‘Pike’s’ Sail

Today has been very busy. Besides working on the patio I had a very pleasant hour-and-a-half with Paul Mullings who paid me a visit. He gave me a hand setting up ‘Pike’s’ rig. We tried the sail with and without the boom. My preference is without the boom, because I can brail up the sail without having to remove the boom. As far as I can see, the only advantage of the boom is when running, because it can keep the sail flat, thereby exposing it to more wind.

‘Pike’ versus the Patio

‘Pike’ is in the garden, and patio materials are in her boatshed! That’s the situation. The patio has priority because my wife has priority. My wife wants the patio by a certain date and I’m doing all I can to make her wishes come true. This is a challenge, and I’m wondering if weather and time will allow for a happy outcome.

Tomorrow, I shall be looking forward to a visit from Paul Mullings who has frequently contributed to the Comments section of the blog. He lives in New Zealand, but he’s on holiday in the UK. Maybe he will give me a helping hand to sort out ‘Pike’s’ rig. I’ve never had a boat with a spritsail; therefore I’m curious to find out how it works. Iain Oughtred’s sail plan drawings show her without a boom, but this ‘Pike’ comes with one.

Link

I’ve Been Thinking (Paul Mullings’s Blog)

http://flounderman.blogspot.co.uk/

Day Sail with ‘Ladybird’

Having been invited for a day sail by the owner of ‘Ladybird’ I found myself aboard her today with a 10.00 am start.

Time has flown since a year ago when I lost confidence at the start of what was to be a South Coast cruise sailing my Matt Layden Paradox to Falmouth, and perhaps to the Scilly Isles. The outcome was that I had no inclination to get out on the water, and eventually I came to the conclusion that I should sell the boat, along with her gear. She was advertised and a buyer was found. I thought that was the end of sailing for me, but as time went by I felt that perhaps I could have a go at sailing a dinghy in the hope that I might regain some confidence.

Regular readers will know that I found an Iain Oughtred Pike Skiff and bought her. So far I haven’t got around to rigging her. On the plus side, I have put new wheels on her launching trolley.

I was anxious at the start, but things went well. At first there wasn’t much wind; however, within a half-an-hour the wind increased, making it necessary to reef the mainsail and reduce the furling Genoa to the size of a working jib. This combination was perfect for making to seaward on the last of the ebb. Red flags on the south bank of the River Crouch indicated that firing at Foulness Range was taking place. Sure enough, now and again we could hear thuds of artillery and see clouds of black smoke lifting above the river bank.

After an enjoyable ‘thrash’ eastward towards Maplin Sand, we decided it was time for lunch and anchored in the lee, not far from the north bank of the River. A large dark cloud formed over Burnham and it slowly moved in an east by north direction. At the same time the wind veered, so that we had less protection, but by then both wind and tide were in harmony; consequently the water remained relatively smooth.

The sail back to ‘Ladybird’s’ mooring with the wind from astern was rapid.

Altogether, the experience was enjoyable, and I felt I had regained some of my self-confidence.

My thanks goes to ‘Ladybird’s’ owner for the sail, and for him feeding me with loads of chocolate biscuits!

Link

‘Ladybird’ in Hibernation

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/ladybird-in-hibernation.html

The Patio and 'Ladybird'

A trench for the wall foundations has been cut

The ground has to be covered with a layer of hard core

'Ladybird' out of hibernation and painted with antifouling

This photo was taken on 9th May

The patio does not yet exist, but preparations are well under way. Materials from B & Q did not turn up when they should. I think this must have been an unusual failing on their part. Somehow, the consignment was not scheduled for delivery, despite receiving a text informing me that the shipment was due to arrive last Wednesday afternoon. Bully for them, they apologized and refunded me £25 for the inconvenience. The new delivery is due for Tuesday of next week. Surely they’ll get it right this time.

As things are, there’s plenty more preparatory work I can do before building the retaining wall.

I’m making the patio a priority, as my wife has plans for its use in the not too distant future when there will be a family gathering, God willing. We humans can make many plans, but they do not always materialize.

