Contents 78

84
Welcome to the November 2017 issue
61
66

36

20 46
Cover photo: Hantu Biru sailing in Scotland
Credit: Ben Meakins

GEAR
36 Marine stereos on test
Restoring an Elizabethan 23 – page 46 We put seven marinised stereo
systems to the test

REGULARS BOATS 52 New Gear

A new range of low-cost GPS
5 Waiting for the tide 20 A French Connection and AIS-enabled navigation
The editor’s welcome Our pick of French 34-36ft cruisers systems, plus deck coatings
and stacking saucepans...
SAVE
6 News MONEY AND 46 Elizabethan 23 restoration
SUBSCRIBE
!
Labour of love to bring Elissa back CRUISING
10 Regional news Great offers
on 73 50 years of Drascombes 30 Sail training on
page 72
12 Readers’ letters The definitive dayboat? a Thames barge
Sam Llewellyn takes a trip on
14 Dave Selby SEAMANSHIP Thames Barge Reminder

16 Sam Llewellyn 84 Tight turns in long-keelers 56 Fowey

Getting a long keeler going astern Pilotage guide to Fowey
18 Andrew Simpson
80 Head over heels 88 Surprising Serifos
42 Ask the experts Learning from experience: Peter Phil Johnson finds an Aegean
Your questions answered Stone takes a tumble off a quay gem with a new marina

PRACTICAL
34 Practical projects
A winch handle for old hands, a
shower for a small boat and more

40 View from the boatyard

Mike Pickles constructs a new
shower compartment base

49 Descale an engine
Mark Ryan cleans out his Yanmar A winch handle for old hands – p34

61 Filling and fairing 78 Eberspächer silencer

PBO Project Boat gets smoother How to quieten your heater’s
exhaust
66 Choosing and fitting
26 Fitting log and speed a boarding ladder 82 Making the perfect
Tony Davies shows how to fit a David Parker fits a telescopic scarf joint
NASA log, speed and compass ladder to his motorboat Get it right every time

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 3

 EDITORIAL
CONTACT PBO EDITORIAL
By email: pbo@timeinc.com
Via our website: www.pbo.co.uk
By post: PBO, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst
Road, Farnborough, Hants, GU14 7BF
By phone tel: +44 (0)1202 440820
Waiting for
the tide
Editor David Pugh
Office Manager/Brand Assistant Roz Jones
Deputy Editor Ben Meakins
News Editor Laura Hodgetts
Publisher Gareth Beesley
Group Managing Director Oswin Grady
with the editor
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T
ruth, we’re told, is It’s all change on the professional
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CLASSIFIED & TRADE ADVERTISING with kids long flown the nest, and have been privileged to be able
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Advertise online at www.ybw.com/buy-and-sell Ben Meakins broke the mould highlight of course being our work
with the appearance of his on the project boats, first Hantu
MARKETING daughter Ivy in December 2016, Biru and later our Secret 20.
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and a few months later in July my Roz has been the first point of
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Time Inc. (UK) Ltd Syndication offers you the opportunity new arrival, Clarissa. Like all new office for 12 years, and in that
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you can see in the photo below. That’s no surprise: PBO readers
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Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 5

 News SEND US YOUR STORIES
Email news editor Laura Hodgetts at
pbo@timeinc.com, tel: 01202 440820

News and current affairs from the world of boating

A
Irma Survivor
nchored in tranquil
Privateer Bay in
aquamarine waters on
board a beautiful 51ft
power catamaran, we
took a moment after Scott and Niki Smith describe surviving Hurricane Irma in
serving our guests
canapés and ice
Road Bay Marina, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands
cold Pouilly Fume to
download the daily
weather forecast.
We saw perfectly calm Devastation
weather predicted for the caused by
Hurricane Irma
next three or four days. We
also checked the National
Hurricane Centre (NHC)
website and there, located
close to the Cape Verde
Islands over 1,000 miles to
our east, was a depression
becoming organised.
For the following three
days we continued the
charter with our six guests
cruising the crystal clear
waters of the British Virgin
Islands all the while continuing to
monitor the depression. Our guests
were stunned by the natural beauty of
the islands and the breathtaking
snorkelling the waters have to offer
while enjoying wonderful cuisine
prepared by Chef Niki.
In regular contact with our base we
all became more interested in the
depression, which had now formed
These charter catamarans were lifted up and thrown around like toys
into a hurricane. The NHC prediction
model showed Hurricane Irma now chance, having experienced hurricanes We took refuge in a small basement
heading directly towards the Leeward before. We dropped them off in Trellis Bay, bedroom in The Moorings hotel next to the
Islands and then on to the BVIs. Beef Island to jump on the first available marina with six other crew members, as
The Moorings Base office informed flight out and we motored back to base in the wind started to pick up through the
us to be prepared to be recalled, so Road Bay Marina, Tortola. night. A couple of shots of rum helped
asked us not to travel too far away On arrival we found the base a hive of ease the tension before we bunked down
from base. Our American guests, after activity. Hundreds of yachts were being on the floor to get a few hours rest before
a lengthy discussion, decided to ‘get secured and stripped of their sails; all were Irma came knocking in the early hours.
the hell out!’ while they had the anchored with canopies removed in By first light the wind was at gale force.
preparation for Irma. After securing our On stepping out of our room we could see
beloved Allie Cat we joined the team of debris starting to gather: branches from
ABOUT THE AUTHOR workers stripping the boats of lifebuoys, trees, loose panels off old buildings and
Scott and Niki Smith barbecues, cushions, winch handles and guttering. Yachts were already jerking
grew up in the any other potential missiles. against their mooring lines and the line of
Channel Islands and
have been around
We made the most of the last few hours rafted yachts was already starting to snake.
boats most of their of daylight to raft up the final yachts This was just the beginning, the outer
lives. After hosting coming in from their charters. Hundreds of bands of Irma were already causing
friends and family tyres were sourced locally and put into significant damage. We stood in a partially
on their own boat
they gained
black polythene bags to be used as covered passageway between two
commercial additional fenders. Whole new drums of buildings to observe the yachts, but by
qualifications in warp were rolled out of the store to be cut 1000 it was getting hard to physically resist
2016 and have since to length for us to use. No expense was the force of the wind, and flying debris was
worked in the
charter business.
spared to secure the millions of pounds becoming a danger. By 1100 the roar and
worth of yachts lying within the marina. strength of the wind was our cue to return

6 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 NEWS

to the safety of our room, from where we

had no view of the marina because the
windows had been boarded up the
previous day. With each strengthening
gust we all could feel the pressure on our
ears as if we were diving. The electricity
was cut off and the building started to
vibrate. The crashing and banging from
unknown objects flying through the air
was horrendous. The door struggled to
stay on its hinges and then the roof of the
building was torn off. We heard shouts as
guests in the hotel ran for safety to take
shelter in other buildings.
For the next hour it seemed certain that
the building would be unable to withstand
this battering and the extreme forces of
Hurricane Irma. We anxiously awaited the
respite of the eye of the storm.
As the noises started to abate we
cautiously opened the door and stepped
out to see the
destruction. Trees
had been
uprooted, the
hotel gardens
completely
destroyed. Turning
to look at the
marina, we were
horrified to see the
damage. Allie Cat
was still in her
berth but with a ABOVE
mast smashed Devastation in the
marina, with
into her foredeck barely a mast left
from the standing
neighbouring
yacht. There was Boats were sunk and capsized, and cleats and bollards were ripped out by the storm
an eerie stillness injured people.
in the air and, as we looked up, we could we sat listening to what can best be The generators kicked in restoring power
see blue sky surrounded by a bank of described as a freight train powering over to some of the buildings. There was little
swirling grey clouds. The eye of Irma was and around us. we could do for the boats until the water
magical. Finally the wind decreased to a gale and levels returned to normal and the winds
The sea level had risen over the we opened the doors. What once had had dropped making it safer to get on
concrete pontoons. We stood with others been a tropical paradise now looked like a board to assess the few salvageable
looking at the damage to all the yachts in fire had raged through it. No leaves were boats.
disbelief. Many masts had fallen, some left on any of the trees. Everything was Our experience of Hurricane Irma will
yachts had been flung on to the pontoon, blackened as if a bomb had gone off. never be forgotten. It was breathtaking
all were battered and bruised. In the marina, we could see a jumble of and terrifying. We feel so sorry for the
Quite suddenly and with no warning the upturned yachts, severed masts and many locals who have lost their homes
calm was over. The wind howled and catamarans flipped like coins on top of and businesses all within a few hours.
strengthened from the opposite direction each other. Many yachts had been lifted On a positive note, the Virgin Islands
now blowing in from the sea at an out of the water on to the pontoons; some remains one of the most beautiful places
alarming rate. The second half of Irma were barely afloat, heeled over, many on earth, with exquisite beaches,
was upon us. others had sunk with just masts marking spectacular rock formations, warm
Shaking and distressed we raced back the spot where they were tied. turquoise waters and fabulous dive sites.
to the shelter of our room not knowing the We gazed in disbelief – it was as if we With over 50 islands to explore, each with
worst was yet to come. Water began to had stepped onto the set of an action film. their own character and vibe this is a
flood up through the bathroom shower The wind continued to subside and the never-to-be-forgotten holiday destination
drain and in from the boarded up patio remaining yachts now lay in a soup of that will recover its former glory.
doors which faced the marina. We had no rubble, timber and vegetation. Jetties and The tropical climate lends itself to
way of knowing how high the surge would finger pontoons were missing, having creating rich fertile landscapes and the
be so we discussed an escape route if the collapsed under the tremendous force of local people are friendly and will be
water reached waist height. Fortunately it the wind. determined to welcome sailors back to
didn’t come to that. For the next two hours For the last hour of daylight we did head their beautiful sailing waters as quickly
the noise was deafening. In the darkness counts, checking for any missing or as possible.
➜

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 7

 NEWS
Britain Afloat: new BBC boating
series to air this autumn
Sailors craving their nautical fix
might like to tune in to BBC 2
on Saturday evenings this
autumn. A new BBC series,
Britain Afloat, sees presenter
Mary-Ann Ochota travel the
coasts and waterways of
Britain, discovering how boats
have shaped the lives of the
people that use them. Starting
on Saturday 30 September
(available on iPlayer in UK) at
8.30pm, the series runs for the
next six Saturdays.
The series explores the
regional diversity in boat
design and the floating way of
life, from the modest coracle –
whose shape was adapted to
suit individual rivers across
Britain – to the imposing
Thames sailing barges – boats
that helped build London.
Clipper skipper replaced after injury
A replacement skipper has
been appointed for the
Greenings team in the
Clipper Round the World
Race after the original
skipper, David Hartshorn, had
to be evacuated by helicopter
following a serious hand
injury. Andy Woodruff, 41,
from Poole, has been named
interim skipper and was due
to join the team in Punta del
Este, Uruguay, at the end of
September.
Dave Selby Impractical Boat Owner book launch
PBO Columnist Dave Selby
has released a book of his
early writings. The Impractical
Boat Owner: Tales and Trials
from years of Floundering
Afloat is a collection of Dave’s
columns, expanded for the
book, and with additional
‘Lessons Not Learned’ hints
and tips boxes, all illustrated
THE
WINDLASSES, CAPSTANS, ANCHORS,
BOW ROLLERS AND ACCESSORIES
t: 023 8045 8400 | e: sales@maxwellmarine.co.uk | www.maxwellmarine.com
8 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
Mary-Ann Ochota filming the first episode, Thames Barges
In each episode, Mary-Ann
uncovers the story of a
different boat’s design and
evolution and discovers the
impact it had on the people
and communities who have
used it, both in days gone by,
and today.
Describing his new role,
Andy, who already has over
60,000 nautical miles in his
log-book, commented: “It is a
great honour to be joining
such a prestigious global
event as the Clipper Race. My
aim is to continue the
fantastic work that David
Hartshorn has started on
board Greenings.
I believe it is important that
the crew get the most out of
this experience as possible,
with cartoons by Jake
Kavanagh. Themes covered
include: First attempts at
sailing, how not
to sail singlehanded,
mysteries of maintenance,
how not to sail with a dog, the
impenetrable mysteries of
navigation and weather and
how not to race. The
ANCHORING SOLUTION
Schedule
BBC 2, Saturdays, 8.30pm
Part 1: Thames barges
Part 2: The coracle
Part 3: The narrow boat
Part 4: The punt
Part 5: Mersey sailing boats
Part 6: The rowing eight
not just on the leaderboard
but also within themselves,
though of course I am keen
to get them as many points
as possible in the process!’
Leg 2, the 3,560-mile South
Atlantic Challenge, from
Uruguay to Cape Town, will
start on 4 October 2017 and
will take approximately 17
days to complete. From Cape
Town, the Clipper Race will
continue on to Fremantle in
Western Australia.
Roger Seymour and crew
prepare on Honey of Embleton
The Mercy:
Donald
Crowhurst
film delays
The film about Donald
Crowhurst’s Ill-fated attempt to
win the Golden Globe race will
now be released in the UK next
year. The Mercy, which stars
Colin Firth as Crowhurst and
Rachel Weisz as his wife,
Claire, was scheduled to be
released on 27 October 2017.
Now the IMDb website is
listing the film as being
released in the UK on
9 February 2018.
Don McIntyre, organiser of
the 50th Anniversary race that
will be sailed next year,
claimed: ‘They have held the
release date to partly hook into
the 2018 50th anniversary
edition of the original 1968
Golden Globe’
Directed by James Marsh,
The Mercy follows Crowhurst’s
attempt to race around the
world to win the 1968-69
Golden Globe Race on his
trimaran, Teignmouth Electron,
and his subsequent descent
into falsehood and madness.
Impractical Boat Owner is an
antidote to all that’s written
about expensive shiny new
yachts, self-improvement, the
quest for qualifications and
practical skills.
Dave Selby’s The Impractical
Boat Owner is published by
Bloomsbury, costs £9.99.
• Quality engineering
•
•
Innovative design
Competitive pricing
• Guaranteed compatibility
• Unrivalled warranty

rya seeks government assurances
on red diesel after Belgian fines
An EU committee on Excise Duty met in mid-September 2017
The RYA has welcomed
assurances from Her Majesty’s
Revenue and Customs
(HMRC) that the department
will strive to defend the UK
Lobster pot survey and petition
relaunched following election
Sailors and powerboaters are
being urged to log issues and
entanglements with fishing
gear. Since the launch of the
RYA’s online form in May 2017,
just 85 reports have been
submitted despite
considerable anecdotal
evidence that incidents occur
much more frequently. The
reporting of 58 entanglements
and 27 observations has
proved useful in identifying
hotspots around the country
and the RYA has published a
‘heat map’ of poorly marked
fishing gear based on the
incident reports.
The RYA’s fishing gear
entanglement report provides
a simple to complete electronic
form in an attempt to collate
quantitative data to support
boaters’ concerns.
A petition recently launched
by the Cruising Association
urges the Minister of State
(DEFRA) to improve the way
static fishing gear is marked for
the safety of all small craft at
sea. With over 3,200 signatures
to date it is evident that boaters
feel strongly about this issue,
but unless the petition is
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
stance on red diesel as the
Committee on Excise Duties
and Indirect Tax Expert Group
(attended by all 28 EU states)
prepared to consider the issue
A map of reported entanglements around the UK and Irish coast
underpinned by data, it may
simply be seen by
Government as an emotive
demand for action based on
nothing more than opinion
in mid-September 2017.
The meeting comes after
British boat owners were fined
in Belgium for having traces of
red diesel in their tanks (see
PBO news, September 2017
issue). These issues were the
subject of a ‘productive’
discussion between HMRC,
Craig Mackinlay MP, the RYA,
and the Cruising Association.
RYA Cruising Manager,
Stuart Carruthers, said: ‘The
UK Government and the
European Commission have
been in discussions over the
continued availability of
marked ‘red’ diesel for use in
private pleasure craft in the UK
for several years. We will
continue to actively lobby on
this matter, working closely
with HMRC, and will keep
boaters informed.’
rather than factual evidence.
The online reporting form is
readily available on the RYA
website at www.rya.org.uk/go/
entanglements.
NEWS
Diary Dates
n Kent Boat Jumble,
8 October, The Hop Farm,
Tonbridge. boat-jumbles.co.uk
n HMS Trincomalee’s Secret
Stories, 18 October.
The last in a series of talks by
the Curator, Clare Hunt, given
as part of the ship’s bicentenary
celebrations.
The talks are half an hour long
and focus on different themes,
uncovering some of the histories
of the ship that aren’t covered
on the site or in the guidebooks.
They take place lunchtimes and
evenings in the Baltic Suite at
National Museum of the Royal
Navy, Hartlepool. Tickets are £5
each (£10 with entry to site).
https://tickets.historicdockyard.
co.uk/WebStore/shop/
ViewItems.
aspx?CG=NMRN&C=EVE2
n Scotland’s Boat Show, 13-15
October, Kip Marina, featuring
free talks and demonstrations
with PBO Ask the Experts Live!
www.scotlandsboatshow.co.uk
n East Hants (Indoor) Boat
Jumble, 5 November, Havant
Leisure Centre, Hampshire,
boat-jumbles.co.uk
n London Boat Show 2018,
10-14 January, at London
ExCeL, londonboatshow.com
n Round Britain and Ireland
2018, 3 June two-handed race,
Plymouth start, rwyc.org/rbandi
n Golden Globe Race 2018,
will start on 30 June, Plymouth,
www.goldengloberace.com
n The Irish Sailing and
Mountaineering Adventure
Challenge 2018
The Irish Sailing and
Mountaineering Adventure
Challenge – The ISAMAC –
will start at 6pm on Saturday
16 June 2018 in Kinsale, and
involves yacht crews sailing
and mountain-running through
some of the most picturesque
scenery in Ireland.
The challenge starts with
a 12.5km ‘Two Forts’ running
race around Kinsale. Crews
then sail to Adrigole to run the
Hungry Hill ridge, before sailing
to Templenoe to cycle to and
climb Carrauntoohil – Ireland’s
highest mountain at 1038m.
The final sailing leg is to Dingle,
from where the runners will
take the ridge to Mount
Brandon (952m) and back to
Dingle to the finish – in John
Benny’s Pub.
www.ISAMAC-race.com
Send your diary dates
to pbo@timeinc.com,
see more online at
www.pbo.co.uk/events
9
 Regional News
News from your cruising area
Barmouth RNLI stand by an unmanned yacht caught under a bridge
WALES
Wedged yacht
Both Barmouth RNLI lifeboats,
the harbour master and
Barmouth coastguard team
attended when a 34ft yacht broke
its moorings and became caught
in Barmouth bridge, in Gwynedd,
north-west Wales. The inshore
lifeboat was launched at 6.29pm
when the call from UK
Coastguard came in on
21 August, followed by the
all-weather lifeboat at 6.45pm.
Given that there was no-one on
board the stricken yacht, a fast
flowing incoming tide, and the
fact the yacht was wedged under
the bridge, the decision was
made to stand-off until after high
water at 8.55pm.
The yacht’s rigging was caught
up in the bridge meaning any
recovery had to be taken slowly
to avoid endangering the
volunteer crew or the bridge itself.
At 9.43pm the mast on the
yacht broke under the pressure
of the changing tide. This
released the cruiser from the
bridge and enabled the inshore
lifeboat to guide the vessel to a
safe location.
Marina acquisition
The Marine & Property Group
Ltd has acquired the 180-berth
Port Dinorwic Marina, in
north-west Wales.
The group already owns
the 350-berth Cardiff Marina,
165-berth Aberystwyth Marina,
110 drystack spaces in Cardiff,
Cardiff Marine Village marine
business park, and boatyards in
Cardiff and Swansea.
The acquisition of Port Dinorwic
Marina, which includes a range of
10
Send us your local news stories. Email PBO news editor Laura Hodgetts at
pbo@timeinc.com, tel: 01202 440820, or write to the address on page 5
food and beverage outlets,
offices, shops and workshops, is
the most recent development in
an ongoing programme of
investment for the company. Last
year saw the company double
the size of its Cardiff boatyard;
purchase an outboard engine
company, a dredger and a
Sealift. Drew McDonald, director
of The Marine & Property Group
said: ‘We will be introducing a
number of initiatives to Port
Dinorwic Marina including our
Refer a Friend promotion and a
Visitor Exchange Programme
between our marinas in Cardiff,
Aberystwyth and Port Dinorwic.’
SOUTH
Lasting Legacy for
cheeki rafiki creW
The legacy of Cheeki Rafiki
crewman James Male lives on
at the QE2 Activity Centre in
Hampshire.
A new wheelchair-accessible
powerboat has been launched
on the River Hamble, named
after the sailor who was among
four people lost during an
Atlantic crossing in May 2014.
Graham and Lorraine Male
raised almost £13,000 towards
the cost of the Wheelyboat and
new kayaks for the centre in
memory of their son James.
The new Coulam Wheelyboat
V20 will supplement the centre’s
boating activities for disabled
people. The QE2 Activity Centre
prides itself in being fully
inclusive and the special features
of the Wheelyboat, developed by
The Wheelyboat Trust and
JM Coulam Boatbuilders, will
provide users with mobility
impairments with complete
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
independence as they explore
downstream and learn how to
drive and crew the powerboat.
Graham said: ‘It is an honour to
be able to leave such a fantastic
legacy for James.’
SOUTH-EAST
coMMunity regatta
success
The Port of Dover Community
Regatta was hailed a success,
with glorious weather greeting the
10,000 attendees, who watched a
mock yacht rescue by Dover
Walmer RNLI, as well as
formation flights, victory rolls and
loop-the-loops by Spitfires from
the Old Flying Machine
Company. Rowing and sailing
races were held, including the
Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club
Regatta, which was won by the
yacht Black Diamond.
Ashore, the event had more
than 90 stalls and more than 80
vintage vehicles provided by
Dover Transport Museum. The
regatta raised money for Kelly
Turner Fundraising, in support of
a Dover teenager who needs
£1 million for specialist cancer
treatment in America.
SOUTH-WEST
neW PenLee station
PLans unveiLed
The RNLI has submitted a
planning application for a new
Penlee lifeboat station building at
Newlyn Harbour.
The proposed new station would
house a larger crew/operational
room, training room, changing
room and workshop, along with a
visitor engagement area.
The two-storey building would
be built on the same site as the
existing station, which will operate
from temporary facilities during
construction. Features would
include solar panels on the
Lasting legacy for James Male
harbour-side canopy, timber
cladding, a monopitch roof
and large timber windows,
enabling the RNLI to survey
Newlyn Harbour and well out
south and east into Mount’s Bay
and beyond.
Penlee’s current lifeboat station
in Newlyn was built in 1983 as a
temporary measure and is no
longer fit for purpose. With
approximately 25 volunteer crew
and additional shore crew as
well as fundraisers using the
building, there is an urgent need
for more space.
CHANNEL ISLANDS
Wash concerns
Guernsey Harbour Master has
published a report following an
investigation into allegations of
extreme wash at La Valette
Bathing Pools, Havelet Bay.
At 1815 on 8 July 2017, police
and medics were called to the
bathing pools in St Peter Port due
to reports that the high-speed
Condor Liberation ferry had
caused a swell, which, due to the
height of tide washed into the
open air pools and knocked
swimmers into the walls.
Approximately six people were
injured, suffering abrasions to the
skin, ingesting seawater, an anxiety
attack and the effects of the cold.
The report found that following
traffic avoidance with the cruise
ship Adonia, the Master of
Condor Liberation had altered
course to less than 325°T to
regain track which is likely to
have generated of a wave of
approximately 60cm.
However this wave is unlikely to
have been of the magnitude
reported. The wash effect of
Adonia is likely to have reached
the pools at around the same
time, compounded by both the
Trident V approach to St Peter
Port and a large motor yacht
entering Havelet Bay at speed.
As a result of the incident and
investigation, Condor has
amended approach procedures,
additional warning signage has
been put in place and CCTV will
be used to monitor the pools
during the arrival and departure
of high-speed craft.
 DE UE DAY
IS UR
TH
S S
CE ON , N
M S OV
Next

BE AL 2
R E
going on, and even lend a hand if
they feel like it.’

month
Contact: adams.mcgilp@
btinternet.com

An explosive World War II mine washed up at Ballycastle
IRELAND
MINE WASHED UP
Police and Coastguard
personnel were called in to deal
with a Naval mine that washed up
on a beach in mid-September.
Army Ammunition Technical
Officers were also summoned
to the scene at Ballycastle,
Co. Antrim, where the mine was
eventually destroyed in a
controlled explosion.
Mines were laid close to the
entrance to Lough Foyle during
the Second World War in order to
protect Allied shipping during the
Battle of the Atlantic.
NORTH-WEST
YACHT TOWED INTO
WHITEHAVEN
A 25ft yacht had to be towed
into Whitehaven harbour on
7 September after suffering
engine failure. Members of St
Bees RNLI received reports just
after 4pm about the yacht which
of America’s Cup challengers, is
to go on public display following
a restoration project.
Texa had been out of the water
for nearly three decades, when
David Adams McGilp and
Howard Nixon acquired her for
£250 in 1987 and restored her
over a period of about nine
months. She was relaunched in
1988 and sailed up and down the
west of Scotland for many
seasons afterwards. David of
Lochgilphead, Argyll, the
custodian of Texa, said the yacht
was hauled out again four years
ago and is now about to undergo
another restoration, before going
to the Scottish Maritime Museum
for permanent display. David
added: ‘Scottish Canals are
generously supporting this
endeavour by providing
workspace in Ardrishaig Basin
car park. The public will also be
able to come and see what’s
NORTH-EAST
SUNDERLAND TO HOST
TALL SHIPS 2018
Sunderland has been chosen as
one of the home ports for the Tall
Ships Races in 2018.
The races are open to any
monohull sailing vessel of more
than 9.14m waterline length,
provided that at least 50 per cent
of the crew is aged between 15
and 25 years old and that the
vessel meets strict safety
equipment requirements. Leader
of Sunderland City Council,
Councillor Paul Watson said:
‘This is fantastic news that
Sunderland has been chosen as
a host port for The Tall Ships
races in 2018. This success
reflects the enthusiastic response
from partners, organisations and
individuals across the whole
region who supported our bid.’
EAST
SOUTHWOLD PICOS
Southwold Sailing Club has been
awarded £10,000 from the Big
Lottery Fund to buy six boats and
train five instructors in a bid to
inspire people to embrace the
sport. Robin Watkins, the
commodore of Southwold Sailing
Club said his aim was to
PRACTICAL
How to paint your decks
in winter
■ Mark Ryan strips and paints
cabin and deck under canvas
between winter storms
Plus
■ Rebuild a Yanmar 1GM10
■ Repair a Raymarine Wheelpilot
■ Tidy up your wiring GE
GEAR
Distress Beacons
■ PBO buyer’s guide to help you
choose between and select the
right EPIRB, AIS SART and PLB
BOATS
Seaward 39
■ A motorboat for retired sailors?
David Harding puts her to the test
Hanse and Bavaria
■ Peter Poland’s selection of
popular German 34-36ft cruisers
SEAMANSHIP
Anchor in a tight spot
■ Expert advice on making sure
you stay put in crowded
anchorages
CRUISING
Falmouth for orders

Contents subject to change

was en route to Whitehaven.
A spokesman for St Bees RNLI
said: ‘The volunteer crew quickly
arrived on scene but
unfortunately due to the state of
the tide they were unable to tow
the vessel into Whitehaven
Harbour until after 9pm.
‘As the sailing boat and its
skipper were not in any
immediate danger it was decided
that the best course of action was
for the lifeboat to return to the
station and wait for the tide.’
He said St Bees RNLI flank
station at Workington launched at
around 9pm and towed the yacht
safely into Whitehaven Harbour
where they were met by
members of Whitehaven HM
Coastguard.
SCOTLAND
encourage people to abandon a ■ Local knowledge for this famous
‘Game Boy’ culture of mobile West Country port
phones and video games. He
said: ‘Sailing can be challenging Ireland’s West Coast
at times, but if you pick the right ■ A 1937 gaff cutter heads up the
day then you can have a really Atlantic coast of the Emerald Isle
good experience. It is about
getting people off their backsides.
They will get wet and tired, but DECEMBER PBO ON SALE
they will come away with a THURSDAY, 2 NOVEMBER
Sloop Texa to be restored good experience.’
HOLEPROOF
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This Scandinavian classic t-neck
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of the
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with a windproof lining to keep
out the sea breeze, with a
contrast coloured border and

RESTORATION
PROJECT
month... fabric lining on the collar.
■ Force 4
Tel: 0845 130 0710
A small Bermudan sloop that was More great bargains in www.force4.co.uk
built on the Clyde in 1935 for Col. the Chandlery section
DFD Neill, Sir Thomas Lipton’s PRICE: £99.95
starting on page 56
advisor on the Shamrock series

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 11

 Letters Email pbo@timeinc.com
or write to us at the address on page 5.
Photos are appreciated, letters may be edited.

