Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Yachting Monthly

There was wind coming, a lot of it ... the tail end of an American hurricane set to batter old England The telephone wires were festooned with starlings, autumn leaves scratched along the gutters and high overhead the sky was painted with enough mares’ tails for 100 horsemen of the apocalypse, never mind four. There was wind coming, a lot of it, and with the struggling shops of Gosport numbering the shopping days until Christmas I was finding it harder to ignore a pal’s advice to ‘get the boat taken home on a low loader; it’ll probably be cheaper in the long run.’ But, let’s face it, it wasn't far on the water: just under 100 miles to Dover, which is my nautical neighbourhood. Only a day or two further,…

James Stevens, author of The Yachtmaster Handbook, was the RYA’s training manager and yachtmaster chief examiner for 10 years One of my most memorable nights in a raft was in Guernsey alongside a Polish yacht, which looked as if it had been welded from scrap from the Gdansk shipyard. We communicated by smiling and proposing toasts. The ebullient and enthusiastic crew drank a clear, viscous liquid that, along with my scotch, gave me a three-day hangover. It is surprising how often you can end up in a raft with someone you have met previously on your travels. It is one of the great pleasures of sailing and the majority of yachtsmen welcome you alongside and couldn’t be more helpful. I have also had some forgettable experiences alongside the ‘lads on…

One of the biggest worries for many boat owners is how to keep their boat free from damp and mould in the winter months. A smart solution is to use a dehumidifier, but many boat owners find that compressor dehumidifiers do not work well at temperatures below 15°C, and there are often problems with the machines icing up. The Meaco DD8L Zambezi was designed and developed to address this problem, functioning consistently well at all temperatures. As a desiccant dehumidifier with no compressor, refrigerant or cooling coils, it is lighter, quieter and kinder on the environment when it has to be recycled. In addition, the Zambezi has six world firsts, has a Which? Best Buy Award, and adds warmth back into the space. It has a daily run timer to…

Susie Goodall is one of two female sailors signed up for the Golden Globe Race next year. She said she wanted a seaworthy yacht that could be adapted to suit her needs. The Rustler 36 was always her first choice and so she was delighted when she took ownership of the 1995-built Ariadne. Goodall said the time she spent on the boat (crossing the Atlantic twice) was invaluable: ‘I discovered everything that leaks and all the problems with the boat, including the toerail deck fitting seals which were letting water in. All the deck fittings have come off; some have been replaced because they were so corroded. The toerails were taken off and resealed. The boat is basically having a rebuild.’ Goodall says she is also replacing the deck-stepped 22-year-old…

EMAIL yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com TEL 01252 555164 Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/yachtingmonthly Like us on Facebook facebook.com/yachtingmonthlymag Golden Globe moves to France Golden Globe Race ditches Plymouth start in favour of Les Sables d’Olonne, citing pressure of BREXIT on potential UK sponsors that failed to materialise Organisers of the 2018 Golden Globe Race have announced a move of the start from Plymouth to Les Sables d’Olonne on the West coast of France. The revival competition, which aims to retrace the route of the original race in which Sir Robin- Knox-Johnston became the first man to circumnavigate solo and non-stop, will see competitors navigate using only 1960’s technology. Race Chairman Don McIntyre explained that uncertainty around BREXIT and the subsequent lack of sponsor commitment was at the heart of the decision: ‘We thank Plymouth…

EMAIL yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com POST The Editor, Yachting Monthly, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF Please send us your letters in less than 200 words WIN A BOTTLE OF RUM The letter of the month wins a bottle of Pusser’s Rum, produced to Admiralty specification and served daily to every sailor in the Royal Navy for more than 300 years (UK residents only) www.pussers.com Beware of sad Irma debris Following the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean recently, it might be prudent for those navigating the coastal waters of the UK and Ireland, as well as those crossing the Atlantic, to remain vigilant for submerged debris that has been floated out to sea by the accompanying storm surge. In particular, shipping containers,…

