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INSIDE THIS MONTH

OCTOBER 2017, NumBER 1,342

PHOTO: GRAHAM-SNOOK.COM

Graham Snook finds out if the Dufour 382 Grand Large is a sheep in wolf's clothing

PHOTO: YACHTING WORLD

SAILING SKILLS Expert tips and know-how 20 ON THE COVER Expert on board: How to moor a boat to rocks Chris Beeson demonstrates a useful skill for adventurous cruisers 24 ON THE COVER 10 tips to make your sails last longer Some simple, easy care can significantly increase the life of your sails, says Simon Phillips 26 Should I stay or should I go? Perfect conditions are forecast for a trip to Ostend, but the return leg looks a bit lively. Would you go or not? 30 Learning curve David Barwell has problems with a shiny new mast. 32 Any questions • Why are some anchors better than others? • A normal squall? • What to do about invasive species? • Can I be pressured to sail?

CRUISING Practical advice & real life sailing stories 34 40 44 49 52 53 58 60 66

ON THE COVER Sailing with the Royal Navy Sailing ships may be long gone, but sailing under canvas is still going strong, reports Theo Stocker ON THE COVER Across the Atlantic in a small boat Tom Dymond joins a friend to sail into the sunset from Falmouth to Antigua in a Nicholson 32 ON THE COVER Cruising with a wind farm lobbyist Dick Durham goes for a sail and hears from an expert why offshore energy is here to stay Advertorial How the RNLI can bring the best safety advice to your boat Anchorages Idyllic spots to stop in Scotland, Spain and the Caribbean ON THE COVER Competition Win a £900 boat security system Cruising guide: La Palma Take time to cruise the Canaries and you'll discover what they have to offer, including the pretty island of La Palma Cruising log Readers’ experiences in St Kilda, Turkey and Poole Harbour Goodbye to our Fastnet clasic It was a sad day for Miranda DelmarMorgan when the time came to sell her beloved wooden Polar Bear

GEAR & BOAT REVIEWS Useful kit, new & used yachts 68 74 76 82

ON THE COVER Used boat test: Hylas 46 Chris Beeson steps aboard a well-tested round-the-world boat to find out what makes her so good Technical Ten hallmarks that set apart a well-sorted blue water boat ON THE COVER New boat test: Dufour 382 GL ‘A yacht with a nice turn of speed.’ Graham Snook enjoys a lively family cruiser. ON THE COVER Buyer’s guide: Sextants James Turner explains how to buy a sextant you can trust, and how to use the thing when you do

Despite GPS, astronavigation can still be fun, and you might even need it one day

REGULARS 5 6

Editor’s letter ‘The quality of crew is crucial’ News • New boats at Southampton Show • North Sea wind farm • Schoolboy Fastnet 12 Letters • Get a line ashore • Fitting a splitter • A real boat • Please do some dredging 16 Libby Purves Friction between land and sea 18 Dick Durham A lusty sailor or an old salt 50 A good read Battling for survival in 1979 53 Sailing library New books worth a read 106 The Confessional Own up to sailing sins...

THE COVER OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com

FOR THE CRUISING SAILOR ESTABLISHED 1906 £4.80

How to moor a boat to rocks

peaceNof min £900 boat d! securi system ty

Skills and techniques for adventurous cruisers

10 tips to make your sails last longer

HYLAS 46 We test a yacht that has sailed around the world

Across the Atlantic in a small boat

Sailing with the Royal Navy Aus $11.99 (inc GST) / NZ $17.30 US $10.99 / C $13.50 / IT €9.30 / SP €8.00 / PT €8.00 / GR €8.30 / NL €8.99

Falmouth to Antigua in a Nicholson 32 DUFOUR 382 GL

‘A new cruiser with a nice turn of speed’

BUYER’S GUIDE

HOME WATERS

How to buy a sextant you can trust

Cruising with a windfarm lobbyist

SAVE The Hylas 46 is a capable, sought-after SubScribe a blue water t www.yachting cruiser, p68 monthly.com Photo by Lester McCarthy

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YACHTING MONTHLY is published (13 issues per year) by Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP, United Kingdom. ISSN 0043-9983. Printed in the UK by the Wyndeham Group. For enquiries and orders please e-mail: help@magazinesdirect.com, alternatively from the UK call: 0330 333 1113, overseas call: +44 330 333 1113 (Lines are open Monday- Friday GMT, 8:30am- 5:30pm ex. Bank Holidays). Send overseas orders to Time Inc, PO Box 272, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3FS. Subscriptions rates: (1 year) UK: £66.57, Europe: €122.50, US & Canada: $142.70, Rest of the World: £112.40. Conditions of sale: this periodical shall not, without the prior consent of the publishers, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended price shown on the

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VIEW FROM THE HELM PHOTO: THeO STOcker

The quality of the crew is crucial – Theo discovers why sailing skills are still important for the Royal Navy (p34)

‘The quality of the crew is crucial’

doubt the best crew I’ve ever had: five impressively knowledgeable, capable and reliable colleagues who have become close friends. We’ve been through a lot together but all voyages come to an end. Three of us have decided to leave the magazine. YM was founded back in 1906 not to publish yachting journalism (there were already several magazines doing that) but to foster a community of keen amateur sailors, give them a voice and enable them to share knowledge and experience. We’re still doing it today – roughly half of our articles are written by a community of amateur cruising sailors who are the real lifeblood of YM and its great strength. As for me, it’s been a great privilege to edit YM. I have learned a lot, made many friends and worked with some of the people who inspired me to take the leap into yacht ownership almost 20 years ago. But five years is enough. It’s time to let someone else take a turn at the helm and I'm leaving it in Theo's capable hands. Fair winds to all our readers. See you on the water, or perhaps on the Internet.

PHOTO: GrAHAM SNOOk

ave you ever wondered what you look like, through the eyes of your crew, when you’re struggling with a navigational challenge or with the onset of bad weather? Most yacht skippers like to think of themselves as calm, rational decision-makers, but what are we really like under pressure? One of the articles in this issue is a remarkably intimate portrait of a young skipper facing his first gale on the open ocean (p40). His crew, who had known him since childhood, saw a different side of his character emerge. It got me thinking about my own crew over the years. Some of them, who know what I’m like ashore, have been surprised, even impressed. Others, well, I dread to think what impression I made. On one trip around Land’s End, I cut straight across the Carn Base shoal into a ghastly chaos of overfalls. My crew asked earnestly if our lives were at risk and I replied by vomiting over his boots. In publishing, as in sailing, the quality of the crew is crucial. The editorial team here at Yachting Monthly is without any

Kieran Flatt, editor kieran.flatt@timeinc.com

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OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 5

NEW NEWS PHOTO: BRITISH MARINE

If you have a news story to share, contact News Editor Theo Stocker EMAIL theo.stocker@timeinc.com TEL 01252 555164

Southampton offers more chances to get aﬂoat, as well as new cruising yachts

New boats and gear launched at Southampton Ten brand new cruising yachts will be launched at Southampton Boat Show while others will make their UK debut.

IMAGE: HANSE

Visitors will be able to step aboard the latest designs from Hallberg-Rassy and Hanse, as well as well as Safﬁer, Jeanneau and others. Among the brand new boats will be the Hallberg Rassy

340, which has a modern plumb bow with an integrated bowsprit and options for tiller or twin-wheel steering, as well as the usual deep, secure cockpit and sea-kindly hullshape. Hanse will be showing three of the four new boats it has launched this year; the 388, 418 and 548 – only the 348 won’t be on show. The 388

The Hanse 388 is one of a number of new boats on show at Southampton 6 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

and 418 use the same hulls and similar layouts to previous models, but have deeper draught and improved sail plans as well as more hatches, hull windows and updated styling. The show also marks a return to production for Southerly Yachts. The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440, launched earlier in the year, will make its UK debut alongside the Hallberg Rassy 44, the Dufour 460 Grand Large and the Beneteau Oceanis 51.1.

New gear Sailors not in the market for a new boat will have plenty of new gear to look at. Elvstrøm Sails is launching its innovative new ‘Blue Water Runner’ sail – a two-ply sail set off a

single luff that can work as a single headsail on a fetch, but can be split into two and goosewinged for downwind sailing. We tested it (July issue) and were impressed. Also on show will be brand new Argus thermal imaging cameras; the Garmin Quatix 5 smartwatch that can sync with onboard navigation equipment and autopilots; a marinised Brompton folding bike; and a range of flush-fit solar panels from DanVolt. The show organiser, British Marine, is also increasing the opportunities for visitors to get afloat during the day. Children can practice collision avoidance on the bumper boats and the adventure canoe river, while adults can try their hand at paddleboarding and kayaking on the paddle river. For anyone thinking of buying a boat, a free Try a Boat session can be booked on arrival for one of a dozen different sailing boats, yachts and RIBs, and 90-minute sails on a Challenge 72 yacht can also be booked. One of the largest wooden ships still in commission, the 153ft (47m) square-rigged Kaskelot will be in the marina.

■ TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show runs from 15-24 Septemer 2017 in Mayﬂower Park, Southampton. See: www. southamptonboatshow.com.

neWS

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Another big North Sea wind farm approved

in brief New VHF channels The UK Coastguard started using new VHF channel numbers in September. Where VHF channels 23, 84 and 86 were used for maritime safety information, sailors now have to use channels 62, 63 and 64.

Carbon Monoxide

New turbines will be built at sea off Suffolk

A new wind farm to be built in the North Sea has been approved by the government. The East Anglia Three project, developed by ScottishPower Renewables, was given consent by the Business Secretary, Greg Clark. The 117 square mile (305km2) scheme may include up to 172 new turbines, producing 1,200 megawatts, enough to power 890,000 homes. The wind farm will be 46 miles off the Suffolk coast and is one of four being developed in the East Anglia Zone, which is controlled by the Crown Estate.

While the new wind farm will be in the same zone as the East Anglia One wind farm already under construction, it is a totally separate project. In addition to the wind turbines, the plans include up to two meteorological masts, two monitoring buoys, four collector stations and an accommodation platform, as well as cables to the shore and onshore infrastructure. A spokesman for the company said: ‘Consent has been given for up to 172 turbines, but the technology is developing rapidly and turbines are becoming more

Plans for another Golden Globe round-the-world yacht race have been announced for 2022, four years after the first event in 2018, which starts from Plymouth on 30 June 2018. The second edition of the race will vary from the first in having two separate classes. As in the 2018 edition, the boats will be sailed without the use of modern navigation equipment and the Suhaili class will be open to yachts of 19 different designs between 32 and 36ft, with conservative sail area-to-displacement ratios, and long keels with keel-hung rudders. For the 2022 race, however,

ImAge: ggR

New one design class for Golden Globe Race

powerful, so we may not need to install the full number.’ ScottishPower Renewables is already building the East Anglia One wind farm and is developing plans for East Anglia One North and East Anglia two, although they have not yet reached the consultation phase. Emma Pinchbeck, executive director of the UK trade body RenewableUK, said: ‘This huge clean energy project is a great example of how offshore wind can enable the Government’s Industrial Strategy. For more on offshore energy’s impact on sailors, see p44.

The new Joshua class will be a rugged cruising boat

a new one design Joshua class will be created along the lines of Bernard Moitessier’s Joshua, which raced in the original 1968 race. Anyone wishing to join the 2022 Golden Globe Race can buy the complete package of a one-design Joshua class yacht and race entry for £300,000, although the class will be restricted to 10 yachts. Details can be found at www. joshuagg.com.

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) published its report on the fatal accident in which a man died of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning on board the motor cruiser Vasquez in November 2016. It reminded sailors to fit a CO alarm and, if it sounds, to get out into fresh air immediately.

ARC Channel Islands The ARC Channel Islands 2017 Rally, organised by World Cruising Club, set sail on 12 August from Gosport for Cherbourg. The rally, along with the RYA Active Marina programme, aims to encourage cruisers to to sail in new areas and extend their cruising horizons in a safe and social environment.

Bombs discovered in the Bristol Channel Two suspected World War Two bombs have been found in the Bristol Channel. The first was near Lilstock Range and the second was just 500 metres from the Hinkley Point nuclear power station. Both were rendered safe with a controlled detonation by the Royal Navy.

Square rigger for sale

The new Joshua class will be slightly larger than the original, but will follow her lines closely. The 15-tonne vessel will be 41ft (12.4m) on deck, and 46ft (14m) overall, with 5ft 4in draught (1.62m). Golden Globe Race organiser Don MacIntyre said: ‘This is an exciting development, creating a new class of simple, safe, affordable yachts to race around the world. They will be able to cruise safely anywhere.’

The Tall Ships Youth Trust is selling its sail training vessel, Stavros S Niarchos. The brig has been used by the Trust for the last 17 years to take groups of up to 48 youngsters sailing. She will be replaced by a smaller vessel that will be easier to fill with crew.

Giant pipes adrift A dozen giant pipes broke loose from the vessel towing them in August, after it was hit by a container vessel. Four pipes, up to 480m long, washed ashore in Norfolk.

OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 7

NEWS iN briEf Marine antiquities

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Navy's largest ship

Science voyage An all-female crew sailed around Britain in August to raise awareness of plastic pollution. The eXXpedition crew sailed a 72ft challenge yacht, using her as a base to conduct continuous sampling of plastic in the sea.

Wildlife watching The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has issued a reminder to sailors about how to watch marine wildlife responsibly. Species such as basking sharks, dolphins and seals, as well as seabirds, can all be disturbed by noise and sudden movement. Boats should also ensure that animals have a clear escape route.

Crowd-funded flares disposal

Boat show at Kip

the aircraft carrier is entering or exiting the harbour. In addition, there will be a 250m exclusion zone around the vessel and a 15-knot speed limit within a mile of her when she is under way.’ The 65,000-tonne, £3.1 billion ship has a crew of 1,600 and will operate 40 aircraft.

Greek clampdown intensifies Any boat caught Greek authorities will be impounded have intensified their until fines are paid. campaign against The Greek Yachting illegal charter Association warns operators over the that skippers will be peak sailing season. liable for additional New guidelines have fines, the boat’s been issued by the papers seized and Greek Ministry of guests put ashore. Shipping, stating Yacht charterers are losing out on illegal yachts More than 500 that commercial yachts are thought to be owners of private yachts vessels carrying undeclared operating illegally in Greece, with paying guests could be guests could face fines of so all charterers should check fined up to €60,000 and face €5,000 to €25,000 and that their yacht is registered. criminal charges. criminal prosecution, while

Turn To Starboard A team of veterans affected by military operations have set sail around the UK. 17 veterans, many with little or no sailing experience, left Falmouth on 5 August and will spend eight weeks at sea aboard a 92ft tall ship.

exclusion zone around the ship, enforced by two police launches. Boats going closer can expect to be chased away. Gideon Sherwood, deputy Queen’s Harbour Master for Portsmouth, explained: ‘Both the large and small vessel channels into Portsmouth Harbour will be closed when

The Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived in Portsmouth. Restrictions for vessels are now in force and will limit where and when yachts can move in the harbour around the 918ft (280m) ship. Four temporary yellow buoys mark a 50-metre

Photo: Courtesy oF PIGott FamIly

Scotland’s Boat Show will take place from 13-15 October at Kip Marina on the Clyde. Brand new yachts will be alongside over 100 used boats and there will be free opportunities to get afloat throughout the show.

Portsmouth restrictions around new aircraft carrier

Photo: roy ConChIe/alamy

Explosives disposal company Ramora UK is hoping to create a nationwide network of at least 23 collection points for out-of-date flares with a crowd-funding campaign. It hopes to address the difficulties of getting rid of flares since the MOD stopped collecting them in 2009.

Gareth Fuller/Pa ImaGes

Over 100 marine achaeological finds have been recorded since the Marine Antiquities Scheme was launched last year, including Neolithic flints, Roman crockery and medieval candlesticks. New finds can be reported at www.marinefinds.org.uk.

Sir Henry Pigott crossed oceans in boats under 20ft

8 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

Small-boat circumnavigator One of the UK's most distinguished solo sailors, Sir Henry Pigott (1925-2017), died in August after a short illness. His notable passages include a crossing of the North Sea from Sweden to England in 1948 aboard Glory, a 22 square metre boat that he called ‘the world's first sailing submarine’; a voyage to Brazil

and back via New York in 1973 aboard Simba II, an 18ft Mirror Offshore; and more than 20 years on the oceans aboard the 19ft 6in, junk-rigged Glory II, in which he briefly held the world record for the smallest yacht to circumnavigate. He sailed to the Shetland Islands in his daughter's yacht two weeks before he died.

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Fastnet history for London schoolboys Photo: John holt

A crew of schoolboys from London has made yachting history as the first state school to compete in the Fastnet Race. Eight pupils from Greig City Academy raced a restored 45ft Admiral’s Cup yacht around the 603-mile course from Cowes to Plymouth via the Fastnet Rock off the southwest tip of Ireland, finishing in a time of four days, 13 hours and 59 minutes, 36th in the IRC 3 fleet and 142nd out of 368 competing yachts. The schoolboys from Greig City Academy in Hornsey, north-east London, were racing Scaramouche, built by Palmer Johnson in 1981 for Chuck Kirsch to race for the USA in the Admiral’s Cup. The school renovated the racing yacht with sponsorship funds raised by the pupils. The project was the brainchild of geography teacher Jon Holt, who started

Montel Jordan, 17, helms Scaramouche around the Fastnet

been brilliant and disciplined throughout,’ he said. The crew weas also awarded the prize for the best media campaign. Lead helmsman Montel Jordan, 17, had spent the week beforehand helming Lloyds of London’s X-55 Lutine in Cowes Week, having helmed

taking his pupils sailing in Poole Harbour several years ago. Describing the race, he said: ‘The crew raced in three watches of four, each supervised by a teacher and a professional skipper. It was the boys, however, who sailed the boat. The lads have

Government plan to tackle plastic at sea

Photo: Paulo oliveira/alamy

Many marine animals die after ingesting plastic

Edward Allcard, ocean sailing pioneer, dies aged 102 Photo: imagegallery2/alamy

The UK government intends to ban plastic microbeads in cosmetic products in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the marine environment. Around eight million tonnes of plastic enters the world’s oceans each year, polluting water and beaches, threatening wildlife and potentially entering the human food chain. Environment Secretary Michael Gove outlined plans for the UK to be a world leader in environmental protection, after figures showed nine

Microbeads in cosmetics will be banned by the new law

billion fewer plastic bags were used since the UK introduced a 5p charge for the carrier bags, an 83 per cent drop. Kate Fortnam, campaign manager of The Green Blue, said: ‘As boaters we all have a vested interest in protecting the environment where we spend our leisure time. Grey water discharge from sinks and showers can be damaging to sensitive aquatic life. ’ Elsewhere, new research predicts that plastic ingestion will affect 99 per cent of the world’s seabirds by 2050.

10 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

an Etchells to 4th place in the Gertrude Cup the week before. He said: ‘The highlight for me was helming downwind. With over 20 knots of wind Scaramouche was surfing. I had to concentrate on every single wave because one wrong turn and we could gybe or broach, which could cause injuries. I am asking as many people as possible about how to get into a race team, maybe someone will find me a place!’ Elsewhere in the Fastnet Race, French boats dominated the leader board. Eight of 11 main prizes were won by French crews, with all but one of the IRC classes going to French boats, as well as the IMOCA 60 and Class 40 events, although the British trimaran Concise 10 won the multihulls’ race. Didier Gaudoux was the overall winner, sailing his JND39 Lann Ael 2.

Edward Allcard, the first person to sail solo across the Atlantic in both directions, has died at the age of 102. The yachtsman and adventurer published his last book, Solo around Cape Horn and beyond, in 2016. He wrote numerous books about his adventures, including Single-Handed Passage and Temptess Returns. He was part of a group of sailors who helped inspire small boat owners to journey the world. Nicholas Gray, who met Allcard as part of his research for his book, Last Voyages, said: ‘Edward was a true gentleman, unfailingly helpful and friendly to everyone he met. He made some amazing voyages, wrote some of the best ocean voyaging books and was an inspiration to us all. He will be sorely missed by all his many friends.’ Born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on 31 October 1914, Edward Allcard was an apprentice shipbuilder in

Scotland before he qualified as a naval architect just before the Second World War. In 1951, Edward Allcard became the first man to sail the Atlantic singlehanded in both directions. He had crossed initially in 1949 on his 35ft wooden ketch, Temptress. His return journey in 1951 became an international press sensation after he discovered a 23-year-old female stowaway, Otlilia Frayao, who had sneaked on board Temptress in the Azores. Between 1957 and 1973, Edward Allcard sailed a protracted solo circumnavigation aboard his 36-foot wooden ketch, Sea Wanderer. He wrote about his passage from Antigua to Argentina in Voyage Alone. He and his wife, Clare, with their daughter Kate, cruised extensively on a 69ft gaff-rigged Baltic trader in the 1970s and 1980s, before settling down in Andorra until his death in July 2017.

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PHOTOS: JIM WATSON

LETTER OF THE MONTH

My system to get a line ashore I have been intrigued by your article What’s the best way to secure to a Windward Berth? (Jan 17) and would offer the following. As I am no longer in the ﬁrst ﬂush of youth, leaping ashore is unwelcome when coming alongside. My solution has never failed me, in all weather conditions. It consists of a long pole with a T-piece at one end that incorporates four plastic clips holding a pre-formed loop of mooring line. The plastic 15mm clips (designed to hold copper

pipes) ensure that the mooring line loop cannot fall off the pole prematurely. When coming alongside, the mooring line is passed under the guardrail and attached to the plastic clips on the T-piece. When you’re adjacent to the mooring, use the pole to drop the loop over the cleat. A gentle tug on the pole releases the loop, and you are securely moored. The T-piece at the end of the pole can be used horizontally or vertically. Jim Watson

Fitting a splitter Your answer on this subject was timely (Summer issue, '17). I had been struggling to achieve AIS transmission from my new MA500TR. I had used a Banten Active Splitter, and there is a similar piece of kit sold under the Glomex brand. After discussion with the chandlers it transpires that these appear not to be active splitters for AIS transmission, but only for reception. The SPL1500 shown (Sum 17) is the appropriate splitter. It costs around £200. An antenna made for the purpose costs around £60, and having ﬁtted one I am now transmitting successfully. But EDITORIAL COMPLAINTS We work hard to achieve the highest standards of editorial content, and we are committed to complying with the Editors’ Code of Practice (https://www.ipso.co.uk/ IPSO/cop.html) as enforced by IPSO. 12 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

With a couple of brackets and a few copper pipe clips, you can turn an old broom handle into a totally reliable mooring device

what a headache I have had. These items are easy to ﬁt, and in many ways the ﬁtting instructions are admirable. It's just that the industry seems to miss out the occasional bit of crucial information. David Ward

Have you tried a Tamarisk? Dick Durham’s search for his perfect gaffer brought back fond memories of ten seasons' sailing Ireland’s incomparable West Coast in a small gaffer, only 24ft but drawing just under 4ft with a long

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keel: near enough Dick’s spec. She coped magniﬁcently with everything the Atlantic could produce and was well set up below for one or two. Even ancient Hooker sailors would come over with tears in their eyes to tell me she was ‘a real boat’. She was a Tamarisk 24: a GRP hull with a wooden mast and wooden trim on coamings, gunwales and in the cabin. A real joy. She’s designed by David Cannell with input from John Leather, and built by North Cornish Boats. There is a Tamarisk 28, but she lacks the 24’s delightful sheerline. Good luck in your search (and, if I’ve helped, make it a Jameson’s). Mick Delap

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LETTERS

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PHOTO: DUNCAN MCNEILL/ALAMY

Please do some dredging!

