Innehållsförteckning för February 2020 från Practical Boat Owner

with the editor Confession and competence The words of columnist Dave Selby (page 16) this issue reminded me of my first trip as skipper. After avoiding all disasters getting out of the pontoon berth, exiting the marina and the harbour and hoisting the sails, my mostly novice crew and I enjoyed a few hours of plain sailing. Nothing went wrong – I was in control! Starting the engine to motorsail through a slightly narrow channel, however, made the boat react very strangely indeed. Our speed dropped right off, the reefed main and partially furled jib started to shudder slightly, but only the experienced First Mate on board noticed anything was up. The rest of the crew didn’t bat an eyelid. I simply couldn’t understand how starting the engine in neutral…

Boat owners using waterways run by the Canal & River Trust will pay 2.5% more for their boat licence from April. The increase affects both private and commercial vessels. Those who pay on time and in full can benefit from a 2.5% discount. In 2019-2020 this discount was 5%. A new 2.5% discount will also apply to those who manage their payments online including, for the first time, boaters paying by direct debit. The change follows the trust’s national boat licence consultation in 2018, which resulted in a number of modifications being made to licence fees over the next five years. In addition to the current length-based pricing, from April 2020 the trust will start the phased introduction of additional pricing bands for boats over 2.16m (7ft1in) wide, with owners…

Organisers of the Whitstable Maritime Festival have announced they are to hold a two-day boat show during the event. It will be based around the Kentish town’s harbour and will focus on sailing boats which can be transported by trailer, along with associated marine merchandise. The Canterbury City Harbour Board and Barton Marine are supporting the show. The chair of Whitstable Maritime, Gordon Vincent, said boatbuilders in the region had already shown interest in exhibiting, and as part of efforts to promote traditional boatbuilding skills, the festival would be announcing the winner of the Alan Staley Shipwright Award for craftsmanship. Other attractions will include a static display of Whitstable’s maritime heritage and a barge/smack race. Whitstable Boat Show will run from 31 July to 1 August, 2020, coinciding with Whitstable…

Dave Selby is the proud owner of a 5.48m (18ft) Sailfish, which he keeps on a swinging mooring on the picturesque Blackwater estuary in Essex The time to reef, they say, is the moment you think about it, and I first thought about it on Monday. By Tuesday I was considering a second reef, and a third on Wednesday. By Thursday, with no more reefing options, or even a storm trysail, I was weighing up the pros and cons of lying a-hull and pouring oil on the water over the windward side. As Friday dawned, all I could think to do was trail warps astern. Things change quickly at sea, and matters came to a head on Saturday morning when I spun the wheel over to avoid collision with a…

Regular PBO contributor Roger Hughes owns Britannia, a 45ft Brigantine schooner, in Florida: Both Britannia’s heads are Raritan Elegance electric models which I installed nearly four years ago, and they have performed flawlessly thus far. A principal reason for this is that for about 90% percent of the time they are flushed with clean fresh water. Fresh-water flushing totally eliminates odour and keeps the bowl cleaner. When at sea the toilets can be switched to sea water flush, to save water in the tanks. My heads were originally raw (sea) water models, but I then devised a modification which allows them to be easily interchangeable between fresh-water and sea-water flush Raritan offers a kit, which converts an Elegance raw-water flush toilet into fresh-water flush. I hate holding tanks, which nearly…

Over the course of boat ownership, I’ve found few mechanisms that cause such aggravation as the zipper. Used to fasten canvas, isinglass windows, headliners and other boat appendages, the zipper is not well-suited to the marine environment. On older boats, most zippers are comprised of an aluminium alloy which readily corrodes in the salty marine environment. When an aluminium zipper oxidises, the powdery corrosion welds the zipping mechanism to the track, which prevents operation. If caught soon enough, the stuck zipper may be freed with acids that dissolve corrosion, such as alcohol, acetone, vinegar, lemon juice or soda. However, if left to their own devices, the zipper and track become one and little can be done except to take the article in question to a canvas shop to remove the…

Denise Brehaut I have been teaching maritime radio courses and examining at all levels for over 30 years and one question I get asked quite often is which system – SSB or satellite phone – is the most reliable for Mayday calls offshore? In 1999 the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) was fully implemented. For the first time vessels in distress could be in direct contact with the rescue services ashore from anywhere on the earth’s surface. Leisure sailors are able to make full use of this system. There is not a best system in terms of reliability – they should all work. However, the best system for you is the one you have onboard and are most familiar with. There are benefits to both in terms of…

