Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i Yachting Monthly

The John Merricks Sailing Trust is to be dissolved in October 2022. The trustees say the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the charity’s current and future income is a major factor in their decision. It was set up to honour the memory of Olympic dinghy sailor John Merricks, who died aged 27 in a car crash in Italy on 15 October 1997. In the last 25 years, grants totalling £730,000 have been made to 285 individuals and organisations. The charity’s residual funds of around £200,000 will be gifted to one or more organisations which can provide a lasting legacy that will continue the trust’s object to help young people under the age of 25 to achieve their potential through the sport of sailing. Preference will be given to dinghy…

Tracy Edwards’ Bruce Farr maxi, Maiden, is to start a new three-year world tour, beginning from Dubai in January, writes Sophie Dingwall. Prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the 58ft yacht and her crew had visited more than 12 countries as an ambassador for the not-for-profit organisation, The Maiden Factor, raising awareness and funds for charities, outreach programmes and organisations committed to the education of girls Although there was disappointment that the tour was suspended, this necessary time and reflection has led to the support of their new lead sponsor DP World. The Emirati multinational logistics company is based in Dubai, and already runs several programmes to support women’s access to education, employment and health care. Edwards said she was looking forward to building on the…

Terceira Island creeps into view and seen from the air, it nestles like a gemstone into the Atlantic Ocean. Our approach reveals a fertile land with echoes of New Zealand and the West Country. The people are friendly and the climate benign, the Azores don’t disappoint. The cruising community is a large family and this is captured by Glen and Nancy dropping us to the marina. Both are keen single-handed sailors in their own right, with Glen having a Jester Azores Challenge under his belt in a tiny junk-rigged boat. Stepping onto Pippin is like slipping into a comfy pair of slippers that have been re-soled. We had done a lot of work whilst we owned her and in turn John Willis has lifted her game with a new engine,…

‘IMPROVE OUR PILOTAGE SKILLS TO EXPLORE WITH CONFIDENCE’ Pilotage, like many sailing skills, is both an art and a science. Successful pilotage relies on accurate planning and calculations but also on having a feel for where you are. I joined Tracey Hindmarsh, owner of a Bavaria 32 based in Queen Anne’s Battery, Plymouth, to see if I could help her improve her pilotage skills and move them to the next level. Tracey and her husband, Nick, have owned Solid Aire since 2018. They usually cruise out of the harbour – across to Cawsand Bay, over to the River Yealm or west to Fowey. They’ve both crewed extensively abroad on larger boats, including trips to Norway, Svalbard and Cuba, but they admitted that the inner reaches of Plymouth Harbour remained unfamiliar…

We set off in glorious sunshine and apart from negotiating the set of three chain ferries at Torpoint, the pilotage up the lower part of the Tamar was straightforward. We arrived at the mouth of the Lynher a little early and picked up one of the empty moorings for a quick brew and a briefing from Tracey. Once underway in the river there was a strong flood tide which swept us along at 6 knots over the ground. Tracey had a tendency to spend slightly too long below decks checking the chart, probably because we hadn’t allowed enough time for the planning process that morning. In a narrow channel it’s important not to take your eye off the ball, especially if travelling at speed, so I suggested we slowed down.…

FORECABIN A tidy cabin is half way to success. We sleep forward, so this is where the bedding and most of our clothes are stored. Duvets (or sleeping bags) and pillows will usually stay put, even in quite lively weather. Similarly, clothes on the bunks are unlikely to move. The only access to the bilge in the forecabin is for the log and echo sounder transducer, so if the deck is clear, there is not much to worry about. While here, we could take the opportunity to check for leaks, raise the log and give it a clean. I know some skippers who check the log every time before they get underway. Personally, I leave it until there seems to be a problem, or once every week or so, whichever…

They say that the two happiest days of boat ownership are the day you buy her and the day you sell her. They lie. For me, selling my Sadler 32 was a tough day, a hotchpotch of emotions and memories from a quarter of my life. I remember the first sail with Kirsty, my girlfriend at the time, with whom I bought the boat. We sailed, from Hamble to Newtown Creek, a sunny but breezy afternoon, a little bit stronger breeze than one might have hoped for on the first day on the water. We soon discovered she was a great boat to sail; she had impeccable manners and held her canvas well. We also found out that nearly all of the windows leaked, including the seal on the forehatch…

