CHIRP

Collision


The UK Confidential Reporting Programme for Aviation and Maritime


Hello Reader,

If you want stimulation before going to bed, then I recommend you read just a few of the amazing confidential accounts of hair-raising incidents at sea on this website:
http://www.chirp.co.uk/feedback-list.asp?fb=M

Damage


On the other hand, you may not want to be stimulated before going to bed, and you may not want to have nightmares during your fitful sleep, if you get any rest at all!


To read the stories, you will need an Adobe PDF Reader on your computer. If you don’t have one, you can download a free version from: http://www.adobe.com/downloads/ .


Note

The photos relate to the YouTube video in the link below. There is no connection between these photos and reports published by CHIRP.


Link


Collision 2 sea ships on river crossing in Holland (Aanvaring 2 coasters Dordtsche kil) 26 08 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eMvxv_g_4Q

‘Caleb’ 50/50 Canoe on Ebay.co.uk

If I were not building a Derek Munnion ‘Sharpy’ roof rack keelboat, I would be bidding on my old 50/50 Paul Fisher canoe on Ebay.co.uk. For anyone living in the UK, it’s now your chance to pick up a lovely sailing and paddling canoe. I say this myself, because I know how I built her from the best materials.


Derek Clark became her owner when I exchanged her for a self-steering gear for my yacht in 2005. He has lightly used her, and made a few modifications - principally exchanging the forward reverse tiller for two cane rods attached to the rudder yoke. On reflection, I think this arrangement is better, because it leaves the cockpit clear.



I found that ‘Caleb’ sailed very well, even to windward in a Force 3. The single leeboard and rudder combined to provide good lateral resistance. She was a bit heavy for me to lift onto the roof rack of my car, but if I had her now, I would tow her on a lightweight road trailer. I intend to do this with the boat I am building.


Paul Fisher designed ‘Caleb’ with a wide cockpit so that her crew could act as internal ballast by sitting low and moving to the windward side. I felt that she was a little wide for effective paddling when using a double-bladed paddle. Derek has wisely improved the seating arrangement so that the paddle can be kept clear of the coaming and side decks. For shallow water use, the rudder and leeboard can be lifted clear of the water.



She has ample dry storage for camping and other items in the forward and aft compartments which are accessed through watertight hatches in the decks. With some fiddling, the mast, boom and sail can be stored in the cockpit, but I usually preferred having them lashed together so that they protruded over the front of the coaming.


I shall be following the bidding with some interest, and truly hope that ‘Caleb’ will go to someone who will look after her. In this respect, Derek has completely encapsulated her in tinted green epoxy which will do well to protect her from water ingress.


If you are the lucky person who ends up being ‘Caleb’s’ owner, you may like to drop me a line. I would love to keep in contact with you, as my interest in the boat continues. After all, she is part of me! I put so much care into building her.


Note

You can find ‘Caleb’ on Ebay.co.uk by keying in this number in the search box: 200578330913


Links


Caleb’ on Ebay until 26th February, 2011, 1844hrs


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Paul-Fisher-Design-50-50-Sailing-Canoe-Caleb-/200578330913?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_CanoesKayaks_Rafts_SM&hash=item2eb3667121


‘Caleb’ 50/50 Canoe
http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/12/caleb-5050-canoe.html


Photos of ‘Caleb’ Part 1
http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/02/photos-of-caleb-part-1.html


Photos of ‘Caleb’ Part 2
http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/02/photos-of-caleb-part-2.html


Building 'Sharpy' Part 34
http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/12/building-sharpy-part-34.html

River Crouch Love Story Continues

Love Song

It was love at first sight when my eyes lighted on the River Crouch. I moved to Essex in 1972 from the heart of the West Country, where I lived in the historic City of Exeter, the Jewel and Guardian of Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall, all beautiful counties – Dorset with rolling hills, Cornwall and Devon with their rugged north coasts - estuaries, moorlands and sandy southern bays. Rural Somerset is gentle with a patchwork of farmlands, sleepy villages, woodlands, streams and hills where even now deer roam freely.

