Jeanneau Sun 2000

The Jeanneau Sun 2000 is a very smart, lifting-keel trailer sailer. She has a displacement of 1170 kilograms and an overall length of 21’ 9”. This particular boat* is a ‘comfort’ version and she’s recently been re-sprayed. Here is a description of her interior by the broker, Clarke and Carter at Burnham-on-Crouch:

Four berths with sitting headroom. Comfort version. The cabin consists of two saloon berths (6' 7" long) with stowage beneath either side of a removable table. Forward are two galley areas to port and starboard fitted with a sink with manually pumped water supply and water tank with removable single burner gas cooker opposite. The forepeak has a double berth (6' 3" long) with space for a chemical toilet and storage beneath. Light and ventilation are provided by a circular fore hatch, two opening portlights and two adjustable spotlights. Teak fit out with teak veneer sole boards, green velour upholstery and light vinyl fabric hull linings throughout.

Here’s what the broker says of her construction:

Jeanneau Sun 2000 Comfort built by Jeanneau, France in 2002. Green GRP hull (professionally resprayed in August 2014) with style stripes. Self draining cockpit. Port and starboard cockit lockers. Tiller steering to removable and lifting rudder (new frame and bushes 2014). Bow roller. Self draining anchor locker. Aluminium and teak toe rails. Lifting GRP keel with Spinlock clutch in cockpit.

A few thoughts:

She’ll have a lively performance, and she’ll be a good club racer. With a crew of two, who know what they are doing, she’ll be great for coastal cruising. Upkeep will be minimal, and if she is kept at home, the expense of mooring her in a marina can be avoided.

Links

*Jeanneau Sun 2000 for Sale £9,995 (Featured here on 26.02.2015)

http://www.clarkeandcarter.co.uk/brokerage-boats/searchfullspecs.php?DocumentID=4745366

Clarke and Carter – International Yacht Brokers and Main Agents for Jeanneau

http://www.clarkeandcarter.co.uk/

 

Jeanneau Owners Network

 http://www.jeanneau-owners.com/ 

Jeanneau Sun 2000 Presentation

http://www.jeanneau.com/boats/Sun-2000.html 

5 Jeanneau Sun 2000 for Sale between £5,700 and £12,000

 http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/category/type/Jeanneau/Sun+2000

Jeanneau Sun 2000 for Sale £8495

http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/advert/jeanneau-sun-2000-gillingham-kent/42041811

 

Jeanneau Sun 2000 Technical Specs

http://www.guideautoweb.com/boat/specifications/jeanneau/sailboats/sun_2000/2011/  

Not How? But Why?

Big Bang Theory?

Eddie Redmayne is in the news for receiving two prestigious best film actor awards - firstly from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and secondly from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, commonly known as the Oscars Academy. He portrayed Stephen Hawking in the film, ‘The Theory of Everything’.

Stephen is both a physicist and cosmologist. He has devoted his life to working on theories explaining the origin of the universe and the nature of life. As far as I understand it, these theories substantiate his belief that there are four forces underpinning existence. He also believes there is a single, over-arching theory, a ‘Theory of Everything’, upon which the other theories can hang. It has been his quest to discover this fundamental theory. He thinks it will provide a definitive answer to the question of how the universe came into being.

Time is running out for him. Not only is he getting older, but he suffers from a rare and crippling form of motor neuron disease.

Sadly, many people are like Stephen. They spend their entire lives asking wrong questions, and it’s no surprise when they come up with irrelevant answers. Instead of asking, “How?” the question should be, “Why?”  “Why am I here?” Not ‘”How am I here?”

Theories of general relativity, quantum field technology, super symmetry, and the like, will never tell us why we are here. Spending billions on the Large Hedron Collider in Switzerland to discover a missing particle in support of a theory will not tell us why we are here, nor will it tell us the truth that we are more than a collection of chemicals, neutrons and protons. We already know this to be true. We are more than mere matter.

Physicists like Hawkins dedicate their lives to seeking the origin of the universe on the premise that they are rational human beings able to find the answer. At the same time they may acknowledge they have a conscience, and claim to know the difference between right and wrong, but to believe there is life beyond death - that is another matter! To accept they have a soul or a spirit that will live beyond death, they completely deny.

If they know the difference between right and wrong, and if they have a conscience, why do they not ask questions such as: “Why am I as I am?” “Why do I do things I’m ashamed of?” “Why can I reason?” “Why do I have feelings?” and “Why am I here?”? If they are of God’s elect, He will provide them with the answers and He will reveal Himself to them.

