Sailing Today April 2013

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APRIL 2013 ISSUE192

SAILORS’ CHECKLIST: TOP TIPS TO READY YOUR BOAT FOR THE NEW SEASON

Sailing the Atlantic ADVENTURE

GROUP TEST: SIX YACHT TRACKERS USED BOAT TEST: SCANMAR 33

Yarmouth HarbourJewel of the Western Solent

MY MARINA

NEW BOAT TEST

YACHTSYACHTING

CHELSEAMAR INE M A G A Z I N E S


YACHTSYACHTING



Family flyerPowered up in Bavaria’s 33C

SAILIN

G TODAYCRUISING TRANSATLANTIC •

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ARINA: YARMOUTH HARBOUR •

NEW: BAVARIA 33C •

USED: SCANMAR 33 •

6 SECURITY TRACKERS TESTED W

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192

APRIL 2013

NEW YACHTS

FOR 2013SPECIAL

REPORT AND PHOTOS

Could you take on the ARC?

ST192 Cover_Final.indd 1 18/02/2013 12:55Untitled-1 1 20/02/2013 10:17

06 April 2013

Sailing newS from around the uK

news & views

The crew of the Alexandra Shackleton have completed their daunting re-creation of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s rescue mission of 1916.

The team of six British and Australian adventurers finally concluded their remarkable 800 nautical mile voyage across the Southern Ocean, from Elephant Island to South Georgia in a 22ft replica of the James Caird. Three members of the team then went on to cross the rugged peaks of South Georgia.

Perhaps more impressive than the distance and time was the endurance shown by the crew as they battled the elements in traditional 1916 clothing on the exact replica boat. Along the way, they have witnessed 50kn storms in the southern ocean, struggled with sleep deprivation as all six

men attempted to sleep in the same tiny boat and problems with trench foot from the endless damp and cold.

“These early explorers were iron men in wooden boats and while modern man mostly travels around in iron vessels, I hope we’ve been able to emulate some of what they achieved,” commented expedition leader, Tim Jarvis on completion of the epic. “There’s no doubt in my mind that everyone has a Shackleton double in them and I hope we’ve inspired a few people to find theirs.”

The epic was manned by: Expedition Leader – Tim Jarvis, Skipper – Nick Bubb, Mountain Leader – Barry Gray, Sailor and Navigator – Paul Larsen, Expedition Bosun – Seb Coulthard and Expedition Cameraman – Ed Wardle.

Five crew are dead after a routine Lifeboat drill went wrong aboard a Thomson operated cruise ship, in the Canary Islands on 10 February.

The five crew were aboard a lifeboat as it was lowered over the side of the ship into the water. On raising the boat, one of the cables snapped plunging it upside down into the sea. Four of the staff on the lifeboat were pronounced dead at the scene and a fifth was pronounced dead later.

ShackletonRe-created

TRagic loSS

ST192 News_TH.indd 6 19/02/2013 17:02

April 2013 07

Dinghies on showThe rYA Dinghy Show is fast approaching; set to take place over the weekend of 2-3 March. Over 200 exhibitors from sailing clubs, classes and associations to commercial businesses will fi ll the exhibition halls at the Alexandra palace.

There are a number of special events taking

place over the weekend. in particular, the Jack Holt designed Mirror Dinghy class are celebrating their 50th anniversary and will have a number of Mirrors through the ages on display.

There are also set to be many competitions and prizes up for grabs.

Fire Fire!Sunseeker got away with limited damage when their poole factory caught fi re,

forcing workers to evacuate as the fi re brigade was called in to quench the fl ames.

This incident follows one in 2011 when a £9 million Sunseeker went up in fl ames days before it was due for transport to its new owner. Similar concerns were raised this time as the shed contained the brand new £18 million boat currently under construction for F1 legend Eddie Jordan. The boat is said to be undamaged, however and workers were back in the following day.

show shiftDates for the london Boat Show 2014 have been confirmed following the success of the 2013 edition.

The new-for-2013 format where the whole show took place in the South Hall of the Excel centre is set to remain. Feedback from industry figures and visitors alike suggested this to be a popular decision, making for a more condensed and therefore exciting show.

The london Boat Show will now take place one week earlier in order to avoid any overlapping with the Dusseldorf Boat Show. The new revised dates for the london Boat Show in 2014 are 4-12 January. More information can be found at www.londonboatshow.com

Gypsy Moth IV, the boat in which Sir Francis Chichester circumnavigated the globe in 1967, has announced its 2013 summer programme.

After taking part in the Round the Island Race on 1 June, she will be at the Panerai British Classic Week. The plan then involves a return visit to Plymouth from 19 July, coinciding at the end of the week with the Plymouth Classic Regatta. She will return to Falmouth for a week from 23 August. Passage making opportunities will be available between ports of call.