Secret Place

How could I find another love to rival the first? I was shocked at the low-lying land of Southern East Anglia, not unlike that of Holland where the sky opens and a special light delights the eye of an artist. Clouds, sunlight, showers, rainbows for me, all took on a new significance. It was Constable Country where the green leaves danced, casting their spell on one of England’s finest painters, a man inspired with reflective sunlight, to my mind the father of the Impressionists, the great John Constable. Renoir, Monet, and Cezanne followed in his footsteps and were perhaps influenced by the greatest painter of all time, William Turner, who by some, is considered to be the Father of the Impressionists, particularly masterful Monet who marvelled at shimmering light and who captured magic in paintings of the Thames at the Houses of Parliament, and gloried in portraying transitory images of a glowing haystack in the middle of nowhere.

Eternity


The River Crouch for me was like an exploding star, full of light, subtle hues, vast horizons, secret places where the spider hides, the moth flits in the early dusk and the bat silently glides in the dark of night while the big full moon lifts above silver clouds. The cricket and the coot, the fox and hare come to life with the early sun, and the wildfowler lies undercover in shadows at the edge of the pool where his decoys wait. Unsuspecting duck alight; then there are puffs of smoke, followed by double blasts of doom, and helpless birds lay limp; one aimlessly flaps it wings, but the retriever puts and end to that.

Home for Some


These are but a few images of my love of the River Crouch. She is a vibrant river that ever moves with the falling and rising of the tides. Her rhythms are far more seductive than those of a fair maiden. She can be ruthless by taking the lives of the unsuspecting and yet she can open her arms and make a stranger welcome; she can be an enchantress who captivates the soul, and this she has done to me! One day I shall be enveloped in her womb when she receives my ashes, and we shall be entwined together for ever.

Decay

Open Horizons

Russell

Aaron


As I write this, two guys, Russell Belcher and Aaron Price, are setting off from West Mersea in their specialist Synergy Safari kayak to circumnavigate Britain. Their intention is to use the natural elements of tide and wind to supplement their paddling on the clockwise circuit over a planned period of 90 days. That will take some doing, but with power kites the expedition aim may succeed. I surely hope so, because they are raising money for the Motor Neuron Disease Association http://www.justgiving.com/open-horizons .


I shall be following their progress both on their website http://openhorizons-expeditions.com/index.htm and via Twitter at http://twitter.com/openhorizon2010 .

Their Kayak


This morning the weather is not at all encouraging. Burnham-on-Crouch Weather Station http://www.burnhamoncrouchweather.com/ shows that the wind is coming from the southeast at 8.1 mph with gusts of 13.8 mph and moderate drizzle. Their intention is to cross the Thames to the Kent coast – rather them than me!


Their kayak is stuffed with food, provisions and camping gear. Altogether they have planned to stop at 30 campsites and have arranged food stores en route at 5 locations. They have a band of helpers and several commercial sponsors, including Atlantis Kayaks, http://atlantiskayaks.com/ , Mitchell Blades, http://www.mitchellblades.co.uk/ and C-Tug http://www.c-tug.com/ . Ozone is their kites sponsor http://flyozone.com/kitesurf/en/ . My guess is that Russell and Aaron will be relying heavily on their kites for achieving their aim of getting around Britain in 90 days. May they have fair winds, wisdom, strength and God with them along the way.


Link

Synergy Safari Tandem Kayak

http://atlantiskayaks.com/kayaks/synergy-safari/

My Love of the River Crouch

Up River Yacht Club Slipway


I have frequently cruised my boats to the West Country, sometimes as far as the Scilly Isles from Burnham-on-Crouch, and yet when I speak to people who live in Cornwall, Devon or Somerset, I quite often find they have never heard of the River Crouch! Maybe, that is the best kept secret for those who know of its delights? I am referring to sailors who sail on the Crouch and the Estuary leading into the outer reaches of the River Thames.

Salting near South Fambridge


The delights that sailors find at Burnham are not young Essex Girls, but muddy expanses at low water, tumbling waves when there is a wind against tide situation, gorgeous sunsets, brisk cold east winds, vast open skies where geese fly in formation and tiny creeks where solitary heron stalk their prey and grey seals frolic at the water edge. High river banks at secluded anchorages shield sailors and their craft from equinoxial gales when the wind shrieks and moans across the saltings and the bittern calls.


At Hullbridge


Essex Rivers are truly romantic places where those in shallow draught vessels can commune with nature, breathe salt air and smell marsh dew. Within minutes, a Burnham boatman can be lost in a wilderness of silence as his yacht glides with the current towards the sea, or pokes westwards past Cliff Reach to Bridgemarsh Island and on to Fambridge. There, ringed plover and dunlin scour the mud and common tern joust over small fry that are invisible to the human eye. They twist and turn, screech and dive, then bring to the surface their silver quarry.