Red diesel and Belgium: no fun for anyone I truly sympathise with the UK cruisers who've been ‘done’ by the Belgian authorities for having red diesel. As a Kiwi yachtsman with a Dutch-flagged boat based in Nieuwpoort, Belgium, my summer holidays in the UK have always been a nightmare for fuel management. And yes, on several occasions I had no choice but to fill her up with red diesel

An elusive and apparently insoluble problem with John Anderson’s diesel was diagnosed in a trice by Creran Marine’s ‘Young Ewen’ MacGillivray

PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

I recently returned from a frustrating trip to Brighton via Gosport. I sail a silly deep boat (2.7m draught), but as a result I am careful about tide, time, and depth. Brighton Marina does not have 2m below chart datum as indicated in Reeds. On entering at about half-tide, I was advised to go to Eastbourne but, after a careful sounder survey, I found a berth in which I would just touch at low water. I was in their deepest berth, everywhere else had much less. In four days there were numerous groundings. The marina’s staff said they intended to dredge and there was a mini dredger on the visitors’ berths but it did not move during our stay. Earlier I stayed at Gosport Marina. Again I mentioned my draught and was given a berth near the Clipper fleet, which draws 3m. I lost two hours of my planned passage time trying to get out. They had 2.1m in the main channel at low water (tide was 1.0m), contrary to the claimed depths. Again they ‘plan’ to dredge. It is a skipper’s duty to do his sums, and I am responsible for the berths I accept (and pay for), but we need accurate data. Might I suggest some warnings for these marinas until they confirm that they have actually done some dredging? Barney Green

(try getting to the Orkneys and back on a single tank...). I've seen the police scouring the pontoons in Nieuwpoort, but have been lucky to escape notice! I was and remain a campaigner for red diesel for yachts but, after long discussions with the European Commission, have also realised that in the end the UK is at fault for not implementing an EU Regulation. To use a footballing analogy, you can't say ‘I want to play European football’ and then unilaterally not recognise the offside rule. If it is any consolation, cruisers based in Belgium who want to visit the UK need to fill in a special Schengen form and leave this with the police/customs. Again Brexit has been mentioned as a justification for reintroducing a form that I thought had gone out of the window years and years ago. The system, like the proposed new UK border control system, is in practical terms unworkable for your average cruising sailor. It smacks of bully-administration, and a poor justification for knowing who is coming and going into the country. But it is back and fines are being handed out to unsuspecting Belgium-based yachts going to the UK and back. Marco Thyssen

PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

This library shot shows that dredging is done, but perhaps it needs to be done more often

Marco Thyssen, a Kiwi sailing a Dutch-flagged yacht based in Belgium, sympathises on red diesel but counsels against the ‘have cake, eat it’ mindset

Solving an insoluble engine problem We had an intermittent problem with our Yanmar diesel engine for five years. The circumstances were hauntingly similar to those experienced by Simon Broadley (May 17). We’re based in Loch Creran. We described the symptoms to Ewen MacGillivray, 'Young Ewen', who is a diesel engineer and runs Creran Marine. He wanted to witness the problem at first hand. After a disappointing spin in the loch the problem just wouldn’t appear and we decided to return to base. Part way there the engine did its trick and just stopped. Ewen fiddled with the engine and got it going. ‘It's the lift pump,’ he said. He replaced it for us, and we’ve never had the problem again. John Anderson OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 13

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Has anyone fitted Kort nozzles? The risk of getting a rope around my prop and shaft has caused me to consider fitting a guard. As well as reducing that risk, I may get a slight improvement in performance under power, as Kort nozzles increase thrust. There should be less vibration caused by the small gap between the end of the blades and the hull, and there might be a reduction in, or even elimination of, prop walk when going astern, which would be nice. But if this happens, it will be harder to turn sharply by going ahead then astern in bursts. Have any of your readers have tried this? Is there a flaw in my reasoning? John Pennefather, Sydney

The Dolphin 31 is a solid, seaworthy, offshore-capable cruiser and excellent value at £10-15,000, says Ian Garthwaite

PHOTO: MIKE GREENSLADE/ALAMY

Dolphin 31, a ‘modern mini cruiser’

Beware changes to mast loading John Marley describes an innovative approach to rigging a storm jib (May 17). It‘s interesting, but my reservation is that it loads the mast at the upper spreaders in a way unforeseen by the spar designer. I accept Craig Phillips advised him, but we are told that Craig is a sailmaker. John notes that ‘running backstays were not considered’, then goes on to say that the deck pad-eye is (rightly) reinforced for spike loads. Similar loads may be expected on the mast through the head of the storm jib, especially in the conditions that make flying the sail necessary. Without calculation, it’s impossible to know 14 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

Roy Clare says the spar builder should have been consulted on the altered loadpaths involved with this storm jib jury rig

Has anyone fitted a Kort nozzle on a yacht to stop lines fouling the prop?

PHOTO: JOHN MARLEY

Regarding Fiona Hetherton’s request for ‘a modern mini cruiser on a budget’ (Jul 17) may I suggest she looks at a Dolphin 31? This was one of the most spacious, seaworthy semi-displacement yachts built at that time (1976-82) by Rank Marine. Only 40 were built so they’re not easy to find but I notice there is one for sale at the moment asking £12,500. There was one sold a year ago, which went for £10,000. I hope this may help in her search. Ian Garthwaite

whether the spreaders would cope. Given that the Bénéteau Oceanis is not usually considered an ocean cruiser, I feel he should have consulted the manufacturers of the boat and/or mast. Perhaps he did, but his piece does not say so, so there’s a potential gap in how his article could be interpreted. In principle, except in an emergency, sailors should beware of jury rigs that alter mast loading. Best course is to seek appropriate professional advice, particularly if heavy weather is involved. Roy Clare

Windward and leeward confusion When I go alongside another craft, the radio chat on approach will establish whether I will go on his leeward side (preferably) or get beaten up by the wind and waves on his windward side. I don’t say I want to come alongside using my windward or leeward side. The same should apply to a pontoon, which has its own windward or leeward side, and by extension to the marina staff. I don't know any East Coast sailors who will really be concerned about the pedantic use of windward or leeward, to which your ‘many sailors and experts’ should really attach the words ‘to my’ and therefore avoid ambiguity. All we want to know is ‘Is it a wind on or wind off berth, and if it is the latter can I have someone to catch my lines before I end up leaning on the boat next door?’ Grenville Savory

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We may escape to sea, but the need for crew to interact with landlubber timetables can make for frustrations

s skippers and crews look back on the season, fondly or ruefully, there will be the usual memories for the journal. About wild seas and flat ones, coastlines, harbour walls, mooring embarrassments, jokes, singalongs, breakages, meals to remember or to forget, bitter lessons learned about the new spinnaker, and all that. But alongside the actual cruising there may be memories of crewchanges. Of frustrations, chaotic moments, desperate Googling and unwelcome costs. Any skipper lucky (or old, or rich) enough to cruise a long season will already be groaning in sympathy with that sentiment. We love the sea because it is an entirely different world to the land, and runs by its own rules without a road or railway line in its vast expanse. But this means that its junctions with the more predictable terra-firma are not as numerous or easy to get at as one would always like. So to offload one crewmate and pick up another, especially when hobbled by diaries, requires close planning, and safe harbours for the inevitable irritating wait. Paul sailed round Iceland this year, and seems to have spent long days hanging around in townlets with unpronounceable names, waiting for the next hand to turn up by way of two airports and a bus. Myself, I joined the new ship Prolific, to celebrate its acquisition by the peerlessly amiable and intrepid Ocean Youth Trust South. We were taking her to the start of the Tall Ships, where she would get her youth crew. From a grand launch event under Tower Bridge we went downriver, round the corner to Harwich and across to Den Helder. There I had to leave: train, bus, ferry, and bingo! I was back in Harwich. Barring one rather embarrassing glitch (a tip: Hoek is nowhere near the Hoek van Holland, ignore that bus) it went well. Other attempts at joining and leaving have been more fraught: ask anyone. Sometimes it is straightforward – off the train and down to the quay – but not always, especially if the weather changes everyone’ plans. In my own pierhead-

jumping career I have had some bracing moments. Waiting three days on São Miguel, blagging hotel room extensions while Paul, on the AZAB edged painfully through deep calms towards it. Years earlier, money running out, I hitched a breakneck jeep ride to Grantley Adams airport on Barbados when there was a rumour of standby tickets. Even more recently there have been a few odd interfaces between land and sea, though once you are old enough to throw money at problems it gets easier. I have trekked through huge container ports looking for one tall ship, and when leaving another early for work reasons I waded ashore and walked across much of Sark in squelching boots, dragging a bag and feeling rather too little confidence about where the ferry actually went from. I have puzzled my way through Norwegian and Danish bus timetables, and can draw you a sketch map of where to find shady cafés when stuck in Cascais. As I write, I am trying to work out how to get to the Farne Islands, hoping that Wild Song gets there at the same time. As for skippers’ frustrations, they are plenty. You take trouble to anchor off Paignton because there’s a station, but your absentminded crew overshoots, dozing after a heavy night out, and rings up baffled from Penzance. Get galebound up a snicket of Brandon Bay, and your crew frets because there’s a cheap flight booked provided he can get the afternoon Dingle to Cork bus to catch it. But you’re damned if you attempt to round the headland in this wind. Or, less exotically, you have to put in to Ramsgate and miss a tide and a fair wind because Dave has a sudden job interview. Enough, a skipper might mutter, to turn anyone into a singlehander! W

‘We love the sea because it is an entirely different world’

16 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

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Times are a changing, as am I, and more often than not, staying aboard outweighs the delights of going ashore

ime was when I could not wait for the gaskets to be put on the neatly flaked sails, the bilge to be pumped out and the riding light set up, before getting the dinghy alongside for the long pull to the welcoming glow of the distant pub. But now the lure of going ashore is starting to wear off. Although I still feel like a lusty sailor, I have to accept that I look like a crusty old salt and mine host is no longer interested whether I’ve come by tide or two-lane blacktop, and what am I doing out of the care home anyway? Not all, but many of the ancient waterside inns I’ve frequented over the years have understandably converted into premises that aim to lure customers from the more reliable hinterland. There’s one old tap room I know which was once filled with surly, overweight giants who worked as jailers in a local Category A prison. As long as they were the main clientele, the liver and bacon came on platters that would have fed a platoon and these hungry and jaded fellows scoffed and tippled, taking no notice of some dozy yachty in muddy boots. The place has been revamped – beautifully, it has to be said – but the approach across the marsh, along the untended and broken causeway is now beneath a battery of Abba lyrics tearing at the moon as the curlews make way for another hen night. As for the liver and bacon, when I asked if they still served it, an astonished barmaid said: ‘That’s offal isn’t it?’ Clearly food not fit for hens. At the top of a very isolated creek there is another old tavern, which once served the workers in the local brickfields. When I first sailed in with my father, some 50-odd years ago, over a low-hanging beam there was a dusty barrel with a tap at one end, which, as the legend had it, was opened so that a sailing barge skipper, thirsty after loading flettons for London, could lie on his back, open his mouth and receive his ale in draughts guaranteed to rinse the brick dust away.

This pub is difficult to reach, at the head of an oozy ditch filled with tide for only two hours or so either side of High Water. The last time I paid a visit, we had to anchor two miles away down river and I debated the validity of a struggle ashore. My crew had never been there, however, and was curious so we set off for a 30-minute pull in the dinghy arriving at a deserted, rickety and weedcovered jetty. We moored, climbed over the overgrown sea wall and tramped to the pub, The Three Tuns. The dusty beer barrel on the architrave has long gone and they’ve made a rustic job of revealing the brickwork. The beer’s still good, but the kitchen had closed. Then my crew noticed tables heaving with leftover sandwiches, pies, and sausage rolls. He wondered innocently whether a small portion of this abandoned feast might be used, for a price, to feed two hungry sailors. ‘That’s a wedding party,’ came the reply of one of the trio of strapping bar ladies. ‘But they appear to have left,’ said my crew plaintively and as he did so two of the barmaids waddled over and started packing the food away carefully in plastic doggy bags. We stumbled back out into the night, our empty stomachs no match for the row back. ‘They must have named the pub after the barmaids,’ said my crew disconsolately. So these days I tend to stay aboard. There’s a lot to be said for it. I have become a better sea cook, I’ve discovered the delights of the wine box – Waitrose seems to have cracked what ought to be a philistine version of the wine skin – and I have fitted LED lights below, so a book at bunktime no longer relies on the flickering orange glow of oil lamps. W

‘I still feel like a lusty sailor but I have to accept that I look like a crusty old salt’

18 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

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RYA Yachtmaster Chris Beeson has raced and cruised over 40,000 ocean miles in his 37 years as a sailor

How to moor a boat to rocks

f you’ve never sailed in the Swedish or Finnish archipelagoes, start making plans for next summer. These unique cruising grounds must be on every sailor’s bucket list. Each has thousands of islands, some forested and populated with summer houses, roads, bridges and ferries buzzing in and out, some with nothing more than ﬂat granite, a sauna, a bin and a loo. The islands to weather cut down the fetch so there’s hardly ever any sea running and, regardless of the conditions, you will always be able to ﬁnd a sheltered spot to stop for lunch or overnight. The strangest thing is that, despite a very real feeling of being in the wilderness, none of them is more than a daysail away

from a city. It is a sensational place to go sailing and, if you’re prudent enough with your pilotage to avoid the many mostly-charted rocks, you will have an experience like no other. Ask anyone who’s sailed there. The summer sailing season isn’t a long one, June to September, but the long ‘white nights’ let you wring the most out of every day. Winds tend to be light and variable during the season but you won’t have to wait too long for a decent sailing breeze as the weather here is dictated, like ours, by the Azores High. Many of the larger islands have marinas or harbours if you need supplies or electricity, or to pump out your holding tank (you can’t discharge overboard) but the real

‘You can learn a lot by seeing how the locals do it’

PHOTO: KIERAN FLATT

Extra kit for anchoring to rocks

treat about sailing here is finding a quiet, sheltered little spot that you can call your own. To enjoy this tranquility though, you will need to master the peculiarly Baltic technique of mooring to rocks. It’s not exclusively Baltic – it’s used in parts of Ireland and the Med, and can be useful anywhere without a significant tidal range or strong currents – but up here it’s de rigueur. Like box berthing, which we looked at in the August issue, it’s not exactly difficult (with two or more people on board) but you need to understand the technique and you can learn a lot by seeing how the locals do it. Of course you need to practise it too, and you’re likely to mess it up a couple of times. Fortunately this is a very low-speed manoeuvre so the chances of seriously damaging anything are much reduced.

Kedge anchor

Bow ladder

You need the right kedge to throw off the stern and grip in what may be weed over rock or weed over mud, but almost certainly weed over something. There were a couple of ﬁshing boats using grapnels but the vast majority of local boats in the Gothenburg and Stockholm archipelagoes use a stern-mounted Bruce. Follow their lead.

Everyone moors bow-to, whether it’s rocks, a pontoon, quay wall – whatever. A bow ladder just makes it so much easier to get on and off the boat. Those of a keener eye will notice that Scandinavian boats have open pulpits. Moor bow-to and you’ll quickly ﬁnd out why. It’s not so bad against a quay that you step up to reach, but if it’s lower down, you’re just going to have to ﬁgure it out. Whatever method you use, make sure you have good grip on your deckies.

Flat anchor line

A decent-sized Bruce and a webbing reel for a rode. This is the set-up most Swedes have at the stern 20 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

PHOTO: KIERAN FLATT

It’s a technique rarely used in home waters but if you’re planning on cruising around Europe, says Chris Beeson, you’re going to need it

This is a white webbing tape, 35-70m long, wound on a reel mounted on the pushpit. Shackle your kedge to the loop at the end. Once you’ve got the right amount of cable out, just cleat or tie it off. Its colour means it’s visible under water so there’s less chance of someone dropping their line over yours.

Bergskils These are metal pegs that you hammer into cracks in the granite against which you’re going to moor. They have a metal loop on the top and you run your bow mooring lines through these.

EXPERT ON BOARD

The idea of finding security so close to rocks is uncomfortable at first, but it’s very reassuring once you’re used to it

PHOTO: CHRIS BEESON

With a bow ladder and an open pulpit, it’s so much easier to get ashore

If there are no iron loops already there, you’ll need to hammer a bergskil into a crack in the granite OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 21

PHOTO: CHRIS BEESON

EXPERT ON BOARD How to moor to rocks They’re not always easy to spot against the rock so you may need binoculars to find them

How to secure ashore

N How to choose your spot

PHOTO: CHRIS BEESON

Kieran throws the anchor over the stern and the reel pays out as the boat moves slowly forward 22 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

where newer boats with plumb stems are at a disadvantage. A raked stem lets you get closer to the rock without hitting it. Having identified where you want the bow to end up, motor up or downwind some 3-4 boatlengths off, keeping an eye on the sounder, to work out where to drop the hook and roughly how much cable you need. You’ll also be able to assess any current that could interfere with the manouevre. If the wind is forecast for squalls or longer periods of strong winds while you're cruising through an area of skerries, you can often find a snug little nook in which to moor with four lines ashore for absolute security.

How to drop the hook The crew has prepared two bow lines at the bow and the helm has the stern anchor ready to go. Approach as slowly and as straight as you can and throw the anchor over the stern at the chosen spot. Let the rode run out, you may need to pull out some slack if the reel is stiff, and when you know the anchor is on the bottom, give the rode a turn round a winch and continue your approach slowly letting the reel run out. Ask the jumper to advise distance off using hand signals. Around 5m off, snub the rode on the winch to make sure the anchor’s set and to control your approach. Again, keep an eye on the crew advising distance off with agreed hand signals as they’ll be looking forward and you won’t be able to hear them speak. Stop the boat by idling against the snubbed cable when the crew jumps off, and cleat or tie off the rode.

PHOTO: KIERAN FLATT

he pilot books will specify where iron loops are already installed in the rock so, if you haven’t got any bergskils, you can still moor up. You may need binoculars to spot them. The best choice is a place that is sheltered from the prevailing wind but it can get jolly warm in the summer so you might want to choose a place that is open to a gentle breeze, provided you’ve checked the forecast and it’s not going to blow a hoolie while you’re there. Either way your approach needs to be bow- or stern-to the wind to prevent the bow blowing off while your crew is trying to get onto the rock and secure a line. Next, scout the location, slowly. Generally the water is clear enough to see any rocks that could cause trouble and your crew at the bow will be able to assess the slope of the rock under water to find out if there is any risk of touching. This is

ow it’s over to the crew. There’s no escaping the fact that, with a closed pulpit, this requires a certain level of agility and sure-footedness or, ideally, a rock with a ledge at exactly pulpit height. I tried crouching on the pulpit and springing down, sitting on the pulpit and launching down, Kieran tried stepping on the toerail outside the pulpit and stepping down. All worked but none was exactly risk-free. Even with an open pulpit it’s not without issues. I once jumped ashore and, unseen by the crew in the gloaming, slid spreadeagled down the greasy granite and into the water, like Wile E Coyote in oilies. Often, your best bet is to throw the line ashore then jump so that you have both hands to steady yourself on landing. If there is any crosswind, secure the windward bow line first, having prepared the leeward bow line so that you can grab it from the shore. A round turn and two half hitches will do for now, you can change them for slip lines as you’re getting ready to leave. Secure the second line then liaise with the skipper, who will come up to check distance off, to fine tune the position. In the event of a crosswind or cross current, it’s a good idea to rig a line from the windward side to the shore. Ideally it will be right off the beam but if there’s no rock there, rig the line as close to perpendicular to the centreline as you can. It will make a difference. If you’re mooring somewhere that has

We’ve already got a line secured, so I’m demonstrating one of the techniques to get ashore that we tried. It can be quite dicey

EXPERT ON BOARD PHOTO: KIERAN FLATT

Even if there are no loops provided and you have no bergskils, there will usually be something to which you can moor

no iron loops provided, identify something to which the bow line can be tied while scouting the area – a rock or a tree. Throw the windward line ashore, jump after it and get it secured to your strong point. Then grab your bag of bergskils and a hammer and bang a couple into handy cracks in the granite. Secure bow lines to those.

PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

PHOTO: CHRIS BEESON

If there’s a crosswind or, in this case, a cross current, get a line ashore from around midships

The helm will tell the crew when to let go, and the crew should confirm when that’s done

How to slip the mooring

PHOTO: KIERAN FLATT

Double the bow lines so that the crew can slip them from deck. When the helm gives the word, slip the leeward line first, then the windward and signal to the helm that they’re off. The helm will haul in the rode, taking the boat astern, then the crew takes over to haul up the anchor, secure it to the pushpit and reel in the rode. Then coil the bow lines and cow hitch them to the pushpin so they’re ready for next time.

Other ways to moor to rocks If the rock is sheer enough to dive off (it may be marked Badplats or swimming place), you can moor stern to. It’s like Med mooring but you secure the stern lines to loops in the rock. Mind your rudder! Another option with sheer rocks is mooring alongside. Arrange your fenders and cover them with a fender board, then come gently alongside and secure bow and stern lines. W

In some places the rock will be sheer enough to moor stern to. Use the tender to ferry lines ashore if you don’t want to get too close OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 23

Professional skipper Simon Phillips has cruised and raced over 325,000 miles, including 34 Atlantic crossings

PHOTO: SIMON PHILLIPS

PRACTICAL SEAMANSHIP

10 tips to make your sails last longer A little care needs hardly any skill, takes little time, but can substantially increase the life of your sails. Simon Phillips shares his tips on how to get better value on your investment PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

AVOID FLOGGING The best way to maintain the strength and shape of your sails is to minimise the amount of time they are left ﬂapping. Flogging rapidly degrades the cloth, therefore every effort should be made to avoid it

PROTECT FROM UV Direct sunlight is a sail’s worst enemy as it eventually breaks down the cloth. For furling headsails, ensure the UV strip is on the outside when it's furled. Keep a cover over your mainsail when it's not in use

24 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

PREVENT CHAFE Chafe wears through sails. Check the ends and aft edges of spreaders and stanchion tops. Tape up split pins, sharp halyard exits and protruding screw heads. Check the front of the mast as tacking drags the foresail across it

WIND RANGE Sails stretch and lose their shape if you have too much canvas up for the prevailing conditions. Being overpowered also leads to being out of control and will slow your boat down, so reef when you know you should

PRACTICAL SEAMANSHIP PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

Leech Lines ensure these are correctly adjusted to stop any fluttering in the main and headsail leeches. Fluttering will quickly degrade the cloth and damage the stitching. Both main and headsails are likely to have leech lines, so use them

haLyard and outhauL tension the right halyard tension takes pressure off mainsail cars or sliders, protecting the stitching. it extends a genoa's life and improves pointing ability. ease halyards, outhaul and reefs after use PHOTO: LESTER MCCARTHY/YM

PHOTO: GRAHAM SNOOK/YM

Battens check batten pockets at both leech and luff ends to make sure the battens are secure and to inspect the stitching in these areas. check the battens too, especially after an accidental gybe, as they can snap

Mast track keep the mainsail track and cars clean and free of dust and grit to prolong their life. Lubricating with a dry lubricant, such as a silicone spray, will greatly reduce friction for the cars and make the sail easier to hoist PHOTO: PETE OSWALD/YM

PHOTO: WWW.TIMEINCUKCONTENT.COM

headsaiL FoiLs Make sure these are in good condition, with no burrs, and that the foil sections are tightly bolted together and perfectly aligned. this eliminates bolt rope tears and lets you to hoist and lower the sail without damage

storage Flake the main differently every time to prevent permanent creases. Light creases will come out. stow sails clean, salt-free and dry, ready for use. dry a spinnaker before stowing, as darker colours bleed into lighter ones OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 25

SAILING SKILLS

Should I stay or should I go?

NORTH SEA

Ramsgate Goodwin Sands KE N T

Dover

Ostend

East Goodwin Lightvessel Sandettie Lightvessel

STRAIT OF DOVER

Former RYA Chief Examiner James Stevens looks at a classic skipper’s dilemma, considering the skipper, the boat, the passage and the weather fter arranging to meet some former work colleagues in Belgium for a long weekend, Brian and Pippa are planning to sail the 57 miles from their home port of Ramsgate across to Ostend on the Friday, stay on board for the weekend and arrive back in Ramsgate on Monday evening. Brian, 52, really enjoys the freedom of sailing, which he took up 10 years ago, and is a qualified Yachtmaster Offshore. His passage planning is assiduous, absolutely by the book. Since he bought his current boat, also his first, three years ago, he’s become a reliable, capable boat handler. Despite, or possibly because of, his qualification, he keeps a close eye on the weather forecasts and prefers to sail cautiously and in fair weather.

GRAPHIC: MAXINE HEATH

NEW SERIES

The crew is his wife Pippa, 50, also a relatively recent convert to sailing. To share Brian’s interest in sailing, she studied for and passed her Day Skipper a couple of years ago and is competent and able on board. She still knows the theory inside out and takes an active interest in navigation but she’s hardly ever stepped up to skipper. Their boat is a 10-year-old Bavaria 40 Cruiser, which is maintained professionally by their yard. They love their in-mast furling, appreciate the beneﬁts an autopilot brings to a shorthanded couple offshore and their boat is well equipped, complete with liferaft, AIS, EPIRB and DSC VHF. Since arranging this cross-Channel meeting, Brian has been mentally assessing the risks: shoals, windfarms, shipping lanes that need to be crossed

Dunkirk

perpendicularly. The sequence of these risks is such that Brian knows he’s going to get very little rest other than the odd cat-nap. Both Ramsgate and Ostend have all-tide access so at least there are no restrictions in that respect. The weather As well as the GRIB forecast app on his smartphone, he’s been monitoring the Met Ofﬁce synoptic charts and listening to the Shipping Forecast. The forecast for the trip across is pretty reliable by now: there’s a large, slow-moving low with occluded fronts stretching W across the Atlantic, with a SSW F4 gusting F5. The trip back is a different matter. On Sunday, the low is forecast to move E and with a NW F6/7 forecast. Brian downloads GRIB data to look at another forecast model’s output and this agrees. The occluded fronts coming down may bring occasional rain, but in general the NW airﬂow will have good visibility. With that forecast and those plans, what would you recommend? Should they stay or should they go?

