Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2015 i Yachting Monthly

How often does your summer cruise go completely according to plan? I plan my passages at a pessimistic 4½ knots, yet I rarely get as far as I’d hoped. It can be frustrating – Yarmouth’s less lovely when you’re meant to be in Cherbourg – but some of my fondest cruising memories are of unintentional landfalls. That said, putting miles under the keel can be good for the soul. Wherever you’re bound, there’s an art to efficient passage-making. Tactics and mindset make a big difference to where we end up. After reading Tom Cunliffe’s take on it (p14), I’m eyeing up a weather window to cross the Channel this weekend. The plan is to leave the boat in France, come back by ferry and return the following week to start…

Dunmore East, in County Waterford, Ireland, wants to improve shelter in the harbour with a new breakwater. The all-weather harbour is strategically important for yachts sailing between Ireland and England or Wales, but currently lacks space for many yachts. The breakwater, on the eastern side of the harbour, would create an area for yacht moorings, and possibly a marina in the future. The Dunmore East harbour authority has put out to tender the designing of a possible breakwater, supported by a budget of €150,000. Harbourmaster Harry McLoughlin explained: ‘This is the first step in a lengthy process. Any plans that are drawn up will obviously need to be approved through the planning process.’ ‘There is an absolute need for more facilities for leisure craft and yachts in the harbour,’ he…

The biggest killer of distance run is the overnight stop. Suppose I’ve decided to take a look at South Brittany from the Solent. It’s 225 miles from the Hamble to Penmarc’h. Given decent weather that’s two days for a 32-footer sailing non-stop. I don’t even have to make 5 knots. If the tide served for a really early start, I might make Camaret after only one night at sea with a bit of motoring when things fell light. An evening in a waterfront bistro eating legendary seafood, then it’s through the Raz de Sein in the morning with a rollicking tide under me and I’m there. If I daysail, I’ll be one night at Yarmouth, another in Alderney, then it’ll be Guernsey, followed by Tréguier and l’Aber Wrac’h. Most nights…

Overnight stops kill passage times, but there are stops and stops. And there is paying through the nose and paying nothing at all. For an alongside berth, there’s piloting into harbour, calling a marina, getting out warps and fenders, manoeuvring into a tricky finger and plugging the power in. The jobs go on, the costs go up and it’s all potential stress. Find somewhere suitable and anchoring for a quick sleep is superior in every way. If the tide serves and an anchorage presents itself, it’s hook down at 2000, dinner at 2030, bed by 2130, alarm at 0430 and away by 0500. You’ve lost nine hours and 40 miles or so, but it’s a lot better than the twelve hours or more I always seem to spend in a…

Did you know that 28 types of whale and dolphin have been recorded in British and Irish waters? Eleven species are regularly seen, most often by people on boats rather than ashore. While some species, such as the harbour porpoise, are widespread, others may be regularly seen in certain areas, such as white-beaked dolphins in Lyme Bay; bottlenose dolphins in Cardigan Bay, the Moray Firth and the Shannon estuary; and minke whales off the west coast of Scotland. Other species are encountered less predictably. Humpback whales, blue whales and killer whales are seen mainly off the west coast of Scotland and Ireland. Unusual encounters are occasionally reported, such as the group of long-finned pilot whales that visited the Essex coast last November, lone humpback whales that have been reported off…

Our Beneteau 42CC Kookaburra normally carries us from port to port around the Mediterranean without incident. One October morning last year in Mallorca, however, things didn’t go to plan. Overnight we moored on a buoy in the beautiful bay of Formentor on the north-west coast, alongside our Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) friends, Dennis and Janet Knight on their Oyster 435, Shilling of Hamble. We planned to anchor off Puerto Pollensa for the day, to go ashore to sample some freshly grilled fish and a chilled glass of local white wine, and in a flat calm we motored off our mooring and headed out of the bay. David engaged the autopilot and suddenly Kookaburra began to go round in circles. ‘The steering’s gone and the helm’s locked solid,’ he said, looking…

Floating bifocal shades Gill has recently launched it’s Sense-Bifocal; a pair of polarised sunglasses that can be made with a choice of +1.50 or +2.50 dioptre reading lenses in the lower half of the lenses. A hydrophobic outer coating helps repel water and salt, while other coatings protect the wearer’s eyes from harmful UV rays. The frames (black only) are wrap-around style, making them both comfortable and secure to wear at sea. Price £55.00 Contact Gill Tel 0115 946 0844 Web www.gillmarine.com Lightweight micro fleece Isle of Wight-based Hudson Wight has been expanding its marine clothing portfolio and has recently included this warm, soft and cosy micro fleece. Made from 100% 200GSM polyester, it’s light enough to wear all year round. The branding on the fleece is subtle, so you…

