February 2001 Newsletter
In
this issue
Introduction
Welcome
to the 2001 RSA newsletter and a big thanks to all those who contributed to
this addition. Please do let me have your articles for future newsletters and send
them to myself
John
Langrick – RSA Newsletter Editor and Secretary , 10 St James Avenue , Thorpe
Bay, Essex SS1 3LH. Phone 01702 588199, e-mail johnlangrick@aol.com
Please
also note that the RSA now has a web site as follows: www.paglesham.org.uk/rsa This is the
web site for the Paglesham village and we thank them for allowing us this space
for our members. Please have a look if you get the opportunity and do let us
have a photo of your boat to be included. If you send it to me I will scan and
return to you.
On a sad note, as I go to print,
I have just heard that our President Norman Bishop passed away on
Thursday 8th Feb. May I, on behalf of the RSA, offer deepest sympathies to Edna and family.
2001 Roach Sailing
Association AGM at the Village hall Paglesham
The AGM will be held on Sunday 25th
March. The RSA would like to thank
Paglesham for the use of the
village hall. Please be prompt at 7:00 for a start at 7:30.
Subs
Please note that the year
2001 subs remains £3.00. Please send
your subs to Noreen our treasurer. We also have river licences in stock and the
price remains £11.50. If you want one sending
by post, please send an SAE. Noreen’s address is:
Mrs Noreen Bishop, 99
Stambridge Rd, Rochford, Essex.
Please make cheques payable to the Roach Sailing
Association.
Burgees
We still have plenty of
Burgees for sale. These can also be
purchased from Noreen. We have both racing and cruising burgees at £14.00 each
including VAT. Again, cheques to Noreen above.
Committee News
Please note that all members
of the committee are due or election at the AGM. The current members of the
committee are:
Nigel Bishop –
Acting Chairman
Jon Walmsley –
Race Officer
Richard Bessey -
Race Officer
Noreen Bishop -
Treasurer
John Langrick -
Secretary
Other members of the
committee on your behalf are
John Martin
Mike Dallimore
Michael Figg
2001
events
New
event no 1 – Fitting Out Supper
This
will be held at the Plough and Sail at Paglesham on Saturday 21st April. This
will be an informal dinner to celebrate (we hope) inching nearer the water.
Please meet for dinner at 7:00-7:30 and settle your own bills! Please confirm
numbers to myself, (John Langrick, 01702 588199). We have currently pre-booked 16 places and do need to let the pub
know any changes.
New
event no 2 - Holland Cruise
You
will see that the RSA is planning a trip to Holland some time in the period
Monday July 23 – Sat Aug 11th.
A period has been selected rather than a specific date as we do need to
see what the weather is like. If you would like to join us, please let Jon Walmsley
or Richard Bessey know.
Fambridge
Cruise
On
Sat Aug 12th, we cruise to Fambridge. You may remember that last
year at the end of October, we were to celebrate Haloween’s 50th
birthday, but again the weather conspired against us. This year we plan a
similar event and Rodney has invited RSA members on board for a small
celebration when we arrive at Fambridge and prior to our meal at the pub.
Dauntless
events
You
will have to forgive me for including these in the RSA newsletter, but we do
also have five members of this Association who are also members of he RSA and
as I arrange events and write newsletters for both, have combined some of them.
Which is just as well as many RSA members have joined us at the Dauntless
meetings in the past and as always are very welcome. The first meeting, which
is also the AGM, will be on Friday May 25th, 7:30pm, at the George
and Dragon on Foulness (anchor in the Roach). This will also be the same
weekend as the OGA Crouch Rally. The meeting will be in the conservation room
where there will be a buffet meal served. . For those who travel by road, you
will need to let the pub know that you are coming as the island remains MOD
property and has restricted access. The telephone number is 01702 219460.
There
is a second event which will be a rally to Benfleet Creek, via the Havengore.
Again RSA members will be very welcome, but please beware that there really is
very little water! If you want to go by sailing dinghy, you are also welcome to cruise with us and we will
also be able to arrange a few berths if necessary, The final Dauntless event is
a Paglesham rally. Simply a meeting of Dauntless boats at Paglesham and a trip
to the pub. As in the past, all are very welcome!
Pyfleet/Kent
cruises.
You
will need to watch the notice boards or keep in contact with the committee to
see where these will eventually end up. If the wind and tide serves as we hope,
we should try and make a weekend over in Kent. If really exceptional weather, I
will personally try and start on the Friday so that a full day can be spent
before the return. Alternatively, we will make the usual trip to Pyefleet. If
the weather is really bad, as was the case last year, we will probably detour
to Fambridge instead. Keep in touch nearer the date for the latest.
2001 Laying Up Supper
The laying up supper has been booked at the Royal
Burnham Yacht Club for Saturday 13th October 2001. There will be
reservation and booking details in the September newsletter, but please keep
this date free in you diaries.
