Innehållsförteckning för April 2016 från Sailing Today

‘I DON MY FOULIES AND BOOTS, RECEIVING A RAISED EYEBROW FROM GREY- AND BLACK-CLAD CITY TYPES’ It may come as a surprise to learn that there are long stretches of time when we are not sailing. World cruising comes with what I refer to as ‘go times’ and ‘slow times’, which are largely dictated by hurricane seasons and family events. For example, our sailing in the south Pacific was a nine-month period of continuous momentum as we explored numerous groups of islands in the countries that lay en route from Mexico to New Zealand. The key factor was to tuck ourselves in safely out of the cyclone belt before December signalled the start of the tropical storms. We would then have to limit our movements to coastal hops or marina…

Tide info as for Harwich Marina office open winter 0830-1730; mid-June to mid-Sep 0800-1900 +44 (0)1255 672185 titchmarshmarina.co.uk harbourmaster@titchmarshmarina.co.uk VHF Ch 80 Fuel Self-service FAME-free diesel (pay in the marina office) Facilities Toilets and showers; laundrette; hot drink and snack vending machines Outside Landscaped gardens and barbecue areas Travelifts 35 tonne Mobile crane 25 tonne Chandlery, shop and art gallery +44 (0)1255 676 411 Engineer French Marine Motors +44 (0)1255 850 303 frenchmarine.com Repairs Smooth Finish GRP +44 (0)7974 559 223 Fabricator Mr Stainless +44 (0)7780 663 803 sales@mrstainless.co.uk Restaurant Harbour Lights +44 (0)1255 851 887 Sailing school North Sea Yachting and Motor Cruising +44 (0)7770 232221 northseayachting.com Brokerage Westwater Yacht Sales +44 (0)1255 672 500 westwateryachtsales.com…

East Anglia, and the rivers Orwell and Stour, are a very popular sailing area of the east coast and yachts are well served, with 10,000 berths and 16 yacht clubs in the area. Relive your childhood Swallows and Amazons days exploring the narrow creeks and small islands. A popular anchorage for those looking for a picnic, barbecue or a toe-dip is just off Stone Point, on the eastern side of the Walton Channel. The nearby rivers of the Stour, Orwell, Deben and Alde offer a variety of scenery, destinations and anchorages, including the beauty spots of Pin Mill, Woodbridge, Aldeburgh and Snape. To the south the rivers of the Colne and Crouch offer interesting weekend cruising. Maldon in the Blackwater Estuary is home to many surviving Thames barges. Finally there’s…

We sail to unwind but the boat can be a worry when we’re not aboard. Is she still where we left her, safe and secure? Top fears are batteries, bilges, break-in, fire and location. And we worry not just when the forecast is dire; most sinkings occur on the pontoon or the mooring in otherwise harmless conditions. Yet the wide variety of remote security systems available at relatively low cost can now provide real peace of mind. Those we’re looking at here rely on GSM mobile cellular technology and GPS for communication between vessel and owner/guardian. Function setting, arming and disarming are managed remotely by web page, app or text with alerts and reports returning via the same media and including email. They are quick, convenient and 24/7, with some…

Yacht keels have two vital jobs. The main one is to provide resistance to lateral movement, preventing the vessel from being blown sideways; without it, there is no sailing against the wind, just blowing downwind like a raft. The keel’s secondary function is what sets yachts apart from dinghies and prevents us from being unceremoniously dumped in the water when we are caught out by a gust: it provides stability by placing ballast low down. This has progressed from being a collection of internal stones in the bilge to an iron shoe on the outside of the keel and further to fin keels and a lead bulb on the bottom of a fin. The keel was originally part of the hull but as sailors have sought greater efficiency they have…

INTERNATIONAL MULTIHULL BOAT SHOW 13-18 APRIL, LA GRANDE MOTTE, FRANCE The sixth edition of the on-water show dedicated to catamarans and trimarans has moved from Canet to La Grande Motte, near Montpellier. 1000-1900 (Sun to 1800), entry €8. multicoqueonline.com multicoqueonline.com FISH AND SHIPS CHARITY FUN DAYS 9-10 APRIL, PORTLAND MARINA, DORSET Pontoon with boats on display, used boat sales, test sails, RIB rides and trips, diving demos, Dorset produce, live music and food theatre from the Crab House restaurant. Free entry, 1000-1700. deanreddyhoff.co.uk/news CHASING THE WHALE 1 APRIL, CUTTY SARK, LONDON A rousing night of music, tale-telling and film about the dark life of a whaler. Kings of the South Seas are joined by acclaimed singer Tim Eriksen, award-winning author Philip Hoare and director Adam Clitheroe. 1930 and 2130. £18 rmg.co.uk…