Nothing gets me going like researching a new cruising ground. Think one or two hundred miles from home, then start looking into pilot books. If you have a Reeds Nautical Almanac on board, that’s a good start, but search further for full colour. Some pilotage resources are better than others when it comes to being a good read, but the full picture only really opens up with a chart, so bite the bullet and buy a few. Even if you are a ‘digital man’ you’ll be needing them for backup. At the planning stage, spreading out a crackling new Admiralty Start Point to Land’s End the size of the saloon table is a hundred times more inspiring than peering at a glowing screen If it all looks the sort of…

Much of the previous section talks about getting to the new cruising ground as if it were a commercial yacht delivery. Although no money changes hands, in a sense, it is. Over the years that my wife and I have been making longish summer cruises within reach of home we’ve realised that, unless we get lucky, a lot of the best sailing comes on the short legs while we are cruising in our chosen area. We’re not pressed for time then and can doodle along at three knots if it suits us. We can’t afford the luxury when we’re on passage. Because we love nights on the anchor and visiting new communities by water, every day we’re becalmed in the North Sea is a day we aren’t doing what we…

By sea These days, yacht delivery is a serious business with many sound operators. It has come a long way since the days of the delivery firm for which I worked on the South Coast in 1971. The man who ran the office gave us the jobs and collected the money. When we returned, he paid us over the counter until one day I breezed in from the Mediterranean to find the wretch had done an old-fashioned runner, absconding with the loot. Despite such backstairs banditry, we skippers did our best for the customers and I learned that we should leave a boat in a tighter state than when we joined her. Today, yachts are far better found. The man who still has my money never reappeared and, with professional…

■ Always keep a good lookout. If you see cetaceans or basking sharks, slow down, avoid sudden changes in speed, direction or noise. ■ Approach with caution, and never from head-on. If your engine is running, keep it on to maintain manoeuvrability and to ensure that the animals have heard you. Leave the area slowly, too. ■ Never chase, encircle or overtake animals or cause groups to separate. Ideally, let them approach you. ■ If cetaceans show any signs of becoming disturbed or alarmed, move away and keep away. Mother and calf pairs are more easily disturbed and susceptible to collisions. ■ If another vessel is enjoying an encounter, wait until they have moved away before you approach. Always allow animals an escape route. ■ Keep noise disturbance to a…

You may not see many of his boats cruising the British coast, but James Wharram’s designs are among the most popular of all time. Where in the world have doughty Wharram cats not been? During our voyaging, we have seen one of them in most of the bays where we anchored, from the Solomon islands to the Philippines. A few years ago, when we decided that we would like to have more living space than was provided by our small but beautiful monohull, a John Alden 32-footer, there were two options: live ashore, or get a bigger boat. The second option eventually won out when we heard about the Wharram Tiki 46, a design for people who like to cruise in a little more comfort than is offered by older…

There’s nothing quite like a cold beer in the cockpit on a sunny evening, having just loaded the boat for a trip away. Cramming everything in the car, the traffic-encumbered drive down and humping the contents of the car onto the boat are now a distant memory. Of course, keeping the beer and your sustenance for the next few days cold, is a task in itself. Some might think all coolboxes are the same – a hollow plastic box with a thinnish bit of cheap insulation, a lid and a carrying handle or two. To be fair, a lot of the cheaper ones are, but others take the business of keeping stuff cool very seriously. Some are even approved for the transport of blood and medicines, so keeping a few…

Italia Yachts 10.98 With a string of national, European and world championship wins under Franco Corazz’s belt, when he commissioned Italia Yachts to build him a yacht, it was clear that she’d be no slouch. At almost 11 metres she weighs less than many yachts 6ft shorter. The hull, without its T-keel keel, weighs just 3,000kg and is reinforced with carbon fibre. She has a wide cockpit with a short, fold-down bathing platform and a single large wheel attached to Jefa steering. Below decks, there’s a nice mix of teak, stainless steel and white GRP, making the most of the light inside. The teak veneer work is a joy; it rolls continuously around every corner, the grain matches on the bulkheads and drawers. The layout is conventional and the galley…

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has established that neither vessel was keeping a proper lookout when the Moody 31 Orca collided with the dredger Shoreway and sank. Following the collision on 8 June 2014, the bow anchor of the 5,000-tonne, 98m Shoreway tore a large hole in the starboard side of Orca, causing her to sink almost immediately. The yacht’s skipper, Peter Ingram, swam clear but his wife Bernadine was trapped in the wreckage and drowned. The MAIB report found that ‘the vessels collided in good visibility as neither the chief officer, who was alone on the bridge of Shoreway, nor the skipper of Orca, who was below deck in the cabin, were maintaining a proper lookout during the period immediately prior to the collision.’ Peter and Bernadine Ingram…