PHOTO: RICHARD LANGDON/RYA

Thanks to Simon Rowell, the British Olympic Sailing Team’s meteorologist, for his expert input in devising the weather scenario

GRAPHIC: ZYGRIB

For the return passage from Ostend to Ramsgate, a northwesterly F6/7 is forecast. It looks like a beat back

26 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

25nm

SAILING SKILLS

The Bavaria 40 is a spacious boat below decks. She’s certainly no stripped-out speedster but she’s not a heavy offshore cruiser either. Both main and genoa are furling and she has no inner stay for a blade jib

They'd have a cracking sail across, a broad reach in sunshine, in a Force 4-5 – fast, and easy to ensure a legal and simple transit of the shipping lanes. However, the passage home is very different. Although the visibility is good, a strong headwind means a long and tiring beat home. Crossing the shipping lane is legal under sail but better at right

Tell uS abouT your weaTher callS

angles under power – uncomfortable and difficult against a head sea. With only two on board, fatigue is going to take its toll even with the autopilot. There is clearly pressure to leave on such a fine day and for the social activities in Ostend, but there is a heavy price to pay on the way back. Better to stay on the English side and go on a

coastal cruise on the weather shore. If it was really important to get across then the only sensible option would be to come back via ferry and leave the yacht there, which is never very satisfactory. Looking at GRIBs to get another view is a good idea but don’t fall into the trap of trawling websites until you find one that gives you the forecast you want. W

PHOTO: BAVARIA YACHTBAU

James Stevens weighs up the options:

Have you ever made a difficult decision to stay or go based on the weather situation? How did it work out for you? Let us know at yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com in less than 200 words, specifying boat, skipper, crew, passage, forecast, your reasoning, and what actually happened OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 27

CLIPPER DEPTH

CLIPPER WIND

CLIPPER LOG

CLIPPER DUET

CLIPPER BM-1

CLIPPER GPS REPEATER

TARGET DEPTH

PC NAVTEX USB

TARGET WIND

AIS ENGINE 3

TARGET LOG

TARGET COMPASS

SEE THE ENTIRE NASA MARINE RANGE AT WWW.NASAMARINE.COM

METEOMAN BAROMETER

CLIPPER NAVTEX

CLIPPER WIRELESS WIND

AIS SART PLOTTER

HF3 SSB RECEIVER

BLUETOOTH BATTERY MONITOR

BM-2 COMPACT

BM-1 COMPACT 20W SOLAR PANEL

CLIPPER BM-2

LEARNING CURVE

Worries and warranties with a shiny new mast PHOTO: DAVID BARWELL

David Barwell investigates halyard trouble and discovers a communication breakdown The Barwells’ Moody 419 Baloo lies at anchor in Salvador, Brazil, with her mast problem very much unsolved

PHOTO: nIcky BARWELL

e set off from Plymouth on our adventure in October 2014, bound for Rio de Janeiro and returning via the Caribbean in 2016. We had a new mast stepped the week before we left following some irreparable damage to our old mast. The only paperwork we received was the invoice, so we were completely unaware of the mast manufacturer's warranty terms and conditions. We actually never gave it a second thought – what could possibly go wrong with a brand new mast and rigging?

DavidBarwell

David, 68, qualified as a boatbuilder in 1969. He and his wife grew up on the Helford River, sailing and racing dinghies and racing and cruising yachts from an early age. Baloo, a Moody 419, is the fifth yacht he and his wife have owned since 1981.

30 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

By the time we arrived in the Canaries it was impossible to lower the mainsail fully so we used a sail tie to secure the head. We spent time trying to figure out the cause without understanding the problem and continued on to Cape Verde. Here we tried to remouse the halyards thinking the problem might be that they were crossed inside the mast. At least we were sailing long distances so we rarely raised or lowered the main. When we arrived in Salvador, Brazil, we managed somehow to get the main halyard out and replaced it with a spare new rope halyard. We have always had a wire to rope halyard for the main and thought that perhaps with the new mast the old wire was having problems going over the sheave at the top of the mast. Twenty-four hours after leaving Salvador for Vitória, a distance of 500 miles, the main descended with a short bit of frayed halyard attached to the head. So the wire halyard was re-reeved in place of the topping lift and we continued on our way. At Vitória, we made six trips up the mast over two days to remove the plate on which the navigation lights

are mounted, and that revealed deep grooves in an aluminium compression tube, part of the cap shroud assembly. The wire halyard had cut through the aluminium tube and was now cutting through the stainless steel bolts! Having contacted the rigging company we decided to continue to Rio, a distance of 300 miles, to make it easier to receive help. In Rio many emails were exchanged with the rigging company and mast manufacturer resulting in a new cap shroud assembly being sent out and the promise of some new halyards as the topping lift had also suffered. Here we starting to realise the impact of the manufacturer's 'back to base' warranty and the difficulty of finding a good rigger in Rio to replace the assembly. We were caught in a ‘rock-and-a-hard-place’ scenario as hiring a local rigger would invalidate our warranty, and none could be found with relevant experience. Eventually a suitable rigger was found, he had the skills and his English was better than our Portuguese. He came to visit, saw the replacement parts with assembly instructions and decided he would do the job but

LEARNING CURVE

PHOTOS: DAVID BARWELL

We later discovered that the same problem damaged the spreader roots, which project into the mast section only with the mast out. However, the rigging company and mast manufacturer decided this was expensive and unnecessary. I was encouraged to 'have a go' myself as it was deemed a straightforward job, in fact, they said, 'a 20-minute job with a blowtorch and screwdriver.’ Now, I am always willing to mend anything within my capabilities but being nearer 70 than 60, not a rigger and with no spares shop nearby, I tried to remove the cap shrouds but failed at the ﬁrst hurdle. Ultimately, until the cap shroud assembly was extracted, it was unknown as to whether the wire halyard had damaged the through-

■ It had never been discussed what type of halyards we used, nor had we been told that wire halyards were inappropriate for this mast assembly. Choose a spar builder that builds bespoke masts so they know what sailing you plan to do, and the gear you want to use. We also needed to understand the mast assembly itself. ■ Take time to sea-trial the mast before leaving UK shores and explore carefully the terms of

bolts. We were offered a rig check by the mast manufacturer once we arrived in Antigua – which was 3,500 miles away! According to the mast manufacturer, the terms of the ‘back to base’ warranty meant that it

PHOTO: DAVID BARWELL

Lessons learned

This is the damaged caused to the compression post between the cap shrouds by the wire main halyard

was up to us to get our boat to its nearest base, at our expense, where it would attend to the problem! This was despite being in Rio with an international airport within sight of the boat and the Brazilians getting ready to hold the Olympics the following year. Our solution was, after consultation with an experienced rigger, to continue up to French Guiana where we paid for the rigger to ﬂy out and replace the assembly at our own expense. And yes, a groove was being cut into the cap shroud through-bolt by the wire halyard. Happily these expenses have recently been refunded by the rigging company. W

the warranty. We are still unclear about the deﬁnition of a ‘back to base’ warranty, having received different deﬁnitions from the legal profession.

■ It was not ideal to leave so soon after stepping a new mast but we had also been given a restriction by our insurer about not crossing Biscay after mid-October. We had bought expensive travel and yacht insurance and never thought that the newest item on board would cause us the most stress.

With her cap shroud assembly reﬁtted, Baloo lies moored off Saint-Laurent-duMaroni in Guiana, ready to head north to the Caribbean before returning to Plymouth

OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 31

ANY QUESTIONS? EMAIL yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com POST Yachting Monthly, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF Please send us your questions in less than 200 words

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The question of the month wins a bottle of Chilgrove Gin (UK residents only). This super-premium gin, handcrafted by keen sailors in the Sussex Downs, blends the finest botanicals with a neutral grape spirit. www.chilgrovespirits.com

PHOTO: PAUL CHRISTIE

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Why are some anchors better than others?

PHOTO: THEO STOCKER

Ken Endean's anchor tests in Practical Seamanship (Understanding anchors and their bad habits, YM, Aug 2017) is a good example of YM's commitment to readers’ needs for information. I have a query, though. I had three identical CQR anchors, which I bought as a job lot when ﬁshing trawlers were culled in the UK. I used all three on all types of ground over the years. One stood out; unlike the other two it never let go, regardless of conditions. I could never fathom it out and I twice had to haul up and change anchor in less than ideal conditions. The three anchors were not drop-forged, so they may not be genuine, as shown by comparison to the drop-forged one in the photo. The ‘fake’ pictured sometimes locks up on the pin, making it ineffective. Frustratingly, I sold the one that was very loose around the pin and worked

Anvil clouds in a NW airﬂow probably forewarn strong gusts

32 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

In this instance, the welded imitation anchor (left) actually worked better than the drop-forged original (right)

ﬁne every time. Someone did a ﬁne job on the shaping and welding, but they weren't a patch on the original. What I don't understand is how can three identical anchors can have such differing performance. Can you shed any light on the issue? Paul Christie

Ken Endean replies: If one of Paul’s anchors was consistently better, that would suggest that they were not absolutely identical, as conﬁrmed by his photos. The original CQR anchors were made by drop-forging but many imitations were formed by casting or fabricated from welded plates. The

ﬂukes, their edges, the moving pivot, the weight of the anchor, and subtle differences in shape can all have an impact on performance. The originals were drop-forged, which can be a less-than-precise process, and I once had a genuine CQR in which the hinge pin or its collar must have been malformed, because the ﬂuke sometimes refused to rotate. It would then jam so that the anchor was then useless and wouldn't dig in. Anchor tests have shown that minor differences in anchor shape may have a dramatic effect on performance, and in some cases the imitations have given better results than the genuine CQRs.

Was this a normal squall?

I was on an early-season cruise in the North Sea this year when it got very squally. There was bright sunshine between the clouds, with a Force 4 or 5 from the north-west, and for late April it was freezing! Gradually the clouds became more threatening before huge, angry-looking anvil clouds. Under one of them, the wind picked up considerably and I was forced to shorten sail. There was no lightning, but I was surprised by the force of the squall. What weather should I expect with such clouds, and how can I avoid the worst of it? Michael Stowe

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ANY QUESTIONS?

What do I actually need to do about invasive species?

I was most concerned to read about the spread of invasive species up the Scottish coast in your news story (Invasive species spread in Scotland, YM Aug 17). I’ve sailed in Scotland all my life and wouldn’t want to be causing harm, so I’m keen to do my bit. I did wonder though, exactly how thorough this washing off and drying business needs to be? If I’ve used my anchor, do I just give it a quick eyeball to check there’s no bits of seaweed on it, or do I need to give each link of the chain and anchor a thorough scrub and fresh water wash-off? The latter is nigh-on impossible on a small

Photo: Colin Work/Pixstel.Com

Simon Keeling, managing director of Weather School. co.uk, replies: That sounds like quite an eventful day! There isn't really an easy way of predicting exactly what winds will do in such systems. However, there are a few pointers that can ease the shock of being hit by such squally winds. In order for large clouds to produce the gusts you describe it's necessary for the airmass to be unstable. This means that temperatures fall quickly with height and such conditions frequently occur when the wind come from the northwest (in the UK and Europe); we call this a Polar Maritime airmass. Towering cumulus clouds form and the turbulent air within them create areas when cold air sinks rapidly through the cloud, we experience this sinking cold air as strong gusts. Although you didn't experience them directly there were likely to be showers within the vicinity of your sailing. The shower clouds can group together into more persistent bands of rain; these are called troughs. You can spot troughs on frontal charts as dashed lines. These denote areas where showers are grouped together and where winds are likely to be gusty. I always warn that if a trough passes overhead then you should expect gusts of three to four forces above the average wind speed. There are clues to these conditions in the Shipping and Inshore Waters Forecasts. Listen out for phrases such as ‘squally showers’ and ‘hail showers’. But even with a forecast of ‘showers’, gusts of two to three forces above the average speed should be expected. So, with wind in the north-west, a cool airmass, large cumulus clouds and showers being mentioned in the Shipping Forecast, you should have enough clues to prepare and to be less surprised by these gusts next time..

Giving your anchor a scrub off as it comes up can help stop the spread of invasive species

boat, but what steps do I actually need to take to minimise hitchhikers? Humphrey Newman

Sarah Brown, marine biosecurity consultant, C2W, replies: Helping to stop the spread of invasive species means we all have a duty to take reasonable, practical steps to keep our boats clean and free from fouling. Cleaning every link would be ideal but woefully impractical – imagine how long it would take to lift the anchor! I was shocked, however, to walk down a local pontoon last weekend and see two anchors, hanging out over the pontoons, covered in caked-on mud and silt. The eyeball test is good but mud, silt and weed can stick effectively to an anchor. I recommend using a bucket of local seawater and a scrubbing brush to give the anchor and the deck the once over before you head out of the anchorage.

Can I be pressured into sailing an unsafe boat?

I recently signed up with a delivery agency as crew for a delivery trip, but on arrival I discovered that the boat to be delivered had a number of problems, of which I was not forewarned. These were significant enough to give me serious concerns about the safety of the vessel. I decided to leave the trip and not to take part. The delivery continued without me, and the delivery agency sent me an invoice for my flights and the marina fees incurred by the boat while it was looking

for more crew. I am not a professional but I do have experience, so do I not have the right to be concerned for my safety as well as that of the others on board? I was troubled by the agency’s apparent lack of interest in my concerns, seemingly more worried by the costs. Mark Lindahl

Pete Green, managing director of Halcyon Yachts International Yacht Delivery, replies: I am not sure which agency Mr Lindahl was sailing with, but I would recommend discussing the issue with them directly in the first instance. When we at Halcyon Yachts take on the delivery of a yacht, the owner signs a document to say that the vessel is seaworthy and ready for the intended passage. This readiness includes safety equipment all in date, the engine serviced with spares available, and running rigging and sails all in working order. If we discover an issue that we are not happy with then we would immediately contact the owner and try and work towards a solution so that we could continue with the delivery. If we felt that the vessel was unsafe and a solution could not be implemented in a sensible time frame then we would cancel the delivery, for which the crews costs are all covered. The ultimate decision to sail lies with the skipper. We would, however, also take a crew member’s concerns very seriously. If just one of the three crew felt unsafe then we would need a good explanation and we would investigate accordingly. Our skippers are all highly experienced and are all very safety conscious. A yacht delivery company certainly shouldn't be applying financial pressure onto either skipper or crew to do something they feel is unsafe. OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 33

HOMEWATERS

Sailing with the Royal Navy

acking in ﬁve…’ Tom called. Jamie jumped to the mast to help the large overlapping genoa round the shrouds. Alex and Vince made up the winches ready to sheet in on the new tack, I tailed while Vince got ready to grind in whatever I hadn’t pulled in by hand, and Tom steered a smooth curve through the wind, from the middle of the crowded cockpit. I was sailing with the Royal Navy, and doing my best to keep up. On

CHART: MAXINE HEATH

PHOTOS: THEO STOCKER/YM UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

The Royal Navy’s sailing ships may be long gone, but sailing under canvas is still going strong in the Senior Service. Theo Stocker went to find out more

Portsmouth Harbour

Calshot

Bramble Bank

Beaulieu River

START & FINISH

Portsmouth

Gosport

THE SOLENT

Cowes

Old Castle Pt

Gilkicker Pt

Ryde Yarmouth Isle of Wight

a sunny Saturday morning in early summer, I had found myself hurrying through Gosport. Civilian ‘on time’ is ﬁve minutes late in the Navy and I didn’t want to get off to a bad start. I made it to the gate of Hornet Services Sailing Club at 0800 sharp. Home to many members of the Royal Naval Sailing Association (RNSA) and the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre (JSASTC), I was here for the annual Yarmouth Rally. After the torrential downpour overnight, things were forecast to brighten up, but for now the skies were overcast. Having met my skipper for the day, Royal Navy Offshore sailing team manager, Leading Engineering Technician Tom Gigg, we made our way down Fieldhouse pontoon to the ﬂeet of Victoria 34s, a

‘The sun sparkled while busy ﬂocks of yachts scurried around the Solent’

Vince and Alex listen out for the start signal and check the course

Beaulieu

The afterguard battle with a lively breeze

5nm

34 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

familiar sight to Solent sailors, where we joined our boat, Trochus. On board were five young members of the Royal Navy. The fact that all but one of them were ratings, rather than officers, and all under 30, is proof that Royal Naval sailing is benefitting from a grass-roots effort to encourage and train up new sailors from across the ranks. Sailing doesn’t have to be a ‘Wardroom only’ affair. We would be competing in the Royal Navy Inter-Command Regatta, a low-key competition over a long weekend between different Navy bases, serving as a warm-up ahead of the Inter-Services Regatta. My crew were representing HMS Sultan, where the Navy’s engineers are trained, and would be competing against crews from the new HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, Portsmouth and Plymouth naval bases and the Fleet Air Arm. Some on board were seasoned offshore racers. For others, this was their first time yacht racing. With a westerly Force 3 to 4 and the tide flowing east until after

HOMEWATERS

Victoria 34 Callista powers up for the start off Gilkicker Point

The sun sparkled on the milky green fleet, briefly, before a boat higher up midday, it was going to be a long slog water as the clouds dispersed over the tide overhauled us again. upwind, with a premium on finding a Isle of Wight. The mottled green of the Vince and Tom took turns on the way out of the tide. We sailed out of New Forest lined the opposite shore helm, continually searching out ways Portsmouth Harbour past a Type 45 and racing yachts flocked around the to avoid the tide, and finally found a destroyer and the new leading lights Solent. It felt good to be afloat. back-eddy along the shore between for the huge new aircraft carriers, Sitting on the rail, Jamie, Sam and Calshot and Beaulieu, holding our soon to arrive in the harbour, the Alex told me about their careers in the tacks as close inshore as we dared, largest ships the Navy has ever owned, Royal Navy and the Royal Marines relying on neat teamwork to get by some margin. Our 0930 start time reserve, while flurries of activity about promptly. Another racing fleet was approaching fast and we still had punctuated our conversation. followed and overtook us, before a way to go. As the countdown began, Gradually the movements of racing peeling away for a different mark. we lined up amongst the fleet. came back to me, and the crew got We still werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t catching the two lead Suddenly the last few seconds slicker with every tack. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yacht boats, but we were a solid third. arrived, and I was tasked to sheet in raced in years, and I was the genoa. I promptly got enjoying myself. With clearer a riding turn on the winch, skies, the wind continued costing us valuable seconds to build and white horses at the crucial moment. Sorry capped every wave as the chaps. We crossed the line tide began to turn in our in fourth place and set out favour. We reached a buoy across Stokes Bay. To the that marked the start of a south of us, RORC and JOG short run down the centre of race fleets streamed downthe Solent, our first turning tide in a colourful procession mark for a while and so of spinnakers. Gradually, chance to see how we were we eased off onto a fetch doing against the other towards Calshot and headed boats. Third, still. Given for our first mark, before the the conditions, spinnakers course took us south across had been vetoed, but we the Solent to Ryde Middle. goosewinged the number The tide set us badly to the two jib opposite the genoa in east, forcing us to put in a search of extra sail area, couple of extra tacks, but we though it made little made it up to third in the Placuna tacks across Ryde Middle on her way to victory OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 35

HOMEWATERS

‘Why I saIl WIth the Navy’ Sam Savage, Engineering Technician ‘This is my first time on a yacht, though I have sailed a Fireball with my dad at Langstone before. I saw the notice calling for crew for this event and thought I’d give it a go. It has been great so far, and I definitely want to do it again. It will depend a bit on where I get drafted though. I’m hoping to get a Type 45 destroyer and finally get out and see the world. I’ve only been in the Navy for six months, but it’s been the best choice I’ve made.’

Alex Rigg, Royal Marines Reserve ‘I work in web analystics, so joining the RM reserve is something completely different that’s a bit exciting, and is also serving the country. The training is satisfying, even if you wouldn’t always call it ‘fun’. I’ve been doing it for five years now. I have my own 36ft wooden offshore yacht, built in 1962, but I did my Day Skipper course with JSASTC, and this seemed like a good change to go racing. I only started sailing in the spring of 2016 when I bought the boat as I wanted to learn to sail. This all adds to my experience.’

Commander Mike Shrives, RNSA General Secretary

difference to our position. The lively breeze shot us back towards Cowes, against the now west-going tide, and we were soon rounding the bottom mark hard onto the wind sailing for the Solent’s southern shore as we lined up for the finish off Yarmouth. With a fair tide at last, Yarmouth drew rapidly closer. In the last few feverish moments, there was some panicked discussion about exactly where the finish line was and whether the boats ahead of us had really crossed it. With this tide under us, there would be no turning back to re-cross it. Fortunately Vince made the right call, and we finshed in a respectable third. Yarmouth harbour was rapidly filling up with the combined RNSA and JOG fleets, but luckily space had been reserved for us to raft up three deep. These are military boats, and putting them to bed at the end of the day was an orderly affair – lines made off and neatly coiled, headsails crisply flaked down. With everything ship-shape, drinks soon appeared and crews relaxed into the evening. Competition between the crews melted away and the banter flowed. Cleaned up and in shore clothes, proceedings moved to the Royal Solent Yacht Club. On the club’s terrace in the warm evening sunshine, the Inter-Command Regatta crews mingled with the RNSA Rally crews. Junior rates chatted happily to retired warrant officers and commodores; a shared love of sailing and stories of ships, overseas deployments and foreign ports overrode the formalities of rank. Old friendships were stoked and new ones kindled. This was the

familial camaraderie that is particular to the Navy, and was continued late into the evening. I retired to the hospitality of Dusty Miller’s Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40 that was acting as committee boat for the weekend. The next morning brought gentler winds as crews emerged blinking into the sunlight. The Victoria 34s would be racing in their own class again, and the RNSA yachts could opt for the racing or cruising class. I switched boats, joining RNSA general secretary Mike Shrives and his family for the day aboard Swordfish, a Starlight 35 chartered through RNSA for the weekend. Mike has sailed all the way through a Naval career that has included time as a helicopter pilot, a submariner, and commanding a ship in the first Gulf War. ‘Chartering a boat for the Rally is a good excuse to get the family together,’ Mike said, introducing me to his wife Sarah and three adult children, Hannah, Sam and James. The youngest, James, a helicopter pilot at HMS Culdrose in Cornwall, was skippering. To allow for a leisurely sail with the tide, an early start was set for the cruising division of the Yarmouth Rally, an hour ahead of the IRC-rated racers who would be competing for the Yarmouth Trophy. We may have been cruising, but passage times were recorded for the Golden Bough cruiser trophy; smart boat-handling and best speed were still the order for the day. We pushed up tide from Yarmouth to create enough sea-room to set in the spinnaker in the weak breeze before crossing the start line. We were on our way.

‘Junior rates chatted happily to retired warrant officers and commodores’

‘I never needed to own a boat, as I’ve always had Services boats to race or charter. I ran a Sigma 38 for the Navy for ten years, which was great. We’ve had family holidays afloat most years, cruising to the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly and even in Norway, where I was based for a while. It’s nice that we can still sail together as a family even now that the children have grown up. During my service career RNSA enabled me to qualify as an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore instructor and examiner.’ Our crew add their weight to the rail while crossing tacks off Stansore Point 36 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

HOMEWATERS Callista, crewed by members of the Fleet Air Arm, beating towards Yarmouth from Calshot

A Navy under sail

The Yarmouth Rally is an annual ‘get-together’ for the Royal Naval Sailing Association, and this year was combined with the Inter-command Regatta, providing a snapshot of sailing with the Royal Navy. Trochus is one of the Victoria 34s owned by the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre (JSASTC), which provides sail training for Armed Forces personnel to develop character and leadership skills, and allows them to gain RYA qualifications. JSASTC also operates larger Nicholson 55 and Challenge 72 yachts for offshore and ocean passages and the Halberg Rassy 34s recently bought back from the British Kiel Yacht Club in Germany will also be used. The Royal Naval Sailing Association (RNSA) operates separately as a not-for-profit organisation, supported by members’ fees and grants from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the RN Sports Lottery. It provides grass-roots opportunities for sailors across the Navy to enjoy sailing in all its forms, including cruising, dinghies, offshore and inshore yacht

Joint Services Victoria 34s are a familiar sight on the Solent

racing, power boating and windsurfing. Its offshore racing team members race a J109, Jolly Jack Tar, (2016 national champions) as well as two smaller boats. All other RNSA activities are open to any members whether serving, retired, or family members. There are regular

cruises and races organised by the 10 RNSA branches around the UK. Members are often happy to take others out sailing. Other benefits include access to establishment yachts to charter, inexpensive moorings and RYA training. OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 37

HOMEWATERS

A happy crew relaxes in the cockpit

Wild Blue leading the RNSA racing fleet, hot on the heels of the cruising division James may have been skippering but Mike was still keen to galvanise his crew into race-like action. He enthusiastically discussed the course with James, and briefed everyone on marks to be rounded. Family friend Lizzie Farrington was an experienced hand at the helm; her parents had set sail from Yarmouth to Guernsey that morning on the first leg of their long-awaited circumnavigation. Sam was trimming the spinnaker sheet. Not everyone was convinced, however, and holiday-mode reigned over at

least some of the cockpit. Mike’s wife Sarah was enjoying the sunshine and Hannah threatened the crew with a book of puzzles. A happy medium soon prevailed as coffee and snacks emerged from below, along with memories of holidays on RNSA boats. ‘Do you remember the teddy bear overboard incident, Dad?’ ‘How could I forget? That nearly ruined the holiday! Luckily we got it back on the first attempt,’ recalled Mike. The bear was ceremonially renamed OBB (Overboard bear).