BOOT IS BOOMING Rounding off the major winter boat shows, Düsseldorf’s Boot again proved the high water mark for new boat launches. No fewer than 14 sailing world premieres were at the show, which attracted 247,000 visitors from 52 countries. Turkish builder Azuree had its bright new 33C on show; Lagoon’s new 42 catamaran was there; Bavaria had nearly a whole hall to itself, with the new 34 and 52 Cruiser models for viewing. Then there was the Jimmy Cornell-inspired Exploration 52 from Garcia Yachts, the Italia 12.98 performance cruiser, Solaris’ sleek new 47 and the Dehler 42. Luxury UK boatbuilders were well represented with the Gunfleet 58, Oyster’s new 575 and a stand from Discovery. In total there were 340 sailing boat brands at the show and hundreds of…

Swiss pear tools Stunning tool kit made in Germany Absolutely stunning 24-piece tool kit from German manufacturer WohnGeist. The handles of the chisels, screwdrivers, hammers and files are made of Swiss pear, a wood that resists warping and splintering in moist environments – surely perfect for a yacht? A special magnetic case keeps everything in its place - possibly makes it worth the eye-watering price tag for that feature alone. • c£1,800 • woodandluxury.com Loro Piana Storm System Luxury gilet wards off that nip in the air Take your gilet up a notch with this quilted version from luxury Italian clothing maker Loro Piana. It is part of the label’s Storm System, which takes natural fabrics and uses treatments and a membrane to make them wind- and waterproof.…

Raymarine Quantum Radar, by FLIR, is the next generation of marine radar featuring CHIRP pulse compression technology. Quantum sets a new standard for compact solid state radar, delivering superior imaging on both long and extremely short ranges. FLIR’s exclusive ATX™ advanced target separation technology displays boats, landmarks, rocks, buoys and weather with unsurpassed resolution and detail. Integrated Wi-Fi and thin cabling simplifies installation, plus Quantum’s energy efficient and lightweight design provides safe radiated emissions and substantially reduced power consumption. The result is a greater ability to discern targets, even when spaced closely together. TO ENTER, just answer the question online at sailingtoday.co.uk/competitions. Entries close 9 April. Full T&Cs online. For more information, see raymarine.co.uk/quantum…

It is a bright morning at Sweare Deep in the northwest corner of Chichester Harbour. Our gaff cutter swings happily on her mooring near Langstone where the waters of two harbours converge. The cabin still smells of breakfast bacon and coffee. It’s nearly time to get under way but we pause by the companionway for a glance at the very familiar chart on the table. The shape of Chichester Harbour reminds me of a tree with four main branches. Although there are 17 miles of navigable channels the harbour is quite shallow and there is an alarming amount of green on the chart. It forces you to be aware of the tidal cycles and the shifting patterns of its seabed and shoreline. Up on deck, the tide is starting to…

STONE POINT Popular anchorage with a sandy beach. Marks the turn from Hamford Water into the Walton Channel HORSEY ISLAND ‘Swallow Island’ in Arthur Ransome’s Secret Water. Time tides for crossing the causeway (out of frame to the bottom left) PYE SANDS Don’t be tempted to cut across on your approach without local knowledge CILL Minimum depth 1m. Wait on inside pontoons or anchor at Stone Point and radio the marina for advice WALK ASHORE PONTOONS Recently upgraded and E dock can hold 45ft yachts Open up a copy of Arthur Ransome’s Secret Water and put it next to a chart of the Walton Backwaters and you’ll see an uncanny likeness. The author might have changed the names of some of the locations but this part of the Essex coast…

Titchmarsh Marina is an independently owned facility that is still run today by the Titchmarsh family who started to dig out the first basin in the 1960s. It’s in a peaceful spot, sheltered from all directions. Although its address is Waltonon-the-Naze it is more than a mile away from the nearest village but has lots of facilities and services on site. These include a restaurant and a well-stocked chandlery that is also an art gallery and mini-supermarket – and there’s even second-hand boat gear in one corner. This is a muddy area and the 420-berth marina carries out a frequent programme of dredging. It does cater for deeper-draught, larger yachts – there’s a whole pontoon that can hold 64 45-footers – and even those with bulb keels should sink easily…

When cruising, particularly in farther-flung locations, you may find that your charts lack sufficient detail for you to feel sure enough to take your yacht into an anchorage, up a river or through a pass. Rather than give up and sail away, one option is to drop anchor, jump into your shallower-draught dinghy and survey the area yourself, recording the information and transferring it back to your yacht so that you can continue with your plans in confidence. There are various methods of doing this, depending on the equipment you have – not least, the type of dinghy (see boxout on facing page for tips on choosing a dinghy). You might also use your tender for another type of recce – checking out a marina berth before motoring in, for…

