating and scraping on gravel and the solid, sudden and splintering crunch of something hard, a rock or concrete ledge. It’s not just the manner of grounding that speaks volumes, it’s also the manner of extrication, the process exacerbated by a rapidly falling tide. Those of us with centreboards can seem a bit smug, when the rattling of the board on the bottom gives an early warning, a smugness that is soon dispelled when hard aground and the board casing is packed solid with compacted mud. On England’s East Coast depths of more than five metres are cause for alarm whilst on the South Coast the same goes for waters less than five metres. It is no coincidence that the East Coast bred the shoal-draught cruiser from the boards of Maurice Griffiths and others whilst the South Coast is home to deeper keeled boats. Not that there is no shoal water in the south, as I know from hard (and soft) experience. If there is an art to running aground it is to do so on a rising tide. To be high and dry on the top of a spring tide smacks of carelessness. There are also ways of coping with grounding. On a falling tide, once you’ve churned up great clouds of mud as you attempt to motor off there is resignation as you row out a kedge, put on the kettle and wait for it all to come back. The ruse of pretending to scrub and touch up the antifouling is a bit transparent. One friend anchored under Dungeness to wait for the tide in his longkeeled classic cruiser. He and his crew bunked down and on waking he told me “the boat was eerily still”. He got out of his bunk, peered out of the companionway and froze. “She was completely dried out and balanced on her keel.” He crept back into his bunk and, without moving, waited for the

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8/10/16 2:58 PM

Quailo III

Nicholson 55 Masthead Cutter 1971

£155,000 Lying UK

The reputation for toughness of the early GRP Nic 32 and the 35 led to their widespread popularity and success at the smaller end of the yachting spectrum. Drawing on that - and evidently some panache inherited from much earlier Nicholson creations; the Nic 55 must be the success story at the larger end. Of the twenty six 55s built only two others; LUTINE and RACER shared QUAILO’s particularly beautiful configuration. Twelve were bought by the Ministry of Defence at a key period in replacing their ageing windfall fleet for adventurous training. Time and again thereafter they considered upgrading but each time concluded their 55s were irreplaceable. These boats have been proven over and over again with “ADVENTURE” 2nd in the first Round the World Race and “QUAILO III” formerly BROADSWORD an Admirals Cup and Southern Cross team member. QUAILO III is ready for more adventure; her cockpit is huge; she sleeps 10 and as we all know this design is so capable that she seems almost to prefer it when the going gets tough – all with unmistakable English good looks and an almost rakish charm.

33 High Street, Poole BH15 1AB, England. Tel: + 44 (0)1202 330077 www.sandemanyachtcompany.co.uk email: info@sandemanyachtcompany.co.uk

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07/10/2016 16:14

Nardi’s Nods

by Federico Nardi of Cantiere Navale dell’Argentario

Arietta 31 Her classic and harmonious lines somehow manage to provide a boat only 31ft long with good liveability

he Arietta 31 is a lovely Swedish design that was produced for many years, from the dawn of fibreglass in 1964 until 1978. She was designed by the illustrious Olle Enderlein and built by Borg plast AB/Malö Yachts and Comfortbätär AB, both in Sweden. Her classic and harmonious lines somehow manage to provide a boat only 31ft long with good liveability. Interior layout is the classic five-person setup, with the galley next to the companionway to port and the chart table to starboard. The head is walkthrough, with the WC to the right and the basin to the left. The forward cabin has the typical V berth for two. Her full-length keel has (unfortunately) a cast-iron bulb, but it does keep the tanks quite low. The gunwale is part of the hull mould and finished with a wood toe-rail covering the hull/deck joint. The cabin-top and coaming are also finished in wood. The mast is stepped on the cabintop with an internal support that transmits the mast pressure to the keel. The original engine was an 18hp Volvo Penta MD2. All in all, the Arietta 31 is a boat to fall in love with; she can handle difficult sea conditions and perform well. In northern Europe they can be bought for considerably less than €10,000.

ARIETTA 31 LOA 30ft 10in (9.4m) Beam 8ft 10in (2.7m) Draught 4ft 5in (1.35m) Displacement 7496 lbs

TRANSLATION BY JAMES ROBINSON TAYLOR

Interior layout is the classic ﬁve-person setup with galley to port and chart-table to starboard, next to the companionway, and a walkthrough heads

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8/10/16 3:02 PM

Dragon Elska

S&S Sonny

S&S Dorade

S&S Skylark S&S Santana LMI cares for a special group of yachts from modern racing to classic 100 year old gaffers. In between these book ends lies our forté. The compiled team is currently in hull rebuild mode with a significant refit/restoration of our third S&S, namely Santana, the once darling of Bogie and Bacall, Skylark and Dorade are successfully “off and running”. Other gems from the boards of Herreshoff, Burgess, S&S, Crane, Fife, Luders, Anker, Alden and Lawley with 12m’s, 6m’s, P’s, Q’s and S’s make their home base at LMI. Please view our website galleries for snapshots of what and how we do it.

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8/10/16 10:05 PM

The turn of the bilge Valuation surveys: the willing seller and the willing buyer Surveyor Aidan Tuckett explains what needs to go into working out a yacht’s market value – that the buyer will pay and the seller accept – and how a surveyor’s assistance can help

“Our job as surveyors is to ﬁnd out as many facts as we can that will inﬂuence price”

lacing a value on a classic boat can be a process that needs a fair amount of tact and diplomacy. Owners can easily spend more on a vessel than she is ever going to be worth, it being only human to place aesthetics before reality, and then try to make up the shortfall. Whereas surveyors have to take a literal, if not pessimistic, view on most things they find. The problem often lies in people mixing up market value with the total cost of buying, restoring and maintaining a classic vessel and hoping this cost can be realised at least by insurers should the worst happen, if not by a future buyer. But a key phrase in any valuation statement is that it must represent what a willing seller and willing buyer might reasonably be expected to pay for the vessel. There’s a certain amount of equal and opposite in this – too much willingness on a buyer’s part will always be matched and if they lose that enthusiasm after the event it will be too late. So giving yourself time to ponder and allow a surveyor a few days to poke around and write a report is always a benefit. To set a market value, our job is to find as many facts as we can that will influence price. Assuming there is a choice of similar boats on the market, we can look at the asking price of comparable vessels in terms of age, size and type. We may have some direct knowledge of their condition but more usually we have to assume this will set an average that should then be adjusted downwards by an allowance for the difference between advertised and achieved prices. They might not be a precise match with the boat in question, but so long as they are as close as anyone can reasonably find, then they will be as good a basis as any. For insurance surveys, we will also assess the condition of the boat to determine the likelihood of structural faults that may lead to a claims and the cost of making these good. We will also assess any more general issues that affect quality such as the condition of the brightwork, the standard of craftsmanship or the likelihood of having to replace major components during the buyer’s ownership.

A pre-purchase survey will cover all of these things in more depth, given that the buyer has yet to risk his money. Here a good survey will help people make a match between their budget and the vessel. But the valuation will never add up to the full cost of owning a traditional vessel; the purchase price is your entry ticket with the balance being more akin to what you might pay for life’s more expendable pleasures. Taken as a journey in every meaning of the word, it makes sense although perhaps not in pounds per mile. At the very least you have a chance of maintaining a classic’s value – no amount of yard work

At the very least you have the chance of maintaining a classic’s value – no amount of yard work will reverse the depreciation on a new boat

will reverse the depreciation on a new boat. Where owners are determined to get insurance cover for what they have spent as opposed to what it is worth in material terms, for example with a unique historic vessel, it may be possible to get an agreed value policy where the insurer agrees to pay a set amount in the event of a loss, but even then the boat would usually need to proven as fit for its intended purpose so any insurance survey would focus on this. What you should find in a valuation statement, once you have waded through all the disclaimers and legal bumph, is the basis on which the assessment is made. Ultimately it will always be someone’s opinion but that must have some evidence to support it. Otherwise it’s no better than someone else’s opinion and if the other person is a loss adjuster you might lose out. Aidan Tuckett carries out pre-surveys on yachts and small craft, and commercial fishing vessels at Brighton Marine Surveys. He also part owns and runs Practical Yacht and Small Craft Survey Training which shows marine industry professionals how to turn their skills to surveying. CLASSIC SAILOR 21

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SPARKMAN & STEPHENS YAWL

Sandeman: Laug h Barney Sandeman is a yacht broker who sells some of the most beautiful yachts on the market. And he also has one of his own, which we sailed... Words & Photos: Dan Houston

e were at the BCYC in Cowes last year, the yacht regatta some people call the Panerai, but that always begs the question: “Which one?” There are Panerais in the States and in Europe too – there’s even a Transat Panerai. You race for a massive great watch... well, ah, more likely you race for the owner or skipper to win a massive great watch. Some old salt once said to me – and I like the old salts – “Racing yachts... they go round and round a course to go nowhere and then the one that gets nowhere fastest, ’ee wins the prize!” The statement came with that faux baffled expression of surprise, but even at that age I also knew he was missing the point.

The clean Olin Stephens bow proﬁle of Laughing Gull scimitars the waves with a bold and buoyant style, like so many of her sisters 22 CLASSIC SAILOR

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8/10/16 3:20 PM

LAUGHING GULL

g hing all the way

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8/10/16 3:20 PM

SPARKMAN & STEPHENS YAWL Because it’s not until you race that you know if you’re going to get the best from your boat, is it? Well it’s a personal choice whether you race your boat or not. Anyhow it was raining at this BCYC event and Barney Sandeman, the yacht broker, offered some shelter below in his gorgeously-maintained Sparkman & Stephens inboard yawl Laughing Gull. This is the signature S&S brand yacht, in the style of Dorade, which, winning the Transat West to East in 1931, put the fledgling New York design partnership on the map – with a ticker-tape parade in New York no less, to celebrate their brilliant win.

The sunlight on the varnish, cosy cabins, the smells of an old boat... it all got under my skin I guess... Others followed, Stormy Weather, 1934, winning the Fastnet race in 1935 (as Dorade had done in ’31) and so on. Being on a S&S inboard yawl is like being in touch with those guys back in the 1930s who were also trying to establish a business in a time of depression, as much as winning a yacht race in the days of sextant and trailing log. But the inboard yawl is not all about racing. I was lucky enough to interview the great Olin in the late 1990s and at the end of a two-bottle-of-wine supper I asked him what kind of boat he would design if you took all the rules away and just wanted something that was as seaworthy as she was fast. And I’ll never forget it, without a flicker of pause he said: “Dorade” and I think a lot of owners of these marvellous designs would agree – they are legendary sea-keepers, as comfy in a gale as they are able to extract the slightest zephyr of air and track off across the water. And Barney just loves to sail his Gull as much as race her or show her off at events. “We go out of Poole with the children and tend to find dolphins,” he says with that calm delight sailors have for dolphins. We plan for a feature – maybe on anchoring say, and in Barney’s professional broker style, he adds: “Yes and let’s do lunch, we can go to Studland Bay, I know just the place.” But then it was the end of the season and a whole winter passes. I still need that anchoring feature, but it’s midsummer by the time we get our sail. Laughing Gull is even more stately and polished than I remember as we motor out to her swinging mooring in Barney’s rubber dub. Barney has a few boats here, awaiting new owners; Nausikaa the 8-ton Gauntlet once owned by Graham Greene, now owned by art dealer David Messum (£140k) and 24 CLASSIC SAILOR

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LAUGHING GULL

Tea’s up! From the deeply comfy cabin. Note the slatted fold-down bunks which otherwise act as backrests. Below far left: the varnished galley and Davey Hot Pot solid fuel stove; below sailing in the 40s and Gull’s logbook

Josephine (£180k), the 1954 Philip Rhodes design which was one of the main founding yachts of the British Classic Yacht Club. It takes about five or ten minutes to get the covers off, start the engine (Yanmar 3QM30) and slip our mooring. In fact times on my photos show a cup of espresso coffee on deck, Barney getting ready to hoist the main and a south view of Brownsea Island (the mooring is on the north) all within 15 minutes of getting aboard. The day has brightness but there is a dark rain cloud to the North East, and the weather is coming from the NE. We sail out towards Old Harry rocks before finding a clear place to anchor in Studland Bay.

some of the swankiest yachts in the wooden boat fleet Barney remembers getting into sailing in Cadet dinghies in Poole harbour. “My mother thought I should have a go at sailing a real boat aged 10 rather than building model sailing boats and so Parkstone Yacht Club beckoned, with crewing in Cadet dinghies until I could afford my own – talked my mother into letting me keep my boat in my bedroom in the winter (it just fitted in); better for varnishing! “That was the 1970s and we had no technical clothing like you see the kids wearing today; we sailed in jeans and life jackets with collars, and no doubt Dunlop Greenflash plimsolls...” We discover we’d both been in Antigua in the mid 80s (I was on the schooner Vanessa Ann). “I worked as a deck hand and mate in the on a Swan,” Barney says, “but the boats that caught my eye were the few classics that were in West Indies at that time – we’d crossed the Atlantic with the

My idea to photograph the sequence and to do tidal heights and show how the tide will rise and fall and therefore how much anchor line to let out is pointless – the range here is only around 2m at Springs. See p76 for that. But Barney lets out rope anchor line – which is kinder to the seagrass, home of the seahorses in this area. We zip ashore in the dinghy and walk past Joe’s café and up the lane to the Pig on the Beach hotel and its Greenhouse Resataurant with views over the isle of Wight. Barney’s great company and the talk turns from how we got into sailing to broking to the market. Despite selling CLASSIC SAILOR

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SPARKMAN & STEPHENS YAWL

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LAUGHING GULL

Laughing Gull 1949 LOA 44ft 3in LWL 30ft Beam 10ft 8in Draught 6ft Displacement 26,146 lbs Ballast 9,500 lbs (outside) 300 lbs (inside) Sail Area 888 sq ft

Top: Laughing Gull sails back into Poole Harbour with Brownsea (Island) Castle in the background. From far left: Sestrel Moore steering compass; appropriately-named dorade vent; alloy submarine hatch; period Merriman winches

Nicholson ketch Aile Blanche; the Fife ketch Belle Aventure was lying in English Harbour looking like a movie scene, and I saw Sumurun. I’d seen her in Corfu when she was called Erna, and was spellbound; we were lucky enough to spend some time on a Samuel White TSDY called Caramba in Greece in the summer holidays while I was still at school and I can still remember those days on that boat – the sunlight on the varnish; the cosy cabins; smells of an old boat... it all got under my skin I guess. “And in English Harbour Sumurun had become Sumurun again and her crew had T-shirts with the Fife dragon on them but more than that they were more like a brotherhood... was it the boats?! I remember swimming over to the Alden Schooner Puritan at anchor and meeting the wonderful bunch aboard and being given the deepest glass of rum I can remember... the boats were different and so were their people and I believe and hope this is still the case – not better – just different.” We reminisce about our footloose and fancy free past: the guy who ran Pizzas in Paradise; Mrs Malone’s laundry and Kong’s varnish work... “So how did you get into yacht broking Barney?” “My father had a marketing company and after some time working for him I felt selling/doing something I loved would make more sense... “But people are not sold boats; they buy them – first base has to be the love affair and so basically we have to oil the cogs to help this to happen – finding people the right boat for them is vital and sometimes hard when they are not completely sure themselves and what and why that should be? “All boats are a compromise, except their beauty of course, we try not to compromise on that – but it is easy to be distracted once you start looking for your dream boat and easy to forget what you were trying to achieve – there is no point looking for a three cabin layout if friends and family will only be sailing with you once or twice a year. And a boat that works well for most of the time is what is needed... this is hard to remember though.” “And how do choose your boats?” “It is important to try and establish the true condition of the boat’s structure from recent surveys or yard work; I hope we know our clients and the type of boats they want – not always Fife, Alden, S&S and so forth – many of the boats we list are termed classic yachts, conforming to fairly strict criteria for that full accolade but I hope all of our yachts qualify with such qualities of construction and seaworthiness, beauty, grace and style – they need to have an almost natural quality about them. They cannot fail to inspire.” It was the same process for Barney himself as he bought Laughing Gull in 2011.

“I will never forget sailing in a race in France and watching the three S&S yawls Stormy Weather, Dorade and Sonny chasing each other in about 15-18 knots of breeze all at maximum power and looking like radio controlled boats on a pond sailing faster than their scale... actually they were like a pod of dolphins, so totally natural, nothing holding them back, all beautiful... “I’d always wanted an Olin Stephens design between 1930 and 1950 but never thought I would be that lucky – a client owned her and knew I loved the boat – we did a deal eventually, partly I believe based on her former owner knowing we would care for the boat, nearly five years ago now. “Olin Stephens looked for balance in everything in his life and I admire that – his designs always remind me of this and

All boats are a compromise, except their beauty of course – we try not to compromise on that Laughing Gull displays his ethos from the moment you see her on a her mooring to the moment you take her helm – it’s an incredible thing really. “She was built for Percy Chubb II, a wealthy insurance broker and commodore of the New York Yacht Club in 1948. Given a free hand, Olin did however have to cater for Chubb’s near 7ft height with appropriate standing headroom below. Built by Jakobson of Oysterbay, New York she was launched early in 1949. Articles on her construction and specifications appeared in Yachting Monthly and The Rudder that year. Rutger ten Broeke, her last owner, is an author and journalist, and a member of the board of editors and co-author of the International Encyclopaedia of Yacht Designers. “In an interview for the Dutch Magazine Spiegel der Zeilvaart in 1995, he asked Olin Stephens if he remembered the design of Laughing Gull and Stephens replied: ‘Yes, certainly, Mr Chubb was a good friend and client and Laughing Gull was his second commission’. Stephens was then asked: ‘Do you remember anything specific about the design?’ He replied: ‘I gave her stronger overhangs than usual. I found her more beautiful that way, and I always believed that a beautiful boat is a fast boat’.” Despite having no self-tailing winches Barney likes racing LG and is keen to take her to a classic Mediterranean regatta – he likes the idea of more sunshine. “But she’s so easy, I often sail her on my own and the best times are sailing her with family, out here, looking for the dolphins. And cooking; cooking on board is always great – everybody’s cooking tastes better on a boat.” CLASSIC SAILOR

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ESSEX SMACKS

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OYSTER DREDGING

An island in the stream Packing Shed Island, just off Mersea, has been key to the Essex oyster fishery for over a century. Now, with the revival of dredging for oysters under sail, it’s come into its own again. Story and photos by John Worrall

s a link with the 19th-century peak of Essex oysters, Packing Shed Island is unadulterated. The recorded history of this low – and not particularly permanent – sliver of land in the channel off the southwestern point of Mersea Island is all about oysters with, as its focus, the eponymous – and only – building thereon. The Packing Shed dates from 1897 and has survived because it is raised on piles around which big springs lap and sometimes rage. A short-lived predecessor was removed by a storm and so nearly was the present shed itself in 1987. Cast a careful eye along the island and the outlines of oyster pits become apparent, long

unattended and now fudged by nature but testament to the time when Essex oysters were being shipped out by the barrel-full to London and Europe. And now, with enough time elapsed to make such heritage precious, the conservation urge, oozing like the very Blackwater mud among today’s generations, is making sure that the Shed at least remains. Refurbished from an almost skeletal condition in the 1990s, it might not pack oysters any more but it is available for functions and events which give it a reason to live on, although wellies are a good disembarkation strategy for patrons. But then just as the conservation imperative has rescued the Shed, so it has conserved some of the smacks which once filled it with oysters. Back in the day, smacks – like any working boats

Dredging for oysters during the Mersea Oyster Dredging Match, with Iris Mary CK105 in the distance CLASSIC SAILOR 29

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ESSEX SMACKS – were worked and maintained until repair was uneconomic or they were lost, and replaced. The gradual introduction of engines in the first half of the 20th century meant that many sailing smacks became redundant before they were worn out, and some of these passed into increasingly loving hands with, like the Shed, another reason to live on. Three or four dozen are reckoned still to be berthed in Essex, (perhaps twice as many again are scattered around the UK and Europe), and some have long been put to racing to keep them in shape. Except that eventually for some owners, even racing wasn’t enough and in the 90s, those owners decided on an annual event to revive and preserve the old skill of fishing under sail. In its first year, 1994, it was a trawling competition (but who ever trawled for oysters?) Thereafter, it became the Mersea Oyster Dredging Match. The prime mover at the start was traditional sailing smack enthusiast Charles

Harker, later assisted by oysterman William Baker who has now run the event for a decade or so. The aim these days is to promote the local commercial oyster fisheries and businesses and engage the community, celebrity chefs, shellfish industry representatives and shellfish policy makers. And it’s all about the native flat oyster, ostrea edulis, on which the industry grew. Found in huge quantities in the creeks of the serrated Essex coast where water quality and nutrient levels were just right, edulis was cheap food, its consumption traceable back to Roman times. By the 19th century, it was nutrition for the masses: the Victorians put it in pies or sold it on street corners. A huge industry grew up around it: of 22.9 million oysters (2,250 tonnes) landed in the UK in 1914, 89% were from Essex and Kent. But the 1960s brought the bonamia ostreae parasite, at about the time of the legendary winter of 62/63, reckoned by some

Dorothy CK159

Dorothy, CK159, built in 1899, has been at West Mersea since 1997 when Paul Harding, MD of colchesteroysterfishery.com, and Rob Lee acquired her from her previous owner in Burnham-on-Crouch. She’s 37ft LOD, and, like Gracie, a small smack, built to dredge the creeks, though there is a story that in the early 1900s, she went around the south-west and up to west Scotland to go dredging. She wasn’t the only one to do that and their skippers would have had to know their business as well as their boats, and even then would have had to pick the weather. But smack builders also knew their business, not least the Aldous yard at Brightlingsea, generally regarded as the pre-eminent builders on the Colne and Blackwater. They built Dorothy and many other smacks – 40 or so of theirs are still around - along with bawleys, yachts and anything else of a local flavour. Dorothy was actually first owned at West Mersea and so for nearly a couple of decades now, she has been back home.

