Innehållsförteckning för June 2015 från Classic Boat

The late 1980s were a formative time for the classic boat movement across much of Europe. The first Douarnenez festival took place in 1986, leading to the giant festivals at Brest, and then in 1987 the 120ft (36.6m) Fife schooner Altair was launched in Southampton after a landmark restoration. That was also the year Britain’s first magazine devoted uniquely to traditional boats was launched – that’s the magazine you’re holding, Classic Boat. There was little such interest in old boats in Greece. Here, plastic ruled the waves, and wooden boats were strictly the province of fishermen, who presumably couldn’t afford anything else. For the previous decade or so, Nikos Riginos had been riding the crest of that wave. Having sailed around north Africa on one of the new breed of…

One-off chrono The marine chronometer was the horological marvel that enabled the fi nding of longitude and global navigation, turning Britain into a superpower from the 18th century onwards. Fiendishly complex, it never came cheap, but this exquisite example is priced at £1 million. Using 1,680 parts, it is made of precious metals by the fi rm of Thomas Mercer, revived in 2012. Mercer, in its 19th-century heyday, supplied a third of the world market. But as for this model – there is only the one. thomasmercer.com Shaw & Tenney oars These oars are made by Shaw & Tenney, who have been crafting oars, paddles, boathooks and more since 1858 on the banks of Maine’s Penobscot River. Pictured from top to bottom are the fl at-blade, spoon, and wide-blade spoon…

After years of hiring dayboats for the odd day’s sailing on summer holidays at the pretty nine-mile lake of Ullswater in Cumbria the family planning meeting was adamant. Wouldn’t it be good, this year, to be able to have a boat close at hand to the cottage, so that whenever we wanted to sail we could? The image conjured up was of pleasant evening sails out on the lake in the last whispers of air after a day’s hiking out over the adjacent fells, or rock climbing, as the boys like to do. And after all these years being on Classic Boat, didn’t I know someone from whom we could borrow one? Well of course I did; it had just always felt a bit cheeky to ask. I’ve always liked…

A two-day passage from the end of the Alaska peninsula brought us to the Aleutian Islands. Cutting off the Bering Sea from the Pacific, ferocious currents run through the passes between the islands. Celeste approached Akutan Pass in calm conditions at slack water, which meant a one-knot current in our favour. Halfway through, the current was at 3 knots and the wind went from Force 1 to 5 in a matter of minutes. Standing waves formed on either side of us. Fortunately we made it through intact and sailed into the large bay that forms Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island. Businesses in the port there – and the town of Unalaska – sometimes close ‘for weather’, as they did soon after our arrival. Unlike everywhere else in the world, Unalaska…

Prolifi c and knowledgeable Naval historian Brian Lavery has stepped up to HMS Victory’s 250th anniversary with what could prove one of the defi nitive works on the much-chronicled ship. He mixes Nelson’s story with that of his fl agship, as well as a great deal of peripheral period detail, and the occasional cameo of ordinary seamen whose stories involved HMS Victory. There is new material in here – including the tale of how her launch was nearly aborted when it was discovered the dock gates were too narrow – and the result of much painstaking research work. The book deals in great detail with the Battle of Trafalgar and also with what could be regarded as the second most signifi cant episode in her long career – the e.…

And so to rum, that hero’s drink, the sweet bouquet born of sweat and toil. The Triangle Trade, as it’s known, was just that and some. Operating between the 15th and 19th century the fi rst leg would be from Europe to Africa carrying European goods such as guns, cloth, metals and rum. With these, slaves were bought. The next leg was the long Middle Passage to transport the slaves to the Caribbean, always in horrifi c conditions. Once there, they’d be put to work in the cane fi elds. The ships were then loaded up with sugar, molasses and rum and sent o. back to Europe. As the trade continued America took the place of Europe as the fi nal corner. Although rum production was under way in the…

LADY K II Special K Here on the Getting Afloat page, we try to find the best boats on the market, whether that’s for practicality, appeal, condition, rarity or… often… value. Lady K II is on this list for, believe it or not, value! Yes, £5 million is silly money – we do realise this. But you could easily spend 10 times that amount or more for a yacht this size (190ft/58m). And with Lady K II, you get the feeling of a real ship, as well as the ability to specify much of her interior, as she’s for sale as a refurb project. So obviously the price is completely elastic, but Allan at Solent Refit, who rescued the boat and skippered her home, reckons that £5 million is enough…