The Trust will also be making the yacht available for private and corporate bookings.

Moth’s Months

Send Your StorieS to [email protected]

in aPRil’S YacHTS & YacHTing� The closest Vendée Globe ever - exclusive interviews with the top boats who made it round the world in less than 80 days� Switching from crewing to helming - Olympic medal-winning crew Stu Bithell tells us how he went on to win the Merlin nationals� Key stories - three winning tales from a glorious Key West Race Week� Plus new boats, including a focus on the Ker 40, the latest events, news and comment

in aPRil’S claSSic BoaT� AWARDS Results. Our readers have voted… now to fi nd out who won.� James Cagney’s boat, the American schooner Martha, has been restored to sail (with no dirty rats aboard).� Owning a Peter Duck ketch: Ransome hated the design when it was created for him but it’s a lot of boat in 28 foot� Crossing the Channel in a 14ft clinker dinghy – hairy stuff � Electronics update – and a proposal of marriage from the Mid-Atlantic using a Yellow Brick

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ST192 News_TH.indd 7 19/02/2013 17:02

New boat test

April 2013 13

Phot

os: R

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ST192 New Bavaria33c_DK_TH_JF latest.indd 13 19/02/2013 17:13

12 April 2013

Bavaria 33c

Bavaria33CChanges to the styling of Bavaria’s new 33ft cruising yacht have improved her looks no end, but do the improvements result in a more user-friendly yacht? Duncan Kent took her out on a blustery February day to find out.

ST192 New Bavaria33c_DK_TH_JF latest.indd 12 19/02/2013 17:12

Sailing across the Atlantic: Columbus first did it in 1492 and in recent times an ever increasing procession of yachts has followed his lead. Why? Sam Jefferson joined the hordes on the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers to find out.

26 April 2013

the Arc

A voyage of self discovery

ST192 ARC_JF_TH_CJ.indd 26 19/02/2013 12:12

It was on our second day out from Las Palmas, less than 200 miles into our 3,000 mile journey that I was overcome with nausea. It wasn’t that I felt seasick – I am thankfully not troubled by that ailment – it was simply that I suddenly

became aware of the enormity of the Atlantic. We were alone, six people trapped on a very small boat for the foreseeable future and all we were going to see was this vast unfathomable stretch of water. I began to tremble, my knees buckled and I headed for my berth in order to get a grip on things.

Prior to this, there had been little time for serious musing on what I was undertaking. My girlfriend, Ivory, and I had decided to take part in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers with little more reason than we didn’t want to shell out on an air fare. We had signed up on Coral IV, a Norwegian Hanse 462 via the World Cruising Club’s ARC forum, and spent the past few days helping to prepare the vessel. The pontoons of Las Palmas marina had been a circus as the 200 plus fleet prepared for departure. In between the seminars, drinks parties and endless chats with yachting bores, it was very tricky to get a handle on what we were actually doing.

A rough stArtEven at the start things didn’t really sink in; the main emotion was relief at finally leaving the grimy fug of Las Palmas behind. The start had been postponed by two days which hadn’t helped, and now we were racing across the line with hundreds of other yachts, trying desperately not to hit anyone in the melee. That first night there was little room for repose. The fleet had been fired out into open ocean into the tail end of a low pressure system; winds were

gusting up to 35kn and there was a 3m swell running. Conditions weren’t dangerous, but they were challenging. I was rather fascinated as hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of hardware were put under more strain than their manufacturers would have liked. The modern yacht is rarely more than an auxiliary motor vessel, a floating caravan with all the same luxuries. Now suddenly 200 or so of these creations were undertaking what was ostensibly their primary role: to sail. I can only compare it to organising a caravanning convention at the top of some alpine mountain and then urging the entrants to race their unwieldy vehicles to the bottom via a steep off road track.

The result was fascinating and threw the absurdity of modern cruising into sharp relief. You are so cosseted down below, that it is easy to forget you are actually in a tiny, insignificant craft afloat on an unimaginable ocean. Thus it was that first night; down below on many yachts, the off watch grumbled as their USB cable for their electric tin opener was malfunctioning or their built in TV and DVD player skipped occasionally in the heavy swell,

it soon became clear that cultural and temperamental differences might well tear this crew apart.

Setting up twin foresails was a stress free set-up for dead

downwind sailing.

We set off straight into the tail-end of a huge low pressure.

April 2013 27

ST192 ARC_JF_TH_CJ.indd 27 19/02/2013 12:12

48 April 2013

Yarmouth is awash with history, first being mentioned way back in 991AD. The town became prominent much later thanks to the castle built there by Henry VIII – an

attempt to protect the then often-invaded Solent and south coast of England.

