Innehållsförteckning för March 2020 från Practical Boat Owner

A new set of regulations governing how hire boats on Britain’s inland waterways are managed and built has been published. The consultation on the revised Code for the Design, Construction and Operation of Hire Boats – better known as the ‘Hire Boat Code’ – is open until 9 March. The existing voluntary code is to be replaced by a new mandatory one. There are also changes to the responsibilities for hire boat operators, hirers and hire boat licensing authorities of sailing boats over 6m LOA and powered boats of all lengths. These include limiting the use of pontoon and open boats under 4m due to stability concerns, making sure hirers are aware of relevant safety information such as weather and navigational hazards, and the introduction of a reporting process to…

The third Viking Explorers Rally featuring a multinational fleet has set sail from Gran Canaria. The first yachts left Las Palmas on 5 January and will be crossing the Atlantic to St Vincent via a stopover at Mindelo in the Cape Verdes. David Westervik, 24, from Norway, is the youngest participating skipper, leading a crew aboard the Feeling 1040, Elara. The oldest skipper is Giorgio Daidola, 76, who is sailing his Wauquiez Gladiateur 33, Zeffiraglia III, the smallest boat in the fleet. One of the rally organisers, Mike Westin, said participants had all chipped in to help others prepare, with a First Aid seminar held by two doctors. “They all help each other as much as they can. The common goal to cross the Atlantic brings out the best in…

Shoal-draught yachts – whether with twin keels, centreplate, lifting or pivoting keel – have always enjoyed an enthusiastic following. Indeed the plot of Erskine Childers’s classic novel The Riddle of the Sands hinges on the fact that the Dulcibella, which is described as being ‘thirty foot long with a draught of four foot, or six foot four inches with the centre-board down’, can navigate and hide in the tidal shallows around the Frisian Islands. The flat-out racing owner might opt for a deep single keel to achieve the optimum combination of low centre of gravity (CG), good (high) pointing and minimum leeway – as will most blue water voyagers. But many sailors enjoy the creek-crawling convenience and low-cost moorings made possible by shoal-draught yachts, of which some of the best…

Wanderlust can be an incurable disease. I caught it while spending my early working life at sea. After some years ashore the urge to return to sea was back. It was1986 and I was a fit and healthy 55-year-old. I had owned my Elizabethan 23, Reservation for six years and had her in reasonable good condition. She still had many failings, the biggest being the 4hp Stuart Turner engine with its 32 ⁄3gal fuel tank. Also, she had no furling genoa, which wasn’t so much of a problem for me at that age. The windvane was off a boat which had been round Britain but I never got it to work. The early autohelm constantly broke down and it’s hard now to remember what conditions were like before Decca or…

HOW TO SET UP YOUR BOAT PART 2 Few boats are well organised when it comes to stowage, which can quickly lead to an appearance of chaos after a short period on board. Yet very few designs – even among the more expensive brands – are fitted out inside to make the best use of available space. This is a long-standing problem. When boat interiors first became brighter and more spacious during the late 1970s and ‘80s a common refrain was that the feeling of space was gained at the expense of stowage, for instance by pushing the saloon settees out to the side of the hull. Another issue is that creating good stowage is time consuming and expensive for boatbuilders, with the result that space is often used very…

Zoran’s findings on the previous pages are very interesting and I’m sure many owners don’t give loss of rig tension much thought. The issue of the actual compression post cutting the laminate is rare, as most builders do make suitable shoes for the open tube to locate into. However, during a survey it is certainly one area a surveyor should look at for a number of reasons. Apart from the obvious one of how the mast is being supported, it’s also important to consider if there is any moisture ingress into what the mast rests on regardless of whether this is located on the deck or within the bilge of the yacht and rested onto the keel area. Moisture ingress can cause so many problems, with the potential of rotting…

I was inspired by Dick Everitt’s Sketchbook of ideas on stowable cockpit tables (PBO March 2019), but none suited the geometry of my Victoria 34’s steering pedestal. So I measured out the profile of the of the compass bowl and stainless steel tubes and cut the profile on to a piece of waste plywood. I then discovered a good piece of 12mm plywood in the marina skip for the table top and cut out one of the ends using the profile for a trial fit. I rounded the two forward corners and fixed fiddles to three sides. The open corners I trimmed with self-adhesive Sapele beading from a previous job. I couldn’t find any suitable round wood for the leg so I ripped a rectangular strip of waste timber to…

Chichester Harbour: how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Thou art one of the few remaining undeveloped areas on the south coast; a designated area of outstanding natural beauty; a site of special scientific interest and an area of outstanding ecological significance. Thou hast varied wildlife including a resident family of seals, 14 sailing clubs, four marinas, numerous boatyards, idyllic anchorages, pretty harbourside villages, views of rolling Sussex downland… I could go on! But timing is everything. I’ve lived in the area for almost 30 years so I’ll begin by qualifying that statement about idyllic anchorages. Over 12,000 vessels regularly take to the water here, and at times the harbour is utterly manic. Powerboats, yachts and hundreds of sailing dinghies and classic keelboats, many of them racing,…