Like many offshore boats we have a dan buoy which is mounted outboard and attached to our rescue horseshoe lifebelt. Having had to replace the flag a few times, despite having had a series of canvas covers which wore through in the course of longer offshore passages, we needed a more permanent resolution to the shredding flag syndrome. The result was quite simple (another K.I.S.S. idea). We gently heat softened and folded closed one end of a length of PVC drainpipe. We drilled a hole in this and attached a lanyard. The lanyard was then attached to a suitable shroud with a bowline, we slid the pipe over the flag and pushed it up the shroud with the dan buoy stick. Gravity has held it in place for countless days…

Brian Meerloo, one of the co-founders of Cobramold, which successfully produced Leisure Yachts in the 1960s and 1970s, has died. Brian worked with German solo sailor John Adam on an early self-steering system which was later launched as the Windpilot, although he is perhaps best known for the Leisure 17 trailer-sailer. Designed by Arthur Howard, the Leisure 17 was launched at the 1967 London Boat Show, the same year Adam sailed his Leisure 17, Eve, solo across the Atlantic. Over the next 27 years, at least 3,400 Leisure 17 and 17SL’s were produced. The L20, L22, L23/23SL, L27 and L29 all followed. The editor of Saltings, the Journal of the Leisure Owners Association (LOA), Kevin Gilroy, said Brian “truly was a larger than life character, well suited to the Wild…

Much loved PBO contributor Jim Mottram has sadly passed away at the age of 85. Readers will be familiar with his many cruising adventures onboard his Elizabethan 23, Reservation, which he illustrated with beautiful watercolour paintings. Jim was sailing and writing right up until his death on 22 November, and his last feature, Mediterranean Misadventures, will appear in the March edition of PBO.…

One of the largest sailmakers in the world, Rolly Tasker Sails, has marked its 70th anniversary. Founded by Australian Rolly Tasker in November 1949, the sail loft produces inshore, coastal and offshore sails and has dealerships all over the world Tasker, who won Australia’s first Olympic medal in sailing in 1956, also designed and built 26 different racing yachts, including his famous ocean-racers named Siska, sailing in over 2,000 races.…

The Irish Coast Guard has launched an investigation after it was forced to suspend its inshore rescue boats following a lifejacket malfunction. Part of the Rescue 400 lifejacket, used by the coast guard’s volunteers, is reported to have failed to fully inflate. Around 23 stations, which have Delta RIBS and D-Class boats, are affected. These areas will be covered by community rescue boats, the coast guard’s rescue helicopters and the RNLI, whose volunteers use a different type of lifejacket. An Irish Coast Guard spokesman said the service was ‘evaluating all options’ and was ‘confident of a timely resolution’. LEEDS INLAND PORT REQUIRES £3.37M Planning permission has been granted for a new Leeds Inland Port at Stourton Wharf. The inland waterway will primarily be used to take freight from the North…

Sam Llewellyn writes nautical thrillers and edits The Marine Quarterly. He is currently patching up a 30ft ketch Scientists maintain that most of the heat lost by the human organism comes out of the head. Much of this is of course lost via the mouth, in the form of hot air or other nonsense. But at least some of it probably escapes via the rest of the noggin. Conventional ways of battling this tendency are to have a) hair or b) a hat. Hair is sometimes hard to come by, so it is therefore time for a practical discussion of seagoing hats. One of the great heroes of sailing fiction, Arthur Davies in The Riddle of the Sands, wore a tweed cap of the kind popularised by gamekeepers in fair…

1. Overly optimistic pricing This is simply a route to the boat not selling, while in the meantime it’s still requiring maintenance and stacking up bills for mooring/storage, insurance and more. 2. Failing with presentation Many boats on the market look unkempt, dirty and undesirable. Make sure yours looks good and don’t underestimate the frequent attention it will need to stay that way, both outside and below decks. 3. Lack of effective promotion Brokers can be just as guilty of this as private sellers. Either way, boats need to be constantly available to the eyes of potential buyers, yet I’m constantly surprised by the number that are advertised only on a card in a chandlery window, or sporadically via a short-term online listing. 4. Remote locations This may work in…

The Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) always provides a fascinating collection of new gear, from dinghies to superyachts and the latest edition was no exception, with plenty to interest practical boat owners who don’t have bottomless pockets. The DAME Design Awards attracted almost 120 entries and 59 strong nominations, with category winners including the Lignia Yacht sustainable alternative to teak, (pictured above, see PBO October 2019) and Garmin’s GPSMAP 86i (see right). Overall winner was the U-Safe – a radio controlled motorised lifebuoy that can be used to reach a casualty in the water. It’s powered by jet drives and will continue to work even if flipped upside down by a wave. Special mentions went to a wide range of products, including Digital Yacht’s GPS160 TriNav Positioning Sensor (see PBO…