Above right: The drifting match: Iris Mary and Marie Left: Dorothy’s owners Rob Lee, left, and Paul Harding

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OYSTER DREDGING

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ESSEX SMACKS to have weakened the stock and rendered it more susceptible to something which may already have been present. Bonamia tended to kill the oyster as it reached maturity in a process still not fully understood although most shellfish carry parasites of some sort which can become fatal to them if the system is weakened by something else. With edulis commercially non-viable for a long time, the industry turned to the Pacific oyster, crassostrea gigas which is not affected by bonamia and, although cultivated mainly on trestles, has now gone widely feral around the creeks. But edulis never went away completely and, with much nurturing – not least through the efforts of the Essex Native Oyster

The strategy was short hauls and regular checks because oysters tend to accumulate in patches Restoration Initiative (NORI) – is making a commercial comeback. And dredging under sail is back too – in the form of the annual Mersea Oyster Dredging Match. And its focus is Packing Shed Island. It’s a natural. So again this year, on a gloriously sunny and warm day in September, nearly a dozen smacks went dredging, led by the Foreman Smack, appointed thus because she won last year’s main prize, the John Frost Trophy, for the smack handled and rigged in the most seamanlike and professional manner. The foreman this year was Marie, CK21, built at Rowhedge on the Colne in 1886. On board were the West Mersea Mayor, Cllr Carl Poweling, and the Colchester Mayor, Cllr Julie Young, who jointly started the two-hour match by raising the foreman’s flag and casting the first dredge. Classic Sailor was aboard the smack Gracie CK46. The original plan was to be on Dorothy CK159 but she was mob-handed for the day with barely room to swing a dredge because this event is a picnic trip for smacksmen with kids, dogs, everybody. Gracie, though, was out there with her racing crew – skipper/part owner Pinky Hughes with Mark Bailey and Daniel Hill – and although dredging is more about speculative towing than speed, Gracie looked good for silverware. The rules for the day were that all contestants dredge in the same direction as the foreman smack and the judges’ boat was cruising around to make sure. But with no wind at all for the first half hour, despite encouraging ripples just down-channel, that was easier said than done. Gracie got a bit of traction drifting with the ebb but her two dredges gleaned dead 32 CLASSIC SAILOR

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OYSTER DREDGING Gracie CK46.

Pinky Hughes, together with joint owners Nick Purdie and Colin Bellamy-Booth, have had Gracie for about five years. Before that, they had Mary CK252 which is now in France. Gracie was built in 1890 at Brightlingsea but it’s not known by whom, making her one of the few smacks with that gap in her provenance, although she started life as a half-decker doing leisure trips at Clacton. She didn’t convert to fishing - still as a half-decker - until 1910 and wasn’t flush decked until 1934. She is 36ft LOD, draws 4ft 6in, and is of the type made specifically for dredging the creeks and beds closer inshore, whereas the larger, topmast smacks were typically 10ft or so longer and could work a little further afield. Before Pinky and Co had her, she spent 10 years with Tony Ryan over in Kent on the Swale. She still gets over there once a year to for the Swale Smack and Sailing Barge Match held in August, where this year, with Nick skippering and Mark, Pinky, Pinky’s eldest daughter Becky and her friend Faye as crew, she won the Calliope Cup and the Swale 2016 pennant. But smack owning isn’t all picnics and sailing matches. “We’ve got to do some caulking this winter” says Pinky. “Rake all the joints out and replace nails and screws. And I painted the hull earlier this year and did the antifouling. She doesn’t get hauled out every year - can’t afford that - but you can always find something to do to keep her going. It’s a full-time job, really.”

Clockwise from main photo: The oyster opening contest; The Packing Shed on Packing Shed Island; Pinky Hughes, Gracie’s owner, with the John Frost Trophy; William Baker, organiser of the match

shell and mud and not much else. The strategy was short hauls and regular checks because oysters tend to accumulate in patches and while a long haul might have found some, it was important to know exactly where so that the particular patch could be worked properly. It was after an hour and with the breeze stirring that Pinky struck oysters and, working over the spot a few times, began to fill the box on deck. It’s a deceptive creature, edulis, often attached to, and grown on, old shell, and being flat – relatively so compared to gigas at any rate – it could escape the notice of the unversed. But Pinky and crew were nothing if not versed, as demonstrated back on the island, because there they were awarded the John Frost Trophy. So Gracie gets to be Foreman Smack next year, for

which Classic Sailor can modestly claim some credit, just for being aboard. And then, as crews and passengers spread out their picnics, there was a competition to see who could open 20 oysters most quickly and cleanly. Out of seven starters, the winner was Sal Yazen, but then he does run the Mersea Oyster Bar. Perhaps they should introduce a handicap system. The oysters, left open on the competition table, went down well – and quickly – among spectators, though it should be noted that no oysters dredged on the day were hurt in this process; those were all returned to the sea after weighing because native oysters in these waters are presently protected as part of the NORI programme. If NORI continues its progress, that might change before too long. CLASSIC SAILOR 33

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8/10/16 3:31 PM

DAVE SELBY

Marlin’s mission Dan Houston joins Dave Selby as he sails his Sailfish 18 Marlin from Maldon in Essex to the Southampton Boat Show to raise the profile of inexpensive boats

t was going to be a daysail. A jaunt to Littlehampton from Brighton Marina helping an old mate who was sailing his 18-footer to Southampton from Maldon, Essex… and I knew the harbour, didn’t I? “Yes of course!” I rejoined, while in my head I was replying: “Um, yes and no… Yes, I know the harbour; navigated into it loads of times theoretically, teaching night school… and no, I’ve never actually sailed into there, despite living half a tide away up the coast.” Dave sounded relieved. He’d enjoyed sailing some of the passages on his own, but like most of us, he prefers some company. I got the feeling he was only half joking when he said he’d sailed into London to be sure

of crossing to the south side of the Thames with full visibility, plus he’d been tossed about a bit in some weather off Dover, which had given him more confidence in his boat’s design and handling… And Dave is Dave Selby, a motoring journalist who also writes a brilliant funny column for Practical Boat Owner, and sails his Sailfish 18 on the Blackwater. But Dave also has a wall planner that says: “Legs”, “No legs”, indicating periods every four weeks or so when he loses the use of them to a rare viral condition known as Guillain-Barré Syndrome. There was an ulterior motive to all this – he was raising money for a special charity, GAIN: Guillain-Barre and Associated Inflammatory Neuropathies. Having worked with Dave before I

Above: Dave looks excited as we get through the last of the chop of the incoming tide in Littlehampton. Left: The harbour entrance is fairly narrow with a funnel effect as the tide courses into the river Arun

remember when he first got this a few years ago. It means that he literally can’t walk as his nervous system cyclically breaks down till it stops sending messages to the legs. Then he has to go into hospital for three days of blood transfusions and needs a week to recover… Not something you’d look forward to. He describes his transfusions as being from 800 donors and says it is “humbling”. But Dave has maintained his wicked sense of humour through the whole ongoing ordeal, and just decided that if he was going to sail to Southampton it would be in short hops while he was healthy enough. He had to visit hospital twice in the time it took to get there. Dave came to supper when he got into Brighton, but of course we didn’t talk charts and only had a cursory discussion about the weather. It was light airs, easterlies though,

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which are rare and thoroughly recommended around here if you are trying to sail west. I said I’d try to find an old spinnaker but I think there was more than one empty bottle on the table by then and my attic tends to defy me on such occasions. But the day dawned bright and we left Brighton just before the top of the tide – to benefit from its majestic west-going sweep. It was a day before Springs too, so with the higher range comes the greater rate; we’d be getting more than ten miles of help from the tide today – or basically more than half the distance we needed to go. It was a superb sailing day despite the light airs, and we didn’t want to go too fast in any case. We actually needed to be off Littlehampton after Low Water to creep in over the bar on the flood. And in the end we jilled around off the entrance, at one point

sailing up to a couple who were standing neck deep in the sea but still in their depth off the beach. My suggestion to sail around them was turned down by the Captain, who, despite the centreboard having been half

...sailing up to a couple who were standing neck deep in the sea but still in their depth, off the beach raised earlier, reducing our draught from 3ft (0.9m) to about 20in (0.5m), decided that a grounding would not be a good idea. I still think that couple looked slightly disappointed when we tacked away about 20 feet away from them.

We were enjoying ourselves. And when we hove to for a half hour to have some tea we realized we’d seen about two yachts the whole day. We both fervently believe that boating need not cost as much as people think, and that that message needs to be published. On this perfect summer sailing day in mid August the unbroken rim of the horizon only seemed to add urgency to our thoughts: Where are all the sailors!! Dave had told Arun Yacht Club of our arrival and so we proceeded upriver with barely any water under the keel – she draws 1ft (0.3m) with the board up, and tied up on their visitors’ pontoon to be met by Will Harvey and Roger Cole, who opened the club and the bar (early) for us. Dave’s message was clearly getting out and finding favour among sailors who feel

The Sailfish has a friendly, well designed cockpit. Note Dave’s lifejacket from Seasafe - personalised with the emblem of the GAIN charity

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DAVE SELBY

Clockwise from top left: teatime on Marlin; her cabin showing centreboard case and winch; heading the tide as we go through the submarine barrier; faithful depth sounder and hockeypuck compass; getting in to Littlehampton; Boulder lateral mark at the Looe Channel 36 CLASSIC SAILOR

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COURSE TO STEER

of like mind: Arun for instance has a cadet membership of just £24 (see p12). After a few gentle hours of remaking the world to our way of thinking with Will and other members we were given electronic keys to the club showers and directions to Littlehampton’s best curry house. We’re not sure if we quite found the right place as it was after ten when we arrived at the appropriately-named Little Magna. Still it was definitely a curry house. At some point we had discussed the way west and I had decided to stay on and help Dave get to Portsmouth: having too much fun clearly. The local advice on leaving Littlehampton was to wait until nearly HW – just before noon. We had ideally wanted to leave an hour or so earlier to catch and keep our west-going tide into Portsmouth, but by

area is notoriously shallow and is the vicinity where Edward Heath’s Morning Cloud was lost in a storm in 1974. According to Hilaire Belloc, this area was land in Roman times and the Looe gap was a killing trap into which they chased deer. The area to the east of it is still called The Park on the chart. Our plan was to sail SW to East Borough Head – an easterly cardinal marking the eastern edge of the outer Owers and on the same latitude as the Looe Channel. We calculated tide using a tidal atlas and double checking the Diamonds information on the excellent Imray 2100 series folio charts. You can see our recreated workings later in this feature. We calculated for two hours of tide setting us west 2.2 nautical miles, and read our course to the cardinal from there. The course was 204°T (true), and with variation negligible and deviation of less concern

The flood was clearly racing into the harbour water boiling up between the pierheads. We could see that our small outboard would not push us over it 0930 the flood was clearly racing into the harbour with quite a bit of broken water boiling up between the pierheads. We could see that our small outboard (Mariner 4hp) would not push us over it, as members had said. Praising local knowledge we drank tea watching the water coming into the harbour until it just seemed to be dying down. We slipped just before 1100 and were out of the pier heads after a slightly bumpy few minutes curtsying our way over the last of the tide race. This was fun – another incredibly blue day. Not a sail on the horizon (yet) and we were heading for the relatively sheltered waters of the Solent, which meant it was easier for Dave to plan his last legs (sorry for that bad pun) into Southampton Water where Marlin was going to be lifted out ready for the Boat Show where she and her intrepid owner would be a feature promoting GAIN and affordable boating. The night before, Dave had listened, with some scepticism I felt, to some of my yarns about getting around in the days before GPS. I still think that moment in the fog close to the cliffs of Ushant, with the heavy thump of a diesel freighter rising through the murk – and passing like a noisy wraith, a vague shadow shape ploughing through the pallid vapour about three or four boat lengths away, was, actually more fun than if we had known exactly where we were to the nearest four metres. But I can concede that it was fun in what Australians would call an “arse-puckering” way. So this morning we’d switched off the GPS and decided to find our way out to the Looe Channel – a gap in the Owers rocks which extend S and SE off Selsey Bill. The

– we were using a hockey puck compass to verify our main compass heading, we took the four degrees off for leeway and steered 200°M (magnetic). We also took a back bearing on Littlehampton (there are numerous charted features) to act as a position line. We sailed our course in the easterly airs again and East Borough Head came into view at about 1245. Once we’d identified it we took a fix and redid our course to steer for the Looe. With the best part of two knots of tide now as we got into the third hour we were making good way and about 20 minutes later we spotted the Mixon beacon. We needed to be a bit more south as the water directly east of the Mixon can be lumpy as there are charted areas less than 5m deep. We adjusted for that by coming onto a reach heading south for a few minutes, before resuming the course. Once you have the Mixon in sight it is not long before you see the port (north) and starboard (south) marks of the Looe, and we scooted through this doing around 5 knots over the ground at 1330. By this time Dave seemed a bit more impressed with the method and was happy that going through the Looe Channel saved miles of sailing out and around the Owers. We’d seen three or four other yachts by now and I was impressed at how the Sailfish was keeping up with them; they were all at least twice our size. Of course they slowly pulled ahead and disappeared off into Spithead, but it was only slowly! We were now sailing into the waters south of Chichester and Langstone harbours, and would shortly be running out of favourable tide. Our next shortcut was to go through a gap in the old wartime submarine barrier CLASSIC SAILOR

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DAVE SELBY

How we did it: Course to steer A course to steer is the navigator’s way of taking into account the distance to his destination, likely speed, effect of tide and other factors like leeway and magnetic variation. Here’s how: 1. Measure the distance and work out how many hours it might take you. Our dividers are set at 8nM, so it’s going to take two hours at two knots. 2. Measure the expected speed on the latitude scale of the chart and draw a line on the chart through the destination. Mark off two hours on that line. 3. Look for atlas or tidal diamonds rates (eg h) and 4. read off the direction and rate for your time before or after HW. HW at 1200 means our 2hr plot is from 1130 to 1330. We are on springs so will take the higher ﬁgure. Between springs and neaps we need to interpolate the ﬁgures 5. Measure your tide: 2.2nM

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6. Plot the direction and distance of tide on the chart from your position. 7. Mark tidal plots with three arrows/water track with one. 8. Draw a line from the end of the tidal plot to where two hourse of speed (8kn) cuts the original water track. Don’t worry if it’s beyond or short of the mark. 9. Take your plotter and read off the course in °T. Add or subtract variation; negligible in this area. Do same for deviation, and calculate for leeway. This is your course. 10. Do it again as needed.

that extends south of Portsmouth and connects the Horse Sand Napoleonic fort. We took position lines for two and three point fixes off charted features like the pole outside Chichester Harbour but by the time we got to the Winner S Cardinal south of Hayling we could feel the effect of the water pouring out from those harbours and the tide setting us south. So our next course to steer was potentially more valuable as we calculated for where the tide would put us in the hour that it would take from our fix south of the Winner, to the submarine barrier gap. The tide was actually running at 160°T so it was pushing back as well. With such a shoal draught though Marlin pushed over it admirably – I was getting more and more impressed. With our progress slowed against the tide we still managed to get through the gap at 1620 and from there it was a quick two-mile sail into Portsmouth. It had been a good excercise in navigation, having saved some sea miles by finding and then sailing through some short cuts. RYA instructor and sea school principal John Clarke invited us to berth at his seaschool pontoon in Haslar, so it was just a couple of minutes before we were tied up and thinking about a beer in the Lightship. I had to get back, so the next time I saw Dave was at the Boat Show, where he’d dressed Marlin overall in outsize Y-fronts and painted her name as Graffiti. And the message was clearly getting out: Sailing’s for fun, and it’s for everyone! ★

Mission statement

Dave’s mission is this: “I simply want to share all that sailing has given me. It’s transformed my life. Being unwell was a blessing in a way. It gave me the push I needed to have an adventure and put something back. “Another driving force of Marlin’s Mission is to raise money for the Guillain-Barré charity (www.gaincharity.org. uk). Dave explained: “It’s an illness that affects the peripheral nervous system, and I’ve got an even rarer variant called CIDP, which means the messages stop getting through to my legs about every four and a half weeks. Then I go into hospital for three days and antibodies from the blood of 800 donors literally give me legs for another month. Humbling.” You can follow Dave’s story at pbo. co.uk/dave-selby, on twitter @ImpracticalBoat and facebook (www.facebook. com/dave.selby.75) and support his charity drive at www.justgiving.com/ Dave-Selby-Marlins-Mission. CLASSIC SAILOR

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CORNISH SHRIMPER

Shrimper of solace Sam Llewellyn reveals the pleasure to be got from sailing, and trailing, a ‘proper yacht’ that measures less than 20ft – but seems to have plenty of room

and the rest of our little flotilla of Cornish Shrimpers were relaxing in a calm off the island of Jura, head on gunwale, feet on the other gunwale, when my eye alighted on a cruising yacht of some forty feet. Yachts are not particularly common on the west coast of Scotland, so I trained the binoculars on her. Her crew sat slumped in her cockpit, dressed despite the heat in heavy oilskins. There were great dark circles under their eyes. I closed them, and we talked. They had come up from the Solent. It had taken them something more than a week. They had a great sense of achievement, but that was about all, because they were going to be heading home any moment now. “And where,’” said a man who looked as if he had not slept for months, “have you come from?”

“Poole,” said my flotilla mate Dave, who comes from Poole. “In that?” I should point out here that there were four of us, each sailing a Shrimper. “On a trailer,” said Dave. The tired man looked suddenly dissatisfied. “Ah,” he said. “Well, bon voyage.” “And the same to you,” said Dave. We retreated to an anchorage deep inside the Ardmore skerries and watched the sea otters. Far to the south, a sail was a little white triangle against a big black cloud. It was probably the cruising boat, heading home. A Cornish Shrimper is a 19ft 6in highaspect gaff sloop with a centreboard. It weighs a ton and a half, and if you are sensible you drag it around the country on a piggyback trailer which weighs another half ton. This makes it trailable by any old four-wheel-drive.

Trailing your Shrimper means you can explore any sailing ground you choose with relative ease and convenience

The piggyback nature of the trailer means that the bearings of the road trailer never get wet, which circumvents the unpleasantness attendant on dragging a boat down the motorway unaware that the trailer bearings have passed the white-hot stage and the boat is on fire. It would be a lie to say that getting a Shrimper on and off the trailer is a painless process. But it can be done, and compared to the long flog round Land’s End and up the Irish Sea it is a walk in the park. All you need is a steepish slip and enough of a memory to remind you to apply the handbrake of the towing vehicle. Rigging is a two-hour hassle, during which the rigger is traditionally watched by the life partner from a folding chair, whence she offers advice, which is ignored by the rigger. It can be done afloat, but the best bet is to assemble the whole works, hauling the mast up in its tabernacle using the purchase on the forestay and sorting out the aerial spaghetti of rigging, in the comfort of the car park. The rig is simple, with a single shroud each side and no spreaders or backstay. Beginners may, however, panic, as the

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two-part throat halyard has its complexities, and so does the double topping lift. Furthermore it is important that all aspects of the rig have a fair lead and no twists. After the two-hour battle, the owner will be feeling pretty wrung out. At this point, the trailer is traditionally backed to the top of the slip, the winch strop transferred to the piggyback trailer, the brake let off and the whole works let go with a run into the briny deep. In an ideal world, the boat floats free. The owner reunites car and trailer, goes and parks them, then steps aboard, fires up the engine and withdraws to a mooring to pour himself a mighty dram and reflect on his personal genius. Not all worlds are, however, ideal. He may find that the spinning of a winch handle injudiciously left in place breaks his arm. Or he may spend some time diving for the trailer, chasing the unpaintered boat out to sea with a dinghy, or removing same from the unsuspected rock on which it is balanced in a falling tide. But hell, experientia docet, as they used to say in the Grand Dukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s galleys. You can get used to anything after a while.

When all is finally set up, you will find that 19ft 6in on deck, 22ft including the attractive pine bowsprit, is not (as you might at first assume) a giant dinghy with a lid on it, but a well-organised miniature yacht. There are two berths below, legroom stretching far under the cockpit seats, so a seven-footer will not feel unduly cramped. There is decent sitting headroom, and

...not a giant dinghy with a lid, but a well-organised miniature yacht room for a largeish wine cellar in the lockers under the berths, and for plenty of stores in the locker at the head of the berths next to the cooker, and for books in the shelves provided. Being largely fitted out with plywood, the space below is highly adaptable to the needs of (say) the alcoholic, bookworm or plant collector. Forward of the bulkhead that supports the tabernacle is a huge area normally devoted to buoyancy, which some confident souls have opened up and used

for the storage of cruising chutes, extra wines and for all I know their collection of anvils. In the unlikely event that you want to sleep more than two on the boat, the cockpit is plenty long enough for a couple of Thermarests under a tent. There is a choice of outboard and inboard versions. The inboard version is a lot more expensive than the outboard. The outboard version is slower than the inboard, because there is no way of lifting the outboard when it is not in use, so you end up towing a large three-bladed propeller, to the detriment of the boatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slipperiness. In both cases there is a mighty lazarette for fenders, lobster pots and any extra fine wines that need to be kept cool. One of the joys of the Shrimper, though, is that it is not a waterborne caravan but a sailing boat, and many manoeuvres generally conducted under engine can easily be done under sail. Raising the anchor singlehanded involves hoisting the main, throat and peak together; strolling to the foredeck; hauling in the hook and placing it in the handy well under the bowsprit; then stroll-

Sailing your Shrimper in the scenery of your choice

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CORNISH SHRIMPER A flotilla of Shrimpers rafted up in the Ardmore skerries, with their kindred spirit skippers relaxing in company

ing back to the cockpit, unrolling the roller jib from its luff spar, and persuading the nose of the boat in the direction in which you wish to proceed. Now sheet in the main until it just fills, adjust jib till telltales fly horizontal, and away you go. As the blue horizon gives way to more blue horizon, it becomes apparent that this is a well-built boat. There is a touch of weather helm; but the whole works feels solid as a rock on the wind – a reflection of the fact that Shrimper scantlings are as hefty as her build quality is reliable. A puff comes snaking across the water. The boat heels. The gaff twists off, and she comes upright again. Mast and gaff are fat, solid spars made of hefty pine. Some Shrimper owners have saved weight aloft – and made the boat less tender – by fitting ultralight carbon fibre spars, with excellent results. But there are competitive Shrimper racing fleets in places like Poole and Falmouth, in which eyebrows

and indeed protest flags will be raised if you start incontinently shedding weight. The boat is dug in now, heeled well over, nicely balanced, moving steady as a tram down her groove in the sea. Tonight’s anchorage is a vague blue shadow rising out

The boat is heeled well over, moving steady as a tram down her groove in the sea of the horizon. The breeze is freshening. It seems a good idea to put in a reef – these boats like to sail upright, and they reef easily, with hooks at the tack and tackles to haul down the pennants at the clew. There is nothing to stop you making long passages in Shrimpers – they have made more than one circumnavigation of the British Isles, and hardy souls have sailed them from the

Skagerrak to the North Cape. They sail dry, and they are at home in a sea, as long as the sea is not too short and square. But it is fair to say that night passages are hard work, and they are most at home cruising from anchorage to anchorage. The boat tracks superbly. As on a bigger yacht, the crew can at this point practice the mandolin, do long splicing, or turn on the cricket while the distant land heaves itself out of the sea. The wind drops and backs. The reef comes out. There are glassy patches over there. Shrimpers are not at their best in the very lightest airs. But this one carries a spare halyard for a cruising chute. Up it goes, a huge red balloon filled with the zephyr, and we are whispering across the water until the blue hills turn green, and the swells are creaming white on the rocks by the headland. Down comes the chute. We ghost in on the last of the breeze, come head to wind and drop the anchor. The forecast is horrible. We will be in perfect shelter, but if it really blows up we can pull up the centreboard and make for the beach. And if need be we can dry out on the central keel and one of the bilge runners. Meanwhile, the people in the house above our anchorage would like to be taken fishing. There are six of them and a baby, and they fit easily into the vast cockpit, with the baby sleeping below. Later, we walk up the mountain behind the house. The woman of the house looks back at the bay, where the Shrimper is admiring its reflection in the glassy water. “Your boat’s so pretty!” she cries. “As well as everything else,” I say.

