‘Gem’ a Ferro-Cement Yacht

Yesterday I posted details of a Botter yacht, suggesting she was more than just a houseboat - in fact a yacht with a reasonable performance. Here’s another, quite different vessel for a liveaboard, a large Ferro-cement yacht with a deep draught. At first I thought she might be a Hartley Fijian 43 Mk 1 without ports along her topsides, but I am fairly sure she is more likely to be an Alan F. Hill Valiant 41. These yachts were built by Ferro-Cement Marine Services at Burnham-on-Crouch in the early 1980s.



Only a week or so ago I took these photos at Burnham Yacht Marina where the vessel recently underwent a refit. Her original name was ‘GB Gem’. She used to be moored at a jetty at the first owner’s house beside the River Crouch at Hullbridge. I think he bought the hull and fitted her out for ocean cruising. I remember seeing her motoring up and down the River. Over a period of two or three years her mooring would be vacant now and again; therefore I assume the owner and his crew took her cruising. Thereafter she was unused for several years, left in the owner’s mud berth at Hullbridge. She began to show signs of neglect; then I heard she was for sale. Next time I saw her she was at Burnham Yacht Harbour where she was on the books of Clarke and Carter Brokerage.



Large yachts do not normally fire my imagination, but this one does, and if I were a younger man wanting a sea-going home, I certainly would be attracted to her. She’s the sort of yacht that inspires confidence and excites the mind. She would be a fine vessel for ocean cruising, exploring and visiting distant shores. The only drawback is her draught, which on account of being nearly two metres would exclude her from some Pacific atoll anchorages.




Dimensions for an Alan F. Hill Valiant 41

LOA 12.49m
LWL 10.16m
Beam 3.65m
Draught 1.90m
Displacement 14,000kg
Headroom 1.80m



Text for the Day

John 15:12 'This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.'


Links


The World of Ferro-Cement Boats

http://www.ferroboats.com/


Alan F Hill Valiant 41 Removed from Sale

http://algarve.boatshed.com/ferro_marine_services_essex_valient_41-boat-15644.html


Hartley Fijian 43

http://www.hartley-boats.com/fijian43.html


Ferro-cement Yachts

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/08/ferro-cement-yachts.html

Botter Yacht

Are you looking for a houseboat with a good sailing performance? This one was for sale, but she was snapped up by somebody who is mooring her at Burnham-on-Crouch.



The advertisement* shows the 1920, 13.6 metres Botter in her previous colours. The boat I photographed is, without a doubt, the same one.



I just hope the sails being used to protect her from the elements are not her number one sails, because they will not survive long with that sort of treatment.



Incidentally, the winning boat** of the Transat 6.50 second leg, ‘Teamwork Evolution’, had a scow-shaped bow – nothing new there. They will be using leeboards next!



Text for the Day

John 5:24 ‘”Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”’



Links


*Botter Yacht – sold £17,500

http://www.bowcrest.com/dutch-barge-specialists/index.php/dutch-barges/0200006-dutch-botter-yacht-13-60m-x-4-24m-17500/


**’Teamwork Evolution’ – Winner of the Transat 6.50 Second Leg

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/11/teamwork-evolution-winner-of-transat.html


Open Botter Yacht – virtual image

http://www.hangsim.com/vs/images/downshots/botter.jpg


Restored Botter Yachts at Veere

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwkPJQ_SpqXiZyj6V8tjjSepd9SgmLoriv8w6RsnQF9EsU_sgIKTUPovjDZc2x1jYtkhSZeccrAc12ol_NBjiQZLEVjZ2RAEQr-hrkG3xjGn6ib0H82IQ7AHCrD1VRxhnkvE/s1600/Restored+botters+in+Veere.jpg


Traditional restored Botter Yacht

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5B81U7M5wgtvr4yUHUGAirNlO5oXAgYezjddnh7arHjpDV2SQeydddIymhzXBEJ9yS-DMiTxzPd12_OkxX0H2nC4d6QxYDXbHsNgUC3vL4tV2KZR0o2DEJsHcQlaiUqDX3SE/s1600/Traditional+sail+on+the+Veersemeer.jpg


