July Newsletter
‘I once knew a writer who, after saying beautiful things about the sea, passed through a Pacific hurricane, and he became a changed man.’ – Joshua Slocum – Author
A Stitch in Time
Scotland in June! A whole week without rain and the sun shining on us as we sailed between Skye and the mainland. In fact I never got to set foot on Skye, the same as the circumnavigation last year. I have put this to rights though with an August train trip up there, for the trainspotters.
Some repairs were needed to prevent the UV strip on the jib completely detaching and so Eric and I set to work whilst we were at our mooring in Loch Shieldaig. In another part of the loch we were 50 metres from shore and in 120 metres depth of water! Eric and I did the best we could and informed the charterers, Alba Sailing, of our handiwork. If you are interested in stitching classes just email me.
At The Lock
Father’s Day and I’m to be treated, by going to work!
Not quite, but within sight of the boat is the newly opened café ‘The Lock’ by the owners of successful businesses off Tynemouth Longsands, ‘The View’ and ‘Crusoes’. The welcome we received, wife, son, mother in law and myself, had to be seen to be believed and Jill looked after us famously. We enjoyed the food too, a lot better than the previous occupants who hadn’t lasted long. It’s a good place to meet and four Yorkshiremen were fished out of there after they had tucked into a full breakfast. They weren’t so bright the following morning as it was the morning after England’s rare victory in World Cup competition.
Terry Heppenstall 1942 – 2018
Terry is shown here, on the left, next to Valerie, Robin and myself, died last month. This was taken on Kiwi in the Clyde in 1998 on my very first practical after my successful RYA Day Skipper Course.
At the funeral service I was asked to say a few words about Terry’s sailing interest, which are reproduced here;
‘It’s now 20 years since I was sailing with Terry, first in the Clyde, in Scotland. Sailing with Terry was an interesting experience – things seemed to happen – but he was a very valuable crewmember because he was never seasick.
Way back in August 2004 we were sailing my newly acquired boat from southern Brittany, in company with daughter Vici, the three of us. Events first started after Sark, crossing the English Channel, when we ran out of fuel and had to call the lifeboat to be towed back into Cherbourg. And you would think that would be sufficient really but, continuing the voyage which was to be eventually back to Royal Quays, North Shields, Vici Jumped ship, leaving Cowes for home, and it was just Terry and I.
And on the eventful day in question it was blowing a lot, really windy, and we were heading for Brighton. At one stage, I, having placed Terry down below looking at the chartwork, and of course, he was reliable because he wasn’t seasick. I was steering the boat and, standing up there, I wanted to go to the toilet. Going to the toilet is not an easy thing to do whilst you’re at sea – you’ve got a lot of clothes to get off, and you’ve got to go down below. And it can be quite a character-forming experience, doing that without being seasick. So I didn’t really want to ask Terry to take my place, because he would be new to the steering anyway, so I resolved to actually have a pee in the cockpit. Perhaps to my eternal shame. I don’t think Terry thought very much of that, because this is a guy that’s flown down to France, to a certain restaurant, so he’s of that calibre.
However, shortly after that, and we need to understand here that lifejackets can be automatically inflated when in contact with water – that’s their function really. I remember seeing Terry coming out of the toilet with a big beam on his face – his lifejacket had indeed inflated. So whether it was his aim that was at fault, or something else, perhaps now I’ll never know.
Then the target was to get to Brighton, and I was aware that we might not be allowed to get into port because of the severe wind and we would have to go on to the next place, being Newhaven. But I didn’t tell Terry this. But indeed we did eventually get into Brighton, messed up the berthing but we didn’t care. In the pub afterwards, and Terry did like his pint, we were on a high because we’d arrived safely. Then Terry revealed that, after all, he had realised that we might not be have been allowed to land.
He was a regular attender of our annual dinner but restricted mobility meant he’d had to ‘swallow the anchor’ – Bless him’.
Farnes Failures
Sadly both trips to the Farnes had to be cancelled The first trip had a very high wind forecast right in the middle and we risked being stranded in Amble. When onboard, doing boat jobs what else?, a maximum gust of 61.6 knots was recorded. never before have I seen more than 60 knots on the display. Paul Kröner generously said ‘Wind in Seahouses at 13:00hrs 27-39 kts Right decision! Thanks for keeping us safe’.