The hunt is on to find the author of two 100ft handwritten scrolls celebrating the life of Sir Alec Rose and his groundbreaking 1968 circumnavigation on his ketch Lively Lady. Sir Alec’s family passed the documents to Alan Priddy, principal of the charity Around and Around, which is the custodian of the 36ft yacht. The University of Portsmouth is digitising the scrolls, which are believed to be around 50 years old. The documents are so large that each section has to be photographed and scanned. It is hoped they can be used to raise money to secure Sir Alec’s legacy. Ideas such as turning copies into wallpaper for yacht clubs and a stage show are all being considered. “We don’t know who made this remarkable document but clearly the person…

The captain of the Red Funnel ferry, Red Falcon has been acquitted of two maritime offences after the vessel collided with a 32ft motor yacht in the Thorn Channel in the Solent. Capt Ian Drummond, from Southampton, was cleared of failing to keep a lookout and misconduct of master likely to endanger ships, structures or individuals under the Merchant Shipping Act. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency brought the prosecution. The incident happened on 29 September 2018. No one was injured, but the Doral motor cruiser Phoenix was pinned against the ferry’s starboard bow and seriously damaged. Capt Drummond had been sitting in the lookout chair on the ferry’s bridge at the time of the collision, where he could use CCTV monitors to gain an overall view around the ferry. According…

Work is expected to start shortly on a new marina on the Union Canal. Located at Winchburgh, ten miles from Edinburgh, it will include 20 berths and a further 29 moorings. The canal, a listed scheduled monument, was designed by Scottish engineer, Hugh Baird and opened in 1822. Winchburgh Developments Limited, which is behind the marina project, also plans to build homes and business premises on the site as well as installing a network of public cycle paths and walkways. The new marina is expected to open by the end of 2021. REVIEW OF HISTORIC LIGHTHOUSES Scotland’s 202 listed and unlisted lighthouses are to be reviewed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES). The year-long project, in partnership with the Northern Lighthouse Board, will update existing listed building records and explore unlisted…

Building Arwen the great Here in Sweden the summer seems a long time ago now. We enjoyed lots of sailing in 2019, mostly with our folkboat (Snowflake, featured in PBO August 2019) but also with our French sardine-fishing boat called Arwen – a project that might interest PBO´s readers. Together with some friends, and using only a 20x30cm line drawing as a guide, we built a replica of a more than 100 year old boat from Brittany. We wanted a modern boat that looked just like the original, so the hull and deck were made with Divinycell and GRP, a great method for creating a one-off boat. It is now ten years since we launched Arwen. She sails really well in all types of weather and the 70m2 lug rig…

SEE IT AT DÜSSELDORF IN ASSOCIATION WITH COPPER COAT Thirty years ago a small boat might have been anything less than around 24ft. However, that number has since leapt upwards, with many large manufacturers paying scant attention in the last ten years to building anything under 35ft. Part of the argument for this is that smaller boats are less economic to build at a price the market will bear. Almost as much labour goes into building a 28-footer as a 35-footer and both have the same number of engines, instruments, masts and deck fittings that must be installed. So it’s welcome news that Beneteau has clearly put a lot of thought, effort and knowledge into its latest model. As a result the Oceanis 30.1 sets new standards for a boat…

My 1999 Najad 441 had wheel steering and a rudder supported by a lower pintle mounted on a substantial moulded skeg. My pre-purchase survey had identified nothing untoward as regards the steering and when the boat was first launched I felt confident with the arrangement, although the helm did feel stiffer than I’d expected. A grease cup is mounted immediately below the upper gland on the stock (hidden beneath the aft cabin bunk). This was given a couple of turns before we launched the first time and then regularly thereafter. During our first year we sailed south across Biscay and ended the season near Barcelona where the boat was laid up ashore in October 2014. In the rush to launch the following April, and with the crane already booked, I…

I bought my Sadler 25 with a friend in 2016, and by summer 2017 I was champing at the bit to take Vela further afield than the Solent. After seeing my sister take a sabbatical to spend three months in Spain, I realised with some planning I could do the same and the idea to sail round Britain was born. My sailing experience to date had consisted of being crew on three two-week trips on a Nicholson 55 and sporadic sailing on Victoria 34 and similar size boats. I’d done my RYA Day Skipper in 2012 but never really used it. The catalyst was having my own boat. This allowed me to build confidence in my sailing abilities and the boat itself. Sadler 25s are marvellously seaworthy and easy to…

We slipped out of Brighton Marina in early October intending to make a non-stop passage to A Coruña. We finally arrived in Baiona a month later, but what a lot of lessons Biscay and the Brittany Coast had taught me! I’d sailed across Biscay four times before, but never as skipper, and not for a few years. But I knew the boat and crew were sound. Jalapeno is a Standfast 43, built in 1972 in the Netherlands by Frans Mass – a commercially coded sail training vessel (although this trip was non-commercial with friends), on which I had sailed the Fastnet race and many qualifying offshore races. Her rigging was under three years old, she’d had a replacement engine a year before, the main was new (second-hand) and we had…

