Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2022 i Practical Boat Owner

Calm in a crisis When Chris Pearsall’s 32ft yacht started sinking, he didn’t panic. “I was always confident that I’d be OK,” he says, as he calmly worked out which equipment to take to the liferaft. In magazines we’re cautious about scaring people, and as a new boat owner myself I don’t want to read stories that might stop me taking on new challenges. However, Chris’s tale addressed my fears head-on. His yacht sank, but because he was well equipped and well prepared, he was rescued. Now that’s my kind of ‘disaster story’ – one with a happy ending! I’m in the process of upgrading Maximus’s safety gear, and Chris’s experience is a reminder that with communications today – items such as EPIRBs, AIS beacons and PLBs – help is…

Swedish tech company Candela has racked up 60-plus orders in five weeks for its r290,000 electric boat, the C-8. “According to our data, the C-8 is the second or third fastest-selling powerboat in the 28ft category in Scandinavia. Not just electric boats, but any type of power source”, said spokesman Mikael Mahlberg. Computercontrolled hydrofoils lift the hull above the waves reducing slamming by 90% and energy consumption by 80% compared to traditional powerboats, the C-8 can cruise for more than 2½ hours at 20 knots.…

A refresh of the National Shipbuilding Strategy has seen a new unit launched to tackle shipping emissions and create a ‘globally successful, innovative and sustainable shipbuilding enterprise.’ Some £206million of new funding will help the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK Shore) unit to accelerate clean maritime technologies and create skilled jobs across the country. Defence Secretary and Shipbuilding Tsar Ben Wallace said stoking the “renaissance in British shipbuilding” flame would require “extending our scope well beyond the purely naval to commercial shipbuilding. The focus is looking beyond the hulls to the systems and sub-systems.” There will be more focus on the “factors critical for future success: skills, technology and access to finance.” Over the next decade, the plan is to increase the productivity of yards, strengthen local supply-chain…

The crew of MV Astra are celebrating after surpassing the halfway point in their expedition attempt to set a new world first. Captain Iain Macneil and his crew of four are attempting to be the first sub-24m motorpowered vessel to circumnavigate the globe. The expedition started in Lanzarote in December 2021 and is due to finish some time in May this year following a minimum 25,000-mile voyage, crossing the equator twice and navigating some of the globe’s most treacherous and remote areas. Challenges the team have encountered so far include a major route change. Reacting to weather and current changes en-route to St Helena, the captain reworked passage plans to reverse direction and head west. The most celebrated milestone so far has been navigating around Cape Horn. Captain Macneil, said:…

Flotsam and jetsam Sam Llewellyn writes nautical thrillers and edits The Marine Quarterly. He is currently patching up a 30ft ketch. samllewellyn.com I have always been deeply attached to the Glénans Sailing Manual. It is full of handy hints for the sailor: how to get 14 people on to a 28ft boat, how many crates of wine are needed by two people for a three-day cruise; and above all, what to do with the contents of the boat at the end of the season. The best bet, says the Glénans manual, is to leave everything on the boat, because that way you do not run the risk of leaving behind something vital, like le whisky, at the beginning of next year. We have always adopted this system on Dahlia, and…

While cycling along the promenade in Bournemouth I spotted something unusual. It could have been a discarded bike tyre, or a very intricate piece of plastic, but by the smell gave it away. It belonged to something dead… and fishy… and huge! What species in British waters could possibly have a spine so long? When I Googled it, it looked remarkably similar to a great white shark spine. Uh oh. That’s when I knew I had to investigate… I took it home, measured it, and sent photos to the Shark Trust. They confirmed it to be that of the second largest shark species, the 39ft basking shark (the largest species, if you’re wondering, is the 46ft whale shark). Paul Cox, managing director of the Shark Trust, said, “It looks like…

As a freelance writer I’ve been working from on board boats for 20-plus years, across Europe, the Med, Atlantic islands and Caribbean. There are three key elements needed to do so reliably: adequate charging systems, a good data connection and protection for your kit. Charging systems Charging equipment has become much easier – in the past decade the power drawn by processors has dropped, while today’s solid state drives (SSDs) consume only a fraction of the power used by old spinning hard disk drives. The cost of solar power has also plummeted. In my experience in an 80W coachroof mounted solar panel will provide enough power for a day’s work on a laptop in summer, though you’ll need more if you also keep a fridge or other power hungry equipment…