Zaanse Botter for Sale £30,220

http://houseboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=201237


Botter Yacht for Sale – Euros 72,500

http://www.noblemarine.co.uk/boatsforsale/boat/140127/

Leisure 20 Part 2

I did a write-up about the Leisure 20 on 30th September, 2011, and if I were to rate the yacht out of 10 I would give her 8. She’s a really comfortable and capable boat for her size. As I said in the previous article, I cannot improve on the description given in the Leisure Owners’ Association website.*





Generally, these boats hold their value, particularly if they have been well looked after and if they were put together well in the first place, because some of them were sold as kit boats for amateurs to finish. The kit parts were of very good quality - just look at the photo showing the stainless steel pulpit and Genoa roller, after at least two years of neglect.




The yacht shown here is not beyond repair, and for someone prepared to put in a bit of work into bringing her up to scratch could end up with a nice yacht. A new set of sails, new mattresses and running rigging would constitute the main outlay. Even her teak rubbing strake would most likely come up nicely after power- hosing, drying and sanding.


I assume this Leisure 20 is for sale. She’s at Rice and Coles, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex.


The message, loud and clear, is not to leave a yacht exposed to the elements. This is the result.


Text for the Day

Matthew 6:19, 20 ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.’



Links


Leisure 20 Part One

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/09/leisure-20.html


Leisure Owners Association

http://www.leisureowners.org.uk/site/contents/home.shtml


*Leisure 20 – very good summary describing the boat

http://www.leisureowners.org.uk/site/contents/leisure20_new.shtml


Leisure 20 for Sale £2,200

http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/UFZUMjUzMjE5fnB2dA==-LEISURE_20.html


Leisure 20 for Sale £5,100 (This yacht was for sale when I did my first article)

http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/U01HTzAxLTM0NzJ+U01HTzAx=-LEISURE_20.html

Sven Yrvind, Ocean Sailor and Yacht Designer

Sven left Porto Santo, Madeira on 12th October and arrived at Fort de France, Martinique on 26th November, having sailed a total of 2,870 nautical miles in 45 days, at an average speed of 2.64 knots.


On the whole it would appear he enjoyed the experience, including the 1,200 nautical miles voyage from Kinsale in Southern Ireland to Porto Santo, Madeira.


Without a doubt this 73 year old veteran sailor is a remarkable man. His website/blog* contains words of wisdom that could only be expressed by one who had experienced sailing thousands of miles crisscrossing the oceans in small boats of his own design. Much of this voyaging under sail has been done without the use of specialist self-steering equipment. Most of the crossing between Madeira and Martinique was done with the rudder locked. He trimmed his micro-yacht by the stern, and by adjusting the set of her sails up forward he was able to make the boat keep a consistent course, day after day running before the trades. Even when there was very little wind, the yacht maintained her course, and because of the design of her sails they held their shape without the usual wear and tear caused by constant movement.



His biggest problem was one of constipation. He explains how at the outset from Kinsale he failed to regularly relieve his bowels. His intention was to defecate over the side, but the weather was not conducive for doing it without getting water into the boat. Consequently he had to suffer, and only by taking severe measures with a spoon, was he able to extricate the blockage and coax his body into a regular rhythm. Both at Madeira and Martinique, mosquitoes took a particular liking to his blood, with the result that bad blisters occurred where the bloodsuckers struck. Reluctantly he applied repellent to keep them at bay, but too late. Infection of the blisters could have had very serious consequences. I do not know if Sven had mosquito baffles for the openings into his yacht, but if he did, they were ineffective.


Well, he did not stay at Martinique longer than a few days to recover from tiredness and arrange shipping for his boat back to Sweden. On 3rd December he wrote on his blog that he was in Paris. His intention was to visit the Boat Show before returning home. During many hours at sea his fertile mind was at work designing yet another small yacht for ocean cruising.


Text for the Day

Romans 8:25 ‘But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.’



