Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Sailing Today

It’s years now since yachting magazines across the board adopted the odd policy of hitting the stands weeks ahead of the month on the cover. I’ve never understood why they do this unless it’s to steal a march on competitors. Whatever the rationale, though, it means that if you’ve bought this ST on the first day of issue, you’ll have had it in your briefcase to read on the train long before March roars in like a lion. When I heard a whisper that the edition was going to be themed on fitting out, I had to admire the editor’s keenness to get us all back on the water long before the clocks go forward. Unless you’re one of the hardy souls who stay in commission 12/12, Easter’s generally a…

Tinfish II lives on a mooring off the Clamp House on the River Orwell, just down river from Pin Mill and the Butt 'n Oyster pub. Home waters mean the east coast. If you didn’t know any better that might imply shallow water, flat landscapes and mud. But to us it means an abundance of special anchorages which we often have to ourselves and where the harbour master’s launch almost never comes alongside. These are not anchorages tucked up a creek between mud banks. No, we have a Lakeland terrier and two teenagers who need to be getting ashore. We need beaches! We are at that stage in life: restricted to a maximum of two weeks of holiday at a time and with the various activities of busy youngsters to…

Given that a cruising yacht can be worth up to or even in excess of half a million pounds, it would be lunacy not to insure it. After all, you have an asset on your hands which, unlike a house, can be placed in clear and present danger simply by undertaking a somewhat injudicious manoeuvre in a marina. In fact, in many cases it is not just prudent to get insurance, it’s highly necessary: marinas generally won’t even let you keep your yacht there unless you have third party cover in place. Also bear in mind that if you do wreck your boat even with third party cover in place, the cost of salvage or removal of the wreck may fall upon you, the owner. We all know the joy…

It has taken two years to design and build this boat, all with support from suppliers who expect to do well from the 39’s eventual success. In a sense it has drawn on expertise from across the sector, and not least the design skills of Judel/Vrolijk. The result is a boat that looks different – purposeful AND youthful. She sails beautifully – exciting but stable, promising fast passage times. If she lacks some of the accessories seen on modern production yachts, and has a fairly basic interior, don’t forget that this boat carries a relatively modest pricetag for a thrilling 39-footer. With a bit of thought, you could equip her for almost any adventure – and in fact early owners are being offered places on Bente’s Atlantic Circle cruise. PERFORMANCE:…

The past 18 months have seen many of the large production boat builders launch cruising yachts with a full bow shape and chine carried well forward, including Jeanneau's Sun Odyssey 410, 440 and 490, along with Beneteau's Oceanis 46.1 and 51.1. The effect is two fold – additional form stability that translates to lower angles of heel, plus an extra 40-60cm of width in the forward cabins. The Ofcet 32sc aims to deliver similar benefits on a smaller scale, along with supercharged performance. The background to this boat is more race-oriented – the concept was first pioneered in the Ofcet 6.50 that won the 2015 Mini Transat Race. Of the eight Ofcet 32s built to date five are in an IRC racing format, while three are configured and fitted out…

METS is the biggest, most exciting boat show that you’ve never heard of – and for one simple reason. It is a trade show, devoted to marine professionals. For journalists it is the annual jamboree for boating gear, where the manufacturers of everything from Monel rivets to hi-tech instruments gather to hawk their wares. It even has its own award ceremony, the Design Awards METS (DAME), which recognise the most exciting new products in a range of different categories. I fought my way through the crowds to trawl the show for the best gear, so you can start budgeting accordingly. DECK GEAR Harken CLR mooring winch American hardware specialist Harken won a gong at this year’s DAME awards for its new retractable mooring winch. Mainly of interest to larger yachts…

In Las Palmas Sailing Today went in search of racers preparing to embark on the ARC, to find out what drives so many people to set sail across the Atlantic where stormy seas, dicky tums and uncomfortably close whale encounters (more on this later) await. After introducing us to a mixed bag of participants, each with a different story fuelling their adventure, it was my job to track down our crews to find out what happened next. Tim Butler, Excalibur As it turns out, planning a rendezvous with a sailing boat on the opposite side of the ocean is not terribly straight forward. My first target was Tim Butler, captain of the Excalibur with whom I hoped to build bridges (and make sure I took off my shoes) following Sam’s…

We had crossed Biscay by the coastal route with the intention of visiting the Basque Country in the south east corner of the Bay. Arriving in the Bidassoa River was a real delight as the mountains slowly began to emerge ahead of us in the early morning light, a real contrast to the flat, sandy beaches that stretch for well over a 100nm from the Gironde Estuary. The river forms the border between France and Spain. To port, Hendaye in France and to starboard, Hondarribia in Spain. Both are Basque but they could not be more different in their national identities. This really is a lovely spot and well worthy as a destination in its own right. Having settled down for a few days in Hendaye, the weather in May…

