Innehållsförteckning för July 2021 från Practical Boat Owner

A regatta for Uffa Fox-designed boats will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of dinghy and yacht designer, naval architect and all-round legendary sailor. The Royal London Yacht Club (RLYC) and Cowes Classic Boat Museum, with support from the Atalanta Owners Association and Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club, are holding a series of celebratory events on the Isle of Wight from 18-21 August 2022. Uffa was a stalwart of the RLYC and instrumental in the resurgence of sailing after the World War II. For all his success in the field of yacht racing, Uffa maintained that the Airborne Lifeboat, which was carried beneath aeroplanes and dropped by parachute to survivors of ditched aircraft, was “his most fulfilling design”. The regatta will be for 100% Uffa Fox-designed dinghies, keelboats and classic…

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) rescue figures for 2020 show that 349 lives were saved by the charity’s lifeboat crews and lifeguards throughout the year. There were 42 lifeboat launches per day over the summer, almost double the number launched throughout the rest of the year, after coronavirus travel restrictions led to people flocking to the UK and Irish coasts. And with more ‘staycations’ planned for 2021, the RNLI is anticipating that this summer will be its busiest yet. Supporters are asked to do The Mayday Mile: swim, run, cycle, dance or simply walk: RNLI.org/SupportMayday…

News from your cruising area Send us your local news stories. Email PBO news editor Laura Hodgetts at pbo@futurenet.com, tel: 0330 390 6467, or write to the address on page 5 ABANDONED VESSEL SALE Vessels abandoned around Jersey’s harbours and marinas will now be offered for sale. Around 10 boats are left in disrepair on Ports of Jersey property each year. While every reasonable effort is made to contact owners, if no-one comes forward, the harbour authority arranges for its removal and disposal. Now, interested parties can bid to purchase the vessel or offer a price for its disposal. Any surplus money will be returned to the owner, if traced or paid into the Government of Jersey’s Consolidated Fund. NEW TIDE & WEATHER RESOURCE Two environmental monitoring stations on the…

NANCY BLACKETT 90TH BIRTHDAY Arthur Ransome’s favourite yacht Nancy Blackett is 90. Named after the self-styled pirate of Swallows and Amazons fame, the 28ft cutter featured in the book We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea. After a winter lay up at Robertson’s Boatyard in Woodbridge, Suffolk, Nancy Blackett was cleaned and antifouled ready for an end-of-April launch party on the River Orwell. Trust members were determined to mark the vessel’s special anniversary with bunting, cake and three cheers despite pandemic restrictions. A programme of events and sail days is planned for 2021. Trust President Peter Willis says: “We preserved Nancy so she should be sailed and enjoyed by anybody who loves Arthur Ransome’s books – or just beautiful old boats, and that’s just what we hope to be doing…

Flotsam and jetsam Sam Llewellyn sails a 30ft ketch he rescued from dereliction Back in the water again, and there are boats everywhere. There are the usual blacksailed rockets, weather rails crowded with eager speedfreaks, cranked up to an earthshattering 8.3 or even 8.4, lawdy! knots. There are the school boats and the charter boats, symphonies in white plastic with cockpits full of people much given to chaotic sail changes and slightly too much shouting. Then there is a category with a more home-grown air – plenty of timber on show, coachroofs too high for elegance but splendid for headroom, and sail plans too low for speed but fine for ease of handling, towing oversized dinghies and perhaps with a dustbin full of beach toys strapped to the pushpit. It…

Croatia, Greece and Turkey offer some of the very best sailing in Europe: stunning azure waters in summer, a myriad of islands or deeply indented fjords, plus a wide choice of town quays, inexpensive restaurants offering great food, and countless idyllic swimming spots. As a result these three countries are the world’s most popular yacht charter destinations. Yet, other than a few notable exceptions, they have failed to translate this into an equivalent large-scale boatbuilding industry that has survived in the longer term. To be fair this is partly because some yards succumbed to recession – this part of the world feels the marine industry’s peaks and troughs even more sharply than northern and western European countries. Most of today’s boatbuilders in this region were founded more recently and are…

From £75,000 This Turkish built brand, established in 2010, produces a range of three top quality fast performance cruisers from 33-46ft. The 33 was the company’s second model and combines fast sailing with a lot of space, in part thanks to a whopping 3.66m (12ft 0in) beam that’s carried well aft. Hull chines that extend well forward help to reduce wetted surface area in light airs, but dig in to rapidly increase righting moment when the boat heels. At the same time the twin rudders provide good grip and excellent control, even at high angles of heel. The Azuree 33 was originally produced in Cruising and Fast Cruising versions, the latter with a larger sail area, including a square top mainsail. The wide beam makes the cockpit and deck space…

