September Newsletter

‘You have no right to own a yacht if you ask that question’ – JP Morgan – Industrialist, in answer to a question of how much it costs to own and run a yacht

2019 Adventures

I am in the process of preparing next year’s Adventure and am looking at a week in Scotland, probably in May. There are two main choices: 1) from Oban charter a boat to sail round Mull taking in Iona and Staffa, home of Fingal’s cave. 2) from Largs to chart and sail round the Mull of Kintyre, calling at whisky Islay and return via the Crinan canal through the Kyles of Bute. Anyone showing interest should contact me.

Lian Dressed

Tom and Helen Peart took their RYA Competent Crews with me last year when they were on holiday in this country and, for this year, requested a family trip up and down the river Tyne.

Recently married the occasion justified Lian in her No 1’s and out came the flags, all in the correct order. Rob Storrar quipped ‘they are upside down’, but I didn’t swallow that.

We had a lovely day, with three generations onboard. Conditions were good and we went out to sea. Grandma took her place on the foredeck and thoroughly enjoyed herself there, disappointed only when we, finally, had to go in.

I hope you enjoy this Newsletter and you can ask me to e-mail it to you monthly

Congratulations August Sailors!

Well done Simon, Lynn, David & Kevin. A cracking day’s sailing off Sunderland and here’s one of the last glimpses of my Tilley hat before it blew off and MOB recovery for a blue hat in a blue sea failed. Lynn lost her sunglasses in the marina and Kevin, ever the rescuing knight, jumped in the, as he found, cold water but no luck there either. Despite all that it was a very enjoyable week. Lynn and David are now off to Croatia to put into effect what they have learnt and Simon is signed up for next year.

Ocean Film Festival

13th September, Playhouse, Whitley Bay

The event features a brand-new collection of ocean-themed films, with seafaring adventurers rowing treacherous oceans, surfing the world’s biggest waves and exploring the planet’s hidden depths. Through stunning cinematography and mesmerising storytelling, be wowed by the magic and mysteries of the ocean coming at you through the big screen!
The events have a real community feel, and there are free prize draws at each show too! A great social night out for your group.
The show starts at 7.30 pm, doors and the bar open an hour beforehand Film Festival

 

Update on Courses & Trips

‘Keeping your brain active protects against dementia, probably because it increases the quality of your cognitive reserve – the connections within the brain network’

THEORY COURSES

RYA OCEAN YACHTMASTER Explore the wonders of a sextant with Celestial Navigation and Ocean Passage Planning. This ‘top of the range’ RYA theory course can lead to the coveted ‘Ocean Yachtmaster’ ticket. I have four sextants, one new lightweight metal, one plastic & two old brass, for you to handle. A practical session is included. Cost £475 or £725 on tailored tuition. It’s possible to come for the Celestial Navigation only. The US Navy are teaching sailors celestial navigation again as a precaution against cyber attack. US Navy.

RYA COASTAL YACHTMASTER The advanced Course, a must for those proceeding to Yachtmaster level. Cost £450 for class & £650 tailored tuition. You need a good knowledge of this Course before being tested by the RYA Examiner. Next class starts January

RYA DAY SKIPPER  A popular starting point for many. Same Course for Sail or Power. This is a Course where early booking is essential. Classes take place in a modern building in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. Included is a half day visit to the School boat. Cost £425. Autumn Courses; Monday evenings & two Saturdays; October 8, 13, 15, 22nd November 5, 10, 12, 19, 26th December 3, 10 & 17th or daytime 0930 – 1430hrs October 16, 23rd November 6, 13, 20, 27th December 4 & 11th.  If there’s demand I may be able to do another Evenings/Saturdays from October 4th.

I can’t do these times and am in a hurry!

Then a Tailored Timetable with one to one tuition could be for you. Costs £625 (£950 a couple) for Day Skipper, £625 for Coastal/Yachtmaster™ and £725 for the Ocean. Available when the diary permits.