Although building the patio is a priority, time working on it is not sacrosanct. I have set aside this coming Monday for a sail - not with ‘Pike’, but by invitation, aboard ‘Ladybird’. I’m looking forward to getting out on the water, as it has been well over a year since my last sail.

Link

‘Ladybird’ in Hibernation

 http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/ladybird-in-hibernation.html

‘Pike’s’ Rudder

My introduction for readers to ‘Pike’ was with an article* about her on 1^st June.

Richard Green in the Comments section posed the question, “Does it hinge across the middle?” I replied that I would explain how it works.

The photos more or less speak for themselves. The first one shows the rudder fully down. The second illustrates the halfway position, and the third depicts the rudder fully raised.

Technically, I don’t think the rudder should be left in the intermediate position, because the loop of the up haul line has no fixture on the tiller for it in that position, but there is a convenient hook for when raised. A double line, one either side of the rudder, is attached to a bungee under tension to keep the upper and lower parts together.

To raise the lower part, one has to release the bungee from a hook on the tiller; then pull the up haul line.

I don’t think this is the most elegant solution for sailing in shallow water, but it looks plausible.

I’ll have to see how things actually work out.

*Pike Skiff Designed by Iain Oughtred

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/pike-skiff-designed-by-iain-oughtred.html

‘Pike’s’ Launching Trolley

The first thing I noticed when collecting my Iain Oughtred designed Pike Skiff from her previous owner was that the port side tyre of the launching trolley was flat. A closer inspection revealed that the nylon tyre was perished, and there were splits along the tread. The other tyre wasn’t up to much, but at least there was air in it. Nothing about the state of the trolley was mentioned in the advert, and the trailer was described as in ‘perfect condition’. This turned out not to be true; however, I found that it was in good working order and free of rust, except for one small spot on the nearside hub.

A trawl of the Internet revealed that there weren’t many trolley wheels to the same specification as the old ones available for purchase. The problem was the length of the hub which had to be no more than 2 ½ inches long to fit on the shaft. They were nearly all 3 inches. I eventually found two suitable wheels available at TrailerTek. I paid for them on 3^rd June, and they arrived today, within twenty-four hours. Furthermore, they are now fitted to the trolley.

It’ll be a great advantage to be able to launch the new boat on her trolley, rather than her road trailer, as was the case with my previous trailer sailers. Sailing her will be more spontaneous, and I’ll have access to launching sites that are unsuitable for road trailers.

You’ll note from the heading to this post that I’ve chosen the most obvious name for the boat. She will be known as ‘Pike’.

Link

TrailerTrek

http://www.trailertek.com/  

Charlie Pitcher – Has Started His Row around Britain

After departing from the Royal Burnham Yacht Club on Sunday, 31^st May, Charlie has experienced some horrendous weather with gale force winds, but he continues to make progress. This is his third day aboard ‘Soma’.  At 17.00 the Track Map at his website* gave his position as 50 degrees, 57 minutes N, 001 degree, 12.11 minutes E, and he was heading along the Norfolk coast on a bearing of 286 degrees at 1.2 knots.  With Cromer astern, he is moving towards Wells-next-the-Sea. At least, there is far less wind than yesterday, and the XCWeather wind speed map is showing a 7 mph wind from astern.

* http://www.charliepitcher.com/

Fund Raising

Charlie is rowing to raise funds for Big Change, which is a charity that supports young people. The charity has at least ten projects on the go. For more information, visit their website (See link below), but if you wish to donate, please do so at Charlie’s donation page. Here’s the address: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=charliepitcherrowsgb

Links

Charlie Pitcher Ready for Solo Round Britain Row

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/charlie-pitcher-ready-for-solo-round.html

XCWeather – Wind Charts

http://www.xcweather.co.uk/

Big Change

http://www.bigchangecharitabletrust.org/

Charlie at Twitter

https://twitter.com/charliepitcher

Charlie at Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/charlie.pitcher

Pandora – Part 2

The photos are of a Pandora International. She is a fine example of the penultimate version of the Pandora range of yachts.

For details of their sequential development have a look at my previous article.*

I owned a Pandora Mk 1.** She was a pleasure to sail because she was so well balanced and sensitive to the helm.