Sailing greater distances and spending longer periods than usual on board can trigger some of the breakdowns and breakages that are, to some extent, an inevitable part of boating. However, there’s much that can be done a few weeks in advance of a summer cruise that will dramatically cut the odds of encountering problems. A couple of well targeted hours spent looking at critical systems is key to ensuring the boat is in as good a shape as possible. The following checks will enable you to have as much confidence as possible in the reliability of the boat and its equipment in any reasonable weather conditions you might encounter. Electrics The events of the last 12 months mean it could easily be close to a year since you’ve used many…

A development of the electric outboard, the submersible motor is either fixed to a mounting under the hull, or to a steerable through-hull shaft. Some can even be mounted on the rudder to act as a directional thruster. The power cable is usually fed down through the pod’s control shaft or attachment flange for protection. Example 1: Seadrive Norwegian-based start-up Seadrive began with the premise of a steerable ‘puller’ (pictured right) or ‘pusher’ pod capable of efficient regeneration. Most striking is the swept shape of the propeller, which spins efficiently when sail-milling. The control unit has also been set to optimise the energy produced. The Seadrive unit is also rotatable for directed thrust and can be turned through 180° so the propeller is facing forwards (or rearwards on ‘pullers’), opposing…

When you are on the sea, in any kind of boat, it’s worth knowing a little about the tides for two reasons: ■ If you choose the tide correctly it’ll help you on your way in a totally green way – free energy ■ If you choose your tide incorrectly, and the wind is blowing against the tide, you could find yourself in very unpleasant and dangerous conditions, no matter which direction you are going. I’ve got a lovely motorboat, Tiptoe, with Garmin kit for navigation. I can travel at up to 28 knots if I wish, but I’m happier at 6 knots, and I carry a kayak with me, which I can paddle at 5 knots for an hour or two without a problem. Travelling at those slower speeds…

With the sailing club still closed and school holidays looming my kids suggested we try stand-up paddleboarding. As we live walking distance from the beach and a short drive from Poole and Christchurch harbours, I thought, why not? It’s easy to learn, boards are portable and inflatable, and it’s an activity the whole family can enjoy. Paddleboarding has been one of the lockdown success stories of 2020/21. Inflatable SUP (iSUP) sales soared last summer after the first lockdown and continued right through winter, with suppliers having record sales. “We’re normally very quiet until spring, but this year we could hardly keep up with the demand!” says Emma Jones of SUP Inflatables in Dorset. Having started out as a watersports shop, SUP Inflatables switched solely to selling iSUPs four years ago,…

The air temperature was around 10-12°C and the water temperature 8°C. That’s pretty cold for paddleboarding. We dressed the kids with the intention that they’d fall in or jump in, though tried (and failed) to persuade them not to! They wore wetsuits, woolly jumpers, a waterproof coat or splashvest, buoyancy aid, hat or swimming cap, boots, socks and gloves. They were generally warm enough for an hour, no more. As with sailing, layering is the answer, as you can remove layers and put them back on if you get too hot, but always start out ‘too warm’. A warm changing robe is great for afterwards. Brenin and I loved Red Originals’ adult and junior fleece-lined robes, while my husband was very happy with the luxury towelling version.…

Despite years of experience and sailing in familiar waters, we are always learning and realise we must still be prepared for the unexpected. Fortunately, we managed to get through this challenge on a very memorable 46th Wedding anniversary. 1 It seemed our problem was caused by two things, a slight loss of pre-tension and the distorting of the water feed pipe with the cable tie. As I powered up the engine with the helm on full port lock, the flexing in the prop shaft caused the gland to in effect ‘flip up’, and it was prevented from realigning because of the cable tie restraining the water feed pipe. Only when I waggled the pipe did it allow the gland to fall back to its correct alignment and stop the leak.…

Q I was wondering about maybe going down the Coppercoat antifouling route for my 32ft steel Wylo ll. Is this a practical proposition for a steel boat? From the electrolysis point of view, when I get to the berth, will I just find a hole in the water and lots of bubbles? I’m afraid I slept through most of my science lessons at school, so expert guidance would be appreciated! Dave Holden, by email COLIN BROWN REPLIES: Normally I’d say that copper and steel should never be in contact underwater. On the galvanic scale in salt water copper has a potential of -0.4V and mild steel varies between around -0.6V and -0.8V. That’s enough of a difference to form a galvanic cell with steel as the anode. This would lead…

