Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Practical Boat Owner

Sailing, not money, makes the world go round The perception of boating by those who don’t do it is often that it’s expensive. True, it can sometimes feel that anything to do with sailing usually involves ‘adding an extra 0’ to the price tag. But if there’s one thing that Practical Boat Owner readers are good at, it’s finding a cost-effective way to look after their vessels, and not break the bank when it comes to maintenance and repairs; it has been the magazine’s ethos since it was founded in 1967. With the cost of living crisis still impacting many wallets in the UK, Ali Wood (page 52) shares her tips to save money on your cruising and maintenance costs, so you can still enjoy what is, for many of…

The UK Government has introduced a Universal Permission to Travel (UPT) requirement to the pleasure craft report service. Automated immigration checks to the ‘Submit a Pleasure Craft Report’ (sPCR) user interface were introduced on 18 April. On inbound voyages to the UK skippers, operators and agents will receive a response confirming whether each individual has valid immigration permission to travel to the UK or if travel documents need to be verified. British and Irish citizens do not require permission. A Home Office spokesperson said: “The government is introducing new UPT requirements to strengthen the border and ensure that everyone wishing to travel to the UK has permission in advance. We are also introducing automated immigration checks to the sPCR service to reduce the number of physical checks that skippers, operators…

Sailors bound for the Atlantic coasts of France, Portugal, Spain and through the Strait of Gibraltar, are being urged to prepare for orca encounters. The Cruising Association’s (CA) dedicated orca information and reporting portal, in collaboration with Grupo Trabajo Orca Atlantica, provides maps, data and deterrence advice, in English, Portuguese, French and Spanish. Around 15 of a population of less than 50 orcas have caused damage to numerous small vessels, at least four of which have sunk. The damage typically affects the rudders and crews can usually make their way to a safe port. To date, no one has reported being seriously injured. Since June 2022, the CA has been collecting data on orca interactions along this coastline. In early 2023 there was an escalation, and there is no reason…

Visitors to this year’s Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS) can expect a new entrance location and a revamped marina layout from 13-22 September. Entry will be adjacent to the West Quay Showcase Cinema, to be more accessible than its previous location along Southampton’s Town Walls outside West Quay’s food court. Addressing visitor feedback, the show’s marina layout will be redesigned for a more zonal approach. Vessels will be organised by type, making it easier for visitors to locate and compare over 350 craft. There will also be more boat demonstrations available for visitors. The show is open from 10am to 6pm daily except the final Sunday when the show will close at 5pm. The Shipyard music stage will remain open until 9pm on both Saturdays of the show. Tickets are…

Got a news story that would interest a fellow PBO reader? We want to hear from you! Email PBO news editor Laura Hodgetts at pbo@futurenet.com SOUTH COAST & CHANNEL ISLANDS Barrel appeal An appeal has been issued for information on three discarded 200lt oil barrels washed up in Chichester Harbour. One barrel, recovered from the water, was leaking a small amount of oil. The Chichester Harbour Conservancy team contained the spill. The barrels were found in the Fishbourne Channel, close to Dell Quay. The Chichester harbour master Jo Cox said: “This was a potentially serious incident and would have caused significant environmental damage should the oil have spilled into the protected harbour habitats.” The incident was reported to the Environment Agency. Anyone with information about the source of the barrels…

Marsali Taylor sails an Offshore 8M, Karima S. She’s a dinghy instructor and author of The Shetland Sailing Mysteries starring liveaboard sleuth, Cass Lynch. A fine day out with a visitor Six hours afloat and a guided tour to vindicate a fictional sailing heroine’s navigational skills Writing books that involve messing around in boats means I meet so many fine fellow enthusiasts. I got to know Christian Kogler, an author and filmmaker from Austria, through a voyage in one of my crime novels. He was studying navigation with the plan of getting a boat of his own, and he messaged me on Facebook, saying that he thought Cass, my sailing heroine, had got lost in her own waters, turning north to go to Hamnavoe, which was clearly south on Google…

Escaping the recent horrors of World War II, thousands of veterans and civilians in the 1950s sought respite and freedom out at sea in small boats. They include a stream of now famous single-handers such as Edward Allcard, Ann Davison, and Sir Francis Chichester. Over in the Pacific Ocean, a solo voyage by a DIY fisherman-carpenter-mechanic was no less extraordinary, yet it is now barely remembered in sailing histories. This man’s reasons were less about post-war escape and more about returning home and earning pride for his family and community. Born in 1918, Florentino Resulta Das grew up on the island of Samar in the Philippines, the son of a man who ran a 60ft ferry. Florentino grew up learning from his father, helping him build boats, and marvelling at…