In years gone by Yarmouth had a strong fishing industry but today it seems the town gains most of its business from tourism, with the harbour featuring heavily on this front. There is still a working fishing fleet but this appears to be increasingly giving way to jaunts around the bay or mackerel fishing trips.

Yarmouth itself gives off the air of sleepy, traditional Britain, replete with – we are told – pancake races, festivities on the green and a rubber duck race down the river Yar. In fact, a handful of minutes spent here gives you the distinct impression it could have been the set for the Vicar of Dibley or some such nostalgic TV show harking back to a bygone age.

toby heppell gets the low-down on the isle of Wight’s Yarmouth Harbour, an idyllic little stop-over in the West Solent.

Solent serenity

the Old Gaffers Festival

attracts some beautiful boats.

Indeed, we quickly became aware of how tight-knit the community is when we started asking locals for their opinions of the best places to shop. Usually interviewees are quick to select a favourite but in Yarmouth people would say the name of a place before adding ‘that’s not to say Kevin’s isn’t any good though, oh and if we are mentioning Kevin we need to talk about Tracy’s fish and chips…’ This made

discovering the best spots to have a bite to eat tricky and in other circumstances might have been outright frustrating if it hadn’t been so heartwarming. Besides, it is all but impossible to get wound up here and the slow pace of life and smiles seem to infect visitors shortly after disembarking the ferry.

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ST192 MyMarina_Yarmouth_TH_JF.indd 48 19/02/2013 17:27

April 2013 49

Arriving at Yarmouth Harbour and chatting with David, it is initially unclear which has been here the longest, the harbour or the man. I jest of course but Dave – as he prefers to be known – has been involved here in various ways since his early teens – he is somewhat older now.

Dave is the proud owner of a 33ft motor launch, which he has had for the last ten years. Previously he has been Coxswain of the Yarmouth Lifeboat (25 years in total), has had a number of jobs and businesses in the local area and lives in a house overlooking the harbour. In short, he appears to be the authority on all things in and around Yarmouth.

Principally, what David enjoys about the area is the sense of community not just in the harbour itself but in the town as a whole. This sense of local community is partly enforced with permanent berths –

loCal bErth holDEr DAVID KENNETT – 33FT MOTOR LAUNCH

FACilitieS: Calor Gas & Camping GazCrane up to 5 tondisabled FacilitieselectricityFuellaunderetteShowers – prepaid tokens onlySlipwaysWaste disposalWater & iceWi-Fi

hArBOUr dUeSPrices based on a 35ft boat from April 2013 for friday, Saturday and public holidays, cheaper rates apply at both different times and sizes of boat, see the Yarmouth Harbour website (www.yarmouth-harbour.co.uk) or contact the harbour on +44 (0)1983 760321 for more details.

Walk Ashore moorings – £34Walk Ashore Finger Pontoon – £37 moorings (except walk ashore) – £20.50Short Stay moorings – £9.50Anchorage (outer harbour) – £5.00

bErthING aND FaCIlItIEs

Have any Yarmouth Yarns? let us know on twitter @Sailingtodaymag

around 250 in all – only being available for those living within a 7 mile radius of the Yarmouth church spire – though their 250 visitor berths are obviously not limited.

In a similar vein, another big draw is what can only be described as the continuous community events and regattas that take place, particularly in the summer months. Perhaps the biggest of these is the Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival in May. Another event Dave is particularly fond of is the Needles Relief, which started life as a supply trip to those working in the Needles lighthouse. However, it has since become something more like a small celebration and cruise as the lighthouse is now fully automated, needing no supplies.

Yarmouth harbour

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ST192 MyMarina_Yarmouth_TH_JF.indd 49 19/02/2013 17:27

54 APRIL 2013

PHOT

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FOA

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vinyl wrapping...represents a cheaper alternative to spruce your boat up

SPRING CLEANING

ST192 SpringPrep_JF_TH.indd 54 18/02/2013 10:42

APRIL 2013 55

A few short weeks ago – or so it always seems – I was putting my pride and joy to bed, with whispered promises of winter make-overs. Now Christmas is long gone, ditto the January diet, the

days are getting longer and it is with a light cursing I realise the season is upon me once more. All the jobs I promised would be completed are, at best half done but it is now time to abandon them and look to the list of vital tasks before launching for what we all hope will be a long, hot summer.

Some of the advice here may have been undertaken as part of your over-wintering preparation and there may be boat specific jobs required not listed, so this is by no means exhaustive. It does, however represent the minimum I might check, repair and or otherwise replace before I was happy launching my boat.

SAFETYAdvice given to me some years ago that I have since heeded is to keep a running log of all the service/replacement dates of all safety kit onboard. It is then very easy to check the top of the list for what needs doing before the end of the coming season and get it all done before launch – do remember to add the dates of any new or serviced kit.