Aspiring bluewater cruisers are invited to join the chat in a virtual cockpit with previous Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) skippers and industry experts, to help get their own adventure of a lifetime under way. The free online event will run over four consecutive evenings from 25-28 May. World Cruising Club’s Jeremy Wyatt said: “I’m often asked by aspiring bluewater cruisers ‘what is the right boat for the ARC?’. Well this is a very broad topic and it’s not easy to give a short answer. So instead we’ve brought together a cross-section of experienced bluewater cruisers and industry experts to share their knowledge and help people focus on what will be right for them.” Register for the ARC Bluewater Cockpit Conversations at ■ worldcruising.com/training Waterproof labels for free Boaters wishing…

An alert has been issued that organised crime groups may target small boats for use for people smuggling. The National Crime Agency has warned that the number of migrants attempting to enter the UK using small boats has increased significantly since COVID-19 lockdown measures were first introduced – more than 8,000 migrant arrivals were detected throughout 2020. A rise in demand for vessels to aid migrant Channel crossings is expected as weather conditions improve. Organised crime groups are known to target legitimate sellers of vessels and equipment such as outboard motors and lifejackets. Boats and equipment are also being stolen. Report suspicions to Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111.…

FAMILY FLEE FLAMING YACHT A family were rescued from their Sadler 34 moments before it became a fireball. Allegra had just left Conwy Marina when smoke began emanating from the engine hatch around 1.30pm on 3 April. A passing motor vessel, with a blind veteran on board, assisted the mother and son off, and gave the skipper a fire extinguisher. However the blaze was too fierce and the man was also recovered, moments before it ‘exploded.’ Jet skiers tried to douse the flames with their spray. The flaming yacht drifted upriver, where it ignited a smaller boat near the Quay, then sank. 160TH YEAR Harland & Wolff, with four leading shipyards and fabrication facilities in Belfast, Appledore and Scotland is celebrating its 160th year. Founded in April 1861, the company…

Email pbo@futurenet.com or write to us at the address on page 5. Photos are appreciated, letters may be edited. Waypoint: Biofuel-free petrol For any readers affected by the PBO June issue news item on E10 petrol (about fuel containing up to 10% ethanol that can damage older engines), Esso supplies a high performance petrol without any ethanol. For locations up and down the country google Synergy 99+ or for more information visit: esso.co.uk/en-gb/fuels/petrol Tony Raven via email Coastwatch for Ch65 radio checks Really good June edition and a pleasure to read. The 10 top tips article was timely but you made an omission when advising your readers to check their VHF radios. You’re quite correct in your advice to avoid the coastguard getting swamped but you didn’t mention the NCI…

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. Tidying up a file of photos on my desktop, I found a beautiful one of the sort of fun we used to be able to have with boats: a flotilla led by the Aith Lifeboat. It was 27 June 2009 and Delting Marina was finally officially opened. We’d been using it for at least a couple of years, but this was the big party. It was just under seven miles due north from our own Aith marina, and Karima S and I were determined to join the fun. I did suggest to my non-sailing husband, Philip, that he might like to come…

Maybe there’s something wrong with me – I’ve never felt a desire to cross the Atlantic, or anywhere beyond Europe for that matter. I have a boat that can do this – Keppel is a Maurice Griffiths-designed Golden Hind 31 – but my problem is, I can’t bring myself to do something that doesn’t tempt me. Life’s too short. So, I evolved to be a contented coast-hopper. I’ve sailed and raced dinghies since I was seven and owned sailing cruisers for 30 years; but it’s all been about travelling, exploration. It started in the 1960s with crossing the Thames estuary in Mirrors and Graduates with pals from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex to Yantlet Creek on the Kentish shore. There, we’d fry sausages and drink beer on its remote shingle beach. Somehow,…

The impact of the tide can be considerable. On this occasion I was traveling south between two Orkney islands on my way back from the Shetlands, and my speed through the water was 6.7 knots (bottom right of screen), but my SOG was 12.2 knots (top left). I know it looks as if I’m heading north, but my chartplotter is set to point upwards in the direction of travel, in this case 219° (top right). Note that the engine is barely ticking over at 1,000rpm, using only 3.5lt of fuel per hour, and I’m whizzing along at over 22 kilometres per hour. That’s ‘green’ travel!…