Whilst I would not wish to encourage missing sessions, it’s a fact of life in todays world and time can be made up through private sessions or, sometimes, within the class timetable

TIDES In response to demand I’m offering this Course on tides, not RYA Tides, but real UK tides, especially on our North East Coast. Learn how to calculate tidal heights and streams. Join any of the four at £25 each or £90 for all four. Each session takes place 6 – 9pm at Heaton; Session 1 will be Day Skipper level with tides at standard ports. Session 2 will be advanced with secondary ports, Session 3 Tidal streams. Session 4 will go through examples and homework set from previous sessions. Also to be explored are the less common e.g tidal coefficients

PRACTICAL COURSES

All local courses take place on the school boat, a quality 36 foot Hallberg Rassy, well known for its comfort and steadiness afloat. Properly equipped with modern electronics, the preferred wheel steering and comfortable, recently replaced, bunk cushions you will be well set up to handle whatever may come your way. Courses are fully inclusive, except for a kitty contribution towards drinks onshore.

PRACTICAL CREWING My version of RYA Competent Crew. Three days, 0930-1700hrs onboard for up to four. 4:1 private tuition and you will be up to the Comp Crew standard. No experience necessary. Cost £275, weekday only. For 2019; April 24-26th (1 space left) 

september-track

 

 

DAY TRIPS. ‘Taster’ days run throughout the season with the aim of having a pleasant day out on the water. You can see whether yachting is for you at modest cost. Trips operate out of Royal Quays 0930 – 1700hrs. Cost £60 weekday & £70 weekend. Next Trip; 15th September Yes, describing it as a “taster” is an understatement. It was a practical and thoroughly excellent training day. It’s a credit to your skill and confidence to take two complete novices to sailing at sea out into force 7+ and make it feel so easy. Your training plan and instruction was just right and delivered with clarity and a sense of humour which quickly removed any tension. I know Peter had as much fun as I did and we both came away with a heightened enthusiasm. – David  

RYA COMPETENT CREW  A 5 day, live aboard, course where you will learn ‘the ropes’ and to become a useful crew member. A good start to, perhaps, a lifetime boating. Cost £595. September 16 – 21st For 2019; 31st March – 5th April  Course Review  

                                       Fish & Chips

RYA DAY SKIPPER PRACTICAL  The key to bareboat charter, this course aims to get you to the ability ‘ to skipper a small cruising yacht safely by day in tidal waters with which the student is familiar’. Then you can be let loose to find your own adventures and provide endless anecdotes for you to enjoy telling. (The caption shows the June victims enjoying fish & chips on the final day) Cost £625 September 16 – 21st For 2019; 31st March – 5th April ‘I was pleased with the way the course was organised, the instructions for preparation and attending, the fact that you were there waiting for me when I arrived, and your welcome both before and after we boarded.’ – Hassall. Course Review by Tim Edwards For a murky glimpse of a night sail try Night Sail 

RYA COASTAL SKIPPER PRACTICAL  The ‘top of the range’ RYA practical course providing greater challenges to get you up to the standard to skipper a cruising yacht safely by day and night. A sample requirement for chartering a yacht on the Clyde; ‘Skippers must hold/be experienced RYA Coastal practical or Yachtmaster practical when sailing within the Clyde. Outwith the Clyde – Yachtmaster practical’. Cost £625  Jonny Colwell gives a detailed review of his YM Examination

YACHTMASTER™ PRACTICAL EXAMINATION  This Examination is to take place in October and, if you might be interested,  email me for further details indicating your level of experience.

RYA START YACHTING  A two day course for beginner groups, which can be the ‘start’ of greater things. You live onboard for two days and visit another marina, away from Royal Quays. Cost £230.

INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCE (ICC)  This can be done on the same course as Day Skipper/Competent Crew. Cost £625 with dates as above. Alternatively I can test you on your own boat at much cheaper cost. Individual quotations are given for this which will be from £225 for one day, own boat ICC Guidance

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

Royal Quays Friday & Gosport One Day Later!

Bet you didn’t know how fast the school boat Lian is??

Have a look at this screenshot of the AIS taken one day after I had left the boat in Royal Quays, North Shields.

An important reminder as to the accuracy of AIS. One of two things could have happened as the Gosport position was clearly wrong. Either the signal had been ‘spoofed’ or misreported.

