Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2016 i Sailing Today

There is a simple reason why little has been reported about the facts of the impact of the UK leaving the EU – no one really knows what would happen. Any rules and regulations would have to be negotiated between the UK government and the 27 other member states of the EU and that would take time – at least a decade. “It will depend not only on the UK government and what it sees as its priorities but also on what the other states think of as being their strategic priorities,” says Gus Lewis, the head of legal and government affairs at the RYA. “Anything else, at this stage, is just guessing.” John Lansdell from the Cruising Association’s Regulations and Technical Services Committee, which has knowledge in areas including…

To me, the idea of sailing a couple of thousand miles around the UK without stopping is perverse, crazy even. You might marvel at the geology as you race by the Dorset coast, or the bird life as you round Muckle Flugga, or Telford’s suspension bridge over the Menai Strait, but you will miss all that history, the maritime museums, those cosy English harbours and remote Hebridean anchorages, as well as the wonders of Orkney and Shetland. In truth there is far too much to see around our coastline. There must be many hundreds of anchorages, harbours and marinas mentioned in the various Sailing Directions (far more in Scotland than in England and Wales). So which ones definitely not to miss? A difficult choice, but having sailed around the UK…

‘IT IS GOOD TO REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALSO DOING ALL OF OUR CRUISING FOR PLEASURE’ In more than four-and-a-half years of cruising we have always been moving forward. On to the next anchorage, the next country, or the next ocean. We’ve been smart in our weather window timings and lucky in our choices. But once, and only once in our sailing so far, we turned tail and retraced our watery wake for several hours. Why? Because sometimes the most sailorly course of action is to be a bit of a coward. Years ago we were sailing up the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. We were watching the weather for the local ‘gap winds’ named after the Gulf of Papagayo, which lies near the border with Nicaragua and is where…

The Boat Basin is a 240-berth, full-service marina two blocks from the centre of Nantucket. Voted the top marina in the US and second in the world (by readers of the website marinas.com) in 2015, it is run by Nantucket Island Resorts, which also operates hotels and restaurants on the island. Minimum depth in the boat basin is 12ft (3.5m). All berths are walk-ashore, with electricity, water and cable TV hook-up points. Check in is 1300 and check out 1100 each day, strictly so between 21 June and 5 September. Last summer the marina was fully booked in July and August, so reserving a berth ahead via the website is advised. To comply with Nantucket law there is a free, slip-side pump-out service. Eco, biodegradable cleaning products must be used…

You’re most likely to be in Nantucket if you’re on an Atlantic circuit, taking in east coast harbours like Cape Cod (26nM away), Martha’s Vineyard (29nM), Newport, Rhode Island (70nM) or Long Island (114nM). The cruising ground has a well protected feel, because of the barrier of islands and sandbanks to the south. Of course, in the frequent summer fogs, the same sandbanks pose quite a risk - this is an area to have radar and AIS. There’s great sailing in Nantucket Sound, in the bight of the island, with prevailing southwesterlys generally picking up in the afternoons. Martha’s Vineyard to the west offers good shelter off Vineyard Haven, with anchoring permitted. See the location for Jaws on the east coast, or admire the native American site at Gay Head…

INFLATABLE KAYAKS are some of the most portabe watercraft in existence, hence their immense popularity. But it’s a competitive and confusing market, with huge variations in price, quality and performance on the water. How does one choose? For a long time we were unsure ourselves, and chose not to add inflatable kayaks to our specialist range of portable boats because most of them aren’t much good to paddle. But when we saw and tested the new Aquaglide Chelans, they stood out from the crowd. Two key features make a massive difference: - High pressure drop-stitch floors for unmatched stiffness and paddling performance.They can be in›lated up to 12psi, rather than the 2psi (or less) of cheaper kayaks. That makes them much, much more rigid, so they don’t get a “saggy…