Freshwater hosepipes can be seen connected to lots of boats in marinas. A hose is connected from a tap on the dock to a pressure reducing inlet valve on the boat, which reduces municipal water pressure, usually from around 60lb down to 35lb. This pressurises all the boat’s water outlets meaning you don’t need to run the boat’s (usually noisy) electric pump when shoreside. There’s a more even and usually stronger flow than a pulsating pressure pump, which is used for, say, a shower, and it’s silent with no drain on batteries. Of course, water is fresh from the shore, too, instead of from tanks. My 45ft schooner Britannia had the system installed by the boatbuilders. The ½in diameter plastic water pipes were therefore as old as the boat, circa…

The Hartley 16 is well known for transforming sailing culture in Australia and New Zealand by making the pastime accessible to everyday families. New Zealander Richard Hartley designed and built the first plywood multi-chine boat in 1959 along the lines of a small New Zealand mullet fishing boat. More than 6,000 plans were sold globally to amateur boatbuilders. It’s a familiar sight on coastal and inland waterways around Australia. Far less so in the Queen Victoria Gardens at the centre of Melbourne’s Southbank Arts Precinct, where sail number 699 temporarily took up residence as a mobile bar in an urban activation project known as either / oar. But either / oar is more than just a bar. Once again, the humble Hartley 16 has become a vehicle for societal change,…

PBO Digital is the best way to get the full magazine experience if you’re unable to buy your regular copy at the newsagent or supermarket. But it’s not quite as straightforward as simply browsing the shelves! 1. What device should I use? You can get a digital, or electronic, version of PBO magazine on a computer (desktop or laptop, Mac or PC), a phone, tablet or an eReader device. The options for desktop/laptop are limited in comparison to phones and tablets, but the bigger screen area and resolution may be an attraction. See the table below for options. 2. Which magazine platform should I buy from? For PBO Digital there are nine different digital magazine platforms available. Some platforms are like supermarkets, while others are like local newsagents with a…

If a halyard snaps and there’s someone prepared to climb the mast safely, retrieval is not too much of an issue. For the rest of us, perhaps this device might help. Fix one end of a wire loop to a snap shackle eye and the other end to a control line threaded through the eye. Attach the shackle to a spare halyard and add another control line to the shackle so you can guide the entire contraption to the location in mid-air (probably downwind of the masthead) and lasso the errant halyard with the wire loop. The less wind, the easier it will be, though mast and hull movement is also bound to be unhelpful!…

Q I recently bought a NASA Target HF3 SSB receiver. The manual that came with it is OK but the instructions for the antenna includes a diagram of a house and a wire tied to a nearby tree – not helpful for marine instruments! There is also a diagram of a boat which refers to using an insulated backstay and connecting it to the receiver with a 70 ohm coaxial cable. But I’m not entirely certain an insulated backstay is necessary, and anyway mine divides in two about 3m up from the deck. The mizzen mast has back angled shrouds as backstays. There is a simple 10m insulated wire antenna with phono plug supplied. Given the unhelpful instructions I’m not confident of following any of the advice. It says 10m…

Readers’ cruising destinations, near and far We pay for your published cruising stories and harbour updates. Email pbo@futurenet.com or write to the address at the top of page 5 Our three-month visas for Antigua and Barbuda were up and our next destination needed to be strategic, rather than ‘romantic’. Every island group has different entry criteria in this pandemic, so going anywhere is complex, confusing and expensive. Most countries require negative PCR tests, and costs range from zero to $300 per test. Some countries require tests plus a 14-day quarantine. And what is written in the online guidance is not always what other cruisers report. We decided to head north from Antigua to explore the Bahamas. For the hassle and expense of entering a country, the Bahamas offers us a…

Post-Brexit arrangements have left the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland effectively ‘out of bounds’ to UK cruising sailors with pets. As of 1 January 2021, British sailors are subject to the single issue Animal Health Certificate regime, which has replaced the much more flexible European Pet Passport. This means pets are only permitted entry from England, Wales or Scotland by boat to the Republic of Ireland at the commercial ports of Dublin Port, Ringaskiddy and Rosslare – none of which normally permits entry by yacht. A similar set of restrictions is in place for Northern Ireland restricting entry with pets to Belfast and Larne, which are also not normally open to yachts. Ferry passengers can make arrangements according to the guidelines on gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad Vice-president of the Cruising Association, Derek…