My ICOM radio in ‘listening’ mode Here I have to select station to call. Either I put in a new station by selecting ‘Manual’ or select one from the directory. In my case I selected ‘Mobile’ > my Standard Horizon. This is the Standard Horizon in ‘listening mode’. The ICOM sounds an alarm and says it has received the acknowledgement. Cancelling the alarm moves it on to the next screen. The DSC Menu. The radio shows me what I have selected and offers me the chance to ‘Exit’ (go back and perhaps use another number from my directory), or ‘Call’ (send the message). An alarm sounds. The Standard Horizon shows it has received a test call and asks if I want to reply? It also tells me which button to…

Dometic: Swedish-based company producing several variations within the Masterflush range. dometic.com Jabsco/Xylem: Jabsco is part of Xylem. There are 38 models available, from a basic 12V compact to deluxe 24V versions, with a full range of accessories. jabscoshop.com LeeSan: Included in the range of toilet types available from UK-based Lee Sanitation is the LeeSan Headmaster, which has the styling of a domestic model. Two user settings control water use. leesan.com Matro Marine: An Italian-based OEM with a wide portfolio of products including a range of electric toilets. Also provides conversion kits for manual versions. matromarine.com Planus: A range of 11 electric toilets from this major Italian-based manufacturer. Strong emphasis on low noise and stylish units with equally stylish controls. Stainless steel used for valves. planus.biz Raritan: Based in Florida, Raritan…

SEA SAFETY Keith Colwell is the author of the RYA Sea Survival Handbook SEALING AND BONDING Gareth Ross is Sika UK’s marine market field specialist CRUISING Stuart Carruthers is the RYA Cruising Manager and has sailed extensively SAILS Wilf Chaplin of the International OneSails loft group is an expert on sails MASTS & RIGS Mike Coates worked in the spar and rigging business for many years SURVEY & CORROSION Colin Brown runs a marine survey and consultancy company, CB Marine Services ELECTRICS Duncan Kent tests yachts and equipment and writes for the marine media ENGINES Stu Davies has a background in engineering in the coal and oil industries GAS FITTING Peter Spreadborough of SoCal has 20 years in the gas industry PAINT & ANTIFOULING Richard Jerram is former UK technical…

My French is fairly proficient, but when I was in Italy recently (I don't speak Italian), I started work on a document that would give the marina office all the information they would need about the boat, me and my crew. I then added questions I needed answering. The result is in the image to the right. I made my own in Powerpoint, but this one is available to download from the PBO website. The first part is all the information I have ever been asked about the boat – its name, dimensions, number of crew, make and model and engine size. The next part is information about the skipper/owner. The final part is three essential questions to ask the office: where can we find the rubbish disposal point and…

A Dutch sailor who hid cocaine with an estimated street value of £133 million aboard his yacht has been jailed for 16 years for drug trafficking. Maarten Peter Pieterse, aged 61, was sailing the Dutch-registered SY Marcia from Marina d’Angra, Terceira, in the Azores when it was intercepted by the Border Force cutter HMC Vigilant approximately 120 miles south west of the Cornish coast. It then escorted the 62ft Zeilboot-built yacht into Cornwall’s Newlyn harbour where a detailed search of the vessel was carried out. National Crime Agency and Border Force officers discovered 93 packages of high purity cocaine containing 1,661 individual blocks in a purpose-built concealment in the stern of the vessel – one of the largest ever drug seizures in the UK. Pieterse pleaded guilty to the offence.…

Skippers are being reminded to keep their boat’s registration details updated after a yacht sank off the Indonesian coast. The crew of the Asia issued a HF DSC Distress alert after the 29m vessel hit an object and began sinking. The Australian maritime authority, JRCC picked up the signal on 22 November 2019, and initially identified the yacht as UK registered. HM Coastguard was contacted but was unable to find the yacht on the UK register. It did pick up a US registered EPIRB which had been activated nearby. Officers made contact with the beacon’s registered emergency contact who confirmed the Asia was carrying the activated EPIRB, and the yacht was registered in Malaysia. The Malaysian authorities were then contacted and were able to coordinate assistance for Asia’s crew. They…