Links

*Pandora – Part 1

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/pandora.html

**’Apple Charlotte’ – Part 1 of my cruise to Holland

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/apple-charlotte.html

Pike Skiff designed by Iain Oughtred

By way of an experiment to discover if I can get back on the water I have purchased a second-hand Iain Oughtred Pike Skiff.  However, time is at a premium just now, because I’m engaged with the task of building a patio in the back garden, and I want to get it finished as quickly as possible, so that I’ll be able to try the skiff.

Today I managed to check the boat’s inventory, but as I was doing so, rain started to fall; therefore I quickly packed everything away.

My first impression of her was very favourable. I found that she was in excellent nick, requiring little doing to her before taking her for a sail.

Iain reckons she “can be pushed to windward under full sail in a F 4 – up to around 16 knots – without becoming impossibly wet or uncomfortable.” He qualifies his statement by adding “in sheltered waters.” That is fine for me, because it is not my intention to take her to sea. I believe she will be fun for use on the River Crouch and other East Coast Rivers.

Specification

LOA - 12' 1", Beam - 4' 3", Weight - 132 lbs., Sail Area - Sprit 60 sq. ft.

Links

The Pike as described by Classic Marine

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/boatlists/ioupdate06.htm#PIKE

Info for Builders of the Pike Skiff (PDF download)

http://jordanboats.co.uk/JB/IainO_Catalogue/Pike.pdf

Wooden Boat Forum – Oughtred Spike/Pike

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?122562-Oughtred-Spike-Pike

Iain Oughtred: A Life in Wooden Boats (Hardback £22.50)

http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/iain-oughtred-9781408105153

Jester Baltimore Challenge 2015

'Jester'

Close-up of the original 'Jester's' rig

There have been a number of Jester Challenges. The most recent was the Jester Challenge of 2014 for skippers of vessels between 20 and 30 feet, including multihulls. The endeavour or challenge was for participants to sail their yachts single-handed from Plymouth UK to Newport, Rhode Island, USA. The spirit of the challenge was for individuals to test themselves in terms of seamanship and total self-reliance, unlike many of today’s commercially sponsored and highly organized ocean sailing events. There were to be few rules, other than when to start, where to start and where to go. The gathering together of sailors was to be on a ‘gentlemanly’ basis, which suggests to me that it was done in the spirit of friendship and comradeship, not competition.

The inspiration for these sailing challenges can be traced back to the 1960 Single-handed trans-Atlantic Race when Lt Colonel H. G.  Hasler invited Val Howell to take part with his Scandinavian Folkboat, ‘Eira’. Hasler had modified a similar Folkboat named ‘Jester’. He completely decked her in and re-rigged her with a single Chinese lugsail. This unique setup provided protection for him from the elements. He was able to work the boat from within her cabin where all control lines were to hand. Additionally he had the aid of a wind-vane steering system that he designed and built himself. Francis Chichester famously won the race in a much bigger yacht, ‘Gipsy Moth 111’.

Another of the Jester challenges was the Azores Challenge of 2008, a shorter ocean passage from Plymouth to Tierciera Island in the Azores Archipelago.

The upcoming event, the Jester Baltimore Challenge 2015, will be for less experienced sailors who will be able to try their hand alongside some of the veterans of previous challenges. The spirit of the event will be as before. There will be two starting venues: Plymouth, and Pwllheli, the aim being for participants to sail solo the 250 nautical miles from either venue to Baltimore in the Republic of Ireland.

This will be a wonderful opportunity for anyone wanting to give it go, perhaps to gain confidence for going further afield and to find out if long-distance sailing is for them. They will also have a chance to meet more experience ocean sailors.