England’s largest seagrass planting effort is taking place in Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. It is estimated that the UK may have lost up to 92% of its seagrass. Wasting disease, pollution and physical disturbance like anchoring and mooring have been identified as contributing causes. Seagrass meadows provide homes for juvenile fish and protected creatures like seahorses and stalked jellyfish. It also has an integral role in stabilising the seabed, cleaning the surrounding seawater and capturing and storing significant amounts of carbon. Some 16,000 seagrass seed bags and 2,200 seedling bags are being planted as part of the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES project being led by Natural England to help support and improve the resilience of our marine environment. The planting is being carried out by project partner the Ocean Conservation…

VISITOR BERTHS DOUBLE Stornoway Port is doubling its yacht berths following £11m investment in Newton Basin/Goat Island development. A new 83-berth Newton Marina for locals will free up space in the Inner Harbour to accommodate more visiting yachts than ever. The existing 85-berth Inner Harbour, on Cromwell St Quay, will remain the primary marina for visitors, due to its facilities and central location close to shops and services. Visiting yachts to the region can now also enjoy the new Castlebay marina in Barra, Lochboisdale marina in South Uist, Lochmaddy marina in North Uist, plus Tarbert/Scalpay pontoons in Harris – reducing the sailing distances between marinas in the Hebrides. HONORARY MEMBERS Anna Burnet and Lorenzo Chiavarini are new honorary members of Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club. Team GB’s Burnet, who…

Mad about the boat 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 Since 1967 PBO has made a massive contribution to popularising sinking, not least through the stirring and inspirational efforts of our readers as chronicled in our terrifyingly compelling Learning From Experience feature. Indeed, the fact readers have been discovering new ways to do it for over 50 years shows commendable commitment and is a tribute to the spirit of innovation that makes you proud to be British. Yet, even before the advent of PBO, when sinking-related leisure drowning was mostly the preserve of a lucky few within a five-mile radius of Cowes on the Isle of Wight, there were moves afoot…

£7,000-£17,000 In the 1970s and early 1980s Olympic Marine at Lavrion, only 30 minutes from the new Athens airport built for the 2004 Olympics, was one of the most prolific boatbuilders in Europe. The Carter 33, from the board of successful American designer Dick Carter, was a cruising yacht based on a well proven offshore racing hull with excellent handling characteristics. Construction started when Greece was still governed by the right wing colonels who took power in a coup in 1967. Yet the Carter 33 became a mainstay of many early charter fleets, while also gaining popularity with private owners both in the Mediterranean and northern Europe. Relatively wide beam creates good internal volume for a boat of this era, which allowed for pilot berths above and outboard of the…

Photographs of Greek harbours often show them being full of the traditional double-ended fishing boats that have been the mainstay of Greece’s fishing industry for centuries. Before the extensive network of government-sponsored ferries they also provided formal and informal transport between islands (and even isolated mainland villages) for people, goods and livestock. A handful were still being built by traditional methods – from memory rather than from plans – less than 20 years ago. At that time there were around 14,500 caïques registered in Greece. The picture is rapidly changing. Incentives to surrender fishing licences have seen as many as 80% of caïques destroyed in the past 20 years. Sadly, even if not all owners were conscientious about best practices for conserving fish stocks, concentrating fishing into fewer very much…

The market for electric outboards has been growing fast over the past few years. Boat owners love the idea of silent, fume-free cruising using lightweight motors that will have a long service life. Standard propellerdriven outboards are still the biggest sellers but there are new designs that can convert electric power into thrust with up to 96% efficiency. The initial purchase price is still high, but the motor will gradually pay back over the years in saved fuel, service costs and consumables. “With an electric outboard, there’s not much to go wrong,” says Nathaniel Evans, a sales engineer with Golden Arrow Marine. As an agent for the German-made Torqeedo range (now part of Duetz) Evans also looks after customer service but admits it’s a quiet desk. “The motors are sealed…

The ability for sailing boats to recover energy from a freewheeling propeller has met with variable success over the years, but companies such as Torqeedo, ePropulsion and Seadrive have made this hydro-regen more efficient. The main issue has been the comparatively low rpm from a freewheeling propeller, so even the most efficient regenerators still require the yacht to be sailing quite briskly. Advances in propellers designed specifically for electric boats, such as with models by Gori, Darglow and Bruntons have made the ‘reverse’ pitch needed more effective. Torqeedo has long offered hydroregen on even its smaller models, while ePropulsion provides regeneration models in its portfolio of new Spirit and Navy electric outboards. The propellers have been modified to be more efficient when freewheeling, while the controllers have been designed to accept…