Sailing with associations

WO Mark Durkan keeps an eye on the fleet from the commitee boat

Many organisations have sailing associations that offer members generous benefits and ways to help get people afloat. They are usually open to those who have been part of the organisation and family members, and are often keen to welcome new members. Here are just a few: n RNSA: www.rnsa.org.uk n Army Sailing: www.sailarmy.co.uk n RAF Sailing Association: www.raf.mod.uk/rafsailing n Civil Service Sailing Association: www.cs-sailing.org.uk n Independent schools alumni: www.arrowtrophy.org.uk n John Lewis Partnership Sailing Club: sailing_secretary@johnlewis.co.uk 38 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

Lizzie, who had been a member of the Bristol University Royal Naval Unit as a student and sailed the RNSA’s J80 and SB20 in regattas, kept the boat powering downwind, while I did my best to remember how to dip-pole gybe a spinnaker. Having rounded our mark in mid-Solent, we hardened up for a reach to the Norris port hand buoy. The black, yellow and green kite strained above us, but we just about held it before gybing for our final leg towards Gilkicker Point. I took the helm as we crossed Ryde Middle, but in an effort to keep the spinnaker full, I headed too far upwind. A more competent helm took over to make up the ground downwind. Sorry chaps, again. As we crossed the line, our time was noted down; we came second behind Arthur Baldwin's Fidra. Astern, the rest of the Yarmouth Rally fleet was eating into our time. For us though, race over, we slipped back into Portsmouth, home of the Royal Navy, and the peace of a sunny Sunday afternoon quietly reasserted itself. W

Of course, if you aren’t eligible to join one of these, your own work place may have a sailing association. Alternatively, sailing clubs around the country are looking for

new members. You don’t need a boat to join; just get in touch and most clubs will be happy to match you up with a skipper looking for crew.

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adventure

Following a friend into the wide blue yonder When his friend James planned to sail off into an Atlantic sunset, Tom Dymond decided to jump aboard for a shared adventure

Photos: tom DymonD

k mate, I’m just going to compose myself up here before we do this!’ James shouted back to me over a roaring wind, just as another kind offering of seawater from Pat, James and Tom before departure in Mindelo the Atlantic Ocean saturated us moment I knew I would write about all. We were putting the third reef in sailing with James. the mainsail, but it was complicated James and I met on a school bus by our being in the pitch dark, my to the Eden Project 14 years ago and step-dad Pat throwing up off the stern, have been mates ever since. We shared and the wind having suddenly started school dormitories for six years, spent blowing an absolute hoolie. our weekends together drinking in During this debacle I knew that rugby and playing pubs we’d all want to write about the first – or something like that night of our Atlantic crossing. My – and more recently have friend James would probably want to found we shared a passion talk about sailing in heavy weather or for the sea too. All in all, unreliable forecasting, and Pat likely we know each other well. of the nightmare-turned-reality that Perhaps too well. was his first night at sea. But in that The first thing you need to know about James is that he had a dream to buy a boat and sail around the world. The second thing you need to know is that he’s made it happen. Occasionally he might ask me if something he’s wearing or something he’s posting on Instagram is cool, as if I know these things, and I just think to myself: ‘I shouldn’t stress man, you’re a nautical nomad and you’ve got a massive beard. That’s all the cool you need as far as I’m concerned.’ When I found out about James’s big plans, my heart was set on joining him. The round-the-world aspect of it, I mean… as much as I set my heart on growing a big beard, it just doesn’t appear to work like that. Anyway, he graciously welcomed me to the Blue Eye project and two years on here we We planned a great circle route, but are 5,000 miles from home. should have gone with the wind 40 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

It had always seemed to me that the hardest elements of our new lives would be big seas, missing family and friends, and the odd pirate – so far so good on the latter. What I hadn’t realised was that adapting to life on a small boat with one of my best mates would also be a challenge. After all, in the build up to the trip we spent a significant amount of time together preparing Blue Eye and everything that the adventure on her would entail. And when we weren’t in each other’s company we’d be pinging messages back and forth, forever calling one another up to make the whole thing happen. We even opened a joint bank account, much to the dismay of my girlfriend, who still holds suspicions I’m actually entering into a civil partnership with James under the guise of a round the world trip. The cake that my mum bought for our leaving party, with Tom and James delicately iced on the top, did nothing to alleviate her fears. Prior to this I had not fully appreciated how much more closely entwined still our lives would become. We would eat, sleep, work, wander, wash, drink, shop, cook… everything at the same time. Everything shared, nothing secret. As you can imagine, any annoying habit or flaw either of us might have is magnified living on a 10-metre boat. For example, I’ve never known a man to be so often caught unawares by his seemingly perpetual flatulence. James finds this endlessly amusing. I, particularly given the size of our shared home, do not. I will forgive him though; one, because he has me to put up with as well, and two, for never ceasing to impress me with his instincts when it comes to sailing in heavy seas. Here we are then, just off the coast of the Cape Verdes in the middle of the night, with James getting soaked up on the foredeck and Pat and I taking a fair drenching ourselves back in the

‘Wind we wanted and wind we certainly got’

ADVENTURE

ABOVE: Getting our downwind goose-wing set up right paid dividends

Crossing an ocean is a rare opportunity to leave the noise of everyday life behind

wanted and wind we certainly got. Here’s the point, though. When things do all of a sudden kick off, there’s no hesitation or stage fright in James as to what needs to be done. He becomes a quick decision-maker and clearly sets out a plan of action. Then, just before he executes it, he’ll do something like sit down next to the mast as waves crash over and collect himself. I love that. As he goes through the motions of putting in the reef he yells back to me the stages he’s at, making it easier for me to know how and when to

500nm

START Falmouth

Brest

FRANCE

Bay of Biscay

Lisbon

Azores

PORTUG AL

La Coruña SPAIN

Tangier Madeira

MOROCCO

Canary Islands WESTERN SAHARA

Atlantic Ocean

To Panama

Mindelo,

São Vincente Cape Verde

CHART: MAXINE HEATH

English Harbour Antigua ibbean Car Sea

cockpit. A few hours prior to this we had been in radio contact with a fellow yacht, Seabean, who had left Mindelo in ﬂat seas at the same time as us, and who were also bound for English Harbour, Antigua. A little ahead of our position, they had radioed back to say they’d passed a pod of pilot whales that we should see on our port side any minute. There was not a whale in sight, let alone a pod, but we forgave them after they called an hour later to warn us that the becalmed conditions we were in would soon turn into the Force 7 from forward of the beam that they were currently enduring. In response to this James had boldly informed them: ‘Well, that sounds pretty damn good to us…’ ‘Erm it’s pretty choppy too,’ they nervously replied. ‘Great! We’ll see you guys in Antigua in no time! Blue Eye out,’ he chirped. Things weren’t so chirpy as we battled to reduce sail area and bring a bit more control to our vessel, but we laughed at the irony later on: wind we

OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 41

adventure

Antigua’s English Harbour, seen from Shirley Heights, made a good landfall

help him from the cockpit. As I said, it was pitch dark and the conditions were more blowy than James after a beef curry, so it was a challenge. Later on he sheepishly apologised, saying he must have sounded crazy, a possessed man gone wild. But the yelling worked a treat to get done what was required and I could tell he got a kick from it. I’ve realised that I know a side of him that would surprise and impress most people. Give James a storm and you’ll wonder where that quiet, shy guy went. Once all the sail adjustments had been made – the reef in, the main dropped down the traveller, and both sails sheeted in hard to flatten them to cope with the Force 7 blowing on the bow – he observed our handiwork. He reasoned the following: ‘This is the first night of many crossing an ocean, and we are facing unforecast and unlikely conditions for this part of the world. So we can expect it to be temporary, almost certainly a result of the wind whipping around the Cape

‘He spoke with the experience of a skipper who’s already crossed oceans’

A decent lure was an inexpensive but immensley successful acquisition

Six lessons we learned on the Atlantic crossing

For the last two years I have been part of a crew beginning a transatlantic in November, and for the last two years we have been thwarted by inconsistent winds for the first thousand miles. Next time I cross, I’ll wait until after Christmas when the Trades have established themselves. The Cape Verde Islands are a great place to stop en route from Europe to the Caribbean. Before we left, I put our route together according to the Great Circle line from Mindelo to Antigua. In hindsight, we should have followed the forecasts and aimed for where the wind was, and when we finally found

2 3

42 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

the Trades we could have sailed a Great Circle route. Trolling a pink-skirted squid lure with a large hook brought in almost a fish a day for us. For the 250 escudos in Cape Verde (about £2), we’ve never had a better return for money. Buy it from a local guy, they need the all the help they can get. We’d perfected our goosewinging setup before the crossing and it served us perfectly. There were a couple of days we got the asymmetric up in light winds, but otherwise there is no need to complicate things. Don’t long for the sight of land on the horizon. It won’t be long before technology allows a crew to spend their time scrolling through Facebook as they cross the ocean. Being out there is a privilege that involves getting away from that.

Verde Islands as we sail clear of them. Pat is at the back wondering what the hell he has gotten himself into, and Tom and I are tiring as the adrenaline of putting a reef in wears off.’ ‘Right, what do you reckon to us bearing away from this?’ he said to me. ‘We won’t be heading to the waypoint but we can still make a some west, and we’ll stay off this beat until it veers and drops as it should.’ This is another sailing quality altogether. In the past I’d feared he would always want to push a boat to its limits, mainly at times when we were over-canvassed and heeling so much I could wash my face in the sea, which can exhaust a crew even on a short passage. But now he spoke with the experience of a skipper who had already crossed oceans, and I was impressed by his thinking. Plus, I hate nothing more than sailing into the wind, so I very gladly bore us away as he suggested. It’s an incredible fact of sailing that, depending on if you’re going into the weather or away from it, the same sea can feel like two different worlds. James’s decision allowed us all to get some rest that night, and it also took the strain off a boat that had a long way still to go. Indeed, it became the

adventure

Tom takes a moment on the foredeck to enjoy the sunset

mantra for the entire crossing: if the wind is looking for a fight, let’s choose flight. We’ll save our energy for the remaining hundreds of miles when it eases off again. This was particularly poignant two days later when we spent nearly five hours running from Force 9 winds that the forecasters had missed. Luckily we were able to run in roughly the right direction and very, very fast, but I can assure you that at the time we weren’t feeling that there could be any element of fortune to it at all. Indeed, those first three days of our crossing were just about the worst we

could have hoped for, and certainly the worst reintroduction to sailing for Pat. Alas, I know that for all the good times ahead, there will inevitably be more bad weather too. But James and I haven’t half been through some ‘tough conditions’ (not necessarily the words we used at the time) and, whilst I far from relish the storms, I have no doubts that we’ll see them off, pocketing them as tales for the pub. I’m fortunate that the kid I met on the bus all those years ago really knows what he’s doing, both in life and in sailing. Good on you Haggy. W

Tom takes water samples for the IndigoV citizen science project

Tom Dymond

Tom writes up the log for the day as the sun starts to set

With an ocean behind us, arriving in Antigua felt great

Tom, 25, is currently sailing around the globe with his friend James Haggett on a Nicholson 32. James bought Blue Eye in Falmouth in 2014. At the time Tom was working as a deckhand in the yachting industry, but left to join James on a three-year circumnavigation. Tom’s experience with boats extended little beyond a Day Skipper certificate, polishing a large motor yacht, and catching ferries across the English Channel, but alongside James he found his sea legs off the coast of the South West. OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 43

CRUISING

A yachtsman’s view of offshore wind farms

PHOTO: BOB AYLOTT

herever the yachtsman sets sail in UK waters he’s never far from the twirling blades of some distant windfarm because while Britannia no longer rules the waves, the Queen does, and as the landlady of the sea-bed she charges rent for power created there. Her business, the Crown Estate brings in cash, 75 per cent for the Treasury and the rest for the Buckingham Palace coffers,

44 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

from wind, wave and tidal power generation. The biggest of these is offshore wind power, which brings in £28 million anually from wind farm leases alone. From the London Array to Linconshire, Barrow to Blyth and Thanet to Teesside, there are now 29 fully operational offshore wind farms with a capacity of 5,355 megawatts (5.3 gigawatts) of power, which produced 5.4 per cent of the UK’s total electricity consumption in 2016.

PHOTO: ALAMY

A lifelong yachtsman is head of the offshore windfarm trade association. He tells Dick Durham our seas are about to change dramatically

Accurate weather forecasts allow power companies to compensate for light winds

CRUISING Wind farms are here to stay, and will continue to grow around the UK coast

PHOTO: BOB AYLOTT

That megawatt figure is set to double in UK waters – now dubbed the ‘Saudi Arabia of Offshore Wind’ – over the next few years with the construction of a further 12 offshore wind farms, including the massive Hornsea Project 1, which could result in a man-made island, airstrip and harbour on the Dogger Bank (See YM News, Summer 2017 issue). Yachtsmen have expressed fears of the navigational hazards these giant sea-bed implants can create, from the new Rampion farm off Brighton, which stands smack bang in the middle of a favourite cross-Channel passage plan, to its Suffolk sister, the Galloper farm, and other new farms including those off Northumberland, North Wales and Aberdeen. So we asked Julian Brown, the 54-year-old chairman of the wind industry trade association RenewableUK, who also happens to be a lifelong yachtsman, to put our minds at rest. I joined Julian aboard Arcturus of Lymington, his Jeanneau Sun Fast 42, at his pontoon berth in Woolston, near Southampton, for a daysail while he talked. After casting off we dropped down the River Itchen and Julain laid the first

Passage plans now need to take account of wind farms

Can I sail through a windfarm?

Yes, yachts can sail through a windward, Julian Brown assures us. We can sail between the turbines of any windfarm as long as it is not under construction, and as long as we remain 50m clear of any turbine – just check the relevant Notice to Mariners. A complete list of sources for Notices to Mariners can be found at: www. rya.org.uk/knowledge-advice/safe-

boating/have-a-plan/Pages/noticesto-mariners.aspx In addition, with the distance between turbines at no less than half a kilometre, finding a route between them should prove less demanding than trying to stay inside the Portland Race, Menai Strait or Outer Crouch. It’s also important to note that the lowest point of any turbine blade is still a lofty 22m above the highest astronomical tide. For most cruising yachts, this won’t be an issue, but it is worth checking your air draught. OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 45

INSET PHOTO: ALAMY

CRUISING

ABOVE: Yachtsmen may not like offshore wind farms, but they understand managing limited energy with renewable resources

myth to rest, by reassuring me that windfarms are not off limits to the leisure sailor. It might still be worth avoiding them in strong winds, but not because of the turbines. In winds of 40 knots or more, the turbine blades rotate and change pitch – ‘A bit like heaving-to’, said Julian – to give minimum resistance, shutting down automatically. So when the whole farm stops moving, any seaman worth his salt should stay well clear anyway as, for obvious reasons, wind farms are usually built on offshore shoals – not the place to head for in heavy weather. There was no fear of that today as we drifted in light summer breezes down past Ocean Village towards Southampton Water. 46 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

‘Wind turbines have to regulate power in different wind speeds, just like on a sailing boat, except we do it by reefing and then eventually go bare poles’ said Julian. ‘As experienced skippers we understand the power in the wind and how to capture it but also how to respect it.’ Sceptics have long dismissed wind energy as a white elephant but as Julian points out, the power industry is privatised, ‘so the only motive is being able to sell the energy.’ He adds that although wind farms have been subsidised to get the industry started, this is easing and the costs of building them are coming down rapidly as research and development advances; and in any

PHOTO: BOB AYLOTT

Dick and Julian get sailing as the wind fills in, while they discuss wind power

case, oil, gas and nuclear energy are all subsidsed, too. OK, he would say that wouldn’t he? Yes, as a lobbyist for offshore wind he would, but consider this: the greatest investment going into renewable energy is in China, a country not noted for environmental compassion. Arcturus of Lymington has a retractable bowsprit, which Julian fitted, as he knows just how important it is to get clear air. With the kite on the end of the sprit, there's enough of a slot for the genoa to fill without flowing dirty air into the spinnaker. To him it is a case of fitting the correct kit to harness the free power of the wind. ‘Carbon dioxide, without any doubt, is driving climate change, so long-

term burning of fuels like coal and oil, which would require carbon capture, is too expensive. Gas is lower carbon but not CO2 free. Nuclear energy has its hazards and is also proving expensive. The energy the wind and sun supply is free, all we have to do is continue building the apparatus to catch it,’ Julian said. He believes yachtsmen are among the more enlightened when it comes to the UK’s energy dilemma because we face the same challenges afloat. ‘Where does my power come from when I’m aboard?’ he asks rhetorically. ‘I can charge up from my smelly and noisy diesel engine, of course. Fuel cells are attractive but expensive. I’d prefer to use shore power, but I can only do that in a marina. I could use solar panels on deck, but only when the sun’s shining. I can use a wind generator, too, but only when the wind’s blowing…every yachtsman will make different choices on different occasions, but he will understand the beauty of wind power, perhaps better than anyone else.’ But Julian is not blind to the limitations of offshore wind power: ‘The UK needs a portfolio of energy sources just as we have on our boats. The growth of renewable electricity is progressing alongside significant improvements in weather forecasting – essential for our grid operators to stay ahead of the game and regulate

Chart: Maxine heath

CRUISING

Active/In operation Under construction Consented In planning Pre-planning application Wave site Tidal site

All current UK offshore renewable energy projects, including tide and wave power all the different energy systems. ‘Again, sailors understand this: we think ahead and treat energy as a valuable commodity, saving it when we can and using it wisely. Do we turn the fridge off because the autopilot is hungry and let the drinks go warm? The sun doesn’t shine at night and the wind doesn’t blow all the time. We understand the choices.’ Our cockpit now looked like a down tools in a rope factory: cordage everywhere from sheets and guys, halyards and downhauls.

‘The number of people now employed in the offshore wind industry runs into tens of thousands. People work in construction and installation, planning and development, transport and other support services,’ Julian said. The industry has given a major boost to areas long suffering from economic decline and unemployment including Grimsby, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Hartlepool, Workington, Barrow and Liverpool. And in the heart of the UK’s Photo: Mhi Vestas offshore Wind

Offshore wind facts and figures

1991 First offshore windfarm built in Vindeby, Denmark with a hub height of 35 metres 2001 First UK offshore windfarm built at Blyth: 62m high 2011 Hub heights grow to 83m 2017 Hub heights now 105m and 18 times more power than in 1991

n In the UK, offshore windfarms take up 0.1 per cent of our sea area, but produce 5.4 per cent of the nation’s electricity requirements, powering more than 4 million UK homes n A 1GW offshore windfarm provides electricity for more than 800,000 homes a year. The UK’s potential is estimated at 120GW using turbines in depths under 50m, sufficient to supply all of the country’s electricity n There are 300,000 onshore and offshore wind turbines globally n The UK is the world leader in offshore wind – we’ve installed more capacity than any other country, and

Turbines are now taller and more powerful than ever before

we’re the number one destination for attracting investment in this technology. The UK is the largest single offshore wind market globally n A record £12.7 billion was invested in UK offshore wind projects in 2016, double the £6.1 billion figure recorded in 2015. More than £18bn will be invested in the next five years, making offshore wind the 6th largest UK infrastructure programme

n Offshore wind is already costcompetitive with new nuclear, and is set to be competitive with new gas by the middle of the next decade. Public support for offshore wind reached a record high of 80 per cent in the Government’s latest Public Attitudes Tracking Survey (by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in May 2017) OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 47

CRUISING It may appear daunting, but yachts can sail through wind farms, as long as construction has finished

Julian Brown

Chairman, Rewnewable UK Julian, 55, grew up on the Isle of Wight and has been ‘playing’ on boats from an early age. He cruised the English Channel throughout his teens, aboard his father’s Trapper 500. He describes his sailing as ‘singlehanded with company’, when his wife Mandy joins him aboard, although he occasionally races with friends from the Royal Southampton Yacht Club. His main cruising grounds are The Solent, Channel Islands, North and West Brittany. His three children are grown up but occasionally join him for a daysail. Julian owns a wind industry consulting business and is also chairman of the trade association, Renewable UK.

PHOTO: ALAMY

RIGHT: BOB AYLOTT. PHOTO ABOVE: ALAMY

most popular sailing area, The Solent, the manufacturing of turbine blades is now so advanced it is hoped soon that the 270 jobs provided by the alliance of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Vestas Wind Systems on the Isle of Wight will result in a healthy export market – MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has already announced it will be exporting blades to a German offshore wind farm. At the Isle of Wight factory the longest turbine blades in the world are being built. At 80m, nearly the length of Manchester United’s ground, these blades serve the powerful V1648MW turbine. Just one of these broke the world record for power output in 2014, producing 192,000 units of electricity in a day, enough to power 45 UK households for a year. A single rotation of one of these turbines could power a BMW i3 for 40 miles. There have been concerns expressed

48 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

The UK is one of the most suitable sites for offshore wind power in the world

by environmentalists that the sonar used in sea-bed surveys for the foundations of turbines may be having a damaging effect on mammals. The beaching of sperm whales in The Wash last year remains a mystery, but it is known sonar can damage their brains. The jury is still out on this particular issue, and whale beaching has been occurring for hundreds of years, long before offshore wind technology was invented, but Julian said that the industry goes to great lengths to limit impact on the marine environment, using ‘bubble curtains’ around foundations to reduce piling noise during installation, for example. Offshore wind companies work closely with organisations such as Natural England and the Marine Management Organisation to understand and mitigate the potential effects of projects on wildlife. The industry also undertakes extensive environmental studies before starting construction. Perhaps the strangest boost to offshore wind power has come, by default, from US President Donald Trump. Industry sources say that since he pulled America out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, global support for renewable energy has actually increased. The industry predicts that the UK will have 10GW-worth of offshore windpower by 2020, enough to supply 10 per cent of electricity for the UK’s total power supply and 15GW by 2025. The lonely whirling towers at sea are set to grow in great numbers, and while they will not replace more conventional power sources for many decades, their presence will not just add to the mix, but will serve as collective flagstaffs for enlightened and progressive energy policy. W

ADVERTORIAL

‘Safety: bring the best advice on board’ RNLI volunteer crews will always be there to assist you, without judgement and no matter the cause, but now the RNLI can help you before you get into difficulty

hings can change quickly at sea,’ says Jon Oxenham, RNLI Community Safety Manager. ‘Even the most experienced skipper or crew can get caught out, and there’s no shame in that. A broken-down engine plus strengthening winds, or a fall from your tender without a lifejacket, and suddenly a minor issue becomes

Are you a newcomer who wants more confidence in your safety knowledge, or an experienced skipper who wants a safety kit check? Advice Onboard is a free, friendly, faceto-face service, conducted by highly-trained RNLI volunteers, that covers your boat’s specific safety considerations. Give a time and place that best suits you, and the RNLI will arrange a visit tailored to your vessel and the type of

Free lifejacket clinics

boating you do. Whether it’s anchors or engine spares, volunteers are happy to answer all your queries. They’re also on hand at marinas, harbours and slipways for more informal advice.

n Visit RNLI.org/AdviceOnboard for information and booking

Discover the RNLI RNLI volunteers would be delighted to visit your club and give a group presentation on all things boating, from man overboard equipment to calling for help.

ALL PHOTOS: RNLI

Advice Onboard

very dangerous. We’d much rather people call us before situations become serious, but it’s even better to keep yourself safe and know what to do in the first place. ‘Thanks to almost 200 years of search and rescue experience, we’ve seen most of the things that can catch you out,’ Jon continues. ‘To help you avoid them the RNLI offers a range of free services.’