What you need to know before you get on the course 5 days, 100 miles, 4 night hours on board a sailing yacht. Theory to the level of Day Skipper. While it is recommended you attend a Day Skipper shore-based course beforehand, which includes an exam, you just need to be confident in doing the theory to the required level, as there isn’t time to learn this on the course. What you will learn on the course ▪ preparation for sea ▪ deck work, navigation ▪ pilotage, meteorology ▪ rules of the road ▪ maintenance and repair work ▪ engines ▪ victualling ▪ emergency situations ▪ yacht handling under power ▪ yacht handling under sail ▪ passage making ▪ night cruising How you will be assessed Assessment will be by…

After a fairly lively May weekend spent exploring the Solent’s nooks and crannies, Keith and Bev are finishing breakfast at anchor in Newtown Creek on Sunday morning when the 0730 inshore waters forecast crackles over the VHF. It’s not ideal, predicting the wind will back and build to Force 7 from SW. Both are eager to get back to Kemp’s Quay Marina, about two miles up the River Itchen in Southampton, so they can get to work on Monday. The wind has been brisk all weekend but Keith isn’t keen on getting public transport back. It would mean leaving Dasher, his 21ft Corribee, at anchor, as there are no free moorings, then getting ashore and travelling the six miles to Cowes to get a ferry back to Southampton. He’d much…

▪ One can never account for a drifting motor yacht dragging my anchor chain but, on reflection, would I have done anything differently? While not forecast in this incident, such weather conditions are possible, even probable at that time of year, so it might have been better to leave off the anchor restraint. This would have allowed for easy – remote controlled – adjustment from the safety of the cockpit. ▪ Having been dragged out of the mooring, was it an option to sit at anchor? In the location where we were, it was not. The anchors of the arc of yachts to leeward were already close to CGIV’s and, had I dragged, I would have risked picking up other anchors or their chains. ▪ Once out of the mooring,…

There’s always a good read hidden on a sailor’s shelves. Tell us your favourite. EMAIL theo.stocker@timeinc.com Had any mishap occurred we should have been done... The longer we waited, the worse would be the sea. We went back, Christopher towing and me sounding. Finally, we got into the channel again, but the sea was not terribly bad, and although an occasional wave came into the punt I had no trouble keeping her dry inside. We passed a beacon, a post with a place for a lamp on top – but no lamp. ‘Buoys’ were marked on the Admiralty chart, I supposed that these were they. Then an unexpected difficulty came. The bank along which we were towing became a little cliff and, being on a lee shore, we could tow…

Value range of deck glands As sailing gets less frequent at this time of year, it’s time to address the niggling problems you’ve put off for the season; problems like the leaking deck gland you discovered after a boisterous beat to windward earlier in the season. Little problems soon become bigger problems, and I often put them off because of price. The value range of deck glands and cable seals from Index Marine cost surprisingly little – for a company with ‘marine’ in its name. The black cable glands cost less than a pint and a half, and are IP68 rated. The seals hold cables securely, allowing them to pass though a surface in-line or at right angles to it, preventing damage to the cable while keeping water out. The…

Thanks to the art of the late, great Ed Dubois this stunning sailing boat, with her raked stem, shallow forefoot, exaggerated rocker and sawn-off counter is testimony to a tried and tested form of tradition. Dubois always set himself the task of dovetailing seaworthiness with performance via imaginative and elegant lines and the 24 Centurion 48s are just one of his many legacy fleets. She may be two decades old, but the spec of the Wauquiez Centurion 48S still holds up well against contemporary standards. Her foam sandwich build keeps her hull light and stiff, while the first layer of laminate is impact-resistant aramid, the fibre used in police protective vests, so she’s literally bulletproof. Performance We joined the 1997 boat, Never Mind – hull No 1 – named after…

Win The confession of the month wins a floating Standard Horizon handheld VHF radio worth £140 PlUs an original Bill Caldwell cartoon POST Confessions, Yachting Monthly, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF EMAIL yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com Please send us your confessions in less than 200 words Bowl Movements CONFESSION OF THE MONTH By Roger Beecroft Comfortably at anchor, I decided to investigate why the flushing water was not refilling the bowl in the forward heads on our Bruce Roberts 43. The pump seemed to be working well enough, removing the contents of the bowl and pulling a decent vacuum when the lid was down. However, it was not drawing the water along the 18ft-long pipe from the sea water inlet in the engine room.…