Links


*Sven’s Website

http://www.yrvind.com/


Martinique – Fort-de-France - Sven Yrvind

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/11/martinique-fort-de-france-sven-yrvind.html


Out of Sight, but not out of Mind – Sven Yrvind

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/11/out-of-sight-but-not-out-of-mind-sven.html


Sven Yrvind Sails Again

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/08/sven-yrvind-sails-again.html


Progress of Sven Yrvind

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/08/progress-of-sven-yrvind.html


Paris Boat Show

http://www.salonnautiqueparis.com/

Duck Punt Plans

Cropped photo of my computer screen showing Duck Punt #17

On Saturday, 19th December, 2009 I did a blog about Duck Punts. (See link below) At that time getting hold of plans to build one was not easy, but I know of one person who succeeded. I think he paid a nominal fee to cover the cost of printing and posting the plans. Now, thanks to Dylan Winter, plans in PDF format are available at his website,* courtesy of John Milgate of West Mersea.


Dylan is so enthusiastic about Duck Punts that he has set his mind on building one. I had the same idea, but instead, I built a Sharpy designed by Derek Munnion. She is very similar to a Duck Punt, except she has a deck, a drop keel and a rudder. A Duck Punt is simpler and cheaper to build. She’s also better for shallow water sailing because she doesn’t have a keel and a rudder. The boat is steered with an oar, while the crew trims the boat by shifting his weight and trimming the sail.


Text for the Day

Galatians 5:1 ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’


Links


*Duck Punt Plans (PDF)

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/ktl-3-north-norfolk-and-the-wash/ktl-vlog-duck-punt-01-plans-arrive/


Duck Punt Org

http://www.duckpunt.org.uk/


Duck Punts

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/12/duck-punts.html


Keep Turning Left

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/


Keep Turning Left – Dylan Winter

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/12/keep-turning-left-dylan-winter.html


Dylan Winter – Keep Turning Left

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/01/dylan-winter-keep-turning-left.html


My Sharpy – Cost of Building ‘Talitha’ and Satisfaction

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/07/cost-of-building-talitha-and.html

Kingfisher 20, 20+ and 22

Possibly a MK1 or MK 2 Kingfisher 20 with a transom hung rudder.

As with all of these older GRP yachts, finding reliable information about them is not easy. Getting hold of manufacturers’ brochures is one way of obtaining authentic data, but that’s easier said than done. Owners’ Associations are another source. Messages at yacht forums can’t be relied upon, because much of the discussion is based upon the memories and opinions of those taking part. There are a couple of brokers’ websites that provide fairly reliable information relating to older yachts.


I know for a fact that R.A.G. Nierop designed the Kingfisher range, one of which I owned. She was a junk-rigged Kingfisher 26, named ‘Trio’.* Kingfishers were built at Westfield Engineering Co. (Marine) Ltd, Cabot Land, Creekmoor, Poole, Dorset, England, between 1959 and 1978. Nierop retired in 1978, and at that time he transferred construction and marketing to Moonstream Ltd (Kingfisher Yachts). They continued building Kingfishers until 1981.

Close-up


The main difference between the Kingfisher 20 and the 22 is the overall length. The latter and the 20+ had a LOA of 21’ 7”; the former had a LOA of 20’ 6 ¾ “. The 20+ was the extended version built when Nierop was producing them, but the 22s were manufactured by Kingfisher Yachts between 1978 and 1981. All of the Kingfisher 20, 20+ and 22 yachts had twin keels with the exception of one Kingfisher 20 fitted with a fin keel. Only the first six Kingfisher 20’s built before 1967 had encapsulated keels and their rudders were transom mounted, but the 20+ version and 22s had rudders mounted on a shaft through their transom. All other Kingfishers were fitted with cast iron keels. For mechanical propulsion they relied upon outboards which were usually situated in a purpose-built well at the stern of the boat. One or two 22s had long cockpits without outboard wells, and their outboards were transom mounted. The first six Kingfisher 20s had engine wells sited immediately in front of their stern lockers. They were built in 1959.


Some Kingfisher 22+s and 22s were rigged as junk sloops; the most famous was Pete Hill’s ‘Shanti’, a Kingfisher 22+. In 2006 he was one of only two competitors to finish the Single-handed Plymouth to Rhode Island Race organised by the Jester Challenge.org.**



Text for the Day

Ephesians 6:10 ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.’