Sunbeam 46.1 Sunbeam Yachts is an Austrian manufacturer that produces a pleasing range of moderately sporty cruisers. The 46.1 is the latest in this line and is their largest boat yet. One of the notable features are chines at the bow a la the Beneteau Oceanis range. This is a method of keeping down wetted surface area with the boat on a relatively even keel while also providing extra internal volume. Down below, she’s well fitted out and a cut above your standard production yacht. | £325,000 | sunbeam-yachts.com Dehler 30od Interesting one this. Dehler has a splendid range of cruiser/racers that has been developed by German manufacturer working with Judel/Vrolijk. Yet the 30od is quite a departure, being an altogether more extreme boat. It’s a bit of an oddity…

Sailors are creatures of habit when it comes to their favoured cruising grounds, and of course their choice of home port or marina. It’s easy to see why, and as often as not it’s proximity to the family homestead that determines where owners decide to keep their yachts. And once you’ve done something for the first time, it’s all too easy to slip into a yearly cycle of winter lift outs and spring relaunches in a marina or boatyard that you’re familiar with. Indeed, for many sailors these annual rituals are enrichened by a long-standing relationship with fellow berthholders, yard staff and that reassuring feeling of ‘knowing the ropes’, so familiarity is something to be valued. For those with moorings and winter hard standing at ‘in demand’ locations, the thought…

Hudson Bay remains today an almost forgotten sea in the nautical world. There are, of course, some merchant ships that supply the Cree and Inuit communities along the coasts of the Hudson Bay from July to October. There are also Cree and Inuit fishermen and hunters who occasionally move along the coast with their 24-foot freighter canoes. But sailing today in Hudson Bay is still considered to be more an expedition than a sailing cruise. According to our research, the last sailboat navigation on the east coast of Hudson Bay dates back to the early 1920s. The planning of this 1100 km sailing expedition, from Chisasibi to Umiujaq took us nearly one year. Nautical maps are only available on very large scales and little bathymetric information of the coast is…

Ever so quietly, without making a song and dance about it, Germany’s Hanse Yachts has become the world’s second biggest boatbuilder. Through a mixture of growth and acquisitions, including Moody, Sealine and Privilege, it now lies only behind the mighty Groupe Beneteau. Hanse has been helped by the decline of Bavaria, or course, but it has also read the market well with its range of quality cruising and racing yachts. Naturally enough, CEO Jens Gerhardt doesn’t see it quite like that. “The decline of Bavaria has been irrelevant for Hanse,” he tells me when I visit the yard at Greifswald, close to Germany’s Baltic border with Poland. “Bavaria makes charter yachts; Hanse is not focused on charter and our boats are more robust, more stable.” (Ger)hardt to beat If he…

Anyone planning a southerly voyage from UK waters should have Baiona in mind, and while La Coruna offers a temptingly shorter passage there’s a lot to be said for knocking off Cape Finisterre – and thus the Bay of Biscay – in one hit. Nowadays, the detail and accuracy of weather forecasts make plotting a passage across the bay, or even harbour hopping around it, a respectably safe pursuit for leisure sailors who can wait for ideal weather windows. For those who want the easiest route south though, the old received wisdom of heading west out of the channel and holding course until 10 degrees west – 11 degrees if the weather is troubling – remains a favoured option for many. From then on, it should ideally be a case…

Engines may be very reliable, but even the best engine can be rendered inoperable by a rope around the prop, a blocked up cooling water intake, a drained starter battery, or simply running out of fuel. The aim of this article is not to show how to fix the engine, or dive down with a breadknife between your teeth to cut free a line around the prop. The aim is instead to cover various alternatives for getting the boat into a position of safety from where professional help can be obtained. Don’t panic Just because something surprising has happened doesn’t mean you have to instantly come up with a solution. Take timeout to first get the boat into a safe location and then come up with a plan. Engine OK?…

Soufriere - Located on the west coast of St Lucia, Soufriere is a beautiful port of entry to St Lucia. Home to the Diamond Botanical Gardens, volcanic Sulphur Springs and Tet Paul nature trail, a wealth of eye-opening experiences are just a short drive away, with the Soufriere Marine Management Area extending around the world-famous Pitons (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), providing a wonderful opportunity to see a plethora of marine life. Marigot Bay - Just a short sail from Rodney Bay, ARC participants can find indulgent rest and recuperation in the ‘Hurricane Hole’. This unique cove framed by rainforest-clad hills provides effective shelter from the changeable island weather, with a 30ft depth that can cater for vessels up to 240ft. Guests in the 40 berth Marigot Bay Marina have…