He does this through the revelation of His Son Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit who speaks through God’s reference book, the Bible. This is not a dissertation of theories purporting to provide scientific answers as to how the world came into being, but it does give us God’s answers as to why He created it and why He created us. It tells of His wondrous love through the provision of His Son who suffered, died and rose again to bring us to Himself to love and adore Him for ever.

There is nothing theoretical about the words of Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

Hunter Horizon 27 and the Hunter Pilot 27

Hunter Pilot 27

Hunter Pilot 27

Hunter Pilot 27 transom

Hunter Horizon 27 TK

Hunter Horizon 27 TK

On 11th October, 2010 I posted an article* featuring the Hunter Pilot 27 and I could only find praise for her. I am still of the same opinion, and I have added new photos of a Pilot 27 here.

There are a lot of similarities between the Hunter Horizon 27 and the Pilot 27, but the latter has the advantage of dual steering - from within the cabin or from the cockpit. She also has more headroom all-round, which is particularly useful in the aft cabin, as the Horizon 27’s is minimal to say the least - some may describe the enclosure as claustrophobic.

The Horizon 27 has a double berth in the forepeak with under bunk storage. In the saloon there are comfortable settee berths to port and starboard of a permanently fixed fold-down table.  On the port hand side next to the companionway there’s a heads compartment. Forward of this there’s a navigation table. Opposite on the starboard side there’s a galley with a single stainless steel sink, ice box and a cooker with an oven and grill. The aft cabin houses a cramped double berth with access to it on the starboard side.

*Hunter Pilot 27

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/british-hunter-pilot-27.html

 Other Links

Hunter Horizon 273

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5055

Hunter Association

http://www.hunterassociation.org.uk/

British Hunter

http://www.britishhunter.co.uk/

Hunter Horizon 27 Twin Keel (Sold, but good photos)

http://www.boatshed.com/hunter_horizon_27_tk-boat-103275.html

Hunter Horizon Twin Keel for Sale £15,500

http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=388592&fx=GBP#contact

1989 Hunter Horizon 27 for Sale £14,995

http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/advert/hunter-horizon-27-emsworth/42178772

Hunter Horizon 27 for Sale £8,495

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/Sailboats/hunter-horizon-27/61208#VIwkV5wezgXhVPxv.97

Hunter Horizon 273

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5055

Hunter Association

http://www.hunterassociation.org.uk/

British Hunter

http://www.britishhunter.co.uk/

1990 Hunter Horizon 27 OOD for Sale £13,995

http://www.mourneboatsales.co.uk/pages/index.asp?title=1990_Hunter_Horizon_27_OOD

1990 Hunter Horizon 27 OOD for Sale £13,750

http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/advert/hunter-27-ood-ipswich/42016971

Gib’Sea 76

Efficient twin keels

Clean lines - lifting rudder

Horizontal aft cabin port set in transom

A Gib'Sea 77 - note her windows

At 26’ 10” LOA the Gib’Sea 76 is 10” longer than her less attractive predecessor, the Gib’Sea 77. I say less attractive in an aesthetic sense, because the unique smoked Perspex ‘wrap-around’ windows of the 76 look to me much prettier and more functional than the standard semi-pointed side windows of the 77. Another advantage of the longer boat is that she has the added privacy of a well-illuminated aft cabin. Take note of the long rectilinear window built into the transom for providing light in the aft cabin. There are more ports for this cabin either side of the companionway that are not visible in my photos. She has a removable washboard in the transom that gives easy access to a fold-down stainless steel boarding ladder.

The Gib’Sea 76 was in production between 1984 and 1990. She was designed by Groupe Graal for boat manufactures Gilbert Marine. Prospective purchasers could choose between buying one with a fin keel, drop keel, or with twin keels. The drop keel version had a draught of only 2’ 7” when fully raised, but for clearance at that depth, her rudder had also to be raised to the maximum setting.

Quite a lot of thought went into the functional aspects of the boat; for example, notice the neat shaping of the starboard pushpit for mounting a lifebuoy, and the full length alloy toe rails for keeping the crew safe when doing deck work. Although not shown in my photographs of ‘It’s Only Me’, she  is fitted with a furling Genoa. Her two-bladed folding prop and shaft are supported by a ‘P’ bracket. She is most probably powered by a Volvo Penta 9 HP diesel engine mounted in a soundproofed compartment. Not many boats of her size have six berths: a double ‘V’ up forward, two settee berths in the main cabin, and a large double in the aft cabin.