Readers share their thoughts and opinions

Kipling wasn’t exceedingly fond of sailing

■ I can’t identify Marcus up the Nile on the
Tylor’s grandfather’s boat SS Rameses III, III
(Letters, PBO September owned by Thomas
2017) which looks too big Cook. This kind of trip
for a private pleasure yacht to the only recently
– a barque-rigged sloop, peaceful Egypt was
she must be at least 100 fashionable during
feet long. But I can shed British winters,
some light on Rudyard between the Battle
Kipling, whom Mr Tylor’s of Omdurman in
mother remembers seeing
photos of on a cruise to
the 1898 (or
Kitchener’s
Egypt shortly before WW1, machine-gun
and his attitude to boats. massacre,
Although he wrote revenge for the
prolifically about the sea, death of Gordon
and had close connections at Khartoum,
with the Royal Navy, depending on
Kipling went to sea to your view of
gather material, or to get Empire), and the
somewhere. Only rarely did First World War, in
he go yachting, and then which Kipling lost
only to be sociable and his only son John.
please his children (he took Could it be that the
them on trips with his friend friend: ‘I hate yachts and nets photographs Mr Tylor’s
and financial advisor, the of slimy fish flopping about mother recalls seeing were
London stockbroker Barclay the deck.’ taken aboard the Persia or
Harper Walton, aboard his Kipling did travel to Egypt in the Rameses III in 1913,
steam yacht, the Bantam, February 1913 as a passenger and not on great
between 1905 and 1911). aboard the P&O liner the grandfather’s yacht?
Kipling didn’t sail for SS Persia, embarking at Rupert Maas
pleasure, and wrote to a Marseilles. He then travelled Camberwell, London
What lies beneath? Finding your
■ The yard at which I’m renovating my yacht Anne Marie recently way around
euthanised an ancient wooden yacht. They removed the two and ■ Trying to find an article in
a half tonne lump of iron keel and this is what they found. the 60-plus PBO’s I have on a
Note that the top of the keel bolts all appear to be in relatively shelf, I thought what is needed
fine fettle – indeed most of the bolts undid with little bother. is an index system.
A couple, however, were more trouble and sheared off. So with a pile of plastic
There were, I think, nine (possibly 10) keel bolts holding this on sleeves and a ring binder, I
and every one is corroded to almost nothing. removed all the contents
Owners of boats with keel bolts need to be aware and take heed pages and slipped them into
that what you see is not individual plastic sleeves. It’s
necessarily what you get. so much easier to leaf through
Mike Stephens 60 pages in a ring binder than
Tenterden, Kent sift through 60 magazines!
Total cost r3.50.
Chris Othen
Cyprus
David Pugh says: You can
also find many PBO articles
listed online. Visit pbo.co.uk
and click ‘search now’ under
PBO Copy Service. It’ll help
you find the issue and page
numbers.
Looking for
boating pals
■ As a PBO subscriber for
well over a decade, it was with
great interest I read ‘Day-
sailing delight’ (Letters, PBO
September 2017).
I’m an older guy (72) who
has always loved the sea, and
when I retired I bought a cabin
cruiser which I sailed on
inland water. Sadly my wife
lost interest so I sold the boat
after three years and bought a
large inflatable which, though
fun, was again domestically
unacceptable, so I decided to
cut my losses and buy a
stable sea fishing kayak.
This worked well until
deteriorating health meant I
resorted to replacing the
kayak with a safe, stable,
roomy boat that’s easy to
move around.
My purchase was a Takacat,
a relatively new design of
inflatable catamaran from New
Zealand, which can be carried
in my car, can be rowed if I’m
feeling up to it, and is fine for a
small engine for longer cruising.
My problem is that I’d like to
find other like-minded sailors
with maybe slight physical
disabilities who’d like good
company whilst sailing their
craft and in doing so have
great banter on many
topics. But I can’t find any
club or association, anywhere
in Scotland (I live in
Edinburgh) that caters for this
group of people.
There must be hundreds, if
not thousands, of older,
relatively active, people out
there…
Grahame Wear
Edinburgh

12 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 www.twitter.com/p_b_o
Fantastic PBO
Marina Guide
■ I must commend PBO on
the publication earlier this year
(PBO Summer 2017) of your
guide to the marinas around
our coast.
On a trip from the North Sea
round to Milford Haven this
year, the information proved
invaluable, not only with
regard to access
arrangements, depths etc but
also in terms of costs.
Being able to quickly check
the facts and refer to the
contact details was a godsend,
saving us both time and money
in what was a difficult trip with
ever changing weather patterns
that shot holes in our original
passage plan.
Best marina on our trip:
Eastbourne, clean, well laid
out, friendly and helpful staff.
Most expensive: Falmouth.
£35 for a brief overnight stay
with no staff apparently
available to provide gate
codes to facilities.
Most confusing (but
ultimately very helpful):
Portland which was poorly lit
for yachts entering and trying
to find an allocated berth.
Jeremy Percy
By email
Wrongfooted
by Octopus
■ PBO is a brilliant
magazine… always a treat
to receive.
And it was a delight to read
the October 2017 issue where,
in a letter, Geoff Humphrey
says he was ‘pleased to see
Octopus again’.
But the picture of the lovely
ketch next to the article isn’t
Octopus as Geoff will know –
here’s a picture of the old girl
that should have been
featured instead.
Geoff will be pleased to hear
that we had a wonderful cruise
in her up the West Coast of
Scotland to Fort William, Mull,
Skye to Lewis then Cape
Wrath to explore Orkney
before heading back south
to Inverness.
Plastic Boats? Bah... 10 tons
of mahogany, oak and brass
is by far the best!
Oliver Chapple
By email
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
www.facebook.com/practicalboatownermag
Crossword No.8
Tri again
■ I own the Trimaran
Shangaan designed and built
by Andrew Simpson and his
friends and referred to in his
article ‘The View Astern’ (PBO
September 2017).
She’s coming up to being a
classic boat but many have
commented how she was a
design before her time –usually
just after we beat them in a
race!. She now sports
asymmetric dagger boards in
the floats which give her
awesome upwind
ACROSS DOWN
performance. She glides
effortlessly through the water in 7 Twin-headsail rig (6) 1 Phonetic Z (4)
light airs and is as responsive 8 Haul boat down for 2 Boom on the port side
as a racing dinghy. cleaning (6) of the vessel (9,4)
Few believe she’s actually a 9 Wire-like ridge on plane 3 Loose-footed storm sail (7)
wooden boat that has taken blade after sharpening (4) 4 Propel dinghy with one oar
care of me through many 10 Ketch or schooner (5,3) over the transom (5)
stormy seas. I have loved this 11 Boat pox (7) 5 Navigation instrument (6,7)
boat and we’ve shared some 13 Phonetic I (5) 6 Longitude line (8)
fabulous adventures together. 15 Wood joint at 45 degrees (5) 12 Amount of canvas (4,4)
Normally seen moored or 16 Unpleasant motion at 14 RIB helm box (7)
sailing on the River Medway anchor (7) 17 European Inland Waterways
she is, though, a younger 18 Mast passes through these certificate (5)
man’s boat so if any PBO at the deck (8) 20 Anchor failing to hold (4)
readers would like to take care 19 Current (4)
of her for the next 50 years then 21 Fixed navigation mark (6)
she still has much fun to give.
Bryan Wright
22 Sideways movement (6)
by email Answers on page 98
SEADOG OF
THE MONTH
Percy
■ Percy is
our six-year-
old Border
Terrorist, rat
catcher elect
(he hasn’t
caught any
yet!). He’s pictured on board
our boat Dark Ivy at
Darthaven Marina.
Anthony Purnell
Send us your
£30 seadog photos
for our web
gallery www.pbo.co.uk/seadogs
and your pet may be lucky enough
to become Seadog of the Month
and win you £30
13
 Dave Selby
Mad about the boat
‘Well, the standing
headroom is in the
cockpit and the two
extra berths are in
the car....’
The golden age
of yachting
The1960s were the high-water mark of design
excellence... and marketing hyperbole
I’
ve been reading again, and it’s been
an education. And what I’ve learned
is that the 1960s represented both
the peak of sailing yacht development
and civilisation in general. Of
course, that was only a few years after
Tom Cunliffe had invented sailing, and
long before ‘Brexin’, but there’s no doubt
boat design has gone backwards ever
since. I discovered these amazing
revelations in a box of sailing annuals I
found at a boat jumble.
It’s hard to believe what was going on in
1964, but it shows just how far we’ve
regressed since. I quote from a boat
review: ‘Deck and cabin top are a one
piece moulding and deck-head leaks just
cannot occur.’ Amazing! That sounds like
the Holy Grail of all modern boat owners,
but the industry had to stifle such
innovation as it would have threatened the
sealant business that makes up the major
part of today’s global marine industry.
These days we all wonder at the
high-tech antics of The America’s Cup,
but the subject of this 1964 review was
light years ahead of the game. Again I
14
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
powerful masking scent on the planet –
Brut aftershave. And industries worked
hand in glove – literally, for when nylon
was spun off into boat ropes this led to
the development of sailing gloves to
protect hands from the bristles.
But an even greater revelation was that
feet and inches were much longer back
then, because every 20ft boat had at
least four berths, sometimes more; even
boats smaller than that had the luxury
of full lying headroo m – and that even
included every open boat on the market.
Many yachts even boasted ‘flush toilets’:
they didn’t flush, but their seat lids
were flush with the bunk top. Sadly
this development eventually stalled.
But the most notable thing of all was
that journalists were a lot nicer back then
and far more amenable to a long lunch
in an agreeable gentleman’s club with
these trailblazing blazered titans of
British industry. Back then, journalists
had standards, and wore blazers too.
But that all changed.
How saddened I was to see how chippy
and unsupportive they became in the
1980s and cite an article which sourly
rounded on the Westerly 22 for its
‘hideously inefficient looking shallow bilge
keels’. All I can imagine is that this
journalist had had to buy his own lunch.
To trace the origins of this unpatriotic
malaise, I leafed through later editions of
this fine annual tome into the 1970s, and
was amazed to see no mention of the 18ft
quote: ‘Twin hydrafoil [sic] bilge keels and Sailfish’s famed ‘six-berth accommodation,’
large skeg give her a remarkably high – admittedly people were shorter then – or
performance.’ Wow! indeed of the Sailfish whatsoever.
This spearhead of revolution was the What I did notice, however, was that
epoch-making turtle-backed Westerly 22, boats produced by the manufacturers
pioneer of GRP mass production. It was who advertised were all uniformly
amazing to be alive back then because all attractive, lively, fast, dry, stable,
the boats reviewed seakindly,
possessed amazingly
qualities today’s
Terylene, developed for roomy, capable
owners can only travelling salesmen’s jackets, of crossing
dream of. Every oceans, and
one of them was migrated into sail cloth built to last
attractive, lively, forever. And
fast, dry, stable, amazingly roomy, capable it’s only now, thanks to a free and
of crossing oceans, and, in the case of independent press, that I can at least
GRP ones, built to last forever – there was reveal the key innovation of 1971 that
no need for warranties. set the Sailfish apart and scared rivals,
But there was more going on. Terylene, namely the inclusion of a fitted polythene
which had been developed so that washing-up bowl as standard. You have
travelling salesmen’s jackets didn’t crease a right to know.
or bend when hung in their Ford Consuls,
migrated into sail cloth. The development LISTEN ONLINE
of non-breathing nylon, invented for
encyclopaedia salesmen’s shirts, was Hear Dave Selby’s podcasts on
funded by the male-grooming industry the PBO website www.pbo.co.uk
which simultaneously produced the most
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
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 Sam Llewellyn
Flotsam and jetsam
Ascent of Man
Forget your Silicon Valley, steam railway or the
wheel – it was boatbuilding and the humble
hammer that kickstarted technology
B
ack in the beginning was
the hammer. It was a bit of
stick to which a lump of stone
had been lashed with animal
sinews. Stone Age Man used it
to knock down trees. Then he used it to
conk animals on the head, and collect
more sinews, which he employed to bind
the trees together. He then dragged the
whole lot into the sea and set off on slow
and perilous voyages of discovery.
After a while he realised that if you
knocked some chips off the stone end of
the hammer it could be persuaded to cut
things, and become an axe.
This spelled an end to the often
unsuccessful process of felling mighty
oaks by hitting their trunks hard, and led
to the discovery that if you made the front
end of the trunks pointed, it helped them
travel through the water.
The sky’s the limit
Discovery now speeded up. The pressure
on wildlife caused by the increased
demand for sinews led to the invention of
string. But string tended to rot, so someone
discovered that if you found a knothole in
the wood and banged in a stick to connect
it with another knothole, you had
something called a trenail. But the odds
against two knotholes aligning were
Swede Olaus Magnus’s 1555 depiction of boats being built
using tree roots, sinews, an axe and – no doubt – a hammer
16
Sam Llewellyn is editor of The Marine Quarterly,
www.marinequarterly.com, and author of nautical thrillers.
Three years ago he bought a Corribee on eBay
steel on the Clyde, and GRP everywhere.
Finally, at the pinnacle of boatbuilding
evolution, PBO arrived on the scene.
A month ago, inspired by the advice in
the richly informative pages of this organ,
I added to the personal fleet an ancient
plastic ketch we found slumped under
brambles in the corner of a boatyard.
Hauling five toolboxes and an inverter on
board, we commenced restoration.
We are doing nicely so far. For the
engine there is a variety of spanners,
depressingly long. So someone chipped socket, ring, adjustable, and tube. We
the hammer to a point, and rotated it are using many stainless screws, and
instead of banging it, and bingo, a drill. we drill holes for them with something
The sky was now just about the limit. electric, and screw in the screws with
Large boats came into being, built from something else electric, in a manner that
planks riven by a kind of sharp hammer would have astonished the cog builders
without a handle called a wedge, and of Stettin, let alone the sinew-binders of
smoothed by axes with blades rotated the Stone Hammer age.
through ninety degrees, called adzes. The carpentry will be largely power-
No longer did you have to sit on a raft assisted. When it comes to paint and
made of tree trunks varnish, we will be
and gristle, feeling using electric
that you perhaps Gadgetry became ever sanders –
looked less more ingenious. Tool disc, belt and detail
impressive than – and keeping the
you felt. Now you development pushed boat dust out of our
could sail the two
seas in something
development and vice versa lungs with a rich
variety of
relatively sleek. medically-
Further tools evolved, and with them approved masks and respirators.
discovery, increasing the number of seas We will apply the various gunks with
to seven. With new tools came new kinds rollers, foam brushes, regular brushes,
of boat – Viking double enders, tubby sprayers and forced labour.
cogs, the cod’s-head-and-mackerel-tailed Rig tension? There is a meter for that,
flyers built by Matthew Baker for Francis and for just about everything else. The
Drake and his heavy friends. toolboxes, in short, contain a state-of-the-
Iron nails proliferated, so hammers art DIY inventory, and every single item in
survived; but gadgetry became ever more them is used.
ingenious. Tool development pushed boat
development and vice versa. And before Frontier mentality
you could say draw-knife, here came We are pushing some tool frontiers of our
William Fife and other poets in timber, and own. There is the domestic ladder we put
up to the mizzen jumper struts when it
was time to reconnect the triatic, and the
dodgy mainsail on which we recline for
the after-lunch snooze.
Apart from this fine tuning, though, the
restoration represents the apex of boat
tool history. We have risen far beyond
primitive implements such as hammers...
What do you mean, the propeller won’t
go round? There’s a rope cutter? Which is
seized? Jam some grease into the grease
nipple. No good? Blowlamp, then. Heat
gun. WD40. Still no good? Big Stilsons?
Puller? Whaddayamean, hammer? All
right, all right. I think there’s one down at
the bottom of the box. Give it a welt. There
it goes!
Like I said. In the beginning was
the hammer.
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
 AUTOMATIC
FEATHERING
PROPELLERS

5
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 Andrew Simpson
Monthly musings
Even racing yachts can struggle to
make way when breeze is lacking
The rough
or the smooth?
Battered or becalmed... a complete lack of
weather can be just as bad as too much
A
sk most cruising sailors
what their most challenging
experience has been and
they’re likely to describe a
brush with ugly weather:
“Struggling to claw our way around
Portland Bill against a westerly six and
a foul tide.” You know the sort of tale;
dramatic in content and designed to
elicit both awe and sympathy from the
audience – particularly non-sailors.
And, yes, of course we have all probably
experienced it. There are few cruising
sailors that haven’t confronted such
challenges – sometimes capitulating and
slipping into some cosy anchorage, there
to wait for better times.
This is the heroic stuff, of course. But
sometimes quite the opposite conditions
can pose frustrating challenges. Yes,
robust weather can make for bruising
passages but I’ve come to believe that the
absence of wind can be worse. Back in
1978, in company with friends Bruce and
Martha, Chele and I were delivering
Vaquero, Chele’s somewhat elderly Cal
18
Yacht surveyor and designer Andrew Simpson cruises
with his wife Chele in his own-design 11.9m (39ft) yacht
Shindig. Read his blog at www.offshore-sailor.com
The voyage started encouragingly. We
departed Galveston and for the first
couple of days threaded our way through
the inevitable shrimp boats and oil rigs,
there to sail into what was to develop into
a persistent calm. It took 12 days to reach
Key West; tantalised by the occasional
puff that would gain us a few miles.
In our search for wind we courted every
cloud or rainstorm that might have some
under it. We were conscious of the anxiety
that must be rising among friends and
family back in Texas, not least my mother
who was to bring the children out to us.
Given a competent crew and a sprightly
boat, the expectation was that the Gulf
crossing would take no more than a week!
Just over a decade later found us in the
Mediterranean – more specifically in
Mallorca participating in a Classic Boat
Rally, one of the features of which
included a race around Palma Bay. We
were crewing with the owner aboard his
Laurent-Giles designed cutter Fairlight,
built in 1938. We made a poor start but, in
very light conditions, we managed to claw
our way through the fleet only to have the
race officially abandoned as the sea
subsided from a light chop to mirror glass.
Light winds are great levellers.
The photo here is of Poole Bay, shortly
after the start of a race. The boat in the
foreground is Hope and Glory, a 50-foot
Ron Holland design and certainly no
slouch around the cans. With very little
energy to be harvested from such tranquil
conditions her size and weight are a
40, from Texas to the Leeward Islands. handicap, calling on great skill to wring
Designed by Bill Lapworth in the early whatever propulsion could be gained.
1960s, with a keen eye towards You’ve probably observed that there’s a
performance, we couldn’t have asked for total of five boats in the shot. Note further
a more suitable boat for the passage. that although Hope and Glory’s spinnaker
Except that is for a couple of minor flaws: isn’t drawing as lustily as it might, it’s
the sails were tired beyond redemption doing rather better than the others and
and the four-cylinder petrol engine had there’s even a feeble wake.
convinced itself that it was unseemly It’s my belief that the greatest and most
to run for more intriguing crew
than a few Robust weather can make for challenges arise
minutes before when the wind is
overheating. bruising passages – but the light – not when
We opted for a absence of wind can be worse there’s an excess
simple passage of it. Yet you
strategy. It was late October – the tail end rarely hear tales of how people cope with
of the hurricane season with the paucity rather than plenty. I once met a
meteorological risks reducing. The pilot man who in decreasing strengths had
chart for that month indicated prevailing spent 60-odd days (he’d lost count!)
easterly and north-easterly winds of no sailing a 20-odd-footer from Bermuda to
great hostility, and the dodgy engine was the Azores. With food and water having
a powerful discouragement from marina run out, he survived by eating the goose
hopping around the coast. We therefore barnacles encrusting his hull.
decided to sail directly from Galveston to I’m not entirely sure about the wisdom of
The Florida Keys – nearly 800NM in a his decision but it beats my own wind-
generally south-easterly direction. starved whingeing into a cocked hat.
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
 BOATS
A French
revolution
Peter K Poland rates some of the 34-36ft yachts made since the
1980s by Beneteau and Jeanneau Ð two of the Ôbig fourÕ manufacturers
Y
achts between 34ft and 36ft
have long been popular with
cruising and racing sailors
alike. Many production boats
of this size achieve a magic
mix, combining ample space and comfort
for family cruising, ease of single- or
short-handed sailing and the ability to go
offshore in comfort with moderate
purchase and running costs.
Those who also want ‘big boat sailing’
often charter a 40- to 50-footer once a
year, letting someone else pay to moor it,
maintain it and pick up the big bills.
In the old days, 34- to 36-footers were
thought of as large yachts. However, as
British brands Westerly, Snapdragon,
Macwester, Sadler, Moody and others
prospered in the 1970s and 1980s, boats
of this size became commonplace. They
were the builders’ bread and butter, selling
by the hundreds. Then the French, German
and Scandinavian yards expanded,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter K Poland crossed the
Atlantic in a 7.6m (25ft) Wind
Elf in 1968 and later spent
30 years as co-owner
of Hunter Boats. He
is now a freelance
journalist and
PR consultant
20
competition hotted up and – slowly and
sadly – the British builders fell by the
wayside. The modern volume production
methods of their continental competitors
left them wallowing in their wake.
These builders – both British and
continental – featured in earlier articles in
this series on 34- to 36-footers. However,
there were four deliberate and major
omissions – Bavaria, Beneteau, Hanse and
Jeanneau. Why? Because these four
builders have outlived most volume
production competitors – making major
contributions to the demise of many in the
process – and dominate the market. The
‘big four’s’ relentless expansion and drive
towards ever-bigger yachts has taken them
to 60-footers and beyond. The times they
are a’changing.
So, anyone looking for a brand-new 34-
to 36-footer has little choice but to
investigate these brands – unless their
funds stretch to a more expensive yacht
from a smaller yard. Indeed, a 34-footer
from one of the ‘big four’ now tends to be
near the bottom of the range, qualifying as
a ‘starter boat’.
Immediate success
Beneteau’s first model of this size – the
Berret-designed First 35 – hit the market
in 1980 and was an immediate success.
Over 450 were built. Like many cruisers
of its generation, it evolved from an IOR
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
racer – in this case a ¾-Tonner. With fine
ends and a beam of 3.7m (12ft 2in) situated
amidships, good windward performance is
assured. The forepeak is used for stowage
with the heads compartment immediately
aft. The saloon features settee berths and
an outboard pilot berth (to port) while a
galley and forward-facing chart table live
by the companionway. Two separate and
enclosed quarter berths (‘friendly doubles’
at a pinch) lurk under the cockpit.
Again typical of the era, the masthead rig
features a small main and a large genoa.
The slender IOR keel gives a draught of 6ft
3in and a healthy ballast ratio (by modern
standards) of 46%, while a DLR of 195 and
SA/displacement ratio of 18.6 indicate
good performance.
The First 35 is still an attractive package,
promising fast cruising and club racing
potential at a budget price. However, a luff
insert in the genoa is needed to retain a
good shape when reefed. The 35 is a
prime example of how an IOR-influenced
design still has a lot going for it.
Furthermore, many regard it as easier on
the eye than today’s bulky and stubby-
ended offerings.
The larger First 375 development of
1985 – also by Berret – has a more
contemporary layout down below, a higher
DLR of 208, a lower ballast ratio of 31.88%,
and is equally pretty.
The same can be said of Berret’s

Sailing Scenes
Jeanneau Sun
Odyssey 36i
First 345 (DLR 182, Ballast Ratio 45%),
of which 460 were built.
If you can find one, the cruisier 1983
Idylle 1150 shares the First 35’s hull but
has a longer, shallower keel and a more
luxurious interior. It gains a twin-berth
forecabin and a larger double stern cabin,
and the heads moves aft. It’s an elegant
yacht with a lot to offer.
The slightly smaller Idylle 1050 (from
1985), designed by André Beneteau, has a
similar character and ‘look’. Not many
Idylles were imported, but these models
have a definite appeal.
Equally rare is the Briand-designed 1990
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
34-36FT YACHTS
Evasion 36 (34ft 9in). This handsome
cruiser offers a deckhouse layout complete
with an extra helming position located in
the saloon with superb all-round visibility.
Different character
As the 1990s loomed, the Firsts began to
take on a different character. The
appearance of the Océanis range had led
to a clearer delineation between cruisers
and racers, so the Firsts became a bit more
‘racey’. The 1988 First 35S5 is a good
example. Complete with its unorthodox
Philippe Starck styling, this Berret design
has a very different look – both inside and
out. The wrap-over windows, sculpted
stern platform and ‘winglets’ on the keel
options make it stand out from the crowd
while its boldly styled interior follows the
now predictable norm of aft heads
compartment and double stern cabin. They
Sailing Scenes
built 430, proving that this ‘new look’
appealed to many.
The 1993 First 35S7 (34ft 7in) took the
next step into contemporary yacht design
Beneteau First 35
by adding a bulb to the keel and carrying
its substantial 12ft 6in beam well aft. So the winglets. A DLR of 181, SA/disp ratio of 16
boat offers twin double-berth aft cabins. and ballast ratio of 32% suggest steady
With its CG-lowering bulb on keel, the DLR rather than supercharged performance.
is 173 and the ballast ratio 32%. Then the Océanis models are designed for
slightly larger 1996 First 36S7 took these maximum cruising comfort – not for racing –
trends a little further. Slowly but surely, the so the generous beam (12ft 5in) and long
Firsts were changing. roof offer space galore. Different versions
By the time the 2000 Bruce Farr-designed are available with one or two stern cabins
First 36.7 arrived, the slender bulbed keel and heads compartments. The longitudinal
had got even deeper while the SA/disp galley (to port) has ample stowage and all
mod cons while the L-shaped settee
(starboard) wraps around a large table.
Beneteau First 375
The generations of Berret Océanis
cruisers that followed evolved in style but
shared similar qualities. The 351 (34ft 9in;
1994), 352 (35ft; 1997), 361 (36ft 5in;
2000), 343 (35ft 5in; 2005) come with
many options and are all capable and
comfortable. Those who like a centre
cockpit and a spacious stern cabin
should also consider the 36CC (1998). It
shares the First 36S7 hull so it sails faster
than its looks might suggest. It could
make a great ‘liveaboard’ yacht.
Dramatic changes
Sailing Scenes
In 2008, Beneteau switched to Finot-Conq
for the smaller Océanis designs and to
Nauta for their interiors. The resulting
changes were dramatic.
ratio rose to 19.28 and the ballast ratio The 2008 Oceanis 34 (33ft 11in) has a
went down to 29%. Then Farr’s 2008 First heavily bulbed keel, small-overlap genoa,
35.2 went racier still, putting a large outboard-mounted chainplates, short
T-shaped torpedo at the base of the keel. overhangs and 12ft beam carried well aft.
In the meantime, the Océanis cruising American Cruising World magazine’s panel
brand was building up a head of steam. of readers voted it ‘Best Value Boat 2009’.
Popular with charter operators and private In 15-25 knots of wind on the test day, CW
buyers alike, these models outsell the wrote: ‘This affordable performance
sportier Firsts. The Briand-designed cruiser is a blast to sail, with details often
Océanis 430 (43ft) and 350 (33ft 10in) lacking on more expensive boats.’
launched the range in 1986 while the 1990 Then – following on from their award-
Océanis 370 (35ft 8in) was the first in the winning 2013 Oceanis 38 – Finot-Conq and
popular 34 to 36ft size band. Nauta introduced more major new features
Unlike a First, this model offers a long fin that are now shared by the rest of the
keel or a shallower option with CG-lowering range, including the new 35ft Océanis. Twin
21
 boats
The dark-hulled Beneteau
Océanis 361 Wave Whisperer
Jeanneau Sun Fast 35
taking part in this year’s Round
the Island Race
Sailing Scenes

rudders and wheels, wide beam,
mainsheet arch, chined hull, heavily bulbed
keel and near-vertical bow and stern add
up to a striking new look. Different interior
layouts also offer the buyer a wide choice.
American Sail magazine wrote: ‘Sailing
on Chesapeake Bay in 15-20 knots true
wind with apparent gusts to 35, we hit a top
speed of 7 knots sailing on a close reach to
a beam reach with a partially furled
mainsail. We maintained 6.8 knots
close-hauled at a 40° apparent wind angle,
and when we pinched to 35° our speed
dropped to 5.4 knots.
‘The helm was extremely stable, thanks to
the twin rudders... Thanks to the
pronounced hull chine, form stability was
excellent, and even in the robust conditions
we experienced, heeling was moderate.’
help and advice provided by UK dealer
Ancasta has been terrific – replacing thin jib
sheets and rectifying minor blemishes to
saloon table and boom.’
Spacious and airy
Sister-company Jeanneau was acquired by
Beneteau in 1995, having traded since
1956. With the exception of the famous Gin
Fizz 37 and Sun Fizz 40, it majored on
smaller yachts until the Espace 1000 (34ft
11in) appeared in 1980. This spacious
Briand-designed deck saloon cruiser (with
cockpit and internal steering positions for
all-weather sailing) comes with a lifting or
fin keel. A DLR of 237 suggests
comfortable cruising performance,
confirmed by Bob Mullins, whose Espace
has been in his family
since 1983.
Sailing Scenes