When making a box to hold a winch handle, think about comfortable hand access. By fi tting a tapered block on the back, it will bring the box entry away from the the place of attachment, avoiding rasping your knuckles every time you retrieve the handle. This simple box is made by butt-glueing two pieces of teak to form two L-sections, glued together to form a U-bracket, which is then in turn glued to the tapered block. The handle stands on an enclosed base with a drain hole. Do the glueing in stages – it keeps you in control. The box is then sanded, varnished and fi tted. TOP TIP Level playingfi eld STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH ROBIN GATES If you are buying a new spirit level, check that it is…

Nelson barely stinted in his duties when he lost his right arm in the failed 1797 assault on Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He was issuing orders within hours and soon once more writing copious letters, now left-handed, which as before his loss were sometimes peevish and tinged with self-pity. In a barely legible letter written in 1801 to close ally Sir Edward Berry (above), Nelson complained: “The Admiralty have not much feeling for invalids.” Yet, he was a changed man for whom the loss of his arm was a constant and bitter reminder of failure. He also developed a phantom limb sensation which led him to declare he had “found the direct evidence of the existence of the soul”. The letter made £4,375 at a Bonhams sale of books and…

Chatham. Here, HMS Victory was launched on 7 May 1765. Her keel had been laid down nearly six years earlier, on 23 July 1759 in what was then the Old Single Dock – which was rebuilt and renamed No 2 Dock in 1858. In 2005 it was renamed again, and is now called the Victory Dock. Today it contains the 1944 destroyer, HMS Cavalier. Victory’s build period was unusually long, thanks largely to the successful progress of the Seven Years’ War. It was normal to cover up the frame, once completed, for a few months to allow it to season, but in Victory’s case this interval lasted three years. A first-rate one-hundred-gun ship of the line, she was hailed in the London Public Advertiser on the morning after her launch…

Boat trailers could be said to be the unsung heroes of leisure boating. Used simply to move a craft to the water’s edge and back to its place of storage, and act as its cradle when the boat is not in use, they’re often forgotten and neglected until the sun shines and they’re pressed into service. If you’re using your trailer to transport a wooden classic boat it’s vital the design and cradle support system are sympathetic to the boat’s hull shape. Here are some guidelines to help with this important bit of kit. Trailer restrictions A car’s maximum towing weight is in the handbook. For vehicles built before June 1998, the combined length of car, trailer and projectiles must not exceed 18 metres (59ft). After that date, it’s 18.75m…

Charts We had a selection of paper charts aboard Celeste as well as the free National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Raster electronic charts on our plotter. They were accurate and fairly detailed, although the NOAA paper charts often had more detail. Look up a certified NOAA print-on-demand agent ahead of time at nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/pod/index.html. It can get quite expensive to buy every paper chart you need, so we purchased a selection and downloaded the rest as pdfs. The large-scale pdf charts were particularly useful when entering harbours and anchorages. Every American chart can be downloaded for free at charts.noaa.gov. Pilot Guides There are several guides to Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage. Most cover at least part of British Columbia as well. We found the best value to be the Marine Atlas…

If you ever need inspiring to make a boat that’s well within all of our capabilities then the Naval architect and fi rm advocate of ply, Glen L Witt has it in spades in his Boatbuilding with Plywood. The fi rst page has a man in what looks like a Riva Aquarama waving to us on its fi rst launch. He was a fi rst time builder. The book itself is easy to understand and well written with photos and diagrams and the scope of projects is endless. Not only that, it’s good fun and terribly infectious. GV glen-l.com, £22.50…

May I fi rst of all congratulate you and your team for the excellent articles featuring Southern Cross and Meridies in the April edition, both of which strike a chord with me. The article on Southern Cross (Cailach) has special memories for me as she was owned by my father in the 1980s, who regrettably could not fi nish off the restoration due to divine intervention. It is fabulous to see that others have achieved what my old dad set out to do; congratulations to them. I then fl ick over the page to see the proud owner Mr Worthington on his beautiful John Bain-designed Silver Meridies. What a fi ne vessel she is – but I would say that, wouldn’t I, because I own her sister ship Chinda. I…