Her lines indicate that she has a good turn of speed, and if her interior is identical to the one illustrated by photos in the archives* of Yachtsnet. co. uk she is indeed a comfortable boat.

Links

*Gib’Sea 76

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/gibsea-76/gibsea-76.htm

The Gib’Sea Association

http://www.gibsea.org.uk/ 

Gib’Sea 76 for Sale £12,000

http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=402573

Gib’Sea 76 for Sale £9,450 (Fin Keel)

http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/advert.phtml?id=400528

Gib’Sea 76 Not for Sale

http://www.western-horizon.co.uk/archive_boat.php?boat_id=196

Gib’Sea 76 Sold £12,000

http://www.boatshed.com/gibsea_76-boat-203202.html

Gib’Sea 77 for Sale £7,950

http://www.clarkeandcarter.co.uk/brokerage-boats/searchfullspecs.php?DocumentID=4101826

Sailboats of Groupe Graal

http://sailboatdata.com/view_designer.asp?designer_id=378

Gib’Sea 77 – Sailboat Data.com

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=6520

François Vivier - Naval Architect

François Vivier

Ilur

Méaban

Quimper

Here’s a short introduction to François Vivier, a very experienced and respected French naval architect who has designed numerous sailing boats, many of them suitable for building by amateurs. His designs range from the smallest pram dinghy to the 17.2 metre Quimper. She is based on the lines of a traditional mid-19^th century lugsail coastal trader.

His Ilur* is perhaps his most well-known design. Over a thousand plans have been sold. She’s a traditional styled open boat propelled by a loose-footed lugsail and with oars. There’s an option to have her rigged with a balanced lugsail, but I’m not so keen on this, on account of the boom. The clinker version can be obtained in the form of a NC cut plywood kit.

My favourite Vivier design is his Méaban**.  She’s a 6.8 metre cruising yacht with a centreboard that does not intrude into the cabin. Good use is made of her interior by having two berths, a small galley, several lockers, a sliding chart table, a folding table for when at anchor or in harbour, and a toilet in the forepeak. The auxiliary engine comes in the form of a 4 to 6 HP outboard mounted in a well, which is forward of the rudder, but aft of her large cockpit. She can be rigged as a gaff sloop or Bermudan sloop.

Links

François Vivier Naval Architect

http://www.vivierboats.com/index.html

François Vivier Designs

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/vivier/index.htm

*Ilur

http://vivierboats.com/albumsen/Sail%20and%20oar/Ilur/index.html

**Méaban

http://www.vivierboats.com/html/stock_classic.html#meaban

Méaban Sail Plan and Cabin Layout (PDF)

http://www.vivierboats.com/Img/meaban.pdf

Contact details:

François Vivier

7, avenue des Courtils
44380 Pornichet
France

Tel : + 33 2 28 54 97 86
Mobile : + 33 6 74 54 18 60
Fax : + 33 811 386 298
Mail : fr(at)vivierboats.com

Additions to the Blog

Paradox 'Faith'

Folksong 'Zeta'

I’m happy to say that readers now have direct access to my articles about Small Sailboats and my Cruising Logs. You’ll see links to them near the top right-hand corner below the header photo.

Adding them was a major breakthrough. I’ve tried several times in the past when using Internet Explorer as my operating system, but by resorting temporarily to Google Chrome I’ve been successful.

This should enable readers to see many articles posted over several years. I hope they will prove useful and enjoyable.

Enjoy.

Disposal of Surplus Possessions

Loft junk

More loft junk

Homes with two cars

More homes with many cars

I recently received an email from a sailing friend who said he was about to start a new boat building project. His plan was to first get rid of a collection of bicycles, but to keep the most liked one - the most comfortable and efficient. This will free him to concentrate on his new project, and to make space for undertaking it. No doubt, he will sell his unwanted bicycles to help finance the new project.

On the same principle of making space, my wife and I periodically sort through bits and pieces that accumulate in our loft. We then get rid of things we think will be of no future use.  Likewise, now and again, we rummage through wardrobes and drawers to select clothing we no longer wear, and to donate it to a local charity shop.

It is surprising how much junk accumulates over a period of a year. There’s never enough room to put it. Even our garden shed is bung full of stuff! A temporary solution has been to stack surplus items behind the shed and to cover them with tarpaulins. Unfortunately, these particular possessions belong to one of our daughters, and we are holding them in trust until she can find room to store them.