Obviously flares require checking over for any damage, ensuring they are within date and replacing if not. It is also worth taking time to consider the container within which the flares are stored. On many occasions I have seen them located in inaccessible spots, or containers so large the flares can rattle around and get damaged. The main thing here though is that the case is watertight.

Liferafts require servicing at regular intervals so check this before launching. If in need of a service this will require a professional safety company to complete. The ‘due date’ for this service will be written on the side of the raft.

Lifejackets should be checked for a service date if needed. I like to manually inflate mine and leave

them blown up for a few hours to check for leaks. Use a hand pump as saliva does them no good.Check jackstay webbing and the point at which it connects to the decks – usually a shackle – for signs of wear and replace if necessary. Jackstays do suffer from UV degradation, so note when you buy them and replace on a regular basis. There are those who might say you can hand repair webbing or the stitching. I am inclined to think that, although there are many areas in sailing we can save money, jackstays are one area I am happy to spend it.

Check stanchions and lifelines for signs of wear. When it comes to lifelines I will usually run a light felt cloth or ball of wool along the length of the wires, which gives an easy indication of any slight breaks in the threads. This is a process I also tend to use when checking shrouds and stays (see the sails/rigging section). All that is really required for stanchions is a firm tug to ensure they remain well-seated and a quick visual check for any signs of hairline cracking etc.

Finally we need to check gas hoses and connectors for kinks and signs of wear and replace where necessary. Gas piping these days has a ‘use until’ date, if yours does not I recommend you change it for new piping.

SAILS/RIGGINGHopefully, sails will have been hosed down, inspected and repaired ahead of the winter; the sails should have then been dried with battens removed and put away in a dry storage space. If not, they will want checking over for mould, tears or patches of wear and weakness. Batten pockets should be given particular attention, as should all reefing points and cringles.

Sticking with sails, now is a good time to thoroughly clean and lubricate either sail slugs or boltrope and ensure you have done the same to the track in the mast and on the forestay for said slugs or boltrope.

When it comes to rigging I would recommend checking all halyards and lines for wear/chaffing

It is surprising how quickly pins can work themselves free.

Sail repairs and are often required pre-season.

Safety kit needs regular servicing.

Toby Heppell runs over some of the vital checks and spruce up hints needed before launching for the new season.

WRAPPING UP?If hull stains are deeply ingrained it is unlikely they can be fully polished out. Options after that are fairly limited and have traditionally involved re-gelcoating. Today, boat owners have another option in the form of vinyl wrapping. This represents a cheaper alternative to spruce your boat up but will need replacing after about a decade. The Sweden Yachts 54 on p52 recently had her topsides transformed bywildgroupinternational.com

ST192 SpringPrep_JF_TH.indd 55 18/02/2013 10:42

SAILING TODAY, the magazine for adventurous sailors, is getting bigger, better and brighter.

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sailingtoday.co.uk MAY 2013 23

MAY 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk 23

First ever Oyster rally sets sail

Chipping Norton YC

opens for business

Private navy assembled

to fight pirates

AFTER OVER 3,300 nautical

miles the Class 40 yacht Vaquita

has taken line honours in the

ARC 2012, having sailed from

Gran Canaria in just over 12 days.

Vaquita blasted across the

finish line at 14kn with the crew

pushing the boat hard in front of

the local and international

media in Rodney Bay, Saint

Lucia, on 7 December. The

Austrian crew of six crossed the

line at 10:22 local (14:22UTC)

on 7 December 2012, giving

them an elapsed time of 12 days,

1:37 hours. Once across the finish line

the crew dived into the warm

Caribbean water to both cool

down and celebrate their

success, to the delight of those

cheering from the spectator

boats alongside.Skippered by Christof Petter,

Vaquita, had a crew of leading

Austrian sailors aboard,

including Andreas Hanakamp,

former Team Russia Volvo Ocean

Race skipper and two time

Olympic star. The yacht sailed an

extreme northerly route from

Gran Canaria, clocking speeds of

up to 25kn during the crossing.

This is the team’s third

consecutive year racing in the

ARC, each time favouring the

northerly passage, and each time

the route has paid off.

Marc Guillemot, skipper of

the French racing yacht Safran,

has been fined £9,381 and

ordered to pay costs of £4,125

for traveling the wrong way in

the Dover Strait Traffic

Separation Scheme (TSS).