Skills needed for boating inland are similar to those required for coastal sailing, but some situations can catch out even experienced seafarers. Perhaps the biggest of these is common to almost all single screw motor vessels, which handle very differently to a yacht under power. The combination of a much smaller rudder, and the lack of a keel for the boat to easily pivot around, means steering is only effective when the engine is in gear and the propeller is therefore pushing water past the rudder. This effect is particularly pronounced on narrowboats, which by their very nature are also very heavy and have a huge amount of inertia. Note that when they turn the stern still moves in the opposite direction to the bow. Therefore when turning to starboard,…

I removed the cowling from a 50hp Yamaha outboard engine that had been sun-damaged and the paint had blistered and bubbled up. It was, therefore, cosmetically in poor condition. Using a hot-air gun on a medium setting I softened the decals and then easily removed them. This process took approximately one hour, so removing them and the glue this way saves a lot of time in the long-run. Next, I used a wet and dry 200-grit, firstly by adding a little washing-up liquid, which makes the finish smoother. Then I moved on to a 400-grit and finally an 800-grit paper until it was smooth to the touch. Following that I washed and rinsed the cowling down and allowed it to dry. Once dry I used a tack cloth to remove…

Everyone loves a dolphin and bird-watching is a popular activity but what about the largest group of vertebrate animals? Fish are poorly known and sadly under-appreciated-except perhaps on the dinner plate. Many sailors can probably recognise a mackerel but few people regard fish as interesting animals to observe. There is an amazing variety of fish with two main groups – the cartilaginous fish, comprising sharks, skates and rays – and the more numerous bony fish. Of course, to see most of the 300+ species that inhabit UK coastal waters you’d need to enter their underwater realm. But there are fish that can be seen at the surface – and they tend to be big and impressive. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Genevieve Leaper is a lifetime sailor with a degree in zoology…

A new owner is being sought for Honnor Marine Classics Ltd to continue building its classic-styled vessels, built in GRP with sitka spruce masts and spars. Owner Tim Altham, 65, is looking to retire. Honnor Marine owns the Original Devon range – formerly known as Drascombe – the Scaffie, Dabber, Lugger, Longboat, Coaster and Gig. The company, founded in Totnes, Devon, is now based in Swanage, Dorset. It also builds the Tamarisk 19, Windward Cutter, Cape Cutter 19, supplies parts for Drascombe and Devon boats, and has a brokerage service. ◼ www.pbo.co.uk/original_devon Q Class rethink Spirit Yachts has been commissioned to build a modern Q Class yacht, using a Dykstra Naval Architects design, which is based on the original line drawings of a Q Class yacht from 1926. Sometimes called…

Cast your vote for The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) Marina of the Year Awards. Celebrating a decade of excellence, these awards shine a spotlight on the outstanding marinas and their dedicated staff across the UK and beyond who consistently exceed expectations for both resident and visiting boaters. The eight categories include Marina Employee; Coastal Marina-under 250 berths; Coastal Marina-over 250 berths; Inland Marina; International Marina; Superyacht Marina; Marina Team; Sustainable Marina of the Year. Eligibility extends to all TYHA Member Marinas holding Gold Anchor status. Voting concludes at midnight on August 30, 2024. Winners will be unveiled at a ceremony at the Southampton International Boat Show on the Foredeck Stage (Ocean Hall), 18 September, at 4pm. ◼ www.pbo.co.uk/nominations…

Emsworth Yacht Harbour is believed to have become the first employee-owned marina in the UK. An Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) now holds 80% of the company’s shares on behalf of its 12 employees, with members of the Wakelin family, which acquired the site in the 1990s, retaining the remaining 20%. As part of the move, Tom Marfleet will become managing director and Alison Wakelin, who has been managing director since 2006, will move to a non-executive director role. Alison said: “Our business has been built on the foundations of our incredible employee team and it feels amazing to recognise and reward them all by making this move.” EOTs facilitate employees having effective ownership of the company.…

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 Weather or not to go sailing Ignore the apps: it’s much safer to swear by the weather wisdom of a local oracle With advances in technology, modern weather forecasts are at least 100% accurate, if not more. And although dog walkers, keen gardeners, leisure sailors and anyone who goes outside may contest this, it’s backed up irrefutably by the science, as I can prove. For example, when they say it’s going to rain it does, and to the very minute, as if commanded by some higher being; and when they say the wind will be north-east Force 3 it most certainly will be, beyond any…