We all know the benefits of lifejackets, but if yours has a serious fault you’re wearing a dead weight. Trained RNLI volunteers will show you how to check your lifejacket, replace firing heads and gas bottles, and maintain it to keep it working properly.

n For dates and locations, email community_safety@rnli.org.uk or call the RNLI’s Supporter Care Team on 0300 300 9918

RNLI call-outs in 2016

1,585 Machine ry 138 Man overbofailure ar 95 Out of fuel d

n To book, email community_safety@rnli.org.uk or call the RNLI’s Supporter Care Team on 0300 300 9918

Lifejacket lockers It’s important you wear a lifejacket in your tender but what do you do with it once ashore? The RNLI provides free, secure lifejacket lockers at a number of popular UK harbours, including Salcombe and Fowey. n Find locker locations at RNLI.org/LJlockers

Get safety tips, checklists and more at RNLI.org/boating OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 49

BOOK AT BUNKTIME

There’s always a good read hidden on a sailor’s shelves. Tell us your favourite. EMAIL theo.stocker@timeinc.com

Battling for survival in the brutal 1979 Fastnet storm Nick Ward recounts his ordeal in the storm that nearly sank the yacht Grimalkin

decided to scrap all thoughts of looking for my medication – there was no point at all. The Tupperware box in which they were sealed was long gone from its safe haven near my flooded bunk. 24 hours must have passed since my last 30mg tablet; normally I'd have taken it twice daily. This was the first time I'd ever missed taking it since the diagnosis of my epilepsy. I knew that fitting or convulsing down here could lead to serious injury, to drowning, but talking myself down from a state of near panic, I reminded myself that so did every other option, and with that I prepared to bail. With a piece of splintered wood, I scratched a mark on the forward bulkhead to give me the current water level. The boat's continuous seesaw movement made it impossible to determine the real level, but I had to have a reference point, something to encourage me. I unhooked my bucket

and started to bail. The most effective way was to throw water up out of the companionway entrance, where I was positioned, and into the cockpit, which was self-draining. Getting into a rhythm was difﬁcult at ﬁrst. Apart from the continual swaying in the

something. No longer a passenger hanging on for grim death, I felt elated, in control. This blue bucket was a joyous possession. While bailing, I also became really deeply immersed in conversations with Gerry, which ranged from football to Formula One. I also updated him with what I was encountering below in the cabin with an ample supply of expletives. Eventually, all too soon, I was out of breath. I decided to go up into the cockpit and check the weather. I sat on the edge of the cockpit taking deep, slow breaths. God, this was so surreal – me and Gerry trapped on this tiny, lowlying yacht surrounded by tower-block swells. If only this storm would blow out as quickly as it had peaked. A foamy spray doused me, cut my face, chilled me to the marrow. With nothing else to do, I carefully studied the sea’s movement and frequency. A monumental swell still ran, but I was sure that only every ﬁfth or sixth

‘Having something to do, a task with an aim, lifted my spirits’ cabin, my clothing felt tight and cumbersome, heavy as lead from the immersions and constant drenching, but without it I would already be dead. Despite the discomfort and restriction, something was telling me to keep going, and I soon settled into bailing with a will. For a while, maybe half an hour or so, I went at bucket-chucking non-stop. Having something to do – a task with an aim, ridding Grimalkin of water, bailing her dry – lifted my spirits and my self-esteem. For the ﬁrst time in hours I had a chance of achieving

PHOTO: BLOOMSBURY

Nick Ward Nick Ward was born in Hamble and was taught to sail at the age of four. He has retained his love of sailing, working in the marine trade for most of his career and delivering and racing yachts of all kinds. Nick lives in Hamble with his wife Christine and two children. Left for Dead is Nick's account of survival during the 1979 Fastnet Race, in which 15 sailors died, two on board Grimalkin.

50 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

wave was taller than its neighbour – rather than every second or third, as it had been the last time I’d looked. ‘Looks like it’s eased off a bit more… there might be some hope for us yet, hey Gerry?’ Even so, this was still a dangerous, possibly fatal place to be. I had to get bailing again. Back below I counted ten buckets out, then stopped for balance and breath. Slumped over, I caught my breath and let the spasms slowly lessen. With my hand still locked round the handle of the blue bucket, I checked my marker. The water level was the same. But I managed to convince myself that I was making an impact, because while the water level may not have gone down, neither had it gone up. My bailing was keeping it at bay, and for the moment that was good enough for me. Trying to get a rhythm back, I started singing ‘Ten Green Bottles’ – it worked. ‘Come on, mate…join in,’ I shouted up. W

Left for Dead by Nick Ward was ﬁrst published in 2008. It was updated and republished by A&C Black in 2010, and is also available as an eBook.

ANCHORAGE Reservation anchored abeam of the beacon off the north quay in Viavélez

Fl(3)R.9s8m5M 4

100m

Fl(3)G.9s8m3M 13

Viavélez, Asturias

f all the fine anchorages along the north Spanish coast Viavélez is, without doubt, my favourite. This small, landlocked harbour, nine miles east of Ribadeo, is not for everybody. The craft needs to be of moderate size, both in length and depth, and the skipper not of a nervous disposition. Entry to this idyllic spot can be quite difficult and should only be made in settled conditions and with a good rise of the tide. This coastline has high cliffs and some isolated rocks inconsiderately placed a long way out to trap the unwary. Even with an offshore waypoint, on my last visit I got it wrong and found myself in a cul-de-sac with swell crashing angrily on the embracing rocks. The entrance can be difficult as the masonry of the short conical tower on the outer breakwater is the same 52 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

VIAVÉLEZ

Tall white house (conspic)

100nm

Bordeaux

Bay of Biscay

La Coruña VIAVÉLEZ Gijón S

P A I

F R A N C E

colour as the surrounding cliffs, although it helps if the houses in the village can be seen peeping out. The decision whether or not there is too much swell should be taken before rounding the breakwater. Even in a moderate swell the waves rebound off both breakwaters causing a lively, tumultuous short passage into the harbour. However, all is rewarded once through, as you glide in to this placid pool. The recognised anchorage is inside the southern breakwater in two metres, but there is little swinging room and a kedge might be needed. As you see from the picture, Reservation was able to anchor abeam of the beacon off the north quay even at Springs. The harbour shoals rapidly to the west, although there appears to be more water along the northern quay, and one of the larger fishing boats regularly moors at a quay in the creek. The fishermen are very friendly and, when I slipped on the slime of the slipway, one was immediately there to help me up and into my dinghy. Ashore it is really beautiful. Past a cave where waves crash against the rocks, a steep path leads up to a magnificent viewpoint. Here you can see the cliffs stretching into the

Beacon

Santander N

PHOTO: JIM MOTTRAM. CHART: MAXINE HEATH/YM

Jim Mottram revisits this little gem of a harbour on Spain’s north coast

Muelle de Gudin

distance, the turbulent entrance and a bird’s eye view of the harbour. The little village has no shops but there is a fine restaurant and bar in the creek. Last time it was closed with a charming notice, which read ‘Closed Mondays for a rest’. This time it was open and I was made most welcome and able to recharge my computer. It is also worth walking around the southern shore of the harbour. A short path passes the only eyesore, a block of flats, and leads through woodland tracks, swarming with wild cats. This harbour is a real gem and one I had been looking forward to revisiting. It did not disappoint and my only regret is that I am unlikely to visit it again. There are rarely rewards without effort and this harbour is worth a visit. W

BOOK REVIEWS

SAILING LIBRARY Yachting Monthly reviews some new options for your sailing library

High latitude sailing

A History of Whisstock’s Boatyard

By Jon Amtrup and Bob Shepton, published by Saltwater at £7.12 In terms of credibility, Jon is Norwegian and has sailed round Svalbard and Greenland for years, and Bob has sailed his 33ft Westerly Discus through the North West Passage in both directions. The book opens with a rallying cry to ﬁnd real freedom, away from everything. Thereafter the advice, delivered with relentless practicality, is gold. It addresses how to prepare yourself, what sort of boat you need and how to ﬁt it out, tips on food and drink, how to sail in ice, anchoring and mooring techniques and kit – everything, in short, you need to know to sail in high latitudes. Review by Chris Beeson

By Sue Whisstock, published by Leiston Press at £12 Claude Whisstock and son George opened their yard in Woodbridge, Suffolk in 1926. Before its demise some 60 years later it produced 700 craft, including an eight-ton sloop in 1938 named Florence Edith, later renamed Gipsy Moth by new owner Francis Chichester. Other notable clients include author Hammond Innes, and David Cowper, who set solo sailing records aboard the 41ft aluminium sloop Ocean Bound launched in 1979. Their most famous boat? The Deben Four Tonner, designed by William Maxwell Blake that represented boat-building at the Festival of Britain in 1951. Review by Dick Durham

WIN

a Dokensip boat security system worth £900

Sailing into purgatory By Paul Rodgers, published by Olympia at £8.99 The author is a former Mirror journalist turned yachtsman who sailed solo and non-stop around the world in Spirit of Pentax in 1981-2. Purgatory refers to the stitch-up that saw him sentenced to 16 years for involvement in drug smuggling in 2001. It’s dealt with in the ninepage epilogue, but the other 268 pages present an engaging account of his ﬁnal voyage after decades of professional sailing. His writing sparkles and meanders and is peppered with literary references and memories of somamazing voyages. There’s even a love interest. Absolutely captivating. Do not judge this book by its appalling cover. Review by Chris Beeson

Dokensip is giving away a free starter pack worth £900. The pack includes: ■ Core module

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hether your boat is kept in a marina overseas or a couple of miles away on a swinging mooring, it is always good to have peace of mind that your boat is okay come rain or shine. Dokensip provides you with reassurance that if anything were to happen on your boat, you will know about it instantly through the website or mobile app. Simply install the wireless sensors and you can check on your boat or set up alerts to your mobile phone to warn you that your boat is moving, there is water in the bilges, there is an intruder on your boat plus many more. Ensuring that when you next head out for a sail you can just step on and motor off.

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To enter the competition visit: www.yachtingmonthly.com/dokensip Competition closing date: 16th October 2017 OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 53

ANCHORAGE The holding is eel grass with sandy patches and visibility is good

Frigate Island, St Vincent & the Grenadines

Martinique St Lucia

Barbados St Vincent and the Grenadines Q strobe

Frigate Island Grenada 0

50nm

Kit Pascoe enjoys some snorkelling in this sheltered Caribbean anchorage

oming from the south, Clifton on Union Island will be your first port of call into St Vincent & the Grenadines as the customs and immigration offices are located there. Once you’re cleared in and have picked up some rather vibrant vegetables from the Clifton market, you’ll probably find yourself a little eager to leave. Clifton anchorage is complicated with its abundance of reefs, RIBs and charter boats and if you fancy a quick dip to cool off, you’re risking your life with the outboard motors whizzing past with reckless abandon. Flee to Frigate. With prevailing easterly winds, chances are your trip to Frigate Island will be downwind, and I did it under genoa alone with one gybe once I was abeam of the island. Going downwind, it’s only two miles and there are no errant reefs that require the noon sun. Frigate Island is a natural island joined to Union by a semi man-made causeway. Originally planned as a marina complex, its building stopped before it really started well over a decade ago. Now the causeway is 54 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

covered by low trees and bushes and the shores either side are coral, rock and sand. It provides the ideal shelter for yachts anchored on the leeward side yet never seems to be particularly busy. You can even log on to Cruisers Wi-fi Hotspot and buy a day, week or month of wi-fi in the anchorage! Once you’ve rounded Frigate Island coming from Clifton you can turn up almost immediately and head into the anchorage. To stay out of any easterly swell that might be trying to wrap itself around this headland, go in past the island itself to where the causeway joins Frigate. Here you will find shelter from swell and, if you nudge in as close as the echosounder will let you, from most of the wind as well. The tidal range is small at around 20-40cm but the area does shallow off quickly, so be careful. Depending on your depth, you can still get a good spot though, and with a 1.8m (6ft) draught we managed to anchor within 130m of the causeway quite comfortably. The holding is eel grass with sandy patches that are visible even in 5pm sunshine and it’s easy to snorkel to check your anchor in the clear and shallow water. If you’re a keen snorkeller you can head by dinghy to the causeway (rocky landing, you may prefer to anchor the dinghy and wade), climb over to the beach opposite and snorkel the reef there (ever mindful of currents). Otherwise there’s a good patch of

Clifton

I S L A N D Ashton Harbour

Shallow 1 8 lagoon

Derelict

07 01

5 21 2

Causeway 12

2 25

FRIGATE ISLAND

Good snorkelling

Frigate Island Lagoon Reef

55 88 25

10 0

50m

snorkelling just on the lee side of Frigate, to the south of the anchorage. Anchor your dinghy and take care not to be washed over rocks. You can also easily travel by dinghy up to the town of Ashton, which has a few restaurants and bars and the prices are said to be lower than neighbouring, tourist-driven Clifton. From peaceful Frigate Island, you are only a short sail to Chatham Bay, an enjoyable hop to Petite Martinique, a reach to Carriacou or a brain-clearing beat to the extraordinary Tobago Cays. This area is daysailing at its finest. W

PHOTO: KIT PASCOE. CHART: MAXINE HEATH/YM

Ashton U N I O N

ÂŠ Willyam Bradberry / shutterstock

Help us put the life back into our seas

The Marine Conservation Society is the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading charity working to protect our seas, shores and wildlife Join us now to receive your welcome pack and quarterly magazine E: info@mcsuk.org T: 01989 566017 W: www.mcsuk.org Registered Charity No (England and Wales): 1004005 Registered Charity No (Scotland): SC037480

ANCHORAGE

CHART: MAXINE HEATH/YM

Loch Moidart, Ardnamurchan Chart not to be used for navigation 2

LOCH MOIDART

Bogh Mor Eilean Raonuill Pole

North Channel Sgeir na Claidheamh

2 5

River Shiel

Sgeir nan Sgarbh Sgeir Ruagh Eilean Corra Eilean Carnagh

overlook the substantial foundations of Dorlin House, which occupied a shoreside position so enviable that its still vacant site remains an enigma. Perhaps the bloody echoes of Castle Tioram’s troubled history proved to be a disturbing neighbour – in 1715, the owners torched the castle to prevent it falling into the hands of the Campbells. Here, the isolation is the allure, and no facilities such as shops, pubs or 5 cables 0 showers intrude to spoil the ambience. Shona Beag To enter the loch, first identify Eilean Shona Eilean Raonuil with its summit perch 2 Cables 5 Jetty & slip in the centre of the channel to the Moo south of Eilean Shona. Make your Ru a Bhaile Pontoon ring Riska s approach to this island on a bearing South Channel of 100°, though if Castle Tioram can Cables be seen it can be used as Castle Tioram 2 a leading line over Eilean SCOTLAND Raonuil until that island Skye can be left 0.5 cables to port, when a bearing of Rùm Eigg Fort William 73° will clear the rocks LOCH MOIDART to the south-east. When the grassy tops of Eilean Mull Oban 20nm 0 Carnagh and Eilean Cora come into line, steer 30° to port towards Sgeir nan Sgarbh cruise from Skye down to Loch Linnhe until it is 0.3 cables to the north, bestowed the boon of a visit afloat. before turning due east until the small Whilst the entrance to Loch Moidart cone of Eilean Cora is well open on might resemble a troll’s garden, careful Sgeir na Claidheamh. Pass Sgeir na attention to pilotage advice such as that Claidheamh to port, taking note of offered by the Clyde Cruising Club’s the rock to the south-west of it and Sailing Directions allows a path to be head across to leave Ru a Bhaile one picked through the scatter of guarding cable to port before circling Riska islets and rocks. We chose to anchor in clockwise. We anchored to the south the shadow of the castle between the of the island, taking care to avoid the island of Riska and the shore. submarine cables supplying Shona. Aside from its perfect beach, ruined The sandy beach is just a stone’s castle and the four-mile snaking throw away and the lure of exploration Postman’s Walk leading through to the is strong, but first breathe in the venerable ‘Seven Men of Moidart’ trees atmosphere of this most precious at Kinlochmoidart, the area offers little place and let your life slow down other than truly breathtaking scenery. to the snail’s pace that this noble I have often spotted golden eagles setting commends. W soaring over the towering crags that

Anchor in the shadow of the ancient castle and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of this beautiful loch, says Jonty Pearce

PHOTO: DENNIS HARDLEY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

ver the years I have enjoyed many land-based family visits to Loch Moidart. Our favourite spot is the dramatic looming ruin of Castle Tioram, looking imposingly down the loch towards the open sea. Perched off the beach on its own tidal islet, the causeway covers at High Water leaving it marooned. Indeed, we lingered too long on one birthday visit and were cut off, only reaching the sanctuary of the car and my birthday cake after a deep wade moments before the causeway became impassable. It was the best birthday ever, and Castle Tioram has become a place of pilgrimage for me ever since. Imagine my delight when a club

Looking out across Castle Tioram and Riska Island, Loch Moidart. There is a deep anchorage to the south of Riska

56 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

This year at Southampton: 310 DS and

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CRUISING GUIDE

La Palma –

C A N A RY I S L A N DS

Caleta del Sebo La Graciosa Lanzarote

La Palma

Santa Cruz de La Palma La Gomera

Santa Cruz Tenerife

San Sebastián Valverde de La Gomera El Hierro

Fuerteventura

Arrecife Puerto del Rosario

Las Palmas Gran Canaria 0

50nm

of stupendous scenery with dense, jungle-like forests, volcanoes, black sand beaches and star-filled night skies untarnished by light pollution. This volcanic island rises almost four miles from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, and has road access from sea level to within a few metres of its highest point, Los Muchachos (The Boys), which stands at 2,426m (7,959ft) near the apex of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. Close Wind by are many Acceleration Zone observatories, a Palma, nicknamed La Isla Pta del Mudo due to the clarity Bonita – the pretty island Pta Cumplida of the atmosphere. – is the most The island was northwesterly of declared a starlight the Canaries, and LA PALMA reserve in 2012. as yet untarnished by mass Pta Gorda La Palma has more tourism. Almond-shaped, the Roque de los Muchachos water than the other island has an area of 270 square miles Caldera de islands, making it the and is said to be the steepest in the Taburiente National Park greenest of the Canaries world, rising to almost 2,400 metres and contributing to above sea level in the space of just Santa Cruz its reputation as the 10 kilometres. La Palma is an island Marina La Palma prettiest. Fill your drinking water tanks here before a Puerto Tazacorte transatlantic crossing. Cruising Guide to La Palma Much of the island’s the Canary Islands, Airport income used to be derived by Oliver Solanas Pta Lava Pta de Arenas from growing bananas, Heinrichs & Mike Blancas which 10 years ago made Westin. Imray, up a whopping 80% of the £29.50. local economy. However, This is a handy tourism has been increasing guide for those who want to explore steadily and is now the the Canary Islands in depth or 0 5nm Wind Acceleration main source of income. simply pass through on their way Zone Fuencaliente The trekking here is among across the Atlantic. the best in the islands. Pta Fuencaliente

the pretty island

Take time to cruise the Canary islands and discover what they have to offer. This month, Mike Westin and Oliver Solanas Heinrichs look at one of the smaller islands, La Palma

58 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

PHOTO: ADOLFO MESA QUEVEDO

Cave dwellings can still be found around the coast. These are close to Punta Gorda

CRUISING GUIDE

Marina La Palma

too, and some swell nearly always finds its way into the marina. A solution in the form of a lock gate is currently being built in the marina entrance. The town can be reached through the car park behind the fences around McDonald’s. It is a compact little town with some nice restaurants.

he marina is next to the rather pleasant little city of Santa Cruz de la Palma but beware the wind acceleration zone, which lies just outside the pier. The breeze will abate as you round the pier but it can be quite gusty inside the harbour,

Marina La Palma is close to the compact capital with all it has to offer MARINA LA PALMA

500m 14

Fl(2)G.7s5m3M Fl(2)R.7s5m3M Ferry 8

Ferries

RoRo

s Container

n General: Marina La Palma has 180 berths. The staff speak good English and are very helpful. n Approach: VHF Ch09. Busy outer commercial harbour. Keep well to the (shore) side. The ferries approach fast. n Berthing: Example rates: 12mx4m €23.25/night, €698/month n Facilities: Toilets/showers/laundry. n Electricity/water: Blue three-pin Euro-socket. 20mm inside water connection. Very good drinking water. n Fuel: Next to office n Security: 24/7, but no locked doors to the pontoons.

n Internet: Free. Code from the office. n Food & drink: McDonalds just outside and a wide selection of cafés and bars in town. Don’t miss the famous restaurant ‘Chipi Chipi’, though you will have to take a taxi or rent a car. Ask in the office for directions. n To do: The Maritime Museum built inside a house in the form of Columbus’s ship, Santa Maria (€1.50). Don’t miss: Stroll in town, and tapas. n Contact: Puerto de Santa Cruz de La Palma 38700, Santa Cruz de La Palma. Tel (+34) 922 410 289; email: info@marinalapalma.es or www.caleromarinas.com; www. marinalapalma.es

Fl(2+1)R.21s3M Fl.R.5s9m3M D Fl(3)R.5s2M

Playa de Bajamar

5 3

C Fl(3)R.7s2M Fl.G.5s17m5M B Fl(2)R.7s2M

The plans in this article are derived from those drawn by Imray for the book Cruising Guide to the Canary Islands. They are not to be used for navigation. They are designed to support the text and should at all times be used with navigational charts

Boatyard

5 10

PUERTO DE TAZACORTE

Fl(3)R.9s Fl(2)G.7s

Q(9)15s 10m5M 24

Fl(2)G.7s7m1M Fl(2)R.7s 17m5M

Fl(2)R.7s 18m5M 13

Playa Nueva

Q.R.1s5M 17

500m

Tazacorte is on the warmer west coast of the island

Essential facts

n General: Safe marina with 341 berths, but may occasionally get some surge inside if there is a (rare) large southerly swell. There are plans to extend the hard standing. n Approach: VHF Ch9. Keep at least half a mile from the coast before entering Tazacorte. You can anchor just outside the harbour but beware of the rocks near the shore. Larger yachts can arrange to dock in the outer harbour. The wall is sometimes used by cruise ships, so call beforehand by telephone or VHF Ch09 to make arrangements. n Facilities: Toilets/showers/laundry. n Fuel: Times may change during the seasons, but always available in the

mornings. Ask at the office. n Travel-lift 50T: Contact the marina office. Easy to use for visitors. Electricity/water: Blue 3-pin Eurosocket. 20mm inside water connection. n Security: 24/7. Pontoons are locked. n Internet: Pay for use wi-fi. Cheap, but the connection is not always good. n Food & drink: Café in marina or walk to nearby village. n To do: Take a skinny dip at the nudist beach behind the harbour wall, or keep your clothes on for the nice walk to the nearby town. Don’t miss The sunset from the high marina wall or the beach. n Contact: Puerto de Tazacorte s/n 38779, Tazacorte. Tel (+34) 922 480 386; email: info@puertotazacorte.com; www.puertotazacorte.com

PHOTO ABOVE: OLIVER SOLANAS HEINRICHS & MIKE WESTIN. PHOTO LEFT: ADOLFO MESA QUEVEDO

Marina Tazacorte his small, private marina on the west coast of La Palma offers excellent services, but many cruisers don’t take the time to go all around the island to get there. It is less affected by wind acceleration zones than Marina La Palma, as it is in the lee of the high island. It also gets considerably warmer on the west coast than on the east. Very few amenities can be found in the area near the port of Tazacorte, although there are a few small restaurants and cafés close to the marina.W

CHARTS: MAXINE HEATH/YM

Essential facts

OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 59

Yachting Monthly’s founder Herbert Reiach wrote in the first issue in 1906: Readers’ ‘We shall be glad to receive the best logs and cruising Cruising stories offered to us from all parts of the world’ Stories 111 years later, nothing’s changed! We’re still publishing your cruising stories

Planning a cruise around wildlife provides sailing pleasure for Dan Renton. For me, sailing is not so much about speed and perfectly trimmed sails, but the chance to cruise gently and appreciate wildlife. I like a good sea-safari and our log books sailing around the west coast of Scotland are peppered with observations and exclamation marks – ‘Bottle-nosed dolphins off the port bow!’ – ‘Killer whale breaching!’ –‘A sunﬁsh!’ – and nowadays we will deliberately sail to places where we hope to see a wildlife drama. Not all sailors are interested in marine life, but as I get older I feel that part of the Fﬁ and Kim enjoy the views around Hirta, St Kilda

Out of Oban, the crew wrap up against the cold despit it being June

privilege of being an ocean wanderer is the Our first Humpback whale obligation to be the protective eyes and ears for the sea. My own attitude has changed radically. Back in the 1970s, I admit that when we went sailing we blithely dropped So, when my brother, the wrappers and cans over the co-owner of Kenbane, our side. That would be criminal Ohlson 38, rang to say there now. The Ellen MacArthur was good chance of seeing Foundation reports that if Humpback whales feeding in nothing changes, there could the nutrient-rich waters west be more plastic than fish in of St. Kilda, we knew where the ocean by 2050, so I am we were going next. He’d got keen to do all I can. One way the tip from a marine biologist is to report sightings of key who works for the Hebridean species to the organisations Whale and Dolphin Trust, that inform policy on marine based in Tobermory. On the conservation. charts you can see the notch in the contour line where the continental shelf becomes the trench that runs up to Rockall. That's where he suggested we go, where the topography interrupts the flow, stirring up the current, making it a rich place to feed. Six of us set off from Oban on 21 June, in glorious weather. By the time we had rounded the Ross of Mull, ghosted through the Sound of Iona and were half way

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yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com PHOTOS: DAN RENTON

Watching humpback whales west of St Kilda

PLEASE SEND YOUR STORIES TO

to Tiree, the log book was already brimming with observations. We’d seen harbour porpoises, pufﬁns and razorbills, several empty plastic bottles and a 30ft monster of a basking shark hoovering krill through a mouth like an open pillow case. None of this was surprising. The waters of the Hebrides are one of the most important marine habitats in Europe, home to nearly 70 per cent of its whale, dolphin and porpoise species, along with basking sharks and seals. Later, at anchor off a golden beach on Gunna, we drank whisky at midnight while the sun set in a feathery swirl of oranges, pinks and greens. All that changed the next day, and by the time we reached the sound of Harris it was blowing a hoolie from the north west and gusting gale force. We could have anchored up, but time was tight and we decided to press on. Fully reefed, we pounded through heavy seas towards the far-off cliffs of St Kilda, which, at nearly 200 metres, are the tallest in Britain. Some of us were sick, most

The open roadstead of Village Bay is the only anchorage in St Kilda

Toby helms while the seasick crew huddle at the stern

slept. One, taking inspiration from the painter JMW Turner who strapped himself to the mast to experience the ferocity of nature, insisted on helming throughout the night. When we arrived at dawn in Village Bay, the anchorage on the east side of Hirta, his hands were blistered but he was thrilled. It was, he said, one of the best nights of his life. The wind had dropped to a gentle easterly and after 24 hours exploring Hirta we set off again, sailing under the cliffs, dive-bombed by screaming gannets, guillemots, puffins and great skuas. Soon the wind vanished altogether and it became eerily quiet and misty as we motored over the slate grey sea towards where the coastal shelf drops away to 2,000 metres, 53 miles southwest of St. Kilda and 80 miles

west of Barra. Hours later, the GPS bleeped to mark our arrival at the waypoint. We killed the engine and scanned the horizon. Nothing. Scum floated on the surface. Two Risso's dolphins rolled. A dead puffin bobbed past. We watched and waited, eyes peeled, one hour, two hours, but no Leviathans. It was frustrating. The crew had trains and planes to catch, but just as it was becoming a dreadful anticlimax – Sploosh! A massive humpback whale surfaced, 100 yards off our port bow. ‘There she blows!’ we yelled, and then another appeared off our starboard side, spouting like a pressure hose. For the next half hour we saw three whales breaching, tail-flipping and blowing. It was an incredible display. We reported our sightings

Top Tips foR gReen sailing

n Never throw rubbish over the side n Cut down on packaging and reuse plastic bottles

n Recycle your waste in marinas. When you find they don’t have recycling facilities – and many don’t – complain

The cliffs of Hirta are teeming with gannets, auks and skuas

of whales and dolphins to The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and our sightings of basking sharks to the Marine Conservation Society. While we know these species inhabit our waters, we know little about their distribution, abundance, habitats or the threats that face them. Reporting sightings of key species helps create the data that guides conservation. As a sailor, sailing in a plastic boat, I wish I could do more to help protect the marine environment I love. As the oceans fill with garbage and are denuded of fish, I feel a sense of powerlessness. The only answer I can find is to engage with marine conservation, report sightings and get involved. We did just that, and in July we set sail again to spot basking sharks off Coll and Tiree.W

n Be respectful of marine mammals and basking sharks. Don’t get too close n Maintain a clean engine n Be careful when refuelling n Use eco-cleaning fluids

Dan Renton

Dan, 52, sails Kenbane, an Ohlson 38, from the west coast of Scotland and says she is the perfect long-keeled boat for the lumpy seas of the Hebrides. Dan is a project manager for cultural heritage projects in the Balkans and runs wildlife tours. He sails widely but the Hebrides are still his favourite.

n Use toilets on land wherever possible n Don’t anchor on protected sea-beds n Join the Great British Beach Clean in September!

OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 61

Quiet anchorages and ancient ruins in Turkey Clear water, hot sunshine and ancient civilisations make a memorable week for William Mills.

All photos: WilliAm mills

I had no idea there were so many marinas. I thought I could jusr ask the taxi driver to take me to ‘Göcek marina’ and I would find my boat. It turns out there are many marinas in the Turkish town, so my driver and I decided to try one after another. Amazingly, as we pulled into the first one, my friend Chris Higham loomed out of the darkness, ready to welcome me aboard his Morgan 44 Moonraker. The evening’s heat was pleasantly oppressive as I emerged from the airconditioned car, though it was still only May. I was soon aboard with a cold beer in hand, unloading supplies, including boxes of teabags. ‘Nothing beats an English cuppa,’ smiled Chris. Göcek is at the western end of a bay with the larger town of Fethiye about 15 miles to the east. The open sea is some ten miles distant to the south with numerous creeks, islands and headlands to explore. With fresh provisions on board, we set off. The only

slight issue was Moonraker’s lack of a holding tank. Rather than risk a €3,000 fine, we would have to use toilets in local restaurants. It was a while since I was last afloat and it took time to adjust to the movement of the boat. It was just a short sail to our first anchorage off some small islands for lunch in about eight metres of water, though we couldn’t quite see the bottom. The water was pleasantly warm for a swim, even if I did miss throwing my mask and snorkel into the dinghy – they sank quickly into the gloom. Chris offered to scuba-dive down for them, but I didn’t think it was worth the risk. I could replace Chris enjoying a decent sailing breeze them in the next town. bollard. I lowered the anchor In the light afternoon airs as Chris drove in astern. It was we sailed across the bay to then my job to paddle ashore another anchorage for the in the dinghy with a stern night. Along the shore, trees warp and tie off. grew right down to the water’s ‘Quick now!’ called Chris. edge, reminiscent of the ‘Mind scratching the dinghy on English Lake District. Under the rocks!’ the branches were boulders It left me a little breathless with mooring posts, and although by the end of the we selected a likely-looking

In May there was still snow on the mountains

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week I was getting rather good at it. With that, we settled in for the evening and Chris lit the deck barbeque – the smoke a sign of contentment rather than distress. Gin and tonic in hand, ‘sundowners’ is one of the best traditions, and is a good time for relaxed conversation and card games. As I lay in my bunk that night, listening to the yacht rocking gently at anchor, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be afloat again at long last.

Yachting MonthlY readers share their cruising stories

Moonraker anchored in a quiet spot in the Gulf of Fethiye

When we woke, there was not a breath of wind. Rhodes, our intended destination, was 30 miles away, so we ditched that plan for somewhere nearer by, but as soon as we got going, a nice wind picked up, so Rhodes was back on. We carved through the winedark water with snow capped mountains in the distance. I imagined Hector and his Trojans among them. The days began to melt into one for us. On runs ashore, we came across several old ruins in the dry soil. Mountain goats clambered over the rocks. The restaurants we ate at ranged from glitzy, organised affairs to small one-man businesses. At one we were even collected from our boat by the restaurant’s RIB, but the food was delicious and inexpensive. And the toilets weren’t bad either. At another restaurant beside a rickety jetty, we sat around an open fire with the proprietor, swapping stories as he cooked our food. We alternated our days between civilisation and wilderness. Landing on the beach at Ölüdeniz was easy, but the wind then

A lack of wind forced us to motor for much of the week

got up and by the time we relaunched later, the dinghy was swamped and we were soaked. The jetty at Fethiye, where we went ashore the next day from a peaceful anchorage, was much easier, and we sat at the waterfront café to enjoy the view. All to soon my week was up and we were heading back to Göcek. The wind obliged at last, providing the best sailing of the trip. I was starting to get fit and had finally found my sea legs. That’s when trouble occurred, twice in one day. The first time I was helping the headsail around the babystay during a tack. The headsail sheets tore across, catching the back of my hand, leaving

an ugly weal that took weeks to fade. Then, having filled up at the fuel pontoon in Göcek, we moved across to our berth. With a line on but not secured, Chris asked me to pull it in. He came to help put it on the

windlass, but somehow I got my foot in a bight, between the anchor chain and the windlass. He hit reverse on the windlass just in time, and my ankle popped free, having narrowly avoided a break. He let me spend the afternoon relaxing on a yacht club sun lounger by the pool. The ankle was sore, but it would be ok. As a thank-you for an incredible week, I bought Chris the best meal I could find within hopping distance and toasted his long-suffering sense of humour with a last chilled beer before taking a daylight taxi ride through spectacular scenery back to Dalaman. W

William Mills

William Mills, 60, has sailed from the Sussex coast all his life. He crewed in a variety of dinghies in Chichester Harbour before moving on to yachts in 1985. He skippered his family’s two yachts from Brighton Marina, crossing the Channel on many occasions. Since 2011 he has begun exploring the Mediterranean. As an accountant he worked across the marine industry, but has now retrained as a journalist. OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 63

Yachting MonthlY readers share their cruising stories

The joys of pottering in Poole Olly Perkins and family head west out of the Solent for the first time and have a fun week exploring the creeks of Poole Harbour. We had never before left the relative calm of the Solent and gone through the treacherous Hurst Narrows. This year, however, the weather was perfect to visit Poole. My parents, my younger brother and I had a week to sail in our Beneteau Oceanis 361, Rh•m. We slipped the mooring from Bosham in Chichester Harbour and A calm passage was a good opportunity to practice with the sextant embarked on our longest been from the north for a few the Hurst Narrows to witness sail yet. After motoring for a days there were no waves. the anticipated drama. I couple of minutes an alarm About a mile from stepped up on deck and was sounded – our engine had Hurst Castle we saw some pleasantly surprised by the overheated. We hastily tied disturbance in the water tranquil waters and complete up to a nearby mooring and, ahead of us. We were lack of wind. We after an hour trying concerned that it might be had four knots of to fix the problem, rougher than we expected tide going with we realised that we once we were out of the lee of us so we were couldn’t make it to the Isle of Wight. This concern quickly through. Poole before the was quickly put aside as we The Narrows tide turned against drew closer to the disturbance didn’t quite live us. Having resolved and noticed that it was a thin up to its menacing the issue, we strip of substantial waves not reputation, but I instead caught the moving an inch, yet foaming know it can be a good deal tide as far as Newtown Creek. and roaring. We put the worse. As the air warmed the The next day we weighed motor on to help us drive wind slowly filled in on our anchor at 0600, a horribly through the standing waves port beam and we hoisted early start, which was and secured loose items in up our patriotic red, white rewarded, I understand from the cockpit. We approached and blue cruising chute. The my parents, by a beautiful the menacing turbulence with conditions were perfect for a sunrise. I was, however, still caution. The boat tossed and relaxing sail with clear skies tucked up down below! turned through the waves and light airs. As the wind had I got up just as we reached Photos: Courtesy olly Perkins

‘Using the old leadline we proceeded at snail’s pace’

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although it wasn’t as eventful as I had hoped and we were through the waves in a moment. The rest of the passage was largely uneventful but it was great to have the cruising chute up and it was the perfect opportunity to practice position fixing. We had a few hours in Studland Bay as we waited for the tide at Poole entrance. We used the time to visit Old Harry Rocks with our tender and paddleboard. It was really interesting seeing the size of Old Harry close up. As I paddleboarded round to the other side of Old Harry I noticed that a small swell had built up, and whilst posing for a photo, I fell fully clothed into the surprisingly warm water.

Going with the tide Before long the tide had turned and we sailed to Blood Alley, where we were to spend the best part of the week. Blood Alley is situated south of Brownsea Island and there is a pool large enough to fit a few deep-keeled boats. We had done our homework on navigating the shallow channel leading up to it and knew we could just make it through. We followed the channel and the depth readings got lower and lower until our echosounder

Olly acts as safety boat while Ben sails and his mum Hilary paddles

Rhùm at anchor in Poole Harbour, with the Optimist alongside

ABOVE: Olly with dad, Chris and brother, Ben in Poole

was reporting zero below the keel. This called for the old leadline and we proceeded at snail's pace. The channel was clearly not perfect for our deep-keeled boat as we could see the bottom. All the other boats here were catamarans or bilge keelers. Once safely anchored in the pool, however, we could relax and admire the stunning surroundings. The next day we went for a pre-breakfast walk on Brownsea Island. We rigged a dinghy outhaul on the beach and walked up into the forest on the island. The island was covered in a blanket of mist and there was no one about as the ferries to the island hadn’t arrived yet. On our walk, we saw peacocks, red squirrels and we even got within metres of a sika deer.

An interruption After spending a few days in Blood Alley we had to go and top up our water tanks and get more food. This was the worst part of the trip; it was a lovely sunny morning but rather than enjoying the tranquillity of Brownsea we had to visit Poole town. We motored up and moored in the town marina. After restocking and visiting chandleries we hurried back out. The next anchorage in Poole Harbour was Goathorn Point in South Deep. We anchored north-west of the peninsula where there were a few more boats but a surprisingly empty beach. After we landed we realised why there was no-one ashore. It was the site of a hidden oil rig and everywhere above the high

water line was private. We still enjoyed a lazy walk along the beach and stayed a couple of days there and we did lots of reading, windsurfing, Optimist sailing, paddleboarding and swimming. Sadly after a week in Poole, it was time to head back. We left the harbour through East Looe Channel, a shallow shortcut leading east. We fetched to Hurst Castle in a moderate south-easterly breeze. It was a fairly lumpy passage and my brother was feeling a little bit queasy. We had to tack to make it through Hurst Narrows but with a strong tide we were powering through at over ten knots. Our last stop was Newtown Creek for a night and some Optimist creek crawling. We returned to Bosham in a fresh southerly breeze. It was a great trip and perfect for families and new skippers to leave the shelter of the Solent. W

Olly Perkins

Olly Perkins, 15, has sailed with his family on their Cornish Crabber and now on Rh•m, their Beneteau Oceanis 361, from Bosham. He races Optimists and Firefly dinghies with his school, and plans to sail with the Royal Navy Cadets, and to cruise more extensively when he is older. RIGHT: Olly paddleboarding just before falling in OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 65

Cruising

Photos: Miranda delMar-Morgan unless stated otherwise

Miranda fell in love with Polar Bear for her interesting history and wooden construction

Goodbye to our Fastnet classic It was a sad day for Miranda Delmar-Morgan when the time came to sell her beloved Polar Bear, even more so given the boat’s rich and interesting past Polar Bear's huge overlapping genoa was typical of the era

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hen Edward and I found Polar Bear in 1998, I fell in love with her because she was timber, (I was brought up in a wooden boat) and Edward thought she was a lot of boat for the money (£24,500). Neither he nor my daughters sailed until we bought her, by which time Rachael and Arabella were 11 and 9. I worried that they

Polar Bear

n Designer Holman & Pye n Builder McGruers of Clynder, 1974 n LOA 33 ft 10 in n Beam 10 ft 10 in n Draft 6 ft 3 in n Construction Cold moulded, triple skinned mahogany on laminated frames n Listed with Barbican Yacht Agency

Miranda's husband Edward is hoping for a boat with more space on board might hate sailing, but they loved it and felt safe in Polar Bear. She sails beautifully and never made them seasick. Edward, a landscape gardener, enjoys it but wants more space. He fancies a centre cockpit motor-sailer, and while I’m not so sure about that, the time has come for us to part with our beloved boat. It made a good opportunity to delve into her history. Polar Bear was skippered by Major John Moreton during the infamous Fastnet race of 1979 with his wife, Biddy (Bridgid) and four crew, mostly from his regiment, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards. The boat’s first owner, Jonny Clothier and his wife, Jane, were expecting a baby and so had remained ashore. When the storm decimated the fleet, Polar Bear’s crew were searching for Trophy’s liferaft, whose distress flare they had seen. In the process, they were knocked down

CRUISING Polar Bear is solidly built with three layers of cold-moulded mahogany

A wooden boat's interior is homely, well-built and can be modified easily

Top reasons to own a wooden boat Miranda Delmar-Morgan reflects on why she has enjoyed owning a wooden boat so much, and a few of the things that might make GRP more appealing

PROS

Pros n Wooden yachts are a bit different from most boats in a modern marina. Often, they are unique and so give the owner a real sense of pride in owning them. It is easy to fall in love with a wooden boat, as I did with Polar Bear n Naturally warmer than glassfibre and better insulated from heat, cold and noise, wood creates a lovely environment below decks. Wooden boats are often quieter, have less condensation and provide a warm, homely feel, as well as having less glare from white surfaces on deck n Second-hand wooden boats tend to be of older designs. They may be slower but often have a nice deep forefoot, making them more seakindly, less prone to slamming, and less likely to make people seasick. Of course, the same is true for traditionally shaped GRP yachts too. n In the event of damage, small bumps are easily sanded, filled and repainted. Larger repairs need a degree of skill to complete, perhaps more so than an epoxy repair. Wood is naturally buoyant, though, and will want to stay on the surface if it all goes very wrong n The idea of varnishing may put some people off wooden boats. In reality, a few judicious coats here and there during the season, or a more dedicated few days over the winter, is normally more than enough. Unlike gelcoat, paint doesn't get osmosis, can be refreshed as needed, and won’t wear out after excessive polishing n There are still plenty of wooden boats around and they often represent extremely good value – you’ll get a lot for your money

n Traditionally, boats were built with clinker or carvel planking, but cold moulding, plywood and epoxy lamination are all modern alternatives. These are very strong and not prone to leaking. A wooden boat doesn’t have to be damp! n The interior of a wooden boat can easily be updated, while a molded GRP interior is less adaptable and often dates a boat

CONS

n If fresh water is allowed to remain in the bilges it can cause rot. Similarly, any damage to the surface of the wood needs to be sealed to prevent water ingress. Having said that, any glassfibre boat with a wood or foam core sandwich construction can be susceptible to rot and delamination. n Keeping the boat ventilated and dry is important to protect the wood n Timber boats are labour-intensive and costly to build. They need diligence for maintenance and higher skill level is required for carrying out repairs. Single-pack paint is less robust than gelcoat, though much easier to touch up Photo Graham Snook

and then pitch-poled by a huge wave, which stove in the port side of the coachhouse. The mast broke above deck and all the crew, tethered by harnesses, were swept overboard. The next wave washed them back on board again. They launched the liferaft. In the liferaft they agreed to cut the tether for fear that if Polar Bear went down she would take them with her. They had issued a Mayday and an RAF Nimrod, having sighted them, directed the Dutch destroyer, HNLMS Overijssel, to them. The ship let down scramble nets and put divers in the sea to hold the liferaft against the destroyer. The officers gave the orders to jump and caught them one at a time as the ship rolled downwards. One diver went missing, feared dead. When he reappeared he caused amazement. The rescue had been conducted on the lower deck and he had been washed onto the upper deck, so his return had gone unnoticed. The crew clothed Biddy and washed her hair for her. The men were taken to watch a blue movie in the mess. Survivors from Trophy and Callirhoe III were also on board. An experienced yachtsman, Bert Smith, was in the area working on his coaster, Pirola. He found Polar Bear and one of his crew managed to get aboard, but then Bert Smith couldn’t retrieve him owing to the seas. He spent the night on her and the next day they towed her to Plymouth. Bert Smith then returned to the scene and salvaged two more vessels. Polar Bear was taken to Brixham and restored by Uphams. The Moretons then bought her from Jonny Clothier and the next year, with the same crew, were second in class in a race around Britain. Since being in our hands, Polar Bear has safely carried us thousands of miles from St Kilda to Gdansk to Baiona. It has been an honour and a pleasure to have had her in my life for 19 years. Parting from her will be painful, but I hope she goes on to give the same pride and pleasure to her new owner, whomever that may be. W

Most people choose the relative simplicity of owning a GRP yacht

OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 67

USED BOAT TEST

Hylas 46

What are the hallmarks of a good round-theworld boat? To find out, Chris Beeson steps aboard one that has spent the last four years doing just that 68 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

ho doesn’t dream of selling up and sailing away? A round-theworld trip is the apex of our sailing ambition. You could do it in any boat but the trick is to do it in comfort and safety. This is Adina, owned by Tom Partridge and Susie Plume who have been sharing their world girdling experiences with YM readers. They’re back now and Adina’s up for sale, so this was our last chance to test her.

Performance Her 75hp Yanmar powers a shaftmounted four-blade Brunton folding prop, and she made 6.0 knots (2,000rpm) and 6.8 knots ﬂat out (2,800rpm). Out in the Solent we had a decent breeze, 18 knots from WSW, so we rolled out 65% of the main, about two reefs, with the same in the genoa. In no time the sidedecks were wet as she leant powerfully into the chop and surged ahead, parting the waters with her forefoot. As tacking

USED BOAT TEST

involved furling the genoa to let it pass forward of the inner forestay (Tom and Susie don’t like flogging their North laminate sails) we tried the staysail for better manoeuvrability but were underpowered. Apparently the staysail earns its corn upwind in the light, as well as in heavy weather, when it works with the genoa to add a knot of boatspeed. I was slightly surprised that she needed two reefs in a Forde 5 but it’s prudent to change gears early when blue water cruising,

and she wasn't underpowered. For the broad reach and run we rolled out full genoa but the main stayed reefed. The feel at the helm suggested that a bit more mainsail would have given her a useful touch of weather helm but for ocean cruising, a balanced sail plan and a neutral helm is a good thing as the autopilot draws less power. Her skeg-hung semi-balanced rudder kept her on track and there was no play in the Whitlock chain-and-cable steering system even after all her time at sea.

Hylas 46 - Performance on test Point of sail

Apparent Apparent Speed wind wind speed through angle the water

Close Hauled Fetch Beam Reach Broad Reach Run

35-40°

22 knots

8.0 knots

60° 90°

20 knots 18 knots

8.8 knots 8.4 knots

120°

12 knots

8.4 knots

180°

9 knots

5.5 knots

ALL PHOTOS: LESTER MccARTHY/YM

Adina powers to windward, eager to seek out the sun once more

At the helm The helm is a fairly lofty perch. Views forward through the sprayhood and to windward are uninterrupted, though one needs to duck down to leeward to see under the genoa, even with two reefs. To hand are the electric main and genoa furlers, Sleipner bow thruster controls, horn, autopilot control, wind, speed and depth data, throttle and windlass control. Engine controls are in the starboard coaming and OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 69

USED BOAT TEST The UK’s mosT comprehensive yachT TesTs

Susie operates the electric genoa furling to reef the sail there’s a switch panel in the port coaming to manage nav lights, bilge pumps and alarms. Wind, depth and boatspeed instruments are above the companionway and the 10in plotter to port slaves to the 15in one below, which has a Simrad remote in the cockpit. The controls for the electric Antal W60 primary winches are in the coamings either side, the mainsheet’s electric W40 is aft of the helm, and there are manual controls for the traveller on the aft coachroof. Twin Antal W48 winches handle the staysail

sheets, though the sprayhood prevents you getting a full turn on the handle, and the manual W44 halyard winch, starboard of the main hatch, manages vang, boom brake and main outhaul. Cut-outs in the aft sections of the 2.23m (7ft 4in) cockpit seating allow you to slide between the wheel and the seating. Distance between the seats makes for comfortable bracing across the cockpit when sitting to windward and a 33cm (1ft 1in) coaming provides a decent backrest. There’s no backrest when facing aft but a cushion serves as

The owners

Tom Partridge and fiancée Susie Plume met while racing and decided to live at sea for a time. They bought Adina, already fitted out for blue water cruising, and set off in 2013. After the Med, they crossed the Atlantic, transited the Panama Canal, crossed the Pacific, South China Sea and Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, crossed their track in the Caribbean and shipped Adina home. She is now for sale. See details at www.yachtadina.co.uk

Tom and Susie shared their experiences with YM readers

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a headrest. The cockpit table unfolds from forward of the binnacle.

Design & construction She has comparatively low freeboard, which gives the hull a beautiful sheer, but does emphasise her superstructure. Her forefoot is immersed but fairly shallow and the rocker rolls generously aft past a longish bulbed fin keel, which gives her a stiff ballast ratio without banishing her from lagoons. The hull is solid laminate, Twaron-reinforced in impact zones, with vinylester resins and isophthalic gelcoats, and epoxied below the waterline to protect against osmosis. She has watertight bulkheads fore and aft and a stainless steelcapped strake. Her deck is cored but has solid GRP under all load-bearing fittings. The hull-deck joint is fixed and fastened, and capped with teak. This is the first Hylas I’ve tested and the workmanship and attention to detail are as good as anything I’ve ever seen. Teak deck aside, which is starting to wear a touch, you’d never guess this is a nine-year-old boat that has sailed around the world.

Sailplan Her keel-stepped, in-mast furling Formula spar has two in-line spreaders, discontinuous wire cap shrouds with fore and aft lowers, a bifurcated fixed backstay and running backstays for use with the staysail. She

USED BOAT TEST

Key cruising features The stainless steel chafe plate at the bow was much admired

The sail locker increases deck stowage forward

The outboard crane is also used in MOB recovery drills

All hatches are stainless steel and have ﬂy screens

The midships fairlead, like the bow, has two sets of cleats

The lifeline gates have their own boarding ladder

The teak step helps you climb from sidedeck to cockpit

Seats fold up to the pushpit to allow lazarettes to open

has two spinnaker halyards, which run outside the mast to prevent chafe and make replacement easier. The mast has a track for the pole and two W44 halyard winches.