South Fambridge


Only now and again is the yachtsman disturbed by a motor fisherman or some guy driving a gin palace that leaves havoc behind and the cry of wailing birds. Speed limits do little to mitigate erosion of muddy banks, and only those places that have been covered with concrete slabs are secure. In an effort to meet the threat of ever-rising sea levels, breaches have been made in the lower sea walls of the Crouch at Wallasea Island for the overflow of flood waters in the event of a North Sea surge - all done in the name of conservation and providing habits for birds and wildlife. Rather than fighting or resisting the forces of nature, Essex Man wisely intervenes to work with them.


Royal Corinthian Yacht Club


This is my love relationship with the River Crouch, a perfect wildlife habitat where butterflies flourish, skylarks trill the early days of spring, the cuckoo calls and starlings swarm in the autumn trees of Hullbridge. Busy sparrows chatter in path-side bushes and shy kingfisher dart across the narrows at Battlesbridge. Swans grace the slipways of Hullbridge; children lure crabs on lines and search the muddy water for tiny creatures with their nets. Holidaymakers seated in the Anchor Pub’s garden overlooking the River sip their drinks while goggling at ski boats being launched and an incomprehensible pattern of dinghies racing, all accompanied by the raising and lowering of flags and the intermittent sound of a horn.

Dredger ‘Beaver’ Incident

Unhooking fouled wire

'Beaver' heeling


If you happen to be in the right place at the right time you may end up with a news scoop.


The dredger, ‘Beaver’, was in the process of ‘scooping’ mud from Burnham Yacht Harbour on the afternoon of Monday, 14th February, when I noticed she was heeling dangerously to her port side. Would she capsize, I wondered? I watched anxiously as she continued and came to a halt, when she beached on the mud at the side of the entrance to the Yacht Harbour. At that moment a Police launch appeared and one her crew asked the man operating ‘Beaver’ if he needed assistance, but he declined. I observed the man getting onto the dredge which he had hoisted clear of the water. Thereupon he nonchalantly unhooked a wire that had fouled the dredge. Having freed the wire he reversed ‘Beaver’ into the Yacht Harbour and moored her beside one of the pontoons.


I was relieved that the incident had not resulted in something very serious, such as the dredger capsizing and the man having to swim for his life. I was glad I had not ended up with a news scoop, and I was thankful that I had not been required to play a part in a rescue mission. Incidentally, the man operating the dredger was wearing an overall, under which there may have been a life jacket. If it has been his practice to wear a life jacket when working the dredger, may he continue to do so.

Cornish Crabber 24

I happened to be having a walk at Burnham when I chanced on a Cornish Crabber 24 for sale. She was on the hardstanding by the office of Clarke and Carter which is at the Yacht Harbour. She was way out of my reach at £57,000, even if I had been looking for another yacht, but I couldn’t resist giving her more than a cursory glance.


Traditional, classic wooden sailing boats are always of interest to me, but here was a modern GRP yacht incorporating several features found in the genuine article. I studied her lines and features and came to the conclusion that she would be attractive to someone who wanted what the old boats offered, but did not want the hassle of maintaining them. Keeping an old wooden boat in good fettle takes a bit of doing, particularly one which requires a lot of varnishing.


Below I’ve listed several links with information on the Cornish Crabber 24. Basically, she’s been designed for those who would like to do serious coastal cruising, and the occasional race, when the topsail may prove its worth. Her draught of 3’ 6” will keep her out of very shallow water, but her internal depth gives standing headroom for the comfort of her crew. Bits and pieces of rope should occupy a family crew – even the kids may be able to manage them if shown how to use the sheet winches and headsail rollers. Her Yanmar 3YM20 auxiliary engine should push her along at a rate of knots, and with 63 litres of diesel at his disposal, her skipper will have the reassurance that if the wind fails, he’ll get back to port.