Recently, a different daughter set aside time for sorting out her attic. She found possessions she and her husband had forgotten they owned. The exercise - and I mean exercise – took her many hours. Repeatedly climbing up and down a ladder, plus sorting through the contents of boxes to determine what was worth saving, required much effort, besides effort expended disposing of them.

The principle behind reducing ones possessions is that it brings rewards. There is a mistaken belief that the more we own, the richer we are. The truth is, that the less we own, the richer we are! This would appear to be a paradox, but let me explain: Possessions are a hindrance, because they require time, money and effort for maintaining and looking after them. They can be, and often are, a cause of anxiety and grief - especially if we set our heart on them and something untoward happens to them. We then look to the insurance company for compensation, but things that have been irreparably lost are gone for ever; they cannot be replaced, except perhaps by like for like items. Artefacts that have been repaired are never the same.

There comes a time in life when it is sensible to shed a number of possessions, even to downsize considerably. We see this with pensioners who are on fixed incomes. They no longer have the means for increasing their possessions, and they see the wisdom of simplifying their lives. This can be a rewarding experience, for it gives them time for doing things they could never have done before. They are no longer burdened with unnecessary possessions, and they are freed of stress and anxiety brought about through ownership. There’s a double bonus if their siblings have left the nest!

Love

“And above all things have a fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins”. (1 Peter 4:8)

Specifically, this principle of life is addressed to Christians who experience suffering because of their faith.

Today I heard the dreadful news that 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who had been kidnapped by ISIS militants were brutally murdered on a Libyan beach by being beheaded.

  

In response to this barbaric, evil mass murder, Egyptian war planes with the sanction of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi attacked ISIS targets in Libya. A spokesman on behalf of the Egyptian Armed Forces General Command stated on state radio that the air strikes were, ‘to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution’.

Forgiveness by bereaved relatives for such a calculated and deliberate act of mass murder is almost unimaginable. How can these merciless butchers be forgiven for their heinous crimes?

The one True God of love and justice will ultimately avenge their deaths.

Luke 18:7, 8 “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.”

Love requires justice.

Links

Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_Orthodox_Church_of_Alexandria

Copts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copts

Egypt's Desperate Coptic Christians Still Seeking Work In Libya, Despite ISIS Beheadings

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/02/16/isis-beheadings-coptic-christians_n_6691540.html

Libya and Egypt launch air strikes against Isis after militants post beheadings video

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/15/isis-post-video-allegedly-showing-mass-beheading-of-coptic-christian-hostages

The Theory of Everything – Is that all?

The British Academy Film Awards panel (2015) chose Eddie Redmayne as the best film actor of the year for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in, ‘The Theory of Everything’ (ToE).

I believe I’m right in saying that the real-life quest of Stephen Hawking has been to find a single over-arching theory able to explain in comprehensible form the physical aspects of the universe, its origin and continuum. The two main commonly accepted, but incomplete theories are the theory of general relativity (GR) and the theory of quantum field technology (QFT). Each is a cohesive theory, but they are incompatible, and they cannot both be right.

What I am amazed at is the dedication of physicists in seeking the origins of the universe and of life. They believe they can find the answers in the science of metaphysics. What they don’t understand is that man is more than a number of chemical elements, and that life is more than theories pertaining to gravity and other forces. Many physicists accept they are rational beings, but they repudiate they have individual souls, and yet they admit to having a conscience. They inherently know when they act badly or well towards other human beings, and they may even want to make redress after acting badly.

The soul of a human - even that of a physicist - is what determines his fundamental nature. We know when a person acts kindly towards us; we know when he acts with love, and we know when he acts with hatred. The nature of his soul determines his actions.

Instead of being obsessed with finding a theory for explaining everything in terms of metaphysics, a more profitable subject for research may be looking into the origin of why man is so inhumane to his fellow beings. He who probes for an answer may conclude it is to be found in Genesis, chapter 3, verse 22, ‘Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.” Man’s soul was corrupted at the time of the fall when Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:17) Prior to that time he had no knowledge of evil. (Genesis 1:31)

Links

The Theory of Everything (The Film)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2980516/

 

The Theory of Everything

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_everything

Stephen Hawking

http://www.hawking.org.uk/  

Reality

There are many kinds of realities, but the reality that the majority of us readily perceive and understand is the, ‘state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them’.* When we suffer pain we acknowledge the ‘reality’ of that pain. Our experience confirms the truth of our situation, unless we are deluded by some form of psychosis. This observable and often measurable reality is what I call ‘tangible’ reality.