A perfect fit He says she ‘sails well

Don MacKenzie bought his Océanis 35.1
(34ft 3in, including sprit) at the 2016
Southampton Boat Show, and told me:
‘We bought it because we were retiring
from our dental practice and had funds to
upgrade from our previous boat – a
MacGregor 26 power-sailer. Quite a jump!
‘We wanted a boat to satisfy specific
requirements, which were: under 10.5m
length to fit on the mooring, three cabins
so we could take the family, a lifting keel for
Solent anchorages, in-mast reefing, a bow
thruster and power winch. Realising we
wouldn’t find all this on a second-hand
boat, we splashed out on a new one.’
Don enjoys the boat’s spaciousness.
‘For 35ft, the accommodation is
spectacular. All the berths are large and
comfortable, including the forepeak, which
has room for me – 6ft 3in – to lie full stretch.
And the quality of workmanship and level
of finish are exceptional.
‘Generally, we are thrilled with this boat.
The quality of the build has been remarked
on by everybody, as has the level of quality
fittings. Due to the wide beam, the amount
of space below is fantastic with a greater
sense of space than in older boats of this
length. She is easy to handle despite being
very beamy, although I suspect close-
quarter manoeuvring would be challenging
without the bow thruster, because with twin
rudders there’s no prop wash.
‘In addition, the level of pre-and post-sale
for a motor-sailer. I have
replaced the original
mainsail and will soon
take delivery of a new
furling genoa. I’m
expecting the previous
100° tacking angle to
improve [which it will!].
Off the wind, she is
good.’
Bob adds: ‘The
accommodation is
spacious and airy with
lots of windows and light.
When we’re entertaining
people have been
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349
impressed by how wide
the saloon is. Not having two aft cabins
means that the saloon isn’t so far forward.
This also allows for two huge cockpit
lockers, so storage isn’t a problem.’
He also loves the deck saloon, saying:
‘The inside steering position is wonderful
for Scottish sailing weather’.
Of course, the boat’s getting on now, and
Bob says: ‘The foam-backed lining has
crumbled and is part replaced. There has
been a leak where the babystay goes
through the foredeck that caused water
damage/rot in the forward bulkhead where
the tang is secured. This was replaced.’
All the same, not a lot of grief for a
37-year-old boat.
In 1982, Jeanneau followed Beneteau’s
fashion of basing cruisers
on top race boats. The
Sun Shine 36 (36ft 5in)
stems from a Tony Castro
One Tonner and is a good
all-rounder. Its DLR of 183,
SA/disp ratio of 18.8,
ballast ratio of 41% and
fine ends give excellent
performance – yet there’s
enough space aft to fit in
two stern cabins.
Generous galley and
navigation area, saloon
settees and pilot berths, a
forward heads and forepeak berth
complete the picture. It’s a great seagoing
layout and – combined with the 36’s
performance and elegant looks – makes
this boat an attractive package. More than
700 were sold, and French magazine
Bateaux summed it up by saying it is ‘one
of the best performing and most enjoyable
of its type; recommended to those keen on
a lively sailing boat rather than to those
looking for a placid cruiser’.
Sailing reputation
The 1984 Fauroux-designed Sun Shine 34
(34ft 6in) was an equally successful
IOR-derived cruiser: well over 600 were
sold in less than six years. One was even

22 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk


sailed solo around the world by
Frenchman Alain Maignan. Available with
a fin or centreplate keel, the Sun Shine
has an excellent sailing reputation, and –
like most Jeanneaus of this era – the
wood finish below gives a relaxing feel to
its ‘aft heads plus stern cabin’ layout.
Definitely one to consider.
The 1988 Andrieu-designed Sun Dance
36 followed on. It differs from the earlier
Sun Shine 36, offering twin stern cabins
and aft heads compartments and a large
U-shaped settee facing a linear galley to
port. Its 27hp Yanmar provides adequate
power under engine while its ballast ratio of
34% follows the downward trend.
Then in 1990 it was renamed the Sun
Odyssey 36 as Jeanneau introduced a new
‘Twin Range’ marketing policy.
While Beneteau introduced its
Océanis range of pure cruisers later
than its sporty Firsts, Jeanneau did
the opposite by introducing its Sun
Fast range later than its cruisers.
The 1994 Sun Fast 36
(perversely, a smidge over 37ft
LOA) was the first ‘36-footer’ in the
range. Designed by Briand, this
handsome cruiser-racer has two-
and three-cabin options, a tasteful
interior plus a shoal or deep draught
bulbed keel to lower the CG. Beneteau OcŽanis 35
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
Michael Thomsen keeps his SF36 in
Flensburg, and says: ‘Being an active sailor
with a not-so-active wife and twin girls aged
six, I was in the market for a boat that
provided some comfort below decks while
at the same time offering at least club
racing capabilities. Also, the boat had to be
seaworthy enough for a single-handed
Atlantic crossing – a plan for the future.
‘She’s solid, fast, reliable, comfortable
and has excellent cockpit ergonomics
suitable for short-handed sailing. Although
more than 20 years old, she still looks hot.
She’s excellent value for money as even
her standard spec is very comprehensive
and the build quality is superb!
‘OK, the interior maybe is not as fine-lined
as a Hallberg or Comfortina – but after 20
34-36ft yachts
Sailing Scenes
years flying a rod rig with quite high tension
there is no flexing in the hull and no soft
spots in her sandwich deck. You have a
very solid yet fast boat: a cruiser/racer in
the truest sense.’
Sprightly performance
Marc Lombard (another famous race boat
designer) came up with the smaller but
similar Sun Fast 35 (35ft 3in) in 2004.
With wide beam (11ft 9in), a DLR of 167,
SA/disp ratio of 17.36, bulb keel and
ballast ratio of 26%, the 35 offers an
excellent mix of a comfortable teak-
trimmed interior (two or three cabins) and
sprightly performance. In short, ideal for
the owner looking for stimulating sailing in
a boat capable of performing well in club
races and coastal cruising.
For those looking for a more
cruisey alternative, the Sun
Odyssey 35 shares similar lines but
also offers a lift keel and twin
rudder option. Andy Cox bought a
2006 SO35 in 2016, telling me he
went for the lifting-keeler because
‘for the type of sailing we do, based
in Chichester Harbour, a lift keel
with the option of drying out –
thanks to the twin rudders – is what
it’s all about. They sail OK and can
dry out at the end of the beer
23
 boats
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey
garden in places like Tuckenhay on the
River Dart and Wareham in Poole harbour!’
When I asked what appealed most, Andy
replied: ‘Overall looks – friends comment
on how nice she looks down below –
reasonable build quality and simplicity of
use at an affordable price.
‘She won’t win any races, but she was
not bought for that.
‘We have the two-cabin “Owner” version
but started out looking at the three-cabin
version. However, the extra stowage
offered by the lazarette, accessed through
the shower, and the inclusion of a
reasonably large hanging locker in the
cabin swayed us away from the extra
accommodation on offer.
Built to a price
‘I’d love a Southerly, but one of a similar
age and length would be twice the price
– though to be fair the Jeanneau is
deliberately built to a price to make it
affordable for many more people, not to a
premium specification.’
And what about performance and
handling with twin rudders and shoal keel?
Andy said: ‘We took her round the Channel
Islands by way of a shakedown cruise this
summer, and she performed well’. He’s
nows planning a 2018 cruise to the Med via
the canals, returning via the Bay of Biscay.
‘As long as you reef early there is no
problem. She does not point as well as a
fin- or long-keeler, but the compromise is
fine for non-racers like us. Coming from our
old boat – a Jouet 760 which was also a lift
keel, and thoroughly recommended as a
pocket cruiser – she seems so solid in a
blow. We think we’re spoilt in comparison!
‘Close-quarters handling in marinas in a
blow, though, does perhaps require more
planning and thought than a boat with a
rudder in-line with the prop’.
On the maintenance front, Andy found
that the disintegration of a small
component meant replacing the keel lifting
mechanism, and a faulty heat exchanger
on the Yanmar 3YM30 had to be swapped.
His succinct conclusion sums up
modern boat buying well: ‘There are
things on the boat we don’t like, but you
are going to have to compromise on a
mass-produced boat at this price point.
Conversely there are things that we love,
like the large shower compartment and
the sliding, decent-sized chart table. I am
24
Sailing Scenes
old school, so it gets used a lot!
‘The big deal for us is that she’s 10.7m
long and draws less than a metre... which
is of course why we bought her!’
Sleek and capable
The 2008 Lombard-designed Sun
Odyssey 36i has also been a success.
With a bulbed keel (deep or shoal), it has a
DLR of 166 and ballast ratio of 27.5%.
Its beam of 11ft 9in is carried well aft,
and there’s space for one or two stern
cabins and a comfortable accommodation
layout. It’s a sleek-looking and capable
modern cruiser.
Marcus North bought his new shoal-
draught 36i in 2009 because he
‘particularly liked the layout below and the
large heads with separate shower: we use
the boat for holiday and weekend
accommodation as well as sailing it.
‘The boat also sails very well, and is
easily managed by myself and my wife:
90% or more of the sailing we do is just the
two of us. The worst we’ve encountered is
a Force 8, and it handled it very well.’
Any niggles? Marcus said on his version
the access to the large cockpit locker is via
a door in the shower, so the deflated
dinghy won’t get through – and the water
tank position in the forepeak prevents
installing a bow thruster.
‘But overall I’ve been very happy with my
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i and have no
plans to change it for another boat.’
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
The Sun Fast 36 is one of
the prettiest and fastest
Jeanneaus built. And the
accommodation is excellent
Graham Snook
David Kramer sails his shoal-draught SO36i
in the USA, and told me he did the famous
Baja Ha-Ha this year.
‘It’s a two-week cruiser rally from San
Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; about
900NM in each direction,’ he said. ‘The
weather was a little rough at times, but the
boat handled it all beautifully.’
His few niggles include ‘poor-quality
seacocks that many owners have replaced,
a gap at the top of the rudder that catches
kelp, and poor insulation around the fridge
and compressor [that he has rectified].’
And his conclusion? ‘I’ve learned to reef
my shoal-draught boat early and sail it
within its capabilities. In turn it treats us
well and the performance is fine on most
points of sail. I wouldn’t race it, for many
reasons; one of which is that it doesn’t
point well because it’s shoal-draught. On
the whole, we love our boat. It continues
to give us great pleasure.’
Last but not least, if you’re in the market
for a brand-new Jeanneau, the Sun
Odyssey 349 should be on your list. It
may be a smidge less than 34ft LOA, but its
contemporary design provides the space of
a far larger yacht: and with over 600 sold in
less than four years, it’s a runaway success.
And what about the Germans? After all,
the main competition for Beneteau and
Jeanneau now comes from Bavaria and
Hanse. Over the years they too have
produced fleets of fine 34- to 36-footers.
But more on these next time.
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 practical

Installing Step
by

NASA Clipper step

instruments
Tony Davies installs
depth, speed and
compass instruments

T
he depth sounder and speed
log are two of the most
fundamental instruments
that any boat with seagoing
pretensions should have.
They’re not difficult to install providing
care is taken and it’s remembered that at
least one of them will require making a
hole in the bottom of the boat – not
something that’s to be undertaken lightly!
The NASA Clipper range is equal in
appearance to anything on the market Time Taken: 2 Days
and with extremely competitive prices. Skill Level: Intermediate –
And a phone call to the company will you’ll need the confidence to
always result in a conversation with a make a hole in the boat!
human being – something that is
Tools Required: drill, bits, hole saw,
becoming increasingly rare.
jigsaw, screwdrivers, hammer,
Here we’re fitting depth, speed and
wire cutter, crimp tool.
compass instruments to a classic Coronet
21 motorboat, which had never been fitted Prices:
with permanently-installed depth and Clipper Compass: £194.76
speed instruments before as had it spent Clipper Depth: £139.96
much of its life on a river. It was an ideal Clipper Log: £139.96
candidate for an instrumental make-over
including the Clipper electronic compass!

Mounting the instruments

W
hile every installation is The helm Above the
different – and this one is
1 position in
2 engine
possibly more involved than standard trim instruments
many – it nevertheless gives a good – you can see seemed the
indication of the points to consider. the navigational most obvious
A back-up is always a good idea, magnetic place for the
so when we removed the existing compass on the new displays.
magnetic compass we re-mounted cabin top above But on second
it on the other side of the cockpit. the console. thoughts...

... they With the Mounting

3 were
4 position
5 brackets
maybe too finalised the were removed
close to the next step was to from the back so
helm. Further design and the instruments
forward on the make a simple could be set
cabin top was a plywood out on the panel
much better console to to decide the
option. mount them in. best layout.

26 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 installing nasa clipper instruments

The width
6 of the
Fitting the
transducers
mounting Warning:
apertures was
next carefully do not cut or shorten
marked onto any transducer cables
the front panel. unless the instructions
specifically say you
can do so!

Time for the old magnetic compass The distance between the instruments was decided and the apertures marked and
7 to beat a hasty retreat to make way
8 cut out with a jigsaw. When the instruments were temporarily positioned it became
for the new console. obvious the panel was far longer than necessary and would need shortening

With side panels of our ‘on the fly’
9 design fitted, the pod could be
offered up to work out the optimum
position and angle on the cabin top.
Properly cut to size, the whole thing
10 could then be glued and screwed
together. With glue dry it was sanded to
remove the rough edges.
After a coat of Burgess Wood Sealer
11 to seal the ply, it was covered in
white vinyl leather-cloth stapled on to
match the rest of the instrument panel.

NASA recommends testing before
12 fitting so a temporary connection
was made to ensure the instruments were
working as they should.
The rubber seals could now be fitted
13 into the recesses on the rear of the
instrument housings where they’d sit
against the new console.
Due to the compact nature of our
14 new console the stainless steel fixing
brackets had to be modified by shortening
and reforming the bends.

Secured finger tight by wing nuts,
15 basic connections were made for
sounder and compass warning buzzers.
The neat-looking console was then The standard echo sounder
16 placed in position ready for the final
17 transducer was to be connected
connections to be made. first. See below for tips on where to site it.

WHErE TO SiTE a TranSDUCEr a suitable position in the bilges must consider the instrument performance as well as
running of the wiring. it’s always best to position transducers well aft, especially on fast boats where the bow has a tendency
to leave the water regularly. the area must also be clear of obstructions such as keels that can disturb water flow. ➜

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 27

 practical

Echo sounder and speed log transducers

E
cho sounder transducers can be fitted in different ways. Best performance is Find a
with through-hull mounting but this obviously involves drilling a hole in the
1 suitably clear
hull. With a speed log impeller you’ve no option but to do this. area under the
Another sounder choice is to glue in a plastic tube which is filled with castor oil and hull and measure
the transducer fitted with its face in the oil. There’s no hull hole and the transducer its position inside.
is easily removed, but oil can seep through an imperfect bond and there’s a loss of Abrade the area
signal strength through the fabric of the hull (though for most this is rarely an issue). with glass paper
The most common method nowadays is to stick the transducer directly to the and wash with
inside of the hull using car body filler. Again, there’s no hole in the hull but there acetone to ensure
is the same loss of performance and it is difficult to remove the transducer. a good bond.

I don’t like to rely just on body filler
2 to secure the transducer so I made a
simple ply bracket to hold the top end.
The transducer and bracket was Fixing holes were drilled into the
3 then offered up and the bracket’s
4 stringer so the bracket could be
position marked on the adjacent stringer. screwed into place accurately when ready.

The body
5 filler was
mixed up
according to
the maker’s
instructions
and a large
dollop was
trowelled onto
the abraded Body filler can start to harden fairly The transducer was slipped into the
and cleaned
6 quickly, so without hanging about
7 bracket and the face properly
spot in the the bracket (previously coated with wood immersed into the filler with a twisting
bilge. sealer) was screwed into place. motion to help expel air bubbles.

Having
10 checked
under the hull that
the pilot hole was
indeed in the right
place, a hole saw
of appropriate
diameter was used.
Dust was then
As the filler began to cure I tidied it Having double-checked the position vacuumed out and
8 up using a spatula to scrape off the
9 of the speed log paddle wheel the area cleaned
excess. I then left it alone to fully cure. transducer, a pilot hole could be drilled. with acetone.

A generous bead of silicone sealer
11 was applied around the flange of the
exterior fitting.
A similarly generous bead was also The fitting is placed through the hull
12 run into the groove of the interior
13 from the outside, the nut is run down
securing nut. the thread and then gently tightened.

28 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 installing nasa clipper instruments

Belt and braces, compass and wiring up

NASA recommends strengthening the speed transducer installation by also glassing it into position, the reckoning being that if
the outer flange is torn off through a grounding or any other reason then the inner section will remain in place and watertight. It’s
not essential to do this – but seems very sensible.

Temporarily
1 fit the paddle
wheel assembly,
note how far down
the thread the nut
goes, then remove
and mask off more
than enough
thread to ensure
it’s kept clean
while you’re Cut thin strips of glass cloth then wet
glassing in the
2 them out by stippling resin into them
lower section. until the glass appears semi-translucent.

Wet out the area around the fitting,
3 avoiding the masking but ensuring
you cover the lower part of the tube.
The strips of saturated cloth are now Stipple to remove air from the glass
4 wrapped around the fitting, again
5 cloth as it is built up. I used two
keeping clear of the masked area. layers of bi-axial cloth for this job.

For the
7 compass
sensor a simple
ply shelf was
bonded into a
magnet-free
area beneath
the port bunk.
There’s plenty
of adjustment
Having some resin left over it on the sensor The wiring between the instruments,
6 seemed sensible to repeat the for final
8 transducers and power supply could
process with the echo sounder transducer. alignment later. now be run through the boat.

The final connections can now be
9 made to the back of the console unit
before it’s secured in place.
A single feed was used for all the Power was switched on and
10 instruments in the console as the
11 everything worked correctly. We even
power draw is very low. managed to get up to 16 knots in the shed!

A log and echo sounder are essential on a cruising boat and an electronic compass with all its benefits an added bonus. The
NASA Clipper range will do everything that’s required and shouldn’t break the bank either. Installation is pretty easy and if you
have spare space on your existing instrument panel and don’t have to make a new console the job can be fairly quick.

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 29

 cruising
sail training on a
Thames Barge
Sam Llewellyn goes aboard Thames Barge Reminder to see how
sailing the old-fashioned way can change people's lives back on land
W
e do most of our sailing in
the great unpeopled sea
reaches of the West Coast of
Scotland, so we tend to
approach Essex weighed down with
telly-led preconceptions of girls with rococo
nail jobs and lads on the run from the law
after a little contretemps with a cash
machine, a roundabout and some pills.
So the town of Maldon comes as a bit of
a shock. There is a charming High Street
crowded with jettied buildings. Down the
hill past the deeply eccentric church tower
are Hythe Quay, the River Chelmer and a
30
crowd of curlews. And alongside Hythe
Quay lie the barges, gigantic, tied up two
and three deep.
These are not boring old Dutch barges,
with wheelhouses and the skipper’s
Daihatsu on davits on the after deck.
These are proper spritsail barges, around
100ft long, displacing some 100 tons,
crammed together in the muddy creek like
whale-sized sardines in a gigantic tin.
Their masts and sprits scratch the
drifting Essex clouds. They have beautiful
champagne-glass sterns, names in gold:
Kitty, Xylonite, Hydrogen, and (our target
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
for today) Reminder.
Once, Thames barges were the heavy
lorries of the East Coast. These days they
survive through chartering. Reminder is no
exception; but this is a charter with a
difference. Adult cash customers sail her
at weekends. On weekdays she is on
charter to the Sea-Change Sailing Trust,
brainchild of the lifelong sailor and (since
1994) full-time bargeman Richard
Titchener and his partner, Hilary Halajko.
It is the top of the tide, and time to get
Reminder down the creek and out into the
Blackwater. The barge ahead sets off, a

Thames sailing barge
Reminder heads out
into the Blackwater
rather constrained group round her wheel
(MCA surveyor on board, says Richard
out of the side of his mouth). Yachty
smarm is not in evidence. The engines of
the barges on the outside of the raft fart
diesel smoke, and the great beasts slide
into the middle of the creek and hang
there, waiting for us to go.
Setting sail
Reminder is sailing off her berth. We are
up by the mast, letting go brails – on a
barge, the mainsail is not hoisted and
lowered, but brailed against the huge steel
mast with top, lower and main brails. The
breeze is blowing down the creek, straight
out to sea.
We let out a fat russet bag of mainsail,
keeping some turns on the main brail’s
winch, because it is holding a sail that
looks roughly the size of a tennis court
and the pressure is mighty.
She starts, she moves, she seems to feel
the thrill of life along her keel. The
helmsperson passes the fat spokes
through her hands. We are moving. The
quay slides by, and the mutter of the other
barge engines fades as the huge hulls
settle back into their berths.
The Sea-Change Sailing Trust takes
parties of people, many suffering from social
isolation or various kinds of exclusion, for
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
Sail training on a thameS barge
Hydrogen, one of the Thames barges based at Maldon
week-long sailing trips in the barging
waters of the East Coast, the intricate
network of rivers and creeks, banks and
swales between Suffolk and Kent.
The Trust works with children and
adults – everyone from eight-year-olds
from St Joseph’s College in Ipswich
through to an older generation with
Dementia Adventure, a charity dedicated
to improving the quality of life of people
with dementia. The success stories are
as heartwarming as they are remarkable.
There are four teenage crew on this trip,
It’s no picnic... teenage crew are expected
to get stuck in aboard Reminder
Hilary explains the
anchor windlass to one
of the novice crew
together with Richard the skipper, Hilary
the mate, and Jack the third hand. With
bigger groups they run a watch system,
ensuring that everyone gets an
opportunity to learn every job and nobody
ends up doing either only popular or
unpopular work. In their heyday, barges
were sailed by a man and a boy (or
according to Hilary a man and a woman –
partners, like her and Richard, in life as
well as work).
Many trainees started coming as part of
a group and return as individuals,
financed, if they cannot afford the fees
themselves, by bursaries from the charity.
Unlike some other sail training
organisations, Sea-Change stays in touch
with – and in some cases mentors – its
trainees when they are ashore between
trips, so Sea-Change participants, some
of whom come from very difficult home
circumstances, become part of a warm
and familiar extended family.
Gathering momentum
We are moving fast now, down a coiling
brown lane of water past the municipal
paddling pool and something that might
be a park. The crew are tidying up,
cheesing lines on the green tarpaulin
hatch covers, sloshing the quayside grime
off the side decks. ➜
31
 cruising
Charter vessel Reminder
– a fine example of a
Thames barge

Sam Llewellyn
earns his keep by
scurrying aloft

There is plenty to do on a barge. Richard

has thought long and hard about the
usefulness of sailing. Much British sail
training, he reckons, is splendidly
well-intentioned but takes place on boats
with so little to do that trainees spend most
of a voyage waiting for their turn to steer.
The barge is different. Working from stern
to bow, there is the mizzen, sheeted to the
rudder; the mainsheet on its horse; the
vangs (pronounced ‘wangs’) that
determine the position of the sprit; the
running backstays for mainmast and (more
importantly) the tall, slender topmast that
supports the enormous topsail; the
leeboards, controlled by huge chains
running to the crab winches on either side
of the wheel which have warping drums for
vangs and mainsheet in a breeze; the
mast, with its dizzying festoons of brail tails Barges galore at Hythe Quay in Maldon
and topsail sheets and God knows what
other miscellanea; the foresail, whose The Blackwater is opening out. The tide is warping drum. And away we go again.
sheet, like the mainsheet, runs on a horse ebbing hard, and down we go, keeping the On almost all barges, cargo space is
athwart the deck; and the anchor windlass, big reds to starboard. Ahead, the North now dedicated to the accommodation of
with its vast chain and a horizontal timber Sea trawler that found a sort of fame as charterers. This is not something that
drum as fat as a well-grown oak trunk. Radio Caroline lies anchored off the twin pleases Richard. Sea-Change is in the
Each of these elements demands tombs of the Sizewell nuclear power process of building its own barge, Blue
someone’s full attention, and many of them station. Combined with the line of beach Mermaid, a replica of a Blue Mermaid
bear loads measured in tons. huts on Mersea Island, this is not an launched 85 years ago at Mistley and
obviously romantic panorama, but blown up by a mine in the Second World
Quiet confidence Reminder makes it so, a great white beast War. The hull was launched last year at
The teenagers stand by, quietly confident. from a more spacious age. Down we run. Toms of Polruan and was towed to
Hilary reminds one of them that it might not There is a gybe. Everyone takes his or her Maldon, where she is currently fitting out
be a great idea to be standing forward of the position, no fuss. The mainsail and topsail under the hands of Jim Dines and his
foresail sheet horse when the sail bangs are both up, and the barge is surging down team at the Downs Road Boatyard.
over. Her voice is mild and sensible. There the wind. Up with the mizzen topping lift, She is an enormous vessel even by the
is no shouting in Sea-Change, and very because nobody needs a mizzen before standards of barges. The main difference
few orders. Richard and Hilary make quiet the wind. Stand by the running backstays. between her and her ancestor is that she is
suggestions, and the crew act on them, Over goes the helm. Control the sprit with welded from plates of laser-cut steel rather
and learn sailing and life skills by example. the vang, a turn or two on the crab winch than riveted. She is waiting for her rig – the

32 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk


Trust, a charity, has already raised half a
million pounds and needs £180,000 more.
Authenticity will be important. Her sails are
planned to be something special – woven
from linen with a selvedge instead of a hem
at the Whitchurch Silk Mill with the help of
Richard Humphries, Upper Bailiff of the
Worshipful Company of Weavers.
But linen sails are by no means the
whole of it. As we walk through the
cavernous spaces of the raw hull, Richard
points out the sites of her future
accommodation, and a huge void in her
mid-section which will be the most
authentic feature of them all: a cargo hold.
Sea-Change trainees who sail on Blue
Mermaid will not only work with a
minimum of engine power, they will work
whatever cargoes Titchener can find up
and down the East Coast. The object of
sailing, he reckons, is to take people out
into the middle of nature.
His trainees do not use mobile phones,
because they interfere with the group
dynamic and the sense of here-and-now.
Similarly, engines can if overused make life
too easy. He will use them if absolutely
necessary – it is after all the 21st Century,
and there are schedules to be kept. But
on the whole he would rather not. So Blue
Mermaid will carry her cargoes without an
engine, and will rely on the traditional barge
skills of towing, drudging and warping.
Meanwhile on Reminder it’s time to
His trainees do not use mobile phones,
because they interfere with the group
dynamic and the sense of here-and-now
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
Sail training on a thameS barge
Welded plates and stringers of the Trust’s
new-build Thames barge Blue Mermaid
BELOW: Hilary Halajko and Richard
Titchener of the Sea-Change Sailing Trust
BELOW RIGHT: Mealtime aboard Reminder
anchor. Some skippers would start the
donkey, jam the boat up head to wind,
give her a blast astern and drop the hook.
Not Richard. He puts the helm down.
The luff of the mainsail bulges aback, and
the 100-odd tons drifts to a slow halt.
Hilary and the anchor crew have made a
beautiful square flake of chain aft of the
windlass drum, with a turn on the drum.
She drops. The chain roars out. A couple
of trainees put buckets of seawater over
the drum to lubricate it. The barge drifts
astern. The chain lifts from the sea,
straightens a moment, dripping, and sinks
again. The anchor is set.
Time machine
Time moves at a peculiar speed when you
are living in a sailing machine built 100
years ago. It is a surprise to see that the
sky over the land is already turning pink,
and to feel an evening chill in the breeze.
Smoke is fluttering out of the flue of the
saloon wood stove as we tally on to the
brails for the mainsail. The topsail comes
down, and stays aloft, held to the topmast
by its rings. ‘We should put a gasket on
that or it’ll go flap flap all night,’ says
Richard. ‘Who wants to go?’
The trainees are somewhere around 16
years old. Eight young eyes seem to be
looking at me. I have been asking
questions all day. It is my turn to suffer.
‘All right,’ I say. This is not exactly Cape
Horn. The mast is only 40ft high, and I
have a safety harness on, and the sea
makes millponds look rough. But as I
beetle up the shrouds I am thinking, why
the hell did I open my stupid mouth? And
when I get to the hounds, where the
shrouds are too close together to get a
foot on to a ratline, and my spectacles are
falling off, and it has taken five minutes to
get the first turn of the gasket on to an
oil-drum-fat lump of unyielding canvas,
and the gasket itself is the only thing that
is keeping me suspended in mid-air, I
notice that the safety line is doing its bit as
well. I look down and see that in charge of
the line is Dan. Dan is 15. He has a turn
and half a figure eight on the cleat. He is
in full control of the situation, because he
has done it dozens of times before, the
way Hilary and Richard have shown him.
And I find myself thinking that any
combination of vessel and organization
that will allow you to trust your life to a
15-year-old stranger after six hours’
acquaintance must have something pretty
special going for it.
But there is not too much time for
ponderings of that nature, because it’s
supper time, and everyone has to think of
three things they’d take to a desert island,
after which there is a passionate and
uproarious Sevens tournament. And so,
with minimum engine and maximum sailing
and manoeuvring and anchoring and
serious fun, the week roars on. Everyone
on board will be back. Including me.
n Find out more and donate to
Sea-Change Sailing Trust at
www.seachangesailingtrust.org.uk
33
Practical projects Email your projects and tips to pbo@timeinc.com
Great ideas and tips from PBO readers or write to us at the address at the top of page 5.
We pay at least £30 for each one published

Blowing hot and cold

Keith Calton puts a shower facility in his wheelhouse

T
here I was, covered
in soap, shampoo
and shaving foam,
taking a leisurely shower in
a well-known south coast
marina and the water
stops, dead: no hot, no
cold... nothing.
A closer inspection of the
shower instructions (I was a
bit myopic) explained that
you only get six minutes
worth of water for your token,
mmmmm.
On with the towel and out
of the shower, across to the
reception area with a pound
coin in hand to get another
token, wet sudsy footprints
there and back to show my
path and a rather huffy
reception person.
My boat, a Macwester
Wight at 10m, would have a
shower and possibly Jacuzzi
if built in the last 10 years but
is sadly only equipped with a
rather cramped heads. First
thoughts were of a shower
tray in the cabin but getting
the water out would entail a
pump and a rather damp
interior so I decided the
wheelhouse/cockpit would
be the best bet.
I re-made the wheelhouse
about 12 years ago so there
was nothing like mainsail
COST
£20
A shower curtain can be erected under a canvas
sprayhood as well as under a solid wheelhouse
D-shaped rail sits neatly under wheelhouse canopy
travellers to get in the way
(that’s on the roof now) so
siting the shower rails partially
over the companionway and
out into the cockpit where it
could self-drain seemed the
best idea.
I made a D-shape using
20mm electrical conduit with a
couple of corner sections as
the basis, about 700mm wide
and about 930mm long, (you’ll
need about 3m in total).
Design it to suit your boat. A
hot air gun judiciously played
on the pipe while bending
around an object of suitable
diameter (dustbin, chair etc.)
will give you your curved
D-section, but be careful as it’s
easy to get it too hot and
scorch it (you might want to
practise first).
The forward pipe
clips are
screwed through
the head lining,
Conduit corner section
and on my boat
the aft clips
locate near the rear lip of
the wheelhouse.
To fit the shower frame to the
boat just slide the ring through
the aft clips until you can pop
the front cross tube in place.
It’s then all firmly located – you
can put the shower rings and
curtains on before or after this.
Having a fully canvassed
cockpit and using two nylon
shower curtains, one each
side, provides good privacy.
You can walk in from the
cabin, shower, dry off and
walk back into the cabin
without having to step outside.
And at the same time the
self-draining cockpit gets a
much-needed wash too!
A good tip is to trim your
curtain depth to just above the
floor level with the seam
outside so I doesn’t retain
water or get dirty or mouldy.
Pressurised water comes
simply from a converted
12-litre Hozelock ex-pesticide
garden pressure sprayer
which can give a decent
shower with one full kettle of
hot water and the rest cold,
but proper portable camping/
caravanning showers are
available from around £20
upwards. If you re-use an old
pesticide pump, be sure to
clean it thoroughly (though if
you don’t at least you won’t
suffer from greenfly…).
You can make all of this with
hand tools, though a band
saw and sander will help and
a hot air gun is useful.
All tubes, clips and lengths
of rectangular PVC are
available from DIY/Hardware
stores, different makes have
different tolerances which can
either be a pain or really useful
if you need a sliding or tight fit
and mixing and matching
between electrical and
plumbing fixings can be
helpful too.