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Neil Thompson ad

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NeilThompsonBoats Untitled-31 1

24/02/2015 11:07

HAPPISBURGH LIFEBOAT

RIB handling techniq

Richard Johnstone-Bryden visits Happisburgh Lifeboat Station to learn about the RIB handling techniques behind two remarkable video clips

ramatic footage from the RNLI lifeboat station at Happisburgh (pronounced Hazeboro), Norfolk, showing the launching and recovery of its Atlantic 75 from a hostile North Sea caused quite a stir among followers of Classic Sailor’s facebook pages. Those who saw these clips were struck by the impressive feat of seamanship demonstrated by the lifeboat’s helmsman as he managed to time his release from the launching carriage to exploit a fleeting window of opportunity between the waves that lasted for just a few seconds. Clearly

such manoeuvres are not for the faint hearted as they require nerves of steel, seamless teamwork and swift decision making. The risks associated with operating in such an unforgiving environment could not be any higher. If the helmsman succumbs to either impatience or hesitation at the wrong moment it could all end in disaster. We asked the station’s Senior Helmsman, Tim Grimmer, to talk us through the procedures. The first of the clips showed the crew launching their Atlantic 75 into breaking seas being whipped up by a stiff easterly breeze. “The helmsman has to try and time the waves, In these conditions, we count in

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niques the RNLI way

sets of seven: four small waves, followed by a bigger one, the biggest wave, another big one, before dropping back down to the next set of smaller ones which should be the best window to aim for,” explained Tim. “At this point, the Atlantic will be sitting in the launch trailer with the engines running while the helm counts the waves. He may take his time and get his crew prepared while maintaining radio contact with the tractor. The tractor driver will only move when asked to do so by the helm. In an easterly, the distance between the waves is short so you do not have a lot of time to judge it. Once the engines have been started,

the helm has five minutes before the trailer’s water tanks, which supply the engines’ water intakes, run dry and force the launch to be aborted. The launch window only exists for a few seconds when it looks as though it will be flat. In the video, when the helm said, ‘go’, it looked flat for a few seconds before he was hit by two waves. However, he had the throttles down and managed to get away even though the tractor was enveloped by the breaking waves. “The crew are exposed to the highest level of risk between the moment of launch and clearing the bar off the beach before they reach the safety of open water. The two

high metal bars either side of the trailer are there to prevent the boat being washed over the side if it gets caught by a big sea. The helm’s ability to judge the timing of the sea is absolutely vital to the success of a launch in these conditions and that comes down to experience gained through years of weekly training exercises from the lifeboat station.” At the end of the lifeboat crew’s callout or training session, they head back to Happisburgh where the tractor driver will be waiting for them with the trailer. Describing the action in the second video, Tim Grimmer said, “In contrast to the launch, when the helmsman looks for the

Happisburgh’s Atlantic 75 RIB ready to go on its trailer, with, inset, stills of its launch

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HAPPISBURGH LIFEBOAT three big wave sets and goes during the shallow ones, he comes in on the big waves which brings the boat further up. The tractor driver puts the trailer in the sea so that when a wave breaks it covers the rollers, thereby enabling the Atlantic to simply slide onto the rollers from the top of a big wave. “The tractor driver does not take the trailer any further into the sea because the net is set at the end of the carriage. If the trailer is placed too far into the sea, the Atlantic could go up over the top of the net and hit the tractor. As the RIB hits the net, the two guys in the boat either side clip onto the trailer and the helmsman shouts, ‘go, go, go,’ down the radio to the tractor driver. At the same time, he cuts the engines and trims them up while the tractor driver pulls the boat out of the surf.” BOAT HANDLING, RNLI STYLE Launching and recovery are just two of the skills that have to be mastered by the crew of Happisburgh’s Atlantic 75. The Atlantic’s crew learn to handle the RIB in a broad range of conditions so that they can respond to a call for help regardless of the weather. The majority of these skills are just as relevant to any other RIB drivers especially if they are caught out by an unexpected change in conditions. Tim Grimmer offers the following pieces of advice. Safety Ensure full personal protective equipment is worn including a lifejacket, dry suit and warm underclothes. Carry equipment to raise the alarm including flares, VHF radio, personal EPIRB, mobile phone, flash light or fog horn. Prepare a passage plan for your journey detailing course to steer, length of each leg, time of each leg and identifying features on route so you know where you are at all times. Know your crew’s capabilities: are they up to the job ahead? Inform the coastguard of your leaving and return times. The crew should be briefed on the workings of the boat in case the helm becomes incapacitated. The brief should include first aid, lifejacket, fire extinguisher, lights, radio, power checks, starting and stopping the boat. Make sure you have enough fuel for the journey. Slow speed manoeuvres It is a good idea to practice slow speed manoeuvres including stemming, stern figure of eight and turning on the spot to gain confidence in the vessel and how it handles which will be useful when launching and mooring.

Main photo, beaching the RIB. Inset, Senior Helmsman Tim Grimmer

Rough weather handling When heading up sea into the waves head on, the helmsman needs to take into consideration the wind direction and the wave height to set the boat for optimum performance and best ride for the crew as this is the most uncomfortable direction to head in. The Atlantic 75 has a ballast tank in the hull to help keep the nose down, and the engines should be trimmed in to keep the nose down. The setting of both devices is critical to the ride. With experience the helm will know how much ballast and trim to use depending on the sea state at the time. Generally, the rule is that if you are getting very wet with spray you have too much ballast because the nose is diving into the next wave. If the bow is lifting when coming off the wave you need to increase the ballast or trim in the engines harder to help keep the bow down. Speed, and the pendulum effect Speed is the most important factor when helming up sea. If the boat does not have enough speed, i.e. forward movement, then a large wave can make the boat slide back down the face of a wave and capsize bow over stern. Conversely, if the wave is approached too fast, then the nose can rise, with the engine pushing the stern under the bow. Again, this can result in a bow over

stern capsize. This movement when the bow comes up and the stern overtakes is known as the pendulum effect. If the wave has been taken too fast and the boat leaves the sea, there is a distinct possibility of damage to the boat or crew on landing. If you leave the top of the wave and the pendulum effect has come into play, then the RIB is very likely to come down stern first and force water into the engines’ exhausts, which pushes the exhaust fumes back into the engines, causing them to stall. Even though it will feel wrong at the time, this situation can be avoided once you have taken off from a wave by putting the throttles completely forward to increase the pressure in the exhaust which should keep out the water. It will also soften the landing and will help keep the engines running. When helming into waves, the technique is to throttle on going down the back of a wave and then ease off the throttle, without going out of gear, going up the face of the next wave. The engine must stay in gear at all times in these conditions. The forward movement carries the boat up the wave without flying off the top; once over that wave, throttle on and then ease off again going up the next wave. After a while you get into a nice rhythm of smooth through, power down, smooth through, power down. However, you must be careful of getting

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HAPPISBURGH LIFEBOAT carried away by this rhythm, because it’s surprisingly easy to pick up too much speed and end up suffering from the pendulum effect. You must keep a close eye on your speed throughout the sequence of waves to maintain the right pace. This technique feels quite alien to many people because they have to throttle off to get up the next wave, and it can take a bit of getting used to. Sometimes running into the sea can be very uncomfortable and too much for the boat and crew. To help reduce the discomfort, the boat can be zig zagged to its final destination. Running with the sea If turning to run down sea, a good spatial awareness is required to pick a calmer area to turn the boat. Once turned, the ballast should be dropped and the engines trimmed out. Otherwise, there is a risk of broaching the RIB by running into the back of the next wave and filling up the boat with water. This is a more comfortable direction to travel in. Once you pick a large wave to ride on the back of, you can get good visibility and take a breather. Again speed is important. If you go too slow, a wave can catch up with the RIB and surf it down its face, with a grave risk of the boat being capsized by being rolled on its shoulder – the most common cause of capsize for a RIB. Across the sea When moving across the sea, the trim of the engines should be level. However, the issue of ballast is a matter of choice by the helmsman. If the ballast is retained, the helmsman will have less manoeuvrability. If the helmsman empties the ballast, the nose will become light which may cause more difficulties and increase the risk of capsize. My own choice is to have the ballast half full giving me the best of both options. When heading across the sea the helm must try to read the sea that is coming and make decisions quickly on each wave. The options will include: turning behind a wave to go through; outrunning a wave by throttling on; turning into it and taking it head on, or simply holding position and letting the wave go through. Good speed can be maintained while going across the sea. However, the higher the speed, the less time there is to make a decision about the approaching wave set. A lower speed creates more decision making time which makes for a safer journey and reduces the chances of getting it wrong and capsizing. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES Man overboard If a person falls overboard while travelling, steer towards the direction they fell to bring the propellers clear away from the casualty. Ask a crew member to keep an eye on the casualty and point out their position. To

pick up the casualty, the RIB needs to circle around and pick a course which enables it to approach the casualty head to sea. If the RIB has twin engines, take the closest engine to the casualty out of gear and leave the other in gear on tick over and approach dead slow. The crew contacting the casualty should be on the front quarter before bringing the casualty to the lowest point on the RIB near the back seats where he/she can brought back on board. If it is rough, the boat has to be kept head to sea with the engine in gear. If calm, the engine can be put in neutral. Warning! If you try to pick up a person with the sea running onto the beam or stern there is a high risk of capsize. Beaching If beaching a RIB, make sure the engine is not locked down because it will need to tilt as the RIB hits the beach. On larger RIBs, the engine should kick up but this needs to be checked. The approach should be made at wave speed with an increase in speed as you are about to hit the beach which will take the boat clear of the surf. Slow-speed transfers If a casualty needs to be transferred between two vessels, e.g. from a RIB to an all-weather lifeboat, or from a yacht to a lifeboat, a slow-speed transfer may be the best option because it provides a stable platform if the sea is rough. The larger vessel sets a course at its lowest steerage speed – approximately 5–7 knots. The smaller RIB then runs parallel and matches speed. Afterwards, the RIB moves in towards the bigger vessel by coming in behind the bow wave and aiming for a low place on the hull of the larger vessel. As the RIB touches the larger vessel, the helm is put hard over and the throttle increased to hold the RIB in place. The transfer can then take place. When leaving, inch the two vessels apart. At this point, throttle control is important. If too much throttle is applied, the RIB can be carried under the bow of the larger vessel. If too little, it can be drawn into the propeller(s). As the vessels part, gently steer away and apply gentle throttle to get clear.

The tractor driver’s perspective Several readers who saw the footage of Happisburgh’s Atlantic 75 on Classic Sailor’s facebook pages, were struck by the work of the lifeboat station’s tractor drivers. Describing the role, one of the station’s four tractor drivers, Alex Williams told us: “I decided to join the crew as a tractor driver because being in the boat is a young man’s job. With age you become a bit more patient which is important as a driver because you have to sit there in the tractor and deal with the anti climax of an abort, or remain poised to act when required at just the right moment. “We practice in all conditions and although it looks quite rough in the video, it wasn’t nasty rough, it was a good training challenge. Night-time launches can be challenging, especially while going over the ramp when it’s pitch black because you cannot see the way ahead. If there is some moonlight, white water or phosphorescence, that helps. “Our priority is to get the crew off and back on safely. When you do a rough launch there are some scenarios that are more frightening, such as launching from the ramp, because if anything goes wrong the boat has got nowhere else to go and they are in trouble. Therefore, in those circumstances they have to get it right first time which gets the adrenaline going. During every launch, the tractor driver has to be sure that he is happy with the situation and completely focused when the helm says, ‘go.’ If anything is not right, it is important that the tractor driver knows when to abort a launch and get the lifeboat crew out of the sea. The station’s helms are very good and the teamwork is instinctive thanks to the good quality training we receive. “The recovery is more heart-stopping because you have got to go far enough into the water to meet the boat when it comes in. You need to know what the depth of water is and which direction the sea is coming in from. If the net gets washed away while the boat is coming in, they either have to continue to try and reach the trailer, or come up alongside it onto the beach. Timing is critical in terms of getting the tractor in the water to meet the boat at the right time.”

Poor Visibility. In poor visibility or at night the RIB should be helmed at a safe speed. This means at a speed at which the helm has time to take avoiding action or stop to prevent an accident.

Anyone wanting to learn how to perform these manoeuvres should secure the services of an instructor with the right qualifications and experience. Alternatively, those who live close enough to a RNLI lifeboat station may consider joining the crew and learn these skills as part of their training. See more at: www.rnlihappisburgh.org.uk CLASSIC SAILOR

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AUSTRALIA: COUTA BOATS

Couta boats, the per f John Quirk celebrates a traditional Australian ďŹ shing boat that now, with the help of a dedicated builder, is enjoying a renaissance as an exciting racer

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AUSTRALIA: COUTA BOATS

r fect classic day sailers?

MAP BY JOHN JOHANSEN

ALEX MCKINNON / WWW.ALEXMCKINNONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Couta boats racing in Port Philip bay. Most are now 26ft 6in new-builds by Tim Phillips of The Wooden Boatshop

orget about the roast beef of Old England, it was fish and chips that built Britain, fuelled the Industrial Revolution and expanded the Empire. And down in a far flung corner of the Commonwealth is an endearing and enduring byproduct of the chippy industry, one of the most able and seaworthy classic day sailers: the Couta boat. Have a look at the map of the Mornington Peninsular in Victoria, Australia. See that arm stretching out about to deliver an SE uppercut to Queenstown on the Bellarine Peninsular and seal off Port Phillip Bay? This area was the Blackpool of the Southern Hemisphere, the playground of Victorian Victoria. In the summer months, factory workers would don their Sunday best, hop on a train from flat grey Melbourne and Geelong and steam out to Queenscliff for a healthy blast of sea air from the Roaring Forties. This would give them an appetite that could only be satisfied by a newspaper full of the national dish. Fish and chips has been on the British and Colonial menu since the 1860s. Re-read Dickens, he was a great fan. Instead of the British cod and hake, they used barracouta, or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;coutaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. (We Australians tend to fall asleep in the middle of long words.) They are not the needle-nosed barracuda of old horror films but are caught on hook and lines from small boats. Ok, so you need to sail out through a vicious rip, into the Bass Straight and hook your catch while the boat tries to look after herself in those Roaring Forties. You need plenty of buoyancy because your catch can just about double your displacement. Then you beat back through the rip as fast as you can into the shallow choppy bay to get the best price for your catch. So what type of boat would you need for that back in 1870? Well, a Couta boat of course. Somewhere between 22 and 30 feet, a broad half-decked dish of a centreboarder for

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Right: Three photos of Thistle, built in 1901 by JR Jones on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;salt water riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the Maribyrnong. Purchased by Tim in about 1987, restored by him and sold to the Australian National Maritime Museum as a restored in-water exhibit.

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AUSTRALIA: COUTA BOATS All but C2011, Salacia,were built or restored by TIm Phillips. From left: C2014 Jocelyn C86 Wagtail C87 Cheviot C1999 Rhapsody C2013 Sisters C03 Darny Sail numbers refer to year of build

ALAN WILLIAMS, ALEX MCKINNON / WWW.ALEXMCKINNONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Right: Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the helm of his 90-year-oldCouta Rob Roy

shoal draught with a 2.5 length: beam ratio to deal with the variable displacement. She had to be strongly built so they used full length NZ Kauri planks, with tight set seams, relying on workmanship rather than cotton and caulking, all on closely spaced Australian pine or spotted gum timbers. For a rig, either a lug mainsail or a gaff peaked so high it was more of a gunter, and a single headsail set out on a ‘jib boom’. (“Couta boats do not have bowsprits” you are firmly told.) To get as long a luff as possible on the headsail, they bowsed the end of the bowspr... er, jib boom down with No 8 fencing wire, which became the bobstay and gave the Coutas their distinctive sail plan. The two shrouds per side are secured by lanyards, not dead eyes nor bottle screws. Look mum, no running backstays. Despite being designed for coastal fishing, the hull design has proven deep water ability. Hoanna, a 1925 30ft yacht based on a Couta design circumnavigated in the hands of Australian naval architect Joe Adams. When caught in a cyclone in the Pacific under bare poles for three days, in which the Brooks and Gatehouse anemometer gave up at 95 knots, Adams credited their survival to the shallow draught hull (he left the centre board at home) and its ability to yield to the breaking seas rather than trip over her keel as a deeper vessel might have done. These boats were built with very few changes over 70 years. With such a hard life, you would have thought that would mean a short one. Nope. The traditional Sailing Coutas were replaced by motor boats after the war. Many of the old gaffers have been found and rescued, mainly by Tim Phillips who worked under some of the great Couta builders as his mentors. People like Ken Lacco and Harry Clark (ask a local or read First Home*) gave their time to him to ensure the Couta building art could continue. And indeed it has. Tim Phillips left the family building firm 37 years ago and scoured the coast for old Couta boats. He found them in paddocks, ditches and half sunk but he adopted them all, set up The Woodenboatshop and gave CLASSIC SAILOR

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AUSTRALIA: COUTA BOATS them lots of loving care before finding foster homes for them. Generally the full-length close-seamed planking was intact and just needed some ribs and refastening. He rerigged them and installed a Yanmar behind the CB case. A two-blade prop hides vertically behind the stern post for minimum drag. After restoring all he could find he started building new ones in the same manner. Close-seamed hulls are perfectly braced with precise framing; the delicate laminated ring beams remind you more of the precision of a wooden Mosquito bomber than a boat construction. There is a strong fleet of Couta racers in Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsular and the ages of the competing boats range

26 FOOT COUTA BOAT LOA: 26ft 6in (8.1m) Beam: 10ft 0in (3m) Draught: 3ft 3in (1m) Sail area: 618sqft (57.4m2)

By using modern techniques, Tim has maintained traditions while making his Coutas competitive

*First Home is the definitive history of the Couta Boat by Michael Innes and Steve Burnham, published by Arthytes Communications Pty Ltd firsthome@thecoutacoast.com.au

JOHN JOHANSEN

from brand new to 80 years old. There are between 150 and 180 boats in total, mostly originals. Tim would have built about 40 and other builders about 15. He has refined the traditional structures; his earlier hulls weighed 1,750 kilos with an equal amount of internal lead ballast. Now the hulls are 1,500 kilos and the ballast is 2,000 kilos giving a 57% ballast ratio! He has introduced adjustable mast steps which the original builders would surely have got around to if they had not been replaced by motor boats after the War. By using a few modern techniques like this, Tim has maintained the traditions while making his Coutas competitive with modern yachts. “These 26ft gaff-rigged basic workboat designs will knock the pants off an SS34 or some of the Admiral’s Cup 40-footers of the 60s,” he beams, giving the flank of a new project an affectionate pat. Instead of two crew and a hull full of fish, they now carry up to eight racing crew, with room to spread out. If anyone is looking for a beautiful classic day sailer that has room, seaworthiness and speed, even if you started with a clean sheet of paper or a new CADD program, the Couta boat would be hard to beat. This new 26ft 6in x 10ft 6in example, the hundredth Tim has built, with a 15hp Yamaha, built to a very high standard, costs A$135,000 complete. It is designed to fit in a 40ft container so it can be shipped to UK for A$ 4,000.

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YARD VISIT: EASTWOOD WHELPTON

Passing the baton Richard Johnstone-Bryden meets Andy and Annie Hamilton, the new owners of 60-year-old Broads yacht hire business Eastwood Whelpton

ndy and Annie Hamilton have embarked on an exciting new adventure following their recent acquisition of Eastwood Whelpton’s Broads boatyard at the end of Upton Dyke (on the River Bure, between Thurne Mouth and Acle Bridge) along with its hire fleet and the Norfolk Broads School of Sailing. As long-term customers of both the hire fleet and the boatyard itself, the couple want to run the business in the same spirit as its founders, Tim and Anne Whelpton, who introduced countless holiday makers to the joys of sailing on the Broads.

The company began in the late 1950s when the former Olympic yachtsman Tim Whelpton decided to build his own boatyard and set up a hire fleet of sailing yachts. Up to that point, his previous experience included serving his boat building apprenticeship with the renowned boat builder and designer Ernest Woods, working on luxury charter yachts in the Mediterranean and managing Chumley & Hawke’s hire fleet in Horning. The timing of his decision to specialise in yachts appeared to be at odds with the overall direction of the Broads hire industry which was increasingly switching from sailing craft to motor cruisers. However, Tim believed that there would continue to be a demand for sailing holidays on board good quality yachts. As he considered potential locations for his new venture, Tim travelled to Ludham to consult Percy Hunter who had set up his own successful boatyard and hire fleet there in the 1930s. Percy suggested building a boatyard at the end of Upton Dyke as its location at the heart of the northern rivers would enable hirers to experience some of the finest river sailing on the Broads as soon as they left the yard. Percy had nearly chosen the site himself until

Left: Andy and Annie Hamilton, new owners of the 60-year-old Eastwood Whelpton yard and hire ﬂeet

the logistics of juggling his full-time job in Potter Heigham while he set up the new business, swayed his own decision in favour of Ludham. Unconvinced by this advice, Tim continued to look at other places including Longmoor Point until he responded to a call from one of Chumley & Hawke’s hirers who had run aground in the shallow waters of Upton Dyke. As Tim made his way up the channel in the yard’s workboat he reflected on Percy Hunter’s advice and thought maybe he had a point after all. The open marshland next to the turning basin, which had once been used by trading wherries, seemed to offer plenty of potential for a new boatyard. To help finance the project Tim joined forces with his brother-in-law John Eastwood to strike a deal with Mr Gilbert of Staithe House in 1958 for three acres of open marsh-

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land together with the staithe that had been built for Thomas Dawson in 1802. Their subsequent planning application for the boatyard effectively torpedoed the Drainage Board’s attempts to close Upton Dyke to navigation as an economy measure. However, the Port & Haven Commissioners would not grant permission for the dyke to be dredged until it was piled for fear of the banks collapsing. Fortunately, a Government grant to help pay for the piling broke the deadlock. The low-lying marshland either side of Upton Dyke’s banks made cutting a conventional slipway impractical so the yard became the first on the Broads to routinely use a mobile crane. Even this required some careful thought as available cranes were too heavy for the soft peaty terrain. So a custom-made crane was created by fitting a drag line jib and large winch onto a double-decker bus chassis.