The second looked good with perfect tides right until the last minute. I make a point of cancelling early so victims can make alternative plans, but this was a forecast going downhill at the last minute. The previous two days had perfect seas and we sailed in great conditions. The problem on this coast is a northerly wind which produces an unpleasant sea state, and this is what we got (Highs are often bad news for sailors here as they tend to be accompanied by northerlies and easterlies, neither of which we like). We had a go to Blyth but it was clear we would have to motor all the way into a heightening sea state. Both cancelled and, hard to bear, refunds given!
The 61.6 knots has upset my wind anemometer, which hasn’t been the same since. Up the mast I had to go and ‘thank you Tom’ for making me feel secure up there. Whilst at the top, as you can see, I thought I had fixed it but no, it’s still unresolved.
Down Came the Fog
We experienced ‘Flash Fog’ on the last Practical RYA Course just south of Sunderland. Now it was time to do blind navigation and follow a safe contour as we can see from this screenshot of the navigation software. The fog miraculously dispersed as soon as we had completed the exercise.
Surprise, Surprise!
Emily, shown here on the left, was into the third and final day of her Practical Crewing Course, when she had a surprise, and a big one it was too! The third day was spent onboard Galapago, the Oyster 61 owned and skippered by Malcolm. More crew were ‘impressed’, to include victims Lynn, on the right, and Joanne and we all set off out to sea on this magnificent yacht.
Last autumn, in the company of Malcolm, I had travelled to Lymington on the south coast when he looked at Galapago. Indeed I think it was the first time ever I flew at the expense of another!
[Northumbria Sailing on Video
Have a look at my Theory Training Centre with this video. Training
Onboard the Hallberg Rassy training yacht, by courtesy of Mark Batey and the kind co-operation of victims Andrew and Clive. See me giving berthing advice in trying to avoid the electric supply post Mark Batey Day Training
RYA Competent Crew in the sun, by courtesy of Mark again Mark Batey Competent Crew
In a clip from 2013 you see the appreciation of Ladies on an RYA sponsored day at Royal Quays Ladies Day
Pieces of Eight – Knotty Problems Analysed
South Shields Dalek
The Navigation light on the Herd Groyne shows the correct line into the Tyne and has a complicated characteristic. I have often wondered how a faint white light suddenly became very bright, but apparently this is arranged by a second light.
For this clarification I am grateful to Alan McPherson from the Port of Tyne – he who must be obeyed concerning the Rules of the Road in the river, which recently boasted the highest annual vessel tonnage for 50 years. Watch out and keep to starboard when you are in the river Tyne.
Over to Alan; ‘The Herd Groyne is a 3 sector light (green, white and red) and is an occulting phase every 10 seconds (occulting means that the light is on longer than it is off, whereas flashing is off longer than on). The lighthouse was built in 1882. The sectors are around the white light, which is centred on 249º. The white sector is 5º arc (from 246.5 to 251.5º). To the north there is a green sector and, to the south of the white, a red sector. The white sector will take you through the centre of the piers. The light is such that entry to the port is best in the white and green sectors (as this ensures you remain on the starboard side of the channel).
These lights are powered by a single bulb, with red and green shades inside the lighthouse. In addition to this, the white sector is also supplemented by a single white PEL (Port Entry Light) light, which is synchronised with the bulb. This means that the white light is visible in daytime. The PEL light was installed in 1999 when the High and Low Lights ceased’.
Accident Alley
A section to draw attention to accidents and what we can learn from them
Yacht Collision in Fog
In 2003 the sailing yacht, a Moody 47, Wakhuna collided with the container vessel P&O Nedlloyd Vespucci in the English Channel in poor visibility.
Wakhuna left port in good visibility, which then deteriorated into thick fog. Radar was turned on at a range of 6 miles, but the engine disengaged. Wakhuna’s skipper was under the mistaken impression he was the ‘stand on vessel’, whereas the onus in fog is for both vessels to take avoiding action in ample time.