Throughout PBO's golden anniversary year, the winning Practical Projects article will be rewarded with a pair
of Spinlock’s Lume-On bladder lights. These are tiny LED lights that attach underneath the bladder of any
lifejacket: when activated, Lume-On lights use the bladder as a diffuser, turning the whole lifejacket into a
glowing light, and are designed to work alongside existing lifejacket lights. Lume-On lights were named joint
overall winner of the prestigious 2015 DAME design award competition: the DAME jury were impressed with
the lights’ cleverness of thought, simplicity of application and very accessible cost. Priced at £14.94 a pair.

34 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 PRACTICAL PROJECTS

DIY dan buoy

Safety kit doesn’t have to cost a lot,
as Andrew Poyner shows

I
t has always seemed to me
that, in a MOB emergency,
being able to deploy a life
ring, dan buoy, drogue and
light quickly and easily could
be a lifesaver. My system
does just that.
The dan buoy is made of an
odd bit of rectangular domestic
plastic ducting about 11 x 5.5 x
40cm stuffed with expanded
polystyrene and capped with
bits of ply. The pole is a hollow
fibreglass one I bought from a
beachside store, about 2.5m
long, and would normally have
a spinny fish or something
similar at the top.
The telescopic sections are
epoxied together, a flag fixed to
the top, and the whole thing
epoxied to the wooden caps in
the float. The weight is lead,
about 4cm diameter x 4cm
high, cast from
scrap in a tomato
purée tin with a
bit of 15mm
copper tube in
the middle, both
held on a
wooden base
during the
casting.
The frame is made of odds
and ends of UPVC fascia
board, but could easily be
ply (though UPVC needs
no varnishing!).
The life ring rests on
two small ledges and is
held in place by the dan
buoy which in turn is held in
place by a tight double loop of
bungy cord. The bight of this
pokes through a hole to the
inboard side, and has a short
dowel (red in the photo)
ABOVE Pull the red dowel to release the dan buoy
LEFT Dan buoy float is ply and polystyrene
through the loop. The stem of In an emergency, you pull the
the dan buoy above the float dowel out by its string and the
locates in a half circle cutout weight of the dan buoy pulls
on a sort of shelf, and the the whole lot over the stern into
light is fixed under this the sea. When ‘rearming’ the
COST and out of the way. The thing, a short piece of line tied
£5 drogue lives in a length to the bungy loop makes
of domestic plastic poking it back through the hole
waste pipe, and is tied a lot easier.
to the lifering as are the Mine seems to work well,
dan buoy and light with short though fortunately I have never
lengths of line. None of the needed to use it for real.
dimensions are critical, though The cost was about £5 for the
the dan buoy should lie flat on pole, and the rest was odds
the lifering so as to grip it well. and ends I had lying around.

Easy winching PROJE

OF TH
CT
E
Rick Bowen gets a handle on it MONT
H

I
have been sailing my
current boat, the
Westerly Longbow
Vicki-D, for over 20 years
around the south coast, the
West Country, northern
France and the Channel
Islands from Hayling Island
Sailing Club.
I’m most likely to be found
sailing single handed, with
the spray hood up and, on
longer trips, with my trusty
Autohelm 2000 steering us
Star drive bit was bolted to
a socket and ratchet handle
through the waves and spray
and me keeping a good
lookout in the cockpit.
With the spray hood up I
have found that when
winching the genoa the
handle is limited to about
100° movement as the hood
restricts the full use of the
geared Lewmar winch.
Ungeared and using a
standard Lewmar handle, the
load on the genoa sheet is
very heavy and when geared
the amount gained each time
is minimal. This is especially
difficult when close-hauled as
the winches aren’t self-tailing,
though the use of Winchers
makes it a little easier when
sailing single handed.
So I searched online for a
suitable commercially-made
handle that would help – but
to no avail. I even toyed with
the use of a battery-operated
drill, but they were all too
heavy and cumbersome.
As the arthritis in my hands
Winch handle extension bar works a treat
has become more advanced
and painful over the years I
had wondered about how I
could make it easier without
the huge expense of
installing powered winches.
A few months ago I was
helping my son with some
adjustments to his classic
Mini using my engineering
socket set when I realised
that I could modify a ratchet
socket wrench to operate the
winches on the boat.
A new long handled, ½in
ratchet wrench from Halfords
(£25) was glued and fitted to
a turned down and drilled
out 300mm hardwood rolling
pin (£1.50 from Wilkinsons)
COST
£36.50
and several coats
of varnish were
applied. A matching star
drive bit (£10 from a boat
jumble) that fitted in the top
of the winch was mated with
a suitable socket and locked
in place with a stainless steel
nut and bolt.
Under sail I can now winch
the genoa in tight with the
new handle and with a flick of
the thumb can change the
gearing, operating within the
100° of angle I have to work
in. After a long beat up the
Solent or a channel crossing
my hands are relatively pain
free and my sail trim is much
more seamanlike.

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 35

 GEAR
7 Marine
Stereos tested
Ben Meakins puts seven of the best marine stereo
systems to the test on a typical sailing setup
P
laying music on board can
be somewhat polarising. On
one side of the fence sit the
purists, who like to lose
themselves in the sounds of
wind and water. On the other are
those who find that listening to music
enhances their enjoyment of a good
sail, whether it’s slipping along gently
in a Force 1 or blasting downwind in a
Force 6. It’s also a good cure for
seasickness. There is another
troublesome band who enjoy
cranking up the music to the
dismay of all around them, but
we’ll leave them out of it for now.
The fact is that music on board,
whether through cockpit speakers when
sailing or piped down below to enjoy
with a glass of wine and a square meal,
is popular. Most people just pop down to
Halfords and buy a cheap car stereo,
36
but in recent years marine stereos have
emerged. Often designed for use in wet
environments like RIBs, they are
fine-tuned to overcome the noise of wind
and water, are waterproof and some can
link into your chartplotter to allow you
control from the cockpit.
We collected together seven stereos
and put them through their paces. This
is a selection of what’s available – other
options, including black boxes, are also
to be found.
How we tested them
We made up a temporary MDF
washboard for my Impala 28, and
mounted the stereo heads in this,
wired into the boat’s existing speakers –
a pair of 6in car speakers in the cabin
and a 4in set of Fusion cockpit speakers.
This isn’t a high-end setup by any
means, and for a lot more money you
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
can invest in a significantly better
pair of speakers – but we wanted to see
how each system would cope with the
demands of a small boat on typical
small speakers.
We went for a sail in blustery Force 5
conditions to see how each unit
sounded on the water, before retiring to
the mooring, putting on the kettle and
listening to each down below.
We picked a few tracks from every end
of the musical spectrum. For jazz,
Wynton Marsalis’ My Funny Valentine;
rock with Pink Floyd’s Money, The
Rolling Stones’ Start Me Up, and AC/
DC’s Thunderstruck; classical with
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and
JS Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
– and finally, Blur’s Parklife to see how
they sounded with pop.
This eclectic mix showed up some
interesting differences.

Fusion MS-RA55
£164.95
■ www.fusionentertainment.com
Recently launched as a compact
entry-level unit, Fusion’s RA55 has an
AM-FM radio, RCA Aux input, USB
connection and Bluetooth connectivity.
There is no NMEA control. It takes up
very little space, and the control head
is waterproof to IPX5 (which means it
can withstand a 6.3mm jet of water for
3 minutes). You can control two
separate zones, with a nice interface
(press and scroll to adjust the volume
Fusion RA70N
£249.95
■ www.fusionentertainment.com
The interface on this stereo is exactly
the same as the RA55 above, but this
has been designed to replace a
Fusion MS UD750
£499.95
■ www.fusionentertainment.com
This, one of Fusion’s higher-end
stereos, has an internal water-
resistant dock for safe charging and
playback of your media player
(phone/iPod), as well as bluetooth
connectivity. It can also
communicate over NMEA2000
networks to chartplotters and
compatible devices.
The front of the unit folds down to
reveal a drawer, USB port and AUX
input so that you can keep your media
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
on each zone),
which can
be linked
if required.
The sound
was good,
with a nice
tone and
plenty of
volume and
power, and the
interface was intuitive,
with a rotary selector and easy-to-
use button controls.
This would make for a good
standard car stereo. We tried it on my
boat, and it fitted perfectly in the slot
vacated by the existing Kenwood car
radio, clamping in with a faceplate and
device dry and charged. This was an
improvement over the Aquatic AQ
products, which require you to remove
the panel entirely and thus cut the
power – on this unit you can keep the
unit running while you open the door.
Control was excellent, intuitive and
well thought out, with the same control
layout as the other Fusion products,
and your album art can be displayed
on the screen if connected by USB.
Four zones can be wired and
MARINE STEREOS
installation on a boat with limited
space thanks to the small faceplate
size and the minimal depth taken up
by the body of the unit.
backing plate and requiring no extra
fixing or screw holes to be securely
clamped. This version – the 70N – has
NMEA connectivity, and, connected to
the boat’s NMEA2000 network, can be
controlled via the boat’s chartplotter.
Audio inputs include compatible iPods,
Bluetooth, an AUX input and an
AM/FM radio.
Two separate zones can be named
and controlled – we named them
‘cockpit’ and ‘cabin’ – and the interface
was intuitive and easy to use.
The sound was identical to the RA55,
with a nice, even tone and a good
amount of power that made it audible
over the noise of wind and waves.
The front folds down to reveal a
drawer to charge, connect and keep
your media device dry
controlled from the device. An external
DAB radio module can also be
connected if required.
The sound was excellent – crisp and
clear, with a good range and tone. It
was especially good at overcoming
the noise of wind and waves in the
cockpit, while maintaining a good,
balanced, undistorted sound, with
plenty of volume.
This was a particularly good, well
thought-out piece of kit.
37
 GEAR
Both this model and the more up-market
Aquatic AV Bluetooth MP-5UBT have the deepest bodies, with
Waterproof Marine Stereo the unit protruding 18cm behind the
AQ-MP-5BT panel – 3cm more than the next biggest,
the Fusion, which also has a drawer
£165 inside.
■ www.aquaticav.com The head unit is waterproof to IP55 –
Aquatic AV are an American company which means that ‘Water projected by
who produce stereos for boats, hot tubs a nozzle against the enclosure from
and Harley Davidsons. any direction shall have no harmful
Aquatic AV Bluetooth This unit has an identical body and
dimensions to the simpler Aquatic AV
& USB Waterproof
device, but is more fully-featured.
Marine Stereo AQ-MP- The screen, instead of a simple LCD,
5UBT is full-colour, and as such menus and
£300 controls seem easier and more intuitive.
■ www.aquaticav.com The internal drawer will just about fit
an iPhone 6, and will charge and play
Force 4 Compact
Bluetooth Marine Stereo
£99.95
■ www.force4.co.uk
This circular stereo head is designed to
be similar in size to standard marine
gauges and instruments. At only
105mm in diameter, it mounts in an
80mm hole – quick and easy to do
with a holesaw. It’s got a built-in
AM/FM radio, a USB input to
connect an iPod or flash drive
with mp3 files, and Bluetooth
connectivity. Max power is 4x40W,
and there is a line out connection
should you wish to connect an
external amplifier.
However, we found it worked
perfectly well without an amplifier –
while it didn’t have quite the power of
38 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
effect.’ It has a built
in 288W amplifier, and
you can connect up to
eight speakers.
In use the buttons felt
fairly stiff, but were
intuitive to use. You can
remove the front panel to
reveal a drawer for your
media device. There’s also
a USB socket, which will
charge your device –
although only at 1A, which rules out
some larger devices. It also won’t play
back over USB – unlike its more
fully-featured unit (below).
You can play music via Bluetooth, and
there is an AM/FM radio.
The sound was somewhat brash, but
this was made up for by volume – the
unit was plenty powerful enough to
override any wind or water noise.
back via USB – which
means you can leave
your device inside
and control the music
selection with it safely
charging within.
The sound, as above,
was somewhat brash,
with the mid-range
especially thin-
sounding, of
particular concern
with classical music.
That said, maybe there aren’t many
powerboaters (the intended market for
many of these) that will listen to classical
while blasting along in a RIB.
This is a full-featured piece of kit that,
as long as you have sufficient room
to mount it, would give you some
decent audio.
some of the larger units, it went loud
enough to be heard over wind, water and
engine noise – an amplifier would add
power if you want extra volume.
In fact, this was the surprise of the test. Its
sound was good, with clear vocals and a
nice tone, and a particularly good bottom
end. It was simple to use, with good, big
buttons, and waterproof, so can be
mounted in the cockpit, with the iPod or
phone safely down below in the dry.
Settings are limited – you can’t, for
instance, adjust the fader and thus switch
from cockpit to cabin – but you could
install a switch to enable you to disable the
cockpit speakers if required.
 MARINE STEREOS

This was one of the best to use, on a

par with the top Fusion, but with a
bigger screen and intuitive functions,
and a clear, quality screen that can
display your album art – a nice touch.
There were on-screen prompts and
instructions that really simplified
connecting, using and customising the
menus and functions.
The sound was the nicest by far: it
was punchy, crisp and clear no matter
the genre of music, with just the right
emphasis, and it sounded great both
down below and when underway on
deck, where the mix was well
engineered to be heard over the noise
of wind and water. This was with our
entry level speakers, and performance
is likely to be even better with a
higher-end pair. This model has since
been superseded by a newer version,
which offers more zone and volume
controls, a tidier installation and a
JL Audio Mediamaster wireless remote control option.
£499.99
MX Amplifier - £219.99
■ www.jlaudio.co.uk

JL Audio produce a range of top-end
stereos, speakers and accoutrements –
and we chose the Mediamaster control
head and a basic MX series, 4-channel
280W Amplifier.
Connection was via USB and
Bluetooth, and you can also connect a
Sirius satellite radio (US only) and an
AUX input for devices that can’t be
connected by USB.
You can set up four separate
zones and adjust the levels in each
one individually. The Mediamaster controller was
paired with an MX-200 amplifier (an
You can control the Mediamaster by extra £219.99) to deliver the sound to
NMEA2000, and you can wire in a up to four channels. Higher-end
permanent remote control if required. amplifiers are also available

THE VERDICT

The question for these
stereos is: why buy a
marine stereo when you
can pick up a simple car
radio for half the price?
One answer is that most
marine stereos have
coated circuit boards,
protecting them from the
ravages of salt air. The
other is that if you have
networked instruments,
the ability to control the
stereo from your plotter in
the cockpit is useful,
especially if you suffer
from seasickness. A
waterproofed control head
can make a difference on
a small boat.
We also found that
marine products offered
improved sound in noisy
conditions compared to
car stereos, which tend to
be tailored for the quieter
environments found
in vehicles.
Most of these units are
designed for powerboats,
and to use blasting
around and at full volume.
However, there were
definite differences to be
heard in them while both
sitting down below and
when under sail.
Force 4’s compact
Bluetooth stereo was
surprisingly good given
the small size, and would
make an excellent mini
solution on a small boat –
the sound wasn’t as loud
as others, but it was
perfectly acceptable.
JL Audio’s was by far
the most expensive of all
the stereos, but the sound
was excellent – crisp and
clear and audible
underway – and with a
higher-end set of speakers
would keep even the most
ardent audiophiles happy.
Fusion’s were perhaps
the most fully-featured Fusion’s zone control was particularly
units, with a good effective and intuitive: you can rename
interface, decent sound them to suit – here, Cockpit and Cabin
and nicely designed
equipment – and the
ability to replace a car
stereo with the same
footprint makes the RA70
a good buy. The prices
are also reasonable.
Aquatic AV’s systems
sounded somewhat
brash, but have plenty of
power and are well priced. You can also control some stereos
from a compatible chartplotter: this
The cheaper unit works is the interface on a B&G Vulcan 5,
well over Bluetooth. controlling the Fusion RA70N

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 39

 blank
news

View from the

boatyard
Showered with praise
Mike Pickles builds a shower base for a Nauticat 33 and explains
how to seal it against the wet environment itÕll be facing in the heads

Slope for shower base drain hole was formed using an orbital sander and 40-grit paper Chopped strand mat (CSM) will stick well

W
e’re currently working
on a Nauticat 33 which,
having just been sold,
has been brought in to
remedy issues found
on the pre-purchase survey – and to
carry out some tLC for the new owner.
The priority job was to install a
compression post as the mast was in A scored surface helps polyester resin
danger of becoming keel-stepped instead get a better bond to plywood
of deck-stepped.
I covered installation of a compression the opportunity to make a new shower
post on a Seamaster 925 in PBO October base too.
2017, and the solution for the Nauticat The base was to be made so it could be
was very similar. easily removed. I don't like to make any
However, we did have to change the areas of the hull inaccessible, so while the
sole board layout, especially in the heads current vogue is to have a permanent,
which also doubled as a shower. nicely-moulded shower tray, this is not
The original was plywood with a GRP compatible with easy access to the inside
sheath and gelcoat finish on top. Sadly of the hull.
the underside was never treated and was The base itself is a strange shape, so the
merrily rotting away, so as we had to cut a first job was to create a template using 2in
new-shape board to accommodate the strips of hardboard and a glue gun. Using
new stainless compression post, we took the template, the 19mm marine ply can
ABOut the AuthOr
Mike Pickles is a foreman at harbour Marine Services in
Southwold. he learned to sail aged four, flirted with an
Olympic campaign in his early 20s and continued with
yacht deliveries and yacht and dinghy racing until his
mid-40s. Now his knees have disintegrated, he is the proud
(and slightly obsessive) owner of an MGrS34 ¾-tonner.
n www.southwoldboatyard.co.uk
then be cut out – and once a decision has
been made on the position of the drain
plug, work can be carried out to make the
flat surface somewhat less flat.
We used a small orbital sander and
40-grit pads, and got creative. It's hard to
get GRP to go round tight external turns
such as sharp edges and corners, so as
this base was to be sheathed, all the
edges and corners had to be rounded off.
We were using polyester resin, and to
ensure a good bond between the ply and
the glass I tend to use chopped strand
mat (CSM) for the first layer. In my
experience, this has a far higher bond with
a plywood surface than woven cloth.
So to start the sheathing process on the
bottom face of the base we first coated
the plywood with resin using a brush.
Go easy on the resin
Paint it on – don’t ladle or pour – and then
spread it about. All you need to do is wet
out the surface before laying on a layer of
pre-cut 250gm CSM. Then, using a brush,
add another light coat of resin before
consolidating the layer with a roller.
If you have any dry areas, add a little
more resin – but the trick is to use as little
as possible. Resin has very little strength
in itself, and using too much might speed
up the wetting-out process, but the
laminate will be resin-rich and as a result
will be weaker, brittle and less likely to

40 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk


Brush on a layer of resin – not too thick
Heat speeds up the curing process
Layers of gelcoat provide a smooth finish
bond well to the plywood.
Another reason for using just enough
resin is cleanliness. Some folk seem to get
GRP everywhere and end up with a huge
mess, and much of this comes down to
the uncontrolled sloshing of resin which,
when you come to consolidation, will
spray the stuff around in every direction.
Using polyester you have a great deal of
control on cure times compared to using
epoxy resin systems.
Adding a little more or less catalyst is a
bit of an art, and I find it hard to explain
how much to use at specific times as I
seem to manage to add just enough.
You have no such flexibility with epoxy
systems, but one sure-fire way to speed
things up with polyester is to use a heat
lamp which can allow you to get a
workable cure in an hour or so.
Where epoxy wins is in bonding strength
to a substrate such as plywood. However,
to mitigate this using polyester resin,
creating a dust-free and well-scored
surface helps immensely.
When sheathing the top surface we
followed up the layer of CSM with a layer
of 300gm biaxial woven cloth. Again, a
light coating of resin and a good roll will
pull up any surplus resin from the lower
layer. Use slightly more resin on the edges
to help the cloth round the corners and
stay stuck down during the cure.
After trimming and a quick sand using
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
View from theof
Lay on the mat and brush in more resin
Glass tape was applied to the edges...
100-grit paper round the edges, it's time to
add 100mm-wide glass tape round the
edges. By applying just the right amount
of tension you can usually get the tape to
lay nice and flat without too many creases.
The tape is thin, flexible and needs very
little resin to wet out. In this case I was
adding the edge tape on a Friday
afternoon, and I added a little white
pigment so that on my return the following
week I would remember exactly which
point I'd reached.
The whole base was then rough-sanded
with 100-grit paper, washed and dried.
The sheathing was now essentially
complete, so it was time to add the
gelcoat. Surface coating using gelcoat
has one big issue, and that is air bubbles:
you add air during the stirring process and
then again during application with a
brush, roller or spray.
Thin layers
Gelcoat is thick, and it's very tempting and
perfectly possible to add 2-3mm of
gelcoat at one time. After an initial cure it’ll
look pretty good... until, that is, you start to
sand and then cut and polish the surface,
after which you will see lots of tiny holes in
the surface. Sanding or cutting further
might remove these initial holes, but only
for others to emerge underneath.
Highly polished, the new heads sole board/shower tray looks very clean and tidy
name boatyard
article
A resin roller consolidates things nicely
... until the whole thing was nicely sealed
The way round this is to apply multiple
thin layers. I like to use four layers and
then a top layer with added wax in styrene
(also known as topcoat or flowcoat).
The wax comes to the surface, seals off
the gelcoat from the surrounding air and
allows it to cure, otherwise it will always
remain tacky.
Once cured, the area can be sanded flat
using 100-grit paper, which removes any
major bumps and hollows and provides a
key for the finish layers of gel.
The radiused edges needed to be
squared off, so we put together a wood
frame. A resin-proof tape was applied to
the surfaces of the wood so nothing would
stick to it, then further layers of gel were
applied and the edges filled. Once cured,
the frame was simply removed, leaving a
solid, square edge.
The final process is marking, sanding,
marking and more sanding until you’re
happy with the surface fairness, followed by
cutting with a suitable cutting compound.
Most fast-cut compounds will remove
scratches made by 1,000-grit wet-and-dry
paper, and you’ll get a pretty good surface
finish. I like to go a couple of stages
further with 1,500 and 2,000-grit paper
before cutting with a fine-cut compound
as the finish in my eyes is far superior and
seems to stay cleaner for longer.
41
 Ask the experts
Got a question? Email pbo@timeinc.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

ENGINES

Fuel issues for small outboards

Q I own a 2.5hp 4-stroke
Mercury outboard that
drives my Laser Stratos
keelboat when the wind
dies, and because there’s
rarely little wind the engine
doesn’t get used much.
Annoyingly, when I do
need it the engine has a
habit of failing, and always
for the same reason: issues
of fuel starvation.
The 2009 engine looks like
new. I keep it clean, flush
with clean water, and empty
the fuel tank and run the
engine dry if I have used it
– in fact its only burned one
gallon of fuel since new! On
top of that it’s regularly
serviced by a Mercury agent.
My engineer tells me my
problem is a common issue
because of the additives
now in petrol, which will rot
fuel lines and coat the
carburettor with a brown
vanish-like substance that
blocks fuel jets.
I’m told that by running the
engine once a week you can
reduce the chances of it
blocking as quickly – but it
will still block eventually.
I’ve spoken to many other
owners of small engines and
they’re all experiencing the
same issue – though people
with older 2-stroke engines
don’t seem to suffer the fuel
blockage problem so badly.
The agent’s cure is to soak
the carburettor in a
Even well-maintained small
outboards can fall foul of fuel
problems
commercial solvent – not
something that’s practical
when you are at sea.
Given that hundreds
(perhaps thousands) of PBO
readers own small 2.5-10hp
outboards has anyone come
up with an answer?
It’s not only a hassle to
keep taking the motor to an
outboard repair agent but a
safety issue as the motor is
my back-up. Although I carry
a radio, anchor and paddle
it’s still a risk if the wind dies
on a rocky coastline.
John Shears, By email
STU DAVIES REPLIES: A bit
of background first. Two-
strokes are effectively banned
for leisure use in the UK on
environmental grounds –
they’re considered too
smokey. So the big
manufacturers were forced
down the route of 4-strokes
which are easier to tune for
lower emissions.
Unfortunately one of the side
effects is that they have to
‘lean’ the mixture right down
at tick over and that’s where
the problem starts. They fit
tiny pilot jets and hide or do
away with the tickover idle
mixture adjustment to stop us
richening the mixture.
Modern fuels have up to 5%
alcohol/biofuel added and this
is highly reactive to some of
the plastics and rubbers used
in our carbs.
Also alcohol absorbs water
from the atmosphere, so we
have a perfect medium for
creating havoc with the tiny
pilot jets.
I’ve stripped down a lot of
these due to issues you talk
about. Inevitably there’s a jelly-
like substance in the float
bowl, but more importantly the
jets are blocked or coated with
a non-soluble metallic salt.
There’s a theory gaining
ground that the alcohol
additive is absorbing water
from the atmosphere which is
reacting with the brass jet
screwed in to the alloy body of
the carb. Electrolysis comes in
to play, which then produces a
hard metallic salt.
Carb cleaner was developed
for dissolving ‘varnish’ left by
evaporated petrol, but I’ve
found is that it doesn’t
dissolve the hard salts
deposited in the jets. Only one
thing gets rid of that, a hard
object pushed through the jet.
Since being an apprentice
50 years ago we were taught
never to push steel wire
through jets, that it would
widen the orifice causing all
sorts of problems!
In actual fact people like me
found out from practical
experience that pulling a wire
out of a wire brush gives the
perfect implement to gently
push through the jets and
clean the hard deposits out.
It rarely does any damage.
My engine
Q The Yanmar 2GM20
engine in my boat
has had an intermittent
problem since I got the
boat four years ago.
It can be running
relatively smoothly for
many hours of motoring
at sea or manoeuvring in
port until, when re-
starting the engine, the
problem begins. This
problem may continue for
an undetermined period
of time and then, after
some sailing and for no
apparent reason, go away
again... until the next time.