Links



*Kingfisher 26, Junk Rig

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/02/kingfisher-26-junk-rig.html


**Jester Challenge.org

http://www.jesterinfo.org/


Kingfisher 20+ details

http://www.kyoa.org.uk/k20+technical.htm


Kingfisher 20 Details

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=4795


Info Kingfisher 22

http://www.go-sail.co.uk/kingfisher22.asp


Kingfisher Yacht Owners Association

http://www.kyoa.org.uk/index.htm


Kingfisher 20 under Sail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzfUXzXiD08&feature=player_embedded#!


Kingfisher 20 for Sale £1,995

http://www.boatshed.com/kingfisher_20-boat-125352.html


Kingfisher 20 for Sale £2,499

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/php/new_view.php?place=viewadvert&ref=F223171


Kingfisher 20 for Sale £4,499

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/yachts/kingfisher-20-OSB116


Kingfisher 22 for Sale (Greece) Euros 4,500

http://www.theyachtmarket.com/boats_for_sale/93168/#


Four Kingfisher 20, 20 +/22s for Sale here

http://yachts.apolloduck.com/boats.phtml?view=1&layout=1&id=871&fx=HUF&minv=Minimum&maxv=Maximum&minl=0&maxl=0&ymin=&ymax=&sort=0&limit=10&type=

Macwester 30?

I believe this is a Macwester 30 by Macwester Marine built some time between 1969 and 1972 when these yachts were in production. Please correct me if I am wrong.


Macwesters were designed by C.S.J. Roy who was the founder and director of Macwester Marine at Littlehampton in West Sussex. For the full range of his designs which include the classic Kelpie, the Rowan 22 and the Atlanta 28, please look at the first link below.*



The Macwester 30 was a derivative of the Macwester 28, and numbers one to eight were rigged as sloops; the other four yachts built before production ceased were rigged as yawls or ketches, and I believe I’m right in saying they all had central cockpits. The sloop-rigged Macwester 30 had an aft cockpit and a very spacious main cabin. All versions of the 30’ 6’ LOA twin keel yacht were fitted with Volvo MD2B engines.


Statistics

LOA: 30’6” 9.30m
LWL: 26’0” 7.92m
Beam: 9’5” 2.87m
Draught: 3’3” 0.99m
Displacement: 8960lb 4065kg
Ballast: 2690lb 1220kg
Sail Area: 380ft2 35.3m2



Text for the Day

Romans 6:16 ‘Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness.’



Links


*C.S.J. ROY’S MACWESTER AND ATLANTA BOATS

http://www.macwester.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=117


Macwester Owners Association

http://www.macwester.org/


Volvo MD2B Engine

http://www.djerickson.com/apache/engine.htm

‘Seegischt’ - A One-off Yacht

Humdrum production yachts seldom interest me; therefore when I come across something different, I like to examine the boat in detail to see what I can learn. ‘Seegischt’ is that sort of yacht. She is moored at Hullbridge, or least she was when I took a photo of her on 12th October, 2011. That part of the River Crouch dries at low water, so I assume she’s a twin or triple keel yacht.



I was immediately attracted to her because she has character. To start with, she has a very high coachroof, presumably to provide standing headroom, or at least to maximize interior space. It seems as though the owner has added the superstructure, including the decks, to a GRP hull, the make of which I am unable to identify.



The yacht has many personal touches, such as abundant standing rigging, including a permanent separate forestay, besides her furling Genoa stay. The boom is supported by a rigid adjustable kicker, and her mast is housed in a tabernacle. Under the crosstrees there’s a small ball that may be a radar reflector, and at the outward end of the port-hand crosstree, there’s a peculiar object that resembles a large lollipop. I’ve no idea what it is.





At the masthead there is a Hawk V-Tronix Wind Indicator, a VHF antenna, and a wind speed sensor; there is also a small vertical cylindrical object that may be an all-round white anchor light. There are more interesting pieces of equipment at the stern, such as wind generator, a wind direction sensor for an Autohelm, a GPS receiver antenna, and a Seagull Silver Century outboard. A boarding ladder with a fender attached to it is stowed against the wind generator. The pushpit is tailor-made to accommodate the outboard, so that it can be raised and lowered without hindrance. The stern navigation light is fitted to the GPS antenna stand.