Super sized pop-up boat shed Not so long ago finding a building in which to undertake major work on a boat was not too difficult and often reasonably affordable. That’s no longer the case in many areas, so these extra large Clarke garage/workshop units are an interesting alternative. They’re made of triple layer woven fabric that’s UV treated, and have heavy duty powder coated steel tubing. The smaller version is 32ft (9.7m) long, 14ft (4.3m) wide and a maximum of 12ft (3.65m) high, while the 40ft (12.0m) model is 16ft (4.9m) wide and 14ft 6in (4.3m) high with its apex roof. Both are designed for easy assembly, though four to six people are needed to position the roof covering. They’re part of a 10-model range. Price: 32ft garage/workshop £1,319. ■…

Our PBO Project Boat Maximus was built 43 years ago, and beautifully built at that. But, when you come to own a boat that is the same age as you, you accept that not everything is in as good a condition as it once was! The Maxi 84 had been ashore for nearly two-years at Dell Quay, Chichester, during the Covid pandemic. In that time, a number of leaks had developed. The companionway hatch cover was ill-fitting and rainwater had found its way in. My wife, Ali, and I emptied buckets of dirty water out of the lockers, and also discovered that the wood in the companionway steps had rotted. We got a quote from a woodworker but the timing didn’t work, and we were in a hurry to launch…

I thought readers may be interested in these small fenders I made for my Mirror dinghy and tender. I bought a swimming noodle with a hole though the middle, cut it with a carving knife and simply knotted some rope then threaded it through. The knots are big enough to hold the foam in place and because there is a loop in the bottom I can also use them horizontally linked together. The cost was minimal – around £3/£4 as I already had the rope. And I made six mini fenders from one noodle.…

The term Windfall was given to the fleet of yachts that were transferred from Germany to the UK as part of the World War II reparations in 1945. Two of them were 100 Square Metre yachts: Flamingo and Marabu, of which more later. Five of the 50 Square Metre yachts served the five ‘houses’ for cadets at the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. They took their names from the heraldic symbols of the admirals for whom the ‘houses’ were named: Harpy, Gryphis, Leopard, Martlet and Pegasus. I learned to sail as a cadet between 1946 and 1951, and my house, St Vincent, was named for Admiral St Vincent, and our yacht was Pegasus. Cadets progressed from sailing 27ft Whalers and 32ft Cutters (first badge), to Dart One Design dinghies (DOD’s)…

SEND US YOUR STORIES Email news editor Laura Hodgetts at pbo@futurenet.com Beware E10 in 4-stroke outboards Owners of small 4-stroke outboards are being urged to proceed with caution if using the new E10 petrol and spending extended time away. PBO engine guru Stu Davies, who keeps his boat in Portugal, has been alarmed by growing reports among his sailing community about unscrupulous mechanics complicating issues that could be fixed with a ‘simple carburettor clean’. Stu said: “It’s partly due to people being away from their yachts for many months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and exacerbated by the introduction of E10 petrol. “Boaters leave the outboards with this new fuel in the tank and carburettor, they come back after a spell away to find the outboard won’t start. They call…

Following legislative changes introduced through the Finance Bill in 2021, from 1 April 2022 sports clubs will no longer be able to use the rebated fuel in club machinery unless Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC)-registered with HM Revenue & Customs. Non-registered clubs will not be allowed to use red diesel for machines or appliances used to maintain club land; or to provide heating and the lighting of clubhouses and changing rooms. The continued use of red diesel was granted for the use of propulsion for club-owned boats and privately owned boats (except for private pleasure craft in Northern Ireland) on the practical grounds of the unavailability of white diesel at the waterside. Guidance on registering your club as a CASC is available at rya.org.uk under ‘club support’. Find more red…

Living with the sea Marsali Taylor sails an Offshore 8M, Karima S. She’s a dinghy instructor and author of The Shetland Sailing Mysteries starring liveaboard sleuth, Cass Lynch. There can’t be many households here in Aith who aren’t involved with the lifeboat in some way. There’s the 30+ roster of crew, some of whom are third-generation volunteers. When the maroons used to go off, you’d see lights in all the houses as the whole village waited up for news; now, of course, it’s the throbbing roar of the engines that alerts us to the Charles Lidbury going out, and bush telegraph soon spreads word of what the casualty is, and where. Everyone knows the lifeboats go out in any weather, whenever they’re needed, but it’s different being there, hearing the…

CLIVE MARSH discovered small boats whilst working for Canadian Pacific Steamships and is a past Commodore of the Merchant Navy Association Boat Club. In this series he shares tales from his 50 years of boat ownership. Robert Tucker designed many pocket cruisers that were built mainly in the 1950s to 1970s. I have owned three of his designs and my absolute favourites are the little Silhouette Marks 2 and 3 with bilge keels. I first saw one of these charming craft on the hard at Bosham. The owners had gone to the Anchor Bleu for dinner to return for the night on their little ship before departing with the tide at dawn. Their boat sat comfortably upright, unlike my own boat and others lying at varying angles. I got chatting…