THE PBO EXPERTS To ask a question email pbo@timeinc.com and include your address. Pictures are helpful

SEa SafETy SEaling and CRuiSing SailS maSTS & RigS SuRvEy and ElECTRiCS EnginES
Keith Colwell is BOnding Stuart Carruthers Ian Brown of the Mike Coates worked CORROSiOn Paul Holland is Stu Davies has
author of the Gareth Ross is is the RYA Cruising International in the spar and Colin Brown runs part-chair of the a background in
RYA Sea Survival Sika UK’s Marine Manager and has OneSails loft group rigging business for a marine survey and BMEEA and MD of engineering in the
Handbook Market Field sailed extensively is an expert on sails many years consultancy company, Energy Solutions coal and oil field
Specialist CB Marine Services (UK) industries

42 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 ASK THE EXPERTS
Carburettor
cleaner may SEA SAFETY
only partially
solve fuel jet
blockages
Top tips for safe use of a tender
Q What are your top five
basic safety rules that
should be followed when
using a tender?
Kim Harman, Alvor, Portugal

KEITH COLWELL REPLIES:

This is the only
way to clean a
carb properly
– strip it and
clean all the
orifices manually.
I suspect that what is
happening in your case is that
the jets have been coated in
hard salts and that soluble
deposits are also being
deposited at the same time.
The carb cleaner is cleaning
the soluble deposits but not
cleaning all the crud out. You
then have a situation where
the engine sort of runs OK till
the build-up gets too much…
and the cycle continues.
This is a good question since
using a tender can be the
most dangerous part of going
afloat.
■ Only use the tender when
the conditions are suitable. If
it’s too rough, or too windy,
don’t go.
■ Always wear a lifejacket.
■ Do not overload the tender
– better to make several trips
lightly loaded – and make sure
the weight is evenly
distributed. If the tender is
small, always step into the
middle when boarding.
■ Carry a means of
communication in case you
need to call for help –
handheld VHF, PLB or
Using the tender
can be the
trickiest part of
going boating
personal pyrotechnics.
■ Carry an alternative means
of propulsion. For example,
paddles or oars if you’re
relying on a small outboard, or
emergency oars or paddles
if you’re under oars alone.
And if I were permitted to
make a couple more
additions, it would be to carry
a small anchor and warp
(depending on the depth of
where you’re boating), a bailer
or bilge pump and, at night, a
white lantern or torch.

is running like a dog Edgar Liepens has a Yanmar

When I say it runs ‘relatively
smoothly’ I mean there’s a
constant vibration, but
generally acceptable for a
two-cylinder motor.
The problem manifests
itself as a series of soft jolts
from inside the engine or
gearbox, running at as little
as 1,000rpm under load. It
sounds like a ‘wuff wuff’,
approximately once per
second. Each ‘wuff’ is
supplemented by an
additional ‘impact’ that can
be felt all over the boat.
Increase the revs and is
becomes more intense.
Edgar Liepins, Latvia
STU DAVIES REPLIES:
It sounds as if there’s an
intermittent misfire on one of
the cylinders. The ‘wuff’
puzzles me – but could be
explained by a sticking valve.
The ‘impact’ felt is likely to
be the cylinder that is firing
taking the load as the
governor tries to compensate
for the loss of power as the
other one misfires. So we
need to find out if one of the
cylinders is misfiring.
First get all the tools
needed to slacken off the
injector nuts, along with
some thick pieces of cloth to
absorb diesel.
When the noises start, get
into a good position and
slacken off the injector nuts in
turn. Be careful: diesel from
the pump is under huge
pressure of around 3000psi
and can penetrate the skin –
which is why you need cloth
around the injectors to
absorb the diesel.
As you ‘crack’ the injector
nut one of two things will
happen. If the engine sounds
like it it’s going to stop then
you know that’s the cylinder
that’s working OK. If it makes
2GM20 engine like this – but
it’s running rough
no difference then you know
it’s the bad cylinder.
Now you can focus on the
cause. Is it a sticking valve? Is
it a bad injector?
I’d take off the rocker box
first and check all is good in
there. Look for excessive
clearances on the bad
cylinder’s valves or signs of
damage. If possible do this
after shut down when it’s
been running badly.
If all looks good then pull
the injectors and get them
checked, take note of the one
off the bad cylinder and pay
particular attention to that.
➜

50 of the most frequently asked boating questions are answered by our experts on the PBO website. Visit www.pbo.co.uk

GAS FITTING PAINT AND YACHT DESIGN TOILETS AND TRAILER- ELECTRONICS BOATBUILDING WOOD
Peter Spreadborough, ANTIFOULING Andrew Blyth is a PLUMBING SAILING Chris Ellery of Tony Davies has Richard Hare is a
of Southampton Richard Jerram is naval architect with Karl Sutcliffe of Lee Colin Haines is a Greenham-Regis been building and wood technologist
Calor Gas Centre, former UK technical interest in stability Sanitation knows design engineer Electronics is a repairing wooden, and long-time
has 20 years in the manager of and buoyancy about holding tanks, who has trailer- former Merchant GRP and steel boats wooden-boat owner
industry International Paint toilets and plumbing sailed for 25 years Navy officer for 40 years

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 43


SURVEY AND CORROSION
Prop-er job
Q If I coat a propeller
with an epoxy bitumen
or tar coating will it reduce
or eliminate electrolysis and
normal underwater
corrosion?
I’ve been reading PBO
since 1998 and I find the
content most informative – a
huge fount of knowledge in
all disciplines of yachting.
Gerhard Alberts
South Africa
COLIN BROWN REPLIES:
In theory coating a propeller
will protect it from corrosion in
sea water. The reality of
course is not so simple.
The coating you apply must
be complete to offer all-over
protection. It may take two or
more coats to make sure there
are no pores in the coating
which will otherwise allow
normal sea water corrosion to
carry on as normal.
Seacock’s jammed… should I replace
anything else while I’m at it?
Q I have a Moody 31
built in 1989 and one
of the inlet seacocks has
failed in the shut position.
This doesn’t unduly
concern me for the present
as I’ll replace it before long
with a new Maestrini DZR
Ball Valve when the boat
comes out of the water at
the end of the season.
My question is should I
be replacing the skin fitting
as well as the ball valve? I
don’t know if or when they
have ever been replaced
before I owned the boat.
MR Daniels
Colchester
COLIN BROWN REPLIES:
The answer is short and
simple. Yes! You should
definitely replace the skin
fitting – and hose tail – at the
same time as the seacock.
If you’re fitting a DZR valve
then you should also fit a
DZR skin fitting and hose
tail. All of these fittings on
your boat may well be
44
Cathodic protection
with the correct
anode is the only
sure-fire way to
eliminate prop
corrosion
In the case of
galvanic or
electrolytic
corrosion the
action could be
concentrated in the
exposed areas
rather than being
spread over the
whole surface area
of the propeller,
leading to
accelerated local
corrosion effects.
Another problem
is getting any coating to stick
reliably to a propeller. A
smooth surface, high speed
through the water and
sometimes cavitation all tend
to make it difficult to keep a
coating on a propeller.
There are some antifouling
products that will stick, but the
application conditions and
surface preparation have to be
absolutely perfect.
Dezincification in a failed skin
fitting allowed this seacock to
be simply snapped off
original – in which case
they’ve done very well
lasting this long.
Taking the valve off a skin
fitting without dislodging the
fitting can be a challenge in
the first place, and removing
the collar to reseal the old
skin fitting if it has moved in
the process can also be a
big challenge.
The extra labour involved
in trying to save the old skin
fitting may cost more (in
terms of time, money and
knuckle skin) than a new
Adding coatings to it will also
make your propeller less
smooth and therefore less
efficient unless you’re very
careful in the coating
application and finishing.
Any rough coating surface
may also make biofouling
more likely as the bacterial
slime that starts it all can get a
grip in the tiny irregularities in
the coating.
fitting
which costs
around £15.
To get rid of
the old skin fitting
you can carefully cut off the
flange from outside using an
angle grinder and cold
chisels then simply pull the
whole assembly through
into the boat.
You should also consider
fitting a new hose to your
new seacock. Unless you’ve
changed them yourself and
know better, the hoses on
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
MGDUFF
A correctly fitted
anode would be a
far more reliable
way of protecting
your propeller from
corrosion.
The anode size
and material
should be chosen
to match the size
of your propeller
and the type of
water your boat
sits in.
A good polish
each year will keep the
surfaces smooth, making your
propeller more efficient and a
less secure home for
biofouling organisms.
MG DUFF are experts in
marine corrosion protection
– you’ll find lots of useful
information on their website
mgduff.co.uk, as well as an
online tool for ensuring you
buy the right anode for the job.
Quality ball valves from a
reputable supplier will be
DZR (dezincification
resistant) and marked CR
(corrosion resistant)
your boat may
also be original and
they tend to stiffen
and become
brittle with age,
making them
vulnerable to
breakage as
they move
when you try
to get them off
the old seacock.
Our main photo shows a
broken skin fitting from a
Moody 33. The valve was
still working but the skin
fitting had suffered
dezincification – the pink
colour of the remaining
metal is a giveaway. You can
see the salt crusting where
the weakened skin fitting
had been leaking. It
snapped off under light
manual force.
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 boats
bOATS

Alastair and Monica sailing

Elissa off the Dorset coast

ELISSA
sailed north, taking Elissa to Norway.
Later still, on one of his trips to St Malo,
Elissa was off Alderney when Roy handed
the helm to his crew so he could get some

an Elizabethan 23
rest. The wind picked up from the west
and, faithfully following the course he’d
been given, the helmsman was not aware
that Elissa was sliding down large waves
with an onshore wind. Tacking and trying
Alastair Inglis tells the tale of the well- to beat away on a very dark night with a
5ft draught was a bad combination – the
travelled but down-at-heel yacht he restored keel touched bottom and was bounced up
the beach on a 35ft ebbing tide.
Two small holes meant water and sand

O
filtered throughout the hull, sinking her in
ur Elizabethan 23 Elissa was Biscay. As they were both retired they had shallow water but at least allowing them to
launched in 1973 at the plenty of time to do this. It’s a passage get safely to shore.
Ropewalk Boat Yard in they made not once, but twice – an
Lymington. Previous owner amazing achievement in a small boat. Patch-up job
Roy Lister sailed her When things aren’t so rosy at sea for us With some ingenuity she was patched up
extensively using the very basic dead aboard Elissa I just think: ‘She’s sailed at low tide, refloated on the next high
reckoning methods of navigation most of Biscay twice, so just get on with it!’ It water and then sailed back to Poole
the time, and he never really got around to doesn’t always take the fear away, but at without further incident.
doing much cosmetic work to the boat. least gives us reassurance in the boat. When Roy’s health started to deteriorate
However, his love and trust in the yacht With more adventure in mind, Roy later he decided to put Elissa up for sale in
design and its fabulous handling ability
allowed him to sail to the coast of
Brittany, the Channel Islands, St Malo
and the Isles of Scilly.
Roy then decided to get more
adventurous so, leaving Lilliput Sailing
Club in Poole, he sailed the Channel to
France, dropping the mast to navigate the
canals, and with his wife joining him they
motored all the way to the Mediterranean.
A good friend flew down to meet Elissa
to help him sail her back to Poole, while
his wife flew home. The two of them then
made their way back through the Bay of As found: rust stains and fouling can’t disguise the good looks of the Elizabethan 23

46 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 ELIZABETHAN 23 RESCUE
1985. As a member of Lilliput Sailing Club First job for Elissa, a scrub
I was constantly looking at this pretty boat down from top to bottom
which sat on her mooring for 17 months.
At the time Monica and I were looking at
Drascombe Luggers to buy for general
day sailing, but the prices were too high.
l contacted Roy and viewed Elissa on
several occasions in November when it
was freezing cold and dark – a good
time to buy, but not to sell!
I came to realise the Elizabethan would
be a much better buy than a Drascombe
Lugger for me so a deal was made. Roy
was very sad to let her go, of course, but
pleased that she would remain at the
same club where he’d be able to see her.

David Thomas design

We were delighted that we were now the
proud owners of one of the best and
prettiest boat designs by David Thomas,
who also designed other boats in the
Elizabethan range as well as the Sigmas.
Soon came the very daunting task of
restoring Elissa to a standard she
deserved for such a classic yacht design.
We decided to make a list for our winter
work – a list which turned out to be about
a mile long.
First was to get the hull looking better.
Due to the condition of the gel coat, I had
no option other than to coat her with Sand in the gearbox required a complete
epoxy paint all over – not the easiest of strip down and bearing replacement
jobs when temperature is so critical.
Gunwales and all brightwork were
stripped to bare wood and four coats of
varnish applied. Working in the cold and
as long as light was available we were
able to see some results.

Sand everywhere
Once this was done, the interior was next.
Below decks did not have the best of
smells, and sand was in every nook
and cranny which was a nightmare to
remove – and is still being found several
years later. The headlining was hanging
down in many places which was initially
sealed back and later completely Elissa on the pontoon at Lilliput Sailing Durable Dyneema rope replaces frayed
renewed. We replaced all the wiring. Club shortly after her relaunch wire on the keel lifting mechanism
The original engine, a petrol Petter, we
replaced with an air cooled 6hp diesel
Hatz, burning a third of a litre an hour. The
biggest difficulty with this set-up proved to
be the exhaust: we eventually settled on a
lagged stainless steel flexible pipe which
works very well.

Back in the water

By relaunch day Elissa was ready to face
her proud new parents and the many new
adventures to come – and we’ve had quite
a few of them!
Roy came down to watch the relaunch
and congratulated us on changing her
looks so well, shedding a few tears while
telling us: ‘I know you’ll look after her’.
Roy sadly died a few years later, but at
least he knew Elissa would have a fine
new life with us.
Over the years since then we’ve added Old Tufnol blocks have been replaced Alastair has designed and made his own
various bits of kit such as an echo ➜ with modern stainless steel ones self-steering wind vane

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 47

 bOATS
sounder, an electric autopilot and a
new set of sails.
I have also designed and almost
perfected a servo pendulum self-steering
wind vane. They look simple enough but
in reality are very complex instruments in
the proportions of weight and engineering
required. Mine has taken over three years
in the development. On a trip from Hurst
to Swanage, I set it up and we sailed
within five degrees of our course straight
to our waypoint. I was delighted, but I
hasten to add that I’ve not yet gone to
sleep while being steered by the wind
vane, not even for a short time!
Rollercoaster rides
On one of our trips, we were on the way to
Weymouth. Just off the Shambles and on
our final tack in, the wind dropped. The
engine was labouring and we had no
alternative but to anchor close to the
south entrance of Portland Harbour where
the old Hood was sunk as a blockship –
it’s a really good fishing spot. It was no
time before our friends the Royal Navy
turned up to check on us as we were
anchored in their waters.
While inspecting the engine I found that
the gearbox was full of sand – no wonder
the engine was labouring – so on our
return to home port it was gearbox out,
clean up and replace four bearings.
Shocked at the £156 one marine supplier
Chart table doubles as a dining table
when attached to companionway steps
48
Above Sitting pretty:
Elissa on a mooring
at Swanage
Right Looking good
in a new coat of
paint on her cradle
at Lilliput
quoted for bearings I went to a VW parts
shop where I got the same bearings for
£4.80 each. A big saving!
We took another trip back from
Weymouth in a south-westerly Force 7
(some will be saying the b....y fools!), but
we found it to be a real learning curve. Not
only do you gain vital knowledge, but you
can assess the boat’s performance and
your ability – and later make any
reinforcements or changes to either!
While rounding St Aldhelm’s Head we
encountered waves higher than the
crosstrees. Elissa was in a calm at the
bottom of the trough and at the full
Force 7 at the top. I already had a reefed
main but even so she performed very well.
A very interesting sail!
Bright ideas
One night while moored at Chapman’s
Pool I was contemplating the fact that
there was a good deal of wasted space
Alastair built his own control panel in
previously empty under-deck space
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
under the side decks, so I started to
design a way of utilising this space.
On the port side I made a control panel
and full size chart table which can double
up as a dining table when bolted to the
stairway. On the starboard side, I built five
lockers for storing the usual things one
needs on any boat. A whole design
change to our lovely little boat.
Modernisation
On the rigging side I replaced old Tufnol
blocks with modern stainless steel ones,
and slab reefing took the place of the old
roller reefing system. I then made my own
stackpack for £35, after receiving a quote
at the Southampton Boat Show for £375.
The frayed wire keel uphaul was
replaced with Dyneema braid rope and
has been there for over 12 years now.
I can highly recommend the Elizabethan
23 for its looks, sailing ability, draught and
vast locker space for a small boat.
We have enjoyed many years of sailing
around the South Coast – one year doing
970NM. We’re able to get very close to the
shoreline out of the wind, which is a big
advantage as we often see fellow sailors
not far away wearing winter clothing while
we’re still in T-shirts.
The Elizabethan Owners Association has
a very informative website (eoa.org.uk)
and membership is great fun with an
annual weekend get together in some
South Coast port. We also try to meet up
on land during the winter to exchange
ideas and offer help and advice.
 practical enginean
DescalIng descaling
engIne

Engine descaling DIY

and save
Mark Ryan demonstrates how he cleaned the raw water money
passages on a Yanmar 2GM20 with the use of Rydlyme

T
he venerable, hardy Yanmar
2GM20 on Triola, my much-
loved 30ft 1970s Albin Ballad,
was installed long before
I owned her, likely in the mid-’90s:
I have never been able to track down
the exact date. Through all sorts of
challenging conditions, the engine
has never let me down.
Every year, I dutifully service the engine:
however, in those services I had never
inspected the thermostat. So, upon
noticing some rust around the thermostat
housing, I figured it was high time to get
the thermostat out. On its removal, I was
confronted by a very crusty and sorry-
looking affair. Peering down some of the
raw water passages, I noted that about
20% of the openings were blocked with
salt and scale deposits.
This can lead to poor cooling
performance, eventually resulting in Taking out the thermostat
overheating and damage to the engine.
Much Googling followed, as well as
many posts to the beardy, sage and salty
seadogs of the PBO forums – and, as a
result, I discovered Rydlyme. Rydlyme
is a non-toxic, biodegradable solution that
uses some form of chemical wizardry to
remove scale as well as ‘rust, mussels,
barnacles, zebra mussels, tiger shells
and other water-formed deposits’. The removed thermostat Waterways choked with deposits

Figuring out your circuit

What is rydlyme?
The general ideal of this jollop is to mix
it at a ratio of one part Rydlyme to one
part water and then pump it around
your raw water system. Before you
begin, you must remove all your engine
anodes as Rydlyme will gobble them
up. It is, however, perfectly safe on
most other materials, including (but
not limited to) the following:
Most alloys – The rule of thumb is
that if the alloy is designed for use in a
water system (aluminium engine block
etc), which most marine equipment is,
the alloy should be compatible. If in
any doubt, email Rydlyme’s technical
department (www.rydlyme.co.uk). Also:
iron; HDPE; copper; ceramic;
gelcoats; glassfibre; copper nickel;
PVC; steel; Teflon; plastic; titanium;
stainless steel; painted surfaces;
rubber (seals/gaskets).
I sourced the Rydlyme from the
good people at French Marine in
Brightlingsea, who suggested two
litres would be ample to do the job.
Now we have our Rydlyme, we need to
figure out the route we need to pump
this through our engine, and make sure
that the solution reaches every part of
the engine it needs to. The raw water
flowing through our hardy little engine
will take one of two routes. If the engine
is cold, the thermostat will stay closed to
help the engine get up to operating
temperature and the water will flow
through the bypass.
Once the engine temperature rises,
the thermostat will open and close as
required to let the raw water move around
the engine to cool it down (and this is the
area we want to descale the most).
With this in mind, simply taking out the
thermostat and pumping the Rydlyme
through the engine will likely favour the
bypass and not actually flow through our
engine at all, reducing the effectiveness
of the treatment dramatically. The solution
to this, once the thermostat is out, is to
clamp off the bypass hose to force the
liquid through the engine itself. I only had ➜

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 49

 practical

Cooling water using the bypass with the thermostat closed Cooling water flowing through the block with the thermostat open

a standard G-clamp available: however, it ABOVE: Bypass

hose clamped
is advisable to use a proper hose clamp
as that will be less damaging to the hose. The final route
our Rydlyme will
Pump the Rydlyme through take through
the engine
your engine
Now that we have our plan and a method
to prevent our Rydlyme bypassing the
engine entirely, it’s time to set up the
circuit. The Rydlyme is circulated using a
small 12V submersible pump.

n Remove both your engine anodes

(there is one in the head and one in the
block) or else these will get gobbled up
by the Rydlyme.

n Remove your water pump by undoing

the bolt and pivot bolt holding the water
pump on. (Pictured right)
n Remove the impeller from your
water pump by undoing the tiny bolts
on the back-face plate and taking it
out with either an impeller removal tool
or a couple of screwdrivers, being
Undo the bolt and pivot bolt
careful not to damage the housing. Put
the plate back on, making sure that you
replace the bolts in the correct order.
n Take the inlet pipe off the water pump
and attach your hose pipe and little 12V
pump with a Jubilee clip.
Attach the hose and the little 12V pump
n Remove your thermostat. Be very gentle
with the two bolts that hold the housing
on – if you shear them off, you will be in a
world of pain. (This I know at first-hand!)
n Replace the housing without the
thermostat in it.

50 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 descaling
enginean engine
descaling

Pump and return in the bucket, ready to go

The circuit complete and ready to start pumping. You can pop any other bits that need I also dropped my anti-siphon
cleaning (such as your thermostat) into the bucket of Rydlyme and watch them fizz valve into the bucket

n Take the pipe off the top of the
thermostat housing which goes to the
exhaust elbow (or, more likely, the
anti-siphon valve) and put a pipe on here,
with a Jubilee clip, back into your bucket.
n Clamp off the bypass.
n You are all set! Your circuit is complete.
n Next, we mix up our Rydlyme: one part
water to one part Rydlyme. I am informed
that the temperature of the water has no
bearing over the Rydlyme’s effectiveness.
n If you have any other bits (such as
your thermostat) that need cleaning, pop
these into the bucket and watch them
fizz away and clean themselves up. I also
popped my anti-siphon valve in the bucket
as it looked as though it could do with
some TLC.
n Rydlyme suggest one to four hours, so
I ran the solution for two hours one way
through the block, then reversed the
circuit and ran it for two hours back the
other way.
Startling results
The results were startling. All of the
raw water passageways were clear,
and my old, grim and crusty
thermostat, which I had assumed
was beyond any hope of rescue
(I had even purchased a new one
from French Marine), came up as
good as new.
I was now content that my boat’s
raw water passageways would
be in a good condition for my
season ahead. Job done!

n Start pumping, making sure to keep

an eye on your battery levels!

The treated thermostat next to the new one

The thermostat before treatment

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 51

 New Gear
Laura Hodgetts reports on the latest marine products

7in and 10in models

XF607B and 1069B products are 7in and 10.4in colour GPS
chartplotters with integrated AIS receivers (no transmitters on
these units). They cost £915 and £1,145 respectively.
Xinuo electronics
Macduff-based Echomaster Marine has recently been
announced as a distributor to Japanese based Xinuo Standalone plotter
Information Technologies (pronounced ‘zeeno’). Xinuo The XF808 (£739.00) is a
offers a wide selection of low cost marine electronics standalone 8in GPS
including chartplotters (with or without AIS), GPS chartplotter that will also
navigators and marine grade monitors. All chartplotters are accept AIS inputs, although
compatible with C-MAP MAX charting and are supplied with this doesn’t have an
mounting bracket, external GPS antenna and C-MAP local integrated receiver, while
area chart. the XF1069 is a larger,
The 12in GPS chartplotter has a built-in AIS class B 10.4in version of the same
transceiver, three input/output ports and is compatible with thing, waterproof to IP65
NMEA0183. Price: £1,029 ■ www.echomastermarine.co.uk and costs £839.00.

Henri Lloyd New

Energy Buoyancy Aid Deco-Deck WB paint Deco-Deck GTS
Two new paints have Deco-Deck GTS (Gloss Transparent
The new CE-approved Energy Buoyancy
been launched by Solvent-based) is a single-component,
Aid from Henri-Lloyd is designed to reduce
Italian company solvent-resistant transparent paint with
bulk and provide maximum freedom of
Cecchi to offer UVA filters. GTS is claimed to be very
movement. The elasticated side panel and
specialist deck elastic to suit exposed areas of wood
nylon webbing belt/buckle offers a more
protection. and is said to be ideal for handrails,
customised fit, whilst the elasticated
The water-based masts and areas of the deck where
shoulder panel and hem reduce windage.
Deco-Deck WB is a there is a lot of wear. It can be applied
A touch-and-close fastening front pocket
one-component polyurethane elastic on transparent
provides easy
coating, which can be applied to wood, varnish in good
access storage.
glassfibre, metals and previous coatings condition, after
Priced at £49.
such as TBS and Treadmaster. the surface has
■ www.
The white base colour can be been sanded.
henrilloyd.com
coloured with other water-based paints. For extra grip,
If necessary, prepare the surface with users can add
10 10 CFS epoxy system or Nautilus Cecchi’s Antiskid
Epoxy Primer. It can be trodden on from Powder. Deco-
the next day (15-20°C) and is promised Deck GTS has a
to have excellent anti-slip properties. shelf life of about
It can also be covered with Deco-Deck 6-8 months.
GTS or Nautilus Polyurethane Enamel. ■ www.cecchi.it

52 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 NEW GEAR

Gill Thermogrid
mid layer range Verdict
I tested two of the items in Gill’s new These are thermals that
mid layer range: the zip-neck long- don’t look like thermals.
sleeve top and leggings, made from They are really
four-way stretch Thermogrid fabric for comfortable, breathable
‘extreme stretch and warmth’. and easy to layer, or to wear
The fabric’s interior grid-construction on their own as a tracksuit.
is said to enhance compressibility, On a ski trip I wore these
airflow and dry time, while the outer in minus 8°C with just a
layer is smooth for improved layering. T-shirt under my ski
The slim-fit designs are true to size, jacket and felt fine.
very soft and comfortable. They wash The stretchy
well and still look brand new a year bottoms were
later. Details include a soft fabric cover great for loafing
at the top of the zip to avoid chin chafe around in at the
and thumb holes in the sleeves to keep chalet after. The
hands warm. Available in ash grey with Thermogrid mid layers dry
red details, other items in the range quickly, they look good (i.e.
include a jacket and gilet. not like traditional thermals)
The leggings are priced at £45, the zip and are a great fit. Highly
neck jumper at £59. recommended.
■ www.gillmarine.com/gb Drew Hodgetts

5in and 7in models

The XF520 and XF608 Marine GPS
Chartplotters have 5in and 7in displays
respectively. These have a colour
screen, can also display NMEA0183
data, and are waterproof to IP65. They
cost £450 and £635 respectively.