The Baltimore Challenge is scheduled to start on Sunday, 14^th June 2015, departing from both venues at mid-day. As I prepare this article there are 51 entries!*

*Entries List:  http://www.jesterinfo.org/jbc2015entrylist.html

Links

Jester Challenges Website

http://www.jesterinfo.org/index.html

Jester Challenge 2014

http://www.jesterinfo.org/jesterchallenge2014.html

Jester Challenge 2014

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/jester-challenge-2014.html

Plymouth UK

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

Newport, Rhode Island

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport,_Rhode_Island

Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-Handed_Trans-Atlantic_Race

Wind-Vane Self-Steering: How to Plan and Make Your Own

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wind-Vane-Self-Steering-Plan-Make-Your/dp/0877421587

‘Jester’ and Mike Richey

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/jester-and-mike-richey.html

The Jester Challenge 59^th Anniversary

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/jester-challenge-50th-anniversary.html

Jester Challenge’s sailing purists

http://www.yachtingworld.com/blogs/elaine-bunting/jester-challenges-sailing-purists-3167

Jester Azores Challenge 2008

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/ortevent.aspx?id=31

Herbert Hasler - “Blondie”

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

Guy Thompson T 24

Guy Thompson designed three ‘T’ yachts: the T 24, the T 27 and the T 31. Here we have his smallest, the T 24.

His practice was to first make a scale model; test it, modify if necessary and test again, and when satisfied use the lines for the drawings of the full-size yacht. Interestingly he wanted minimum wetted surface, a high ballast ratio and a skeg mounted rudder placed well aft for directional stability. Both ends of the boat were full to prevent pitching. This combination with a very practical interior for a crew of two or three was a winner. She was fast and could be described as a cruiser/racer.

Forget the fact that she has five berths, for the interior is small by modern standards, and with five persons aboard they would feel cramped.

As I prepare this post, there’s a very nice Thompson T24 at Ebay. The asking price is £9,000. To see the advert key in the following number into the Ebay search box: 391143969201.

Dimensions

LOA:  24 ft

LWL: 21 ft

Beam: 8 ft

Draught: 5 ft 3 in

Links

Guy Thompson T24

http://sailing.agyra.com/p/thompson-t24.html

Thompson 24

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?CLASS_ID=3782

Guy Thompson Yacht Designs

http://sailboatdata.com/view_designer.asp?designer_id=73

Guy Thompson T24 (Nice photo)

http://www.sailingnetworks.com/design/d-guy-thompson-t24

Design 1969 Journal – Guy Thompson 24

http://vads.ac.uk/diad/article.php?title=247&article=d.247.30

Guy Thompson

http://www.freebase.com/m/05c384_

Guy Thompson

http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Guy-Thompson/1336339691

Thompson 24 for Sale £3,750

http://suffolk.boatshed.com/thompson_t24-boat-165115.html

Charlie Pitcher Ready for Solo Round Britain Row

On numerous occasions I have written about Charlie Pitcher. He is a hero of mine, an extraordinary athlete and adventurer.

The time has come for him to set off on his valiant attempt to row around Britain. He plans to depart from the Royal Burnham Yacht Club this Sunday, 31^st May, 2015 at midday. No doubt there will be a big send-off with many people cheering him and wishing him well.

The task ahead will be very daunting knowing that if he is to succeed he will have to row a minimum of 2,100 miles. There will be many hazards to overcome, natural and man-made. His most formidable adversary will be the wind, but there will be times when it will be his best friend, giving him a helping hand. Unlike the open waters of the ocean, waters around Britain are less deep, and fast tidal currents alternating between ebb and flow trouble the water’s surface.  Because of his proximity to land he will be confronted with headlands, sand banks, tidal races and overflows, plus wind farms, oil rigs, and all types of shipping.

He will have little respite and he will find it hard to sleep. If he is to row non-stop, except when resting or at anchor, he will need God on his side to succeed. I shall pray for his safety and for God to look favourably upon him.

Links

Charlie Pitcher’s Website and Blog

http://www.charliepitcher.com/

Charlie Pitcher

 http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/charlie-pitcher.html

Elizabethan 29

The Elizabethan 29 can be described as a Modern Classic yacht. Designed by Kim Holman, she has similar underwater lines to his clinker Stella,* except this GRP boat has a smooth moulded hull and she has an elegant counter stern. The first Elizabethan 29 was designed and built in 1960. She had an external ballast keel, but from 1969 onwards, production boats had their keel ballast encapsulated within the hull moulding.  Peter Webster Ltd, of Lymington, the builders of these yachts, ceased trading in 1976 and the moulds were bought by Drummond Bayne Marine of Woolston, Southampton.