As reported back in the

August edition of Sailing Today

(ST184) Guillemot left Lizard

Point in Cornwall on 6 June

2012, to undertake a record

attempt for the fastest sail

around the United Kingdom

and Ireland. At 11.43pm that night the

Frenchman was seen by Dover

Coastguard, traveling in a North

Easterly direction, in the South

West lane of the TSS. On the 7

June at 4am, the yacht failed to

proceed in the appropriate

traffic lane in the Sunk traffic

separation scheme. During its

passage, several merchant ships

altered course to avoid a

HEADINGHERE XXXX

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eos eostrup Offictat omnis debit modis

et lant, cus, sinctet fugiatBoreptate et

lant, cus, sinctet fugiatBoreptate



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eos eostrup OffExpe offici sus qui

dissequi se dissum aut velique net et

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

ALL ARE DELIGHTED

Her Majesty The Queen has

announced that the volunteer

Coastguard Rescue

Service has been awarded The

Queen’s Diamond

Jubilee Volunteering

EVENTS / GOSSIP / NEWS FROM THE SAILING COMMUNITYEbb and flow

Safety experts, Ocean Safety are

inviting yacht owners to familiarise

themselves with essential safety

equipment when the company throws

its doors open to customers at its

offices in Southampton on 16/17

February and Plymouth.

Sailors are invited to bring along

liferafts, lifejackets, and other

serviceable safety equipment to be

checked by Ocean Safety’s expert

team. Everyone is welcome to turn up

to watch general demonstrations -

held throughout the day - but if you

want to see your own liferaft inflated

or equipment opened and checked

Developers of an offshore wind park

have announced significant reductions

to their plans for the an area just off

the Isle of Wight’s coastline.

The company behind the wind farm,

Navitus Bay Development Ltd, have

revised plans and stated that the

change was a direct result of

consultation feedback received.

The changes include moving the

development further out to sea and

making it smaller in scale. These

changes are designed to reduce the

visual impact on three main areas -

Durlston Head, The Needles and

ATLANTIC RALLY

Tonnerres de Brest celebrates 20 years in style

The Old Gaffers association will be celebrating a significant milestone

throughout the course of 2013 as they reach 50 years old. The association

has a plethora of events planned to commemorate their very own jubilee.

Perhaps the biggest of which will be the OGA Jubilee Festival in Cowes

from 15-18 August. Included in this event will be music, games, food,

40ft success for Vaquita

AFTER OVER 3,300 nautical

miles the Class 40 yacht Vaquita

has taken line honours in the

ARC 2012, having sailed from

Gran Canaria in just over 12

days.Vaquita blasted across the

finish line at 14kn with the crew

pushing the boat hard in front of

the local and international

media in Rodney Bay, Saint












boats alongside.Skippered by Christof

Petter, Vaquita, had a crew of

leading Austrian sailors

aboard, including Andreas

Hanakamp, former Team Russia

Volvo Ocean Race skipper and

two time Olympic star. The

yacht sailed an extreme

northerly route from Gran

Canaria, clocking speeds of up

to 25kn during the crossing.




northerly passage, and each

time the route has paid off.

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peri oditeces doluptatur

simFaccatempori dio. Itas as

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Once across the finish line

the crew dived into the

warm Caribbean water to

both cool down and relax

A whole host of rallies

have been planned in

various location around

the United Kingdom

BIGGER BETTER BRIGHTER!

sailingtoday.co.uk April 2013 23

April 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk 23

electricWindlass

Few weeks ago I mentioned

that the windlass was

severely corroded and that I

was planning to repair or

replace it. When I removed

it from the boat and got a

look at the underside of it, the

corrosion was pretty severe. The screws

that hold the gypsy assembly to the cast

aluminum housing were completely

frozen and no amount of PB Blaster

could loosen them, and the corrosion

around the mounting studs was severe

enough to give me doubt about the

entire base of the casting. One thing you

don’t want in your ground tackle is doubt, so last weekend

I replaced the entire

unit, and while I was

at it I built a spacer out of StarBoard to

raise the windlass up

so that whenever there

is water standing on its shelf in the

anchor locker, it will not be sitting in it.

It would have been a simple matter

for Beneteau to mold a riser into the

windlass shelf, or perhaps make the

shelf slanted enough that water would

run off, which might have made this

project unnecessary. Anyway, once the

plate was made I check-fitted it on the

windlass. I also took the opportunity to

back all the screws for the gypsy and

back cover out and give them a liberal

coat of Tef-Gel before re-tightening

them, and did the same to the

mounting studs before installing them.

As far as I know, nothing beats Tef-Gel

for preventing seizing of mating parts,

including dissimilar metals.

The unit comes with a rubber gasket

that is about 2 mm thick, which isn’t

enough raise the unit up clear of any

water on the shelf. On the old windlass,

water had seeped between the gasket

and the aluminum housing and worked








windlass. I also took

the opportunity to back all the screws for

the gypsy and back

cover out and give them a liberal coat of

Tef-Gel before re-tightening them,

and did the same to

the mounting studs

before installing them.