Chain is the Cinderella of anchoring. Studies of anchors and how best to deploy them are widespread, but the equally critical connection between anchor and yacht – the chain – enjoys scant attention. Chain choice is important and it’s not just about price. THE SUPPLIERS Short link, metric, galvanised anchor chain is now primarily supplied in the UK from China but it is also available from manufacturers including Maggi (Italy) Peerless, (America, via a central warehouse in Germany); and CMP aka Titan (known for its being the licensee for Rocna). In this country, Griff Chains claims to still make its own marine chain. For our itinerant readers Australia has two chain makers, Serafini and PWB (which sells into Asia) and SCAW in S Africa. Imperial chain is available from Peerless…

Dubai’s hotel district towers over the masts of the city’s International Boat Show, held on 1-5 March this year. Besides the 40m-plus motorboats you would expect, there was room for these two sailing boats: the hugely successful Hanse 505 and the new Lagoon 450S on the pontoons of the Dubai International Marine Club. The scene is not entirely without bling, however: note the red carpet on the pontoon! Dubai is hot all year round, with summer temperatures averaging over 40°C, and a prevailing northwesterly rarely exceeding Force 5.…

Soler 35 £196,000 Here is another yacht that certainly dares to be different. Morozov Yachts has built a boat that boasts excellent performance and ticks many boxes for long term cruisers: practicality, simplicity of rig - she even has a lifting keel for a spot of creek-crawling. Sounds like an absolute dream doesn’t she? The payback is her rather individual wedding-cake looks. Otherwise, the yacht has plenty to recommend her. Acres of space for a 35-footer and excellent performance. She has twin rudders, water ballast and a powerful rig. The roomy interior is simple, bordering on stripped-out. morozov-yachts.com C- Yacht 47C £400,000 Holland’s C-Yacht specialises in solid, straightforward centre cockpit cruisers. It must, therefore, have been delighted when naval architect Dykstra presented it with plans for the all new 47C:…

Turkey’s Black Sea coast has few travellers and virtually no tourists. I joined ship in the town of Eregli, with its modern promenade. Here, young women jogged in Lycra outfits, confirming the impression of a modern European-facing society. The yacht club consisted of six yachts at anchor and some basic amenities, but helpful members who sorted out the paperwork, some minor injuries and restocking the boat. On the way east, winds were light and northwesterly. The sea was calm and we had a knot of current helping us. The only irritant was an intermittent swell for which we could discern no cause: no passing ship, no distant storm. With four competent sailors aboard we had plenty of time to read up on the Black Sea coast we were passing. Nearly…

DREDGED CHANNEL Starting from the safewater mark ‘NB’, about a mile out, continuing along 162°(T) BRANT POINT LIGHTHOUSE Light sequence is Oc. R 4s. Brant Point is also a lovely spot to walk out to NANTUCKET BOAT BASIN Marina with 240 walk-ashore berths and 12ft of depth. Popular - booking ahead is almost mandatory - but not cheap TOWN CENTRE Only a few minutes away by foot, with historic streets, museums and seafood restaurants aplenty MOORING FIELD Run separately from the boat basin and, again, advance booking is advised With its cobbled streets and clapboard houses, Nantucket Island is New England seaside living straight out of a Hollywood movie. Thirty miles south of Cape Cod and 100 from Boston, it is a popular tourist spot and summer residence and has…

HOW WE TESTED A shoe is a very personal thing - nectar for one foot is poison for another. So we aimed to establish comfort in terms of cushioning in the sole and any points of friction in the shoe. A little more scientifically, we were able to establish the shoe’s grip credentials by testing the angle at which each model began to slip on a hardwood plank, in both wet and dry conditions. We found that all the shoes stuck fast up to at least 30°. Finally, we timed how quickly a pint of water drained out of the shoe, where a specific drainage system was built in. Sailing footwear has taken dramatic technological strides since leather boat shoes were first invented. A whole range of trainer-style shoes with…

One of the joys of cruising used to be entering harbour and finding a nice quiet spot to anchor for the night. These days it seems every square inch of harbour space is taken up with moorings or marinas and the chances of finding space to anchor are small. Quiet anchorages are becoming hard to find, but if you look at the chart and study the weather forecast you can still enjoy the real taste of cruising with the anchor down, a quiet drink in hand while you watch the sun set. Not all sheltered bays and coves offer the same degree of protection, however. You need to choose with care, particularly if the forecast is deteriorating. So what factors are you looking for when selecting your hopefully, quiet anchorage…