Marine Diesel Basics

This book is said to
be the first visual
guide to marine
diesel systems.
Author Dennison
Berwick promises to
show everything
boaters need to
know to maintain
their diesel system,
winterise, protect Tefal Ingenio stacking cookware
from heat and Pots and pans take up an inordinate clamp handle fits all of them in turn.
humidity, and recommission for trouble- amount of room on board. These Tefal The plastic lids work well and are a
free running. Features include more than Ingenio pans have a detachable secure way to stop spillages when the
300 drawings; 64 maintenance tasks; 66 handle which Tefal says makes them pans are cold. They’re pricey but are
lay-up tasks; 53 recommissioning tasks. It take up 40% less room than regular excellent quality and take up much
covers sailboats, motorboats and pots and pans. The pans also come less space on board than regular
narrowboats; indirect and direct cooled with plastic lids for storage of leftovers. crockery. The glass lids fit well and
diesel engines, as well as saildrives. We tried some. The stainless steel milk have rubberised edges – again good
Published in paperback and ebook and saucepans pans fit inside the for a small boat.
formats, by Voyage Press, Toronto. Priced non-stick frying pan, and a clever Ben Meakins
at £9.99 ■ www.marinedieselbasics.com

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 53

 The Right Choice at the Right Price

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 CRUISING
Fowey
Ali Wood explores
southern Cornwall’s
beauty spot, a harbour
town steeped in history
T
here are few harbours in Britain
where you get a cruise liner
anchoring amongst Cornish gigs,
a Russian ship loading china clay,
and the BBC filming Poldark. Welcome to
Fowey Harbour – where multitasking is all
in a day’s work. Even the harbourmaster
doubles as the pilot, managing to park
150m ships while policing the waters.
This south Cornwall harbour sees 300
ships a year and 7,000 leisure boats, yet
for somewhere so busy, it’s surprisingly
quaint. The town of Fowey on the west
bank is a maze of whitewashed
fishermen’s cottages and narrow streets,
and the estuary beyond a stretch of idyllic
wooden creeks that inspired Kenneth
Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows.
‘There is nothing – absolutely nothing
– half so much worth doing as simply
messing about in boats,’ says Ratty to
56
Fowey
Ha
y
we
Fo
Fowey Lighthouse
LFl.WR.5s
Day Mark 5m
Wk
Gribbin Head
10m
Cannis
Rock
Bell
Mole in chapter one of the beloved
children’s book. Having explored the
Fowey estuary by kayak, I have to say I
agree, so am delighted to see it again with
the harbourmaster, Captain Paul Thomas.
It’s a glorious bank holiday, and it seems
everyone under the age of 10 is out
crabbing off Albert Quay. People complain,
Paul tells me, but he ignores them. ‘It’s
nice to see kids having fun,’ he says. ‘The
crabs spend all day going up and down
but they’ve got choosy about their bait.’
The kids move their buckets aside for us
to climb aboard the launch and a minute
later we’re on the water, motoring towards
the harbour entrance. On the cliff above
Readymoney Cove is the pretty Italianate
villa, Point Neptune. The property belongs
to Dawn French but it has another claim
to fame; the ornate iron gates are referred
to in the famous opening lines of Rebecca
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
rb our
5m
Polruan
White House Lantic
Bay
Lantivet
Bay
10m
5m 10m
Udder Rock
Udder Rock
Bell
Royal Fowey Yacht Club
by Daphne du Maurier. The novelist lived
in the coach house opposite but later
moved to Menabilly on Gribbin Head,
which features in some of her books,
including Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel.
You can walk to Menabilly from
Readymoney Cove, passing St Catherine’s
Castle which marks the entrance to the
harbour. Built as part of Henry VIII’s south
coast defences, the fort was again used
to defend the harbour during World War II.
Before the castle, the harbour was
defended by two blockhouses – one
in Fowey and the other in Polruan – with
a great chain stretched between them,
which would be raised to keep out the
French and Spanish. Fortunately, no
such hazards threaten today’s shipping.
‘There’s nothing to concern a yacht,’
says Paul. ‘Small craft should avoid
entering at half ebb with a gale force
 FOWEY

Golant
Quay 1
1

Pilotage 27
Pen
poll
Cree
k 5
Fowey is accessible at all states of
the tide by day or night. The entrance
and lower harbour can become rough
during ebb tides and strong south- 32 1
7
westerly winds. Berths up river at
Grid Irons, Penmarlam and Wiseman’s
are sheltered from these conditions. Point Neptune from
St CatherineÕs Castle
21' The harbour limit begins between St
Catherine’s Castle and Punches Cross
Quay
and extends 11km up to Lostwithiel.

ch
Moorings
34
' s R ea
In this area, the speed limit is 6 knots.
Enter the harbour on a north-north-
Boats of Fowey
an

easterly course then head north-east Mixtow

em

to the swing ground area off Fowey Mixtow Pill Pilot gig
W is

Town Quay. Wiseman’s Gig rowing has a long tradition in

93 Point
At night, keep in the white sector Fowey. The early pilots used to row
of the Whitehouse light until abeam of 5m the gigs to get out to the ships and
Polruan Castle (by day, you’ll see the 74 the first one there would get the work.
‘red rocket’ below the church tower). China Today, members of the Fowey River
The blue visitor moorings and Clay Works Gig Club complete all around the
pontoon facilities are mostly on the south west in their distinctive red gigs.
east side of the harbour. Arriving
vessels should contact Fowey Harbour
72
Troy
Patrol on VHF Ch12 to arrange a berth. Iso.G.2s These wooden keel boats are identified
Caffa Mill by the letter ‘T’ on the main sail and are
Bodinnick unique to Fowey. The first one was built
67
0 500
in 1929 for the daughter of Sir Charles
1 Hanson of Fowey Hall. The start of the
Berrill’s BY 66
metres 1930 season saw six identical boats on
Fowey Gallants SC 1
Albert the water, which led to the formation of a
5m

Quay class. Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch – a friend

wey

Fowey Tower
4 of du Maurier’s – was Commodore of
S. Fimbarrus Ch
r Fo

2F.R 63 Penleath Pt the Royal Fowey Yacht Club at the time,

Town
and had written novels called Troy. He
Rive

Royal Fowey YC Refuse

0 Quay Barge Pont Pill
50°20'N Radar/CCTV 7 07 was asked for and granted permission
Whitehouse Point 25
Iso.WRG.3s
2FR 22 1
to use the name for the new class.
28 (vert) Swing 3
Buoy RNSA
3 Brawn Pt Fowey River class OD
78
15 Slipway The River class is based on the Yachting
37 Polruan Pool World Knockabout dinghy designed by
Small Craft Mooring
Neptune Pt 76 Town 2F.G Reg Freeman in the late 1940s. The first
Mundy 27
Ca
Quay Shipbuilders Yard boat was built by Hunkins Boatyard at
Rks Po tles
13 lru Polruan for the local dentist. The fleet
Fl.R.2·5s an (ru)
St Catherine’s Pt Pt grew to 15 boats by 1957 and 36 boats
FI.G.5s Polruan
Fowey Lighthouse Lamp Rk by 1965, before almost disappearing.
LFI.WR.5s 74 NCI
Punch Cross However, since the 1990s over 20 new
25 Rocks boats have been built and many older
White house
3 64 (conspic) ones restored, and there is now an
73 Washing active racing fleet and class association.
3 88 Rocks 37
28
5m

27 3
5m

Wk 3
107 49
09 91 PA (Apr-Oct)
91
38' 46
4°38'W

Further afield
Vessels drawing up to 2m can proceed
to Lerryn or Lostwithiel with good local
knowledge (speak with the harbour
office first). As a rule, if you leave Fowey
two hours before a high water of more
than 4.5m, you should reach Lerryn
or Lostwithiel before high water. Blockhouse at Polruan
Fowey River class one designs
➜

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 57

 CRUISING
cruising
southerly wind – you’ll find a standing sea
which could be tricky, but apart from that
there are no nasties, and there’s a sector
light to guide you in.’
Out in the bay, a race is going on –
there are maybe 50 yachts of various
sizes, including the locally-built Troys.
Fowey has always been a busy port.
From pre-Roman times until the 13th
century, ships would visit to trade for the
tin that was panned throughout Cornwall.
It was also a key location for smuggling.
‘You can still see the metal stakes driven
into the cliffs, which they used escape the
revenue men,’ says Paul.
England became involved in a series of
wars from 1739 onwards, and ships would
regularly come in to ‘press’ men for the
Navy. By the 19th century, the harbour
was crowded with all sorts of ships, from
men of war and East Indiamen to privateers
and brigs supplying Nelson’s squadrons.
In World War II, the docks were rebuilt so
Fowey could serve as a base for the Air
Sea Rescue service and a departure point
for American Forces on D-Day.
We head back along the eastern side
of the harbour, passing Punches Cross,
a white wooden cross on the rocks. ‘Up
at the top you can see the ruins of a
monastery,’ says Paul. ‘There are lots of
theories about the cross, but I believe the
monks put it there to mark the harbour
Readymoney Cove from the sea
Things to do
Explore the Fowey Estuary the way
people used to – by boat. Hire a kayak
at Encounter Cornwall in Golant, or take
the tender upriver as far as Lostwithiel,
stopping en route for coffee and cake
in the delightful village of Lerryn.
Fowey museum is small but excellent,
and has lots of local maritime history.
Readymoney Cove is a beautiful place
for a swim and rockpooling. Walk the
coastal path to Polridmouth – another
58
The visitor pontoon near Bodinnick
limits so they could collect their dues.’
Near the cross, Paul points out a lateral
mark that indicates Lamp Rock. If you
find yourself this side of the channel,
don’t hug it too closely, he advises,
as the rock extends further underwater.
Tucked behind Polruan blockhouse are
two pretty beaches, known locally as boys’
cove and girls’ cove. The kids from the
Kayakers in the harbour
beautiful beach and the site of
Readymoney Cottage, the inspiration
for the Boathouse in Rebecca.
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
school at Polruan used to swim here, but
for decorum’s sake had separate coves.
You can still swim here today, but if you’re
not arriving by boat you have to scramble
over the rocks from the blockhouse.
Polruan school children still consider it
a rite of passage to swim in the harbour.
Before they go to secondary school,
they take part in an organised swim from
Enjoy afternoon tea in the gardens
of the Fowey Hotel where Daphne du
Maurier met with her mentor Sir Arthur
Quiller-Couch. Here, you can also see
the letters Kenneth Grahame wrote to
his young son, which later gave him
the idea for The Wind in the Willows.
Walk the ‘Hall Walk’ – a spectacular
four-mile circular walk through
woodland around Pont Creek, which
uses Bodinnick and Polruan ferries.
Garden lovers should visit the Eden
Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Charlestown is like stepping back
in time. It’s also the setting for
18th-century Truro in BBC’s Poldark.
The Shipwreck Museum is excellent.
Mevagissey is utterly charming –
wander around, get fish and chips
and go crabbing. In the summer, you
can catch the ferry there from Fowey.
The National Trust house and
gardens are Lanhydrock are great.
On the South West Coast Path you
can visit the daymark on top of Gribbin
Head. This is open to the public on
selected dates throughout the year.
See www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
Guided walks run from Fowey on
Tuesday (meet Fowey Town Quay)
and Polruan on Thursday (meet
on the Coal Wharf), both at 11am,
£5 adults, £2 children.
n www.foweyheritage.co.uk

Polruan to Fowey. ‘There’s not a lot of
love lost between Polruan and Fowey,’
Paul says. ‘Polruaners say Fowey is the
money side and they’re the sunny side,
and Fowey folk call Polruan Little Russia
as it can be very cold in the mornings.’
We head past a row of blue visitor
moorings towards Pont Pill, where
you find visitor pontoons 1 and 2. The
Swinging Ground at the entrance to the
creek is where they turn the big ships.
Occasionally, Paul will find a visiting yacht
anchored here and have to wake the
skipper at dawn. ‘We don’t encourage
people to anchor in the harbour; they
tend to go in inconvenient places,’ says
Paul. ‘The spot might seem sensible,
but we’ll have left it clear to swing a ship.’
That said, Paul agrees there are nice
places for a bilge-keeler to anchor upriver
towards Lerryn and Lostwithiel. Just talk
to the harbour office first, as there are
salmon fishing nets and it’s useful to
know the channel and how it moves.
We continue up the estuary past
Bodinnick where Paul points out Ferryside,
the house that used to belong to Daphne
du Maurier’s family. Her son Kits now lives
there, and waves to us from his garden.
The cottage is built into the cliffs and
only has three walls. It was here that
Daphne du Maurier wrote her first novel,
The Loving Spirit, though she never lived
in the house. Instead, she stayed with
her housekeeper on the other side of
the river, it being considered incorrect in
those days for a young lady to live alone.
On the western bank on the river is the
new self-service fuel pontoon. Just ahead
of that, by the swinging ground, are two
large wharves where the ships load the
china clay. The cargo is brought here by
rail and by a private haul road linking to
the operations in Par. A little-known fact,
Paul tells me, is that the Queen uses that
stretch of railway on the Royal Train. ‘It’s
a beautiful railway. They’d stop the clay
trains, and she’d park up on the river St
Winnow for her breakfast.’
Wiseman’s Reach is the limit of the
lower estuary, but before we head back
Doorways through St Catherine’s Castle
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
Anchorages
Anchoring is prohibited in or near the main navigational fairway or swing ground.
Areas clear of moorings in the upper estuary or in Pont Pill may be used but must
be attended at all times. Seek guidance first from the harbour office. Harbour dues
for anchoring vessels are the same for those using a mooring.
C Toms & Son Boatyard in Polruan
Berthing
PoLruan PooL
Blue swinging moorings available for
vessels up to 15m. Vessels over this
will be directed to yellow moorings
marked V2 to V5. Orange SBM
moorings are for smaller dayboats.
PoLruan PonToon
Shore-linked pontoon, short stay only
(two hours) for vessels on outside,
some tidal restrictions apply.
PonT PiLL
Unattended vessels will be asked to
use the blue fore and aft moorings
where possible. Pontoons 1 and 2
suitable for all vessels.
underhiLLs
Pontoons 3, 4 and 5 are suitable
for all types of vessels.
BerriLL’s Yard
Shore-linked pontoon is short
stay only between 0800 and 1800
(two hours) for vessels on outside.
Overnight stay chargeable.
aLBerT QuaY
Shore-linked pontoon short stay only
two hours) for vessels on outside.
Grid irons
Visitor berths on outside (west) only.
PenMarLaM (MixTow)
Shore-linked pontoon, visitors south
side only. Showers, toilets and café.
wiseMan’s reach
Three blue swing moorings available.
GoLanT, LerrYn and
LosTwiThieL
Some drying berths or anchorages
are available but please check first
with the harbour office.
FOWEY
Trailer parking
Available at Caffa Mill and Old
Station Yard car parks in Fowey
and at Penmarlam Boat Park.
Launching facility
Public facility at Caffa Mill in Fowey
(harbour dues payable to Fowey
Harbour). Fowey Harbour also
operates a private launch facility
at Penmarlam with casual access
and payment at the entrance barrier.
Facilities
Harbour office Open 0900-1700
weekdays and 0900-1300 Saturdays
in the summer. Tel: 01726 832471.
Freshwater At Albert Quay, Berrill’s
Yard and Penmarlam Pontoons.
Fuel Diesel pay-at-pump pontoon
upstream of Bodinnick car ferry.
Diesel and petrol also available from
C Toms & Son Boatyard in Polruan.
Showers Fowey Gallants Sailing
Club, Royal Fowey Yacht Club,
C Toms & Son Boatyard and
Penmarlam Boat Park.
Laundry C Toms & Son Boatyard.
Waste and recycling Facilities on
most visitor pontoons with a central
collection point on a pontoon in the
entrance to Pont Pill.
Sewage Pump-out facility available
at Berrill’s Yard pontoon.
Weather forecasts Posted daily in
harbour office, and refer to Polruan
National Coastwatch Institution (NCI).
Water taxi Contact Fowey Water
Taxi on VHF Ch6 or 07774 906730.
Tourist Information Located by
the church. Tel: 01726 833616.
Web: www.fowey.co.uk.
Marine services
Mixtow Marine Indoor boat storage,
launching and recovery, chandlery
and repairs. Based at Penmarlam
Boat Park. Tel: 01726 870954.
C Toms & Son Boatyard
Boatbuilding, repairs, slipway, winter
storage, chandlery, fuel, showers.
Tel: 01726 870232.
Fowey Harbour Marine Engineers
Mobile repairs. Tel: 01726 832806.
SAL Marine Services FHC-approved
divers. Tel: 01726 844749.
Yacht clubs
Fowey Gallants Sailing Club
www.foweygallantssc.co.uk
Royal Fowey Yacht Club
www.rfyc-fowey.org.uk
➜
59
 CRUISING
cruising
towards Albert Quay, Paul shows me
Penmarlam pontoon, a peaceful shore-
linked pontoon in Mixtow, which is very
sheltered and has showers and toilets.
‘The café here is an absolute sunspot,’
he says. ‘You can have a drink or a meal
here, or walk the dog across the fields
to the pub at Bodinnick, and not worry
too much about other people.’
Just outside of Mixtow Pill on the river
is visitor pontoon number 6, known as
the Grid Irons. It’s also a sheltered place
to moor, with a footpath from the shore
into Bodinnick (though you’ll need your
tender or a water taxi to get ashore).
As we return to Albert Quay, I find myself
chuckling at Paul’s stories. There was the
occasion his colleague had to twice stop
a beautiful woman from skinny-dipping
off pontoon number 5 (it’s too dangerous
to swim in the river, other than at
Readymoney Cove or the beach off the
Families at Albert Quay
Esplanade). Another time, during the
filming of Poldark, he noticed they’d
chopped the blade off the paddle
belonging to the actor Aiden Turner
to make it easier for him!
Even today, the BBC is out filming. This
time it’s for the antiques show Flog It!
There’s a scene about boatbuilding at
Peter William’s yard and later, Paul tells
me they’ll be filming presenter Paul Martin
rowing with the Fowey River Gig Club.
Presumably, this is a busy day for Paul,
but he shakes his head. Today is quiet.
Tomorrow he’s expecting the Silver
Whisper, a 140m cruise ship on her
circumnavigation of Britain. ‘She looks
absolutely stunning when she’s in port.
She’ll drop two anchors, then some
passengers will go ashore to Fowey, while
others will be bussed to the Eden Project.’
It’s clear Paul is fond of every vessel he
welcomes into Fowey, whether a rowing
boat or a ship. In fact, he says the leisure
side is increasingly important. ‘You never
know how long the commercial side
is going to last. The shipping is almost
exclusively to do with the clay, and we’re
working hard to find different cargoes to
bring through.’
Fortunately, the leisure side shows no
sign of slowing. With its historic villages,
tranquil moorings and romantic creeks,
Fowey Harbour really is a special place.
Where else can you watch Poldark,
be inspired by Daphne du Maurier and
eat breakfast downriver of the Queen?
60
Mevagissey is easily visited by ferry from Fowey
The Fowey Estuary
Nestled within an Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty, the Fowey Estuary
has a wide variety of habitats and
species. The seagrass beds in Polruan
Pool are a nursery area for fish, and
the rocky shore near Readymoney
Cove is a delight for rockpooling at
low tide. Crabbing is permitted on
the shore-linked pontoons (please
ensure you put plenty of seawater in
your buckets and refresh it regularly
as the crabs quickly use up oxygen
in the water).
Migratory fish including salmon
and sea trout travel through the
estuary to spawn upstream in the
freshwaters of the River Fowey.
The estuary is also a bass nursery
area. Dolphins, otters and seals
are common sightings, and if you’re
a birdwatcher, keep an eye out for
kingfishers, herons, egrets, dunlin,
shelduck and if you’re lucky, you might
even spot an osprey. Log your wildlife
sightings online at www.orks.org.uk.
Readymoney Cove’s rocky shore is
a delight for rockpooling at low tide
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
Why we love Fowey
Helen Luther
is curator of the
Fowey Museum
I was very little when
I met Daphne du
Maurier. She was my
brother’s godmother.
I remember going to Menabilly and
playing on Iggy, her husband Tommy’s
boat. After reading The Loving Spirit,
he sailed up and down the coast to
meet this new author! Daphne wrote
messages to my dad, who was her
doctor and friend. They’re in books
that are now on display at the museum.
Anne Willmore (below, left) runs
the local bookshop Bookends
I came for a day specifically because
I was obsessed with Daphne du
Maurier. It wasn’t
enough – I kept
coming back and
eventually just
moved here.
Lynn Gould (right)
is a Blue Badge guide
There’s something about Fowey that
gets you. Walking the countryside that
Daphne du Maurier talks about, you’ll
finding it unchanged because it not
accessed by motorcar. Pridmouth
is exactly as she knew it in the 1930s.
Paul Thomas is the harbourmaster
When the previous harbourmaster
retired, I held the fort. That was six
years ago and I’m still here! The deal
was that I still get to do the piloting,
which I love. Basically I park the ships
– that’s what I tell my mum – and then
I take them out to sea, get on the pilot
boat and come back in. I like the mix
of commercial and
leisure. It’s nice to
see a china clay
ship picking its
way through a fleet
of racing yachts.
 PRACTICAL ROUNDING THE BILGES

Fairing the curves

Casting a critical eye over the project boat’s lines, David Pugh and
Ben Meakins set to work filling and fairing to make the hull smooth

L
ast month, we explained how
we built up the chine panels
on our project Secret 20 using
cedar strip and epoxy. Aided by
a little filler, this approach got us most
of the way to completing the required
curve, but they still needed fairing to
get them to their final shape.
Other areas which still needed careful
shaping were the angle between the keel
and the bottom hull panels, the stem and
the transition between the 6mm midships
hull panels and the 4mm bow panels.
Additionally, the entire hull needed
checking for high and low spots, and
fairing as required. Fairing is one of those
jobs that can go on for ever, with endless
rounds of filler and interminable sanding –
and, to coin a phrase, you reach the ‘sod
it and move on’ stage. We’re not quite
there yet – there are a few more rounds of
filler to go – but it’s not far off!
How to spot highs and lows
By far the best tool for spotting
irregularities is a critical eye. Get down low
to the surface you’re examining and look
at it from every angle and you’ll spot
problems that evade a simple glance.
Hands work well too: when you’re
Longboards made short work of fairing
sanding, run a hand over your work
regularly to find small bumps and hollows.
There are ways you can help your eyes,
however. The instructions which come
with the boat kit suggest drawing a grid
over the whole boat before using a
longboard (sandpaper attached to –
you’ve guessed it – a long board) to give
the hull an initial sand. The board will
bridge across any high points, removing
the grid, while leaving the marks
untouched in any hollows.
Mike Pickles, foreman at Harbour
Marine Services in Southwold and regular
author of our ‘View from the Boatyard’
column, recommends simply scribbling
over the area to be faired before
using the longboard.

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 61

 practical
A laser level shone obliquely showed up
any lumps or depressions on the hull skin
Shaping
the chines
A set of templates had got us close to
the shape we needed, but there were
still some areas which needed
attention. Approximately half way
along the chine were some large flat
spots owing to there being insufficient
timber to completely build the curve,
and a few other errors were apparent
in other areas where we had been too
enthusiastic with the plane.
A random-orbit sander sped up the
fairing of the chines
Rather than adding more timber, we
decided that the shape was close
enough to allow us to make up the
difference with fairing filler. We used
WEST SYSTEM low density
microballoon blend in a stiff mix of
epoxy to build up a layer of filler on
the areas in question. After letting it
cure for 24 hours we sanded it back,
first using a random orbital sander to
remove obvious high points, followed
by longboards and sandpaper pulled
like a strap across the chine.
This was mostly successful, but we
needed a further two applications of
filler on the largest flat area. Building
up smooth layers of epoxy is not easy
– if you make the mix stiff enough to
support thick layers of 10mm or more
then you risk a rough surface and
voids in the filler. A less stiff mix gives
a better finish, but you then need to
build up layers and ensure the
previous layer is clean and keyed to
ensure good adhesion.
62
It’s the same idea, but easier than drawing
a grid on the hull skin.
Another technique we found useful was
a laser level. These project a long, straight
line which when shone onto an irregular
surface shows any lumps and bumps
quite well. We found it works best when
the laser is angled obliquely to the
surface. A lower tech method is to use
strips of tape, which just like the camber
stripe on a sail help to show if a curve is Masking tape stuck over the chines
fair or not. showed up any hollows or flats
Smoothing the panels
A longboard
(sometimes known as
a torture board!) was
painful but effective
Beyond general fairing, there were three As they were small it had proved
main areas on the boat which needed impossible to make them continue the
special attention. The first is the transition gentle bend of the bottom panels, so we
from the midships bottom panels, which glued them in place and used a plane to
are 6mm ply, to the 4mm ply bow panels. remove any high spots. As they were
This results in a 2mm step. mostly too high at the edges, we didn’t
We removed the majority of the difference need much filler.
by using a long plane to taper the 6mm The third and final area was at the bow,
ply over a distance of around 40cm, where the bow panels meet the stem. The
before filling any hollows with fairing filler. ply had scalloped quite badly here where
The 4mm ply tends to scallop slightly we had used screws to pull it into shape,
around the fixings, so filler is inevitable. so we cautiously planed the top of the
Further aft, we had used two small 6mm bumps, taking care not to go through
panels to fill the gap between the more than one laminate of plywood, and
midships panels and the aft bottom panel. filled the hollows.
A longboard showed
up areas that needed
extra filling
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

Keel to hull joint
We used a piping bag
to pipe in a long fillet
to secure and fair in
the keel battens
The kit provides two long mouldings to
ease the gap between the keel and hull.
We first dry-fitted them, pulling them into
place with long screws to check the fit
before removing them and gluing them
back into place with epoxy.
The mouldings provide most of the
required curve, but as they don’t taper to a
feather edge there’s some work required
to fair them into the hull and keel on either
side.
We found this was best done in two
stages. The first was to make a tapered
fillet on either side, for which the square
Shaping the stem
This was possibly one of the most
satisfying jobs on the boat so far. The
stem, running down to meet the keel, had
been left square while building the hull, so
the challenge was to shape it to provide a
pleasing angle between the two sides of
the hull. It also needed to be left square at
the top in order to accept the bowsprit
stemhead fitting.
We started by deciding the point at which
the square would begin to taper, then set
to work planing. Using a long plane
helped us to follow the angles set by the
bow panels and did most of the work low
down on the stem and along the forefoot,
where we wanted a rounded shape
between the two. We used the plane to
A long plane to transfer the hull angle to stem
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
rounding the bilges
A filleting stick smoothed the seam well
end of a filleting stick proved ideal. The
angle was still too steep, however, so we
used the back edge of a putty knife to A mess of epoxy faired front of the keel...
form a curved transition on both sides
using fairing filler.
The final shape to make was the lead
into these mouldings at the forward edge
of the keel. We did this using more epoxy
and fairing filler, formed to shape as best
we could when wet. We then finally shaped
it using sandpaper in a roll to ensure the
correct concave shape. The same
technique was used to fair the fillets we
had applied along the length of the keel. ...which could then be sanded smooth
Conclusion
Fairing’s an odd sort of job, with much of
what you do making the boat look worse
rather than better as it starts to resemble a
patchwork quilt. However, running your
hand over the result is certainly rewarding
as you feel a smooth, blemish-free surface
beneath.
The most satisfying job by far, though,
We used a spokeshave cut a ‘stopped was planing the stem. Suddenly this rather
arris’ on the stem agricultural, square timber took on new life
as a shapely bow ready to carve its way
take the timber to a point, before rounding through the water. It’s improved the
it off using a block plane and sandpaper. aesthetics of the bow immensely, and
Further up the stem we had to be more is a reminder of what this boat’s
circumspect, so started off by carving a meant to do – sail.
45° angle into the stem using a
spokeshave. After continuing this a few
inches down the stem, we drew a line
from this to an estimated waterline and
tapered the timber between the two points
to match using a plane.
Once we had the shape we needed, we
sanded the whole area to remove any
irregularities, easing any sharp corners as
we went to improve paint adhesion later
on. We also glued timber fillets in place at
the top of the stem to make it wider, ready
to acept the stemhead fitting.
63
 Special

Scotland’s
Boat Show
Friday 13 October to Sunday 15 October 2017

Bigger and better: expansion sees new

layout for the UKÕs third-largest boat show

N
ow in its 31st year, Scotland’s
Boat Show is getting bigger
and better. Two key changes to
layout this year are designed to
expand on the success of last
year’s ‘Get On The Water’ theme and to
encourage more people to get involved in
boats and boating for the first time.
As the largest event of its kind in
Scotland and the largest brokerage show
in the UK, Scotland’s Boat Show 2017 has
a record numbers of new exhibitors and a
line-up of features and entertainment that
will draw thousands of visitors to Kip
Marina and Inverclyde.
MAIN and LEFT: boats
galore at Scotland’s
Expert advice Boat Show
The first change sees Riverside
Inverclyde’s ‘Get On The Water’ pavilion
expand to accommodate the new Sika Free taster sessions wheelyboat ‘Discovery’, sailing taster
Marine Stage and Theatre – the venue for The other major layout change sees the sessions will be available in the accessible
free presentations and lectures in creation of a bigger ‘on water’ area for the Hansa 303 dinghies, while Able2sail, who
association with Practical Boat Owner. RYA Scotland Free Taster Sessions which offer voyages for individuals who are both
On offer will be a series of themes allow visitors to try yachts, motor yachts, able-bodied or have disabilities, will have
ranging from expert advice on buying a RIBs, dinghies and paddle boards in the their yacht open for visitors – as will
second-hand boat to the Met Office safe environment of Kip Marina. Ocean Youth Trust Scotland.
explaining how to cope with heavy weather, With more than 350 visitors taking part in
and tips on how to inspect your ropes. the sessions last year, the bigger sailing Bargain boats
Also on hand in the pavilion will be area, together with RYA Scotland’s new Record numbers of high quality pre-
representatives from various owners’ online booking service, aims to owned boats are predicted by Roseann
associations and manufacturers who can significantly increase the number of Sweeney of brokers Michael Schmidt &
advise on how to start getting involved in participants in taster sessions across all Partners. ‘We’ll have the UK’s largest
every type water sport from sailing to age groups and abilities. display of used boats in one place at
powerboats, RIBs, jetskis, paddleboards, For mobility-impaired visitors, Clyde Scotland’s Boat Show this year,’ she said.
canoes or even model boats. Muirshiel will again be featuring the The show is a great place to see vessels
Photos: Scotland’s Boat Show

There’ll be plenty of thrills at the show Take the opportunity to try dinghy sailing for the first time