It would have been a simple matter for

Beneteau to mold a riser into the































‘One thing you don’t want in your ground

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1

2

3

5

4

On test

our anchoring expert chris edwards

explains how to pick the best

windlass for the job and compares

what the market has to offer

We compared...

ToP FoR PeRFoRManCe

MAY 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk 23

HEADINGHERE XXXX



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lant, cus, sinctet fugiatBoreptate









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eos eostrup OffExpe offici sus qui eos eostrup OffExpe offici sus qui

dissequi se dissum aut velique net et

odignim odisitis quatibusant.x xxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

Tonnerres de Brest celebrates 20 years in style

The Old Gaffers association will be celebrating a significant milestone





Perhaps the biggest of which will be the OGA Jubilee Festival in Cowes

from 15-18 August. Included in this event will be music, games, food,

40ft success for Vaquitamedia in Rodney Bay, Saint












boats alongside.Skippered by Christof

Petter, Vaquita, had a crew of Petter, Vaquita, had a crew of

leading Austrian sailors

aboard, including Andreas

Hanakamp, former Team Russia Hanakamp, former Team Russia

Volvo Ocean Race skipper and Volvo Ocean Race skipper and

two time Olympic star. The

yacht sailed an extreme

northerly route from Gran

Canaria, clocking speeds of up

to 25kn during the crossing.




northerly passage, and each

time the route has paid off.

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hitate nimusam voluptasit

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peri oditeces doluptatur

simFaccatempori dio. Itas as

rem labo. Ita cuptatisit alit que

nonsequide omnietur, odis

autTiumque eiciur, unte est,

quam sam ea consere

perumluptatur simFaccatempori

A whole host of rallies

have been planned in

various location around

the United Kingdom

South to the sun

Southerly’s new 47 takes you anywhere in comfort

bluewater luxury

Your guide to the best newclothing for serious sailors

look good stay dry

may 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk £4.20

exclusive

new gear Fast plotter, shoes and LED nav lights

12v windlaSS How to take the toil out of anchoring

sail better i go FurtHer

inner hebrideS the very best of scottish sailing?

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TODAYSAiling bigger, better, brighter !

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ST192 ST_Subspage.indd 60 18/02/2013 10:47

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sailingtoday.co.uk April 2013 23

April 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk 23

electricWindlass

Few weeks ago I mentioned

that the windlass was

severely corroded and that I

was planning to repair or

replace it. When I removed

it from the boat and got a

look at the underside of it, the

corrosion was pretty severe. The screws

that hold the gypsy assembly to the cast

aluminum housing were completely

frozen and no amount of PB Blaster

could loosen them, and the corrosion

around the mounting studs was severe

enough to give me doubt about the

entire base of the casting. One thing you

don’t want in your ground tackle is doubt, so last weekend

I replaced the entire

unit, and while I was

at it I built a spacer out of StarBoard to

raise the windlass up

so that whenever there

is water standing on its shelf in the

anchor locker, it will not be sitting in it.
































the gypsy and back



and did the same to

the mounting studs











































‘One thing you don’t want in your ground

tackle setup is doubt’ 5 Chain gypsy

es quia debis vellupt

asperum aut eos

nobit eos eostrup

taspicium, offictat




2 Chain gypsyes quia debis vellupt

asperum aut eos

nobit eos eostrup

taspicium, offictat




ipsant ullupti volupta

1 Left or right?es quia debis vellupt

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3 Rope attachmentes quia debis vellupt asperum aut











idignimus.











Contact: Lowrance,

www.lowrance.com

Price: From £1,099

Lowrance Precision X






idignimus.











Contact: Lowrance,

www.lowrance.com

Price: From £1,099

1

2

3

5

4

On test

our anchoring expert chris edwards

explains how to pick the best

windlass for the job and compares

what the market has to offer

We compared...

ToP FoR PeRFoRManCe

SAVE

















the gypsy and back



and did the same to

the mounting studs



















2 Chain gypsyChain gypsy

Bahamas

Bahamas

sailingtoday.co.uk may 2013

may 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk

28

29

town, and we used it as a base camp, but it still boasts an astonishingly beautiful beach. For exploring by boat, many of the old rules restricting access to bays and ports have been lifted, but the waters are often shallow and poorly charted.Cuba is well within the hurricane belt, and we wanted to be heading north before the end of May. With three weeks to spare, we hitched a ride towards the Bahamas on the Gulf Stream. At about the latitude of Miami, we turned east across the Great Bahamas Bank. For two mirror-calm nights in a row, we simply dropped the hook on the shallow bank for a motionless night, out of sight of land. It was a totally unique anchorage, utterly outside any of my previous sailing experience.