Links


Cornish Crabber 24 ‘Andante’ for Sale £57,000 as at 15th February, 2011

http://www.clarkeandcarter.co.uk/brokerage-boats/searchfullspecs.php?DocumentID=2264230

http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/MjI2NDIzMH5DQ1RSMDI=-Cornish_Crabbers_24.html

http://www.cornishcrabbers.co.uk/index.cfm/boat/Crabber.Crabber24


Simon D’Arcy’s Blog – Solo Sailing Challenge for Prostate Cancer Awareness

http://www.sailingchallenge.blogspot.com/


Boatshed Essex Cornish Crabber 24 Sold

http://essex.boatshed.com/cornish_crabber_24-boat-46246.html


Yachtsnet Info Page – Cornish Crabber 24 Mk 1 Mk 11

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/cornish-crabber-24/cornish-crabber-24.htm


Cornish Crabber 24 for Sale £32,250 as at 15th February, 2011

http://www.theyachtmarket.com/boats_for_sale/131875/

Check on ‘Ladybird’

Besides holidaying in Mexico, lots of things have been going on, including attendance at a funeral which entailed a fair amount of travelling on my part. Needless to say, because I’ve been busy, there hasn’t been time or opportunity for checking on ‘Ladybird’. As some of you will know, I sold this little Seawych 19 twin keel yacht to my daughter who will re-commission her in April before launching her at Rice and Cole where she will be put on one of their river Crouch moorings.




I shall have use of the little boat whenever I like, providing she is not required by my daughter, and there will be opportunities for us to crew together on weekends. Hopefully, by mid summer, I shall also have my new ‘Sharpy’ keelboat for day sailing and camp cruising.


Well, yesterday I had free time, and the weather was perfect; therefore I had a look at ‘Ladybird’ to make sure her winter covers were in place. Despite the very strong winds we have recently had, her tarpaulins were as I had left them - neither had the snow or heavy rain managed to inflict any damage. I checked the boat’s interior to confirm that it remains dry and free of mildew. Before being laid up last October, she was given a thorough clean, inside and out. The addition of disinfectant in the water used for sponging off the interior has undoubtedly helped towards preventing mildew, plus the fact that the boat’s cabin and lockers have been left open for air to circulate. That mitigates condensation inside the boat when the sun heats the exterior.


Very little will need doing to her before being launched, as there are only a few things requiring attention, apart from antifouling. I shall strengthen her drop boards and repaint her rudder before applying two coats of antifouling. Her Honda 3.2 four-stroke outboard will require a service, and I believe my daughter is in the process of making new curtains for her boat.


All in all, by the end of April, she’ll be a smart yacht ready for another season.

Burnham and the River Crouch – Part 6

View over the River Crouch looking towards North Fambridge and the moorings of the Yacht Haven


Up River Yacht Club Slipway


Hullbridge Public Slipway


I’ll finish this series on the River Crouch by offering additional information.


Jack Coote’s pilot book, ‘East Coast Rivers’ has excellent charts and photos of the River Crouch, and the Cruising Association Almanac has up-to-date information. The Ordnance Survey Explorer Map Blackwater Estuary 176 has all the detail you require at £7.99.


Yacht/Sailing Clubs

Up River Yacht Club

http://www.upriver.org

Brandy Hole Yacht Club

http://www.brandy.hole.clubandyacht.club.ukgateway.net/BHYCWE~1/Homex.html

Creeksea Sailing Club

http://www.creeksea.org.uk

Crouch Yacht Club

http://www.cyc.org.uk/

Royal Burnham Yacht Club

http://www.rbyc.org.uk/

Royal Corinthian Yacht Club

http://www.royalcorinthian.co.uk/burnham.htm


Marinas

Burnham Yacht Harbour

http://www.eastcoastmarinas.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=2

Fambridge Yacht Haven

http://www.yachthavens.com/fambridge

Essex Marina

http://www.essexmarina.co.uk/


Links

Jack Coote’s East Coast Rivers

http://www.kennethmason.co.uk/shop/products/47

http://www.marywardbooks.com/books/East-Coast-Rivers-From-Southwold-to-Swale-by-Jack-H-Coote/mw001512432.htm

Cruising Association Handbook

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cruising-Association-Handbook/dp/0950374288

Cruising Association Almanac

http://www.cruising.org.uk/catalog/publications/almanac

Cruising Association

http://www.cruising.org.uk/about

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map Blackwater Estuary 176

http://leisure.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/EnlargedImage.aspx?ProductId=9780319237793&ImageType=B

Battlesbridge

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/08/battlesbridge.html

Burnham and the River Crouch – Part 5

Map reproduced by kind permission of Ordnance Survey


Perhaps the most popular anchorage is snuggled close to the west bank of the River Roach near the entrance of the Roach; this is less than a quarter of a mile south of the Branklet Spit Buoy. In westerly gales the anchorage is totally protected, but it has no easy access to the shore. The holding ground being comprised of soft black mud is very good, but I would advise using a trip line to your anchor.