In the case of the latter some explanation of how AIS operates is needed. The AIS signal is  picked up by the operator allocated a sector and this is relayed to the central computer. There are several web sites but Marine Traffic, based in Athens, is the leader. Click for more information. Marine Traffic GQ

It would seem this has been misreported somehow and was corrected when next turned on. The misreport was probably the Gosport sector as I know the local guy, a victim, and it wasn’t him. Or perhaps I was just trying to mislead wife as to my whereabouts

 

Specialist Courses      

RYA VHF Here we have a pic of a record 10 attending this Course over two evenings. It gets a bit hectic though when there’s alarms going off from all directions!

This important Course is available in class, online or private tuition. Don’t be caught without a proper licence as you could be fined up to £5,000, plus 6 months inside, plus equipment confiscation – yes it’s very severe! At Northumbria Sailing  you will receive tuition one per training set. As you will be assessed for practical skills as well as theoretical I think it’s advisable that you have every opportunity to familiarise yourself with the equipment.  Cost £115 plus £60 for the RYA.  Next Course; Evenings September 3+4th, October 17+24th Full Day; 13th September.  Also available One to One at £180 and online at £85 to include manual. Assessment £60 extra. Try these links. RYA Online VHF Radio  and RYA Online VHF video

RYA RADAR Are you safe using your set? Can you properly identify a collision situation? If you have radar you are required to know how to use it properly and could be held responsible if an incident was to occur.  Day or two evening courses. Cost £120, plus £9.75 to RYA. 

CEVNI test for the Inland waterways endorsement to your ICC. Done online, cost £25

RYA DIESEL ENGINE

I am pleased to announce that this Course will be available from October.  A Volvo Penta 2003 marine diesel engine will be used for demonstrations and you will get several chances to try your hand at changing filters etc.

The Course is for beginners and will show the simple maintenance tasks you are can do yourself to help maintain your engine in working order. The RNLI has complained that most of it’s call outs are often from engine failure where simple tasks have  not been performed. Your rescuing lifeboat may make firm suggestions if this is found to be the case. Cost £120 plus £10 for the RYA Pack. Maximum 6 persons. October 9th (FULL), 19th space available  RYA Diesel Engine

RYA Essential Navigation Online. Do this starter course on your own laptop. A good introduction to the theory part of sailing, with yacht or power boat. Cost £95 plus £28.50 (includes instruments) for the RYA Pack. Online Navigation

RYA FIRST AID. All day for the RYA certificate, valid three years. Be prepared for a full day’s activity with lots of practical demonstrations and active participation – no going to sleep here with Simon!. To check which certificates are acceptable to the RYA e.g. for examinations First Aid Certificates  Cost £75, £95 with Cat C drug endorsement, + £7 RYA Pack. Next session; 19th September

New CG66 Arrangements

A new App, RYASafeTrx,  is to replace the CG66 online form, something every boat owner should be part of. The App is free and it even has a Call button in case of emergency. By using this the Coastguard has immediate access to your and your boat’s safety information, a major asset when organising a rescue. RYASafeTrx

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 .

 

Sailing a Traditional Dutch Flat Bottomed Boat on the IJsselmeer

A great week for the five of us. Venturing to Makkum, of all places, were Tom, Oran, Steve & Phil together with myself to sail this traditional Dutch flat bottomed boat. All of 15 metres length and big on the beam too, we took one look at her and thought ‘Cripes, what have we let ourselves in for?’ A fussy owner was there too watching every early step. We had expert instruction though as part of the deal and Jan showed us the shallow waters of the IJsselmeer on a windy Sunday when lots of other boats  were ‘in the way’. We gained in expertise and confidence, although nothing compared to the expertise we observed of Dutch skipper’s large boat handling in very confined spaces. No bumps, several beers and a final channel which seemed to ‘have widened’ since our departure nearly a week ago.

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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.

