Innehållsförteckning för May 2023 från Practical Boat Owner

Make boating memories When I heard Jessica Watson (page 83) had finished her circumnavigation of the world aged just 16, I was on my own sailing adventure, living aboard our beloved S&S 34 Rebel in Tobago. The fact the teenager was sailing the same make and model of yacht as we were cruising on meant we followed her progress avidly. As a sailor, she was breaking new ground, despite facing challenges, not least from naysayers. It was the same for another pioneering skipper, Nicolette Milnes Walker, when she crossed from the UK to the USA in 1971 – the first woman to complete the voyage solo, non-stop in a monohull. Unlike Watson she’s less well known, and it’s fantastic to see her achievement highlighted by fellow author and sailor Julia…

A newly-discovered chemical process is rendering all existing wind turbine blades recyclable. The Vestas-led ‘circular solution project’, in partnership with Olin and Stena Recycling, works on epoxy-based turbine blades – without the need for changing the design or composition of blade material. It offers hope for the recycling of GRP boats, which are currently disposed in landfill. Lisa Ekstrand, vice-president and head of sustainability at Vestas, said: “We can now view old epoxy-based blades as a source of raw material. Once this new technology is implemented at scale, legacy blade material currently sitting in landfill, as well as blade material in active wind farms, can be disassembled, and re-used.” BoatBreakers spokesman Luke Edney said: “I can’t see why this couldn’t be applied to the waste GRP material created from boats.…

Teenage sailor Katie McCabe, who shot to fame in 2021 when she circumnavigated Great Britain solo, aged 14, has announced a new transatlantic goal. She has returned the sponsorship money raised towards competing in the 2025 Mini Transat race, saying it was “not realistically achievable for me at this time” due to a lack of funding “and also perhaps, my love of old boats.” Katie said: “I will now be focused on trying to make the Atlantic crossing possible, just on my own boat and as cheaply as I can.” The 15-year-old, who is based on the River Exe, spent months restoring her 26ft Morgan Giles, Falanda before sailing an anticlockwise route around Britain, via the Caledonian Canal. For insurance purposes, her dad, David followed her in his yawl. She…

Share news stories and diary dates that would interest fellow PBO readers by emailing news editor Laura Hodgetts at pbo@futurenet.com SOUTH COAST & CHANNEL ISLANDS Cocaine seized Metropolitan Police officers have seized 350kg of cocaine and the small boat it was found on, in an operation supported by the National Crime Agency and Border Force. Detectives from Scotland Yard deployed to Eastbourne, Sussex, on 18 February where they intercepted the vessel, a Kingfisher Sports Explorer, at approximately 2215 as it moored in the harbour. The drugs have an estimated street value of £35 million. The operation took place after officers received intelligence on the boat’s suspicious movements in the English Channel. Three men were arrested, charged and remanded for conspiracy to import Class A drugs. Race for all Entries are…

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. The late, great Uffa Fox once said: ‘The smaller the cruiser, the greater the pleasure derived from it.’’ He was talking of a doublehanded 20ft canoe with a tent, but I reckon the principle applies nicely here in Shetland, especially as the boats around me get bigger. From being average in the 1990s, my Offshore 8m Karima is now one of the smallest yachts in the Shetland fleet; nearly everyone else has upgraded to a minimum of 32ft. It makes sense, when any cruising outwith Shetland involves the North Sea for at least a hundred miles – a bigger boat, a bristling…

FROM: Virginia Beach, USA SAILING: Circe, a 48ft Hallberg-Rassy This is my first sailing boat, other than a little catamaran I sailed around the bay in, and a few small fishing boats. You could say we bought our last boat first! That said, I’ve sailed a lot. I grew up in Panama, sailing a 72ft schooner with the Sea Scouts, and we’ve chartered in the Caribbean. I’ve also done the Salty Dawg Rally from Norfolk, Virginia, to Antigua three times, and from Panama to Mexico. My wife Julie and I like the idea of safety in numbers, which is why we chose to do the ARC for our first transatlantic. When we did the ARC Baltic, the staff made everything so simple, including going into Russia which, of course, we couldn’t…

The lead-up to our family summer cruise aboard the PBO Project Boat had not been as smooth as I’d have liked. We had beautiful new lines and sails for our Maxi 84, built by T Sails, and the engine alternator was finally working after its refurbishment. But I still had to get the mainsail gate back into the mast to stop the sail slides from falling out when the sail is reefed or lowered. It should have been a simple job… The sail gate was a brand new flush one from Seldén, as the original wouldn’t take the sail battens. Our rigger had fitted it originally but what we didn’t realise, before removing it to fit the sails for a boat test (PBO February 23), was that the screws were…