PBO features editor Jake Frith introduced his son Daniel to boating quite young, in a quite wet boat. Here’s how: Mahogany Bob, our 55-year-old LH Walker mahogany on oak clinker dinghy looks lovely and attracts admiring comments everywhere we go, but because she doesn’t get used as often as she should, her lands dry out and so she leaks like a sieve. Being kept adjacent to the river in the local dinghy park and easy to launch, but safe and very stable, this boat was often first choice for spur of the moment short duration adventures. When Daniel was a baby, we kept him clear of Mahogany Bob’s wet floor by keeping him on a lap or in a car seat wedged up at the bow. Small babies are a doddle…

Some years ago I was working on my boat, ashore in the yard. I felt, rather than heard, the explosion and by the time I’d scrambled the few yards to the mooring pontoon I was confronted with what was left of a Westerly Centaur. The whole deck assembly, including the mast and spars, had been blown the height of a three-story building before landing back on top of the remains of the hull. There had been one person on board and of course he was rushed to hospital, fortunately with relatively minor injuries. It seems that having been at the centre of the explosion the shock wave rushed away from him. The experience left me with a permanent concern about explosives in boats. As most skippers are aware, gas and…

“For me, the bilge for me is an area which all good sailors should treat in the way that ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness,’” says Alan England. “The bilge should always be kept clean and dry, for many boat problems originate there or give clues to problems elsewhere, as I was to discover.” A tour of any modern boatbuilder shows that they wholeheartedly agree. Here are some examples of good practice to avoid bilge-area problems, partly by making solid and dependable connections, but also by the fast identification of any pipes or outlets, especially important if there is a sudden leak at night or in a seaway. ■ One good way to reduce the risk of leaks is to minimise the number of holes below the waterline. Known as a…

Great ideas and tips from PBO readers Email your projects and tips to pbo@futurenet.com including high resolution photos where possible. We pay at least £30 for each one published A well known mass production yacht manufacturer charged friends of mine who’d sailed to the Caribbean £150 plus £15 import duty for the white nylon bracket pictured here. And the yard was stingy enough not even to include the essential bolt that had to be bought separately. The bracket is a support bearing – a pair of them are fixed to each end of a very wide motorised bathing platform on the yacht’s stern. Our friends kindly invited my wife and me to join them in Antigua this March and when they told me their bracket had broken I offered to…

Three-and-a-half years after suffering life-changing injuries in the 50th anniversary Golden Globe Race, Abhilash Tomy has announced that he is taking on the 2022 edition. On 1 July 2018, the Indian sailor was rescued, 83 days into the solo non-stop race around the world from his disabled 32ft yacht Thuriya – a replica of Suhaili, which Sir Robin Knox-Johnston sailed to victory in the first 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. Tomy, a Navy commander who had previously completed a solo circumnavigation, was third in the race when a storm in the Southern Indian Ocean rolled and dismasted Thuriya, severely injuring his back. Trapped below, unable to move his legs, he sent a text message to race control and turned his EPIRB on. Then all communication was lost. It took…

A new generation is needed to run the Nicholson 31 Class Association and create ‘a vibrant all-inclusive group of individuals to represent the world of cruising’. Five class officer posts are to be filled including honorary secretary and honorary treasurer. Enthusiasts are sought to drive membership and maintain the two strands of owning these classic yachts: sailing the boats into the wild blue yonder, and making modern changes as project boats. ■ nicholson31.com…

Back for a second year, the Brian Black Memorial Award 2022 is open to entries. PBO’s sister title Yachting Monthly is offering a cash prize for the best article about the marine environment as explored by sailing boat. This year, the focus is on the issues of climate change and of biodiversity loss, and how these are impacting the marine environment. Judges will also highlight the best article about high latitude voyages. Thanks to award sponsor, marine electronics company B&G, a total of £4,000 is available for the winning entry, with £2,500 going to the author and £1,500 being donated to the marine conservation charity Sea-Changers on their behalf. The award was established last year to commemorate the lives of Brian and his wife, Lesley Black. The deadline is 7…