While the facilities were taking shape at Upton Dyke, Chumley & Hawke refurbished the 10 two-berth yachts that Tim had bought from them for his new hire fleet. On completion of the work the yachts made the short voyage to Upton in time for the 1959 season

The yard became the first on the Broads to routinely use a mobile crane where they were joined by the family’s 30ft gaff-rigged cruising yacht Bootlegger. By 1962, differing views about the future pace of the yard’s development were causing tensions between the partners. John Eastwood was keen to borrow money to expand more swiftly whereas the Whelptons wanted the

yard to evolve within the limits of its resources. The matter was finally settled that year by the toss of a coin and John Eastwood used the proceeds from his shares to buy another yard in Brundall. Now masters of their own destiny, the Whelptons focused on building the first new boats for their hire fleet, starting with the 31ft Spindrift in 1964. The distinctive six-berth bermudan-rigged yacht owed her origins to the International Star and proved particularly popular with youth groups as well as young families new to sailing. The hire fleet continued to evolve in the 1970s as new GRP sailing yachts, including the seven-berth 34ft Tempest class and the four-berth 27ft Dawn Wind class, superseded some of the original two-berth yachts. The wooden gaff-rigged yachts Windlass and High Seas were also acquired around the

Above: Hire yachts Windsong and South Seas racing on Barton Broad at the annual end-of-season Barton Charter Yacht Regatta

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Bootlegger, built in 1923, is the sole remaining yacht from the original line up of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 16-strong hire fleet. She is also the only remaining wooden boat, with her lifting cabin roof which gives her 6ft (1.8m) standing headroom when you tie up. She is 30ft (9.14m) LOA and has accommodation for four. Hiring her costs from ÂŁ755 for a week and that includes your bedding and duvets! She has her own page on www.eastwood-whelpton.co.uk

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YARD VISIT: EASTWOOD WHELPTON The 30ft gaffrigged yacht Lutra was built to a high spec, originally as a private yacht. Like most classic Broads yachts her coachroof can be raised when moored up to provide additional headroom. A week’s hire of the 3/4-berth Lutra costs between £832 and £1160

Below left:Tim and Anne Whelpton who set up Eastwood Whelpton in 1959. Right: Hauling out Windsong at the end of a busy season

same time. The 1980s saw the beginning of another shake-up in the fleet as the original wooden yachts were steadily replaced, with the notable exception of Bootlegger, by GRP Broads yachts fitted out in wood. Their combination of classic styling with creature comforts such as warm-air heating, hot running water, fridge, shower and a diesel engine have proved to be a successful formula. Anne Whelpton continued to run the business following Tim’s sudden death at the age of 80 in 2009. A few years later, Andy and Annie Hamilton mentioned to Anne that they would like to discuss the possibility of taking over the business when she wanted to retire. The couple first came into contact with the hire fleet through their involvement with the voluntary group Bitternes Afloat which organises a weeklong boating holiday on the Broads for up to fifty youngsters from Hampshire

every Easter. They subsequently succumbed to the temptation of buying their own classic Broads yacht in 2003 with the help of Anne Whelpton who pointed them in the direction of an Easticks 28 that was about to be put up for sale by one of the yard’s long-term customers. Andy recalled: “When we peeled

Andy and Annie ﬁrst came into contact with the yard through ‘Bitternes Aﬂoat’ back the covers to see that she was called Annie it probably helped tip the balance!” Like so many of the yard’s DIY customers, the Hamiltons benefitted from Tim’s willingness to share his extensive knowledge of maintaining boats. Anne Whelpton’s occasional discussions about the company’s future with the Hamil-

tons took on a new level of intensity during 2015. By the end of the year they had struck a deal and the couple became the proud new owners at the end of January. Anne has remained involved as a valued adviser to ensure a seamless transition. Andy’s experience as a rolling-stock engineer in the rail industry has equipped him with the practical skills to tackle the yard’s engineering work, while Annie is concentrating on the day-to-day running of the business. Although the couple have been extremely fortunate to inherit a very loyal clientele, they are conscious that they need to attract a new generation of hirers to secure the company’s long term future. In addition to improving the company’s internet presence, they want to engage with the region’s schools and the local community as a whole to introduce more people to sailing on the Broads. Their acquisition of the Norfolk Broads School of Sailing, which

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YARD VISIT: EASTWOOD WHELPTON Far left: the half-decker Waveney One Design Ragged Robin is the latest addition to the fleet. Left: 30ft gaff-rigged Broads yacht Windsong, and, below, Eastwood Whelpton’s burgee

has been closely associated with the yard for many years, will play an important part in these initiatives. The centre’s instructors can cater for a broad range of requirements, from hourly sessions, to half-day skippered sails and full RYA courses, on one of the fleet’s yachts or the recently purchased 20ft gunterrigged Waveney One Design Ragged Robin. Although the majority of the hire fleet’s customers come to the Broads to enjoy a cruising holiday, a few jump at the chance to experience the thrill of racing during the annual Barton Charter Yacht Regatta which will continue to receive Eastwood Whelpton’s full support. The four-day event was instigated by Gordon Bowers of Bowers Craft under the auspices of the Blakes letting agency in October 1977 to satisfy hirers’ demand for racing and to help extend the season by filling up an otherwise quiet period in the run-up to the autumn half term week. The withdrawal of

Eastwood Whelpton and the Norfolk Broads Yachting Co (NBYCo) from Blakes brought the agency’s long association with Broadland yachting to a close at the end of the 2007 season. Now run by volunteers as an independent event, the regatta uses the Norfolk Punt Club’s facilities in the middle of Barton

Some customers jump at the chance to experience the thrill of racing Broad, enabling up to 35 yachts to take part. Its races are now contested by yachts from the hire fleets of Eastwood Whelpton and Martham Boats which purchased the majority of NBYCo’s fleet in 2011. This year’s racing was due to be on Barton Broad from 10 to 13 October although hirers need to charter a competing yacht for the full week to allow

enough time for the passages between Upton Dyke and Barton Broad. A few weeks later, the annual slipping of the fleet will begin, followed by an influx of privately owned boats for winter storage to conclude Andy and Annie’s first season in charge of Eastwood Whelpton. Looking further ahead, their long term plans include progressively updating the fleet to meet contemporary expectations, acquiring further half-deckers if the demand for Ragged Robin exceeds her availability and generating more work for the yard’s team of craftsmen during the summer months. Time will tell how quickly they can implement all of these plans, but the prospects for continued success look very promising, especially if the Hamiltons can maintain the high standards set by their predecessors for nearly six decades.

Eastwood Whelpton Ltd, tel +44 (0) 1493 750430 www.eastwood-whelpton.co.uk Far left: Eastwood Whelpton also provides services for privatelyowned boats, such as this restored half-decker Never Can Tell II. Left: The yard’s original crane, a drag line jib and a large winch mounted on a bus chassis CLASSIC SAILOR

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TERN IV

The intrepid Dorothy R Built by Claud Worth, Tern IV became Sea Swallow when bought by the flamboyant,

n 1924 an intrepid woman was rebuked in the press for her rashness in “going aloft in an aeroplane”, high above the Alps. She was flying as passenger, not pilot, but aviation was still considered very adventurous in those early post war years. Apparently this lady was typically fearless, whether galloping terrifyingly close to the edge of a Canadian precipice on pony-back, or driving her motor vehicle hard up the steepest hills in Cornwall – there had been a nasty accident sometime around 1918. She was involved in many high-profile projects – as a writer and celebrated poet, the youngest ever Lady Mayoress of Leeds, a philanthropist raising funds for many charities, the long-time editor of a well known literary magazine and as an active board member of a huge manufacturing company.

Good people are scarce, warned the article, afraid danger might overtake her – but went on to suggest that sometimes beautiful and clever women “crave the wings of the lark”, so it is understandable that they take to the air! This extraordinary person was called Dorothy Una Ratcliffe, and she and her industrialist husband Charles were great friends with the famous yachtsman Claud Worth, who had been sailing his own boats since the age of 16. In between his work as an ophthalmic surgeon, and his role as Vice-Commodore of the Royal Cruising Club, Worth had written at length about his beloved yachts, which included Tern, Tern II, Tern III and – best of them all – Tern IV. His accounts were technical but much loved, and are still read and respected by many sailors today. Worth had seen Tern III as all-but-perfect, until Mrs Worth began to fret for more cabin

space; after that the larger and last Tern was built to his own design by Philips of Dartmouth, with sweet lines, and tried and tested detailing, drawn from his decades of experience as a cruising yachtsman. Unfortunately there was a problem, in that his health had begun to fail, but his dinner-table stories were full of life and caught the imagination of his guests, Charles and Dorothy Ratcliffe. Worth told them of great rising seas of sapphire blue, or spindrift sparkling in the sun, or bitter rain that seemed to drive through oilies, so the helmsman was wet to the skin in minutes, with boots full of water. He had seen the weather take charge, leaving steamers broken on the rocks, but his fourth Tern had carried him through every gale and misadventure. Even when wave crests were breaking in all directions, if a great sea rolled ominously astern she seemed to lift her tail

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TERN IV

y Ratcliffe and Tern IV high-profile author, aviator and adventurer, as Clare McComb discovers From far left: Dorothy was the first woman in Yorkshire to fly; Sea Swallow from Claud Worth’s Yacht Navigation and Voyaging; Dorothy (and pipe!) aboard Sea Swallow (photos L and R courtesy Jacey Bedford)

just at the right moment, and nothing more than spray ever came over the taffrail. Predictably there were accidents: once a fierce roller smashed the main boom in the middle and Worth recalled steering gingerly, spilling wind out of canvas as much as possible, with the mizzen halyard shackled to the end of the broken boom, set up hard to take the weight. It was a relief when the mainsail was got down and smothered somehow, with turns of rope passed around it –Tern was still making five knots and steering easily even under bare poles, although rolling a bit with no sail to steady her. There was never any danger or difficulty although her owner felt rather angry that “the sea had scored” one over on him. Dorothy and Charles loved the idea of a graceful vessel that could stand up to strenuous seafaring, and agreed to buy her so they could set off on

their own adventures. They renamed her Sea Swallow and set about planning their first cruise, with the help of her ailing designer and his wife. After one long evening discussing the beauties of Brittany, it was decided to head in that direction: Claud Worth’s descriptions of the west coast of France, with its plentiful lighthouses, buoys, beacons, jetty heads and turrets, had helped them feel this would be a safe plan, and Mrs Worth had even agreed to sail with them. This lady was well

Tern was still making five knots and steering easily even under bare poles, although rolling a bit with no sail to steady her

known for over-supplying provisions and turned up with hams, fruits, vegetables and a large store of dried goods: although they might drown, no one was going to starve on this voyage! Tern/Sea Swallow was a great buy. She was a 38-ton ‘auxiliary cutter yawl’, 62 ft LOA, 13.5 ft beam and 8ft draught, sturdily built with teak on oak frames (except for the garboards and the next plank, which were 2in American elm). There was comfortable airy accommodation for three aft, or five if the Pullman berths in the saloon were used. In the small fo’c’s’le, with two cots the paid hands could sleep, smoke and dine as the space belonged just to themselves; Worth’s excellent ventilation system ensured that when the men were smoking you could smell tobacco in the sail room, but nowhere else. Charles was no sailor, being a riding and hunting man, and he may not have been aware CLASSIC SAILOR

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TERN IV

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TERN IV

Opposite page: Dorothy on Sea Swallow, with paid hands Albert and Reg Above: Claud Worth’s Tern IV album, from left: Sextant, swimming and two shots titled Nine knots under jury rig Left: Music on deck Right: Claud Worth

how much Dorothy loved the sea, ever since her childhood holidays spent amid the Scottish isles. When her father had left his children in the care of a couple on Iona she would typically ignore all instructions to stay close to land in her small boat, and was sometimes swept out into the Sound, with the wind rising and a strong tide running. We may have to allow for poetic licence but she claimed to have been found sitting in the bottom baling away, keeping her little craft head to wind, with a jersey hoisted as a sign of distress. Apparently Mr MacPhail, who was responsible for Dorothy and her siblings, called her “the wildest wee slip of a lass that ever came to the island,” while his wife often said that the sea and the winds took sides with the young girl against them all! Dorothy said that no one could keep her from the sea, and remembered how she had sat on the rocks by the entrance to Fingal’s Cave, wishing and wishing and wishing for “a ship of her own with sails as white as a kittiwake’s breast and a strong hull to carry her to all the furthest islands.” When she finally returned in her Sea Swallow, 25 years wiser, it seemed like a fairy tale coming true. Once she wrote of sailing in a fishing vessel off the Western Isles with a Gaelic-speaking skipper, a sturdily religious man about 60 years old, with

a bronzed and wrinkled face and “seafaring eyes”. When asked why many of the isle-folk were afraid of being alone at night on the land, yet had no fear of spending night after night alone on the open sea, he answered it was because “the sea is holier than the land”. He also showed her the white spot on a “haddie’s fin” which is “the mark of St Peter’s finger”. She remembered the

“A ship of her own with sails as white as a kittiwake’s breast and a strong hull to carry her to all the furthest islands” rusty rings on the rocks where they tethered their cockle shells of boats and her half-tame seagull preening itself nearby. These early experiences never left her and she felt the call of the sea as much as any man, in those male-dominated sailing days. Before Sea Swallow Dorothy had owned a ‘screw ketch’ called Enchantress which she used for summer cruises around the Scottish isles,

making light of violent storms, according to press reports. The previous lady owner had died of exhaustion after helming her home through terrible Baltic gales but this did not seem to have fazed Dorothy at all. Apparently she, too, courted disaster from time to time: notably there was a disastrous journey up the River Derwent in 1927 when she was accompanied by the leading industrialist Lord Brotherton: the story goes that a sandbank was struck three times, the steering gear was damaged and the vessel was within a few feet of being swept over a weir! Nothing, it seemed, could put her off her adventures afloat. Sea Swallow was equipped with a 28hp engine but when Dorothy first tried to use it she soon realised that this was not the done thing at all: she herself had actually enjoyed the sound of Enchantress’s noisy engine, but when she naively started Sea Swallow’s auxiliary at the mouth of the Helford on their first voyage, the response from the crew was instant horror. At this point the Manacles reef comes up from 180ft of depth to dry land very suddenly, which causes “fast moving tidal water, big boils and eddies”; that day there was very little wind so mechanical assistance had seemed a sensible option. However Mrs Worth, who used the term CLASSIC SAILOR

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TERN IV TERN IV LOA 62ft (18.9m) Beam13ft 6in (4.1m) Draught 8ft (2.4m) Displacement 38 tons

“sea lice” for all motor boats, declared with fierce resentment that “the very starting of the engine” gave her a headache, the skipper announced that “the ship was no longer a sailing ship” and Jack, one of the paid hands, gave a quiet wail because setting an engine going was such a “lowering and degrading thing to do”! Dorothy remembered everyone looking “nervewracked” until it was turned off after which Sea Swallow journeyed on very very quietly under full sail, making about two to three knots maximum. The much abused and despised engine was used mostly for keeping the electric light burning after that. Gradually Dorothy learned the dos and don’ts of yachtsmanship. Her previous steering experience had been in fisher ketches off Ireland, cobles in the North Sea or Enchantress in the Hebrides, where she could always fix her bearings using familiar landmarks along the coast. In Sea Swallow a “rocking swaying dancing black compass” plus a perfectly blank horizon were exacerbated by the tide of simultaneous advice from all quarters: “Keep her full and by, Ma’am” /“Starboard your helm (which means go to port)” /“shake her to see whether you are making most of the wind.” Dorothy said all this was easier said than done: the instruction “keep her SSE” was a recipe for disaster because “as soon as a ship hears about her proposed course she will go S, SSW, SE but she won’t stay SSE and the curly guilty trail of your wake will give you away, not to mention the fluttering jib, murmuring foresail and the final long growl from the mainsail which alerts everyone to your being way off course. As a very well known editor, poet and travel writer, Dorothy’s adventures in her new boat were kept in the public eye. While cruising she loved both the “getting there” and the “being

Tern IV from Claud Worth’s Yacht Navigation and Voyaging Right: Tern IV seen in October 2004 apparently in good condition, at Rabaul on the Island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, (seabiscuit4.net). Where is she now?

there,” meeting all kinds of different people and recording her experiences in perceptive and sensitive poetry and stories which were followed by a wide audience. At their best her anecdotes are hilarious, even today. Articulate seafaring women were still a novelty then, and Dorothy was as well known as any in the years running up to the start of WW2. For over a decade Sea Swallow helped her both escape her public profile and, perhaps ironically, perpetuate it. Sailing gave her private space to interface with sea, wind and sky, and develop her somewhat unorthodox and complex personal relationships far from the world’s view,

Sailing gave her private space to develop her unorthodox and complex personal relationships far from the world’s view but it also created a very loyal readership via provincial newspapers across the land. Between 1928 and the late 1930s, the years between Sea Swallow’s purchase and resale, through marriage, divorce and marrying again, Dorothy and her eye-catching boat visited the Channel Islands, Normandy, Brittany, the Scillies, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Finland and Sweden, as well as the west coast of Scotland and the wider Hebrides. Sea Swallow was nearly lost, once; near the rock-light of La Vielle in a fog so thick Dorothy couldn’t see the look-out in the bows. Another time she was caught in a Hebridean rip tide; once she went aground in a familiar channel harbour, another

time damaging her hull entering Holyhead in a storm. None of these incidents compared to when an over-confident guest took the helm declaring he could “sail this little craft to the Antipodes” – only to bring the top mast and topsail crashing to the deck moments later. It was the only time the insurance suffered a claim, for in all these happenings, Sea Swallow was a lucky ship. At the same time Dorothy didn’t stop her adventuring on land, possibly catching malaria while travelling 5,000 miles in a motor caravan around South Africa. The illness recurred several times before she finally collapsed and had to be evacuated by “aeroplane ambulance” from the Highlands in 1937; Sea Swallow was sold soon afterwards. The new owner soon restored her name to the original, Tern IV, shortly before the guns of war blasted recreational sailing craft out of the water for six, long, terrifying years. Where is Tern IV now? There are occasional threads on the notice boards saying she has been seen here or there, the Mediterranean perhaps, or the Channel Islands. There have been murmurs of Portugal and the Philippines. Some years ago there was a frisson when she was omitted from a list of the 100 best classic yachts: her then owner wrote to say he had been trying to sell her for five years, but would have her broken up rather than let her rot away from neglect. She is the kind of boat that you fall in love with at first sight, just as Dorothy and Charles did when they saw “her grace and beauty and the strength of her.” Hopefully she is out there somewhere, “taking the big seas deliberately and gracefully” as she did for Dorothy and Claud Worth in the early days. No doubt later owners will have tales to tell as memorable and individual as the stories the first two owners wrote in her praise.

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TRAILER SAILING PART 3

Keep on rollin’: basics o f This month David Parker focuses on the essential servicing procedures that

n the last article we looked at legal requirements and chassis maintenance on the trailer. Now we come to one of the most important servicing jobs – the wheels and brakes. We’ve already seen how owning a trailer sailer offers many advantages including reducing the costs of boat ownership. But to avoid any mishaps on the way there’s an important thing to always bear in mind – and this is a key point about being able to enjoy the benefits of trailer sailing and open up the potential of new cruising grounds. Between the boat, the car and the trailer it is the trailer which is probably going to have the toughest time of it. It is too easy to neglect if it sits unused for long periods of time, then takes a hammering being hauled around with a boat on its back and as a reward may get dunked in salt water at the end of it. But if you look after the trailer, it will look after you and the boat. In particular, with some basic but important technical knowledge in regard to wheels and brakes, you will avoid hefty servicing bills and wherever you go have the independence to look after your own towing rig. If you can avoid immersing the trailer in salt water it will make your maintenance a lot easier and bearings and hubs will go on for ages. But with many trailer sailer set ups this isn’t possible and saltwater corrosion is a fierce and merciless beast. And when your trailer gets a soaking without proper maintenance the rust just seems to ooze out of the rims. If rims are allowed to corrode too much they can become porous and the tyre won’t hold air. So if they are rusty clean off the rust, then use a rust converter and protect them with a paint. A galvanizing spray is ideal but any paint is better than no paint. Wheels in poor condition are a sure sign of trailer neglect. If the police spot them and pull you over they are liable to get very interested in the rest of the trailer. In fact it’s strange how people can spend money on the boat and equipment but begrudge the cost of something fundamental and relatively inexpensive like a new pair of wheels and tyres. Fortunately, unlike the rims, the tyres won’t rust but they have other ways of getting your attention – particularly if you haven’t been taking them out as much as they would like. Typically the tyres on boat trailers will not degrade much due to worn-out tread, rather the side walls will crack due to lack of use. It therefore helps if you can get them off the ground and let the trailer frame take the weight when the boat is left standing for long periods of time such as over winter. Tyre pressures are important too and under-inflated tyres can overheat when towing. Normally the pressure is higher in a trailer tyre

than for a car tyre and 45 psi is not unreasonable. The maximum pressure is given on the tyre wall but Jeremey Entwistle, marine trailer specialist at Indespension, advises putting in less air than the maximum because with torsion bars you end up

Wheels in poor condition are a sure sign of trailer neglect – if the police pull you over they’ll get interested in the rest of the trailer with quite hard suspension so you get a bit of a softer ride if you’re not at the maximum. Torsion bars form the basis of many modern trailer suspension units and can withstand high capacity loads. They are basically internal rubber mounts which support a torsion shaft. These

rubber inserts compress under load as you drive along, absorbing the bumps. Self-contained in outer brackets, the suspension units are bolted onto the frame and can reduce frame height, lowering the centre of gravity for more stability. Each wheel has independent suspension so one wheel can absorb shocks without affecting the others. When you check the tyre for any signs of wear or damage remember to do both sides of the tyre walls; if they can be pushed away from the hub they need air. The same law which governs vehicle tyres applies to trailer tyres. You must have a depth of 1.6mm around the circumference of the tyre for the central three quarters of its depth. Uneven wear on a tyre or a wheel which leans in at the top may indicate worn suspension or a damaged axle. Also always take a spare wheel when trailing – ideally get a bracket on the trailer so you always have it to hand. For example if you have space on

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TRAILER MAINTENANCE

o f trailer maintenance ensure safe trailing on the road and trouble-free launching on the slipway 1 This shows a basic suspension unit and a hub assembly with the bearings 2 A suspension unit is typically bolted to the trailer frame and can be replaced if corroded 3 This type of hub has a tapered face to contain the roller bearings 4 First the greased back bearing goes on – note the tapered bearings held in a ‘cage’

5 The greased front bearing is then pressed inside the hub

the trailer tongue it might be possible to make up a fabricated bracket with a U bolt which fits the holes in the wheel rims. A bike padlock can be used to secure it if necessary. Larger trailers sometimes have storage boxes fastened to them to take items like the wheel, locks and a jack etc. After changing or servicing a wheel obviously check that the wheel nuts are all tight, ideally using a torque wrench set to the manufacturer’s specifications for this. As a guide a ½in wheel nut would be torqued up to about 56lbft. If you’re doing this by hand the nuts need to be tight, but don’t go jumping on a wheel brace because you will have a struggle getting the wheel off again and you could strip the stud threads.