(Position of the anchorage on map is just to the left of the letter 'k' in Branklet.)

Burnham and the River Crouch - Part 4

Map reproduced by kind permission of Ordnance Survey


One of the more well known anchorages is at Cliff Reach. This is about two miles up river from Burnham-on-Crouch. Protection from winds is quite good, because Black Point to the west gives cover from that direction; land rises to form a hint of a cliff to the north and northeast; trees there also provide a lee, but when the wind opposes the tide, the anchorage can become uncomfortable. The holding ground is not brilliant either, since it is stony, unless you anchor more to the north-west, closer in to the beach, where there is mud, but your yacht may take the ground at low water.


The scenery there is quite pretty, and to the south you can glimpse Canewdon Church tower on the skyline. To the southeast there’s the quay at Wallasea Island where coasters offload their cargoes. At high water you can take your dinghy to a small stretch of sandy beach which is owned by a local farmer, but a public footpath runs along the river bank towards Burnham.


(The position of the anchorage on the map is just to the right of the letter 'h' of Cliff Reach.)

Burnham and the River Crouch - Part 3

Map reproduced by kink permission of Ordnance Survey


My second anchorage is to the west of the Fambridge moorings, before Stow Creek. The area is comprised of a gently shelving area of soft mud on the south side of the River which is exposed at half tide. You can anchor so as to dry out, or choose deeper water almost in mid-stream to the north of it. This is a superb spot for watching wader birds, including the odd heron. (Position on map - measure 30 mm to the left from the letter 'R'

Burnham and the River Crouch - Part 2

Map reproduced by kind permission of Ordnance Survey


Anchorages


Most seasons over the past 38 years I have sailed various boats on the River Crouch between Hullbridge and Burnham. During that time I have spent nights at anchor in different locations. For the next few postings I’ll be explaining where my favourite anchorages are.


The first one is just to the west of Fenn Creek in a pool which never dries out. It is not the easiest place for getting ashore, although at low water one can wade to the southern bank. I like the anchorage because it is normally a peaceful spot, but even if dinghies from local clubs race by, any disturbance is short-lived, and watching the activity is great fun. (Position on map - measure 7 mm to the west of Fenn Creek entrance

Burnham and the River Crouch – Part 1

Map reproduced by kind permission of Ordnance Survey.


The River Crouch is a marvellous venue for small sailing craft. It is particularly good for protected anchorages, especially for yachts that can take the ground, which in most places is soft mud.


Being a west to east river there is often the need for tacking against the prevailing westerly wind. When there are high pressure systems during the early spring, or even into the summer months, one finds the reverse. As the land heats up, a sea breeze is drawn off the North Sea.


When the centre of a low pressure area that brings a westerly gale moves to the east or northeast, the wind veers so that it comes from the northwest, or from the north. Under those conditions the high river banks provide cover for the water, but they are not sufficiently high enough to prevent the wind from reaching the sails, which makes for exhilarating sailing.


The River Crouch is well known for its wonderful sunsets, particularly in September when the sun sets due west.


As river estuaries go, the Crouch needs be navigated with care. There are numerous buoys marking a labyrinth of sandbanks. Novices beware, because the effects of fast flowing water over shallows combined with strong winds can make the estuary a very unpleasant and dangerous place.

‘Sharpy’ Peep Show

Dormant Creature


If you are a new visitor to my Blog you may not have discovered my interest in a fifteen foot, roof rack keelboat. In fact I am in the process of building one such boat designed by Derek Munnion. The original keelboat he named, ‘Sharpy’. When I say ‘I am in the process of building’, technically that’s true, because I started building her last year and I have every intention of finishing her this year.


During these dark winter months I have made no progress whatsoever - mainly because cold temperatures and short daylight hours have not been conducive for working in the garage where her skeletal form is currently housed. However, she is sufficiently formed to have some awareness of life dwelling within her; meanwhile she patiently waits until she can be transformed into an aquatic creature suitable for serving her creator and master.


This morning I was inspired by bright sunshine to take a furtive peep at the dormant embryo hidden behind the garage door. When I saw the skeletal form I realized I was not dreaming - this nymph in the making was truly real. Around and under her there was an accumulation of odds and ends that had been thrown there for convenience.