Besides wood, all forms of composite suffer from the same problem; at end of life, it is very difficult to separate the component materials for re-use. This is why using materials such as steel or aluminium can make sense, despite the higher environmental cost of the virgin metal. They can be reused repeatedly. The composite recycling systems developed to date, which include pyrolysis, burning and shredding, are all unsatisfactory because of the energy intensity of the processes or the fact they yield a lower quality material that has to be downcycled. In principle, it is possible to use resins that melt again at high temperatures and can be collected, refined and reused. Elium resin from Arkema is capable of exactly that, and is already being used in recyclable wind turbine…

HUNTER CHANNEL 31 Hunter Boats and David Thomas arguably did more than any other builder and designer to show that boats with twin keels could really sail. Some of the early twin-keelers went sideways almost as fast as they went forwards, but builders such as Hunter and Sadler did much to change that as well as offering twin keels on bigger boats. Plenty of Hunter’s Channel 32s and 323s had twin keels. They were also offered on the Channel 31, which came later and was Hunter’s second boat over 30ft (9m). The Hunter factory had previously been too small for boats of this size, the stretched versions of the Impala 28 (the Horizon 30 and Crusader 30) being the biggest in the range, but a bigger factory allowed expansion. Originally…

Hauling lines on boats could result in microplastic fragments entering the ocean, according to new research. The study, by the University of Plymouth’s International Marine Litter Research Unit, is the first to explore the potential for rope to become a source of microplastic pollution in the marine environment. Scientists would now like to see the introduction of standards on rope maintenance, replacement and recycling in order to cut down on microplastic pollution. The study tested a variety of ropes differing in age, diameter and polymer type including polypropylene, which is commonly used by sailors for a heaving line, and polysteel rope which is used by commercial fishermen. Each rope was used for hauling activity over a pulley, typically carried out on a fishing boat, in laboratory and field experiments. It…

Climate change is ‘the greatest current threat to the long-term survival of maritime heritage’, according to a new report by National Historic Ships UK (NHS-UK). The public body has examined the impact of climate change on historic vessels, the infrastructure that supports them, such as harbours and dry docks, and the steps custodians need to take to protect their boats. It has also identified opportunities in the sector to tackle climate change, such as the use of historic vessels to take part in science, research and sail cargo trade, and the use of sustainable, locally sourced material rather than single-use plastic. The director of NHS-UK, Hannah Cunliffe said the Climate Change & Maritime Heritage report raised awareness of the risks, encouraged owners to forward plan and sent ‘a clear message…

The RYA has warned the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) that moorings must be provided within the voluntary no-anchoring zone in Studland Bay in Dorset. From 17 December 2021, skippers will be unable to anchor off South Beach. The no-anchor zone will be extended further north and east in June 2022. This area is extremely popular with skippers as it provides excellent protection. The RYA wants the MMO to provide ‘a workable alternative to anchoring’, but the MMO has said it will not fund new moorings. There are also no current plans to mark the perimeter of the no-anchor zone; instead sailors will have to rely on charts to avoid anchoring in the eel grass beds. The RYA warns that ‘voluntary initiatives, and indeed statutory approaches, are unlikely to succeed without…

One day, bouncing around off the west coast of Ireland, Reeds Nautical Almanac flew gracefully out of a starboard bookshelf and landed in the sink. I stared with affront before recognising it was out of context, and jammed it back, a bit soggy, behind the fiddle bar. And then checked the little pin that stops the bar rising. I’ve no idea how it climbed the fortifications, but seagoing physics are mysterious: you’d have thought lighter books would go first. So after a sailing lifetime of battle against slithering, flying, jerking, rattling disobedience from solid objects, I was thrilled to see Andy du Port writing here (p34) about securing and stowage. Among the humbler skills of seamanship there are few more useful, and few more difficult to communicate to new crews…

Q After nine frustrating months, due to winter and COVID-19 restrictions, I finally visited my Elan 333, Haraka, which is berthed in France, only to find the four domestic seacocks had seized solid. I arranged for the boat to be lifted so they could be replaced, however, the local marine service company insisted on using brass through hull fittings, in spite of my protestations that only bronze would do. The word ‘dezincification’ rang in my ears, as I reluctantly agreed to proceed with the work. The exact type of brass used is CuZn40Pb2 (with 2% lead and other trace elements in addition to the copper and zinc) otherwise known as Brass CW617. I am also concerned about the valves themselves. Made of brass, with a PTFE seat and a chromed…

Tracey quickly identified the key information: it was Springs, HW Plymouth was 1906 BST and there was very little difference in the tide times and heights at the River Lynher. She approximated that we’d have enough rise of tide by late afternoon. She had good instincts, but when I pressed her about how she’d arrived at the late afternoon timing I felt that her broad brush approach was masking a reluctance to tackle the technical details. RULE OF TWELFTHS VS TIDAL CURVE Tracey had used the Rule of Twelfths to work out the tidal height. This rule breaks up the six hours between high and low water and states that for each hour a certain proportion of the overall tidal range is gained or lost. It’s a quick to use…