In the region of the bow, attached to the pulpit, there’s a red and green navigation light, and below it there’s a substantial bow roller for the anchor chain. The Plough anchor is stowed on deck to starboard. Incidentally the owner has tied three mooring lines to the buoy. He’s obviously a belt and braces person, and there’s nothing wrong with that when it comes to seamanship. He has taken measures to protect the bow from chafe by deploying a horseshoe fender. The name of the yacht, ‘Seegischt’, would appear to be German for ‘Sea Spray’. I think the fore hatch may have a solar operated ventilator set into its upper surface.


This attention to detail makes me think the owner is an experienced sailor who knows what he is doing.


Text for the Day

Mark 4:39 – 41 ‘Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”


Links


V-Tronix Hawk Wind Indicator

http://www.hawkmarineproducts.com/prod-vhawk.htm

Festive Decorations

Last Sunday was the first day of Advent which marked the beginning of the Liturgical Year for Western Christian churches. Advent Sunday is always the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the day when Christians remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus. The precise date of His birth is not known, but it was roughly 2015 years ago. In addition to remembering the birth of Jesus, Advent is also a time for looking forward to His promised second coming, not for the salvation of those who would believe in Him, as at His first coming, but for their resurrection. When He comes again, believers will be raised from the dead, and they will be transformed to have spiritual bodies similar to His. Living believers will also be transformed without experiencing death. His second advent is known as the Parousia.



Jesus proclaimed that He ‘is’ the Light of the World. He did not say He ‘was’ the Light of the World. (See Text for the Day at yesterday’s blog.) Within that context I have heard that pagans on their conversion to Christianity would decorate trees with lighted candles to symbolically represent their conversion from darkness to light. At this festive time of year, illuminated Christmas trees are often the central feature of household decorations. More recently people have been decorating the exterior of their homes, and where they have trees, they have been festooning them with colourful lights. Where I live, there has been an increasing trend over the years for these decorations. They certainly brighten up the neighbourhood when the hours of darkness far outnumber the hours of daylight.


As I take a stroll after my evening meal, I’m always cheered by the sight of these illuminations, not because of their subject matter: snowmen, stars, bells, Father Christmases and the like, but because I see beyond them to the Light of the World - He who brings hope and life to those who would believe and trust in Him.


Text for the Day

John 1:4, 5 ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.’



Links


Advent Sunday

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


Advent

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


Advent – Christian Festival

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/advent.html


Chronology of Jesus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Jesus#Year_of_birth_estimates


Second Coming of Christ

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


Parousia

http://www.globalchristians.org/articles/parousia.htm


Christian Symbols

http://christianity.about.com/od/symbolspictures/ig/Christian-Symbols-Glossary/Light-of-the-World.htm


Yachtsman’s Christmas Tree

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2005/12/yachtsmans-christmas-tree.html


Sunrise and Sunset – London

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=136

LED Christmas Tree

In early October I visited Alton Garden Centre, near Basildon, and as a result I was inspired to do a blog article about the experience. (Market Gardens/Garden Centre*) I was critical of some of the stuff sold there because of it being unfriendly to the environment, particularly petroleum and electric powered machinery used by gardeners today, unlike when I was a boy. Most gardening then was done with hand tools; now there are garden vacs, electric strimmers, mechanical saws and sit-on lawnmowers. I must confess that gardening is easier as a result, and that I use a small electric lawnmower.



Well, to oblige my better half, I found myself at Alton Garden Centre again. The place hummed with activity. A large proportion of the Centre had been transformed into a Christmas bazaar where there were the most astonishing objects for sale, one of which was an artificial 3 metre-high Christmas tree, illuminated with LED lights that changed colour from cobalt to mauve, pink, purple, orange, red, purple, pink, mauve and back to cobalt, ad infinitum. This object had a price tag of £1,500! The only redeeming factor was the use of LED lights which consume very little electricity.