When spring brings hope and temperatures rise, I feel sure I shall have the energy and enthusiasm for clearing away the rubbish, organizing my workshop and recommence building my ‘Sharpy’.


Links


‘Sharpy’ (My first article)

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/09/sharpy.


Building ‘Sharpy’ Part 36 (My last article until today)

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/12/building-sharpy-part-36.html

‘Hobbit’, a JOG Boat designed by Laurent Giles

Under consideration today is the beautiful 20 ft clinker mahogany JOG yacht that was completely refurbished by craftsmen at Newson Boatbuilders. This ‘Sopranino’ Class yacht was for sale in November 2009, but she has since been bought by an Italian. She’s a real classic yacht in good fettle, well able to give her new owner loads of fun for many years.


Links


Photographs of the Boat at Newson Boatbuilders

http://www.newson.co.uk/services/classic-yacht-restoration/hobbit/


‘Sopranino’, my previous article about the original yacht

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/11/sopranino.html

Nice Photos of Nice Boats

My dictionary’s primary definition of ‘nice’ is, ‘giving pleasure or satisfaction’.





Back in the early nineteen-fifties when I was a pupil at Huish’s Grammar School, Taunton, I was taught by my English teacher never to use the adjective ‘nice’, because it was nebulous. The word contributed little by way of definition, since it could be applied to almost anything, while adding little to how one understands the object, feeling or emotion being described by the adjective. Nevertheless I shall use the word ‘nice’ twice in the title of today’s Blog to convey to the reader my pleasure in looking at these photographs. I hope you will enjoy them too.

Close-up Photos of a Laser Dinghy

Here are three photos of my nephew’s Laser dinghy.




The first one illustrates the layout of the shallow cockpit. You can see the profile shape of the slot for the daggerboard and a waterproof inspection hatch beside it. I note that there is a cord around the aft end of the toe strap that keeps it under tension, so that it is lifted for easy access by the feet of the helmsman. The hull is finished to a high standard.




The second photo gives a close-up view of the multipart kicking strap for controlling the boom, and the downhaul for the Cunningham Eye for increasing or reducing tension on the luff of the sail. I like the looped handgrip for the clew outhaul which makes it easier for the crew to pull it with some force for flattening the sail. You can see this being done in the third photo.




The third photo shows the dinghy on her padded launching trolley which supports the hull just aft of the point of balance on splayed rods that snugly fit under the edges of the side decks; thus the bottom of the hull does not come into contact with the trolley. Nice big fat tyres help by giving a large surface area for spreading the load which is better if the boat has to be launched off a sandy or muddy beach. They also act as buoyancy for the trailer when it is in the water, which makes it easier for the crew to handle the trailer when launching and recovering the boat, because he doesn’t have to lift the full weight of the trolley.

Preparing a Laser Dinghy for Sailing

Continuing the theme of yesterday and the day before, I am uploading two short videos showing how my nephew prepared his Radial Laser dinghy for the water.


Rigging the boat


Taking her to the water

Launching and Retrieving a Laser Dinghy

Further to my article yesterday about my visit to Roadwater Lake, I’m making available three small videos showing how my nephew launched and retrieved his dinghy. During the launching process the boat began to sail off as he was putting her trolley on the hard. He managed to grab her just in time before she was out of reach in deeper water.


One thing a careful owner does not want to happen is for his boat to suffer damage; therefore keeping her clear of anything that may scratch her hull is important. The videos demonstrate how a dinghy can be launched and recovered without being damaged.


Launching


Sailing off


Retrieving

Laser Sailing Dinghy at Roadford Lake

My Nephew

I was in Devon on 23rd January and I was invited by my nephew to watch him sail his Laser at Roadford Lake Reservoir. The temperature was almost zero degrees Celsius, despite the bright sunshine, and there was a biting Force 2 from the northwest. I was thankful that I would not be sailing on that very cold morning.


Two girls and one broad-shouldered lad were preparing their windsurfers for an outing on the lake. I subsequently learned that all three were in training for the Weymouth Olympic windsurfing events of 2012. This trio are siblings of the Sills family: Sam, Saskia and Imogen. I take my hat off to them for their tenacity, determination and dedication to achieving the ultimate prize, Olympic gold medals for themselves and for Great Britain.