Vetus M4-56 It is difficult to do justice in a few lines to something as complex and expensive as a yacht engine but this new offering from Vetus is worthy of note. It is the latest in the firm’s redesigned M engine range, which now runs from 12hp to 52hp with this launch. Based on a Mitsubishi block, the engine has had a number of key improvements. It has a water-cooled aluminium top cover so it runs 15° C cooler and more quietly; the top also serves as a handy step. The heat exchanger alone has 26 improvements, while looks have been improved overall, safety increased and servicing facilitated by better positioning of filters and the impeller. A separate electric fuel pump has been added, so that the engine is…

There is something about yacht cruising that seems to attract dreamers. If you don’t believe me, head to any boatyard and have a chat with a few of the owners pottering about on their yachts. If – and I stress if – you manage to cut through the perfunctory niceties of anodes, seacocks and favoured types of antifouling to get on to cruising destinations, I almost guarantee that it won’t be long before spots like Patagonia, the South Seas or even the Northwest Passage crop up. Never mind that the yacht in question has never sailed past Portland Bill, the dream is still hazily there in the owner’s mind. I guess it’s part of what keeps us interested in sailing – the promise of the far-flung horizon. The Boréal 55…

It was the ultimate anchoring dilemma one wild and stormy night off the west coast of Scotland. The anchor was dragging but we couldn’t lift it. The forecast was bad on our two-handed cruise so we holed up in what we thought was a nice sheltered anchorage in the deep inlet of Loch Na Beiste opposite Kyle of Lochalsh. We had to anchor close in to find shallow water but with a 2,500ft peak on the weather shore we thought we would be well sheltered under its lee. As the winds increased in strength this ‘sheltered’ spot started to be attacked by wild white squalls running down off the mountain and hitting us like a sledgehammer. Our sturdy motorsailer was being knocked sideways under the strength of the wind. Time…

On the edge of a small central German town of a few thousand people, surrounded by rolling agricultural land, there is a slice of modernity that sits rather incongruously. The boat yard, if that’s the right word for this factory, is such a major employer here in Giebelstadt that it has a street named after it, and road signs from all directions. The town’s one guesthouse seemingly makes a living by providing accommodation and hearty breakfasts to yard visitors. Other than the 15th century castle and a derelict former-US airbase, there is absolutely nothing else to keep you here. In such a place, the 70,000m2 halls of Bavaria Yachtbau, which turns out over 1,000 boats per year with the input of workers from 14 different countries, is impossible to miss.…

SWISS CAT 55 | AUF DER FREIHEIT The Swiss Catamarans 55 is designed as a high-quality-finish boat for fast offshore cruising. Think mini superyacht. She has a high tech rig with carbon mast and bowsprit, Kevlar standing rigging and Dyneema running rigging. The sail wardrobe includes a fully-battened main, genoa, staysail and gennaker. The daggerboard set-up means her draught can be as little as just over one metre. In sea trials between the South of France and Turkey she reached 24 knots and averaged 17 knots over 24 hours. Swiss Cat goes for durable, top-end equipment, so there is Harken, Spinlock and Lewmar deckware a Baumatic oven, Bose sound and an Electrolux washing machine. A 10kW generator and an array of solar panels provide plenty of power and…

LONDON ON-WATER YACHT & BOAT SHOW 4-7 MAY, ST KAT’S, LONDON Discovery, Gunfleet, Bavaria and Spirit Yachts will have boats berthed in St Katharine Docks for this four-day event. Entry noon–2000. Tickets: save 30 per cent online when quoting code SMOF. • londononwater.com WATERSIDE CELEBRATIONS TRANSAT YACHT RACE, PLYMOUTH, MAY 1-2 Soak up the atmosphere before the four-yearly race sets off from Plymouth on 2 May. The boats are moored at Plymouth Yacht Haven and Sutton Harbour Marina from 24 April–2 May. Free entry to the Transat race village. • visitplymouth.co.uk TAHITI PEARL REGATTA 2-7 MAY, RAIATEA, TAHA’A AND BORA BORA Singing, dancing to the local bands’ tamures, eating, drinking and sailing each day. The event is open to all kinds of boats, monohulls, and catamarans…