Here’s just a selection of the latest questions from PBO readers. Email or write to the address on page 5 and our experts will answer your queries STABILITY Mooring swings too much Q How do I stop my Copland Harrier from veering about on its swinging mooring. It has to be moored keel up as it dries on a spring tide but when the wind is blowing it swings through 120°, is difficult to board and in a recent storm ended up on its beam. The mooring is in the Menai Straits sheltered from waves but not from wind. Other small yachts seem to be content whilst mine jiggs about when moored or anchored. Dave Cooper ANDREW BLYTH REPLIES: Boats on a mooring range about when the wind acts on…

The America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) will be held in Portsmouth on 4-7 June, 2020. This will be the third time the city has hosted the regatta. The 2015 and 2016 events attracted 250,000 fans to Southsea. The 2020 ACWS will see the Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand racing alongside the four Challengers, including Sir Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Team UK. Sir Ben said the team was looking forward to competing in front of their home crowd again. “It’s so great that Portsmouth has been chosen. We are confident the racing will deliver a true spectacle,” he said. Cagliari in Sardinia and Auckland, New Zealand will also be hosting ACWS events. The ACWS will be followed by a Selection Series to determine who will challenge New Zealand in the 36th America’s…

Portsmouth Harbour is to host the 2020 Yacht Racing Forum. The annual event, which will run over two days on 23-24 November, brings together professional sailors, suppliers, yacht clubs, agents, boatbuilders, technology companies and others to meet, network, discuss and debate the key issues in yacht racing. Both the city council and Portsmouth Harbour Marine, a community interest company that promotes marine businesses and skills around Portsmouth and Gosport, lobbied to host the event. Portsmouth Harbour Marine chief executive Mark Bowden described the announcement as a “real win”. POOLE HARBOUR BOAT SHOW CHARITY CONFIRMED The RNLI’s Poole Lifeboat Station will be the charity partner of this year’s Poole Harbour Boat Show. Station volunteers will be providing water safety advice during the three day event on 12-14 June. LIGHTHOUSE UPGRADE Jersey’s…

From 1 April, skippers of diesel or petrol powered boats on The Broads will have to pay more in tolls than their sailing colleagues. The Broads Authority has announced it will increase tolls for powered vessels by 2.9% for 2020-21. Those cruising in unpowered, hybrid and electric vessels will only have to pay a 1% rise. The authority, which looks after the national park in Norfolk and Suffolk, said that while it recognised this would not lead to a major shift in the types of vessels using The Broads, it wanted to show its commitment to tackling climate change. Part of the money raised by tolls will be used to fund the purchase and installation of a new, free, 24 hour mooring at Peto’s Marsh, Oulton Broad, to provide access…

To sail the world with your four-legged family members requires months of preparation and research, stacks of paperwork, extra supplies and provisions, regular vaccinations, expensive updates for your vessel, and many hours of potty and safety training. Is it worth it? For us, having our two beagles – Cap’n Jack and Scout – on board provides many rewards and challenges, and it is something we will never regret. When our dogs cuddle up next to us on a lonely night watch, or when we discover something extraordinary off the beaten path during a long walk ashore, we know that all the extra preparation was worth it. Cap’n Jack and Scout adapted to living aboard our 43ft steel ketch, Seefalke, quickly. They walked around and curiously sniffed every corner. Then, tails…

Marine fouling on propellers is particularly problematic because it takes so little of it to ruin the drive’s performance. Just a small amount of shell on the blades can easily knock a knot off boat speed, so some means of discouraging accumulations are highly desirable. There is no shortage of solutions, some of the folklore variety, some with a more scientific basis, but in the end there are always drawbacks. The very function of a propeller, in which water flows at high rates across its surface, leads to erosion of the softer coatings that are claimed to work, such as udder cream, lanolin or conventional hull antifouling paint, none of which will survive more than a dozen or so hours of motoring. Harder specialist products work well for a time…

When owning an older yacht, you’ve got to be prepared for unexpected problems that go beyond regular maintenance and upkeep. So when I noticed the shrouds and stays on my 24ft Seafarer Mikula slowly losing their tension over the season I suspected something was amiss. I mark the turnbuckle screws so I can quickly get them to almost the right tension each spring, and then use my rigging tension gauge to fine-tune the whole rig. Our sailing season here in Quebec lasts around six months at best, and each autumn I take down my mast before covering the boat for the winter. While I don’t belong to the racing crowd I do, nevertheless, try to get the best performance out of my boat. Part of this comes from checking the…

We over-wintered our Beneteau Oceanis 381 Sacha in Albufeira Marina, Portugal, so in April my husband, Stu, and I were doing pre-season maintenance and repairs ready for our summer cruise. It had been raining and I happened to notice a drip coming from one of the main Lewmar hatches in the saloon. I had a closer look and I could see that it was coming from around one of the opening handles. The seal inside the handle is a simple O-ring, which neither of us had ever serviced or replaced before, so I decided to take it apart and have a closer look at what was going on. The handles are held together by a single Pozidriv head screw which was easy to undo. This then allowed the handle to…