In fact, the Bahamas were an unexpectedly pleasure all round. I had imagined US-style development, but even Nassau had a sleepy Caribbean feel to it. Thirty miles away over the

coral-strewn Yellow Bank, the Exumas provided a dreamy 10 days of exploring. The reputation for difficult pilotage was overblown. On the other hand, there were empty coves and beaches, astonishing turquoise water and plentiful fish. It was with slightly heavy hearts that we set sail on a 900-mile voyage to the Chesapeake Bay in late May, leavened only by the last minute recruitment of our old shipmate Graham for the passage.The Chesapeake is a huge and varied cruising ground, but it was now June, and we zigzagged quickly up the 120-mile long bay towards the C&D Canal, an inland shortcut on the passage to New York. The highlight was anchoring in the centre of beautiful Annapolis.

New York sky lineLater, Manhattan’s fabled skyline took our breath away as we swooped by the Statue of Liberty, close past the skyscrapers of Wall Street and under the Brooklyn Bridge. After a ticklish passage up the East River, we motored to nearby Port Washington, where visiting yachts can spend two free nights on the town moorings.With time running short, we made for Cape Cod and sailed through fog to Martha’s Vineyard, where presidents take their summer holidays. At the skipper’s insistence, we pressed on through the fog to the legendary whaling community of Nantucket, before backtracking to the yachting mecca of Newport.

Homewards via the AzoresPreparations for our return crossing were much quicker than they had been in Gran Canaria. The boat was in good shape and we had a clearer idea of the

demands of an ocean passage. With extra crew, Chris and Elise, it took just two days to provision, refuel and make everything shipshape for the off. We spent our last night alongside in the expensive but lovely Newport Shipyard, then set sail into 18 knots from the southwest.We soon settled into the 24-hour rhythm of a long passage and followed the 39th parallel, to stay clear of ice and shipping. Conditions remained benign despite some strong winds and towering swell.

After just 15 days and one whale, we reached Flores, the westernmost of the Azores group, and an island festooned with blue hydrangeas. It is often said that Caribbean cruisers find the Azores one of their most pleasant stops, and so it was with us.But at this late stage of the trip, the urge to finish passage making and hang up our wet weather gear was strong. I was also anxious about passing into the band of depressions that march across the North Atlantic, so we were glad to slip our berth on 8 August. We made landfall at the Lizard by dusk on the eleventh day after nothing more worrying than a calamitous drop in temperature and some heavy rain. As we rounded Anvil Point and bore away towards Old Harry, the Needles gleamed to the east and we were transfixed by the beauty of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.

We slid in past the Sandbanks chain ferry on the last of the flood and made our way through a busy Poole Harbour to the Town Quay. The rain could not dampen the joy at seeing my family again, dripping on the quay, and we soon moved to the pub for a long dreamed-of pint of ale. It would be a stern constitution

‘The islands have a vibrant musical tradition, best expressed in the harmonies of the steel drums’

Left: This mahi-mahi stood no chance against the battery of trolling lures and fish exciters Summer Song deployedRight: I had imagined much more US-style development, but even Nassau had a sleepy Caribbean feel to it.

Many of the old rules restricting access to bays and ports have been lifted, but the waters are often

With slightly heavy hearts that we set sail on a 900-mile voyage to the Chesapeake Bay




town, and we used it as a base camp, but it still boasts an astonishingly beautiful beach. For exploring by boat, many of the old rules restricting access

visiting yachts can spend two free nights on the town moorings.With time running short, we made for Cape Cod and sailed through fog to Martha’s Vineyard, where presidents take their summer holidays. At the skipper’s insistence, we pressed on through the fog to the legendary

landfall at the Lizard by dusk on the eleventh day after nothing more worrying than a calamitous drop in temperature and some heavy rain. As we rounded Anvil Point and bore away towards Old Harry, the Needles gleamed to the east and we were transfixed by the beauty of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.

Many of the old rules restricting access to bays and ports have been lifted, but the waters are often

BRAND NEW LOOK ON SALE MARCH 28

YACHTSYACHTING



YACHTSYACHTING



ST192 ST_Subspage.indd 61 18/02/2013 10:47

62 April 2013

Lost your boat? Duncan Kent get to grips with a selection of the latest GSM/GPS boat tracking devices.

Do you ever sit at home worrying whether your boat has parted from her mooring and is headed for the beach, or she’s been stolen and is on her way abroad? Or

maybe you fancy dropping the hook and slipping ashore for a meal, but don’t fancy losing sight of her? A tracker could be just the thing for your peace of mind.