Microlighter Mark Shiner explains the pilot’s slide rule There are many transferable skills between sailing and flying and I have always wondered why sailing folk have never cottoned on to a marvellous little gadget used by pilots for generations: the ‘whizz wheel’, more correctly known as the Pooley’s Flight Computer. No batteries required, it’s an inexpensive plastic slide rule consisting of a doublesided, circular rule with a straight slide that runs through the middle of it. If you know your desired course and the rate and set of tide you can calculate your course to steer in about 10 seconds without making a mark on a chart. Actually, without a chart at all, although you ought to have one as the whizz wheel won’t warn you about rocks or reefs!…

At their simplest, tides come in and out twice a day, regressing about 50 minutes each day. In other words, if high tide is at noon one day, the next day it will be high tide around 1250. If you’re good at maths, you’ll see that in 14 days’ time, you will be more or less back to where you started from. So, if it’s high tide at noon on a Monday, two weeks later it will be high tide close to noon again on a Monday. In the Mediterranean the volume of water is relatively small, so the tidal range is only a few centimetres in most parts. In the Forth estuary at Port Edgar, the range can be 5m at spring tides (ie the high tide is very…

My real life with boats began when I met my husband in 1976, although I’d been involved with boats previously in a lesser way. A friend had an old fishing boat and we used to fish in the Thames Estuary in the days when there seemed to be plenty of fish to catch, especially cod. Rob had a 26ft pilot cutter made of alloy, which when purchased was just a shell, but by the time we met, was on the water. Little did I know that we’d forever be replacing rivets in the hull. This took place on the mooring on the River Blackwater at Stone, in Essex, when the tide went out. It wasn’t an easy task as it meant one of us was outside knocking in, while the…

What are you using it for? Your choice of board will depend on your weight, what you plan to use it for (touring, racing or surfing) whether you’re taking passengers (ie kids and dogs), and how much space you have for it (particularly if it’s going to live on a boat). If you’re not sure, your first board should be an all-round design. You can always specialise later. Budget Your budget will influence what type of construction you go for (see panel opposite). As Dave Price, author of The Paddleboard Bible, puts it, ‘you may not have a choice as to whether you paddle business or economy class’, but the more expensive the board, the better the construction and the stiffer and more robust it will be. These are not…

While reading the article ‘Stay Safe on the Water’ in the winter 2020 RYA Magazine, I felt a chill go down my spine when I read ‘sinking’. I commented to my wife, Diana, this could so easily have been us! The article I was reading analysed the reasons for RNLI callouts between 2017 and 2019 and of the 17,000 callouts over half were to recreational boaters. They divided the causes into five categories and the first four were quite self-explicit and not unexpected: machinery failure, equipment failure, stranding or grounding, and human error. It was the fifth category of ‘sinking’ which alarmed me: during that period there were 200 callouts to sinking vessels. The common causes given were: prop shaft coupling, stuffing box, deepsea seal, exhaust, and skin fittings. The…

Great ideas and tips from PBO readers Email your projects and tips to pbo@futurenet.com or write to us at the address at the top of page 5. We pay at least £30 for each one published A few seasons ago I hastily constructed two gas bottle plinths off the stern of our Cobra 850 Waterlily for a short cruise across the Channel. Now the time had come to do a proper job. With two bottles in the dedicated gas locker the plinths enable us to stow an extra pair. Four bottles not only gives us greater range – we have ambitions to cruise further and longer into France’s inland waterways and eventually to the Med – but also enables us to carry both Calor Gas and Campingaz bottles (you can’t…

Got a question? Email pbo@futurenet.com 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 Q I have a Vancouver 32 and I’m considering fitting a bow thruster as it’s a long keel yacht and berthing can sometimes be challenging. But I’m not sure of the cost or the size of thruster I’d need. Ben Bonnick, by email TONY DAVIES RESPONDS My previous boat was a steel flybridge cruiser and she had horrendous windage. I dreamed of a bow thruster but never got round to it, so I understand your problem. I imagine you’ll be considering an electricallypowered type rather than hydraulic as they are significantly less expensive (I hesitate to say cheaper!).…

Many harbours in Europe and the US connect to interesting inland waterway systems. These can be explored if your draught isn’t too great and you can reduce the height of your vessel to duck under bridges. That’s why folding radar arches and masts are popular options on sea-going motorboats. A. One simple idea is to hinge the arch at its forward edge and pin it at the back. To lower it, simply pull the pins and push it forward. If it is quite heavy, put counterweights on the extended back legs so even the weakest crewmember can move it. B. Depending on the geometry of the deck, some lighter structures can be hinged aft and pulled into the cockpit, where they are supported on a couple of folding legs. C.…