The skipper suddenly saw the large container vessel 50/60m off the port bow and was unable to avoid a collision. The first 3m from the bow of the yacht was torn away, the skipper went astern thereby reducing the water ingress forward, but was unable to avoid sinking. Crew abandoned ship to the liferaft and there was no loss of life.
In the ensuing Accident Report both sides were criticised for ineffective radar lookout. The ColRegs states that a lookout must be made by all means, including radar. My advice is to switch off your radar if you don’t understand it. Yet radar can be so simple – draw a line through the blob on the screen and if it stays on it and comes towards the centre it’s going to hit you.
A full report can be checked out here. Wakhuna .
The Strange Case of SS Warrimoo
The passenger steamer SS Warrimoo was quietly knifing its way through the waters of the mid-Pacific on its way from Vancouver to Australia. The navigator had just finished working out a star fix and brought the Master, Captain John Phillips, the result. The Warrimoo’s position was LAT 00º 31′ N and LONG 179º 30′ W. The date was 31st December 1899.
“Know what this means?” First Mate Payton broke in, “We’re only a few miles from the intersection of the Equator and the International Date Line”.
Captain Phillips was prankish enough to take full advantage of the opportunity for achieving the navigational freak of a lifetime. He called his navigators to the bridge to check and double check the ships position. He changed course slightly so as to bear directly on his mark, and then he adjusted the engine speed. The calm weather and clear night worked in his favour.
At mid-night the SS Warrimoo lay on the Equator at exactly the point where it crossed the International Date Line! The
consequences of this bizarre position were many:
The bow of the ship was in the Southern Hemisphere and in the middle of summer.
The stern was in the Northern Hemisphere and in the middle of winter.
The date in the bow (forward) part of the ship was 31st December 1899.
In the aft part it was 1st January 1900.
This ship was therefore not only in two different days, two different months, two different years and two different
seasons, but it was also in two different centuries – all at the same time!
From Andy Large; ‘assuming the ship had come to a stop, if you were mid-ships on the SS Warrimoo standing looking over the port side and then wandered over to the starboard side, that gives a couple more combinations as well, given the ship has width and straddles what is mapped as a dimensionless line…‘
Victims (all) at Sea
Marcelo’s Moment
This was Marcelo’s moment of truth. Armed with his Day Skipper ticket achieved in April he took the plunge with a charter on the Clyde with himself as skipper. His first, just as it was mine, also from Largs, way back in 1998.
Just a weekend in the Clyde but a successful one and all survived. Marcelo is shown here at the mast and crewing for him were Peter MacLaren quietly providing advice as he did his first last year. Also in a dual role as interpreter for the local dialect!. Then a harem of crew with three ladies not of a nervous disposition. They all appeared to have had a happy time.
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Frazer Ventners seen here with wife to be Jeanette has in his sights a 50 foot racing yacht for the Fastnet. He’s putting together a syndicate which may, or may not, be full but contact Frazer if you are interested on 0796 7037886.
The boat will be called Hell Raiser, appropriately as Frazer means business. He has a track record of success, having won the Tattinger trophy on Caveman.
Leah Pattison, a theory victim, took her practical out of Gibraltar and passed. Initially weather was poorer than we had in Scotland but it improved as can be seen here.
Orang Salehy is shown in this pic taken by myself, putting the final touches to his Hallberg Rassy 31 Sand Dancer before she was lifted in and the mast stepped. Off we went with myself at the helm soon handing over so Orang could steer his own boat for the very first time. ‘Skipper Oran’ I said and he’s not quite used to that yet. Neither was he used to a tiller, so we had a practise before we entered the pontoon at Royal Quays and the berth, two away from myself.
Kaye Southam is a volunteer at Blyth RNLI and came out to greet us one evening in a fast RIB. Not to rescue us mind! Kaye did her Yachtmaster Theory with me, catching the revised version of the RA Course which is much more involved. She did well too.
Jonathan Hetherington, pictured above in May Day Skippers (Jon), sent this one in, entitled ‘champagne sailing’. My thought was where’s the bottle? then of course, dummkopf, it’s the view when he was sailing on Lake Windermere. Superb isn’t it? In August Jon goes off on a sailing holiday in Croatia. A nice place but they can be hot on tickets. The charter company are vague about VHF but Jon has just successfully passed his VHF Course today, 26th June, to be on the safe side.