Emsworth and Fareham Luggers Simple lug rigs for ease of-handling make these ‘popular tenders for discerning sailors’ Clive’s choice for single-handed dinghy cruising Allan Earl, the author of the marvellous book Dinghy Cruising, published in 1945 successfully sailed his 10ft clinker dinghy all along the Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex coast. And as the knowledgeable Allan said: ‘A light man or woman should not have a large boat as the seaworthiness of a dinghy depends largely on the way the crew sit her up, and he/she will not have the weight to keep a large boat under full control unless she is under-canvassed. It is also probable that he/she will not have the strength to pull her up a rough beach’. So let’s look at the smallest of cruising dinghies, the Emsworth…

Fitting out my narrowboat on the river Tamar, seven miles above Plymouth, took me two years to complete – an operation that became somehow protracted by a ‘need’ to run in my new engine, punching big tides and visiting the delights of the entire navigable length of the river! During this time, it became almost commonplace for partners of my adjacent sea-going boaters to sidle up to me, when their other half was otherwise engaged, explaining that all this navigation, the long passages and stormy seas were becoming altogether too much and how nice it would be to simply ditch crawl from pub to pub. Boat work finished, I reversed the river journey to be craned back onto a lorry and scuttled north to a more conventional habitat, leaving behind…

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Here’s a practical solution to the problem PBO identified with boots that tend to pick up gravel in a deeply ribbed sole. I do most of my boating in carpet slippers so I find a pair of lightweight, flexible green wellies costing about £20 from B&Q serve well enough for dragging the dinghy up and down the beach. But similar to the Chatham Hexham Waterproof Boots (reviewed in PBO March 2024) they picked up gravel in the sole which can scratch decks if walked upon. I solved the problem by filling the sole smooth with ordinary general-purpose silicone sealant. The boots still grip well but no longer bring gravel aboard to scar the Tudor Rose’s decks. The boots have served several seasons and the silicone shows no sign of coming…

We pay for published cruising stories, email pbo@futurenet.com, read more at pbo.co.uk/cruising The only way was Essex Trevor Cherrett continues his attempt to reach the East Coast via London Third time lucky? I had got as far as St Katharine Docks’ Classic Boat Festival in my 22ft harbour launch (PBO, October 2022). But weather, tides, crew and diesel bug had foiled my attempt to reach the East Coast by the Thames (those are my excuses anyway). ABOUT THE AUTHOR Trevor Cherrett spent 30 years navigating English rivers and canals in a converted 20ft clinker motorboat Morgan, before switching to his 22ft traditional new-build harbour launch, Morgana. He is the author of Slow Boats to Europe, A River Journey from the English Channel to the Black Sea. That was September 2022, now…

◼ Basking shark Cetorhinus maximus Large, rounded triangular dorsal fin (1m), often floppy. Swims at the surface around 3 knots when feeding, also shows nose and tail fin. Very large, max 12m (7 tonnes). Worldwide distribution with seasonal aggregations in inshore waters to feed and probably reproduce. The Shark Trust is asking sailors to report any sightings of basking sharks in UK waters via their website recording.sharktrust.org/sightings/record or download the app at www.sharktrust.org/app ◼ Blue shark Prionace glauca Dark blue back and metallic blue flanks. Long pectoral fins and slender body, max 3.83m, generally pelagic and highly migratory, occurs all around UK ◼ Shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus Similar to blue shark. Slim-bodied, max 4m. Another oceanic, migratory species, mostly seen in west of UK ◼ Thresher shark Alopias vulpinus Short…

A yachtsman has died following a man overboard incident just outside Port of Dover. Michael Savage, known as Mick, was sailing his 1980s Westerly Konsort, Konsorted, when he became separated from his yacht on 1 April. Westerly Owners Association Commodore Brian Jones said: “It was with great sadness that we learned of this incident involving one of our members on what should have been a great adventure. Our thoughts are with his family and friends in what is a difficult time.” A Kent Police spokesman said: “Kent Police assisted HM Coastguard and Port of Dover Police on Monday 1 April 2024 following a report of a person overboard from a yacht in the English Channel. A man in his 50s was located and sadly pronounced deceased. The death is not…

Sam Llewellyn writes nautical thrillers, edits The Marine Quarterly, and is perpetually patching up a 30ft ketch: samllewellyn.com Boatyard life The tide of the year is rising. Time for work There was a rumour of a washed-out bridge in the shortcut as we headed north in the rain, so it seemed advisable to take a nervous detour over the Rest and be Thankful pass, itself built on a landslide, while Argyll and Bute Council tried to decide what to do about it all, which would probably be not much, slowly. And then we were at the bothy. The bothy is an ancient ferryman’s hut about 12ft from the West Kyle of Bute. It faces north-east, with its back to the gales, except last week’s, which must have been north-easterly, because…