Checking the bearings

At the heart of the wheels are the bearings and they can suffer from being out of sight, out of mind when it comes to maintenance or spotting

corrosion. However you will soon hear if they need a bit of TLC – even in the car. The worst I have towed with sounded a bit like a train trying to land on an aircraft carrier. When that happens even turning the music up doesn’t dull the pain.

Bearings can suffer from being out of sight, out of mind, but you will soon hear if they need a bit of TLC – even in the car Before you get to that stage, as an initial test of your bearings place your hands on each side of the wheel and check for side to side movement of the wheel on the hub. With roller bearings there should be very slight movement or ‘float’ but if this movement is excessive the bearings need to

be adjusted or changed. You can detect very slight movement with your hands and 0.1mm (0.004in) is the sort of end float we’re talking about. Bearings shouldn’t run hot. If they do they may be over-tightened or need greasing or replacing. If the bearings are OK then on unbraked hubs they can be greased using the grease nipple on the hub. Take care to use proper water repellent grease because ordinary motor grease emulsifies quickly in salt water. If the bearings need a visual inspection then you need to get the wheels off the ground. Before doing this slacken the wheel nuts while they are still on the ground to make life easier. Stubborn nuts will benefit from a spray with an aerosol lubricant. Even if they are very tough to undo you shouldn’t strip the threads unless a nut has been cross threaded in the first place. However, if the wheel studs have been exposed to a lot of salt water the exposed thread past the nut can become CLASSIC SAILOR

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TRAILER SAILING PART 3 6 The hub and bearings are then slid carefully on to the stub axle 7 The thrust washer goes on next 8 Castellated nut screwed on to the end thread to hold the hub in place

9 After the nut is adjusted a split pin holds it in place. Inset: Carefully bend the tail of the split pin up to stop it slipping out

10 The grease nipple to add grease in the future – but don’t over do it 11 Put some grease on the dust cover to help it slide in place 12 Using a soft rubber or nylon hammer tap the dust cover home

badly corroded. This can damage the inside of the nut when removing it so take care. If the studs are badly pitted they will need replacing or you will need a new hub. In a service centre they will often put the trailer on to trestles so that it is at a comfortable working height. If you’re doing the servicing yourself you can hire trestles or even get axle stands. With the wheel off the floor you can tell if a bearing is too tight because it will spin slowly, but if it rumbles ominously the bearings are worn. Remember to make sure the chassis is securely blocked up when working with a jack. If there is grease on the inside of the hub it indicates that the rear bearing seal has perished. With the weight off the wheel the angle of the arm on the stud axle on the suspension units should typically be between 45° and 60°. Often units may be serviceable but corroded and while they are accessible with the wheels off it’s worth giving them a wire brushing and a coat of metal paint. It’s also important to remember that if standard bearings are immersed in salt water it doesn’t take long before they corrode. Just a few launches with salt water left inside is enough to ruin them. I now keep two sets of bearings – an old set goes on for running the boat in and out of the water and new ones go back in for when we’re trailing the boat on the road. Some companies fit bearing protectors as standard to their braked trailers. The bearing

protector basically consists of a cylinder with a piston which forces grease into the bearing to stop any water ingress. However not everyone is a fan of these because if they are over greased they can force off the bearing seals and grease can even find its way on to the brake shoes themselves. Permanently sealed bearings seem to be an ideal solution but choice is limited for smaller trailers

I keep two sets of bearings – an old set for going in the water and new ones for trailing the boat on the road and often they need to be put in with a press so for the DIYer it’s a trip to the garage to get them removed and/or fitted.

The hub assembly

Once the wheel is off, the hub will be exposed. There are special grips available to take off the dust cap; alternatively you can drift it off with a hammer and screwdriver working around the circumference gradually. Take care not to deform this cap when removing it or replacing it because it is there to protect the bearings and should be a tight fit into the hub. Once the dust cap is off, inspect the grease inside the hub. If it has a slimy

13 When the wheel goes on the hub tighten the nuts down evenly

texture it has emulsified and won’t be doing its job as a lubricant. When you clean away the grease and gunge you should see that the castle nut is tight. It may have come loose due to a broken split pin which will account for lateral movement in the bearings. If the split pin is intact take care removing it because they can be fiddly to get out and even trickier to get back in again. Use pliers as a lever on the edge of the hub when withdrawing the split pin and always retain it but ideally have spares available. When the split pin is out undo the castellated nut and remove the thrust washer behind it and the hub. The thrust (flat) washer presses on the inner rim of the bearing to retain it. Without it the nut would bite into the centre of the bearing and not allow it to run freely. The outer ‘front’ bearing should come off easily but when the hub is off it’s quite normal for the inner bearing to stay on. This is because roller bearings sit on a tapered shaft. Ball bearings on the other hand sit on a straight shaft and are put in and removed with a press. They have an ‘interference’ fit which means they will have been inserted under pressure. If you don’t have a bearing puller or can’t find a garage with a press to get them out you will need to get them off with a hammer and drift taking great care not to damage them. The drift will need to be exactly the same circumference size as the outer rim on the bearing.

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TRAILER MAINTENANCE nipple up about once a month. When towing always let the bearings cool down before they are immersed in salt water otherwise as they contract the water will be sucked in and damage them.

Checking the brakes

Ball bearings are more durable and roll on more than one plane so don’t wear out as quickly or get flat spots like roller bearings. However they can be less readily available and if you want to replace uncommon or old bearings you will need to remove them, get the number and contact a specialist bearing distributor. If the bearing cones have an integral seal and they are in good condition they can be reused. But if a separate grease seal is fitted it can be hard to get this off without damaging the seal which will then need to be replaced. If the bearings look in reasonable condition they should be washed in a paraffin bath to clean them before replacing them. If the old bearing rollers have flattened out, if there’s pitting in the hub itself or if the seals are damaged then the quickest and best solution is to fit new hubs and bearings. Before fitting a new hub and bearing the stub axle should be completely cleaned with an appropriate cleaning agent such as brake and clutch cleaner. If the old bearings have been running off centre they may have dug into the shaft, which won’t accept the new machined bearings if it is badly worn. If the shaft is OK the appropriate new bearings will be a nice tight fit. Ensure that the bearing which has the seal on it goes at the back. When reassembling the hub also make sure the thrust washer goes back in position and that the castellated nut is not corroded or damaged

on the inside. It is recommended to use a torque wrench to bed in the bearings. The rule of thumb is to set the wrench to 20lbs then back it off a quarter of a turn. If you don’t have a torque wrench you should just tighten the nut up until you have just a very slight amount of end float in the bearing. Beware not to over tighten the bearing nuts.

Because this is a beginner’s guide it isn’t recommended that you service your own brakes until you’re experienced When the new hub is on at the correct tension a new split pin is fitted. Some axles have two holes for the split pin which gives you more adjustment options. When replacing the split pin if you shorten one leg by cutting it with pliers you haven’t got to bend both ends over and it prevents the split pin kinking which makes it very difficult to get out. When the split pin is back in it is unnecessary to pack grease into the hubcap before refitting it. Use the grease nipple if you want to put any more grease into the hub but be aware that over pumping a hub full of grease can force the inner seal out of position. Depending on use, top the grease

Because this is a beginner’s guide as I said earlier it isn’t recommended that you service your own brakes until you’re experienced, particularly if you’re hauling a heavy boat around. However if you have the necessary expertise, and handbooks with any necessary specifications, then when you check the bearings is a good time to check the brake liners or shoes as well on a braked trailer. Again the trailer has to be blocked up and the wheels removed after releasing the handbrake. To inspect the brake liners you have to remove the brake drum (the round exterior casing which rotates on the stub axle). The brake liners themselves are housed on a back plate inside the drum but you have to be very careful when you have removed the brake drum not to get any grease or dirt on the liners. Remove all dirt and grease from brake linkages and around the hub before you start, then back off the brake adjusters on the back plate. Each wheel will have its own adjuster and they are connected to an expander inside the drum. The expander holds the brake liners apart so when you back off the adjuster it will leave a gap between the liners and drum so you can actually get the drum off. Remove the hub cap, split pin, castle nut and thrust washer and lift off the drum. Clean the inside of the drum and check for any scoring. If a hub is rusty through lack of use this can be removed gently with very fine emery paper. Wipe the brake liners with a proper brake cleaner and wear gloves. The springs and liners should all be moving freely and can be lubricated with WD40 but make sure no grease or lubricant gets on the linings or drum. If there is wear left on the liners and they are wearing evenly they can be left on. But if the liners are worn or damaged and have scored the hub then the hub and shoes will need to be replaced. This involves removing the locking springs on the shoes and lifting them out with the return springs. (These are the springs which span between the liners and return them to their static position when the brake has been released.) When fitting the new liners put the return springs in place then fit the shoe locks. When the drum assembly has been refitted adjust the expander until the wheel binds and stops rotating, then slacken the adjuster so the wheel turns freely. You have to repeat this with each of the wheels and if an auto reverse mechanism is fitted you must only spin the wheels forward with this procedure. It isn’t just the brake liners which need attention because there are several points on a trailer where the brake system needs maintenance. The brakes work by having a rod linkage from the coupling to something called a brake compensator or anchor plate. This connects the rod to the cables in sleeves which run to the hubs. It’s important that these rods, linkages and cables are kept clean, lubricated with grease and regularly checked for wear. Any rust should be removed with a wire brush or coarse wire wool CLASSIC SAILOR

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TRAILER SAILING PART 2 and surface dirt or light corrosion removed with a rag soaked in paraffin. Any adjustment to the brakes will also involve adjustment to the linkages so that the system works efficiently. Consequently if the brake liners have been changed then you need to take up any slack in the cables at the compensator plate. This will have locking nuts on each side which is why the system needs to be kept in good condition. The plate applies equal pressure to all the cables from the coupling brake rod and should be parallel to the axle when adjusted, if not one of the cables may have stretched or broken. The brake rod nut on the compensator will also need to be adjusted and at least 50mm of rod should protrude from the anchor plate. Any slack will also

BRAKED TRAILER

1 At the centre of this braked wheel a bearing saver (black cover) has been fitted

2 Before jacking up the trailer it helps to loosen off the wheel nuts first

3 First the bearing saver is removed

4 Underneath all that grease is the locking nut which holds the hub in place

5 With the hub removed the poor condition of the delaminating brake shoes can be seen

6 With the shoes removed the brake adjuster can be seen at the top of the rim

7 As well as the brake shoes the corroded bearing will also need replacing

8 Sealed for life bearings require a press to fit them but require no maintenance

9 Tyre walls crack because of lack of use

10 Larger trailers come with a hose connector point and piped system to rinse out the rims

It is always wise to take lots of pictures as you progress so you can remember exactly how things go need to be adjusted out at the coupling end with the appropriate brake rod clearances. Problems with brakes may manifest themselves in a variety of ways. A shunting or snatching motion on the car when the brakes are applied could indicate worn brakes or linkages or possibly a worn coupling damper. If the brakes are overheating, the liners or handbrake might be sticking and need readjustment. Excessive travel in the handbrake also indicates slack in the adjustment mechanism. If a wheel locks up or the brakes aren’t working at all there might be a broken cable. If the brakes won’t disengage the expander or springs inside the hubs might be corroded and this will also lead to overheating. One way to stop the brakes binding and protect the tyres and bearings over winter is to take the handbrake off and block the trailer up when storing it so the wheels are off the ground. As you can see certain aspects of trailer maintenance are more technical than others. But from a safety point of view it’s important to see what’s involved before you start attempting jobs that may be more complicated than you anticipated. Also it is always wise to take lots of pictures as you progress so you can remember exactly how things go. One final tip when it comes to trailer maintenance. It is often much easier and safer to replace something than try and salvage it and it’s all pretty accessible unlike working on a car. So if in doubt, chuck it out. Less satisfying however than maintaining the mechanicals can be that thing you waggle in desperation until you feel like kicking it … I’m talking about a gremlin which lives inside of all 7-pin wiring connector plugs – yes get ready for it... it’s the black art of trailer electrics. This is something you will come across when you see someone screaming and running down the slipway into the water and you will be able to nod knowingly in their direction and whisper ‘wiring problem’. So to avoid such public displays in the next article I will show you how to troubleshoot some common faults. 70 CLASSIC SAILOR

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MARINE MOTORING

A long way from home Helen Lewis and The Skipper at last reach the Baltic, and discover that its beauties are not unmixed with modern miseries

e popped out from the Kiel Canal amongst all those jelly fish, now exposed in a small flatbottomed boat flying a jaunty red duster. While in the inland waterways Sea Lion had not seemed so incongruous; now his temerity was exposed in its full glory. However, the wise and cautious Skipper had a plan. He edged us further north, dodging from Danish island to Danish island. Some might say from Danish pastry to Danish pastry. You must try them: entirely different from the British version, they are larger and less sweet with a much lighter flaky texture. You can ask for them to be cut in half, if you are feeling abstemious, but they are no trouble to eat… and you can always share a tiny bit. We fell deeply in love with one island after another. First there was Ærøskøbing where the colour-washed cottages and tumbling spring flowers led down to a neat

little harbour gleaming white in a sparkling sea. We pinched ourselves as we appeared to be in the Mediterranean, but without the crowds or intense heat. While walking the dog I met an English woman who had moved there thirty years before. I didn’t even bother to ask her if she had followed a beau or a job or what she was running from. The island was answer enough. Then there was Troense where the Harbour Master was also a vet and a baker and you could order your fresh bread rolls delivered to your vessel and have your dog’s ears checked at the same time. Here a dear little steamer chugged in daily and took a few visitors off to Valdemars Slot. The Skipper and I followed suit, spending a happy day wandering around the golden chateau and peering at a collector’s collection of boats. It was our wedding anniversary and later we sat on deck drinking wine and giggling. We wrapped ourselves in rugs until the cold got the better of us and we stumbled below. On and on we went, buying homeknitted socks here and soused herrings

The Skipper and I spent a happy day wandering around the golden chateau at Valdemars Slot

there. We stopped in Rodvig, voyeurs at the midsummer solstice. The Danes still light huge bonfires and partake of wild dancing, hogs are roasted and children stay up late – we were truly amongst the Vikings. The foul smell from the banks of rotting seaweed added to the pagan experience. We took a bus to Mons, bouncing along on the back seat with the dog, a guilty secret, sitting between us. There we gawped at the exotic chalk cliffs and twisted trees. The views were spectacular across a glittering blue sea. Eventually we coursed past The Little Mermaid and tied up in the middle of Copenhagen, a city as elegant and sophisticated as promised with its design shops, stainless steel and silver, gorgeous fabrics and beautiful inhabitants. The Skipper found a tobacconist who mixed his particular concoction of baccy, transporting him back to student days. We wound our way up the extraordinary Rundetaarn, a ramped observatory, and read about the great astronomer Tycho

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THE CRUISING LIFE: PART 6 Left: In Copenhagen – spot Sea Lion in the lower righthand corner Right, from top: Coiled up; Crabbing in Torekov; Sewing at sea

Brahe (1546-1601), whose island Ven we would pass later. Cruising for long periods cannot be like one long holiday and would become very tedious were it to be so. If other sailors make it sound like simply ‘living the dream’ they are leading you astray. It is still your life, with a few challenges that staying put in your arm chair might deny you. It opens you up to similarities and differences in people, new food, learning, customs and politics, sadnesses and delights. It is this potent mix that makes it such an enlightening and rewarding experience. Nevertheless, trouble will find you wherever you may be and it found us too. Nor can you inure yourself to the troubles

Cruising for long periods cannot be like one long holiday and would become very tedious were it to be so

you may find on your way. Copenhagen, like most big cities, has a sadder, seamier side. We found it in the laundry, a warm corner for a desperate addict. The drug and alcohol misery is an open secret and the exorbitant costs and specialist shops for alcohol in some parts of Scandinavia do little to stem the pain. You will be met by alcoholics shaking with withdrawal outside the state liquor shops (System Bolaget) and you will have to stay ‘strictly tourist’ not to see the young, and not so young, shooting up in quiet corners of the cities. As Sea Lion bobbed gently against the ancient harbour wall La Comedie Humaine played out on a bench by his forward porthole. First the lovers’ tiff: recrimination followed by tears followed by reconciliation – the pace and pitch rose and fell, as we listened guiltily. Then the old sea captains from the Sailors’ Hostel across the road laid it captive. Their dim eyes still set on horizons far, they spoke of ships and the sea. You could almost smell sweet jasmine and nutmeg, rum and

tobacco. Next the drunken students with their chips, beer and laughter. Finally the homeless girl made the bench her home for the night, lying down upon it as if on feathers soft. Her raggedy breathing and ours in the cabin alongside her mingled. In the morning the bench was empty. Very close to Copenhagen is Helsingør, Shakespeare’s Elsinore. This allowed us to recover from Copenhagen and a slice of the real world we wished to forget. Now we wandered through Kronborg, Hamlet’s castle, and the drama was drama. When one cruises for long periods a form of institutionalisation sets in. Once your boat has ‘shaken down’ you too have to do so. For us this nearly always means a period of angry rebellion from me and of fractious irritation from the Skipper. I “will not be told what to do” in anything other than the very politest terms, whatever the urgency. The Skipper “wishes to be obeyed” and “not questioned at every turn” particularly when there is “a flap on” – not sails in our case. After a few weeks this is CLASSIC SAILOR

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MARINE MOTORING The Skipper’s word

Kronborg Castle at Helsingor

all sorted out along with the impellers and that odd leak and we are jogging along very happily, taking pleasure in very simple things. The weather rules of course and a lazy evening with music and a book, the oil lamps glimmering and our bellies full brings contentment. A new walk or the sighting of a porpoise are highlights relished. Whether it is porridge, or plain oats and fruit for breakfast, whether the dog enjoyed her swim and whether we went in with her are news items and then there are also THE VISITORS – but they must wait until next month. For now we have to move ourselves to a new country across a very small stretch of water. We were in a hurry now; there was a rendezvous arranged with two small boys for some serious crabbing on the Bohuslan coast.

carrying a group of ‘happy-clappy’ singers They sang until one thought their hearts might burst and I swear there must have been at least one conversion from their efforts, though it was not mine. By now the Swedes were in full holiday mode. There was frantic barbecuing, hiking and swimming as the whole of summer must be packed into two months of fine weather. Striking little rusty red huts and boathouses with white window frames either tottered on rocky outcrops or nestled in between boulders and reeds. Flags fluttered from proud flagpoles and pretty blond children dangled their brown feet off the ends of swimming pontoons. The Swedes own many fine sailing boats but also a lot of fast and expensive motorboats. These plastic torpedoes travel at full pelt twisting their way between islands and small rocks in an acrobatic display that would be By now the Swedes were in full kind of impressive if you were holiday mode as the whole summer not so terrified. Your knees lurk around your ears and your must be packed into two months mug of tea inclines towards your lap. There is no apparent The crossing from Denmark to right of way and you can forget collision Sweden passed calmly on a still sea. There regs. The channels are tight and they are were differences in the currency, the guarded on both sides by unforgiving rock. architecture and the language, although Bohuslan is famous for its hot rocks and to my untutored ear it was difficult to you may find you and your vessel perching catch. The Swedish culture might appear on one courtesy of another boat’s wash if a little less easy-going: a few more rules, you are not extremely circumspect. The but the herring and the marvellous bread Skipper and I avoided this humiliation but remained consistently wonderful. cursing there was aplenty. Incidentally if Then in a shipping channel off you have yet to explore this bit of sea we Gothenburg our prop-shaft coupling found it helpful to have a child with very broke and we ended up on the magical sharp eyes on the front and a back-seat island of Stora Dyron (see ‘The Skipper’s driver. The back-seat driver should have a word’ for the full excitement). Luckily second set of charts (third in our case since there was one of those engineers who can we are also wedded to our paper ones) mend anything. He arrived noisily on an homed in tight to see the zillionth rock you entrancing bright blue motorised threehaven’t spotted and both should have clear wheeler. I swear I will have one. We tarried and commanding voices but not a note of here, lapping up the Scandinavian summer panic. That way we preserved our Skipper’s sun and admiring the huge mossy rocks sanity and proceeded happily on to Oslo. Next issue: Oslo, those visitors and the and craggy cliff walks. One evening a rusty seduction of another boat old fishing boat floated into the harbour

It’s a bad moment when you set your boat on fire. We were in Shepperton Marina, and Sea Lion was gleaming fresh from her restoration by Terry Pachol in Brighton. I did some silly things involving a metal tool box and the engine start battery terminals, and soon smoke was billowing from below with flames not far behind. I threw the electrics switches, lifted a corner of the hatch and emptied a fire extinguisher into the battery compartment. Only when the fire was out did my knees start to knock with fear at how devastating it could so easily have been for us and the boats around – imagine if I had chosen the moment before to wander off for an ice-cream. Just then, a fellow-boater raced down the pontoon. He had another fire extinguisher and a lateral way of thinking about what had just happened. Gosh, he said, you are lucky. I agreed, mumbling about my undeserved fortune in catching it before the flames caught hold. “No,” he said. “I don’t mean that. I mean how lucky you are to have had a fire on board and successfully put it out. I’ve been around boats for years, and I’ve never been sure I would react quickly enough, or if I’d fumble getting that pin out of the extinguisher, or whether I’d point it in the right direction. You now know you can do it. Lucky you.” I felt so disgusted with myself for risking my ship that the lessons were lost on me. Indeed, I only really understood them years later, when we were about to cross a shipping channel near Gothenburg and Sea Lion’s prop shaft coupling failed. We had a 6hp Mercury auxiliary transom-mounted on a hinged, sprung bracket for moments like that, but there were many variables. Would I get the separate fuel tank hooked up and lashed quickly? Was there enough fuel in it? Would the bracket push easily down to lower the outboard into the water? Would the engine start? Were we in the path of that cargo ship a mile off coming our way at nine knots? This last was the immediate question to solve, and the answer was no. Over the years we had prepared for the others: regularly spraying the hinge with WD40, lowering the bracket, running up the Mercury, rehearsing using it instead of the main engine. We were nevertheless heartily surprised when the outboard slid down into position, started first pull, and – with the cargo ship passed – powered us safely away towards the pretty island of Stora Tyron where Bernt the Engineer patched us up. That was the moment Helen and I separately started to think about getting a boat with two dedicated engines. Perverse you might think, given our emergency plan had just paid off. When the crunch comes though, it isn’t only about whether stuff works; it’s also about what levels of uncertainty you are prepared to live with. And good as it is to know you can put the fire out, it’s better still not to start one in the first place.