Most letters are edited for brevity. You can read more correspondence, online, at www.yachtingmonthly.com/letters Lessons learned by fire Trial by fire and water (May 15) left me asking ‘What started the fire?’ My Bavaria 34 Saloma is older than Daniel Fournier’s but similar in design. There are three likely sources: engine and fuel, batteries and wiring, gas and cooking. We never leave anything on the stove unattended and always switch off the gas by the cooker. We check the gas leak detector at the regulator too. Switching off the engine and the battery switches may help to slow or prevent a fire from spreading. Have I learned anything? Yes. I am going to fit a smoke detector as this raised the alarm for Daniel, and I am replacing all four…

This answer costs a bit in rail fares and marina or mooring fees, but it still has a lot going for it. I have a number of pals who daysail their boats down west for one or two weekends prior to the big trip, ready to jump off to Ireland or the Isles of Scilly when they arrive by car with the family. Homeward bound, those who don’t relish the long run up-Channel can drive back, leaving the skipper to bring the boat up, perhaps with a shipmate to join him. Others sail the yacht across to Guernsey. From there, they’re all set for a run down the Brittany coast. So long as all the gear and heavy stores were loaded first, joining the ship by ferry can be an…

Sailing is like happiness in the old song. It’s different things to different people. Some love to idle along in calm water. Others prefer to hang onto the helm, heeled hard over as the yacht surges ahead at hull speed. There are even those who enjoy the gritty business of turning out at 0200 for a thee-hour bout with a rain-soaked headwind, while dawn, if it happens at all, is still hours away. Crew in the two latter categories should be grappled to your heart with hoops of steel. They are the ones who love passage making for its own sake. My wife and I have one or two chums whose greatest delight is just to be at sea. Cruising from restaurant to restaurant doesn’t float their boat and it…

Anna Moscrop is director of Marine Conservation Research International (MCR), a not-for-profit organisation conducting practical conservation projects on marine wildlife, and investigating human impacts including from underwater noise, disturbance and marine debris. MCR’s Song of the Whale is a purpose-built, steel-hulled 22m (72ft) sailing research vessel. Over the past 20 years the team of sailors and scientists has studied endangered blue whales off Iceland, genetically isolated sperm whales in the Mediterranean Sea, extremes of harbour porpoise distribution, and searched for critically endangered monk seals. MCR has a long history of pioneering and collaborative projects in remote and challenging locations, and developing new benign techniques, including using acoustics. MCR needs new sponsors to continue its vital work protecting the marine environment and training future scientists and conservationists. Opportunities to sail with…

A brisk northeasterly wind had been blowing for most of the day as Antares, Bob Bradfield’s 50ft gaff schooner, nosed into forbidding Loch Scavaig on the west coast of Scotland, during her round-Britain cruise. ‘The wind whistles through there at the best of times,’ said Bob, ‘and we were looking for somewhere sheltered to anchor.’ With the Admiralty chart of the area and the Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions, Bob made the best analysis he could of the chosen spot in Tarskavaig Bay and down went the bower anchor. ‘The next day we were horrified by what we saw,’ he said. ‘We were anchored over a rock and were just inches off it. It was a very near miss.’ That was in 2008, the following year Bob went back to…

One of the unique joys of cruising Scotland is the satisfaction of sailing to a distillery. Some are easier to get to than others, but a trip to visit any of them will be rewarding, emotionally if not financially. On our cruise round Scotland we visited many; if dates, tides and weather had been different, we could and would have visited more. I reckon it’s possible to get a boat close to 24 distilleries, we managed to see 12 of them and visited six. A couple of days in Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth opens the gates to Speyside; Elgin, Rothes and Dufftown are just bus rides away, although hiring a car might be a more effective use of time. Many years ago I took public transport and hitchhiked around…

Yachting Monthly’s founder Herbert Reiach wrote in the first issue in 1906: ‘We shall be glad to receive the best logs and cruising stories offered to us from all parts of the world’ 109 years later, nothing’s changed! We’re still publishing your cruising stories Readers’ Cruising Stories PLEASE SEND YOUR STORIES TO yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com Wilson Taylor fondly remembers his years as cook and crew aboard a Sunderland yacht. Almost 50 years ago, in the mid-1960s (when I was nearing 40 years old myself) I was invited to come and crew for regular cruising and racing aboard a 36ft yacht called Sapphire Swift, then under construction at Swinburne’s Boatyard in South Shields. The designer and owner of the yacht was a man called Paul Rhodes, who owned one of the shipyards in…

I’ve been guilty of jumping to conclusions about Polish boats. I’ve sailed some rather odd designs and seen construction techniques that are most kindly described as ‘interesting’. But since visiting a powerboat builder in Ostroda, I’ve seen that Polish workers can build to a price, but also take pride in supplying high quality when possible, and even both in the same factory. The last time I test-sailed a Maxi the marque was still Swedish, with an enviable reputation for superb build quality. When I saw solid teak fiddles on the new Maxi 1200, I took it as proof that somebody at Delphia Yachts, Maxi’s Polish owners since 2012, had decided that this boat was going to put quality before cost. That person deserves a pat on the back. However, it’s…