64 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk


Scotland’s Boat
Show 2017
Where: Kip Marina, Inverkip,
Inverclyde
admission: FREE
car parking: £5 per vehicle.
For more information visit
www.scotlandsboatshow.co.uk
or call 01475 521485.
of all shapes, sizes and prices, as last
year’s guest speaker, sailing blogger and
PBO contributor Dylan Winter summed
up: ‘It’s such a great boat show because
there are boats here that I could afford.
‘There’s a boat for £3,100 and a Centaur
for £8,500 – I bet I could offer him £6,000
and he’d consider it. And I like the fact that
it’s free to everyone.’
Welcome aboard
Another new visitor is the 60ft Clipper
Round The World race yacht Taeping,
which will be welcoming visitors
throughout the show for those wishing a
closer view of this magnificent boat and to
find out how you can join in one of its
future voyages.
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
Free technical and seamanship advice
Sika Marine Stage in association
with Practical Boat Owner
Friday 13 OctOBer
11.00am - 11.45am
reached the end of your tether?
David Mossman of Marlow Ropes
shows how to inspect your lines and
explains the key six signs of wear and
tear to look out for. David is a former
professional sailor, experienced in rope
design, development and testing.
12.00pm - 12.45pm
Making light of heavy weather
Met Office meteorologist Penny Tranter
shares her knowledge of planning,
preparing and reacting to weather on
the water, crucial to your decision
making, safety and enjoyment.
1.00pm - 1.45pm
Practical demonstration of
window bonding
Sika’s technical services expert
Gareth Ross shows how to bond
plastic windows, including cleaning,
priming, and adhesive selection,
plus the do’s and don’ts.
2.00pm - 2.45pm
Wild call – sailing around Scotland
Suffocated by a lack of freedom in
modern life, Martyn Murray sought an
alternative. Falling in love with an old
ketch in Ireland, he bought and restored
her enough to sail back to Scotland,
where he spent two summers cruising
the Western Isles.
Saturday 14 OctOBer
11.00am - 11.45am
Making light of heavy weather
Met Office meteorologist Penny Tranter
shares her knowledge of planning,
preparing and reacting to weather on
the water, crucial to your decision
making and the safety and enjoyment
of your time on your boat.
12.00 - 12.45pm
demonstration of window bonding
Sika’s technical services expert
Gareth Ross shows how to bond
plastic windows, including cleaning,
priming, and adhesive selection,
plus the do’s and don’ts.
1.00pm -1.45pm
Boat survey step by step.
PBO expert Colin Brown, of CB Marine
Services, reveals what a second-hand
boat survey actually does, what it can’t
do, and discusses common corrosion
problems on board.
Boat show special
2.00pm - 2.45pm
Marine invasive species
Sarah Brown of Clyde Marine Planning
Partnership and C2W Consulting gives
an insight into the battle to keep Scottish
waters free from invasive species – and
explains what you can do to help.
3.00pm - 3.45pm
Boat insurance tips
Topsail Insurance MD Rob Stevens
gives an entertaining and informative
talk on boat insurance tips and facts,
revealing situations where you think
you are insured – but might not be.
4.00pm - 4.45pm
cruising with a family pet
Cruising Association member Derek
Lumb reveals the practicalities of
sailing with a seadog.
5.00pm - 5.45pm
Sailing in the Baltic
Cruising Association member Colin
Wilson shares his experiences of sailing
in the Baltic.
Sunday 15 OctOBer
10.00am - 1.00pm
the cruising association Seminar
Half-hour talks on subjects such as
sailing in the Baltic, sailing with a dog on
board and insurance tips plus a
demonstration of the association’s great
app – CAptain’s Mate. Plus a chance to
win £3,000 worth of standing rigging
from Sta-Lok. Visit www.theca.org.uk to
apply for seminar tickets.
1.15pm - 2.00pm
Making light of heavy weather
Met Office meteorologist Penny Tranter
shares her knowledge of planning,
preparing and reacting to weather on
the water, crucial to your decision
making, safety and enjoyment.
2.15pm - 3.00pm
Boat survey step by step
PBO expert Colin Brown, of CB Marine
Services, reveals what a second-hand
boat survey actually does, what it can’t
do, and discusses common corrosion
problems on board.
3.15pm - 4.00pm
Marine invasive species
Sarah Brown of Clyde Marine Planning
Partnership and C2W Consulting gives
an insight into the battle to keep Scottish
waters free from invasive species – and
explains what you can do to help.
65
PRACTICAL

I
f you’ve ever been on a sea survival
course in open water your instructor
might have played a trick on you –
it’s called the crisp packet test.
They like doing this for some reason
and it involves allowing you to freeze in
the water for a while before you’re invited
back on board.
‘You look hungry,’ they caringly say
as they throw you a packet of
crisps. They then seem to find it
very amusing as you try to Step
open the packet.
You can’t, of course, because by
your hands are cold and you
have the apparent dexterity of a step
seal wearing mittens.
This seemingly trivial trick serves a
serious and highly useful purpose, of

Fitting a fold-away
course, in demonstrating beyond doubt
how quickly you can become victim to the
effects of cold-water immersion. You might
be in the water by choice – you might not –
but you won’t need much convincing after
the crisp packet test about the need to be
able to get yourself back on board with an
easily deployed ladder.
boarding ladder
Boarding ladders are obviously fitted for
convenience too, for stepping out of a
tender or getting back on board after a
Having a decent boarding ladder is handy
snorkel round the rocks or when checking
the prop.
for convenience but is also a very useful
However they should also be considered safety device. David Parker shows how to
for safety reasons, particularly with the
high freeboard on many modern yachts. fit a compact design under a swim platform
Even if you weren’t wet and weak from
being in the water it would be pretty tricky
to haul yourself back on board without
some aid. In fact they made a whole film consider this: perceived wisdom is that be at least two or three rungs below the
about it called Adrift. A group of friends when boarding from the water the bottom surface: that way if the boat rolls away or
goes for a weekend cruise on a new yacht. rung of the ladder should be at least a foot the transom suddenly pitches you can still
They jump in the water for a swim... but below water level – but in reality this is not get on the ladder. My previous ladder was
nobody thought to lower the ladder to enough. If you’re cold fitted on top of the
re-board the ship. I won't spoil the ending, and weakened, swim platform on my
but did you ever imagine a boarding hauling yourself up motorboat and
ladder could be a Hollywood villain? onto this first rung can swivelled down into
Even if you already have a decent, be very difficult. I the water. The swim
permanently installed boarding ladder, reckon there should platform itself is great
and if you have a
keel-hung rudder and
transom space a
short platform can
Telescopic fold-away ladder also be very handy –
fitted to swim platform
particularly when
boarding from a
tender, or for use as a tool shelf if you’ve
gone over the side to give the hull a scrub.
Although this ladder looked fine, when
you came to use it, it was too short and you
My old boarding needed a rope to haul yourself out.
ladder was a So I decided to fit a different one
swivel down altogether, which fits under the platform
arrangement
and can be deployed easily from the water
but only had
two steps: when when needed. Ideally this fold-away type
deployed it was would be fitted with the boat out of the
too short and water. But a haul-out just for that would be
you had to rig a
expensive and where’s the fun in it
rope to help pull
yourself out of anyway? In the end I fitted it with the boat
the water afloat and fortunately all went according to
plan. Here’s how I did it.

66 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 BOARDING LADDERS

This is the
1 new
boarding ladder
I decided to fit
to my boat. It’s
designed to be
attached under
the swim platform
and has four
telescopic steps The swim platform measures
which fold away
2 approximately 46in (1.18m) wide and
inside the main is 15¾in (400mm) deep. With the old
stainless steel ladder removed I thoroughly cleaned up
frame. the platform for accurate marking up.

This shows the ladder extended. When deployed in the water it will drop down 45in When extended, the ladder swivels
3 (1.15m). To avoid confusion during reassembly, I used tape to mark up the orientation
4 down on a pair of nuts and bolts set
of the treads, frame and the pivot point. inside a long slot running along the frame.

Test first with templates

Ladder steps are angled and fitted
5 with a plastic tread to help grip. Tube
section diameters reduce to fit inside one
another, and care must be taken to ensure
the telescopic action works smoothly.
Separating the main component parts
6 was simple. The two pivot bolts fitted
with plastic bearing washers and Nyloc
nuts were removed so the ladder part and
the frame could be fitted separately.
This was one of those
onboard installation jobs
where I decided that it would
be time well spent to make
up a couple of simple
templates to help me
visualise how the ladder
frame would sit, particularly
in relation to the angle of the
transom and the clearance
required under the swim
platform frame.
Plywood templates were
made up to replicate the
frame top and sides. Templates replicate the shape of the fixing frame
These included the frame’s
pre-drilled fixing points so by using these other two would fall in unsuitable positions
I’d be able to see clearly how things would on the swim platform. Holes for M6 nuts
best line up. and bolts too close to the edge of the
In fact once on the boat the templates timber slats would make them vulnerable
showed that although two of the pre- to splitting away.
drilled frame holes would line up well, the The most practical solution, then,
would be to
drill new holes
in the frame
itself to provide
alternative fixing
points each
side – and of
course I could
do this in
the workshop
The fixing holes could be marked up on the plywood template at home.

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 67

PRACTICAL

When the centre position was

8 established the next job was to
determine where the fixing holes would fall
The ladder would be installed under in relation to the wooden strips. The When the fixing points were marked
7 the platform but the fixing points forward hole would be OK, but note the
9 up, I drew a line through them to join
could be marked out from the top. one with the pencil in it is the one that falls up the circles. I’ve drawn a centreline
The first job was to centre the too close to the edge of the slat (see through the holes which gives greater
frame exactly mid-way along ‘Test first with templates’ on the accuracy before drilling – it’s rather too
the platform and make sure Step previous page). easy for a drill to wander around a marked
it sat square. circle, increasing the margin of error.
by
Using afromosia step I next drilled
10 hardwood I cut two
12 pilot holes
60mm x 30mm wooden support for the frame
backing mounts measuring 365mm long. fixing points. It’s
These mounts would be attached important to
underneath the platform, bolted through ensure accurate
the slats, and then the ladder frame be drilling at this
attached to them. stage with the
This would drill bit at 90° to
strengthen the the slats to
installation, spread Centre marks were drawn on the end ensure all the
loading and give
11 of each mounting piece and these fixings and
clearance under were lined up with the lines running components
the platform frame through the fixing points for each side of will line up
for the ladder to be the frame. The edges of each wooden during assembly
extended. mount were then drawn onto the platform. later on.

With the wooden mounts placed
13 back between their marks on the top
of the platform, I used the point of a thin
steel scribe to push up through the slats
from beneath to pinpoint the position of the
holes that’ll need to be drilled.
Three fixing holes for each side of the
14 frame can then be drilled through the
platform to the size of the nuts and bolts –
in this case M6 threads. Leave one hole
undrilled (you’ll see why later).The holes
are countersunk for the slot head bolts.
With one hole drilled through the
15 mount using one of the previously
scribed marks, the mount can then be
bolted in position through the appropriate
hole in the slat above.

A pair of
18 these 12
gauge screws
will now hold the
wooden mounts
in position
underneath the
platform when
the nuts and
Now, however, the nuts need to be bolts are
17 removed to fit the frame. But what will removed. The
Once bolted in position, the other stop the timber mounts from falling off? bolts can also be
16 holes can then be drilled through This is where the remaining hole can be cut to length at
from the top of the platform. So now each used and a further hole drilled which is big this stage with a
wooden mount is secured by three bolts. enough for a 50mm long retaining screw. junior hacksaw.

68 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 BOARDING LADDERS

With the frame securely fitted, the

19 As the frame goes on the wooden
mounts so do the nuts and bolts
which help secure everything in place.
Note the lanyard tied to the frame at the
back of the picture. This was a moment
when you didn’t want any slip-ups.
20 The holding screw can now be
removed and in its place the last hole
for the final fixing point can be drilled right
through the platform, the mount and the
frame itself. The nut and bolt on the left
shows a length before it is trimmed.
21
telescopic section can be fitted inside
it. For this part of the job my tender was
brought alongside so I could work from it
to get right under the platform. Wash from
passing boats meant it needed to be tied
on securely.

The two pivot

22
bolts were
fitted either side of
the frame through
the top tubes of
the ladder. Nyloc
nuts require a
spanner/socket
each side for
tightening and I
would need both
hands. Therefore
one side of the
ladder was held in
place with a Check the ladder extends and
temporary nut
23 rotates down easily without snagging
Ladder
and bolt which on any fixings – this is why I cut the
specifications
could be overlong bolts to length. Nyloc nuts and
Various types of telescopic and done up pivot bolts must be done up securely –
swivelling ladders are available for finger tight. but not overtightened because this will
swim platforms. the example stiffen the sliding action of the ladder.
featured here is a four-step plastimo
design, model number 57036.
The frame dimensions are: overall width 303mm, Having a comfortable
frames sides width 78mm and the overall depth ladder makes giving the
318mm. The tread widths are 254mm to the boat a bottom scrape a lot
outside of the tube and the extended easier. in poor visibility,
ladder length is 1.150m. the extra length also
makes it much easier to
see when swimming back
to it from under the boat…
it doesn’t make the water
any warmer though!

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 69

PRACTICAL

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

Boarding ladders
This is a bow ladder.
Boarding ladders come in all sorts of The steps can be
adjusted so they remain
styles, sizes and prices. David Parker horizontal to suit the
most convenient
inclination of the ladder
advises what you should look out for

B
oarding ladders can be
portable, fixed, hung on the
transom, a swim platform or
have a V-bracket for use on the bow.
I think a decent fixed ladder is far
superior because it is always there. The
hook-over crooks on some portable
versions can be very prone to
slipping but anything of
course, even an
emergency drop down
ladder is better than
nothing.
Some emergency When buying, check welds,
ladders can be rivets and hinges for rough
awkward to use at the edges. Stainless steel or
Monel rivets are better than
best of times and alloy rivets which can be Aesthetics may
perhaps impossible if vulnerable to affect your choice
your strength is ebbing corrosion and this folding ladder
and you have water trapped for smaller craft has
varnished wooden
in your oilskins. steps: it would sit
A friend was involved in just such a nicely on something
real incident. During a sail training like a classic daysailer
exercise he voluntarily went over the The typical stainless
side to free a mooring line snagged on steel folding boarding
ladder is available in various
the rudder. After 20 minutes in the water lengths. If you’ve space,
he freed it, but when he tried to get out This is a portable
deck-mounted 90° crooks will
ladder which can
he could hardly move. He was not only also provide handholds when
be deployed when
very cold but had 15kg of water down climbing aboard
needed. Designed to be
each leg trapped in his oilies. He had to lightweight it would be
be winched out of the water and could handy for carrying in a
tender, for example. It
only lift his legs when someone has plastic folding
Images courtesy of Plastimo and many thanks for their help with this article
released the tapes on his oilskins. crooks and plastic
So a ladder not only needs to be steps
securely fixed and easy to use, but you
should also be able to deploy it from
the water.
Having a retaining clip
located high up on a
Collapsible
fold-down ladder isn’t going can have
rope-type
to do you any favours – ladders are rough edges,
neither is a badly tied designed more for as can the ends
retaining lashing. emergency use. They of rivets, which you
stow in a very small
Check out build quality can feel if you run
space but, lacking
too. A cheaper aluminium rigidity, can be your finger over them.
ladder which stows away awkward to climb Avoid buying anything with
easily may be ideal as a unfinished edges that can snag
portable job, but aluminium suffers in a on clothes or fingers.
salt water environment, particularly on A final tip when buying a ladder for
unanodised areas where tubing has permanent installation: check out the fixing
been cut or modified. Look also at the kit, either in the chandler's or before going Quick release options are also
quality of a ladder's hinges, welds, joints to the boat. This isn’t just to make sure all available. The same typical D-shaped
bracket is used but with slots over a
and rivets. Are any critical parts plastic the nuts and bolts are there – it’s also mounting bolt fixed through a nylon
which could suffer UV damage over useful to have extra fixings just in case you hull pad. A tab is pressed to allow the
time and fail without warning? Hinges drop or lose anything over the side. bracket to slide up for removal

70 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 For all cruising sailors: essential know-how,
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 Boats
Boats

Brad Bradshaw’s wooden

Longboat Cruiser, built
by Doug Elliott with an
experimental larger cabin
All photos by David Harding

Drascombes: the
definitive dayboats?
Whether you view them with ambivalence or enthusiasm, the
ubiquitous Drascombes are still going strong after 50 years.
David Harding attended a rally to mark this special anniversary

A
ll too often it takes years or
even decades before we
come to appreciate the
significance of something we
experienced as a child. We
were perhaps too young at the time, or we
simply failed to make connections whose
importance we subsequently came to
appreciate. In any event, we had no idea
how privileged we were to have been in a
particular place with particular people.
By the time I started meeting Ian Proctor
on the River Dart, at least I knew who he
was and had already owned several of his
fine dinghies. Chay Blyth (not Sir Chay at
the time) was among the other nautical
celebrities to frequent this part of the
world. I saw him most recently while
following the hunt in the Cotswolds. Mud,
wellies and waterproofs still featured this
time but all were a different colour.
Had I known I was going to lurch into a
precarious career – if you can call it a
career – as a nautical hack and snapper I
would have taken more notice of some of
those early encounters. I have a clear
recollection of standing in Honnor
Marine’s showroom at Seymour Wharf in
Totnes, looking at the bright red and blue
decks of a pair of 420s. Vivid though that
memory remains – and though I knew that
they were indeed 420s – it was not until
delving into the history of Honnor Marine
for this feature that I learned of the
company’s origins in the world of
performance dinghies. I have always
associated Honnor Marine not only with
Drascombes – as have many people – but
also with the Ocean Bird. This latter
association arose because my father
bought one of these 30ft (9m) John
Westell-designed trimarans in the late ’60s
and kept it on a mooring at Dittisham,
close to the 40ft (12m) wooden prototype,
Matamona, but not quite in view from our

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 73

 Boats
house. When we moved to the Dart
from a village on the other side of
Dartmoor (coincidentally, just a few
miles from John Watkinson’s home at
Drascombe Barton), I was told that my
parents’ priorities were harbours, schools
and houses – in that order. While they did
well with the harbour and the house, the
chaotic Bohemian excuse for a school
was not a good choice. Some of my
contemporaries appeared to escape
relatively unscathed. The rest of us weren’t
so lucky, to the extent that some ended up
as yachting journalists.
Returning to one of the more positive
stories Totnes has to tell, every enthusiast
of traditional dinghies knows how John
Westell came to design the 505. This was
the boat that, thanks to Westell’s specialist
knowledge of production building in the
then-relatively-new material of glass fibre,
launched Honnor Marine.
All three of the company’s original
directors had been involved in the
development of another performance
dinghy, the Scorpion, which was
subsequently built by Westerly Boats in
Rock (at the yard where you will now find
Cornish Crabbers) alongside Ian Proctor’s
Osprey and Wayfarer. Although the 505
was the boat that gave Honnor Marine a
kick-start, having the licence to build the
420 in the UK added some serious
production volumes. It’s not often British
boatbuilding has had occasion to be
grateful to the French (twice over in this
instance, given the pedigree of the 505
and the design of the 420).
A Dabber at the double,
showing that surfing
is not the exclusive
preserve of the Coaster
74
An unlikely tale
Apart from designing the hugely
successful ‘Five Oh’ and, later, the Ocean
Bird, John Westell played a major role in
the development and production of the
Drascombes. The question, you might
well be asking, is how a builder with its
origins in performance dinghies and
unconventional trimarans came to take on
a range of traditional-style dayboats,
especially given the number of British
yards that have fallen by the wayside
because the personal interests of the
directors and builders held sway over
commercial realism. Thankfully, Honnor
Marine’s decision-makers never lost sight
of the reason why they were in business.
The Drascombe story began when John
Watkinson built the prototype Lugger
himself in glued ply – Katharine Mary,
named after his wife – later part-building a
further 18 in conjunction with a local joiner
and the Kelly and Hall boatyard at
Bridgend on the River Yealm, in which he
had invested some years earlier. Kelly and
Hall had taken one of the boats they
finished to the Earls Court Boat Show in
1968, selling it and 10 more.
It was clear that the Lugger – conceived
by John Watkinson as a boat for himself
and his family – was finding an appreciative
market among those who shared their
enjoyment of coastal sailing in a simple,
shallow-draught open boat that was
roomy, versatile and easy to trail. The years earlier. Appalling weather and lack of
Watkinson family had already sampled comforts were among the factors that led
offshore cruising, having sailed to the to their coming home and leaving the boat
Mediterranean in a 13-ton ketch a few in the Med: day-sailing seemed a much
better way to enjoy their time afloat, as
many of us have subsequently found even
if it might have taken us a few years to get
there. Kate made it clear that she disliked
being clouted on the head by the boom,
breathing in engine fumes and having to
endure bad weather on long passages.
She wanted a day-sailer so she could ‘go
home to my own bed every night’.
In designing a boat that would keep the
family sailing together, John gave the
Drascombe a loose-footed mainsail and
an outboard in a well at the stern. The
design kept the off-putting elements of
boating to a minimum while providing
plenty of appeal.
The rate at which orders were soon
flooding in made it apparent that building
in wood was not going to be fast enough.
That’s why, in 1968, Watkinson
approached Honnor Marine to ask if
they would be interested in producing
the Drascombe Lugger in GRP. It was
refreshing – and perhaps a little
surprising – when his proposal was
greeted positively. After the switch to
GRP construction, further changes were
inevitably made to the Lugger over the
years including, perhaps most obviously,
the switch from lug rig to gunter, though
the lug more than served its purpose in
nomenclatic terms. The story is that it took
a long and convivial evening with friends
and several bottles of cerebral lubricant at
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
 Drascombe boats

Left Some of the 50-odd Drascombes at

the Weymouth rally setting off for Lulworth
BeLoW on board Siesta, Peter tiplady’s
original Drifter

Katharine Mary, the original Drascombe

Lugger from 1966, and right, at the
Weymouth rally

Drascombe Barton before it was decided

that ‘Drascombe’ was the obvious choice
for what would these days be called the
‘brand name’. Had the boat not had a lug
rig, one wonders what the ‘model name’
might have been and whether anything
else would have done half as well.
Tons and Luggers
Once Honnor Marine started building in
GRP, numbers took off: they averaged 100
Luggers a year for the first 10 years.
However, it took barely a year for
Watkinson and Westell to see the potential
for a bigger version: stretching the Lugger
by just over 3ft produced the Longboat
(21ft 9in/6.63m), which Honnor Marine
started building in 1970 either as an open
boat or in Cruiser form with a small cabin.
Like the Lugger, the Longboat was also
built in wood by Norman Whyte, John Kerr
and, principally, the Elliot brothers.
Despite the extra length, she was a mere
4in beamier than the Lugger and, at 880lb
(400kg), only marginally heavier.
Next among the better-known models in
the range came the 15ft 6in (4.7m) Dabber,
then the Drifter. With her long shallow keel
and twin bilge plates, plus a small but
fully-enclosed two-berth cabin and the
option of an inboard engine, the Drifter
was more small cruiser than big dayboat.
More than 20 years after the last one was
built came the Drifter 22 (tested in PBO July
2009) which remains part of Churchouse
Boats’ Drascombe range today.
The introduction of new models further
up and down the size range continued
when the Scaffie came along in 1979 as a
baby Drascombe for single-handed sailing.
Then it was time to replace the Cruiser
Longboat with the Coaster, leaving the hull
and rig virtually the same but making the
cockpit smaller, adding a bridgedeck and
changing the cabin.
Ready to explore a new market was the
Gig, 25ft (7.62m) long and intended to
take over where the Royal Navy’s
Montagu Whaler had left off. Watkinson
was familiar with the Whaler from his time
in the Navy, as was David Thomas (the
Merchant Navy in his case), who drew
upon it for inspiration in his design of the
Liberty and Minstrel for Hunter Boats.

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 75

 Boats
Other Drascombe models over the Drifting a deux: a Drifter 22 (blue
hull) and an original Drifter,
years have included the Peterboat
showing the difference between
(double-ended and built in three sizes in two designs 30 years apart
wood only) and the Launch, based on the
hull of the Dabber but with just a steadying
sail, propulsion coming from a small
inboard. Introduced a year later was the
Driver, longer than the Launch and
designed to sail – unlike two other river
boats, the Henley and Marlowe.
That the success of the Drascombes
had a massive part to play in the history of
Honnor Marine is undeniable. Like every
boatbuilder, however, the company went
through rough patches as well as smooth
and also moved premises a time or two.
From Totnes, it was just a few miles down
the road to a new home in Staverton.
Later, Luke Churchouse, one of the
original directors, set up on his own in
Wales before Stewart Brown took over
in 1998 from Luke’s son, Jeremy, and
moved Churchouse Boats to Hampshire.
Drascombes were also built for a while by
McNulty in Newcastle.

Rallying calls
The nature of the Drascombe boats – and
their owners – makes them ideally suited
to getting together on sociable rallies: Here’s another of the
they’re easy to trail and, with their shallow Coasters showing
draught, can explore creeks and rivers what they can do
that others simply cannot reach. Beaching downwind when the
breeze picks up.
for picnics, barbecues, fun and frolics or
simply enjoying the tranquillity is, for
many, a large part of what owning a
Drascombe is all about.
An active association – founded and, for
many years, run, by Luke Churchouse
– organises up to 30 rallies a year in
locations ranging from Cornwall, the
Solent, the Norfolk Broads and the Lake
District to country canals, Wales and
Scotland. In 1997, the rally at Calshot to
mark the 10th anniversary of the
association and 30 years of Drascombe
attracted 90 boats. An active contingent in
Holland organises its own events. Dutch
owners are often welcomed at British
rallies too, but want to make sure anyone
travelling to Holland is under no illusions
about what to expect. While we all know
that sailing in Holland can be wonderful,
the people are friendly and the sun can
shine, one Dutch rally for later this year
promotes itself thus: ‘grey, wet, cold, often
foggy, sometimes frosty...’
To experience a Drascombe gathering
and get to know the boats a little better, I
accepted an invitation to attend the major
rally of the year at the WPNSA in
Weymouth to mark 50 years of
Drascombes. After a dinner on the
Thursday evening to kick off the event, Longboats and Longboat Cruisers, lots of have wished for a more knowledgeable
which was supported by Churchouse Luggers, a Gig, 17 Coasters, five Dabbers, host when it came to matters Drascombe.
Boats, everyone reconvened the following and four Drifters and Drifter 22s (one of the Peter has been an active member of the
morning for the hop of eight miles or so to latter being Stewart Brown’s, which I association for many years, having started
Lulworth Cove. On a beautifully sunny tested in 2009). with a Dabber and moving on via a
morning in early July, a stream of tan sails Coaster to the Drifter. Before buying the
made its way out of Portland Harbour and Drifting with purpose Coaster he tried a Longboat Cruiser on a
downwind towards the chalk cliffs of My ride for the day was with Peter Tiplady rally but decided he preferred the Coaster
Lulworth. The fleet included half-a-dozen in his original Drifter, Siesta, and I couldn’t because the combination of the