Race
Officers Report
Richard
Bessey
Statistics
Number
of different boats: 15
Average
number per race: 5
Paglesham
Pot
5
boats was a good turnout for the start of the season. Light winds made us delay
the start, and a short course to Jubilee was selected. However things picked up
and quite a tight race ensued, and top 3 corrected times were all within a
couple of minutes. PINT POT won the day, following on from a successful winter
season at Hullbridge. Following up were PUDMUDDLE, LITTLE STINT, SWANTI and
MEMORY.
Whittaker
Cup
Seven
boats entered; SWANTI, PINT POT, STRAVAIG, PUDMUDLE, LITTLE STINT, MARSHMALLOW
and TROLOGY. The course was a long one, to the Crouch Buoy and back. LITTLE
STINT was first over the line followed by STRAVAIG. A special mention to Dick
Sandwell, in his new boat TRILOGY, who sailed round from Maylandsea to join us. On handicap SWANTI took first
place, followed by PINT POT with STRAVAIG third.
Blue
Shoal
They
were a bit thin on the ground for the Blue Shoal, with members visiting such far
flung places as the US and Walton on the Naze! However PINT POT, MEMORY and
LITTLE STINT raced to Redward and back, with LITTLE STINT taking the prize.
Shuttlewood
Cup
Four
boats started; STRAVAIG, PUDMUDDLE, LITTLE STINT & SWANTI. The course was
to Clarks in the Crouch. A fresh, westerly force 3 to 4, meant a long beat back
against the last of the tide. LITTLE STINT was again first over the line
followed by PUDMUDDLE and STRAVAIG. A good race by SWANTI gave her first place,
with PUDMUDDLE second and LITTLE STINT third.
Paglesham
Yacht Race
The
race was to be sailed on an ebb in variable winds. Our chosen course took us
down to Redward buoy, then back as far as the Foulness quay, where we finished
conveniently in time for a lunch-time pint. MEMORY came in first, followed by
WINKS and Simon Joel’s Wayfarer BARBARA ANNA in her first race.
Fambridge
Race
A
fleet 10 boats went to the Fambridge weekend with 8 entering the race to the
Branklet on Sunday; MEMORY, JOSID, HALOWEEN, SWANTI, STRAVAIG, PUDMUDDLE, LITTLE
STINT and TRILOGY. PUDMUDDLE, LITTLE STINT and MEMORY made an early break in
light winds with PUDMUDDLE first across the line. On corrected time, another
win for SWANTI followed by MEMORY and PUDMUDDLE.
Gracilda
Cup (Ladies Race)
With
many people away, there was only one contestant on the day, Steve Dowding’s
sister Angela. Nevertheless she sailed STORTEBECKER to the Holywell buoy and
back and claims the prize.
RNLI Race
Six
starters; SWANTI, MEMORY, PINT POT, STRAVAIG, PUDMUDDLE and BARBARA ANNA. Due
to strong westerly winds, the course was upstream to the houseboat. A broad reach their and back
favoured the gaffers with another win
for SWANTI, MEMORY in second and PINT POT in third.
Lifeboat
Cup
In
this Saturday afternoon race, three dinghies took part in fairly light winds,
taking the up-river course again to the first Port mark near to Rochford. WINKS
and B+ARBARA ANNA were again beaten to the finish by Nigel in MEMORY.
Roach
Plate
8
starters of which 3 were Dauntlesses: LINNEA Lena Riekie, LUCY BROWN Colin Lockett and Alan Holland and SWANTI, for what turned out to be a very
entertaining race. Due to a light westerly wind and a flood tide the decision
was made to follow a course up the Roach to the first port mark. Despite a
delayed start there was very little water in the upper Roach STORTEBECKER made
a good start only to run aground above the Violet as did most others at some
point. A queue formed around the buoy as there was no water on the south side.
MEMORY was first over the line with last boat, STRAVAIG 4 foot fin, finishing
one hour and 20 minutes later. SWANTI third, LINNEA second with a win for
MEMORY.
Handicaps for 2001
|
Boat |
Adjustment |
RSA Hendicap |
|
LITTLE STINT |
61 |
1201 |
|
TRILOGY 148 1286 |
148 |
1286 |
|
BARBARA ANNA |
238 |
1357 |
|
STRAVAIG |
233 |
1434 |
|
PUDMUDDLE |
156 |
1454 |
|
PINT POT |
123 |
1476 |
|
MARSHMALLOW |
170 |
1480 |
|
MEMORY |
191 |
1583 |
|
SWANTI |
-14 |
1667 |
Handicaps
have been adjusted after the end of the 2000 season, based on each boat's
average performance over all races in the season. Check
www.paglesham.org.uk/rsa for up-to-date racing details!