Deck layout The stemhead fitting is a stainless steel work of industrial art, with her 33kg Rocna in the port roller, in line with windlass, leaving the starboard roller for a secondary anchor, snubber or mooring. A stainless steel chafe plate protects the bow The anchor locker has a gas strut and rubber seals area. The reassuringly chunky stanchions serve well as grabrails locker lids are rubber-sealed, with gas when you're moving between the struts and locks. Cockpit stowage is cockpit and the handrails on the minimal with four coaming cubbies foredeck coachroof, and the toerail is for winch handles and the like, two worthy of the name. The sidedecks are snack lockers in the aft coaming and a wide but there’s a fair amount of toesurface to port of the companionway. stubbing hardware. The coachroof’s moulded non-skid and granny bars Living below around the forward dorade vents will Handholds inside and outside the keep you safe while you're up forward, companionway see you safely below and the granny bars have stainless and there are handholds and deep steel loops for easy halyard stowage. fiddles wherever you grasp. Headroom Deck stowage is in a deep anchor is 1.95m (6ft 5in) and the teak joinery locker that drains into the bilge sump, and walnut-topped fixed table is lit and a hatch beneath it opens onto beautifully by two large windows the bow thruster. There are also two either side, two forward, two opening large lazarettes that drain into the hatches in the deckhead, two hull transom locker, which has an auto ports and a small opening port to bilge pump, and a two-bottle gas starboard. All hatches are stainless locker in the starboard sidedeck. All steel and fitted with fly screens,

likewise the two pairs of cabin dorade vents fore and aft, and those without built-in blackout blinds have had some made by Susie’s seamstress mother. Lighting is LED throughout. The starboard settee is 1.93m (6ft 4in) and has served as a berth, with lee cloth, for a ﬁfth crew. To port is a curved settee and there’s a lockable sliding seat to starboard of the table, with a removable backrest as it’s not intended to act as a handrail at sea. There is abundant stowage behind and below all seats and in lockers outboard, and a TV pops up behind the starboard seating. There is tankage below the sole and a bilge sump at the base of the companionway with good access to all pumps and sensors. The guest cabin forward is bright and airy with three opening ports and a large escape hatch. There is 1.88m (6ft 2in) of headroom and a 1.90m x 1.32m (6ft 3in x 4ft 4in) double berth to port, with a pipe cot above that stows in a locker outboard. The forward aircon unit is below the berth, along with drawers, and there are electric fans throughout the boat. The forecabin heads has 1.86m (6ft 1in) of headroom and a curtain separating a shower forward, and there is stowage outboard to starboard behind the mirrors above the sink. OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 71

USED BOAT TEST The UK’s mosT comprehensive yachT TesTs

She has a large, bright, well ventilated saloon with handholds everywhere you need them. All ports and hatches have blinds The loo is freshwater-flushing. There’s 1.83m (6ft) of headroom in the full-beam owner’s cabin. There's stowage outboard port and starboard, and in the forward bulkhead locker – above the watermaker. All lockers and doors have slatted ventilation. Below the 1.93m x 1.53m (6ft 4in x 5ft) berth is a 500-litre water tank, the aft aircon and good access to the steering quadrant under the head of the berth. The en suite heads is to port with a separate shower cubicle forward, which has a door opening into the

saloon so that you can get at the aft cabin without bothering the cook. Both heads have holding tanks.

Chart table The forward-facing chart table is half-Admiralty size with ample stowage inside, in drawers forward of the knees and inboard. There’s a switch panel outboard, a 15in plotter screen forward and the usual selection of radios, Navtex, AIS and battery monitors. She has an SSB radio linked to a Pactor modem but Tom

and Susie found it easier to connect their Iridium Go! satellite phone for downloading weather and sending emails. The inverter for the 220v AC circuit (she has 12v DC, too) is below the chart table.

Galley She has a linear galley to starboard with most stowage outboard, but some inboard, too. This boat has a threeburner Force 10 stove with an upand-over cover that locks into place. Aft of the cooker are the fridge and freezer, both of which have top and front access, an impressive 10cm (4in) of insulation and temperature controls aft. The large single sink is under the companionway. There's good natural light and ventilation through opening hatches in coachroof and cockpit, and lighting under the sidedecks, in the deckhead and above the sink.

Maintenance

Headroom and ventilation are good, and it's secure, with plenty of grabrails 72 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

‘A round-the-world trip has its own rule of thirds,’ says Tom, ‘sailing, sightseeing and maintenance.’ Fortunately, the Hylas 46 is designed with this in mind. Everything is labelled, from seacocks to wiring, and everything has excellent access: engine, generator, PSS seal, fuel and water manifolds. All the stainless steel tanks are fitted with inspection hatches. Her designer appreciates the importance of maintenance.

USED BOAT TEST GRAPHICS: MAXINE HEATH

Hylas 46

OUR VERDICT What’s she like to sail? The word is ‘reassuring’. She’s got an easily-driven hull and enough sail power to push her through the water but let’s look at the ﬁgures. Her sail area/displacement number, 19.3, suggests she’s a medium displacement cruiser, not a heavy ocean boat or an inshore cruiser, but in cruising trim with full tanks she displaces nearly 21,000kg, which drops her number to 14.4, that of heavy displacement cruisers. In that trim, she will comfortably cope with heavy weather. With electric furling for genoa and main, she is easily handled solo, which is essential on ocean passages. The elevated helm position feels secure rather than exposed, although low freeboard means the odd dusting of spray makes it to the cockpit. On passage, I could happily tuck myself in under the sprayhood and keep watch from there. Switch off the autopilot and she’s pleasing enough to steer, tight and responsive, but don’t expect the sort of feedback you'd get with a balanced spade rudder. As blue water cruisers go, she's really quite rewarding to helm.

What’s she like in port and at anchor?

FACTS AND FIGURES ■ Price £230,000£360,000 ■ LOA 14.09m (46ft 3in) ■ LWL 12.2m (40ft 1in) ■ Beam 4.19m (13ft 9in) ■ Draught 1.97m (6ft 5in) or 1.5m (4ft 11in) ■ Displacement 13,600kg (29,974 lb) ■ Ballast 5,712kg (12,566 lb) ■ Ballast ratio 42% Her chart table has all the blue ■ Sail area water instruments to hand 108m2 (1,162 sqft) ■ SA/D ratio 19.3 ■ RCD category A ■ Diesel 491 litres (108 gal) ■ Designer German Frers ■ Water 653 litres (143 gal) ■ Builder Queen Long ■ Engine 75hp ■ Owners Association www.hylasyachts.org ■ Transmission Shaft drive

With the bimini up and the sprayhood down, the elevated cockpit will be shaded and high enough to catch a gentle breeze. Then step down onto the sidedecks, fold out the transom's bathing ladder, grab your mask and snorkel from the transom locker and explore the reef. Rinse off the salt with the deck shower, then settle in the cockpit and grab the cold beer passed through the hatch to the galley. There is a boarding ladder in the lifelines for clambering aboard from a tender or pontoon and at the bow there’s a saltwater deck hose for cleaning anchor and chain. Down below, the aircon and fans will keep you cool in warmer climes. In more temperate areas there are plenty of opening hatches for ventilation, all ﬁtted with ﬂy screens. The owner’s cabin aft is the more sumptuous of the two but the guest cabin is well appointed with a decent amount of stowage. Both cabins are en suite and on a 46ft blue water cruiser, any more than two cabins is wasting space.

Would she suit you and your crew? Hylas yachts hold their value so you'll need a few bob, but she’s a tried and tested solution for comfortable ocean cruising. She has solar panels on the sprayhood (Tom says he would add more), a Watt & Sea towed generator that fits in a transom bracket, generous tankage, a reliable generator and watermaker: all the systems work. The build quality throughout is exceptional and when you need to wield a spanner, as ocean cruisers must, you’ll love the maintenance access. She’s ideal for a crew of two. With electric winches, furling and bow thruster, she’s easily managed and confidence will come from that. When you want to invite guests, the appointments in their en suite cabin will keep them very comfortable. The galley is kitted out with everything you need to entertain and the saloon is highly convivial. Just make sure your guests have booked a return flight or they’ll never leave.

Would she CREEK COASTAL PORT-HOPPING suit your style CRAWLING ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★★★★ of sailing? OFFSHORE PASSAGE-MAKING

TRADE WIND VOYAGING

HIGH-LATITUDE ADVENTURE

★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ The aft cabin is spacious with great stowage and ventilation OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 73

10 TECHNICAL

HALLMARKS OF A WELL-SORTED BLUE WATER BOAT

We tested Adina, she's a Hylas 46 that had just returned from a round-the-world trip. Chris Beeson points out what sets her apart from a coastal cruiser

The cutter rig offers more sail options to suit conditions and a conning ladder on the starboard lowers helps crew spot coral heads. Note the preventer lines rigged (red and blue), the bimini, stowed here, and sprayhood solar panels

This is the pipe cot in the guest cabin but all berths have lee cloths. You can see the cabin’s fan in the mirror, she has LED lighting throughout to cut power consumption, and ﬂy screens on all dorade vents and deck hatches 74 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

The substantial twin bow roller allows the bower anchor to stay rigged while picking up a mooring, and the large stainless steel plate protects the deck from damage. She has four bow cleats, and big teak toerails add security

She has longer-lasting bronze seacocks throughout, to reduce the risk of failure and potential ﬂooding. They are all well labeled so you know what they do, and each has a wooden bung attached by a string

TECHNICAL ALL PHOTOS: LESTER MccARTHY/YM

All tanks are built from stainless steel to resist corrosion. Each has a generously-sized hatch to enable inspection, maintenance and cleaning. Note also the double hose clips on the tank take-off pipes, and the latch on the sole panel

Under the galley sole is the fuel manifold. There is a clear diagram explaining what is going where, enabling easy switching and simpler maintenance, and again we see double hose clips for added security

The bilge sump houses automatic and manual pump intakes with strumboxes, and each is on a stainless steel strap so it can easily be pulled up for cleaning. There is also a bilge water level alarm sensor, and double hose clips again

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all-round access to the engine and the generator behind it, with regularly-maintained systems separated for easier access. Fuel filters (with a switch-over valve) on the access hatch and the large (second) alternator bottom right

This is a reassuring sight to see behind the switch panel of any blue water boat, where maintenance is a key part of your routine. Each wire is labelled with its function and the cable ducts are moused in case extra cables need to be run

Power can be a problem for blue water boats so every measure is taken to conserve it. Here in the galley we can see considerable amounts of insulation around the fridge unit, with similar insulation on the freezer to its right OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 75

NEW BOAT TEST Dufour’s new Grand Large 382 might look like a regular cruiser, but is she a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Graham Snook sails her around the Solent to find out

Dufour 382 Grand Large A good family yacht for coastal cruising, easily handled by two

figures bear out the fact that although the Dufour might look like a cruiser she has a nice turn of speed.

Performance Who could want for more than a SW Force 4 on the Solent in August? I certainly didn’t, it was a lovely day to go sailing. Nicer still when the boat beneath me sailed well. After leaving the River Hamble, we sailed towards the Bramble, avoided the shipping coming towards Calshot, and put her through her paces. At 60° on a fetch she was quick and well behaved, responding nicely to input from either of the two wheels. Sitting outboard is comfortable and secure, while it’s easy to nip to the

Photos: Graham-snook.com

henever there’s another boat nearby, it’s a race; a competitive devil, sits on my shoulder giving me encouragement. No matter what boat either party is sailing, their underwater profile, condition of sails or the cleanliness of our respective hulls, it’s a fair race in my devil’s eyes. So it was with great delight we found ourselves squared up against a sporty 40ft yacht. Although named the 382 GL, the Dufour’s hull length is an inch less than 36ft. The other yacht should have left us far behind, but surprisingly our speeds were matched. Sadly it was the end of a glorious day on the water, but it was nice to see the performance

other wheel to tend the sheets. On the wind she was most comfortable at 32-34° off the apparent wind, and while luffing in the gusts she’d still march onwards. Whatever our course, she’s carry on without the need to be tended to or tweaked, in fact with the simplified sail handing, there’s isn’t much that needs to be done by the crew except tend the mainsheet traveller if required, otherwise they can sit back and enjoy the view. Under power at 2000rpm, the 30hp Volvo made 5.4 knots with the twobladed folding propeller.

The helm The helm is set close to the transom, with the option of fold-down seats to give a bit more security. They are a little narrow, and most comfortable if you sit on the outboard end where the pushpit curves around to provide good back support. Sitting inboard with only the detachable guardrail to lean on feels a little precarious. Outboard is a raised, teak-covered seat that is nicely curved, giving your bum the grip it needs when the boat heels; there are also footblocks should you need them. If you're tall, you might find that the twin backstays make you sit a little further forward than is naturally comfortable. The Lewmar steering was smooth and not overly heavy, but I'd prefer it a touch lighter to feel more feedback.

Design & construction

A self-tacking jib is standard, but there’s the option of fixed genoa tracks too 76 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

Like the rest of the current Dufours she was drawn by Umberto Felci, who is also knows for his Grand Soleil designs. The 382GL has

NEW BOAT TEST Dufour Grand Large 382 - Performance on test Point of sail

Apparent Apparent wind wind speed angle

Speed through the water

Close Hauled Fetch Beam Reach Broad Reach Run

32-34°

15-18 knots

5.2-6.2 knots

60° 90°

14-16 knots 9.2-11knots

6.2-6.9 knots 5.4-6.2 knots

120°

7.6-8.8 knots 5.2-5.6 knots

180°

5.5-7.1 knots

She has a surprising turn of speed

4.2-4.3 knots

OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 77

NEW BOAT TEST The cockpit is broad, comfortable and offers a lot of useful stowage

pronounced chines in her aft quarters which are said to improve stability, a high-aspect rig, a 1.9m (6ft 3in) fin keel with a bulb on the bottom and a deep, narrow blade of a rudder. Her topsides are a regular height but the coachroof is low and sleek. The hull is hand-laminated with NPG gelcoat, then with NPG resin in the first mat layer, both for osmosis protection. The deck is moulded in one piece – including the anchor well and transom – using male and female moulds to give the interior and exterior finish. The saloon seats and the inboard galley unit are mounted on the inner tray moulding, which makes it look like they’re levitating above the floor. While the styling looks great and it also makes the boat easier to clean, I'm not sure it's entirely practical at sea. If you drop anything small (like a mobile phone, for instance) while she's heeling over, it will fall

The helm was smooth and she was enjoyable to sail

78 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

Deck layout

to leeward under the seat and then, if your luck is like mine, it could slip through gaps into the bilge.

Sailplan She has a high-aspect, 9/10 fractional rig with a deck-stepped Z-Spars mast and continuous standing rigging. A self-tacking jib is supplied as standard. Our test boat was also fitted with short genoa tracks inboard of the chainplates, which are attached to the hull at deck level. The track for the self-tacking jib occasionally caught the sheets as we tacked. There’s an option for a bowsprit, which sits over the protruding bow roller, supported by a bobstay fixed to the stem (this was yet to be reeved on our test boat). The tackline runs through the front of the sprit and is attached to a stem fitting. The genoa is set on a low-profile Facnor Flatdeck furler with webbing tape instead of rope on the drum.

Dufour has done away with the need to have separate winches for the German mainsheet system and genoa sheets, by using the redundant (windward) genoa sheet winch for the mainsheet. Of course, if you don't install optional genoa tracks and just use the self-tacking jib, these Lewmar 40ST winches will just serve the mainsheet. Crew and helm need to be aware the winch handle does come rather close to the wheel, though. Forward of the sprayhood is the mainsheet traveller, the controls for which are led back neatly to either side of the companionway. Deck stowage is good, with two sole depth lockers and two large, openbacked lazarette lockers underfoot at the twin helms. All locker lids are supported by gas struts. The starboard lazarette is for the liferaft, as it can be accessed from above. The lazarette to port is perfect for a dinghy, which can be dragged out onto the fold-down transom, inflated, launched and recovered easily. Keeping the dinghy here frees up valuable locker space elsewhere. At 30cm (1ft) high, the round-topped coamings make comfortable backrests as well as seats. The cockpit table has space for a chartplotter on its aft end and handy stowage inside. The guardrails are set well inboard. When the fenders need to be hung low, their lines could chafe on the gunwales.

Living aboard The interior is stylish, smart and also very bright thanks to the two large overhead windows (60 x 81cm, or 2ft x 2ft 8in). She's roomy for a 36-footer. all berths on board are at least 2m (6ft 7in) long and there's ample headroom despite the low coachroof, which gives this boat her sleek profile and reduces her windage. Dufour has managed this by doing away with the usual headlining panels and structural beams, too – there's enough strength in the injection-moulded deck. Overhead cabin lights are usually set in headlining and evenly spaced around the saloon and galley. Dufour has used conduits and the lights are brightest where they're most needed, over worktops, seats and bunks. Apart from the under-shelf LED lighting, all the lights are controlled by individual switches on the lamps. Entry to the forecabin is via double doors. Opening them both creates a large, open living space, which families will appreciate, as it allows kids to be separate but in sight. It may not be necessary, but I'd consider fitting stronger locking mechanisms

THE UK’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE YACHT TESTS NEW BOAT TEST

Key cruising features The twin backstays mean sitting forward while at the helm

The hull has aft chines, which help to broaden the cockpit

The mainsheet winch is the redundant windward genoa winch

There is easily accessible storage for both a dinghy and a liferaft behind the fold-down transom

The rounded tops of the coamings are comfortable to sit on

Large overhead windows on deck make the saloon bright and airy

on the starboard door. with both on the same side of the boat. locker with hanging area and shelves. The forecabin berth is 2.18m (7ft There are handrails either side of The battery charger is between the 2in) wide, with through- hull windows the companionway, and one aft of heads of the two inboard aft cabin on either side. It was good to see neat, the chart table and at deck level, but berths. ItÕs good to see a Cristec fanbuilt-in sliding blinds. Above the none overhead. Under the port-side free charger here, rather than one that windows, a deep-fiddled shelf runs seats are two decent sized drawers whirrs through the night. This area is along each side. Under the berth is the that make accessing the storage space vented into both cabins so you may second of two water tanks, and two much easier. hear pillow talk from the other cabin – drawers. Outboard and forward of the The starboard aft cabin feels a lot and they might hear yours. drawers there is a decent amount of bigger than its neighbour to port, due Overhead in the aft cabins are lines under-bunk stowage. to the large stowage space under the of bolts through the deck securing the Moving back into the saloon, aft of cockpit. The bunks are actually the jammers and winches. the starboard door is a handy pull-out same size, 2m (6ft 7in) long, 1.45m The combined heads and shower seat for use in harbour, to increase the (4ft 9in) wide at the head and a metre compartment is a modest size, as on seating around the generously-sized wide (3ft 3in) at the foot. In all other many 36-footers, but other layout saloon table. There's a good amount respects, these cabins mirror each options give you a bigger heads and of stowage in the 50cm-deep central other with an outboard shelf and a cockpit locker by relinquishing one of section of the table and a the aft cabins. insert to hold eight bottles The quality of finish is (The under-floor locker at the generally good, with more foot of the companionway solid wood than most holdsa further 12 bottles). comparable boats, including A removable top panel in the the door frames, the chart table table reveals a sliding cutlery surround and galley fiddles. drawer, which is a neat idea, There is great attention to but on balance I'd prefer it to detail, such as the bolt to set be in the galley. the heads mirror to a usable Outboard, to starboard angle, and the gas struts and and behind the aft end of the rubber pads on the bottomseating is the switch panel, hinged lockers in the saloon, which is curious as the chart which stop them slamming table is on the port side. There shut. Little details like is an alternative layout option Large windows make an almost grip-free area by the mast these can make a real OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 79

NEW BOAT TEST The UK’s mosT comprehensive yachT TesTs

The saloon gets lots of natural light and is cleanly laid out difference to life on board. As on most boat tests, I did have a few personal gripes. The veneer on the cabinetry seemed a bit thinner than I've found on many boats and in some of the corners where two veneers meet, I could see the substrate. The shutlines and levels of locker doors weren’t even, but they're easy to adjust. Some cables were visible in the forecabin, where they travel from under the outboard unit to beneath the floor, but it's a small point.

Chart table The aft-facing chart table is small and just 5cm deep. Inside, it’s partitioned

to allow organisation of navigational clutter. The finger hole in the chart table (and others around the boat) have a slightly harsh inside corner underneath. Rounding these off would make them more comfortable to use. Outboard, there’s a nice shallow, top-opening locker for instruments. Here you’ll find the VHF radio – the acrylic lid has a cut-away to stop cables being trapped. Aft of this is a 25cm (10in) deep, top-opening bin locker, suitable for pilot books. There’s no dedicated chart stowage on board, but they can be stored on the seat bases, under the cushions, with a strip of Velcro to hold them in place.

Galley At sea, the L-shaped, Corian-topped galley works best on a port tack, although on starboard tack you can lean against the companionway steps to tend the cooker. The large fridge has both top- and front-opening doors, giving access to the bottom of the fridge contents as well as the drain plug. The ‘floating’ inboard unit doesn’t rest on the floor and has space under it, so there are no corners for dust and fluff to hide. The large and small stainless steel sinks are in this section and there’s no splashback forward of the sink, so the saloon seats could get splashed. There are three good-sized bottom-hinged lockers outboard, none have shelves but they all have pegged stowage. There is good stowage outboard of the worktop and two-burner cooker, and a useful area of worktop space between the fridge and cooker, with an opening hatch above it for ventilation. The cutlery drawer, as mentioned above, is in the saloon table, a step away from the galley.

Maintenance

The galley has plenty of worktop space and stowage

80 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

There is good access to the engine and its ancillaries. Deck fittings are through-bolted and the securing nuts are easily accessed from below. Other services are behind the starboard seat back and under its seat. Water and fuel tanks are under the aft bunks and there is a second water tank under the forecabin berth.

NEW BOAT TEST GRAPHICS: MAXINE HEATH

Dufour 382

OUR VERDICT What’s she like to sail? She was surprisingly quick through the water. The helm was light and smooth, easy and responsive – she's more fun to steer than many other cruisers I've tested, which feel stiff and lacklustre compared to this one. The cockpit seats are comfortable and the low coachroof gives a great view forward, as well as reducing windage. Using the windward genoa winch for the mainsheet works well for short-handed cruising, with the helmsman tending the mainsheet. I did feel a bit penned in between the backstay and the whirling winch handle when someone else was doing it. A few times during our sail she was overpressed, but she didn’t gripe and the wheel lacked the usual loading. She kept tracking straight and just heeled a bit more until the mainsheet or traveller was released.

What’s she like in port and at anchor?

FACTS AND FIGURES ■ Price from £136,867 inc VAT ■ LOA 11.25m (36ft 11in) ■ LWL 9.90m (32ft 6in) ■ Beam 3.85m (12ft 8in) ■ Draught 1.90m (6ft 3in) ■ Displacement 7,060kg (15,565 lb) ■ Ballast 1,850kg (4,079 lb) ■ Ballast ratio 26.2% ■ Sail area 58m2 (624 sq ft) ■ SA/D ratio 16 ■ Diesel 200 litres (43 gal) ■ Water 380 litres (84 gal) ■ Engine 30hp ■ Transmission Saildrive ■ RCD category A ■ Designer Felci Yachts ■ Builder Dufour Yachts ■ Website www.dufour-yachts.com ■ UK Agents details at www.dufouryachtsuk.com

With the single bow roller permanently occupied by the bower anchor, you'll need to rig a bridle when you pick up a mooring, or run a line through a block on the bowsprit. The anchor locker is plenty deep, but if you opt for an all-chain rode you may need to keep a deck brush handy to stop the chain piling up against the aft bulkhead. Once anchored, the dedicated dinghy stowage in the lazarette under the helm makes perfect sense. The folding transom is a decent height for dinghy use, too. Down below, you have various layout options: either two aft cabins or one cabin, a bigger heads compartment and a lot more stowage; a linear galley to port or an L-shaped galley to starboard; and so on. in some cruising grounds, such as the Baltic, the deep ﬁn keel and spade rudder that give her such a nice turn of speed may constrain her access to small ports, anchorages and swatchways. In other areas, this won't be an issue. Her interior is bathed in natural light, thanks mostly to the large overhead windows. There is also a good feeling of space from the double opening doors to the forward cabin, this might not be practical with guests onboard, but if it’s you and your family, it will be a boon.

Would she suit you and your crew? Access to the 30hp Volvo engine is good from the front, sides and rear

If you're a couple or family looking for a fast, fun coastal cruiser, the 382GL should be on your shortlist. She's ideal for daysailing between between ports and anchorages, with a few overnight passages thrown in. With a hull length of 10.25m (35ft 11in) she feels bigger than she is, and yet no part of her feels compromised except maybe the chart table – and that's no big deal if you tend to navigate in the cockpit. It’s refreshing to see a production cruiser with dedicated stowage for a liferaft and a dinghy, both easily accessible. The accommodation is well-designed, comfortable and well-ﬁnished apart from a few minor ﬂaws. She sails swiftly and comfortably with minimal input from helm or crew, which, at the end of the day, is what coastal cruising should be about.

Would she CREEK COASTAL PORT-HOPPING suit your style CRAWLING ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★★★★ of sailing? OFFSHORE PASSAGE-MAKING

TRADE WIND VOYAGING

HIGH-LATITUDE ADVENTURE

★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ The switch panel is to starboard, the chart table is to port OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 81

BUYING A SEXTANT

A buyers guide to sextants

After using a sextant for decades, James Turner shares his knowledge of sextants old and new, and explains the pros and cons of different types

PHOTO: JAMES TURNER

New or Used?

A secondhand sextant will save you money, but what if its previous owner has dropped it?

There’s often a bargain to be had on auction websites and you might do very well, but it’s worth remembering that the sextant you buy might end up in the liferaft with you in the middle of a distant ocean. Do you want one that a previous owner may have knocked to within a cat’s whisker of dislodging a key component? It’s a serious matter of caveat emptor. If the sextant is visibly almost new – and you believe the vendor hasn’t knocked it about – you’re probably relatively safe buying second-hand. 82 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

could rob you of electronics, or you could just be interested in astronavigation. Whatever your reason for wanting one, you need the right one for you.