Communication and delegation are the foundations of good leadership, which is no less important during pilotage. The skipper needs to describe the route so that the helm isn’t just blindly following instructions. Tracey regularly checked in with the crew, explaining that we’d need to alter course shortly but not until we reached a certain point. Precise instructions such as, ‘Turn 30º to port if the depth drops below 2m,’ give the crew agency and take the pressure off you as a skipper to be juggling all the balls yourself. She was also good at double checking herself and not jumping to assumptions. As the most experienced person on the boat it’s essential that a skipper is their own critic. Although too little confidence can be disabling, I’m a firm believer…

ANCHOR Some anchors fit snugly in the stemhead, others may need a lashing to prevent any movement in rough seas. Alternatively, stow it on deck or in the chain locker. In our case, I have made a ‘wedge’ for it which seems to work well. Don’t rely on the windlass to hold it; check that any additional securing arrangements are present and correct. If the chain rattles about in the locker, a fender or two will prevent undue movement. Close and secure the chain locker lid. If the engine fails, would you have room (and time) to set enough sail to get yourself out of trouble? If not, do we need the anchor ready for letting go? It is not always a simple decision, as securing the anchor again when…

Having moved from Wiltshire to Scotland in October 2012 we found the temperature change challenging. that cold winter. Fastforward to a glorious May and it was time to bring our Nicholson 35, Affinity, from the Hamble to Argyll. I had sailed with Mike on Maybird, a 1937 Fred Shepherd ketch, for some years, including the 2011 Fastnet race, so I knew I was on to a good thing when he agreed to help with the trip. My wife Gill, Mike, his brother-in-law, Rob and I set off on 2 May, bound for Dartmouth. Initial light winds meant motoring before tacking in a westerly Force 4-5, arriving at Darthaven Marina in the wee hours the following day. Being an ex-Royal Navy Sea Vixen pilot, Mike proceeded to jump ship and attend…

‘Puke hahaka, ko pae tata ka kitea. Maunga teitei, ko pae tawhiti ka kitea.’ So goes the proverb in te reo Maori, the indigenous language of New Zealand. The saying was composed by Sir Pou Temara; his rendering of it is: ‘A low hill only allows limited vision. A high mountain gives distant vision.’ This aligns with a widespread Maori belief that we go into the future on the shoulders of others – the giants, our ancestors. It certainly applies to the artist Sarah-Jane Blake, the creative, visionary daughter of Sir Peter Blake, one of New Zealand’s greatest sailing sons, who won the 1995 and 2000 America’s Cup as well as the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race and the 1994 Trophée Jules Verne. ‘I was brought up with parents…

www.yachtingmonthly.com/books You can never be sure when the weather will change in the Hebrides and it can change dramatically many times in one day. In my first few years I had seen all sorts of different weather conditions. Enough to make sure that I had written down the compass bearings from Soay Bay to Elgol and back again, and then from the bay to the harbour and vice versa. I had also roughly timed the journeys so that in the event of a sudden mist or fog while I was in the Heron, I should at least have some way of navigating my way around if land was not visible. It was very crudely written and in my own personal code which made sense only to me. I was not…

Catamaran builder Lagoon is seeking to reassure Lagoon 450 owners after reports of forward bulkhead deformation. Lagoon, which is part of Groupe Beneteau, has thoroughly examined all cases, and stressed that no navigation or safety issues have been reported as a result of the fault. The French naval architectural firm, VPLP Design, which designed Alex Thomson’s latest HUGO BOSS, reviewed the findings and concluded: ‘there is no safety issue when navigating with a broken or deformed bulkhead. Potential damages on forward bulkhead could not lead to neither dismasting nor any risk for the crew.’ Lagoon brand director, Thomas Gailly told Yachting Monthly that less than 20 per cent of owners had ‘proactively’ contacted them about the issue, and that 80 per cent of the boats inspected had no deformation or…

The RYA says it remains concerned about the availability of waterside white diesel in Northern Ireland, following the banning of red diesel. From 1 October 2021, recreational boat owners were not allowed to use red diesel. The ban came into effect as part of the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol. HMRC has said owners with only one fuel tank will not pay a higher rate of duty on their non-propulsion use of fuel then they would otherwise pay. Although some suppliers have indicated their intention to supply white diesel, the RYA doesn’t expect supplies to be at the previous red diesel level. The RYA, British Marine and the Cruising Association successfully lobbied the UK Government to delay the red diesel ban by three months to allow the authorities to examine the…