Text for the Day

John 8:12 ‘Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”



Links


*Alton Garden Centre

http://www.alton-gardencentre.co.uk/


Market Gardens/Garden Centres

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/10/market-gardensgarden-centres.html


Light-emitting diodes (LED Lights)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode


LED Blossom Trees

http://www.christmastreesandlights.co.uk/Christmas-Trees/LED-Trees

Aerial Markers and Aerial Balls

For far too long I have been meaning to remove the roof rack from the top of my car. I have always had excuses for not doing so. The latest one was that I might need to transport the dinghy that had belonged to my daughter to her house for storage or for destruction. The dinghy was in a bad state of repair and leaked profusely. Well, I suppose I should have done something about removing the roof rack when the dinghy was sold to a new owner, along with ‘Ladybird’, the yacht I had owned before she acquired her.


If I had removed the roof rack I would have saved on petrol, because the car would have been more efficient without having to expend energy overcoming friction caused by the movement of the rack through the air. Later is better than never, but procrastination cannot be justified when good can be achieved by taking action earlier than later. I am to be blamed for my inertia, and I’ve paid the price. My lack of action has not helped reduce my carbon footprint.


One advantage of having the roof rack on the car was that I could easily identify it in a car park. Some car parks are very large, as is the case at the Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre, and there some sort of prominent marker is very helpful when it comes to finding the car. Now that I have removed the roof rack, I have added a temporary marker to the car’s aerial. This is in the form of a miniature polystyrene Christmas tree. I purposely searched for an aerial marker in a motor shop at Burnham-on-Crouch where I bought the only one of its type in stock.


Since then I have discovered an online supplier* of ‘Aerial Balls’, and similar markers. If you are thinking of getting one, have a look in your local motor shop, because there you will not have to pay a delivery charge. A little spring attached to a sticker was also supplied with mine, for attaching the marker to a desktop. The marker could also be fitted to the top of a pencil, or so the makers claim, but I suspect the hole in the marker would not be large enough for inserting a pencil, unless it was trimmed beforehand.



Note

The Aerial Balls* website has a link to ‘Free the Children’ website that I have included below.



Text for the Day

1 Corinthians 13:13 ‘And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’



Links



*Aerial Balls

http://www.aerialballs.com/


Free the Children

http://www.freethechildren.com/


‘Ladybird’ has been sold – My tribute to her

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/09/ladybird-has-been-sold-my-tribute-to.html


Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/10/westfield-stratford-city-shopping.html


Recycling, Carbon Footprints and Survival

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/10/recycling-carbon-footprints-and.html

Hunter Sonata

Yesterday I considered the Hunter 490, designed by Oliver Lee. Today, I’m looking at the Hunter Sonata, designed by David Thomas. Commissioned by Peter Poland of Hunter Boats in 1975, Thomas set about designing the round bilge Sonata based upon his highly successful multi-chine quarter-tonner, the Quarto. He came up with a smaller and cheaper 22 footer with a cracking performance. Credit must be given to Hunter Boats who did a very good job moulding the hulls and decks for completion at their factory, and for home completion with a standard set of kit parts. There was a choice of hulls: those fitted with a deep fin keel and those with a drop keel.





Many clubs chose the class for one-design racing due to their popularity and excellent handling characteristics. In recognition of their fine qualities and sheer numbers, the RYA drew up strict regulations for one-design racing and gave the class National Status. The RYA adopted them as their first official racer/cruiser. On all accounts they couldn’t have chosen a better, affordable yacht worthy of the honour. No doubt they considered others such as the ‘E’ Boat, and the Anderson 22, but they were nowhere near as popular or numerous.


Most of what can be said about this yacht may be found at the Sonata Sailing website,* and it’s all positive. (See the first link below.)



Statistics

Built between 1975 and 1990, in total 479

LOA 6.9 m
LWL 5.5 m
Beam 2.5 m
Draught 1.4 m Fin Keel
Sail Area Mainsail 10.2 sq m
Genoa No 1 - 13.9 sq m No 2 - 9.0 sq m
Berths 4



Text for the Day

Psalm 47:6, 7 ‘Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.’