The seas rose, crashing over the plunging bow. It was not fun We talk about marina prices mooring fees, anchor levies and all the woeful costs which cluster round cruisers, as we valiantly try to pretend we are laughing water gypsies, free from the mundane shackles of getting and spending. We all have our financial grumbles, but perhaps we don’t talk enough about the moments when, after a particularly trying passage, you get a welcome so warm that you want to hug the collectors, sobbing with gratitude. So let’s speak of that, just as a counterweight to any bitter feelings expended elsewhere. Here’s to the cheerful West Country harbourmasters who call you soothing things like ‘My robin’ and trudge down to make sure you’re all right against their harbour wall.…

WHAT’S SHE LIKE TO SAIL? The 388 was a lovely boat to sail, with a feel on the helm usually reserved for more expensive yachts. The Jefa steering was light and responsive with excellent feedback. There was a nice weight to the helm and nothing I could to do would make her misbehave; she remained composed and in control, whether she was hard on the wind or thrown into a fast tack. Both the self-tacking jib and the mainsail can be controlled from around the wheels; the mainsheet on both sides, the jib to starboard. The crew can help the helm, but the winch position doesn’t offer the most ergonomic position to winch from. Once the sails are set the crew can sit back and relax; the helm has all…

Mistress and Commander By Amelia Dalton, published by Sandstone Press at £8.99 Having been on a charter on a converted fishing vessel on the west coast of Scotland, Amelia Dalton and her husband decide to start their own charter business. The Monaco, a 25m wooden trawler from Denmark, provides a solid, steady presence as dramas and personalities ebb and flow. Left to run the business alone, Dalton learns to clean fuel filters, plot a course to steer, and navigate her way, as an English woman, in the male, Scottish fishing and shipping world. The growing love affair with the sea and its ability to heal the void left by the death of her son makes for a captivating and satisfying read. Theo Stocker Yacht were you thinking? By Jonathan Eyers,…

This apparently simple passage is more difficult than it looks. With a small boat gusts of F7 normally mean staying in harbour. However leaving the boat at anchor unattended is also inadvisable and there is the additional problem of either getting a lift ashore, and back, or stowing the dinghy ashore. A following wind of F5 with a fair tidal stream should be reasonably manageable, reefing if necessary. The weather is deteriorating, but not quickly, as indicated by the barometer falling slowly. The sooner they leave, the better, as any delay will only lead to less favourable tide and worse conditions. It is important to be out of the Solent before the strong winds arrive. Once in Southampton Water the sea state will be calm even in the strongest gusts, and…

Imray Navigator App Imray’s previous charting app was good, offering many unique features and ways of presenting information in a clear and logical manner, much like its charts. It was a bit clunky to use, however, especially when it came to chart selection, as these had to be selected individually. With the new app, zooming in on the raster charts automatically loads up the relevant chart to the correct zoom level. Because the charts are raster based they don’t have the interactivity of vector charts, but layers of detail can be shown or hidden. To read the chart notes, though, can require a lot of scrolling. Tidal diamonds on the chart can be shown in real time, and also advanced to different days and hours (and handily tell you the…

What’s she like to sail? The Wauquiez Centurion 48S is a fast racer-cruiser with finger-tip control for all points of sailing. This boat carries a huge rig — the mast is 65ft 9in above the deck — but unlike with lesser breeds, she has the dynamic stability, thanks to a high level of righting force, to handle it. Her fine entry bow ensures she picks up speed as soon as the breeze fills in giving her an exhilarating helm, magnificent upwind performance and reassuring directional stability. Her beam sections add to the overall sense of smooth stability and her lead keel bolted low on a deep polyester stub gives her the reassuring feel of stiffness and stability. Her fully battened mainsail slides on roller batten cars and is sensibly fitted…