■ Sea Safety Day, 23 April, Universal Marina, Southampton, premiermarinas.com ■ Poole Regatta, 30 April-2 May, pooleregatta.co.uk ■ South Coast Boat Show, 6-8 May, Ocean Village, Southampton, mdlmarinas.co.uk ■ #boatgen get afloat day, 8 May, ASC Portsmouth, for young people, boatgen.co.uk ■ Hamble River Raid, 14 May, seven-mile rowing race for craft of all sizes, hambleriverraid.com ■ Flare Amnesty, 14 May, Poole Yacht Club, painswessex.com ■ OSTAR TWOSTAR, 15 May, 60th anniversary edition of the transatlantic race, rwyc.org/ostar ■ Solent Boat Jumble, 22 May, Royal Victoria Country Park, Hampshire, boat-jumbles.co.uk ■ Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties Festival, 27-29 May, Facebook page ■ Ballad Nationals, 9-14 June, 50th anniversary, Fowey, Cornwall, ukballadassociation.org ■ Jersey Boat Show, 10-12 June, St Helier Marina and quayside, jerseyboatshow.com ■ Green Tech Boat Show, 16-18 June,…

Peter Draper has a Dunkirk Little Ship If you’ve a high-speed powerboat, Chichester Harbour isn’t for you. If you have a yacht or like to potter it’s ideal. It’s a beautiful place: safe, secure inland cruising with many little creeks, and places to visit such as Emsworth and Bosham. There’s a plethora of wildlife, and it’s also great for dinghy sailors. I own a 1927 pilchard fishing boat, Caronia – which helped in the World War II evacuation of Dunkirk. I’ve spent over a decade restoring her with my son and love to sail out of Chichester. The harbour is a wonderful place to be. It’s what I consider the garden gate to the West Country. Once through the gate you’ve got the safety and security of the Solent. There’s…

When one crew member wants to hammer upwind with the lee rail awash, while another wants to use the chart table to do their colouring in, how do you balance the needs of everyone in your crew? 1 Take time to take time It’s easy for the skipper to get caught up in the charge to get from A to B. It’s true that time and tide wait for no one, but question whether it’s truly necessary to get up at 4am and arrive after midnight. Ease everyone in gently and be prepared to recognise that it’s sometimes wiser to motor. 2 Make it a home from home A few cuddly toys, favourite books, bedding from home, an LED nightlight, pictures up in their bunks make the kids’ cabin feel…

Sailing to the Azores recently highlighted some electrical weaknesses on my yacht Pippin that had me desperately changing batteries around at sea – never a good idea. I was eight days out, 180 miles west of Vigo, Spain, and wanted to tackle the battery issue before the forecast bad weather struck. It seemed only one of two domestic 105Ah lead acid leisure batteries was working. The engine bank consisted of a 105Ah battery, wired separately, and up front lurked a fourth battery for the winch and bow thruster, which I decided to commandeer for the leisure bank. Naturally, the squall hit just as I was carrying the 23kg battery back along the cabin to the battery compartment under the skipper’s wheelhouse pilot seat. Predictably I achieved nothing except blood, sweat…

Part of the problem had been caused by the plastic hose hardening at the terminus and causing a leak. I’m in the process of switching the bilge hoses from corrugated (or ribbed) hose to reinforced hose. 1 On boats as in life, we don’t have problems, only challenges. If you discover water accumulating in your bilge, it must be coming from somewhere and could be much more inconvenient than just getting your feet wet. The cause could be serious. Therefore, the source should be ascertained as promptly as possible. In my case it was fresh water and not sea water, so less of an issue. Therefore, as I was human and lazy (a common trait among some of us retired men) I decided to live with the irritation. This was preferable…

A generator on a boat is generally powered by an internal combustion engine using an energydense carbon-based fuel such as diesel. Fuel cell generators will be coming to the fore in future years, but are outside our scope for the present. A generator is basically a rotating magnet inside coils of copper wire. When the magnets rotate, they induce a voltage in the coils of wire. Sophisticated control systems control the output. Simplistically speaking the alternator on our main engine is a ‘generator’ which produces 12V or 24V. Th alternator produces alternating current (AC) which is rectified to direct current (DC). The ones fitted to our boat engines, simplistically speaking, are capable of producing up to 60A at a nominal 12V. All well and good, it can keep our battery…

A. Never start an outboard engine (without a clutch) while standing in the water, because when it fires up it’s already in gear and the prop can surge into your legs. Row out a little way and start while aboard. B. It’s tempting to only make one trip, but never overload the tender. Wear some buoyancy and never stand up to grab for the boat! C. If you’re by yourself the boat will not trim correctly if you sit at the back. This can also cause inflatables to flip over if the wind gets under the bow as you ride over a wave. D. Sit well forward to keep the bow down and use a tiller extension. This DIY one has a split plastic pipe to control the twist-grip throttle.…