Gary Michaels reports; “Well I was active until last July/ August when I broke my wrist sailing. Then I became ballast on other people’s boats. Currently General Konfusion is on the hard stand having work completed and getting the keel checked. Hope to be back in the water in the next couple of weeks as Noreen signed us up for the Castles & Islands race at CYC”.
Phil Butler has just bought a UFO 34 Freeway and is trying his hand in the Clyde before bringing her to the North East. Phil reports; ‘leaving the berth and mooring in a new yacht was interesting, but I didn’t bump into anyone or anything! The most nervous part was having two complete novices onboard and the responsibility that goes with that, but they were great and enjoyed the experience’. Half term week has been spent onboard with his wife, two children and two dogs. I think they have had good weather, which is a great help.
David Harewood will test the memory of readers. Two years ago David signed up for the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) to cross the Atlantic in November 2016. Having signed up in April David, who had never sailed before, thought he had better get some practice in and called upon myself. He took part in the Orkneys Adventure, but was seasick coming out of Stromness.
Fast forward to November, the image shows David helping victual (pronounced ‘vittal’) the boat and off they went. Most crew were seasick at the outset, but recovered, but David never did. In addition to feeling rotten for the whole journey to St Lucia, he was bored, as I had predicted. Eventually David was examined by a surgeon onboard as crew who advised him that there was a likelihood that David had some sort of physical problem in his head as it was very unusual for a sailor not to get their sea legs for this length of time. David was told not to go to sea again and he had to give up his target of buying a boat. Instead it was a horse, another drain on financial resources, but bringing happiness to his family.
Mike Purvis (Whisky Mike) sent me a heart warming email recently. ‘We are just on our last night now, Judi managed to get carers for her mum for the week so we thought we would give it a go. It has certainly been an adventure, good news is Judi likes sailing, embraced living on a boat for a week and seems to be immune to sea sickness. We did have a few challenges especially berthing stern to and also had a completely disconnected prop shaft from the engine in the Marina, which was a bit exciting. All that said we went out sailing four days of the six, got all the sails up – anchored twice in lovely calas around Alcudia, Mallorca. We clearly have still much to learn but I think we can count the week as a success given no damage to our boat nor others – never put ourselves in danger and have finished the week wanting more’.
Boat Delivery
Just bought a boat and wondering whether to have it delivered or trucked? You can contact us for a feasibility assessment and quotation for cost.
Trevor Jefferson, my Chief Instructor, is very much into yacht delivery these days and is continuing his Med delivery. have negotiated the tricky Straits of Messina he is now on Italy’s ‘boot’ heading for Corfu.
Yacht Skippering
There are times when you might feel that your ‘ticket’ and/or experience will not be adequate for a safe holiday. Last summer I had such a commission enabling a larger yacht to be chartered and to sail to more adventurous places. It worked and we all had a great time and look forward to repeating the experience exploring the Western Isles in 2018.
Crewing Opportunity on Galapago
There’s availability on Galapago, an Oyster 61, for mile building passages, which, departing RQ 7th July, would roughly be: Royal Quays to Southampton, Southampton to Brest, Brest to La Coruna, La Coruna to Porto, Porto to Vilamoura, Vilamoura to Almerimar, etc. Sailors can come and go as they like, but need to be experienced. Email Malcolm, image shown above, on malcolm@nuchido.com
Reader’s Links
A new section featuring links of a maritime interest sent to me.
Peter Chater has found a remarkable way of plugging a failed seacock – with a carrot! Sea Cock Repair
Leah Pattison sent this pic of Scarborough during rough conditions. A great view from the top of the Big Wheel!
Peter Chater sent this one about a fisherman suing as a result of a collision Fisherman Sues
Nigel Hierons saw this news item about a flare Flare in recycling explodes
Franek Richardson sent this Time Lapse
Phil Butler mentions the two women rescued after 5 months at sea in the Pacific.
Stuart Porter took and posted this great dolphin display, quite the best I have seen North Sea Dolphins