Off to launch his Laser


After initially taking photos of my nephew preparing his Radial Laser dinghy I returned to his car for self-resuscitation, which included vigorous massaging of my fingers and toes to bring them back to life. I further fortified myself with hot coffee from a flask and a bar of chocolate. These necessities reminded me that I was no longer a boy in his teens who would have been enthralled with windsurfing and sailing on that cold morning. I remembered when I camped at Burnham-on-Sea in 1950 and took a swim in the cold water of the River Brue at 0630 in the morning to refresh myself before sailing a ketch-rigged canvas canoe with a mate of mine who still sails at the age of 79. I was sixteen at the time.

Returning to base

Having succeeded in warming myself and getting back to normal, I followed all the events on the Lake with interest. A pair of Canon binoculars enabled me to get close to the action. From the start it was obvious that the Sills trio were accomplished windsurfers. I noted that my nephew knew his stuff too, and that he could make his Radial Laser perform well. Another Laser fanatic was out on the water and the two of them practised friendly match-racing. I observed how they adjusted their sails and their boards according to how their boats were in relation to the direction of the wind. I also observed how they trimmed them fore and aft to balance them for minimizing weather helm. The objective was always to achieve maximum speed and to seek the superior position for dominating the other sailor. Under those conditions which were non-planing, being able to point higher than the opponent when on the wind, made all the difference. Little could be gained downwind; likewise when reaching there was hardly any difference in speed, except when the windward boat could spoil the air for the leeward one.

About to land with board up in shallow water


Despite being cold, I enjoyed the outing to Roadford Lake, and I thanked my nephew for his hospitality. If only I had the strength and fitness that was mine when in my teen years I would have been out there on the water too!


Links


Roadford Lake

http://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/lakes-and-facilities/the-lakes/roadford-lake


Roadford Lake Sailing Club

http://www.roadfordlakesailingclub.org.uk/


Sam Sills – Under 17 World and European Champion in Junior Techno Class Windsurfing

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Sills-looks-claim-world-title/article-2381332-detail/article.html

http://boards.mpora.com/tag/sills


UK Laser Association

http://www.laser.org.uk/


Laser Dinghy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_(dinghy)


Radial Laser

http://lsd-admin.torresen.com/laser.php?p=sailsBoomsMasts1


River Brue

http://www.somersetrivers.org/index.php?module=Content&func=view&pid=6


Canon 8 x 23 Binoculars

http://www.opticsplanet.net/canon-8x23a.html

Mexican Holiday – Total Experience

Display in a gift shop

On display at the same shop

At the end of our Mexican holiday we came away with an overall impression of the total experience which was comprised of millions of visual images, sounds, smells and all sorts of happenings. There were the beach and pool events, general activities within the hotel, including dining at the different restaurants, and our visits to places such as Cancun, Cozumel and Coba; there was our air travel from and to the UK and numerous other experiences, plus our subjective understandings of all of these things.

Macabre sculpture at Playacar

My Blog describing our holiday has been a kind of sketchy diary in which I have tried to record our day to day activities; sometimes I have expressed very personal interpretations of what I saw. Others, and even my wife, who may have seen the same or similar things will have their own interpretations of what they saw. To illustrate certain things I haven’t mentioned to date, I have chosen the accompanying photographs which I have not used before. They give an extra insight into a subject that to me would seem to be a Mexican national characteristic, an interest in the macabre, and things to do with death and the afterlife. This may be a generalization, but for me, the evidence is abundantly there.

Overgrown tomb at Xcaret Eco Park

A goodly number of tat shops display articles representing the human skull, the human skeleton and ghostlike figures. Representations of the cross, a symbol of death and resurrection, can also be found in market places where craft articles are for sale. I saw macabre sculptures and carvings in unexpected places such as Playacar, and at Xcaret Eco Park I saw a graveyard with weird tombs. At Coba there was a shrine devoted to dead relatives with photos of them and an image of the Virgin Mary. Our Mayan guide told me that the Virgin represented the way to life in heaven and that she was the very means of getting there.

Shrine at Coba

Well, I hope you have enjoyed travelling with me to Mexico. If you have the chance of going to the Yucatan Peninsula, I would recommend that you do, and if you stay at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya Hotel you may enjoy your time there as my wife and I did.


Link


Riu Palace Riviera Maya Hotel

http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/caribbean/mexico/mexico-caribbean-coast/playacar/hotels/riu-palace-riviera-maya.html