Links


*Sonata Sailing Website

http://sonata.org.uk/about/pboreview.php


Hunter Association

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


Hunter Sonata Drop Keel version for sale £4,450

http://morganmarine.com/boatsales/boats.aspx?boat=9563


Hunter Sonata Fin Keel Sold £5,995 with road trailer

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

Hunter 490

In 1977 I bought a kit Hunter Europa from Hunter Boats of Rochford, and fitted her out for cruising and club racing.* (See Small ‘Zeta’ – Hunter Europa 19 in the Links section) At that time Hunter Boats ceased producing their Hunter 490 which was a brilliant small cruiser/racer. She had a proper drop keel, but the internal housing for it somewhat restricted the accommodation. Although she had little more than sitting headroom, she was a very good boat for single-handing. Stowage space wasn’t up to much, but there was enough for solo weekending.



She was a trailer sailer that could be left on a mooring if need be, without fear of her capsizing. Her high aspect Bermudan mainsail and Genoa gave her a good turn of speed. All lines for working the boat were led back to her spacious cockpit. She was vice-free and she had a well-balanced, sensitive helm. Her performance to windward was above average, partly due to the tight sheeting angle of her foresails. This was achieved by mounting the shrouds on chainplates attached to the sides of her cabin trunk. Racing crews could sit her out, if somewhat painfully, by perching on her raised coamings, but not if a pushpit was fitted.



Peter Poland, the man in charge of Hunter Boats at the time, decided to move on and produce the Hunter 19 followed by the Europa 19, all designed by the legendary Oliver Lee. I felt it was a shame Hunters stopped making 490s, but in terms of good business, they were proven right. I will add a footnote that bigger is not necessarily better. The problem is commercial viability.




Statistics


Built between 1972 and 1977 – 80 reputed, but between 40 and 50 more likely

LOA 4.9 m
LWL 4.26 m
Beam 2.01 m
Draught 0.46 m up 0.99 down
Displacement 454 Kilograms
Sail Area Main 6.5 sq m
Jib 4.65 sq m
Genoa 9.29 sq m
Spinnaker 15.6 sq m
Berths 2 (Advertised as 3, but no way)
Engine Outboard 2 – 3 HP



Text for the Day

Matthew 6:34 ‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’



Links


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


490 Under Sail

http://www.hunterassociation.org.uk/site/album_pic.php?pic_id=1


Hunter 490

http://www.go-sail.co.uk/hunter490.asp


Hunter 490

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5949


*Small ‘Zeta’ – Hunter Europa 19

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/06/small-zeta-hunter-europa-19.html

‘The Return’ by René Julien

For a couple who are in love, enforced separation can be a grievous experience. They may yearn for physical contact and the sharing of mutual love by which their bond and commitment to one another can flourish.



René Julien’s bronze sculpture, ‘The Return’, captures the moment when two lovers are reunited. Whatever their status, partners or man and wife - certainly not mere acquaintances - they are overjoyed at their reunion; particularly the female who flings herself at the one she loves. He carries a portfolio under his left arm, but holds her steadily with his right arm and extended hand. Ecstatically she lifts her feet into the air. The two are sealed together in an embrace. Her hands express her joy as he tilts back his head in anticipation of the sweet touch of her lips.



At the man’s feet there are two doves engaged in an act of union, oblivious to what is happening above and of the imminent danger that threatens them.


This £50,000 sculpture by the Belgian artist was funded by the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency as part of a project to revamp Victoria Gateway Square adjacent to Southend-on-Sea’s Victoria Station. Councillors chose it from a range of sculptures because it best represented what the location was all about – a venue where people meet when returning home to Southend.



I like the sculpture, not so much for its artistic merit, but for the symbolic portrayal of unified and precious love between a man and woman. The enigmatic doves add to its charm, and they remind me of the fragility of life.



Text for the Day

Psalm 103:15, 16 ‘As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.’



Links


The Return by René Julien

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63169691@N06/6335834898/


The Return by René Julien

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7984380@N02/5819350502/


Sculptures of René Julien

http://artthema.com/sculptors/julien-rene/


£50,000 Sculpture for Vic Circus is revealed

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/8943172.__50_000_sculpture_for_Vic_Circus_is_revealed/

Another Sharpy Part 2

As good as his word, Mr Anonymous sent me two more photos of his Sharpy. They provide extra information regarding the nature of the floats which I believe were designed by him. They are made of plywood joined at the chines by GRP tape. Altogether, along with the support beam they weigh between 15 and 20 lbs, which is considerably lighter than the 80 lbs keel. The boat will be sailed with a plywood centreboard instead of a keel. I am hoping all will go well and that the new configuration will be a great success.