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Sailing skills Anchoring when the fog comes down Dropping the anchor seems uncomplicated enough but you need to check not only where you are but also how much water you have, and are likely to have, under your keel. Trevor David Clifton takes us through the processes and calculations involved

past Sheerness and into the Thames estuary where I pointed the boat towards the east. Off to starboard, the Isle of Sheppey was a misty-grey. I took back-bearings on the Isle of Grain power-station chimney to guide me towards Spile, a green buoy which marks a sandbank and a wreck. By the time I found Spile the chimney had melted into the mist. (I’ve just watched the chimney being demolished, on the news today, 7 September 2016, so we won’t be using that as a navigation mark again!) The Kent coastline disappeared as Whitstable bay opened up; sea-level visibility was down to about two miles, but the sun was shining down through the mist and the tide was still going east. Further on, we passed between two fairly prominent buoys, one a mile or so to the north, the other a similar

distance south. I didn’t see either of them. I didn’t have GPS then, or radar, which I still don’t have. I was aiming for the Gore Channel, marked at the western end by Hook Spit and East Last – green and red buoys. (These two buoys have been moved further west and south and renamed since I made this passage.) The channel follows the southern edge of Margate Hook, a long, narrow sandbank that dries at low water. I’d already decided to anchor when the tide turned, but despite the gentle wind and the empty, peaceful sea, I didn’t want to anchor where someone might run into me! Especially as the mist was now proper fog. Thoughts of Dulcibella in The Riddle of the Sands came to mind, where Davies navigated the shallow channels that meander

through the Waddenzee, between the Friesian Islands and the mainland; he’d found safe shelter in ‘puddles’ amongst the sandbanks. I thought I might do something similar. There is an area of shallower water between the eastern end of the Hook and a smaller, drying bank a little further on, which looked good. But first I had to find Hook Spit and East Last. I was straining my eyes, searching, long before I might have seen them, even in good visibility. Eventually they loomed up out of the murk, then all I had to do was work out how much water I needed so as not to go aground at low water, hit the chosen spot – now only a couple of miles ahead, work out a safe depth and ‘drop the anchor’.

HMSO AND UKHO

hat’s the best thing to do when the fog comes down? If you’re at sea in a small boat, keep a good lookout! Turn on the AIS and the radar, swap sails for engine for greater manoeuvrability and make for a bit of sea where there won’t be any big ships. Anchor in shallow water if the fog looks set to last. With modern forecasts, and especially if you have internet access, fog shouldn’t come as a surprise. But sometimes it sneaks up on you... I was on my own, taking Cracklin’ Rosie, my 28ft Twister down to Portsmouth. The morning sun was already warm when I cast off from our buoy, just below Upnor Castle, on the Medway. A soft wind blew from the south-west. We sailed and drifted down the winding river, out

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Thoughts of the Dulcibella in The Riddle of the Sands came to mind, where Davies navigated the shallow channels through the Waddenzee

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REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF HMSO AND THE UK HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE (WWW.UKHO.GOV.UK) AND BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING PLC. PUBLISHERS OF REEDS ALMANAC

Sailing skills: Anchoring when the fog comes down

The essential bit of the ‘working out’ is determining how much the water will go down between the time of anchoring and the next low water (LW) – known as ‘The Fall of Tide’ – add that to the boat’s draught and a safety margin and that’s it! You can get tidal information on line these days, using the UK Hydrographic Office, Admiralty Easytide website, for over 6000 locations worldwide – free for predictions up to five or seven days ahead, more if you care to pay a small fee. But at sea most people still use an almanac. The first job is to identify the Height of Tide (HOT) at the time of anchoring. I got out the almanac and selected the nearest ‘standard port’ tide tables and tidal curve. The almanac I used at the time is long gone so I’ve used ‘Anyport’ for this illustration. It was about 1430 on 18 May. If you’re not familiar with using a tidal curve, try thinking of it as a simple graph (which is what it is) with the ‘x’ (horizontal) axis as time and the ‘y’ (vertical) axis as height (of tide above zero or chart datum). You can see how I found the HOT by following instructions 1 to 5.

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Once you’ve identified the height of tide the rest is easy. Start with the HOT, which you’ve just worked out, and fill in the rest! So that’s what I did. I pottered about for a minute or two until I found a depth close to 3.3m, stopped the boat and lowered the anchor. I let out sufficient chain to cope with the increased depth at the next HW.

A HANDY RECKONER TO DETERMINE DEPTH AT THE NEXT LOW WATER OR IF YOU’LL GO AGROUND 1. Determine the depth of water …………… 2. Determine height of tide (HOT) (from tide-tables and tidal curve) …………… 3. Subtract HOT of next Low Water – _________ 4. Result is the fall of tide between time of enquiry and the next Low Water …………… 5. Add draught of the vessel + …………… _________ 6. Result 7. Subtract result from depth of water (1) …………… A positive answer is the clearance at the next LW A negative answer means you’ll be aground!

A HANDY RECKONER TO DETERMINE DEPTH AT THE NEXT HIGH WATER 1 HOT of the next HW (from the tide table) 2 Subtract HOT at time of anchoring – 3 Result is the rise of tide between time of anchoring and next HW 4 Add the depth at time of anchoring + 5 Result is the expected depth at the next HW

4.4m 2.2m 2.2m 3.3m 5.5m

A HANDY RECKONER TO DETERMINE MINIMUM DEPTH IN WHICH TO ANCHOR SO AS NOT TO GROUND AT THE NEXT LOW WATER 1. Determine height of tide (HOT) at time of arrival in the anchorage (from tide-tables and tidal curve) 2.2m 2. Subtract HOT of next Low Water – 0.9m 3. Result is the fall of tide between time of anchoring and the next Low Water 1.3m 4. Add draught of vessel + 1.5m 5. Add required clearance + 0.5m 6. Result is minimum depth in which to anchor 3.3m

How much cable to let out? The guidelines for the amount of cable to veer are: ALL CHAIN 4 x the maximum depth expected. ALL ROPE 6 x the maximum depth expected. CHAIN AND ROPE COMBINATION somewhere in between! So for me, with 60m of chain in the locker, 4 x 5.5 = 22m. I hadn’t planned to break my voyage quite so early but, in the circumstances,

it was the safest course of action. I rigged the day-shape (the ‘anchor ball’), home-made in my case, from two circles, about 14” (35mm approx.) in diameter, cut from a piece of plywood – each with a semi-diameter slot so that they fit together, a few holes in appropriate places and painted black. I’m still using it nearly thirty years later. The guidance on where to display the anchor ball is: ‘in the fore-triangle where best seen’, which makes it easy to hang it from a halyard or even from a furled-foresail sheet; it needs tying

down too, and I find it useful to put a guy out horizontally to stop it spinning in the wind. Normally, after anchoring, I would take three or four compass bearings on any nearby, prominent objects and plot them on the chart, but the only thing still visible was the buoy I’d used as a turning mark to get to where I’d anchored. I took one bearing anyway, estimated the short distance between us, and marked our position on the chart. After low water it would be another six hours before the tide turned in our

favour; when it did it was dark, and still foggy. That was one of those occasions when it was a pleasure to crawl back in my sleeping bag instead of hoisting the sails. A strong-ish south-westerly rattling the anchor chain woke me in the morning. The tide was still foul and the wind was kicking up a chop, but it had blown away the fog and it was strong enough for us to make a reasonable speed over the ground. I kept as close to the shore as I dared, around North Foreland and into Dover where I stayed until the ‘low’ had blown through. CLASSIC SAILOR 79

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

Elite Drysuit from Ocean Safety

If you’ve recently been in a dry suit you’ll know how far they’ve come in the last few years and none more so than Elite’s. A leading feature of the suit is the integrated oral tube offering buoyancy in the water, whilst increasing the suit’s thermal capabilities. It’s been on our radar since we were introduced to it in the London Boat show and it’s one of the best out there. £799 oceansafety.com

Bahco Mini 26 Bit Set

Here’s a pocket size case containing 18 bits, 5 sockets, a bit ratchet, an adaptor and a bit holder. All top Bahco quality and just right for those fiddly jobs that you never have a spanner for so you try to use pliers instead. As well as being a very useful set of tools this is that rare thing, a well made mini socket set rather than the bendy ones you can buy at car boot sales. £23.40 www.arthurbeale.co.uk

Ratchet wire rope cutters

If you’re leaning over the side or up some rigging (usually in a gale) it’s nice to know you’ve still got one hand for yourself while you cut away some rigging or other. In steps these ratchet wire cutters. Using the ratchet principle these cutters can cut through soft wire ropes up to 10 mm or stainless wires up to 8 mm. Not bad for one hand. £185 www.arthurbeale.co.uk

Piccoloforno stainless

There’s nothing better than a good autumn cook up on a deserted beach and this little 12.9 kg wood fired portable pizza cooker and oven really fits the bill. It packs down inside itself and into a carry bag and once you’ve had a good feed you can make a cup of tea or coffee! Included are the Pizza stone, heat resistant gloves, internal kettle & tap, grill, grate and hanging racks. Everything you need except the booze. These guys really impressed us at Beale Park. £275 for stainless or £249 for black. www.aquaforno.com 80 CLASSIC SAILOR

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Trad windlass

Gerber freescape camp kitchen kit

A range of traditional winches has come to our attention – priced from £700 to £1400. Made in Cornwall the manual or powered, hydraulic or electric windlasses can be in iron, aluminium or bronze, with a wide range of specifications in four sizes to suit vessels of 80 tonnes down to small craft. Check them out: www.deepblueeng.com

Excepting a really good mutiny nothing will blunten a knife more than rolling about in a boat’s galley drawer. That’s why this little combination is right up our street. Not only do you get a solid Santoki blade kitchen knife and a tough but dainty paring knife, both with rubber grips, but they’re kept in their own chopping board which slides open and locks shut and has an integrated sharpener. www.gerbergear.co.uk

Turk’s head woggle

Why let scout-leaders have all the fun? Since 1923 leaders and other scouts have used a turk’s head leather woggle to hold their neckerchiefs in place and it’s a natty and comfy way to keep your neck warm at sea. We found this delightfully detailed woggle made of four strand fine black leather at Neptune’s Locker, on ebay. Price is £4.90 – free p&p. Other colours and twine versions are available. Contact Ted Machin. Tel: +44 (0)161 973 3255

G-Shock Gulfmaster

Liquiproof fabric waterproofing

We’ve played with nano technology waterproofing before but here it is as a transparent shoe waterproofing specifically for suede and nubuck which also works on fabrics. Trouble is it doesn’t seem to last, so before long we had patches that were letting water in again. 50ml £9.99 or 2 to 3 pairs of shoes (so the shoes themselves have got to be worth it and you need to be rich.) This is a fledgling technology and the potential is there but we think we may have to wait a bit longer for perfect lasting results. www.liquiproof.co.uk

The latest “unbreakable” G-Shock watch from Casio features a depth of water sensor as well as tidal info, barometric pressure and an onboard electronic compass. The depth of water is a new feature akin to some diving watches and suitable for recreational diving. Quite complicated! £700 www.G-SHOCK.co.uk

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Over the Yardarm

Guy Venables A home-made alternative to Calpol? A ‘sweet, flabby’ and unimpressive tipple? Or a Breton wonder-drink made of honey? Yes, it’s mead If gin was last year’s drink, the new trend seems to be mead. I know. Mead?! My mother was a beekeeper and used to make her own mead out of just honey and rainwater. The water, if collected at the right time gathers the pollens in the air and supplies itself with natural yeast. Then she left it for around seven years bubbling away in the attic. This turns nearly all of the plentiful sugar into booze. When we were children she used to give it to us when we were ill. The upshot of this was I’d have an extra day in bed combatting a kindergarten hangover; swearing, at the age of five that I’d never drink again. In Brest, in a search for the local hooch I was steered towards Chouchen. I bought some and we sipped it over ice. It was sweet and appley, then I looked at the bottle and realized it was similar to mead and made out of only honey which slightly embarrassed us all at our lack of palate. Being a cheap bastard I’d bought a pretty cheap bottle of it which had the date 2014 on it. It was unimpressive as a drink, sweet and flabby. We went back to the Suze. Because I found myself alone with a four-hour stopover in Roscoff I decided to mooch around the charming old town. There I found a cellar with a man in it. I explained my nonplussed attitude to Chouchen and he disappeared into an even deeper cellar whilst conducting a noisy argument with his wife in the local dialect. He came up again with a bottle with no label. He opened it and in two tiny pewter tankards poured out two generous measures whilst explaining that in Brittany, the fermentation process is begun by the addition of freshly pressed apple juice, hence our initial appley tastings. We sipped. He waited, saw my face beam with delight and shook me by the shoulders. “You bought the 2014 you stupid Englishman,” he laughed. “This stuff is 25 years old, made by my grandfather and I’ve been looking for the opportunity to open it for a while. We’ll have to pretend to my wife you’ve bought it and just buy something else. Now, top up?” We finished the entire bottle in less than 30 minutes and I left with a bottle of Pastis that I bought from him and promptly hid from the suspicious gaze of his formidable and sturdy wife.

Off watch Books:The Dutch canals, and Swallows and Amazons

Inland Waterways of the Netherlands

By Louise Busby and David Broad The Dutch waterways – 6,000km of them – are one of the most attractive options for UK yachtsmen, particularly East Coast ones, intent on ‘going foreign’. The scenery is delightful, the people amiable, their language – well, challenging, but English is widely spoken. There are lots of questions to settle before you go, and this comprehensive guide answers most of them, including the pronunciation of place names. Its second edition, just launched, brings information up to date, and adds new features, including a section on cruising routes – mast-up and otherwise. PW £30, 296 pp A4, 2016, imray.com

2120 North Sea – Niewpoort to Den Helder Chart Atlas Imray has also just issued this ‘chart atlas’ a folio of charts, ring-bound in an A2 plastic wallet, covering the coastal waters of the Netherlands, with a passage planning chart covering the southern North Sea, with routes from the Thames Estuary and East Anglia, between Dover and Cromer. £39.50, 2016, imray.com

Swallows, Amazons and Coots By Julian Lovelock

It’s always good to read a book about books you love, whether you agree with its author or not. Julian Lovelock takes on Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons books, finding in them more than you might have imagined. Or things that were there to see, but you simply didn’t notice. The way that perfect non-argumentative quartet of siblings gradually splits apart through the series for instance. His reading of the books as a last hurrah of the British Empire is logical – exploration, conquest, natives and so on – but then what else do children ever do in play but explore, in order to discover the world and their place in it? Still, a reminder that these idyllic tales had a socio-political context is no bad thing, even if they’ve long since survived that, and remained popular in their own right. PW £20, 226pp, 2016, lutterworth.com

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Shoreside Places we love

Rent: Riverside and Anchor cottages

Going on holiday with another family can be a great way to ensure lots of people have lots of fun and here’s a couple of cottages on the Norfolk broads, next to each other that offer accommodation for eight in each house and (as you can see from the carefully chosen photo) are opposite the pub in case you have kids. Situated on the river Bure each has fishing rights and moorings alongside the gardens for the mooring of rented day boats. Couldn’t be better really. Prices start at £412 a week depending on season and number of guests. www.wroxhamcottages.co.uk

Sale: 3 Tower View Lindale, Grange-over-Sands Cumbria. £295,000 Putting you in easy reach of the Lake District as well as being right on the coast and near the Arnside Sailing Club here’s a charming stone-built Lakeland cottage in Grange-over-Sands. This three-bedroom cottage has a vaulted kitchen/ diner, off-road parking and garden with views towards Morecambe Bay. Ideal for either permanent residence or if you’ve got the spare moolah, a sailing bolt hole. You could always rent it out too. 0153 9533302 grange@mclhodgson.co.uk

Twin holiday cottages ideal for two-family fun on the Broads, a sailing bolt-hole in the Lake District and a riverside pub in Cornwall

Run ashore Send us your favourite pubs! Address p15  The Old Ferry Inn Bodinnick

If you’re fed up with the bustle and hustle of Fowey, a nice little escape is to take the ferry to ‘the other side’ and visit The Old Ferry Inn, Bodinnick where you can lean back and watch the entire harbour from the terrace. Run by a Frenchman and his wife it’s a 400-year-old classic stone-floored pub with good beer and they serve the local (self-mugging) Healeys brandy. Book a table to ensure you don’t have to wait for the excellent food as it gets busy. They are also a B&B. www.oldferryinn.co.uk CLASSIC SAILOR 83

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Artist of the month Colin M Baxter

ith his ingenious usage, possibly through necessity, of old charts for painting seascapes, Colin Baxter gives us both a flat perspective and an astral overview of his subjects, fixing his paintings forever in a defined reference. This, to an old sailor is extremely satisfying, like a fully realized frozen moment illustrated from a mark on a waypoint. His other work, equally worthy of note, includes his ingenious and playful scenes made up from driftwood of (and possibly from) old harbours and lighthouses which are gilded with 23 carat gold leaf. For prices and more information go to www.colinmbaxter.co.uk

Above: two examples of Colin M Baxter’s ‘Chartworks’ and, left, a piece of his driftwood art. His studio/gallery is at Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport, Hampshire

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Big Blue Zoo Animal stories from the maritime world

The British Farne Islands could see the return of the Great Auk, extinct since 1844, as genetic scientists announce plans to recreate the species using DNA from museum specimens. Using still “live” DNA from the nearly-200 year extinct Great Auk, geneticists from the San Francisco-based Revive and Restore group plan a “genetic rescue” involving extracting Auk DNA and sequencing the bird’s genetic code. These would then be edited into the cells of its nearest relative: the Razorbill. Fertilised embryos would, in turn be placed into eggs (probably a goose egg due to its size) and hatched. The living birds would then be reintroduced into the Farne Islands off our North East coast. Flightless and defenseless against humans on land and apparently good to eat, the 80cm high Great Auk’s history traced the tragic path of the dodo before it. In fact as it became rarer the frequency of its shooting increased as hunters tried to bag the now rare catch for its meat and prized feathers. Prior to the 16th century, the species was so abundant that colonies consisting of hundreds of thousands packed the shores along certain North Atlantic islands during their monthlong breeding season. In 1622, Captain Richard Whitbourne said sailors harvested the auks: “by hundreds at a time as if God had made the innocency of so poor a creature to become such an admirable instrument for the sustenation of man.” By 1844 the final colony was killed off on Eldey Island off the coast of Iceland. So far the project is at the discussion stage, along with several others (see reviverestore.org). One question on its reintroduction was whether there are enough fish left to sustain a hungry and exploding breeding population?” GV

JG KEULEMANS

KELVINGROVE MUSEUM, GLASGOW

The return of the Great Auk

GORDON GRANT

Heaving the lead

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In tidal water where depths were doubtfully marked on the chart, or in thick weather offshore, soundings were made with a lead and line to determine the ship’s position. The leadsman stood in the fore channels and swung the lead to drop it ahead so that it sank to the bottom matching the ship’s speed. Sometimes the line was taken aft where the mate would be waiting with the line tub. The leadsman called: “All ready there?” And the mate shouted: “Heave!” The lead went spinning forward taking the line out of the leadsman’s hands and sometimes out of the tub. Other hands could also be positioned between the leadsman and the mate letting the line run out taut as it went aft. When the lead hit the bottom the line went slack and the nearest man made the sounding, and called the mark. Various marks on the line, of leather, calico, serge and bunting indicated the depth in fathoms and could be felt and identified in the dark. The lead was then retrieved. A hollow in its base would have been “armed” with a plug of tallow – which picked up a sample of the bottom; mud, sand or shell, which further helped identify the ship’s position. CLASSIC SAILOR 85

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! ! s s d d n n a a h h l l l l a a g g n alalillin CC Are you in the business? Are you inboating the boating business? WellWell it’s time to join our Go-to guide withwith display classifi ed ed it’s time to join our Go-to guide display classifi advertising backed up with your own interactive page on advertising backed up with your own interactive page on our website. our website. We want to build a strong community of specialists and and We want to build a strong community of specialists general trades and and initial registration is free! general trades initial registration is free! But we for you thanthan that that and and our introductory ratesrates Butcan we do canmore do more for you our introductory will knock youryour socks off. off. will knock socks Contact Catherine Jackson Contact Catherine Jackson catherine@classicsailor.com catherine@classicsailor.com Tel: +44 404461 Tel: (0)7495 +44 (0)7495 404461 Or call: +44 (0)1273 421813 Or call: +44 (0)1273 421813 See more details or see at: at: See more details orour see website our website www.classicsailor.com www.classicsailor.com CLASSIC SAILOR 89

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Joints: The lapped dovetail

The technique for making a lapped 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. They can be used for several purposes including the making of boxes, cabinets, drawers and securing deck beams. The half-blind dovetail joint enables the craftsman to hide part of the joint and makes it ideally suited for the joining of a drawer front to the sides of the 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 half blind dovetail joint, Ian uses two short pieces of wood. The face side of each piece of wood is clearly indicated with a pencil mark. Fig 2 Ian measures the thickness of the piece of wood that will form the drawer front. The sockets will normally be cut to a depth 2/3 of the wood’s thickness. However, this will depend on the exact requirements on each occasion. For example the depth of the sockets may have

to be reduced to increase the depth of the drawer front to accommodate a bevel. In this case Ian uses a 1/3 2/3 split and makes a pencil mark to indicate a third of the timber’s thickness from its face side.

Figs 3a, b Ian sets the marking gauge to scribe a line that represents a 1/3 of the timber’s thickness from its face side. Figs 4a-d Before marking out the dovetails, Ian measures the width of the piece of wood to determine the number of equally sized dovetails to be cut. Once these figures, together with the extent of the spacing between the dovetails, have been determined, Ian uses a ruler and a pencil to mark up the edges of each dovetail. He then places a metal template over the end of the wood to mark out the dovetails. Fig 5 The dovetails have been marked out and Ian highlights the waste wood that is to be removed. The scribed shoulder line can be seen beyond the pencil marks. The depth of the shoulder line is determined by the thickness of the two pieces of wood that will be used for the joint plus a small margin to allow for fine tuning later on. Fig 6 Ian offers up the two pieces of wood together to illustrate the depth of the sockets and drawer front.