Having bought an unfinished project from a couple who had started to convert a memorable aluminium craft to electric, I was faced with the decision of whether to revert back to internal combustion (petrol) engine or continue to electric vehicle. I decided on the latter. Now, after three years’ work, my Project eBoat of an Albatross 691 is complete. The boat sports a 30kW (40hp) water cooled motor, runs at 96V and can pull 500A at full speed. The first year of the project focused on motor and controller integration, the second year saw trials with lead-acid batteries at 48V and year three’s focus was lithium-ion batteries at 96V. Recent trials have seen the boat achieve just under 30mph. She’ll happily trundle the Broads rivers at 6mph for around four…

The two minutes it takes to rig a boom preventer properly can pay off in so many ways, yet still a lot of sailors consider it an unnecessary hassle. Rigging a preventer will allow you to sail a true downwind course without a constant worry about crew safety. I also use it to pin the boom in its preferred position in light winds with sloppy seas. Fixing point The preventer should be attached to the outboard end of the boom to avoid damaging the tube in the event of an accidental gybe. Some boom end castings have a designated hole to attach one – if not then a large bowline loop passed around the end of the boom between the clew and the end casting will work just as well.…

We have had this in long-term use for the past six years (hence the used appearance) but it remains a current model. It has been used as a backup to the main fixed set on a sailing yacht. It charges via a drop-in cradle, which has two cable options, one for 12V and the other for 240V charging. As the second lightest in our test this lends the Cobra HH500 to being used where weight or size might be an issue, such as carrying it on a tender, kayak or paddleboard. It is easily stowed in a grab bag for emergency use, and comes with an extra battery tray that takes five AA batteries. Bluetooth connectivity with a mobile phone means you can leave your phone in a dry bag…

This VHF unit is a real workhorse and has a sturdy, no-nonsense feel to it. As we turned the volume up to hear it above a noisy engine it continued right up to 81dB without any distortion or feedback. There’s always a compromise and in this radio it’s perhaps the physical size that takes the hit in return for a supremely impressive battery life. It monitored a busy VTS channel round the clock for more than two days without any sign of the battery fading. Obviously if we were transmitting large amounts of chatter then this battery life would be much reduced, but there’s no doubt this would outlast all the others. The M37E also has an additional battery tray taking three AAA batteries, making this a suitable contender for…

Fraser and I have almost sunk several times in all the years we’ve sailed together. Once was when we unknowingly towed a lobster pot on our prop shaft from Coleraine to Rathlin Island, resulting in damage to a shaft seal that caused massive water ingress while the engine was in gear. Another time was when we had a leak in the rudder stock as we sailed down to Dublin from Bangor. But the most dramatic occasion was the time we thought we’d holed our 11ft 6in plywood dinghy off the coast of Donegal. Fraser had built the dinghy from plans in our tiny garage near Oxford, about as far from the sea as you can get. She was of stitch-and-tape design, and very robust. We trailed that little dinghy, with…

Rochester & Strood Member of Parliament, Kelly Tolhurst, has been awarded the Yacht Brokers, Designers & Surveyors Association (YBDSA) Contribution to Industry award 2022. The MP grew up around her late father’s boatbuilding yard in Rochester, and is a member of her Medway-based local sailing club, and president of the Medway & Swale Boating Association. Her current aims include triggering a review of the UK Anti-Money Laundering rules and regulations by HM Treasury to support UK Yacht Brokers and the UK Banking Sector.…

Two years after being set up, Women in Boatbuilding (WIBB) has become a community interest company to boost the gender diversity debate in the industry. WIBB began as a personal Instagram profile by Belinda Joslin who was seeking likeminded women. Since 2021, it has developed into a thriving community. Belinda has been joined by three other directors: award-winning heritage clinker boatbuilder and storyteller Gail McGarva; boatbuilder, tutor, and Cornwall Marine Skills’ Training and Boatbuild apprenticeship leader Amy Stringfellow; and boatbuilder, education consultant, photographer and Atlantic rower Heike Lowenstein. They are launching an official mentoring scheme, working with the Magenta Project, whose successful women’s sailing mentoring scheme has been running for five years. WIBB is now looking for funding to expand its range of activities. ◼ pbo.co.uk/WIBB…