Which one is for me? The majority of purchases you make for your boat will probably have been influenced, at least in part, by budget. That’s fine, but in my view, when you’re deciding on a sextant you need to ask yourself what you’re going to use it for. Unless you’re entering into the round-theworld race in 2018 where all electronics are banned, the chances are that the one you buy will be used either as a backup in case of GPS or electrical failure, and/or out of general interest in astronavigation. If your interest is solely as a backup to GPS, you need only take sun sights, and perhaps also moon sights on occasions when the moon is visible in daytime and can be crossed with the sun for an instant fix, whereas if you want to explore the wonders of astronavigation to the full, you’ll want to take sights of the planets and stars as well. The point of making this decision first is that there are a number of sextants on the market that are fine for shooting the sun and moon, but nigh-on useless at stars and planets. This is due to the size that we observe the heavenly bodies in the sky. The sun and moon appear big, and you don’t need a telescope to observe them, the planets and stars appear much smaller, so you do. The next things to think about should be the sextant’s construction, features, and your budget. There’s a simple choice in construction between a metal sextant and a plastic one. I’ve never been biased against plastic sextants. Davis make some superb models, and if you’re up by the mast, arms wrapped around the rigging as the boat tosses around on a big swell whilst you wait for ages for a gap in the clouds to grab a quick sun sight, you’ll be very happy you bought a lightweight plastic sextant. On the other hand, the metal ones, though much more expensive,

PHOTO: YACHTING WORLD

he sextant is a wondrous device. it’s a power-free way to ﬁnd your rough position on this planet. The only other things you’ll need are a chart, a watch and a book of tables. I learnt astronavigation en route from the UK to Tahiti in 1977, using an Ebbco plastic sextant, whilst the skipper used a Zeiss drum sextant. We navigated independently and usually found our noon ﬁxes to be within 4 miles of one another. You may be thinking of crossing oceans where an incident of one sort or another

do have a lovely feel to them. It’s worth noting that any additional accuracy or calibration in a metal sextant is blown away by the disadvantage of taking sights from the low, pitching deck of a yacht.

What features should I look for? As far as features are concerned, there are two main considerations. First, do you opt for the traditional ‘split screen’ or the more modern ‘all-view’ type? Traditional sextants show the horizon on the left side and the heavenly body on the right, and by jiggling the sextant you observe the body in the centre. The technologically more advanced ‘all-view’ mirror type superimposes the heavenly body on the whole screen and the horizon can be viewed all the way across. My view is that if you’re new to astronavigation, the ‘all-view’ screen is easier to use, though it generally costs a bit more. Having grown up with the traditional ‘split screen’ I’m not about to change, and it does make horizontal sextant angles – used in coastal

Buying a sextant Choosing the right sextant for you means deciding what you'll be using it for

PHOTO: LESTER MCCARTHY/YM

navigation – much clearer. Whether you’re shooting the sun, moon, stars or planets, the type of view is irrelevant; you can use either type for all astro shots, it’s just a question of which type you are comfortable with. The number of shades is also worth considering, as is arc radius. The more shades the sextant has, the greater your ability to adjust the view through the sextant to something comfortable for your eyes. With fewer shades you risk, in some light conditions, the view being either too bright or too dark to take an accurate reading. The longer the arc radius, the larger the sextant and the greater the accuracy and ability to read the angle clearly. The other feature to consider is whether there is a light on the arc. If you’re planning to do star sights, which you take at dawn and dusk, a light on the sextant is a huge advantage, the alternative being a head torch or torch between your teeth.

Overleaf: The pros & cons of six popular models

A power-free global positioning system, but which model suits you need best? OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 83

BUYING A SEXTANT WHICH SEXTANT IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Davis Mk3

Davis Mk15

Davis Mk25

84 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

Price £205.95 Weight 410g Arc radius 178mm Telescope 3x Shades 3 horizon, 4 index shades Contact Davis Instruments Web www.davisnet.com Tel +1 (510) 732-9229

The MK25 is the ﬂagship of the Davis range and features an all-view mirror

Price £299.95 Weight 470g Arc radius 180mm Telescope 3x Shades 3 horizon, 4 index Contact Davis Instruments Web www.davisnet.com Tel +1 (510) 732-9229

PHOTO: DAVIS

The flagship Mk25 is outwardly the same construction as the Mk15, but with the following differences. The ‘all-view’ mirror (which Davis call the Beam Converger) gives a full-width horizon with the heavenly body superimposed on it, so there’s no left & right side. Many people find this easier to use than a ‘split-view’. There’s also an LED light to illuminate the scale, making star sights in low light (first shots in the morning and last shots in the evening) much easier. As with the Mk15, the Mk25 is very comfortable to use, with a chunky handle with positive grip. They are both lighter than metal sextants, but with all the accuracy you need.

The Davis Mk15 is many navigator’s choice, combining traditional split view with light weight and a decent telescope

PHOTO: JAMES TURNER

This plastic sextant has been my instrument of choice on quite a few ocean passages. First of the two ‘Master’ sextants in the Davis range, this is a ‘split-view’ model, with clear glass on the left of the screen and a mirror on the right. Considerably superior to the Davis Mk 3, the arm has a locking mechanism that you overcome by squeezing a trigger and it has an easy-to-read micrometer/vernier. I’ve always been very happy with the glass-lens telescope. For star sights you will need a torch for the ﬁrst morning sights and last evening sights, when there’s just enough light to get a clear horizon, but not quite enough to read the scale.

Price £69.95 Weight 198g Arc radius 180mm Telescope None Shades 2 full-width, 2 index Contact Davis Instruments Web www.davisnet.com Tel +1 (510) 732-9229

PHOTO: JAMES TURNER

This is a student sextant, really only good for sun sights. It lacks a micrometer, so the only way of gauging minutes of arc is the vernier scale (less accurate than the micrometer). It also lacks a clamp for the arc, so the arm can be jogged and the reading lost. In practice this is important because it means you can’t risk taking the sextant, unread, to the chart table, where you do the stopwatch & chronometer readings before reading the sextant. The absence of a telescope doesn’t matter for sun sights, but for star sights you should deﬁnitely look elsewhere. I ﬁnd the limited number of shades a disadvantage, too.

The Davis Mk3 is a student sextant and can only really be used for sun sights

BUYING A SEXTANT

Astra IIIb

Price £619.95 Weight 1,067g Arc radius 153mm Telescope 3.5x (optional 7 x available) Shades 3 horizon, 4 index Contact Celestaire Web www.celestaire.com Tel +1 (316)686 9785

Freiburger Zeiss Yacht Sextant

Price £659 Weight 860g Arc radius 142mm Telescope 2.4x Shades 2 horizon, 3 index shades Contact FPM Holding GmbH Web www.fpm.de Tel +49 (0) 37 31 27 14 35

Freiburger Zeiss Drum Sextant with wooden handle Price £999 for split-view, £1049 for ‘All-view’ Weight 1,200g Arc radius 170mm Telescope 3.5 x telescope Shades 3 horizon, 4 index Contact FPM Holding GmbH Web www.fpm.de Tel +49 (0) 37 31 27 14 35

The wooden handle is super-comfortable but for many this sextant is just too heavy

PHOTO: FREIBUGER ZEISS

This top-of-the-range sextant comes in two types: split view or ‘Allview’. They both feature a lovely hardwood handle that is very comfortable. You may ﬁnd a metal handle version, second-hand. If money is no object, these are great sextants to own and use. However, the weight is on the high size, so it can end up feeling heavy after a while. One key advantage of this range is the ability to place the sextant in its box, still with the arc set for the sight you’ve just taken. It means the sextant can be stowed while working out the sight. If it doesn’t make sense, you can check the sextant reading again.

Small and light for a metal sextant, but the telescope isn’t the best

PHOTO: FREIBUGER ZEISS

This is the entry-level Zeiss product, with a smaller overall size and smaller arc than its full-size brothers. It’s fair to say that smaller arc radius must lead to slightly less accuracy, though whether it matters on a moving yacht is a moot point. It is light and handy to use, though it has fewer shades than most sextants, which may hamper some people with very sensitive eyes. The 2.4 x telescope is just about usable for stars, but 3x, or more, is better. I’ve never been keen on the simple uncontoured handle, as I suspect the sextant could slip from the user’s hand. If you want a low-cost, compact metal sextant that is not manufactured in the Far East, this is the one.

PHOTO: CELESTAIRE

This aluminium sextant has the full-size and features of the more expensive sextants while retaining the price of lower-speciﬁcation models, which gives it a very appealing combination of features and price. It is made in China by Changzhou Celestaire Instrument Co and is available either with split-view mirror or ‘Allview’ at the same price. For a small sum you can buy the other mirror and interchange them. Many beginners prefer the ‘Allview’ but will graduate to the split view as proﬁciency grows. There’s a light on the arc for star sights. I have to say it looks like a lot of sextant for the money. It also comes in a solid wooden box.

The Astra 3B sextant is full size, but much lighter – and cheaper – than the Zeiss

OCTOBER 2017 www.yachtingmonthly.com 85

Using a sextant Practice using your sextant on a calm day at first and find a location on board that suits you best

James Turner’s tips for using a sextant on board Using a sextant on a yacht is different from practicing on land, as James Turner explains upper body to keep your shoulders lined up with the horizon, moving your legs as the boat rolls and pitches. Practice using your sextant and taking sights as often as possible. In due course you won’t need to take three sights, as you’ll know when you’ve taken a good one. Finally, if you’re taking a single sun sight, go below with the angle still set on the sextant, and work it out before you move the arm to stow the instrument. From time to time your sight won’t make sense when you’ve plotted it, and the first thing to check is whether you wrote down the correct angle in the first place. If you’ve stowed the sextant you’ll have lost the data, so you’ll have to go and take another sight. According to Sod’s law of the ocean, the sun, by this time, will have gone behind a cloud, and the rock-strewn reef will be approaching! W

‘Practice using your sextant and taking sights as often as possible’

86 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

Where to buy a new sextant? Most sextants are available from most good chandlers, though few outlets hold comprehensive stocks. Here are some of the key online retailers:

n Force Four www.force4.co.uk n Book HarBour www.bookharbour.com n Marine Store www.marinestore.co.uk n Marine Scene www.marinescene.co.uk n Sea cHeSt www.seachest.co.uk n Marine cHandlery www.marinechandlery.co.uk

PHOTO: LESTER MCCARTHY/YM

f you haven’t used a sextant on board your yacht before, you’ll need to find the best place to take sights from. If your standing rigging includes foreand-aft lowers, it’s generally best to go up there where you can wrap your arms around the rigging & keep your upper body really steady. If the rig is swept and there isn’t a pair of wires to wrap your arms around, the next best place is probably leaning back against the mast, with your feet well spread. Sometimes the sun will be behind the headsail, so you’ll get a better sight by changing course for a few minutes so you can take the sight from the optimum position, rather than balancing precariously in a less secure place. Also consider altering your course to head off the wind, which is generally a smoother ride. Get used to swinging your

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Built 1985. Fitted with NEW Volvo D130 diesel engine in 2011. Spacious, fast, stable with 6 berths. NEW sprayhood 2016. NEW furling Genoa 2011. Very comprehensive cruising inventory. Must sell give away price only £29.500. See similar Oysters at £50K.

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Price £35,000 ono

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119

14 8

Iso 20s

13 7

Oc(3)15s

B A N K G

9 LFl(3)20s 89

10 LFl(3)20s 9R7

136

Whipped Cream Oc (2) 20s

79 10 8

10°

Naval

aind depth

maint

Luff Car Railway

TRE

NCE

URA

INS

SIV

HEN

PRE COM

189

178

10°

19 6

8 2 Wk

175

19 6

188

55'

NGBAN

D-

Na v a l

290

300

110

120

100

110

270

100

120

270 280 250 260

240

75 Money

Egg N R 65

120

110

120

Oc W & Oc

54'

79 73

Oc(3) 20s 63 21m 20-14M

0 14

260

250

100

300

270

31 0

300

270 280 290

93 53

0 24

G 27° & Oc

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INT T 2303

75°

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237

Q (9) 30s

EASTER BUNNY ISLAND

Little Paw W

YBY

Easter Bonfire Oc W 4s12M

Easter Bonfire Oc W 4s10M

82 73

Email: project.plastics@btinternet.com

www.projectplastics.co.uk

88 65

Fax: (01206) 793737

Q (3) 30s

Colour Tanks

Tel: (01206) 868696

Egg Shell Island

Colour Mixing Plant

Mast

64 33

EGG SHELL

EYE

Q(6) + LFl20s

W A Y

CAPE LITTLE NOSE

SOU

78YB

16 19

Puerto S

Hare Q (9) 20s

74 87

7 A T E R E A S T E R W 6

55 65

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Ciudad 5 Salud, Amor y Dinero 6

23 15

83 46

Oc (2)10s

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45 35 Wd

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EGG SHELL EAST

Q (9) 20s

56'

Q(5)15s R Q(5)15s G

Racon(Y)(3cm) Hotel RW Coral

YBY

310 4 7 45

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575

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109

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114

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116

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98 13 8 7

122

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173 16 7 146

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146

6 LFl(3)20s 8 2 RWk

151

115 depth 8m 3

240

Historic Wk 14 7 25

13 8

159

107 37

86 R 4

maintaine C

Oc (2)10s

PROJECT PLASTICS LTD. 7, Grange Way Business Park, Whitehall Industrial Estate, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HF

LFl (3)20s

Egg Shell W

BYB

18 11

54 64

9 14 2

Q (3) 10s

18 3

456 86

Iso 8s

103

23 26

97 36

QUICK TURNAROUND

132 102

84 74

Little Nose

Racon(X)(3cm)

21 Egg Shell E

Mast

LFl (3)20s

58'

10 2

7366

11 196 1

46 24

34 25

172

52 126

115

Oc(3)15s

21 25 148

15 6 19 3

090

16 3

42' 18 4

12 1 Wk

15 7

12 8 146

172

18 4

178

10'

CHICK ISLAND

97 86

R 112 5

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22 15 6

13 5

10 7 103

136 143

173 16 6

194

55 10

12 3 16 7

18 3

174

Oc(3)15s G

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EGG SHELL 22 WEST 20

153

104

99153 74

37 27

150

33 16

FINANCEREEF

106 19 103

194 144

18 5

All rights reserve6

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160

M 180 170

94 27

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146

190

22 94

173

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Finance-Reef 16 3

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111

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210

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118

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115 22

105

113 20

ã Published by Dirk Schietk

125 St

104 23

73 93

33 97

093 15

210 28

103

111

12 5 21 43

22 Sh

44'

103

106

136

19 6 152

142

24 108

108

10'

116 107

LFl (3) 10s

13 5 24

14 1

111 105

115

19 1

12'

146

198

195 20

121 112

105

104

14'

117

0030

102

150 160 39

180 108170

Joulpukki S

12 1 Wk 22

Q(6)+LFl 25s

136

18 7

12'

13 7

15 6

09 13

104

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150

102 14

190

2’

14'

111

118

146

106

113

200

16'

040

210

94 15 7

104

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133

180

96 114

12 4 52 112

CUT TO SIZE AND SHAPE / DRILLED BEVELLED AND MOULDING FACILITIES UP TO 3mt x 2mt

147 189

03 0

123 135

16 7

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SCREENS / WASHBOARDS / HATCHES WINDOWS AND INSTRUMENT PANELS

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113

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114

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190

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150

106

144

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18 7

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Q(3) 15s

153

16 7

16 3 172 112

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340

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210

153

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330

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113

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50° 330

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123

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Oc 8s

113

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45 27

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18 6 12 4

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176

Historic Wk

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113

103

18'

126

13 5

12 2

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140°

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Q(6) + LFl 25s

16 4

15 4

148

159

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Oc R 12s10M

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174

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177

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104 RW

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119

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182

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146

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Arrecife

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Oc 12s 23m 22-16M

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15 8

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50’

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48'

2015 (3'E)

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18 9

Palm

24 18 3

12 03

119 126

GALEÒN

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118

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112

104

Q(3) 10s

175

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175

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Q(3) 10s

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176

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116

19 7

16 1

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19 6

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119

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17 9

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127

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136

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Small 16 correctio

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174

18 6

194

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144

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340 350

330

15 7

INT 1980

178

56'

18'

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19 9

18 4

143 07

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20'

Fl 15s

15 5

15 6

174

165 29 Historic Wk

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Q(3) + Lfl 16s

52'

37'

LFl (3)20s

15 5

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38 38'

50°

123

58' 23

18 9

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48'

40'

19 3

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33 13 9

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Magnetic variation for 2015, Increasing about 3’ annually 38'

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22' 4 15 5 Fl 15s

LFl (3)20s 37

15 7

182

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176

42' 1° 16'

ACRYLIC • PERSPEX • POLYCARBONATE CLEAR & TINTED IN VARIOUS THICKNESS

103

8 2 Wk

78 125

153

174

40' 16 8

13 5

195

Iso 12s

104

122

144

Stollenbäckerei

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PLASTIC BOAT WINDOWS

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102

116

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175

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144

18 5

19 8

16'

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22 10

Oc(2)10s R

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18 7

18'

113

29 810 Fl 15s 13 8

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13 5

177

194

18 7

178

15 9

not use for Do 84 WGS

136

15 6

42'

13 2

153

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153

143

19 1

19 3

194

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166

135

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15 6

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Q(2)15s

153 10

43 05

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3556 55

175

12 8

16 7

179

194

177

C H E N 22 T 29R

175

107

15 6

13 7

16 7

106

119

127

10 1 Wk

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Historic Wk10 82

1 9 Wk

depth

127

113

VQ(5)20 VQ(5)20s )200s

107

12 4

136

143

136

Mast 24 45 86 Historic Wk 26

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108

118

123

146

Little Brother 112

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103

136

145

18 4

Q(9) 30s

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VQ(5)20s

BELL POINT

Tel: 07900 908 804 www.ardnamurchancottage.com

Boat ScreenS & WindoWS Crew wanted

136

106

07 111

102 1 5

Grandmother

37 5

JULE-64 HYGGE

Oc(2)10s

R 3

173

Eggnog Plant

FIR

ISLAND 16 7

146

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15 6

178

112

12 2

194

118

18 5

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118

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115

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105

126

18 6 Iso 12s

64 94

Dirk Schietke Greeting Sea Charts : www.greetingseachart.eu : info@greetingseachart.eu '+49 162 3277201 Dealers wanted 24

20'

86 23

12 4 18 6

LFl (3)20s

126

105

46'

517 7 8

urc

117

46'

be-blessed-with-children 25 2

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19 3

166

108

116

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101

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102

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127

109

114

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109

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145

165

12 8

13 7

115

119

17775

15 5

133

115

15 5

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149

166

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117 RW

18 4

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48'

123

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108

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15 6

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106

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113

145

134

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136

199

146

12 4

15 5

119

15 6

15 7

10'

165

159

104

19 395

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116

108

14 15

136

13 8

12'

15 5

Stunning location: mtns above, sea below. 5 beds, 4 baths, garage. Loch Sunart.

Ofers over £325k.

14'

50’

147

118

16'

146

15 6

15 4

pres

144

15 5

116

108 84

DAD

35 96

12 5

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126

15 4

182

136

18 5

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106

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144

147

19 7

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115

NAPPY

13 4

162

Nap

163

18 7

175

15 5

133

113

LFl (2) 25s 17m 18-12M

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189

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18 6

166

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103

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146

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Customize it to make it a special gift! In leisure craft charts format and as A5 folding card. With appropriate gift wrapping. A5 folding cards can also be used as invitation cards. See more at my webpage www.greetingseachart.eu! 18 6

144

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14 5

13 7

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198

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16 4

48'

146

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126

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E Wedding, birth, Christmas, Easter E Yacht christening, Yachtmaster exam, regatta victory E Anniversaries, birthdays, wedding anniversaries?

182

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115

19 2

143

131

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Dresstrain S

Q(3) + LFl 16s

Racon(Z)(3cm)

26 Laying Keel

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50’

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Detached villa with own yacht mooring.

8' 34

13 4

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16 6

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East

12 4

RBR

12 5

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ProPerty

10 10' 37

12 3

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13 7

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West

RBR

12 1

10 8

174

165

2 Oc(3)15s R

116

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Oc(3) 30s

114

52'

FLAT

114

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15 7

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HEAD

11 38 64

12 8

177

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115

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Chocolateta k

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102 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

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the confessional Own up tO yOur sailing sins

Win

The confession of the month wins a floating Standard Horizon handheld VHF radio worth £140 PlUs an original Bill Caldwell cartoon

POST Confessions, Yachting Monthly, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF EMAIL yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com Please send us your confessions in less than 200 words

The dangers of multi-tasking

Confession of the Month

By Willie Banks Rupert and I decided that early February would be an ideal time for a few days’ sailing to test ourselves and Vega Nova, my Oyster 45. We sailed out of Brixham in 30 knots of wind but only got as far as Dartmouth before Storm Doris hit. Our fenders were flattened against the pontoon overnight, but in the next two days we went on to Plymouth and Fowey in some testing conditions. Vega Nova behaved beautifully and we really enjoyed ourselves. We never saw another yacht. On the return trip from Fowey to Plymouth the wind was up to 30 knots, with horizontal rain. We arrived at Plymouth we were very wet and cold. I put the autopilot on as we approached Sutton Harbour Lock to help put out some fenders. The wind was behind us and I suddenly realised we were heading for the imovable mass of the concrete harbour wall. I dived for the controls and tripped. Falling headlong into the cockpit, I managed to hit the throttle on my way past, accelerating us to our doom. We were now going flat out, and though I managed to get into reverse, it was too late to prevent the sickening crunch. There is a ‘crumple zone’ on an Oyster and it involves the anchor, bow roller and pulpit. Thankfully, athough my pride, body and wallet were all a bit bruised and battered, no one was hurt and no serious damage done. The lock keeper was surprised that I had managed to miss the open lock, and I have learned a lesson: Men should not try to multi-task!

Drama, what drama?

By John Hunston Sailing round Mull on a bareboat charter, we decided we needed more water at Arinagour on Coll. On a falling tide, I decided to risk it and tie up alongside the stone jetty. With a strong offshore wind, 106 www.yachtingmonthly.com OCTOBER 2017

this took some doing. The refill took a bit longer than anticipated, as there was no real hose, so we carried cans instead. With time running out, I let go of the ropes and as I was about to jump aboard, someone shouted, ‘Mike’s still ashore!’ I told my teenage son, Elliott, to take control of the boat, while I stayed on the quay to make the ropework easier next time round. Jumping up from below, he did a great job, but wasn’t best pleased with his dad for being asked. Mike eventually sauntered out of the loo, by which time Elliott had circled round and we were tied up again. Mike stepped aboard, completely unaware of the intervening drama, but we were lucky not to be stuck high and dry.

Steering by hairdryer

By Michael Salano The cruise had started well enough, sailing along the Turkish Aegean coast. We set sail for Çiftlik, some 30 miles distant. A reaching wind took us jauntily to the waypoint at Buzuk Buku where the sea was busy with other vessels that were also cutting the corner. We bucked in the crossing swells and I trimmed the autopilot to begin our turn. Slowly the boat began a gentle turn to starboard; I checked the controls – I was sure I had selected for a port turn. Another swell lifted the boat and as we came down into the trough with a thump, the autopilot went berserk. The boat slewed sideways and we were struggling for control in the busy seaway. I hit ‘Standby’, grabbed the

wheel and wrestled us back onto course. I looked at my wife Julia. ‘Have you just been below and moved anything?’ ‘No, absolutely not,’ came the firm reply.’ Settled on our new course, I tried the autopilot again. The boat immediately veered somewhere towards Libya. Hand steering it was then. It was only when we reached harbour that I could investigate. Eventually, I went in search of the fluxgate compass. Despite knowing every inch of my boat, it took a while to locate the tiny unit tucked up hard underneath the locker worktop in our cabin. I could see nothing out of place, but as I removed my head from the locker, I caught sight of the culprit. On the shelf above, within half an inch of the compass, was Julia's hairdryer, which had slid out of place when we heeled over. At least I know where the fluxgate compass is now!

Dressed for the job

By Nicola Wakeham After a pleasant summer cruise through the Channel Islands, we tied up to a friend’s mooring on the River Yealm prior to going home. Whilst trying to pick up the buoy I dropped the boathook into the water and watched it quickly drift away. My rushed to lower the dinghy from the davits to go and save it. Dinghy duly lowered, I jumped in. Only then did I realise that I hadn’t put the bung in. I was soon up to my elbows in muddy river water and the flow was impossible to stem. Fortunately, I was still attached to the davits, so I soggily clambered out and wound the dinghy up. Once drained, I put the bung in and started again. I managed to retrieve the boathook and returned triumphant. My partner's angry look puzzled me at first, until I realised I was wearing his brand new and muchprized red jumper, which I was allowed to wear on the condition that I swore to look after it. I had totally forgotten I was wearing it, and it took much washing until it smelled anywhere near fresh again. W

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