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10b

In contrast to the through dovetail joint, the dovetails must be of the correct length before the sockets can be marked out Fig 7 Having placed the wood vertically in a vice, Ian cuts the slopping sides of the dovetails using a very fine toothed dovetail saw and ensures that he remains slightly to the waste side of the indicated lines to allow a little leeway for adjustments later on.

Fig 8 The wood is placed in the vice horizontally to enable Ian to cut along the bottom edge of the waste wood at the end. The process is repeated for the removal of the waste wood at the other end.

13a

Figs 9a, b The wood is placed vertically in the vice again for the removal of the central piece of waste wood between the two dovetails. Having cut down the sides of each dovetail with a dovetail saw, Ian switches to a coping saw to cut round the corners and along the bottom edge of the waste wood. Figs 10a, b Once the bulk of the waste wood has been removed Ian uses a chisel to trim the space in-between the dovetails to the desired shape.

10a

13b

Fig 11 Ian uses a set square to ensure the bottom edge of the space in between the dovetails is true.

Fig 12 Ian applies chalk to the edge of the drawer front to improve the visibility of the scribed lines for the marking out of the sockets. The previously marked line for the depth of the sockets can be clearly seen. Figs 13a, b In contrast to the through dovetail joint, the dovetails must be of the correct length before the sockets can be marked out on to the end of the drawer front. Thus, Ian checks the length of the dovetails against the scribed line on the end of the drawer front. Having confirmed that the dovetails are the right length he lines up the two pieces of wood. They are butted up to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;face sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of a third piece of wood which acts as a straight edge. When Ian is happy that the two pieces of wood are in the correct position he scribes the lines for the sockets by marking round the dovetails with a sharp knife. Fig 14 The scribed lines for the sockets stand out clearly from the chalk. Fig 15 Using a pencil and set square, Ian marks out the lines for the sockets on the inner face of the drawer front.

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 CLASSIC SAILOR 91

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Joints: The lapped dovetail

Fig 16 The sockets are fully marked up and ready for cutting.

19a

20b

19b

20c

19c

19d

20a

Fig 17 Ian begins the cutting of the sockets by using a dovetail saw at a tilted angle. He keeps sawing until the saw nearly reaches the two scribed lines. However, it is important that the saw does not cross either line. Fig 18 The initial work has been completed by the dovetail saw. As can be clearly seen Ian has kept slightly to the waste side of all the marked lines. Figs 19a-d Ian removes the bulk of the waste wood from the socket using a chisel. Figs 20a-c Ian uses a metal ruler on the drawer frontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face side to see if the socket cheeks are true. As can be seen from the angle of the chisel there is still some work to be done. Fig 21 Ian uses his home made miniature bevel to check that the sides of the dovetails are true. Fig 22 Having cut out the sockets, Ian gently lowers the dovetails into position to access 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. If you use a wooden mallet to gently tap the two halves together, protect the joint by using a block of wood. Fig 23 The end of the drawer front has been planed flush with the side of the drawer to create a smart finish. 92 CLASSIC SAILOR

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Hooks, Hitches, Catspaw & Mouse Des Pawson revisits old chandlery catalogues to find examples of well forged hooks and the hitches that were used with them Left: a moused hook, and above, the three stages of mousing

he art of the shipsmith and I mean the art, is best shown in a well forged hook; a true work of beauty. The names of the parts of a hook are in themselves poetry: Eye, Shank, Bill, Arm, Neck, Back, Crown, Jaw and Mouth. The Mouth is sometimes known as the Clear. We do not see so many fine looking hooks these days, but past chandlery catalogues were filled with many variations. A beautiful hook cries out to be used and in the past there were many ways of attaching a line or strop to a hook, often that needed to be done quickly and likewise undone with a quick flick. There were quite a few special hitches that were used, often by dockers loading and unloading ships; indeed some take their name from a particular London Dock. We have the Blackwall Hitch, which first makes its appearance in David Steel’s Elements of Seamanship, 1794 and the Double Blackwall Hitch, which turns up later in Nares’ Seamanship, 1860. There is a slight variation of these two hitches, known

either as the Marlinespike Hitch or the Midshipman’s Hitch. A slightly more secure way of tying to a hook, sometimes used with a strop, is the Catspaw. All these hitches work well when attaching a tackle with a hooked block to a line, to give an extra purchase. There are times when a hook needs to be secured semi-permanently to a ring bolt or eye, so the hook needs a Mouse, a seizing round the Bill and Shank, tied off in the Mouth. Start with a doubled piece of marline or spunyarn; then cow hitch round the Shank; take the pair of yarns round the Bill and back; do this for two more turns and then split the ends and make a couple of frapping turns round the body of the seizing in the Mouth; tie off the ends to finish. One type of hook, rarely seen today, is the Sister Hooks, a matching pair of hooks forged to fit together, making a complete closed eye. These are useful for hooking to an eye, but they to need to be seized closed if there is going to be any type of shaking around.

From left: Blackwall hitch, double Blackwall hitch, marlinspike and catspaw

A beautiful hook cries out to be used and in the past there were many ways of attaching a line or strop CLASSIC SAILOR 93

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A very high end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar lovely condition rigged sloop. A very very high high end standing lovely condition. Cedar work. Complete with standing lug yawlcondition. rig. Complete trailer upped ratingwith to Yanmar Complete lovely condition with Yanmar and bronze riggedwork. sloop.Complete A end 15’ inlug lovely Cedar trailer and and upped with yawl rig. 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction withaaaa 1GM10 diesel, 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 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with category B. break back road trailer with electric motor, covers and 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in rating 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Mossstanding Sea Otterlug yawl rig. Complete work. Complete with trailer and upped to and bronze trailer and upped work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete work. Complete Complete with lug yawl yawl rig. rig. Complete trailer and upped to sloop. and bronze Complete road trailer.Cedar £8,995. 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 road trailer. 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 coversand 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, 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with a 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Sea Otter 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter £7,750 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road 22’ in “Corriemhor” 2000 Cornish Crabber 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter £37,950 £8,995. road trailer. Much-loved 4-berth 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 lovely lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. very high end standing 15’ in in condition. Cedar £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 £7,750 hard wood strip/epoxy construction withand 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of electric motor, covers and category B. cover and break £7,750 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road hard wood strip/epoxy construction with “Corriemhor” 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road hard wood strip/epoxy construction with aaaacoachroof, teak trim, marine-ply deck (renewed 1993) category B. back road trailer with electric motor, covers and Corriemhor is ﬁtted out for coastal cruising and enjoys a with sailing gear,air bags and oars.

Much-loved 4-berth T.24 Avon seeksinc. new home. Owner “Spratt” Perfect for some coastal cruising in Currently on her Yanmar 1GM10 regularly serviced, Excellent trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete standing lug rig. Complete trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. high level of equipment: £16,000 trailer. £37,950 £8,995. trailer and upped rating todeliver trailer and upped rating tostyle! Complete with standing yawl rig. Complete Easily34’ car toppable ,used for built one week only,as new. £37,950 road trailer. swallowing hook 47 years. BuiltOtter 1969. GRP hull, 12’Norman Swampscott Dory toGRP very high standard,comes Daisy 1925 Dallimore bermudan cutter built by Kings 20’6” cutter built in Dartmouth in trailer near Aberdeen, we canour to 1951. theCornish new owner. Sails well. Hullafter sound, coachroof needs 2000 Crabber 22’ in back 2006 Kittiwake 16’ gaff spinnaker. 2001 David Moss Sea Forcategory more info ongaff the Romilly including sail around MullPlanked 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter B. Super little boat cover and break back road trailer with electric motor, covers and category B. cover and break road trailer with electric motor, covers and marine-ply deck (renewed 1993) and£2,500 coachroof, teak trim, £7,750 category B. category B. fitted out for coastalall cruising enjoys a with Yanmar £7,750 sailing gear,air bags and repainting, gas-cooker elderly, hence price ono.Hillyard 22ft 1925 centreboard 2Cedar berth in 1936.with Pitch pine planking on CRE frames, solid end mahogany on CRE timbers, copperand fastened. andCorriemhor ainForce 8, is see www.roxane-romilly.co.uk lovely condition rigged sloop. Aoars. very high high end 15’ inpitchpine lovely condition. Cedar lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. A very 15’ in lovely condition. Only£995 Yanmar 1GM10 regularly serviced, Avon Excellent £37,950 £8,995. trailer. high levelStephen of equipment: £16,000 £37,950 £8,995. road trailer. Ideal project. Mooring Felixstowe Ferry, own cradle ininc. Yard. Easily car toppable ,used for one week only,as new. £37,950 road Please contact Booth1GM10 £37,950 3ton gaffer. Recent refi t, seaworthy and ready to go. teak deck. Major refi t in present ownership, now in Volvo Penta MD1B reconditioned in 2014. 2 berths diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’in in fitTelout 2006lots GRPof Kittiwake gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter spinnaker. Sails well. Hull sound, coachroof needs Contact: Hough 07840979473 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke roadPeter with hard wood 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 David Moss Sea Otter 01473 659572 2001 or timvoelcker@gmail.com 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter Stephen.booth@crondall-energy.com Super little boat £7,750 £7,750 £7,750 £2,750 Tel: 07885 859373 stunning condition withbronze new rigging and sails and forward, has the original Rippingille paraffi nupped stove. repainting, gas-cooker elderly, hence price £2,500 ono. trailer and rating to Yanmar and work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete andshe a Force 8, see www.roxane-romilly.co.uk lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. A very very end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar trailerlovely and upped rating to bronze work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete condition with rigged sloop. A high end 15’in inlovely lovely condition. Cedar very high lovely condition with Yanmar and rigged sloop. A end 15’ condition. Cedar

lovely condition reﬁ with rigged sloop. A very high Ideal endproject. Mooring 15’ inFelixstowe lovely condition. Cedar Only£995 MJ Lewis ttedYanmar 4 berth interior. A very special yacht. £69,500 Eye catchingPlease little yacht, easily handled and well Ferry, own cradle in Yard. contact Stephen Booth 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with category B. cared cover and break back road trailer electric motor, covers and of 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit out with lots wood strip/epoxy construction with aa aa category covers and 1GM10 diesel, 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 of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with 01473electric 659572 ormotor, timvoelcker@gmail.com T:+44(0)1803 833899 info@woodenships.co.uk for. Dartmouth £5,950 T:+44(0)1803 833899 Stephen.booth@crondall-energy.com trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete £8,995. £37,950 road trailer. trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete £37,950 £8,995. road trailer. trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete trailer and upped rating to and bronze work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete category cover and and break break back back road with electric motor, covers and £7,750 category covers and £7,750 cover road trailer trailer withelectric category B.B. electricmotor, motor, covers and category cover and break back road trailer with electric motor, covers and £8,995. £37,950 road trailer. £37,950 £8,995. road trailer. £37,950 £8,995. road trailer. £37,950 trailer. £7,750 £7,750 £7,750 £7,750

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

exceptionally tidy condition rig.with Complete condition with with tidy 1999 Storm 15’ balanced lug cover, 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in roadexceptionally trailer. £2,250 road trailer. outboard andwith combi roadelectric trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and and 4-stroke cover, Honda 2.3HP outboard 4-stroke and exceptionally tidy condition with rig. Complete with and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with Hurley 22 – Cariola Morgan Giles Teign and Dart Design Drascombe Araminta 33 Ketch £4,450 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in – Built 1969 and 1999 Storm 15’ £4,450 with balanced lugOne 1990 Dabber Mk2 in £2,250 road trailer. Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and outboard combi road trailer. £2,250 Fin keel owned by present owner for 40 years, well Beautiful 16ft6ins dinghy, clinker mahogany on larch Reproduction of L. Francis Herreshoff’s 33 1999 footrig.and road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and road trailer. exceptionally tidy condition condition with with Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy £4,450 rig. Complete cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with equipped, maintained andDabber regularly Mk2 sailed.in Anti builtwith incombi 1947. Recent renovation work and ready to ARAMINTA. Built by Legendary Yachts£2,250 in 2000. Then trailer. road £4,450 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in 1999 Storm 15’trailer. with outboard and road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and balanced lug 1990 Drascombe fouled June 2015; surveyed May 2013. sail. On good roadrig. trailer. £1,200. Forwith morecover, details decommissioned and stored in a building. Appears outboard trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with £4,450 Complete electric exceptionally tidy condition with £4,450 trailer. £2,250 and combi road road trailer. Storm 15’ with balanced lugriverside 1990Yard, Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in in Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 Lying Southwark, Sussex £3,500 and photos phone1999 01626 770318 almost as a completely new boat. on 2006 Crabber 17’Offers in sought 2006 Cornish Cornish outboard and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and £2,250 road trailer. outboard and combi road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and Storm 15’ with balanced lug sailing 1990 Drascombe Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in 1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Dabber Mk2 Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition within £4,450 established small sailing Anglia boat rig. Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with £4,450 Yacht Brokers are a well established small boat Tel: 01273 557921 or email: kjchitts@aol.com 180,000USD. Tel: +44 (0)1983 869 203 £2,250 road trailer. trailer. £2,250 road lovely with Crabber copper- 17’ in 2006 Complete with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition condition with £4,450 lovely condition condition 2006 Cornish Cornish outboard and combi road electric trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 2.3HP 4-stroke and and rig. Complete with cover, exceptionally tidy with £4,450 cover, Honda 4-stroke Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small sailing boat builders based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. boat £4,450 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in £4,450 2006 Cornish outboard and combi combi road trailer. trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 2.3HP 4-stroke and and £2,250 and road trailer. outboard road 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 anear well established small sailing boat 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in with 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ builders based in the UK Bury Stby We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and 2000 Storm 15’ with12’ balanced lug rig.clinker 1973 Longboat Cruiser Mk1 in 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with byEdmunds. 2000 Storm 15’ with balanced lug rig. 1973 GRP hull, 1975 Drascombe Lugger Mk2 refurbished £2,250 1989 Cornish Coble in nice condition with 2004 Green Ocean Yachts Post Boat 14’6” Vintage circa 1920 Larch on Oak 1991 Cornish Cormorant in stunning original £4,450 road trailer. 1978 Drascombe Dabber in good condition 1992 Drascombe Lugger Mk3 1999 Devon Dabber in excellent condition established small sailing boat Anglia Yacht Brokers £4,450 £2,250 road trailer. 1978 Drascombe Drascombe with Mariner 1999 McNulty Drascombe Lugger Mk4 in 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 Nick Newland of Swallow lovely condition with Tohatsu 8HP outboard, cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine 2-pack Designed by Storm Nick Newland of Swallow Bury Stasailing Edmunds. builders 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in1986, Locheil Lass: Skanner 19condition GRP Classic lovely condition with copperlovely condition with and trailer us in under 2010. Refurbishment included 2-pack based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ overhauled trailer and Yamaha 4HP 4-stroke built licence from Character Boats to lug dinghy with T-frame road trailer and condition and garage kept. With Combination lovely condition with copperwith easy-launch trailer, overall cover 6HP Easy-launch road outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke We provide traditional sailing boat with new new easy-launch good condition with Mariner 5HP outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke 2000 Storm 15’ with balanced lug rig.clinker marketing and 1973 Drascombe Longboat Mk1 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with bysail £4,450 2000 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 Coble in nice 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 1999 Devon Dabber inLarch excellent condition established small boat Anglia Yacht Brokers Edmunds. builders based 1978 Drascombe with Mariner 1999 McNulty Drascombe Lugger Mk4 inBoats. 1999 Dabber in excellent condition are acover well established sailing boat intrailer, the UK near Bury St Edmunds. Boats. She isDevon in lovely condition with electric coated underside, Suzuki 6HP recent sails/furling spar and easy-launch and general overhaul. Lots of history. and She is in lovely condition with electric recent sails/furling respray, bare wood newinsmall sails and 4-stroke and break-back road outboard engine. very high standard inrevarnish, Holland and stunning new tan sail trailer and Tohatsu 3.5HP outboard. and in 2015. recent sails. trailer. outboard, new overall cover and new sails. 4-stroke and built for Sandbanks Yacht Club Designed by Nick Nick Newland of Swallow and rudder rudder inlovely 2015. overall 2011 Easy-launch trailer. outboard, new overall cover and new sails. 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ inhence trailer. lovely condition with Tohatsu 8HP outboard, cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine and trailer us inand 2010. Refurbishment included 2-pack Designed by Newland of Swallow condition with copper2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ trailer. lovely condition with 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 boat marketing and We provide 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 1973 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk1 in 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with by traditional sailing boat marketing and 2000 Storm 15’ with balanced lug rig. 17’ in brokerage and are always on hand refurbishment with 1973 GRP hull, 1975 Drascombe Lugger Mk2 refurbished by 1989 Cornish Coble in nice condition with 2004 Green Ocean Yachts Post Boat 14’6” Vintage circa 1920 12’ Larch on Oak clinker 1991 Cornish Cormorant in stunning original outboard and Combination 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 services, brokerage and are always on hand with established small sailing boat Anglia Yacht Brokers road trailer. £16,950 outboard and Combination road trailer.with 1978recent Drascombe 1999 Devon Dabber in excellent condition Edmunds. advice builders based anear well established small sailing road trailer. floorboards. She has aSt 2011 Tohatsu 4HP marketing and and Welight provide traditional insailing theare UK Bury Edmunds. £3,500 condition. Complete with spray hood, £1,500 £3,500 £3,750 Requires re-commissioning. £5,950boat Anglia Yacht Brokers are well established small sailing boat Boats. She issailing in lovely condition with electric boat marketing and £3,750 £6,450 £5,950 Anglia Yacht Brokers are aatent, well established small boat sails/furling spar and easy-launch and general overhaul. Lots ofhelp. history. respray, bare wood newinsails and Boats. She is in lovely condition electric recent sails/furling and very high spec. Teak decks, washboards, outboard engine. trailer and Tohatsu 3.5HP outboard. very high standard inrevarnish, Holland and 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 2011 Easy-launch trailer. outboard, new overall cover and new sails. trailer. lovely condition with Tohatsu 8HP outboard, 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 6HPcockpit overhauled trailer Yamaha 4HP 4-stroke built licence from Character Boats to a always lug dinghy with T-frame road trailer condition and garage kept. With Combination lovely condition with copper£2,250. with new easy-launch trailer, overall cover 6HP 4-stroke, Easy-launch road trailer, good condition with Mariner 5HP outboard, withsail easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke lovely condition with coppercoated underside, Suzuki £12,950 4-stroke and break-back road 2006 Cornish Crabber £4,500. £2,250. with new easy-launch outboard, with easy-launch trailer, Honda 4-stroke 4-stroke and break-back 17’ in £4,500. 4-stroke and Easy-launch trailer. cushions and Easy-launch road trailer. £6,950 brokerage and are always on hand refurbishment with outboard and Combination road trailer. £3,950 services, brokerage and are on hand with road trailer. £16,950 outboard and Combination road trailer. advice 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ in 2006 GRP Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter road trailer. floorboards. She has a 2011 Tohatsu 4HP builders based in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. and help. We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and 2000 Cornish Crabber Otter £3,500 condition. Complete with spray hood, tent, £1,500 builders based in the the UK near Bury St Edmunds. £3,750 Requires light re-commissioning. £5,950 Anglia Yacht Brokers are well established small sailing boat builders based in UK near Bury St Edmunds. £3,750 £6,450 £5,950 are always on hand with refurbishment services, Anglia Yacht Brokers are aastunning well established small sailing boat Boats. She is inoverall lovely condition with electric cockpit seats and ﬂoor. 3 berths, galley, sea£3,500 and are always on hand with recent sails/furling spar and easy-launch and general overhaul. Lotsoutboard. of history.brokerage and Boats. is in lovely condition recent sails/furling bare wood revarnish, new sails and outboard engine. very high standard in Holland and in new tanShe sail trailer and Tohatsu 3.5HP and in 2015. recent sails. overall cover and 2011 Easy-launch trailer. outboard, new overall cover andwith newelectric sails. and rudder rudder in£12,950 2015. outboard, new cover and new sails. trailer. £4,500. respray, £2,250. coated underside, Suzuki lovely condition with trailer. 4-stroke and break-back road coated underside, Suzuki 6HP £4,500. £2,250. 6HP copper£12,950 4-stroke and break-back coated underside, Suzuki £4,500. 4-stroke and Easy-launch trailer. 2006 Cornish Crabber 17’ in cushions and Easy-launch roadUK trailer. £6,950 trailer. £3,950 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 in the UK near Bury St Edmunds. provide traditional sailing boat marketing and road trailer. £16,950 outboard and Combination road trailer. advice builders based the near Bury St Edmunds. We provide sailing boat marketing and are always on hand with refurbishment services, road trailer. floorboards. She has ain 2011 Tohatsu 4HP and help. We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and £3,500 condition. Complete with spray hood, £1,500 £3,500 toilet, table. S/S pushpit/pulpit, windlass, brokerage and are always on hand with £3,750 Requires light re-commissioning. £6,450 £5,950 lovely condition with Yanmar rigged sloop. A very high end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar Anglia Yacht Brokers are atent, well established small sailing boat lovely condition Cedar £3,750 £5,950 established small sailing boat advice and help. Please ask for Alex. £4,500. coated underside, Suzuki 6HP 4-stroke and break-back road trailer. £2,250. condition with £12,950 4-stroke and break-back road trailer. £4,500. £2,250. copper£12,950 4-stroke and break-back £4,500. 4-stroke and Easy-launch trailer. £12,950 We 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 marketing and are always on with 2001 David Moss Sea 2000 Cornish Crabber 22’ inlovely 2006 GRP Otter 15’ in lovely condition. lovely condition Yanmar rigged sloop. Cedar Yanmar1gm10, very good with condition mast 2000 Cornish Crabber Kittiwake 16’ gaff 2001 David Moss Sea Otter builders based in the UK near Bury St lovely condition Edmunds. Abrokerage very high end 15’ in lovely condition. Cedar advice and help. builders based in the near Bury St 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 4-stroke 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 on hand £12,950 trailer. refurbishment services, brokerage and are always on hand advice and help. trailer. advice and help. spars and sails. Twin axle trailer, Suzuki 6hp We provide traditional sailing boat marketing and marketing and Cedar strip/epoxy construction 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road fit outsloop. with with with 15’ in in lovely condition. lovely condition with Yanmar rigged Cedar 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke lots of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with aa lovely condition A Alex. very high end 15’ lovely condition. trailer. advice and help. £12,950 Please ask for Please 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 help. advice and help. long shaft (almost new), hardwood legs £12,950 £12,950 refurbishment services, services, brokerage and are always always on£20,000 hand with with £12,950 refurbishment brokerage and are on hand Cheverton Cavalier 30, 1966, Pleasefitask for Alex.lots standing lug yawl rig. trailer and upped rating to and bronze Complete trailer and upped work. Complete with standing lug yawl rig. Complete strip/epoxy construction 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke road out with with a 1GM10 diesel, Bespoke of hard wood strip/epoxy construction with trailer. with electric electric motor, category cover and break back covers andteak on aIpoh Please ask trailer forand Alex. category B. forB. drying moorings, cockpit and mainsail road motor, covers and Please ask for Alex. advice help.with Long keel, Bermudan sloop, Burma with electric motor, £12,950 category B. cover and covers and Please ask trailer for Alex. with Please ask for Alex. category B. break back road electric motor, covers and 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 covers, boarding ladder. Ashore W Wales. road trailer. trailer. £37,950 £8,995. £37,950 road frames, 4 berths in 2 cabins, a beautiful long distance road trailer. £37,950 £8,995. Contact: peter.walton8@icloud.com or 01994 £37,950 road trailer. with electric electric motor, category B. cover and break back covers and Please ask trailer for Alex. Alex. category B. road with motor, covers and Please ask for cruiser designed by David Cheverton £7,750 £7,750 448437 OIRO £8,995.00 £7,750 £7,750 T: 02392 985688 (Waterside Boats) £37,950 £8,995. road trailer. £37,950