ST MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTA Four days of world-class racing (and partying) with some of the world’s most seasoned sailors, as well as holiday-makers on chartered bareboats and live-aboards cruising the Caribbean. Crystal clear waters and cooling northeast trade winds give the pristine conditions for spectacular racing. ● heinekenregatta.com HMS WARRIOR SEA SHANTIES 29 MARCH PORTSMOUTH Enjoy a unique dining experience, eating at sailors’ mess tables on this Victorian warship’s gun deck. Tickets includes a cocktail, half a bottle wine and a two-course dinner. ● historicdockyard.co.uk STORIES OF ANIMALS AT SEA 25-27 APRIL GREENWICH Sailors kept animal companions, while animal stowaways such as rats, termites and shipworms did tremendous damage to ships’ and stores. This event celebrates them all! ● rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum ZAGREB BOAT SHOW 20 – 24 FEBRUARY CROATIA Head to…

The never-ending summer days of 2017 in Norway, meandering in and out of its fjords and islands, had made for an exceptional cruising season and it ended at Sutton Harbour in Plymouth after a five day passage down the North Sea from Stavanger. However, plans were afoot for a voyage south to Senegal and therefore, in September, we awaited a weather window to cross Biscay. However, September and October of 2017 were unseasonably stormy and no weather window presented itself. We admitted defeat and put the boat to bed for winter in Sutton Harbour, a well protected, friendly and reasonably priced marina. In hindsight, the decision to delay until Spring 2018 turned out to be rather fortuitous as we would have otherwise missed out on some rather fantastic cruising grounds……

It is cold in that peculiarly Baltic way which seems to seep into your bones in a matter of minutes. An easy Force 5-6 is whistling in from the west across the Kieler Bucht, bringing heavy rain squalls with it that you can spot advancing from miles away. It is the sort of day that modern sailing – with its sun pads, integrated barbecues and beach clubs – just wasn’t developed for. And yet I am on the verge of having a rip-roaring time. That is partly down to Merino long johns, but more about the intriguing design of the new flagship from Germany’s Bente yard. At 39ft LOA, she is considerably larger than the boat that launched the young brand – the eco-conscious Bente 24. This was a zippy…

Barton Marine is offering one lucky Sailing Today reader a £100 voucher to spend on anything from the extensive Barton range. Designed and manufactured in the UK for over 70 years, Barton is your one stop for high quality deck hardware. A comprehensive range of over 1,000 products means Barton has a lot to offer alongside the blocks that you all know and love. From everyday staples such as shackles, cleats, and inspection covers, to a wide variety of innovative track and car systems, furlers and winches. The trusted Barton Block range has even more to it than you might first have thought. The latest range of compact, sleek and stylish blocks introduced in 2018 is lighter and stronger than its predecessors, whilst the wooden Victory block collection provides a…

When Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ America, the old world learned first of his courageous feat of navigation at Baiona. It’s where La Pinta, a square-rigged caravelle chosen as the fastest vessel in Columbus’s small fleet for messenger duty, arrived with the news on 1 March, 1493. The locals still celebrate with an annual festival, and there’s a replica of La Pinta on display next to the town’s municipal quay which, due to its relatively small size at 56ft on deck, probably gives courage to yachtsmen and women contemplating their own Atlantic voyages today. Location, location, location is what put Baiona on the map. It’s a historic port on the southern fringe of the Ria de Vigo – itself the scene of the famous Battle of Vigo Bay in 1702 where the…

The Rias Baixas comprise a quartet of coastal rias which are the largest in Galicia – a province renowned for its craggy shores peppered with bays and inlets. The quartet are named the Rias de Myros y Noia, Ria de Arousa, Ria de Pontevedra and Ria de Vigo, and while all share a similar granite-based topography, they each have a distinctive flavour. The Ria de Vigo in the south is the most densely populated with the thriving port city of Vigo and lots of coastal development, while 10 miles north lies Ria de Pontevedra with its mediaeval town of the same name. A similar distance north again is Ria de Arousa, the most scenic of the Rias Baixas with numerous beaches and anchorages, while the set is completed by the…

SWAN 56 | AKARANA If you’re unable to run to one of the latest Swans (Boat News pp14-15) then something from the back catalogue might do the trick. The Swan appeal is timeless, especially when the boat is as immaculately turned out as Akarana. She’s hull number 19 of around 50, previously known as Lolita, and although looking close to ‘showroom’ condition she’s had a couple of significant upgrades. A new T-Keel was installed in 2012, designed to reduce draught and improve speed off the wind, while her decks were embellished with a handsome layer of teak in 2014. Broker Ancasta reckons Akarana has the best cabin arrangement of all the Swan 56s and she’s ideally set up for passage-making and blue water cruising. She has a master cabin forward…