A £19,600 grant from Trinity House will help the Thames Sailing Barge Trust pass on the seafaring skills required to sail and maintain its barges Pudge and Centaur. Skills are disappearing due to an ageing demographic in the sailing barge community, coupled with the length of time it takes to learn the trade. Mates need up to five years to gain sufficient experience to qualify, while it can take up to 10 years to become a skipper. There are currently only eight skippers under the age of 50, and about 25 mates. In the last two years, the trust has had two trainees complete their skipper tickets, with two others due to finish their examinations soon, and eight trainees to be made up as mates. The funds from Trinity House…

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 Sailing is by far the easiest part of sailing. Once you’ve allowed for deviation, variation, tide, leeway and innumerable other factors such as psychotic skippers like Captain Ahab and neurotic crew like Fletcher Christian, it is in theory possible that – by means of waggling the tiller to and fro and pulling in various ropes and letting them out again – you may, with a little luck, arrive at your destination. Or somewhere similar. If on the other hand, and through no fault of your own such as faulty dividers, a coffee stain on a chart, melting a plastic spatula while…

FROM: Bergen, Norway SAILING: Lomvi, a Bavaria 38 My partner Line is a veterinarian. Our doctor, Ingrid, doesn’t arrive until we stop at Cape Verde, so if we get sick before then, it’s rough treatment! Line and I are sailing with our three-year-old son Hjalmar and friend Nikolas. Hjalmar was just six months old when we bought our Bavaria 38 Lomvi. She was built in 2003 and named after a North Atlantic seabird, a ‘guillemot’ in English. We live on board, which has given us plenty of time to practise sailing over the long summer holidays – though we weren’t that experienced at first, and tore the genoa in strong winds in the fjords. Sense of adventure Lomvi is our first boat, but I crewed on the ARC Europe in 2013.…

The sheer versatility of the modern electric motor has been harnessed to offer a bewildering choice of drives, but they essentially fall into three main categories: outboard, inboard and pod (or thruster). There’s a bit of crossover between concepts – saildrives, jet drives and hybrids, for example – but for any conversion project the propeller will be spun by one of the three. Before you start, there’s a key question to ask yourself. Why go electric? The engine hours of a modern leisure boat are usually low. The average season for a UK-based motorboat is only 50 engine hours and a sailing yacht is even less. So, your electric conversion won’t be to save fuel. For the cost of an installation you could probably buy enough diesel to see you…

The IC-M25 is a lightweight, low-spec VHF handheld radio suitable for taking with you when paddleboarding or in your tender, as well as for augmenting a fixed VHF unit on a larger boat. It features a Float‘n’Flash system that works well too, so if you do drop it in the water you’ll be able to find and retrieve it easily. Waterproof rated to IPX7 (up to 1m for 30min) means you won’t want to leave this submerged for too long but it certainly should keep on functioning after the odd dunking. The slim design means that it is one of the lightest units on the market at a mere 225g in weight. It comes with a simple micro-USB cable for convenient charging from a variety of electronic devices or a…

A feature-rich, top spec handheld VHF with impressive functionality. It features a large screen, which is easy to read and points to the array of functions available. The radio floats with a highly visible strobe light activated when in the water and is fully waterproof – it’s the only set on test rated to IPX8 for continuous immersion. The HX890 has a built-in GPS receiver and is DSC-capable so you can send a digital message to other DSC receivers, including your GPS coordinates. If you send a distress message, it’ll also automatically activate alarms on other DSC-capable receivers within range. We like the dedicated volume buttons and the squelch falls naturally next to the push to transmit (PTT) button. We got 27 hours from this on standby monitoring VTS Ch12…

This 100% waterproof first aid bag is suitable for quick submersion and even floats if dropped in water. Constructed from tough nylon-coated PVC, this first aid dry bag includes over 30+ treatments for injuries typically sustained from water sports, as well as general outdoor or water-based activities. Features a fully adjustable shoulder strap and rear belt loop. WHY SUBSCRIBE? ✔ Best price guaranteed ✔ Save up to 52% ✔ Delivered straight to your door ✔ Free home delivery ✔ Never miss an issue ✔ Secure online payment CHOOSE YOUR PACKAGE MAGAZINE ONLY £23.50* every 6 months PRINT + DIGITAL £31 every 6 months SUBSCRIBE TODAY! www.magazinesdirect.com/B33V or call 0330 333 1113 and quote B33V TERMS & CONDITIONS Offer closes 13th April 2023. Direct Debit Offer open to new subscribers only.…