Victims (all) at Sea

Roger Somerville reports from Katrina; ‘Thanks for the newsletter, always very entertaining. Thought your newsletter readers may like an update on the Crinan Canal. Earlier this week we were lucky to get Katrina through, they have now set the maximum draft at 1.4mtr, they are experiencing a shortage of water! The West Coast still offers some amazing cruising though for us now based at Ardrossan its the long, though cheaper, way round‘. A trip through the Crinan canal is one of Scotland’s sheer delights, provided there’s sufficient water, which is not always the case. Take time though. On my last occasion there, a couple of years ago, I was unable to pass through the complete length, only 9 miles, in one day! We started from Crinan at the earliest possible time, 0830, and yet before we descended into Ardrishaig at the other end we were advised we couldn’t be locked out. 4pm ish it was!

 

David and Alison Morgan report; ‘Ramora is still berthed up at Largs and we sail her as much as the weather and time (still working full time) allow. Just returned back home yesterday after spending a week onboard in glorious weather but unfortunately very little wind. Hoping to round the Mull of Kintyre and sail up to Gigha and beyond this summer.’ RQ berthholders will remember Ramora, especially well looked after by David and Alison.

 

 

Ruth and John Hattam, both theory victims, took their practical; ‘ just emailing to let you know that we both passed our Day Skipper practical course in Croatia. It was a tough week, but great to apply some of the theory we learnt with you. Here is the promised photo of us with our licences’

 

 

 

 

Michael Stanley  sends me this; ‘No not the Caribbean but a mile off the mouth of the Tyne. Myself and my Dad, David, had their company (three dolphins) for about 10 minutes. Me at the helm and my Dad taking the photos.

Rather a special experience!

 

David Rodgers has finally moved house into the Scottish Borders, which has held up sailing out of Rhu, on the Clyde. He hopes to be more active this month on Chyandra.

Tales & Tips from a First Time Sailor with a First Time Skipper

Sailing is something I’ve longed to do for years. The opportunity presented itself the weekend of my 32nd birthday in the beautiful Kyles of Bute on west coast of Scotland. Marcelo had been learning to sail with Northumbria Sailing for around 6 months and had caught the bug. His enthusiasm for it is infectious and his eyes light up when he speaks about Melvyn and the group (even if some of the map work proved more difficult to pick up than he wanted and resulted a in furrowed brow.) Marcelo spent hours revising charts, drawing lines and rubbing them out and was finally rewarded with his Skipper qualification after a week long trip with Melvyn. I had the pleasure of meeting Melvyn for the second time on his lovely “little” boat in Newcastle quayside on the first evening of this landmark training trip for the sailing crew.
With the Day Skipper obtained, our vessel,  Ocean Star, was booked and myself and two other first time crew members, Noellia and Rachel, took a road trip to Scotland to join new Skipper Marcelo on his maiden voyage. We met his sailing comrade, Peter, at Largs marina for our weekend of adventure in the Scottish sun. Three days later and we all survived. One glass did not. And I have the sailing bug myself.
I learned a lot in this short trip and would like to share that with you. First thing, NEVER refer to the boat as “little”. Every foot counts and is the pride and joy of her owner (Sorry Melvyn). The ships are small but perfectly formed and very cleverly laid out. We had everything we needed for our weekend to feed and sleep up to 6 people comfortably. The marinas have everything you need to for ablutions if you can’t face the shower/toilet situation and you get used to the flush mechanism aboard! It really was comfortable and you get to know your crew members quickly in such close proximity. Lunch was eaten al fresco on the deck by the helm, followed by Peter’s wife’s, frankly delicious, lemon drizzle cake and a cup of tea. We had dinner below deck after mooring for the evening. This was around the ample sized table with plenty of antipasti and some good red wine which wine added a glow to the already rosy cheeks obtained in the wind and sun of the day. We were all thrilled to have seen wild dolphins playing in the water around us as at dusk and to have survived our first day, unscathed and proud of ourselves for coming together as a cohesive crew so quickly.
Secondly, the feeling of waking up and looking out to glass like water around you, the sun in the marina and a hubbub of people at the yacht club was unbeatable. It was both my birthday and the royal wedding of Harry and Megan which resulted in a lovely buzz of festivity as the club prepared for a Members party in celebration. We departed for the day and Marcelo left the berth with a surprising mastery after what was a more tricky exit on the first day. We were poised with fenders to protect the Ocean Star and her larger, more impressive (and expensive looking) berth mate from the manoeuvre and were made redundant by his skill.