*Stella Class Yacht: http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/stella-class-yacht.html

Stats

Length over all:	29'
Beam:	9'
Maximum draft:	4'
Hull material:	Glass Fibre
Displacement:	3500 kg

Links

Elizabethan 29

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/elizabethan-29/elizabethan-29.htm

Elizabethan 29

http://www.eoa.org.uk/class29.htm  

Overview – Elizabethan 29 (PDF download)

http://www.eoa.org.uk/forms/E29Overview.pdf

Elizabethan 29 Owners Handbook (PDF download)

http://www.eoa.org.uk/forms/Elizabethan29OwnersHandbook.pdf

Elizabethan 29 – Sailboat Data details

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?CLASS_ID=3751

1962 Elizabethan 29 for Sale £7,500

http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/sailboat/elizabethan-29/71366

Elizabethan 29 Cruiser/Racer for Sale £4,950

http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=397443

Elizabethan 29 for Sale £5,995

http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=413385

Kim Holman

http://sailboatdata.com/view_designer.asp?designer_id=115

Delphia 29

Yesterday I featured a wooden, shallow draught sailing yacht. Here is another shallow draught yacht, but, being constructed in GRP, she is completely different in style and structure. Luxury, quality and performance are her key features.

This up-market 28’ 2” LOA yacht is for sale on the books of Clarke and Carter at Burnham-on-Crouch Yacht Harbour. She was built in 2007, and she complies with the European Recreational Craft Directive as a category B vessel, classifying her as being suitable for offshore waters.  Her lifting keel and special foredeck ‘A’ frame mast lowering system gives her the added advantage of also being suitable for inland waterways.

According to your tastes, she’s the sort of yacht you either love or hate. If you are a traditionalist, you’ll hate her and if you are a modernist, you’ll love her. Whatever camp you find yourself in, you cannot deny her practicality.

Statistics

LOA: 28' 2"
Beam: 9' 8"
Displacement: 4000 kilograms
Min Draft: 2' 0"
Max Draft: 5' 3"
Ballast: 1200 kilograms

Links

Delphia 29 for Sale at Clarke and Carter, Burnham-on-Crouch - £39,750 (Reduced from £44,750 - see last photo above)

http://www.clarkeandcarter.co.uk/brokerage-boats/searchfullspecs.php?DocumentID=4754988

Delphia 29

http://en.delphiayachts.eu/yacht/delphia-29

Delphia Yachts

http://www.sailinginfo4all.co.uk/boattypes/delphia_yachts.htm

Recreational Craft Directive

http://www.onthewater.co.uk/buy_a_boat/understanding_the_rcd.aspx

Shoal Draught Sailing Cruiser

I couldn’t resist photographing this traditional, clinker-built gaff cutter. More than likely she’s fitted with a steel centreplate.  I feel certain she has internal ballast, perhaps in the form of lead or cast iron ingots. There may be some external iron ballast forming part of her long, very shallow keel, which will give her support when taking the ground.

She is obviously designed for shallow water sailing, and she could appropriately be kept at a mud berth. She would be ideal for exploring the East Coast Rivers and the Thames Estuary.

I love the fact that she is sturdily built with strong fittings. It’s a shame that the prop has had to be offset to one side, and that it is rather large, but this is preferable to an outboard motor on the transom which would look rather ugly and be out of keeping with her wholesome appearance. There’s no way of knowing from the photographs what colour her sails are, but I expect they are tan in the style of old-fashioned cotton tanned sails. Her heavy duty road trailer is a bonus, which will allow her owner to take her to fresh cruising grounds, or to bring her to his home for winter lay-up and maintenance.

She’s a gem, well worth looking after – a vessel that can give satisfaction to her owner.

P.S. If anyone can identify her as one of a specific class, and her designer, I would be pleased to be informed. She’s similar to a Finesse or maybe a Dauntless; on the other hand, she may be a one-off.