In Ask the Experts (PBO January 2023) Kevin Fidgeon at the age of 80 was having difficulty raising and lowering his new mainsail. I have a few tips that might help. I have a 2005 Hunter Legend 38 and recently replaced my slab reefed mainsail with a fully battened one. I also have a lazy jack system and bag. The mainsail on the 38 is huge and heavy so I understand Mr Fidgeon’s problem. First, lubricate every pulley and block bearing with Harken McLube One Drop. It costs about £16 and you only get 15ml but it goes a long way, and is brilliant. Also apply it to mast sliders and cars as it will lubricate and clean the mast groove if that’s causing resistance. If the groove is badly…

Readers’ cruising destinations, near and far We pay for your cruising stories and harbour updates – email pbo@futurenet.com. For more adventures, visit www.pbo.co.uk/cruising Overcoming, or ignoring, various medical issues, including cancer scares and, in Liz’s case, major surgery, we decided to return to Panama where we’d left our 37ft Colvic Countess and continue sailing rather than await seemingly never ending medical tests. Our return flights were, miraculously, on time, including the connecting flight from Bogota, enabling us to take a taxi to a chandlery in Panama City where, equally miraculously, the stuff I’d pre-ordered from the United States – antifoul, deck paint and automatic fire extinguisher – was waiting for us. By mid-afternoon we’d made the 90-minute taxi journey across the width of Panama and arrived back at our base…

The timetable to axe Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and Thematic Charts has been extended ‘until at least 2030’ – four years later than planned – after user feedback. Last July, the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) announced its intention to withdraw from the production of paper charts by late 2026. This target date, which followed consultations with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and national user groups, was subject to the development of digital solutions for those remaining users of Admiralty SNCs and Thematic Charts, ensuring that they have viable, official alternatives. UKHO pledged to consult closely and more widely with UK and international stakeholders on this proposal and to listen to their feedback, stating ‘we would leave no one behind’. Now it has announced UKHO will ‘continue to provide a…

Unloved Fairey Atalantas, Fulmars and Titanias are being sought by the Atalanta Owners Association. All three boats were designed by Uffa Fox and built by Fairey, which was an aviation company that diversified from aircraft production after World War II. The Atalanta is constructed from 1/8in laminates of Agba which is a very rot-resistant hardwood. The Atalanta Owners Association (AOA) keeps a register of boats and is active in keeping contact with owners. Boats that are beyond restoration still have a value as specialist components can be salvaged and used for restoration projects. PBO readers are being asked to email sec@atalantaowners.org if they spot any Atalanta, Fulmar or Titania that looks ‘abandoned, unused or unloved’ so that action can be taken to trace the owner and assess the boat’s condition…

The Royal Yachting Association has joined a 200-strong coalition in making an ‘urgent plea’ to the Prime Minister to support grassroots facilities, amid the ongoing energy crisis. With energy costs relief for the UK’s swimming pools, leisure centres, sport centres, community facilities, and gyms ending on 31 March, thousands of facilities and clubs are at risk of permanent closure or reduced services, as public and private sector organisations of all sizes face unprecedented financial challenges with energy bills remaining up to 200% higher than normal. The signatories of the letter include major health bodies, sport’s national governing bodies and individuals. Lisa Wainwright MBE, Sport and Recreation Alliance CEO, said: “Community clubs, leisure centres, and facilities, which are so vital to sport, recreation, and physical activity in this country, are in…

Flotsam and jetsam Sam Llewellyn writes nautical thrillers, edits The Marine Quarterly, and is perpetually patching up a 30ft ketch: samllewellyn.com The tomatoes were waltzing up their bamboos by the wheelhouse windows. Beyond them was a vista of steep shores, to port the mountains of Jura, to starboard the hills of Scarba. Between them a broad black stretch of water was wringing its hands. ‘Sea eagle’s nest,’ said Nick Walker, the skipper, pointing to a clutter of rubbish halfway up a tree on the Jura shore. I felt the wheel kick as the ebb caught the puffer’s nose and tried to spin it into a miniature whirlpool – a speciality of the Corryvreckan, one of Britain’s more significant tidal gates. I thought, here we are in a 160-ton ship, growing…