We use information from our senses to determine what ‘physical’ reality or ‘material’ reality is for us. The flaw in the argument is that our senses can be deceived, because what we see, touch, smell, taste or hear can be influenced or distorted by contextual circumstances. For example, we all know that adjacent, but opposite colours of the spectrum emphasize their differences by contrasting with one another, as do the neutrals white and black. White looks whiter when contrasted with black than with cream, of which white is a constituent. There is no white in black.

Conceptual reality is a construct of the mind, and many of us escape from our tangible reality by entering our conceptual reality, which to us is sometimes more real than the tangible. Conceptual reality exists entirely in the mind. It has no bearing or dependence on actual or material objects, space or time.

An in-law of mine is coming to terms with the fact that she has had her leg amputated. She cannot believe it has happened to her, and yet she can see the evidence. She has lost her leg. On her part she has to adjust her mind to acknowledging that she will have to live the rest of her life without her right leg. She will have to learn how to move about on a wheelchair, or on crutches, and, perhaps in time, with the help of a prosthetic leg.

If she cannot adjust to her new physical reality she may retreat into a conceptual reality where she happily abides, while others attend to her physical needs.

Understandably, the world is unsympathetic to people who do not live within the norm of general or shared reality where one is expected to cope, earn a living and pay taxes. The irony is that the world is comprised of many people, any of whom may find they are suddenly and unexpectedly placed in a position of dependency where their new reality deserves compassion and care.

*Concise Oxford English Dictionary definition of reality.

Links

Reality

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality 

Reality (Oxford Dictionaries.com)

 http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/reality

Reality (Dictionary.com)

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reality

Reality (The Free Dictionary)

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/reality

Reality (Wikiqote)

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Reality

Reality (Idiom Thesaurus – the Free Dictionary)

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/reality

What is Reality (Newscientist.com)

http://www.newscientist.com/special/reality

What is Reality?

http://www.ipod.org.uk/reality/

 

What is Reality?

http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/what-is-reality.html

Understanding Reality

http://reality.org.uk/ 

Hoegh Osaka Incident

While at Southampton on Thursday, 5^th February, 2015, I took these photographs of the Japanese car carrier ‘Hoegh Osaka’. She was in the news on 3^rd January when she was deliberately run aground on the Bramble Bank. For reasons yet to be fully explored by the Marine Accident Investigations Branch, she developed a severe list to starboard. It would seem that the master of the ship and the pilot jointly decided to run the vessel aground to prevent her from listing further.

Because of the hazardous situation, 25 crew members were taken off the ship by helicopter and RNLI rescue craft.

She was carrying a precious cargo of more than 1,400 cars; Jaguar Land Rovers, Hyundai and Minis. There were also a number of JCB vehicles.

After being stranded on the Brambles Bank for 4 days she unexpectedly re-floated, and she was taken to the Alpha Anchorage between East Cowes and Lee-on-Solent. From there she was moved to Berth 101 at Southampton Docks. When I saw her she was fully righted, and beside her in the dockside compound there were many cars.

She is shortly to set sail for Falmouth under her own power where she will remain for two or three weeks for undergoing repairs to steel works and hydraulics.

She is scheduled to return to Southampton for taking on the original cargo, apart from damaged vehicles. She will then set sail for Bremerhaven in Germany, which was the intended destination before the incident.

Links

Stranded Solent Ship: Hoegh Osaka emptied ahead of repairs

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-31312223

Hoegh Osaka Cargo Ship ‘grounded deliberately’ in Solent (3 videos included)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-30673439

Hoegh Osaka - Watch drone footage

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hoegh-osaka-watch-drone-footage-4923673

Hoegh Osaka - pumped out and readying to move

http://www.pbo.co.uk/news/hoegh-osaka-pumped-ready-move-18474

At least the Rolls-Royce didn’t have a scratch

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2932885/260-000-luxury-car-looks-pristine-s-driven-stricken-cargo-ship-unlike-hundreds-battered-Land-Rovers-went-it.html

MV Hoegh Osaka

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_H%C3%B6egh_Osaka

Marine Accident Investigation Branch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Accident_Investigation_Branch

Military Service

I recently attended a passing out parade for soldiers at the Army Training Regiment, Winchester, and I was mindful that these young men and women had committed themselves to serving citizens of the UK.

A booklet issued to visitors to the parade had a page devoted to explaining the ethos and core values underpinning service in the Army.

Here’s a transcript of the words chosen to describe ‘Ethos’. ‘That spirit which inspires soldiers to fight. It derives from, and depends upon, the high degrees of commitment, self-sacrifice and mutual trust which together are so essential to the maintenance of morale.’