GPS trackers provide an excellent way for you or worried family to keep an eye out for your boat at all times. Briefly, it’s a small black box containing a GPS receiver and a GSM/GPRS (cell phone) transceiver. The GPS then keeps an up-to-the-minute electronic position log, which can either be interrogated via mobile phone or online. Most can also be set up to transmit alert messages via SMS or email to authorised contacts set up by the end user.

There are many different types of tracker, some of which have more functions than others. If you simply want to keep an eye out for your boat on an occasional basis, then the most basic will do. If, you’d like extra features such as bilge, battery or security alarm notification, then expect to pay a little extra. More sophisticated devices are also available that enable the remote control of some functions onboard – such as turning on your heating etc., but in this article we concentrate mainly on their tracking and alert functions.

SubScribe or not?Most of the lower cost trackers are designed to be self-monitored. Either you or the supplier provide a SIM card (PAYG or contract; roaming for abroad), enabling it to send text messages – either directly to your phone or to a monitoring centre that either feeds them into a web tracking package or forwards them to a chosen email inbox.

The only costs involved with the simple units that send messages via SMS is the initial outlay on equipment, plus the SIM costs. Obviously, if you choose to have it monitored by a control centre it’s going to cost you more – usually an annual subscription of between £75-£200 on top.

ProgramS and aPPSEach device has its own method of handling things, so in addition to choosing the equipment to suit your needs it’s equally important to select the system that’s right for you.

The majority of suppliers allow you to download either a smartphone application or a web software package to help you access the tracking data in the most convenient way. Clearly you’re not going to want to receive a text message every minute telling you that your boat is right where you left her, so all the devices have certain user-defined detection parameters that can be set. These usually come under the following headings:

gear & equiPment

group test

geofence boundary – this is a user-defined, electronic virtual boundary, beyond which your boat should not move of its own accord. Obviously, if you’re on a swinging mooring or at anchor you would need to allow for her swinging with the tide, so you wouldn’t enter a geofence radius of 10m!

movement detection – a feature primarily designed for land use – a boat or dinghy on a trailer, for instance. On detection of continued movement over a timed period, the unit transmits an early warning alert that someone might be tampering with your boat. This feature is usually in addition to a geofence alert.

ST192 GroupTrackers_dk_JF_TH.indd 62 19/02/2013 15:10

April 2013 63

proDuCts testeD...

GARMIN GU10 – £149.99 The smallest tested, but still with built-in GpS/GSM antennae and a li-ion battery for up to four weeks use.

The device utilises a web-based tracking service provided by Garmin that enables you to receive location alerts via email or text, and you can also pinpoint its location on a map via a web browser, compatible smartphone and even some Garmin Nuvi satnavs.

One year’s Standard service is included, allowing unlimited emails, 25 texts per month and web interrogation. The Deluxe service offers continuous tracking, daily reports and 50 texts.

Set up: The unit is charged and activated by connecting it to your pC’s USB port. You must create a ‘myGarmin’ account online, after which you can view the location of the tracker via the online map or interrogate its position on a smartphone, provided you have downloaded the (free) Garmin Tracker app (Apple or Android).

The system enables 10 named

gSm/gPS tracKing SyStemS

GARMIN GU10 – £149.99 Geofences to be set and up to five email recipients can be entered, along with the frequency of position updating required (more frequent updates = higher battery consumption).

in the box: USB cable, carrying case, adhesive strip, karabiner, manual.

accessories: 12Vdc power cable

costs Standard: £45pa after the first year.Deluxe: £4 per month extra.

verdict � � �

Easy to charge from any USB port, but it needs permanent power if you want to monitor it continuously.

Annoyingly, to change the settings you have to turn the tracker off and back on – not ideal if the unit’s onboard and you’re at home!

Otherwise it’s a neat little device that is versatile, simple to set up and, being so portable, is very convenient to use. The initial cost is reasonable, considering the technology involved, and the standard annual tracking fee of £3.75 per month after the first year isn’t a lot more than you’d pay for a pAYG SiM card anyway.

Note that this device is not set up for roaming, so will only work in UK and Ni coastal waters within GSM/GprS range.

contact Garmin (Europe) 023 8052 4000 www.garmin.com/uk

ignition detection – some of the devices we tested also allow the detection of engine ignition into their parameter calculation, which can help you to define the problem more selectively.

Units that have these are then able to let you know in the alert if the boat has moved with or without the ignition being turned on. This will tell you if your boat has simply slipped its mooring accidentally, or whether someone has driven it away.

Some units even allow you to turn the ignition or fuel supply off remotely. Personally I think that might lead to further problems and even more chance of your boat being damaged! Better to use the control relay to set off a loud alarm.

ST192 GroupTrackers_dk_JF_TH.indd 63 19/02/2013 15:10

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Untitled-24 1 18/02/2013 11:57

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Sailing Today April 2013