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1979 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk2 1999 Sandweaver 16’16’ in gaff lovely 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 2006 GRP GRP Kittiwake Kittiwake 1983 Sand Cornish Crabber 1999 Sand Weaver New New 1979 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk2 1999 Sandweaver 16’16’ in gaff lovely 1983 Cornish Crabber Mk1 with GRP hull,high New Deben Deben Luggers Luggers being being built built to to order order for 1999 Sand Weaver 16’ with tan sails/gunter 2006 GRP Kittiwake rigged sloop. for New Balanced Balanced Lug Lug 10’ 10’ Roach Roach Dinghies Dinghies built built 2006 GRP Kittiwake 1983 Cornish Crabber 1999 Sand Weaver Adelivery. New built to New order. 2-berth in good condition with recent condition gunter rig, tan sails for delivery. 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. order. very high with end fit cockpit and deck. sloop rig. She issound inRebuilt hard wood May to 2-berth in good sound condition with recent built to order. condition with gunter rig, tan sails for May delivery. cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine and trailer May delivery. sloop rig. She is in lovely condition and very high end fit out with lots of to order. cockpit and deck. very high end fit sloop rig. She is in hard wood May delivery. to order. Yamaha 6HP outboard andoverall Type Approved combination trailer.with cover and and overhaul. Lots of history. Prices from from £14,500. £14,500. Inc Inc VAT VAT complete with spray cover and and Complete £3,250. Inc Inc VAT. VAT. and general general overhaul. and bronze bronze work. work.road complete with spray hood, Prices £3,250. 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 Prices from £14,500. Inc £3,250. Inc 1979 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser Mk2 1999 Sandweaver 16’ in gaff lovely 1983 Cornish Crabber with GRP hull, New Deben Luggers being built to to order orderWe 1999 Sand Weaver 16’ Mk1 with tanoverall sails/gunter GRP Kittiwake 16’ rigged for have New Balanced Lug 10’ 10’ Roachfrom Dinghies built built 1983 Cornish Crabber 2006 GRP Kittiwake 1999 Sand Weaver sloop.and A New Deben built for New Roach Dinghies from Euro Easy Launch road trailer. £3,450 £16,950 from combination road trailer. break road trailer. We have twoBalanced demonstrators in stock stock £16,950 break back back road combination road two demonstrators in Euro Easy Launch road trailer. from £3,450 £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 2-berth in good condition with recent built to order. condition with gunter rig, lots tan sails for delivery. cockpit and deck. Rebuilt engine and trailer MayMay delivery. rig. She is in lovely condition and high end outtrailer. with of hard wood to order. order. very highback end fit fit cockpit and deck. sloop rig. She issound in to May delivery. £2,950. £3,950 £2,950.We £3,950. £8,995. £8,995. very £3,950. sloop £3,950 £2,950. £2,950. £3,950. £8,995. £3,950. Yamaha 6HP outboard andoverall Type Approved combination trailer.with cover and and overhaul. Lots of history. Prices from from £14,500. £14,500. Inc Inc VAT VAT complete with spray cover and and bronze Complete £3,250. Inc Inc VAT. VAT. and£8,995. bronze work. work.road and general general overhaul. complete with spray hood, £3,250. Prices Euro Easy Launch road trailer. from £3,450 £16,950 from combination road break We have have two two demonstrators demonstrators in in stock stock from £16,950 break back back road road trailer. combination road trailer. We builders Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established small Anglia Yacht Brokers are a well established sailing boat builders £3,950 £3,950. £8,995. £2,950. £8,995. £3,950. £2,950. 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, brokerage boat marketing and refurbishment refurbishment and are always builders Yacht Brokers are aa well established small sailing boat builders Anglia Yachtand Brokers are well established on with advice help. Please ask for Alex. on hand handAnglia withon advice and help. Please on hand hand with with advice advice and and help. help. Please Please ask for Alex. sailing based based in in the the UK UK near near Bury Bury St St Edmunds. Edmunds. We provide traditional sailing always cruising yacht with boat refurbishment boat marketing marketing and refurbishment services, brokerage and 34. are Beautiful always Cornish Shrimper “Rose”. A good example of this Teus: Contest 38’ Colin Archer Fiskerkoiter (ﬁsherand cutter) project. services, on on hand hand with with advice advice and and help. help. Please Please ask for Alex.

popular boat. Well looked after and upgraded. An high quality build and Lloyds speciﬁcation. Wind 1905. Oak on Norwegian pine sawn frames with a electrical systemDabber was added inMk2 2012, together generator, shore power system, recent electronics, bent oak rib ‘tween each frame. Replanked with iroko 1990 Drascombe Dabber 1999 Storm Mk2 in 31/05/16 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe in 1990 Drascombe Drascombe Dabber 1999 Storm 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Mk2 in with 10:54 Dabber Mk2 in Anglia yacht brokerage May 2016.indd 31/05/16 Anglia yacht brokerage May98 2016.indd 98around £10,000 new sails, sprayhood and Shrimper swim ladder.10:54 She PM PM rigging (2007); recon engine (2006), upholstery. Aft from the waterline up. Offers exceptionally tidy with cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition with rig. Complete condition withwith exceptionally tidy withfriendly cover, electric exceptionally tidy condition rig. condition with comes withto a road trailer and lighting board. £9,950 cabinComplete provides great family accommodation. T: 07506 436604 Email: evie@classicsailor.com or call on1999 01273-420730 and we’ll mail you a simple form ﬁ ll in. 1990 Drascombe Dabber Storm Mk2 in 15’ with balanced lug 1990 Drascombe Dabber Mk2 in and combi road trailer. cover, 2.3HP 4-stroke and cover, Honda 2.3HP outboard 4-stroke and and road trailer. cover, Honda 2.3HP 4-stroke and cover, Honda 2.3HP outboard 4-stroke and Anglia yacht brokerage May 2016.indd 98 31/05/16 10:54 PM T:Honda 01326 221657 sarah@gweekquay.co.uk £25,000 T: combi 01326 221657 sarah@gweekquay.co.uk

Let us help sell your boat! Let us help sell your 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

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 outboard 4-stroke and and £4,450 £4,450 Remember subscribers are entitled to a 50% discount! £4,450 £4,450 94 CLASSIC SAILOR DOUBLE 130mm x 50mm, 80 words and a picture £100 SINGLE 63mm x 50mm, 30 words and picture - £60 road road trailer. trailer. £2,250 80 CLASSIC SAILOR- subscribers are entitled to a 50% discount! Remember £4,450 £4,450

2006 Cornish Cornish 2006 2006 Cornish Cornish 2006 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 p94_CS1016_Boats for sale.indd 94with copperlovely condition condition lovely Bury St St Edmunds. Edmunds. builders based in the UK near Bury

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Corriemhor: Romilly: perfect for coastal cruising in style! Currently on her trailer near Aberdeen. Can deliver to a new owner. Fitted out for coastal cruising with a high level of equipment: £16,000. For more info see www.roxane-romilly.co.uk Please contact Stephen Booth. stephen.booth@crondall-energy.com

Devon Lugger, built by Honnor Marine. Registered in 2009 and one very careful owner since purchase. Complete with roller road trailer, full set of sails and Mercury 6hp Essex £11,250 Woodrolfe Brokerage 01621 868494

80 yr old, now given up sailing has Uffa Fox, varnished Fairey Marine Fireﬂy Dinghy for Sale. Together with metal centerplate and Hayling Road Trailer and matching launching trolley. Modest price to good home. All in sound condition. Offers please T:01404 871394

Dana 24: A heavy displacement yacht to take you anywhere. One of only three in Europe One owner, 15,000 miles and one Atlantic crossing. VAT paid. Comes with a stunning classic nesting sailing dinghy. Yanmar 3YM20 engine barely run in $120,000 Contact Benjy : benjy@woodenwidget.com

Delphine: No 6 out of the complete class of 10, East Coast One Designs of 1913. All 10 vessels survive today, and all are on the East Coast.... 30ft built by King’s of Burnham, GU Laws. She is in the water ready to go! £6,000 Maldon Tel: +44 (0)1621 859373

Ex MOD Motor Launch Not all Harbour launches are created equal, closer inspection makes the attention to detail obvious. Historic, special and unique. Offers sought on 25,000GBP. Tel: +44 (0) 7811 117 678

Finesse 21 – Built 1982, sail No 71 One of the last built, cutter rig with bowsprit, long keel with lifting plate, sails new 2002 to 2004, keel bolts renewed 2006, last survey 2007, very attractive modern classic. Essex £5900 Woodrolfe Brokerage Tel: 01621 868494

47 ft Stow & Sons Gaff Yawl 1895/2014 VALERIE has been beautifully and sympathetically rebuilt, commensurate with her vintage, which at nigh on 120 years makes her a genuine historical artefact. The simplicity of her ﬁnish and ﬁt-out with the re-introduction of her original yawl rig makes her a handy craft capable of being easily sailed by a small crew. Partial completion of interior enables a new owner to specify his own arrangements; an outline option exists. £195,000 Lying UK T:+44 (0)1202 330077

Classic Laurent Giles Channel Class offshore cruiser racer. Beautiful, powerful and timeless. Cockpit and deck rebuilt, hull re-caulked, engine replaced. Built by Moody’s, she has an impressive list of owners including Lord Russell and Hammond Innes. Offers on 37,500GBP. Tel: +44 (0) 1983 869 203 (Boatshed)

Classic Dutch Grundel Yacht, 21ft, 1967, recent reﬁt. sails, 4 stroke Mercury outboard, Sea Hopper folding dinghy. Yorkshire £5,750 Woodrolfe Brokerage T: 01621 868494

Halewyn is a 30ft Bermudan lovely French sloop with lifting keel. Designed by Andre Cornu, Built by Raymond Labbe, 1960. Lying: Calais, France. Offered for Sale 20,000 Euros. T: +44 (0)1621 859373

Oysterman 16 Marie Louise Exceptional 22ft Oysterman cutter 1978 Paul Gartside design, Nanni 10hp diesel 2009, standing rig SK98 Dyneema, running rig Spectra/dyneema. In sail-away condition Topsham, Devon at £12,500 ono Mike Lucas T:07717 885435

Memory 19 Gaffer – 2010 Brilliant class of gaffer for those who know... An opportunity to purchase one of the last Salterns built boats. Open cockpit for easy handling, outboard in a well for simple motoring. Fantastic Fun! £9950 T:02380 455714

“Drifter” Drifter is a stunning example of her type of vessel. Well cared for by her current and previous owners, with all the equipment you could possibly want for cruising. £19,950 T: 01326 221657 sarah@gweekquay.co.uk

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Ohlson 38, 1975, £30,000 Yawl rigged, Long ﬁn keel, Beta 28hp new in 2008, 6 berths in 2 cabins, fully equipped with heating, hot water, full electronics package and a full sail wardrobe T:02392 985688 (Waterside)

Pufﬁn: lovely 23ft clinker Fox’s Fisherman 22 built by Fox’s of Ipswich, 1963. Mahogany planking on oak. In splendid condition, 35hp Beta inboard. 5ft 10ins headroom in cabin heads and galley. Valid Broads License and BSS certiﬁcation. Lying: Broads. Offers in excess of £15,000 T: +44 (0)1621 859373 MJ Lewis

Scala Nimbata skiff– Built 2002 Strip plank glass fabric epoxy construction. Carbon ﬁbre mast. Loose footed main by Batt Sails to prevent injury when sculling with sail set. Jeckells storm sail. Complete with combination launching trolley-trailer, ﬁtted cover. Reduced to £3750. T:01189 402329

She 31 Delta 94 – 31’ 1978 This Delta 94 represents the ultimate evolution of the classic She 31. ‘Clairella’ is one of only 17 Delta 94s built in Britain in the late 1970s. Improved deck moulding gives headroom below. £12500 T: 02380 455714 (Michael Schmidt)

SPARKLE – SADLER 34 £21,900 Built 1984, this popular unsinkable ﬁn keel classic, has proven ocean sailing capability! 3 careful owners, equipped for family cruising, Bukh 20, good sails, comfortable interior. T: +44 (0)1803 212818 (Mike Lucas)

Swan 44, 1973, £70,000 Fin keel, Perkins Prima 50hp new in 1998, 8 berths in 2 cabins plus saloon, equipped for both racing and cruising, voted one of the top 40 best boats of all time. info@watersideboatsales.c om T:02392 985688

Kitikae is a 1924 gentleman’s yacht built by Brookes of Lowestoft and restored to a beautiful condition in 2007. Mahognay and pitch pine. 65ft (20m) LOA with 1937 Gardener engines. £345,000 Lying Paris: christian. gonnard@gmail.com Tel: 00 33 (0)6 37 29 53 06

West Solent One Design Halloween 1925 a remarkably original boat – of a very special class, noted not only for their stunning good looks but for some special sailing and racing qualities. Restored but still an authentic unspoilt example. Lying UK £58,000 T:+44 (0)1202 330077 (Sandeman)

Morgan Giles Teign and Dart One Design Beautiful 16ft6ins dinghy, clinker mahogany on larch built in 1947. Recent renovation work and ready to sail. On good road trailer. £1,200. For more details and photos phone 01626 770318

Windsong. Built to an American design this is a beautiful traditional yacht which will be admired in every port. Volvo penta MD2020 20hp. Price £14,000 Shoreham Contact Danny T: +44 (0)7576 377739 virendraonelove@gmail.com

30 ft Ed Burnett Gaff Cutter 1998 Zinnia, from the board of Ed Burnett, in association with Nigel Irens. High quality wooden construction by the Elephant Boatyard in 1998. Bronze custom deck ﬁttings and details make her a very special yacht. Lying UK £107,000 T:+44 (0)1202 330077 (Sandeman)

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Calendar

Send us your events! editor@classicsailor.com

This month

per tour, cost £8. Tours start at 1500hrs: Booking essential. Tel: +44 (0)20 7481 6900 / email tours@thls.org Tower Hill, London www.trinityhouse.co.uk

Trafalgar Day 21 October ‘Live’ battle updates, curatorial talks and tours. National Maritime Museum Greenwich, London www.rmg.co.uk

Night race to Mahurangi January 27-30 2017 Auckland, New Zealand Afternoon start off Devonport YC for the Night Race followed by the Mahurangi regatta and return race www.classicyacht.org.nz

Suffolk Boat Jumble Sunday 23 October 2016 Trinity Park Events Centre (A1156) IPSWICH, Suffolk, IP3 8UH. Admission £4.00, accompanied children and car park free. Telephone 07780 800 257 www.rotaevents.co.uk Broads Tours 22 to 30 October Origins of the Broads by water. £8 + 2 kids free Wroxham, Norfolk Tel: +44 (0) 01603 782207 www.broadstours.co.uk Half term fun at Cutty Sark 24 to 28 October Watery London, sea tales and ballads. 1145 to 3pm daily Plus Halloween Ghost ship horror at sea candlelit tour: 28 October. 1900hrs www.rmg.co.uk Arthur Beale: Three-strand rope splicing 27 October 6.45-8pm 194 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JP Booking essential, please email talks@arthurbeale. co.uk cost £5-10 www.arthurbeale.co.uk Fireworks! 30 October Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower, Priddy’s Hard, Gosport, Hants £6/£4 Display, against backdrop of Portsmouth Harbour begins at 1900. Booking: 023 9250 5600

Trafalgar Day - October 21st by Joseph Turner (Queen’s House, Greenwich) Emma Hamilton Seduction and Celebrity (The woman behind Nelson!) 3 November to 17 April 2017 National Maritime Museum Greenwich, London www.rmg.co.uk Liverpool Pilots History Until June 2017 Merseyside Maritime Museum (Free) www.liverpoolmuseums. org.uk East Hants Boat Jumble Sunday 6 November 2016 Havant Leisure Centre, Civic Centre Way, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 2AY. Admission £3.50. Tel: 01329661896 ARC Atlantic Rally for Cruisers 6-27 November Since 1986, more than 200 vessels have been meeting up each year in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which marks the starting point of the ARC Atlantic Rally as

they sail 2,700 nautical miles across the Atlantic. The world’s longest transoceanic regatta ends in the Carribean. St Croix International Regatta 11-13 November The 24th annual regatta www.stcroixyc.com/regatta North Sea Fishing 12 November to 19 Feb 2017 Anstruther, Fife Contemporary documentary photography of the fishing industry and fishermen of the North Sea by celebrated photo-journalist Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert. www.scotfishmuseum.org RYA National Match Racing Championships Grand Final 18-20 November Queen Mary Sailing Club, West London www.rya.org.uk The River Colne, from Source to Sea

Friday 18 November 2016 Mersea Museum, West Mersea, Essex. Illustrated talk by Alexander Bass 7.30pm. Admission £5 non-members or £3 for members www.merseamuseum.org.uk.

Coming up London Boat Show 6-15 January 2017 Excel, London londonboatshow.com Understanding Weather From January 5 2017 Nottage Institute, Wivenhoe, Essex. Five Thursday evenings 1930-2130hrs Course fee £70 How to interpret weather information and how to make predictions from observing the clues in the sky. Bernie Hetherington (RYA Instructor)

Pirate Weekend 28-29 January 2017, 12-4pm National Waterfront Museum Swansea, Wales Cut-throat crafts, Fearsome foes; Swashbuckling www.museum.wales Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta January 30 2017 Waitemata Harbour www.classicyacht.org.nz Australian Wooden Boat Festival 10-13 February 2017, Hobart, Tasmania See website australian woodenboatfestival.com.au Classic Regatta March 3-5 2017 Premier three day Classic Yacht Regatta, hosted jointly by the RNZYS and CYA – our top sailing event of the season! Auckland, New Zealand www.classicyacht.org.nz

See classicsailor.com for more events and details and upload your own!

Trinity House January 16 and 30 2017 Tour the home of Britain’s lighthouse authority. 2016 now fully booked; 25 people

In Classic Sailor next issue Exploring the West of Scotland In an Achilles 24! Rob Bashford sets sail with friends to cruise the west coast of Scotland in a voyage of discovery, of the area, himself and the boat. We have some more anchoring wisdom from RYA instructor Trevor Clifton. Also looking at the

new regatta – the Hamble Classics in more detail and the restoration of Valerie - a Victorian gentleman’s yacht. We’re in the Lake District aboard a Loch Broom Post Boat, and we’re looking at the restoration of a Teignmouth Yawl. Plus all our usual features of course! CLASSIC SAILOR

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Last word: Maiden voyage Lucy L Ford She’s a mistress, so why bother learning to tie a knot?

GUY VENABLES

he skipper took his first mistress in 1992. She was not the blonde, slim thing that I had been expecting. In fact, when I first saw her, I thought she was sagging a bit round the axils; she was defiantly broad in the beam. He however was clearly besotted and disappeared down her hatch to explore her internal cavities. Only to appear hours later, looking quite exhausted. For weeks, if not months, there was a lot of banging and groaning, as he spent many hours lubricating her stern gland, and touching up her lovely bottom, which I recall was bright blue. I know it was blue because when he came home he had blue in his hair and I could smell her on him. Believe me the smell of freshly painted antifoul is not pleasant. I don’t know how effective it really is at deterring barnacles, but it has certainly been effective in deterring the growth of hair ever since. One afternoon, I noticed the two of them rocking around in the cradle, the banging and groaning having reached a fever pitch of shouting. He had evidently fallen into the cavernous cockpit locker, and the wind had closed the lid behind him. Fortunately I am not taken too much with jealousy otherwise he might have been there for a very long time. Craning her into the garden had taken out two fence panels, craning her out took out the rest. Putting her onto the trailer obstructed the road. Driving to the slipway caused a very long tailback of irritated traffic. Once at the slipway an excited moment of distraction left the car handbrake off, so both boat and car were successfully launched. Once afloat, she floundered; unresponsive to the skipper’s tickling of her outboard. Anxious onlookers put out extra fenders. Finally, much to everyone’s relief he was underway, proud and erect at the tiller – master of his mistress. He had evidently studied the ‘rules of the road’… “Keep to the

starboard side of the channel, when leaving port”. Spreaders scraped along the harbour wall. Rigging became entangled with the local angling club’s competition lines. But the skipper sailed on, in contented oblivion, out into the open sea. He was oblivious of the angry gesticulating fishermen; oblivious of the harbour master, now in hot pursuit.

The latter had thoughtfully retrieved skipper’s tender, which had dissociated itself from the old girl’s stern and was creating a hazard for the incoming yachts. Clearly skipper had yet to master the art of tying knots, but then this was only a mistress! “Are you heading to your mooring sir? If so, you might be in need of your tender.”

“Tender?” “Yes sir, and can I suggest that you take urgent avoiding action; you are in the path of the incoming ferry.” He got very wet from the wash of the incoming ferry. But not as wet as he would have done swimming from his mooring to the shore, had the harbour master not been thoughtful enough to return his tender.

She was not the blonde slim thing I had been expecting. In fact she was sagging a bit around the axils...

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