This second day we learned how to gybe, Peter literally showed us the ropes with Marcelo at the helm and Noellia, Rachel and I were becoming increasingly confident at the order of tightening the mainsail, releasing the genoa and allowing it to move across to catch the wind once again as the boat zig-zagged across the passageway. This is where we learned our third lesson: mastering the ropes makes for a great sense of satisfaction but trying to do the helm during a gybe when inexperienced and unsure of the theory was hard. We had a slightly hairy few minutes trying to right the boat while Marcelo and Peter seemed unfazed by what felt like a near misstep the rest of us. I could feel my adrenaline

levels soar and then stress set in around this time so requested that we stop for lunch to relax the crew a bit. We moored up on a bouy and bobbed around for a couple of hours after a lunch of pasta salad and a much needed siesta.
This is lesson four. Tensions can rise quickly and snap in a moment when you are working together so closely. But it’s all ok in the end and you become rapidly close as a crew, learning to listen carefully and react swiftly. The language used for the parts of the boat, the ropes, manoeuvres and even the toilet (or ‘heads’) feels unfamiliar so you use all your senses to put things into the context, watching each other closely and taking body language cues and feedback as you go. Which is as exhausting as it is satisfying after a day of it and exactly the reason we needed a siesta…well that and we were embracing the Spanish culture aboard embodied by Marcelo and Noellia. That being said, helming with the wind behind you is exhilarating. Try it. I urge you. The feeling of the sails being taken by the wind and whipping you through the water is incredible! Also, no matter how far the boat heels, have confidence that it will right itself: lesson five. And hang on to something. At one point we were harnessed to the boat because the waves were so choppy.

Which leads me onto sea sickness survival tips, or lesson six: right, take the anti sickness in the morning. Just as a prevention tool. Then stay above deck. Watching the walls move around you is unnerving even on calm waters. Lock

everything up, take only what you need and enjoy the journey and the fresh air. If you do start to feel funny, watch the horizon and take deep breaths, breath in, hold and release counting to five at each step. You will be fine. It will pass. Take in the view or take the helm. That really helps. We suffered through some really rough water on the second day after lunch which taught us what I will leave as the final lesson; the joy of sailing is in using the sails and literally going where the wind takes you. We made the mistake of choosing a route and sticking to it which put us in the wrong direction and against the wind so we motored a lot and hung on tight. Take the absence of other sailing boats ahead of you as a sign to reassess your plan. Obviously it’s important to reach your final destination to return the boat but, a bit like Life, treat the journey as the adventure and be open about how you get there. Don’t fight against the wind and the tide for the sake of the predetermined line on the chart.
We finished our trip in Largs marina with a slap up meal and a ‘Connie the Caterpillar’ cake (Colin’s girlfriend for those of you in on the birthday tradition). It’s a naval tradition to pay for the skippers dinner when you go out so budget a little extra for your meal but the Skipper will have been in charge of the menu planning for the rest of the trip (this was delegated to me and I enjoyed the challenge but then I’ve always been a massive foodie and love to host)
In summary, if you’ve ever thought you’d like to try sailing then do it. It was one of my best weekends and I’m looking for more chances to sail soon. Northumbria Sailing is a great place to start and you are in good, and patient, hands with Melvyn as your tutor’ – from Sam. Editor’s note: Peter received a lot of stick for sailing with a harem, at his age!

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 has now completed his Med delivery to 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

Malcolm continues his adventures in the Med, often with my victims as crew. Here we see Catherine (left) and Joanne sporting their Northumbria Sailing caps, for which they both qualify.

Catherine first came to me several years ago looking to ‘be useful’ onboard a yacht during Cowes Week. She was aware the men would pick all the best roles (shame!) and wanted to feel needed.

Malcolm’s Galapago is currently in Mahon, Menorca and  crewing spots become available. Enjoy sailing on a 62 foot Oyster. Email Malcolm; 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 

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For more information contact me via my web page

Back editions are now becoming available in edited form

Sail Safely the RYA Way