For many boat owners, the ‘ideal boat’ is determined by the local cruising area. Should you go further afield you might invest in more kit, or upgrade the batteries or sail wardrobe, for example, but you wouldn’t buy a new boat altogether. But what about the bluewater dream; the ocean crossing and the months, or years that follow, anchoring in turquoise waters, climbing volcanoes and riding mopeds in search of engine parts? Your boat is your home, classroom and office. A decent day’s sailing is no longer the priority. This ‘dream’ requires a different kind of boat altogether, one that can get you across an ocean safely, but be comfortable enough to live on. You might need to buy a boat for this very purpose and sell it afterwards. Perhaps…

The challenge of finding solutions to practical problems is something I have enjoyed as far back as I can remember. This was certainly the case when I began fitting out the first Aventura, and as an absolute greenhorn in anything nautical I was forced to come up with answers to complex questions in virtually everything I touched. As the boat had a centre cockpit and aft cabin, the wheel was too far from the rudderstock so I was advised that the easiest and cheapest solution was to have hydraulic steering. However, that meant that I could not use the self-steering gear whose control lines had to lead to a drum on the wheel or to a tiller. The solution I came up with was to extend the rudderstock by way…

Although the cost of new boats has reached levels that put them out of reach for the majority of us, it remains the case that there are many second-hand vessels on the market. Some of them may be only a few years old, needing little attention to put back into service, whereas at the other end of the scale there are plenty of very cheap boats, sometimes abandoned for a variety of reasons, others sadly lacking attention and now no longer required. It’s usually the case that the hull and interior can be assessed visually but other parts, particularly the engine, are not so straightforward. It’s common to come across a boat languishing in a yard somewhere after its engine ceases to function for some reason, and the boat is…

Handheld VHF radios are must-have items on every boat owner’s kit list. Even if your boat has a fixed VHF you may be away from the navstation or zipping ashore in the tender but still need to know what’s going on around you, and be able to communicate with other craft in the area. In commercial shipping areas it’s particularly useful to know the movement intentions of larger ships as they dock or receive pilots. Calling up a marina to get your berth sorted is another hugely beneficial feature. Most modern handhelds have dedicated M1 and M2 channels for this very purpose. Even more importantly, a handheld VHF is an essential safety tool for communicating with search and rescue services, especially in the event of having to abandon ship. That’s…

Standard Horizon’s HX210E is a great handheld radio at a good price and is a well-judged balance of weight vs battery life vs features. It is charged via a cradle and uses two different cables for 12V or 240V power supplies. It locks securely into the cradle so won’t jump or fall out if it takes a knock, but isn’t the easiest to remove in a hurry. We like having separate dedicated buttons for the volume and squelch, and the menu is really easy to navigate. Finding the FM radio receiver is quick and easy so if you want to tune in for the weather forecast or the next episode of The Archers, you’ll be very happy with this VHF. The bright orange fascia and PTT side buttons are a…

This flagship model is the first VHF model of its kind in the UK to have AIS built in. This makes it quite a chunky item to hold. Unsurprisingly, it is also the heaviest on test. But this isn’t designed to be a lightweight radio, it’s a heavyweight in terms of functionality too, offering the widest array of features of any handheld VHF radio on the market today. The menus are easy to navigate and pulling up the AIS details gives you a list of targets with their CPAs and another screen offering a visual with targets in relation to your position. If you find yourself in among shipping and want to know who’s bearing down on you and would quite like to have a quick word with them, you…

Great ideas and tips from PBO readers Email your projects and tips to pbo@futurenet.com including high resolution photos where possible. We pay at least £30 for each one published While the captain of a Royal Navy warship is greeted with the tweet of the bosun’s whistle when he steps up the gang plank to board his ship, we mere mortals attempting to get on board our pride and joy usually make do with nothing extravagant unless we own a superyacht. A while ago my stern safety line gave way on my 1990 Moody 376, Linga Linga. Following a triple backward somersault I departed from the stern of Linga Linga’s deck into the ogin, and despite a high score from the judges I was sadly not selected for the Olympic diving…

“Generally, I actually am quite a risk-averse person, and don’t like doing crazy things, I know that’s really hard to believe.” Thirteen years ago, in 2010, Jessica Watson made history when she sailed solo, non-stop around the world aged 16. Now, as a film inspired by her adventure, True Spirit, is released on Netflix, Jessica shares insight into how it compares to the reality of navigating some of the world’s most remote oceans, surviving seven knockdowns and 210 days alone at sea aboard her S&S 34 Ella’s Pink Lady. “It’s so strange for me. Because I really have no idea what it’s like to watch as someone else who’s not so close to the story. For me, I almost can’t get past being so close to it, and then not…