In celebration of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s 1968/9 world fi rst solo non-stop circumnavigation in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Yacht Race, a new Golden Globe Race will be staged to mark the 50th Anniversary, starting in 2018. Like the original event, the 2018 Golden Globe Race is simple. Depart Falmouth, England on 14 June 2018 (50 years to the day since Sir Robin’s departure) and sail solo, non-stop around the world, via the fi ve Great Capes and return to Falmouth. Entrants must use the same type of yachts and equipment that were available to Robin in that fi rst race. That means sailing without modern technology or the benefi t of satellitebased navigation. Competitors must sail in production boats of 32ft-36ft (9.8-11m) designed before 1988 with full-length keel with…

When names like Riva and Ferrari team up, glamour is guaranteed, but CB readers may have their own views on the classic credentials of this collaboration. In 1991 this GRP Riva-Ferrari 32 with twin 400hp BPM engines delivering 60mph was list-priced at $396,000 (c£238,000). Restored and meticulously maintained, the 32ft (10m) Miami Vice-style missile fetched £107,625 (€149,500), less than half its original purchase price, at Bonhams’ February Paris classic car auction. Clearly it has some way to go before matching the investment potential of classic cars. A ‘future classic’ perhaps? Take a closer look at more Saleroom lots at classicboat.co.uk/saleroom…

When famous men have faded out of living memory there is often a moment when they are rediscovered, like a classic boat being rescued from decades in a mud berth, to be appreciated anew. EG Martin, who died 70 years ago, was arguably the most famous yachting journalist in Britain in the mid to late 1920s, and his works and writings have much relevance for us today. Some older sailors may recognise his name as the Founder of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, and winner of the first Fastnet race (90 years ago this summer) in his pilot cutter, Jolie Brise. Modern yachting historians are often unaware of his determined development of International Ocean Racing, but enthusiasts still remember the breadth of his talent in winning, among other accolades, the…

Quba Harlyn hoodie Made from the very softest of fl eece-backed jersey, this is a great loose zip-up hoodie for those cool winds over the deck or spring evenings. Big front pockets and large drawstring hood. Colour shown is dark indigo. £68 quba.com Musto BR1 jacket A fl exible garment – it’s a light, waterproof, lined outer shell with mesh lining and with a roll-away hood. Sometimes you just know you’ll need the full set of foulies and despair as they rapidly consume most of the space in your kit bag. For all other times the BR1 will do the trick and it’s also fi ne for shoreside and having – all clothing makers please take note – an inside pocket, without which any jacket is useless. £165 musto.com Watchlock…

These books are staples of marine publishing, so they must be popular. This example seemed very pleasing, accessible and easy to understand, with good sections on tool selection and usage as well as, of course, improvement projects that include teak cockpit grating, dorade boxes, hatch covers and other upholstery, hot water systems, sound systems, all things electrical and improvements to rigging. Comprehensive and clear, although we confess we have not put any of the lessons to test yet. SHMH Pub Adlard Coles, 2015, hardback, 304pp, £30…

“We still have the highest skill level in marine engineering in this country” Allan Foot It was a wild reach down to Solent Refi t on the last day of March, as I piloted the little Civic past the wind shadows of high-sided lorries on the M3. The radio said a tug had capsized on Southampton Water, where I was headed, and on a small lane, I steered around a fallen tree. Yard director Allan Foot and I sat in his Portakabin offi ce, shaking in the wind. They used to build fl ying boats here, then the Americans used the place to store high-tech port-opening equipment ready to be deployed anywhere at short notice. Because of the need to mobilise quickly, there is still an extensive system of railways…

To yacht or not to yacht? And if not, what? I found Nigel Sharp’s reflections on the social connotations of ‘yacht’ and ‘yachting’ in April’s Sternpost both entertaining and thought-provoking. His basic thesis is that the word is so irretrievably class-ridden and snobbish as to be offputting to ordinary mortals who might otherwise enjoy the sport. But is it really? Now while it’s undeniable that the whole thing started with a king, Charles II, and was enjoyed throughout the 19th century by very rich men who would, as someone once said, no more have thought of sailing their own yachts than riding their own racehorses in the Derby, the appeal of the sport has both broadened and changed over the years. Though not without amusing misconceptions. Even as early as…