CRUISING CHANNELS SHOW POTENTIAL Cruising and video aren’t natural bedfellows – long shots of a lone yacht on one tack for three minutes is not really the most dynamic of video content. But there are some gems among the 200-plus videos on the website sailingcruisingscotland.tv. The web TV page, which receives up to 5,000 hits a day, has been set up by Kenny McVey, who also runs a busy Facebook page of the same name. There are seven channels, covering videos shot in Scotland and wider sailing interest. Channel 3 is boat maintenance films, for example, and 7 is documentaries. The mainly amateur videos shot in Scotland vary in quality and interest, but the country’s natural beauty – and blissfully empty waters – shine through and it’s a good way…

The paint industry has issued a ‘use it or lose it’ notice to yacht owners. It is concerned that the Health and Safety Executive might restrict the use of antifoul to professionals, meaning boat owners could no longer buy and apply it themselves. The issue has come up because the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), following the latest EU biocide regulations, wants to raise the level of risk assessment criteria it uses when deeming a product safe for general use. A new, higher bar would assume that “DIY applicators”, i.e. people painting their own yachts, wear no protective clothing, such as gloves, overalls or masks, and that the paints are therefore too hazardous for them to use. Products could start disappearing from the shelves in three to four years. Restrictions…

Think of the Mediterranean, and the chances are that a sunkissed beach with a little taverna on a quiet island will spring to mind. There are islands beyond count here, literally thousands, and many of them well known to cruising sailors in Croatia, Turkey and Greece. Mallorca in the west, Malta and Cyprus in the east are hardly unknown Med islands, with colourful maritime histories dating back to the Phoenicians in 1500BC. These days, however, they are often overlooked when it comes to cruising the Mediterranean. We decided to set the record straight with help from some daring, unconventional cruisers who have explored these and other lesser known islands in southern Med. They uncovered quiet anchorages, wildlife reserves and even some friendly locals. Malta MICHAEL HOWORTH Conquered, colonised and governed…

You can cruise yachts for months or years at a time and never end up going over eight knots or so. With the Dehler 46, we were beam reaching at 12kts within minutes of setting the sails – I’m not talking about a gennaker or Code 0 here, just main and jib. It was the sort of sailing that left me grinning from ear to ear and made such necessary chores as navigation seem superfluous. The sailing of the yacht became an all-consuming pleasure and the only thing that truly mattered was to keep the yacht going in that delightful groove. I could end my review there. I mean, what more do you need to say? But I shall continue… Dehler has been putting together smart performance cruisers since the…

Whether you’re coming south, from the Rivers Orwell or Stour, or north, from the Thames Estuary, you’ll see Pye End safe water mark (RW LFl 10s) about a mile off the entrance to Hamford Water, followed by No 2 red buoy (Fl2 R 5s) and then Crab Knoll No 3 (Fl G 5s), marking the start of the channel. The harbourmaster recommends buoy hopping, sticking close to the marks and on the correct side of them, unless you’re local. Cutting across Pye Sand at high water is not recommended in a strong onshore easterly wind. If you’ve not been here before, you’re advised to come in during daylight, rather than at night, as the channel is narrow and in some places as much as a mile to one side will…

The multi-faceted littoral of Atlantic Spain has Aquitaine forming one border and Portugal the other. With the Cantabrian mountains as its backdrop and five diverse regions, it is one of Europe’s least-sailed but most rewarding cruising grounds. For several years I had done the yearly updates for the RCCPF pilot South Biscay but now, with a new edition in the offing, it was necessary to revisit that isolated wonder-world that hides beneath one of Europe’s longest backbones. The first problem was how to get there. I live close to the Mediterranean in France and when I bought my boat, a Westerly Corsair, I fondly imagined its 1.5m (4ft 11in) draught would float through the Canal du Midi. This used to be possible but is not, alas, any more – anything…

At the heart of sailmaking is the problem of creating a three-dimensional shape from two-dimensional fabric. The tried and trusted method is to fasten a curved edge against a straight (or differently curved) one, keeping the same overlap along the seam. When fastened like this, the panels force each other into a three-dimensional shape. More recently, a method has been developed of thermo-moulding a single piece of flexible sailcloth into the required shape. The next problem is that the sail needs to change shape; even small changes in windspeed require subtle alterations in the shape of the sail. This is where stretch comes in. Too much stretch is bad, since it forces sails out of shape, but some is inevitable, and so the sailmaker must work with it to allow…

TRINTELLA 46AC | SEVEN SEAS ADVENTURE You can tell from her name that this Van de Stadt-designed cutter is a true couple’s bluewater cruiser. She was built by Dutch shipyard Trintella for a demanding first owner who had a very clear idea of what a cruising yacht should be – fast, comfortable and safe. She has an aluminium hull and her carbon mast and customised keel make her very stiff, quick (average sailing speed is 6.5-8kts) and reduce heel. She has a centre cockpit and doghouse to provide shade, with windows that open for ventilation and canvas to fully shut out the elements. All gear was top-of-the-range, including B&G, Mastervolt and Bose. Standing rigging was replaced in the UK in 2010. She’s prettier below the waterline than above,…