New regulations on storm coverings for yacht windows have been introduced following the fatal sinking of the Bavaria 47 Ocean, Essence, off the coast of New Zealand. Maritime New Zealand now requires all boats undertaking international voyages to fit storm coverings on windows of more than 1,853cm², and have updated its Regulations as well as its Yacht Inspectors’ Manual. The story of the sinking of Essence, with the loss of the skipper, Stuart Pedersen, featured in YM’s Learning Curve in our August 2021 issue. The boat was on passage from Fiji to Tauranga, New Zealand, when heavy weather forced the crew to change course towards Opua in the Bay of Islands, a lee shore. Although the four-strong crew prepared for the storm, storm coverings were not fitted to windows, despite…

I’m fixing a hull where the sea gets in, to paraphrase a former singing Beatle, but unlike a roof, it’s more than a distraction. At the end of last season, I stripped the spare sails out of Betty II, my 25ft gaff cutter. Then the bunk cushions. Then the floorboards. And then with my trusty personal shipwright, Roger Cooper, at the helm, set out from her berth and sailed hard across the Thames Estuary. As Roger steered, I lay in the sponged-out bilges with a torch and squares of kitchen roll. But no weeping did I spy. Of course, she makes no water squatting in her mud-berth, hardly surprising as she’s only afloat for two hours each tide. She makes no water sitting afloat at anchor, either. But after a…

The bright green vegetation of the Fernando de Noronha was the perfect backdrop as we took our first morning swim in a fortnight. It extended from the top of the striking Morro do Pico peak to the golden beaches below. As if on cue, a dolphin pirouetted out of the water close to us before another decided to take a closer look at the volcanic archipelago’s newest residents. In the distance, a turtle came to the surface to breathe. Elegant frigate birds and acrobatic gannets flew around our Buchanan 47 ketch, Lucipara 2. Our first encounter with Brazil was nothing short of magical. The island was in stark contrast to what we had seen while sailing the 1,400 miles from Cape Verde across the Atlantic Ocean. Flora and fauna were…

Q Jane and Mike and their two teenage sons are returning from a cruise in southern Ireland to Devon on board Curlew, a 32ft (9.7m) Westerly Fulmar. They set out from Baltimore on the south-west corner of Ireland intending to visit the Isles of Scilly, then on to Falmouth and home. Baltimore to the Isles of Scilly is about 150 miles, and to Falmouth is 200 miles. They are motoring in no wind about 90 miles out when there is an ominous clunk and the engine stops as some discarded fishing gear wraps around the propeller. Jane, who is a strong swimmer, volunteers to dive down, have a look and after much cutting manages to free it, but the prop shaft is bent and unusable. The engine can charge the…

WIND (1992) Cross 1980s America’s Cup sailing with Top Gun, and you get an idea of what Wind is about. Cheesy it may be, but fast boats, high drama, preening egos and the obligatory love interest match genuinely well-filmed sailing sequences for one of the most quotable sailing films of all time. Wind follows one sailor’s dream to reclaim the greatest sailing trophy of them all – the America’s Cup. MAIDEN (2019) What is more inspiring than watching Tracy Edwards and her ground-breaking all-female crew in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race? The onboard footage is fascinating to watch, especially their second leg through the Southern Ocean which they won, and is beautifully spliced with interviews with the crew. You celebrate their Leg 2 and 3 wins and feel…

Glance at a brochure for a new boat or walk the pontoons at the Southampton show and you may have come across some terms that didn’t mean much to you. The art of boatbuilding is as recognisable as ever, but the science of it is constantly developing. New materials and new techniques can make it hard to compare like with like. Take wood, for instance: the material of boatbuilding choice for millennia. There are still plenty of wooden boat-builders out there, labouring away in dingy sheds and halls to craft pilot cutters, rowing skiffs and other emblematic vessels of yesteryear. But perhaps the best known of the wooden boatbuilders is Spirit Yachts in Ipswich, building thoroughly modern boats – in composite wood. Certainly we use epoxy resin to bond the…

The name suggests you might find a harbour here, but all you have at Port Eynon is a long, curved stretch of beach with headlands at either end that can offer you a degree of shelter for a night at anchor. The bay is located on the south coast of the Gower Peninsula, which is one of the most beautiful coastlines in South Wales, and marks a departure from the industrialised sections of Wales further east. Port Eynon and the neighbouring Oxwich Bay are two useful anchorages for sailors seeking respite from an adverse tide or somewhere to drop the hook. Although larger, Oxwich Bay to the east loses some of its attraction because of the seabed cables that restrict the available space for anchoring. Port Eynon also has a…