Text for the Day

James 5:12 ‘But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.’

Viewfinder

Spread apart your thumbs and index fingers; then join your index fingers to your thumbs. By so doing you make a rectangular frame through which you can look. This is the equivalent of a viewfinder on a camera. Close one eye and select views as if you were looking through a proper viewfinder. You can move your hands away from your eye to reduce the field of vision or move them towards your eye to increase what is included in the picture. When we take photos with a camera we select the field of vision by adjusting the focus or by moving closer to or further from the subject. We usually do this without giving too much thought to the process; it’s like a subconscious action or an automatic reflex.



Artists sometimes select their subjects by first looking at them through a small picture frame similar in proportion to the canvas or paper on which they will paint or draw their picture. The frame is a great help to them because the positions of objects, shapes and forms within the field of vision can be transferred to the canvas or paper. I have used this method when painting landscapes, still-life subjects and portraits.


When I am taking photos I am conscious of the positions of objects within the viewfinder. One thing I try to avoid is taking a photo of a person who is sitting or standing in front of an upright object such as a road sign or similar vertical object, because when the photo is developed one sees the object apparently growing out of the person’s head! It’s a bit like those irritating photos where the person being photographed is unaware that someone behind them is holding two fingers in such a way as to give the impression they protude from the person's head. The idea is to take-the-mickey out of the person being photographed by giving them bunny ears or cow horns.



Anyway, when I’m out and about with my camera and I come across something interesting, I’ll look at it through the viewfinder, make a selection and push the button. Today, I’ve posted four photos of selections that interested me. I like them because they record natural patterns, textures and forms, all found beside the water.




Text for the Day

Romans 1:18, 19 ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them.’

Another Sharpy

Regular visitors to these pages will know that I built a Sharpy roof rack keelboat designed by Derek Munnion. While building her I documented the build with descriptions and photographs. All of these articles are available in the blog archives, and they may be accessed by using the search facility at the very bottom of this page. Simply type in the words, ‘building sharpy’, and links to the articles will appear in a popup at the top of the page.


Within my descriptions of the building process I included photographs sent to me by a builder of a Sharpy in the USA. He has the pseudonym of ‘Mr Anonymous’, because he would prefer to remain anonymous. He started building Sharpy number 2 well before me, and he was a great help when I was building mine.


The good news is that Mr Anonymous’s Sharpy has been test-sailed, and he is extremely pleased with how she handled. I was not surprised, because my Sharpy performs very well. In fact, she is the best performer of any of the boats I have built. Well, I was chuffed to receive a recent photo of Mr Anonymous’s Sharpy which has the added facility of two floats, one either side of the hull. These have not yet been tested, but they will provide an option instead of using her ballast keel. The test sail was carried out with the standard 80 lbs drop-keel. The float configuration will require a normal centreboard, because there will be little advantage in sailing her with a ballast keel when she is rigged with the floats.


I shall be very interested to learn how Sharpy number 2 sails when she is rigged with floats. If the boat sails well, there could be an advantage for when launching and retrieving the boat off a beach. A disadvantage of the floats is that they restrict access when coming alongside a pontoon or jetty, but if both systems are available, one could choose which to use according to where the boat will be sailed. On open water and when launching off a beach, the float setup may be better.



Here are links to pages giving accounts of sailing my Sharpy, ‘Talitha’:


Sailing Talitha http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/07/sailing-talitha.html

Talitha’s Second Sail http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/07/talithas-second-sail.html

Talitha’s Third Sail http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/07/talithas-third-sail.html

Talitha’s Fourth Sail http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/07/talithas-fourth-sail.html

Talitha Sails the Deben http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/08/talitha-sails-deben.html

Talitha Sails the Deben Part 2 http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2011/08/talitha-sails-deben-part-2.html



Text for the Day

Hebrews 13:5 ‘Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”’