Sailing to the Baltic is quite demanding as you’ll be crossing the often-turbulent North Sea and some of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe. So you’ll need a sound, seaworthy craft fit for the purpose and suitably equipped for long, open sea passages. When you arrive, you’ll find the sailing season is fairly short within the Baltic Sea itself, so if you plan to keep sailing to the very limits of the season you’ll need to think about heating and cosy, wellinsulated interiors. A deck saloon yacht is often a good solution. That way you don’t have to leave the warmth of the inside helm other than to adjust your sails. In certain areas, however, it’s not advisable to stay afloat too close to winter as the sea can often…

There are as many different styles and eras of boats suitable for use inland as there are seagoing vessels – and a lot of them overlap between the two disciplines. Indeed, a sizeable proportion of boats based on rivers with easy access to the sea, such as the Thames above Teddington lock, or the Lee Navigation in east London, have powerful engines that allow them to achieve planing speeds in open water. However, those further inland will tend to have smaller units that are more economical to run but will still deliver hull speed in nearly any conditions. An early decision will be whether to opt for a wide beam vessel or a narrow beam one able to navigate the UK’s narrow canals with a lock width of 6ft 10in.…

Marine fabrics, both inside and outside the boat, have a tough life so they have been developed to cope with extremes of heat, cold, sunlight, water ingress and humidity. Nowadays you can add some other considerations – the demand for easy cleaning and unadulterated style. Manufacturers are catering to the entire range of boaters, from the budget-conscious day-sailor to the multi-millionaire superyacht owner, so it’s little surprise that producing robust and fashionable marine fabrics has become a highly competitive sector. Also driving sales is an increasing awareness of the environment. Boat owners are seeking fabrics that are comfortable and attractive to live with, yet haven’t cost the earth, literally. At the marine trade show, METStrade, fabric specialists rolled out their latest collections, and here are some of our favourite advances.…

Email your projects and tips to pbo@futurenet.com including high resolution photos where possible. We pay at least £30 for each one published Casting a cutless housing Don Fitzroy Smith turns to the experts when an obsolete fitting can’t be found A health condition meant I couldn’t be there when the boat was lifted out, and still recovering at the start of the season I asked the marina contractors to deal with the antifouling, etc. That’s when I was told the cutless bearing was rattling and the bearing housing itself was dezincified and well past its use-by date. A replacement bearing was easy to source, but the housing was probably the original unit dating from 1988. With the passage of time and its manufacturers no longer trading, there was no possibility…

The fantasy: a seamless conversion from a loud, smelly diesel engine to a silently gliding and maintenance-free nirvana. Reality: one year of bliss, one year of disaster. Cost? £21,000, not including reconversion to diesel. The project started when my existing 17-year-old Yanmar D13 eventually gave up the ghost on 6 June 2021. I immediately saw an opportunity for a green future on my beautiful Tofinou 7, Penelope. I imagined a sustainable alternative to diesel: the boat would charge between sails during the week using solar panels; no need for an electricity supply. The first thing to do was select a technology that would suit my boat. I looked at the various manufacturers on Plugboat, did some Google reconnaissance and decided to speak to the Finnish company, Oceanvolt. As well as…

Anchoring a multihull with success requires choosing the correct location, having the right anchor for the boat size and bottom conditions, setting the correct chain and rode arrangements and ensuring you bury the anchor effectively. There is no anchor that covers all bottom conditions. Most multihulls should carry two anchors of different types. The classic brands come with recommended weights for yacht length – but also consider how much windage your multihull makes. Don’t underestimate the required anchor weight because your multilhull is lighter than a monohull of equivalent length. Multihulls put a different load on anchors as they sail on the mooring line. Windage is important when selecting the anchor size. Some multihulls are aerodynamic and low windage. Others have a profile with flat surfaces that create high windage.…

Morgana has the advantage of a short length (22ft) for fitting into small mooring spaces, but the disadvantage of no weed hatch to clear a fouled propeller. She has limited accommodation so frequent stopovers are necessary for accommodating and/or changing crews. Fortunately, there are excellent rail and tube links for most of this journey. Suitable guidance depends on your type of boat and available crew. But here are some tips from Morgana’s passage:- ◼ Teddington offers good, free temporary moorings on the towpath above the lock, and on the Teddington Boat Shop pontoon below the lock and bridge for smaller boats (modest fee). Excellent local pubs and shops. ◼ Teddington Lock is easily accessed and has helpful staff. The tidal Thames below Teddington is controlled by the Port of London…