76 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk


bridgedeck and the smaller cockpit offers
more resistance to flooding. As for the
Drifter, its performance surprised me,
especially on the beat back to Weymouth.
Once you have accepted that you will
inevitably make some leeway, you can
enjoy sailing a boat that’s nicely balanced
and both faster and more responsive to
tweaking than you might expect.
When Drascombe owners change boats,
like Peter they tend to move to another
Drascombe. Some switch allegiance but
so enjoy the Drascombe way of life that
they still join in the rallies. At Weymouth,
two ‘honorary Drascombes’ included a
Cornish Shrimper and a Winkle Brig.
Many owners trail their boats to rallies.
Others think nothing of hopping along the
coast and making a few overnight stops.
Peter was among several to sail from
Ashlett Creek in Southampton Water.
Not having a cabin doesn’t stop
Drascombes from venturing further afield
either. Many PBO readers will remember
Webb Chiles and his near-complete global
circumnavigation in his Lugger, Chidiock
Tichborne (he actually sailed two Luggers
on the trip). Another intrepid Lugger owner
sailed from England to Australia, and
further Atlantic crossings have been made.
Reassuring though it is to know that you
have such a capable vessel, most
Drascombe owners enjoy their boats for
what they were conceived to be: simple,
civilised and sociable day-sailers-cum-
weekenders that allow you to nudge into
the shallows and sleep under the stars
without all the hassles and discomforts
that Kate Watkinson so disliked. Stewart
Brown conveys the delights of this sort of
boating on his ‘Drascombe Quirky Page’,
which he has run since handing over
Churchouse Boats to new owners in 2013.
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
All friends together: a Cornish Shrimper flanked by a Drifter 22, a Coaster and a Dabber
Reasons to be cheerful
The Weymouth rally was quite an
eye-opener for me. I have been aware of
Drascombes for ever: after all, I grew up
with them on their home patch. But, apart
from testing the Drifter 22 a few years ago,
I must admit to never having taken much
notice of them. While these greeny-hulled
dayboats with their short rigs, tan sails
and sedate performance were part of the
scenery wherever I went in the South
West, they didn’t really capture the
attention of someone who was more into
crossing oceans and racing dinghies.
They weren’t even seriously considered
when the family decided to buy something
to sail on the Dart: a Devon Yawl was our
choice. Now, however, I’m beginning to
Contacts
Drascombe builders
Churchouse Boats
www.churchouseboats.co.uk
Drascombe Association
www.drascombe-association.org.uk
Drascombe boats
Longboat Cruisers
came with a variety
of window patterns
but can usually be
identified by the
square cabin profile
see their appeal. For a start, they have
more performance potential than I had
appreciated. The long, light hulls don’t
need a lot of persuasion to slip along
surprisingly well. If you were to give a
Longboat a little tweaking in the rig and
centreplate departments, for example, I’m
sure it would surprise a few people. At the
same time, to do too much of that would
be to miss the point. The boats and the
association between them offer you the
opportunity to go to places you probably
wouldn’t otherwise go and to sail with
people you might not otherwise meet.
Those unfamiliar with the rally areas can
learn from others who have been there
before which tree to tie up to, where to
anchor or dry out and where you can step
ashore without sinking in the mud.
Offshore cruising (or just cruising in
an offshore yacht) might be seen as
more aspirational but it involves a lot
more time, cost, hassle and discomfort.
Thank goodness Kate Watkinson said
exactly what she thought of it and that
John not only listened but also did
something about it.
77
PRACTICAL
Fitting a silencer to
a diesel boat heater
Ben Meakins installs a
new silenced exhaust
for his Eberspacher
D1LC diesel heater
H
eaters are a brilliant addition to a
boat – they keep the inside dry
and warm, which prevents mould
and mildew forming, and can extend
your sailing season into the cold and
wet months.
They can, however, be somewhat
antisocial. Unsilenced exhausts give rise to
a roar akin to an idling jet engine, which
has been known to spoil the tranquillity of a
peaceful anchorage. Just to walk down a
pontoon in a Scottish spring or autumn is
to experience what amounts to a
symphony of diesel heaters.
Help is at hand, however. Heater
manufacturers including Eberspächer and
Webasto supply exhaust silencers which
will cut the noise down considerably.
I was a little worried about the state of the
exhaust on my 1992 Eberspacher D1LC
diesel heater, and had never been happy
with the loud roar it made at full chat, so
decided that while replacing it I may as well
add a silencer.
But it’s not quite as simple as you might
assume. The vast majority of diesel heater
exhaust silencers found online are
designed for road vehicles. The marine
ones are much more expensive, currently
costing around £260.
But before you plump for a cheap
silencer off eBay beware: vehicle silencers
are designed to be mounted outside the
vehicle and are not gas tight. Boat
exhausts tend to be in an enclosed locker
that often is linked to the living space – and
You can fit a silenced exhaust to all
models of Eberspächer air heaters
78
ABOVE:
Gas-tight marine
silencer
RIGHT: Automotive
silencer –
dangerous for
marine use
the last thing you want is
for exhaust fumes to be
pumped in with your
heated air.
Eberspächer UK’s Peter
Collard has some wise
words for those
considering a quick,
cheap deal online:
‘There is a worrying trend for
people to buy vehicle heating
components and fit them to their boat
heaters. The vehicle components can be
temptingly cheap but they may come with
a heavy penalty,’ he said.
‘A commonly sought after part is a
silencer for the heater’s exhaust system.
Online they are commonly sold as a
small stainless steel silencer box, but
unfortunately most sellers don’t state
that this particular silencer is not suitable
for marine use.
‘A vehicle heating silencer is designed to
be fitted beneath a vehicle and do a specific
job – to slightly cut down the higher pitched
noises associated with combustion, not
totally silence the exhaust.
The silencer itself is NOT gas tight: it’s
designed to go outside of a vehicle so it
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
doesn’t need
to be,’ he said.
‘If fitted in a boat
the heater’s exhaust
gas will be emitted into
the boat while the heater
is running, bringing with it
deadly carbon monoxide.
‘Also, the silencer box is not thermally
insulated. Again, it’s designed to go outside
of a vehicle so doesn’t need to be. If fitted
into a boat this component will be hot
enough, when the heater is running, to
cause severe injury to anyone touching it
and will be hot enough to melt sails,
dinghies, fenders and anything else that
comes into contact with it. In certain
circumstances this could lead to a fire.’
The more expensive marine silenced
exhaust, Peter explained, is 2m long and
includes a flexible silencer 500mm long. It’s
totally gas tight and double lagged. It will be
a lot healthier, safer and maybe a lot
cheaper in the long run. Their new heater
packages come with the silenced exhaust
as standard. So, fully cognisant of the
dangers of automotive silencers, I duly
ordered a proper Eberspächer marine
exhaust kit and set to work...
 FITTING A SILENCER

First step was to remove the old exhaust. This was a simple
1 matter of removing the lagging, undoing the two Jubilee clips
and attempting to pull it off the exhaust stub and the skin fitting. This
wasn’t too hard, but on corroded systems might require a hacksaw.
The standard exhaust comes in a 2m length, and I’d need
2 the full length for my installation. It consists of a stainless
pipe with a silencer sealed towards one end. It’s all insulated
inside a sheath and then goes inside a length of air ducting.

Make sure you are using proper hose

3 clamps. Simple worm drive Jubilee
clips aren’t good enough for this type of
application – a heavy duty stainless clamp
that applies pressure more evenly and that
can be tightened enough to crush the pipe
onto the spigot is important.

It’s a good idea to use exhaust paste
4 such as Firegum at either end. This
aids installation by lubricating the joint, but
will then set hard once heated and make
the joint more secure and gas-tight.
The new exhaust is now clamped on. Pull the lagging back to allow installation, before
5 re-installing to cover the hot exhaust pipe once the ends are clamped on. I then used
an extra length of lagging to wind around the exposed pipe end and clamp, securing with a
twist of copper wire for extra safety. The pipe can then be secured with brackets to ensure it
can’t move and melt or set fire to anything – like most exhausts, it gets extremely hot.

SILENCED EXHAUST MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE

I took a reading with an iPhone app before

and after, held 10cm above the exhaust.
With the old, unsilenced exhaust, it
averaged 91.4dB. With the new it averaged
79.4dB. That 12dB is enough to make an
appreciable difference – remember that
decibels are a logarithmic scale, so the
perceived volume is approximately halved.
Walking down the pontoon you can now
hear a gentle hum, whereas before there
was an intrusive roar. It’s made a big
difference and I no longer feel guilty about
firing up the heater in a quiet anchorage! BEFORE The reading averaged 91.4dB AFTER A much lower 79.4dB average

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 79

 learning from experience

Head
over
heels
Peter Stone recalls
falling from grace
due to a loose rope

H
aving always considered one
of the riskier parts of sailing
getting to and from my yacht,
the idea was reinforced a
couple of years ago when
I helped rescue four middle-aged
gentlemen whose dinghy had capsized
returning from a pub in south Devon.
One man was trapped between two
yachts, slowly being pushed under the
water by the increasing tide. Thankfully,
the incident had a happy outcome and
was covered in a yachting magazine letter
from the crew of a nearby yacht, which
had been unable to offer any effective
assistance from their elevated position
on the deck of their boat.
Consequently, when paddling back
and forth to my own boat, I consider
the conditions and risks, aiming to
make best use of the weather and
tide for each journey and allow for
any potential dangers that might arise.
On one particularly memorable
occasion, anchored in Strangford Lough
in County Down, I had to get Bob – my
departing crew – ashore to catch a bus
to the airport. He had to return back to of single-handed sailing before my next I realised that the ladder was out of my
normality after a week sailing from Wales crew joined me in Scotland. reach, and I looked down to assess where
to Northern Ireland. I then had a week Having said goodbye to Bob, I did I was going to hit the pontoon, 10ft below.
some shopping for perishable foods that There was an 18in space between the
I needed for the following week. Heading pontoon and the quay supports, which
About the Author back to the dinghy pontoon, I took a few I decided was a better option to fall into.
Peter Stone started sailing dinghies photographs before climbing down the I twisted my body, turning so my right leg
in his teens, but really developed wall ladder which started just below would impact the pontoon rather than my
his interest when he ‘volunteered’ the level of the quay. Luckily, there infirm left one, which tends to break when
to crew Service yachts while was a rope tied around two bollards on I fall on it. I reached up towards the fixed
serving in the Royal Navy. He now the quay, which had proved useful as end of the rope with my left hand, trying
spends most summers sailing his a handhold during the earlier ascent. to pull myself as high as possible, keeping
Degero DS33 between Scotland and However, as I grabbed the rope, the the shopping aloft while trying to angle
Brittany, depending on the weather quay started to fall away from me and towards the gap and make a water entry.
and availability of crew. I realised the rope was no longer secured Tom Daley would not have been
to the bollards. Time seemed to slow as impressed with the way I hit the water,

80 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk


making a glancing blow on the pontoon
with my right thigh. Still holding on to
the rope, I managed to limit my immersion
to about 3ft. There was a convenient
cross member between the quay supports
which I used to climb out of the water and,
still holding on to the rope, I swung across
to the safety of the pontoon that only a few
seconds earlier had been such a threat to
my wellbeing.
Like a cat that’s fallen off a roof, I looked
around to see if anyone had noticed my
performance – but there was nobody
around that I needed to reassure of my
health. Unlike a cat, though, I did not start
cleaning myself, my first thought being
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
head over heels
radio was splashproof, it also looked
fine. Luckily, the water had only touched
the bottom of my lifejacket, so the
auto-inflate had remained dry and not
initiated. The bag of supplies looked
mainly undamaged, but the cabbage,
looking a little bruised, prompted
me to check my thigh.
The cold water had slightly numbed
my leg but as my hand couldn’t feel
any cuts and didn’t come away red,
I guessed that I hadn’t broken the
skin – although, from the tenderness,
I was pretty certain my thigh would hurt
come the morning.
I decided the hanging rope wasn’t going
to be a hazard and the best thing would
be to get back to my boat and make like
a cat, rinsing myself (and my immersed
clothes) in the shower. Carefully untying
the dinghy, I motored back and stripped
off in the cockpit, seeing an impact mark
on the sleeve of my jacket that set off
a pain in my left arm. It seemed funny how
my mind could ignore pain until prompted.
Using the miracle of the mobile phone,
I took some pictures of the damage on
the back of my leg – I’ll spare you those –
which proved I was going to hurt for a few
days, but at least there were no wounds
that required attention. After a shower,
I had a hot sweet tea and opted for a
snooze to let the adrenalin work its way
out of my system. Two hours later, I awoke
feeling a whole lot better but rather foolish
about making such an error. At least there
was no permanent damage, other than
to my previous feeling of invincibility.
I had boiled cabbage that night,
otherwise it would have been off the
following morning. Shame the bruising
on my leg took a lot longer to remedy.
LESSONS LEArNEd
A
fter analysing the
event, I wondered
what I could have
done differently.
In the first instance,
I had assumed that having used
the rope three times already
for a handhold that it would
be okay again, but we all know
what assuming leads to – and
to climb back up the ladder and re-secure next time, I’ll check before use.
the rope. After a few seconds further Also, I guess that lowering the
thought, I decided that would be tempting bag of provisions down to the
fate. And so, realising I was actually in pontoon with a rope would have
a fair bit of shock, I sat down to let my left both hands free for my own
heart rate slow and my head clear while descent, and I might have been
I carried out a damage assessment. able to grab the ladder had I not
The water had only come up to the lower been hindered by the weight
pockets of my jacket, and as I was of the bag. Apart from that, I’ll
wearing shorts and sandals, my clothes just keep quiet about making
would rinse out easily. I had sensibly put such a silly mistake that
my mobile phone in a waterproof cover fortunately didn’t cause more
so that would be okay, and as my VHF than a bruised ego and body!
*Send us your boating experience story and if it’s published, you’ll receive the original Dick Everitt-
signed watercolour which is printed with the article. You’ll find PBO’s contact details on page 5
81
 Practical
Making the
perfect
scarf joint
Chris Hawes designed and built a jig for
making multiple perfect scarf joints
I
built my first boat at the age of 15
largely on my bedroom floor. It
was an International Moth made
from 3mm exterior plywood held
together with fishing twine and glass
tape – much the same construction as
the Mirror Dinghy.
One of the things I needed to do was to
end-join the plywood to make an 11ft
E
A C D
Basic jig construction
1 Almost all woodworking jigs are
simple, cheap and very quick to make,
and this one is no exception.
A: The main support board. I used MDF.
It needs to be about 100mm wider than
the width of the set of timbers to be
planed and about 1200mm (3ft 11in) long
to give good support. It should have a
good clean square edge.
B: A longitudinal clamping piece. This
should be screwed and glued to the
underside of A with its edges parallel. It is
used to clamp the jig into a Workmate.
C: Stop end support. An offcut from B for
supporting the temporary end stop.
D: Stop end hinge support. Another
offcut from B fixed flush to the end of A.
E: End stop. This is used only when
loading the jig with the timbers to be
planed. It is screwed into D such that it
can be swung out of the way whenever
work starts.
82
Step
by
step
length, as ply was only affordable in 8ft x
4ft sheets at the time.
I designed this jig to ensure I made a
good straight scarf joint. I am sure it is not
unique and many cabinet makers will
have much the same design.
Having read the article about scarfing
A traditional
the stringers for the project boat in PBO, long plane
here’s a tip to make the job simpler.
Finalising the jig Positioning the plane bearer
2 Turn the jig over and clamp it into the
3 Place a straight edge on the arris
Workmate, or overhanging the end of your (corner) of the jig base board and the side
workbench. You will need two pieces of stop. Slide the plane bearer on the side
the timber to be planed, each about stop until it just touches the edge. Mark it.
100mm long, to use as side stops, plus a
thin piece of material to be the plane
bearer. The thinner this is, the shorter can
be your plane. I used a piece of 5mm wall
cladding. A piece of thin plastic (a ruler) or
Tufnol would do.
The longer the scarf the stronger it will
be, but also the longer the plane you will
need. Multiply the thickness of the timber
you will be planing (in this case 15mm) by
the slope, ie if you want a 1:10 slope,
mark a pencil line 150mm in from the end
of the jig. Fixing the jig
Fix the first side stop such that the edge
4 Place the plane bearer on the side
facing the end of the jig is on the pencil stops on the pencil marks. Ensure it is
line. Measure off the number of pieces of parallel to the end of the jig and screw it
timber you want to process at a time and down. Do not glue; you might need to
fix the second side stop. loosen the bearer to load the jig.
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
MAKING THE PERFECT SCARF JOINT

Filling the jig

5 With the end stop in
position, slide the timber The new Axiom MFD from Raymarine is reinventing
to be planed into the jig navigation. With faster performance, intuitive
under the bearer. Clamp
the timber to be planed to operation, and leading-edge technology, Axiom
the jig further away from delivers unmatched awareness, above and below
the bearer such that it
the water line.
cannot slip when it is
being planed.

Start planing
6 Swing the end stop
out of the way or remove
it completely. You can
remove most of the slope
with an electric planer, if
you have one, until the
feather edge is about
1-2mm thick. Make sure
you keep the back end of
the plane supported on
the bearer to end up with the correct angle.
When you are getting near the end swap to a long plane.
The distance between the blade and the rear end of the plane
must be longer than the edge of the jig and the bearer.

Finished items
7 Stop planing
when the feather edge NEW Touch-Screen Multifunction Displays
www.raymarine.co.uk
is about 0.5mm thick.
Remove the finished Images for illustrative purpose only

timbers. The slope

should be perfectly flat
and the edges at true
right angles. Glue end
to end and repeat.
 seamanship
Turning tightly
with a long-keeler
If you need to persuade a boat with a full-
length keel to spin through 90° and reverse
into a windward berth, you will probably need
a bow-thruster, says David Harding
O
wners of long-keelers
are used to challenges
in confined spaces. We
last visited this subject in
PBO December 2014, when I joined
Mike Farquharson-Roberts on his
Voyager 30 in Gosport.
Our biggest challenge – and one faced
by many long-keelers – was steering in
astern: once the bow had started to swing
more than a degree or two, it was off. The
answer was to keep a close eye on the
bow and to make any necessary
corrections with the wheel as early as
possible. Otherwise it’s normally a matter
of going forward again to re-align the
boat, then continuing in reverse and
allowing space in case the prop-walk
takes you the wrong way until you gain
steerage-way.
In this instance there was no bow-
thruster, so we had to do things the
traditional way. Warps, and knowing how
to use them, can also come in handy.
84
Challenging though Mike’s marina was
for a boat like his, it was manageable – at
least in fairly calm conditions.
For Alan Ward’s Fisher Northeaster in
Titchmarsh, on the other hand, life without
a bow-thruster simply wouldn’t be
possible. We met Alan and North Star in
September’s PBO when we looked at
ways to make tacking faster and more
positive. There was another potentially
challenging aspect to handling North Star,
too: getting in and out of the berth. But
whereas under sail I had been able to
come up with some ideas to help – and
two pairs of hands were useful anyway –
Alan performed the marina manoeuvres
on his own with such adroitness that there
was no need for me to do anything on
board. I could stand on the pontoon to
observe and photograph.
Sharp corners
North Star is berthed port-side-to on a
finger pontoon near the enclosed end of
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
If you would like David to
help with your sail problem,
call 01202 440820
the run, stern-in to the main walkway. In a
south-westerly, the wind would be blowing
from her starboard beam. It would be
pushing her against the finger, but
perhaps making life less challenging than
in a north-easterly, which is what we had
on the day. Motoring forward out of the
berth and turning hard to port with a stiff
wind from the port side might test the
skipper’s nerves in a fin-keeler. The
opposite pontoon isn’t that far away. In a
boat like North Star it’s something you
probably wouldn’t even want to attempt.
Letting the boat weather-cock and then
reversing out might be a safer approach in
any breeze. Unlike some boats of broadly
similar style, North Star has a keel that
runs the full length of the hull with no hint
of a cut-away towards the bow. As we
found under sail, turning corners is not
what she was designed to do.
Getting back into the berth in a
south-westerly might be possible if you
were to go just upwind of the finger
pontoon and let the wind blow the bow to
port before going astern. In a north-
easterly it’s hard to think of an approach
that would give you any chance, certainly
without at least half-a-dozen helpers on
board and ashore who are used to
handling lengthy warps.
Thankfully Alan has a bow-thruster to
complement the 50hp Nanni with its
three-bladed prop. You still need to know
how to use this extra help, though.
 turning tightly with a long-keeler

Leaving the berth

North Star in her berth, secured by forward and aft springs

1 and breast lines. The wind is on her port beam, blowing her Alan has rigged up a short central spring so he can drop the
off the pontoon.
2 forward and aft springs.

He now goes aft to release the stern line… …then forward to pull the bow in with the bow line before
3 4 dropping it too

Next it’s back amidships to release the centre spring on the The wind has already given North Star some clearance from
5 way into the wheelhouse
6 the pontoon…

…so Alan can motor forward, engaging the bow-thruster The bow-thruster combined with tickover in ahead and full
7 as he goes (note the turbulence in the water visible under
8 port rudder has allowed Alan to turn through almost 90°
the ensign staff). while barely moving forward.

Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 85

 SEAMANSHIP

…and getting back in

Moving forward very gently, Alan starts the turn to port with
Alan turns around to come back. This time the wind is
2 the bow-thruster. There’s only another boat-length or so to the
1 helping, by encouraging the boat to weather-cock. end of the run, so no easy escape route with the wind from astern.

More bow-thruster is needed to ensure the boat is parallel Alan gets it spot on and starts to reverse into the berth…
3 with the pontoon by the time the stern is level with its end.
4

The right-handed prop encourages the stern to port while This is looking good. Using the rudder won’t help in this
5 the bow-thruster compensates for the wind on the bow,
6 situation but the bow-thruster is used to determine the angle
which is not in the lee of the boat to windward. of approach.

Another nudge with the bow-thruster brings the boat in close

7 enough for Alan to secure the centre spring. Once that’s on, Finally, on with the forward and aft springs and the
he’s going nowhere.
8 breast lines and it’s mission accomplished.

86 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

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Another approach is to use reverse gear simply as a means of
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No matter what you do, there will be situations in which the boat
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Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 87
 Cruising Notes
Readers’ cruising destinations, near and far
Surprising Serifos
Phil Johnson finds an Aegean gem with a new marina
S
erifos sits between its cousins
Sifnos and Kithnos in the
Western Cyclades. The three
small islands have much to offer, and
Serifos gave us a nice surprise as we
entered the large sheltered bay which
houses the main town and port of Livadi.
Rather than the small mole we were
expecting, we found it had a brand new
marina, or rather a substantial new town
quay with lazy lines at almost every berth,
plus water and electricity.
Clearly a lot of investment has gone
into this large concrete harbour, a sure
sign of an island on the up wanting
to attract more yachts to supplement
its income from the small hotel and
apartment visitors.
The lazy lines were well spaced too,
giving modest-sized boats plenty of room
88
We pay for your published cruising stories
and harbour updates. Email pbo@timeinc.com
or write to the address at the top of page 5
found everything to be free because, as
a taverna waiter told me, ‘They haven’t
employed anyone to run it yet, but a man
will come at five and turn on the water.’
The taverna opposite the quay offered
without the forced fender rubbing of some free showers if you ate in the restaurant.
other places where we’d stayed. The showers, though, were a little unusual
The original mole is still there and now as they were in the apartment used by
forms part of the new complex, showing the staff. They did laundry too.
just how much more space has been Posted by the new water and electric
provided. Depths are good too, and the points, most of which were still wrapped
water is clear enough to easily see the in plastic, were leaflets from a boat
bottom. We were there in late May and business offering everything from repairs
to spares and a whole range of services.
Handy to know if you’re looking for help
About the Author
in these more isolated islands.
Phil Johnson is a
former BBC and ITV Local landmarks
journalist who enjoys Along the quay we found three
Greece with his wife supermarkets including a Carrefour,
Fiona on their HR34. which reflected the number of French
He is the author of boats we saw in these islands. The shop
The Little Blue Boat itself was a reasonable size for a small
children’s books. port and had a great selection of fresh
fruit and vegetables. There were bakeries
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

New service points still in their packaging
nearby and even a hardware shop in
the streets behind the seafront.
Livadi has a tourist information centre,
and the woman who runs it was keen
to extol the virtues of the island’s walks,
giving us free maps and advice. There
was a bus to the capital, Chora, up the hill
a couple of miles away but we chose
Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk
Left, Serifos and its wonderful new marina,
and above, approaching Livadi Marina
to walk. It was a Waymarked route,
number 1a taking us up paths and lots
of steps before crossing the winding road
which the bus takes. If it’s hot and you
have doubts about your fitness or health,
take the bus – the journey is well worth it
and the views are stunning. The old kastro
on top of Chora is quite breathtaking but
not great for vertigo sufferers!
Chora
Inside Chora is a maze of narrow back
streets made up of tiny houses which
lead you to a small square with a handful
of pleasant cafés and tavernas and
a couple of arty shops. It’s lovely. Very
atmospheric and inviting, the staff at
the taverna we used couldn’t have
been more welcoming or helpful.
The walk back down gave us glimpses
inside tiny homes, which have seemingly
remained unchanged for generations.
Wild succulents and prickly pear cacti
adorned the hillside and lazy lizards
scampered slowly away across the
paths as we disturbed their sunbathing.
Serifos, I was told, has two populations,
the old who live in Chora on the hill, and
the incomers who run the businesses
in the port. Some of these incomers,
though, have been here a while. A waiter
told me if you drink the water, you’ll
always come back, but beware he said:
‘I drank it 20 years ago and never left!’
You can understand why. The new marina
makes the island a safe stopover for
a while or a good place to sit out a blow.
We’ll be back
There are enough shops for provisions
and a good selection of tavernas in Chora.
The island’s interior walks keep you busy, Send in your free
and if marinas and quayside aren’t your anchorages and win
a pack of PBO playing
thing, the bay has plenty of space in which
cards for published
to swing. Ferries run to neighbouring
suggestions
islands and local tripper boats run
excursions to isolated beaches too. Email pbo@timeinc.com
Serifos was pleasantly surprising with its or write to the address at the top of page 5
new marina, the friendly locals, a choice Call 01202 440832 to order a pack:
of well-stocked shops and just the hint just £4.99+P&P
of more to come. We’ll certainly be back.
Free
anchorage!
Clifden, Co. Galway
aleriasadventures.blogspot.co.uk
Picture-perfect Clifden
E
xperienced sailors Daria and
Alex Blackwell shared insight
into cruising the Wild Atlantic
Way on the west coast of Ireland at
PBO’s Ask the Experts Live event
at Beaulieu Boat Jumble 2017.
The second of the free anchorages
they recommended was Clifden,
in the heart of Connemara, County
Galway. It has a vast anchoring area,
but there’s a two-mile walk from
the harbour to the village. Although
there are a lot of services, including
shops, restaurants, pubs, hotels,
an AIB bank, plus a large and very
nice SuperValu supermarket right
at the first intersection, they’re not
easily accessible from the anchorage.
The cruising guide says it’s a mile
away – don’t believe it!
Careful pilotage is required. Doolick
Rock is always showing but extends
two cables north of the part which
dries. Keep well clear of the
neighbourhood of Coghan Rocks
which dry at springs and lie seven
cables east of Carrigarana beacon.
Having passed between these rocks,
the approach is fairly clear.
The website www.connemara.net
describes Clifden as a vibrant town
known as the capital of Connemara,
situated in a ‘unique and picturesque
setting between the foothills of the
Twelve Bens and the Atlantic Ocean,’
it attracting thousands of visitors
every year.
■ Read more at www.connemara.net
■ Watch Alex and Daria’s talk video
at http://po.st/Wild_Atlantic_Way
In association with
channel
islands
Free anchor
Bouley Bay, Jersey
age
B ouley Bay is
nestled under
coast of Jersey.
a popular anchorag
the cliffs on the
e
north
The
enter; a tidal harbour wide bay is easy to
moorings. Holding with deep water
is good on sand
south east of
the pier. Beware
school activity local dive
and rocks at the
end of the pier seaward
www.pbo.co.uk
during low tides.
pebble beach The
shelves steeply.
good pubs ashore. There are a few
S
SAND
89
 MARINE DIRECTORY To advertise call +44(0)1252 555325 or email:tevin.tom@timeinc.com

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Practical Boat Owner November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 91

 MARINE DIRECTORY To advertise call +44(0)1252 555325 or email:tevin.tom@timeinc.com

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92 Practical Boat Owner November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

To advertise call +44(0)1252 555325 or email: tevin.tom@timeinc.com MARINE DIRECTORY

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Practical Boat Owner November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 93

 MARINE DIRECTORY To advertise call +44(0)1252 555325 or email:tevin.tom@timeinc.com

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94 Practical Boat Owner November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

To advertise call +44(0)1252 555325 or email: tevin.tom@timeinc.com MARINE DIRECTORY

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Practical Boat Owner November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 95

 MARINE DIRECTORY To advertise call +44(0)1252 555325 or email:tevin.tom@timeinc.com

OsmOsis Marine equipMent Self Steering

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96 Practical Boat Owner November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

To advertise call +44(0)1252 555325 or email: tevin.tom@timeinc.com MARINE DIRECTORY

SurveyorS - InternatIonal

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English marine surveyor based in Brittany, France
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Practical Boat Owner November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk 97

Ideas to get more air down the hatch
F
A B
A
C

G
E

A. Some hatches act as vents, but can leak in very bad seas. Small drips
H D drop between the coamings and out the drains. These also let air in.
B. Extra dorade vents can be added to the sides, and V-shaped props (C)
dropped in the gaps, will hold the lid up at an angle.
D. This hatch has a window to let in light and show there are security bars
to deter break-in.
E. Making it as a complete box and then
I sawing the lid off ensures a good fit.
F. Hinges can be made with removable pins,
so it will open fore or aft. Lift-off, or piano
J hinges have also been used. Catches should
be able to be opened from above and below.
G. But a strongback gives more security, and
a nut wheel will save banging your head on a
wing nut!

K
H. Pop-up tents with bug screens can be rigged at
M
any angle to keep rain out, or force air in.
I. These bars stop the sheets snagging the vent or
hatch, and can be rigged with a rain cover.
J. Black bug nets also reduce light levels and give
some privacy from other crews crossing the deck.
K. A quick sun/privacy fix, on a charter boat say,
is to stow the dinghy like this.

Whether forehatches should hinge fore or aft is a L

matter for debate, but windsails or windscoops
will help force air through them. There are many
types... L. This one has a vent to relieve pressure
in a gust. M. And some sailors copy the old sailing
ship practice of having tall vents, that can be left
on at sea. The blue bit is waterproof and secured
to the hatch with a bolt-rope and tape.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION: ACROSS: 7 Cutter, 8 Careen, 9 Burr, 10 Split rig, 11

Osmosis, 13 India, 15 Mitre, 16 Rolling, 18 Partners, 19 Tide, 21 Beacon, 22 Leeway.
DOWN: 1 Zulu, 2 Starboard tack, 3 Trysail, 4 Scull, 5 Breton plotter, 6 Meridian, 12 Sail
area, 14 Console, 17 Cevni, 20 Drag.

98 Practical Boat Owner 619 November 2017 • www.pbo.co.uk

 Building Dreams

Available at your local

Stockist
www.westsystem.co.uk
for full list of stockists
Photo: Enavigo 38 Racer.
Hull is constructed
of cedar strip and
carbon fibre using
WEST SYSTEM epoxy

West System International

www.westsysteminternational.com | +44 (0) 1794 521111
info@westsysteminternational.com Search West System International @westsystemint
For your free User Manual & Product Catalogue please call or email Quoting Ref:PB19
Photo: ©Enavigo Yachts