I’m unsure of what the words mean. Is the ‘mutual trust’ between soldiers or between soldiers and the ones they serve? - Probably the latter. Morale in a fighting force can be diminished by lack of support from the general public, and a soldier’s will to fight will be greater when he believes he is fighting for a just cause.

With regard to ‘Core Values’, they were outlined as follows:

Courage: Moral and Physical, to face up to danger and to do what is right

Discipline: to maintain the highest standards, so that others can rely on you

Respect for others: to treat others with decency at all times

Integrity: to earn the respect and trust of your comrades

Loyalty: to be faithful to your comrades and your duty

Selfless commitment: to put others before yourself

I would expect a military force of a democracy such as ours in the UK to instil these values into all personnel.

I have the highest respect for members of the British armed forces, because they pledge themselves to the service of British citizens, and they are prepared to lay down their lives for us.

It was a privilege to watch my grandson, along with his comrades, as they passed out that day.

Text: 2 Timothy 2:4 ‘No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.’

Three Parent In Vitro Fertilization (TPIVF)

Debates have taken place in the House of Commons over the controversial issue of ‘three-parent babies’.  An overwhelming majority of MPs voted in favour of mitochondrial transfer, in which defective DNA in a woman’s egg is replaced with DNA from a healthy donor’s egg.

A malfunctioning egg has a nucleus that is surrounded by defective mitochondria. A child born with its effects will suffer badly, and perhaps die within hours. If he lives, he will not function as a normal child, and he will have severe impairments so as to require constant care.

This dire situation can be eliminated if the nucleus from a defective egg is surgically removed, and made to replace the nucleus of an egg with healthy mitochondria. The genetically modified egg then has potential for growth into a healthy embryo after being fertilized by the sperm of a father and inserted into the womb of the mother, who otherwise could not give birth to a disease-free child.

Pioneers of this form of IVF believe that such women will give birth to perfectly normal and healthy children. They will inherit only a few genes of the chromosomes of the nucleus of a donor’s egg, i.e., 32 out of 22,000. These exchanged genes will be transferred to subsequent generations.

The procedure involves two women and one man. Hence the term ‘three-parent child’.

Just now, I’m not entering into ethical arguments concerning the use of mitochondrial transfer. I simply want to focus on the mechanics, and use them as an illustration of how God transforms people into new creations. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Imagine you were born with this deadly disease through inheriting it. Metaphorically, your condition can be compared to sin inherited through lineage stretching back to Adam that brings certain death, but God in his mercy, through His surgeon the Holy Spirit, places you into Christ. Within the perfection of Christ you have no defect. That is how God sees you. He sees you as He sees His Son, with whom He is well pleased.

Other Texts: Romans 5:12-20; 8:1; Luke 3:23; Matthew 17:5

Links

Three-parent baby

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-parent_baby

'Three-parent babies': Britain votes in favour of law change

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/threeparent-babies-britain-votes-strongly-in-favour-of-law-change-10021265.html# 

Babies with three parents could be born by 2015 after controversial genetic treatment gets green light

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2350418/Babies-parents-born-2015-controversial-genetic-treatment-gets-green-light.html

Wolstenholme Coot for Sale

Here’s a ‘For Sale’ page* at ‘Port-na-Storm’ featuring a beautiful Andrew Wolstenholm Coot that was built by Graham Neil from a Jordan Boats plank kit supplied by Alec Jordan.

The article is illustrated with lovely photos, a couple of which I have taken the liberty of reproducing here.

I’m assuming the dinghy is still for sale.

Dimensions

LOA                                        10’ 11”

LWL                                        10’ 9”

Beam                                    4’ 7”

Sail Area                               70 sq ft

This boat was a Watercraft Amateur Award Winner at the 2011 Beale Park Boat Show. She’s featured in Watercraft Magazine No. 88 – 89.

Links

*Wolstenholme Coot for Sale £4,250

http://port-na-storm.blogspot.co.uk/p/wolstenholme-coot.html

Graham’s ‘Port-an-Storm’ Homepage

http://port-na-storm.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Graham Neil Rows Coot (Video by Chris Partridge)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8kiIoSOtkM

Wolstenholme Yacht Design

 https://wolstenholmedesign.wordpress.com/

PDF Study Plans for Coot

https://wolstenholmedesign.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/coot_image.pdf

Jordan Boats

http://jordanboats.co.uk/JB/