▪ Confessions of a Yachtmaster Examiner, talk by Tom Cunliffe to wrap up the 50th anniversary celebrations for Newbury Yacht Club, 9 January at Newbury Royal British Legion Club, newburyyachtclub.wordpress.com/ ▪ Saturday Social Sailing, 11 January, at Rutland Sailing Club, rutlandsailingclub.co.uk ▪ Maritime Film Festival, 17-19 January, The Long Shed, Woodbridge, maritimefilmfestival.co.uk ▪ IWA Lancashire & Cumbria branch talk on Manchester Bolton Bury Canal Society Through Time, 30 January, St Chad’s Parish Centre, Chorley, wendy.humphreys@waterways.org.uk ▪ Gosport Boat Jumble, 9 February, at Haslar Marina, Gosport, boatjumbles@yahoo.com ▪ 2020 Irish Sailing Cruising conference, 15 February at the National Yacht Club, Dún Laoghaire, sailing.ie ▪ Guided Towpath Walk by the Inland Waterways Association Towpath Walks Society, 16 February, Regent’s Canal, London, waterways.org.uk ▪ Cruising Association Open Weekend, 29 February-1 March, at CA…

RTW Contessa When Canadian Alan Mulholland recently retired he asked his wife what he should do with all his spare time. She suggested a boat, thinking he might enjoy paddling a kayak on the rivers and lakes of their native Prince Edward Island. He surprised her by buying a 1979 Contessa 26, refitting it, and setting off last summer on a two-year solo circumnavigation. His channel Sailing Wave Rover documents his preparation and journey. So far he has sailed from Summerside, PEI, to the Canaries via the Azores, where he managed to be the last yacht out of Lajes before hurricane Lorenzo destroyed the port (spot Delos’ mark on the sea wall at 10:46). He and his boat managed to avoid damage while tucked up in the marina in Horta,…

Samphire is a 2002-build Beneteau Series 9 ‘peche-promenade’ style, 30ft, motor-cruiser/fisher. She is fitted with a single shaft-drive Volvo KAD43P 230hp diesel engine. Samphire was equipped from new with additional safety-related options, including a shaft-mounted rope-cutter and waist-height cockpit rail, complementing the wraparound pulpit rail and wide side-decks of the ‘stock’ boat. Other safety-related equipment acquired for passage making includes a parachute-drogue, bridle and dedicated 20m warp to keep the boat’s bow head-to-wind in case of engine failure. For this trip Samphire was also equipped with a six-man, ocean-rated liferaft. Preparations for the 2016 mainland-UK circumnavigation included replacing the original Furuno chartplotter, installing a new Lowrance AIS-capable VHF radio and upgrading the electronics backbone from NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000. The original windlass was replaced with a Lofrans Cobra including…

Upgrading a manually-pumped toilet to an electric version has never been easier. There are plenty of models available to suit all budgets, from a fairly basic Jabsco Economy (around £350) to a super-quiet (52dB) Sanimarin Exclusive Medium (around £1,040). Some designs of manual toilet can also be upgraded with a macerator in a conversion kit, although the cheaper ones can be quite noisy. And there is the rub. It is the noise of an electric toilet that gives pause for thought. In the confines of a boat, the racket of some models being flushed can be equivalent to a bow thruster in operation. After all, both involve spinning a set of blades within a narrow tube. But technology is coming to the rescue. A new generation of quiet flush toilets…

I have owned Alestra a 25ft Jaguar for four years. The previous owner had re-engined the yacht with a 25hp Beta Marine unit and in 2013 fitted a Darglow Featherstream propeller – an impressive set-up for a 25ft yacht. This propeller has blades that feather while sailing, which reduces drag. I had always felt that the engine was underloaded – at full speed it was running on the engine governor. This was noisy and I felt it was inefficient. There was also no sound insulation in the engine compartment, so last winter I fitted sound insulation to surfaces facing the cabin and some to the sides of the engine compartment that were accessible. The boat was launched and I did notice a reduction in engine noise. So I then started…

Sail Scotland has recruited Olympic double gold medallist Shirley Robertson to present a series of audio walking tours aimed at cruisers who also like to mix a bit of hill climbing (Munro-bagging) in with their coastal navigation. The Munros are a list of 282 Scottish peaks that are over 3,000ft (914.4m) high. Named after Sir Hugh T Munro who surveyed and catalogued them in 1891, there are over 6,000 ‘completists’, or ‘Munroists’, who have conquered all 282 which include Ben Nevis and Schiehallion. The audio tours are available on a free-to-download app called Geotourist and can be listened to separately or as a GPS-triggered series. Starting at the foot of the majestic landscape of Glencoe, the tour encompasses Oban, Mull, Mallaig, Skye and Iona. The accompanying on-screen information includes recommended…