Summary of
Accounts 2000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1999 |
|
Income |
|
2000 |
2000 |
|
|
£ |
|
|
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
228.50 |
|
Annual
Subscriptions |
|
256.00 |
|
|
|
345.00 |
|
Crouch Harbour
Authority Discs |
|
356.50 |
|
|
|
19.75 |
|
Sale of Flags
& Burgees |
|
5.16 |
|
|
|
3.82 |
|
Bank Interest |
|
1.87 |
|
|
|
34.40 |
|
Excess Inc/Exp
for dinner (inc. flowers) |
|
(4.00) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
631.47 |
|
|
|
|
615.53 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditure |
|
|
|
|
|
57.00 |
|
RYA
Subscription |
|
57.00 |
|
|
|
6.00 |
|
CAYFE
Subscription |
|
6.00 |
|
|
|
80.97 |
|
Printing,
Stationery & Postage |
|
84.09 |
|
|
|
52.00 |
|
Cup Insurance |
|
52.50 |
|
|
|
39.48 |
|
Cup Engraving |
|
185.65 |
|
|
|
345.00 |
|
Crouch Harbour
Authority Discs |
|
356.50 |
|
|
|
-
|
|
Donation to
Alexander Yacht Club |
|
10.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
580.45 |
|
|
|
|
751.74 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Excess of
Expenditure over Income |
|
|
(136.21) |
|
|
51.02 |
|
Excess of
Income over Expenditure |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance
Sheet as at 31st December 2000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
405.67 |
|
Balance at Bank
31st December |
|
294.80 |
|
|
|
282.44 |
|
Stock of Flags
and Burgees |
|
245.60 |
|
|
|
|
|
Debtor |
|
11.50 |
|
|
|
688.11 |
|
|
|
|
551.90 |
|
|
|
|
Accumulated
Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
637.09 |
|
As at 1st
January |
|
688.11 |
|
|
|
51.02 |
|
Surplus
Income/Excess Expenditure |
|
(136.21) |
|
|
|
688.11 |
|
|
|
|
551.90 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
Signed______________________ |
|
|
|
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|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
Noreen Bishop |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honorary
Treasurer |
|
|
|
Live-a-board in the Mediterranean
Dan
O’Herlihy
Lady Hamilton is a 1973 Shipman 28. After 5 years at Paglesham I took her to the Mediterranean. The account of my 3250 mile trip to Greece appeared in a previous issue.
Greece 1999
August 26th - October 15th was
spent cruising the islands of the Ionian, with a brief interlude in Corfu where
I had to haul out to repair a shaft coupling. One of the pins had sheared
following years of corrosion and a close encounter with a submerged log.
A very awkward repair that
required removal of the prop, separating the Hydralic motor from the hull moulding and sliding it back
far enough to drive out the remains of the pin. I was assisted by fellow RSA
member Dennis Haggerty, previously a partner in the boat before I sold up and
sailed in May 1999. He had joined me for a week of sailing, however we had only
motored 1 mile from Corfu Old Harbour when the boat suddenly lost all drive. We
spent the next 2 days hauled out in a boat yard to repair it. All work had to
be carried out after squeezing into the cockpit locker and then stretching into
the bilge. A back sufferers nightmare!
The yard owners were very
obliging but we had to seek the assistance of a local engineer to drive out the
remains of a second pin. Fortunately the cost of all this was less than half
you would pay in the UK. Before Dennis returned home we still managed to visit
the islands of Paxos and Anti Paxos. Free harbours, cheap beer and fabulous
weather, Dennis became an overnight convert to Mediterranean cruising!
At the end of the season I
laid up Lady Hamilton for the winter in Preveza, taking a flight back to the UK
in early November. I then spent the winter in England working to build up my
cruising funds and buying equipment for the boat. Upon returning to Greece in
the Spring of 2000, my 70 kgs of baggage included a nearly new cylinder head,
barrel and piston! I managed to secure these after placing wanted ads in the
yachting press.
Greece 2000
I spent two weeks readying
the boat and making modifications. My rebuilt engine has run faultlessly ever
since. The continued running maintenance and repairs have made the 25 years old
Farymann auxilary more of a hobby than a means of propulsion! But it has never
failed to start and will still push Lady Hamilton along at 5.5 knots in smooth
water.
Launching at Prevesa, Lady
Hamilton then cruised the Gulf of Corinth. I visited Delphi, then through the
canal (£42 for a two and a half mile passage!). Dennis once again flew out from
England to join me for a week (Easy Jet only £100 return inclusive). We visited
Athens and the islands of Saronic Gulf including, Aegina, Poros and idyllic
traffic free Hydra.
By early June the Meltemi
had begun to blow and the cruise North to Skiathos was a welcome end to what
had been a long hard windward slog from the Saronic. A worthy test of the
Shipman’s windward ability!
I then headed East toward
Lesvos (near Turkey) and then began the sleigh ride South through the
Dodecanese with winds that seldom dropped below force six. I stayed in the
ancient and picturesque port of Mandraki in Rhodes (only £1 a night). It became
my base for exploring the Island over the next two weeks awaiting the
prevailing gales to subside.
September saw me visiting
the Cyclades islands with a mandatory stop on the island of Thira (Santorini).
Stunning views down into the flooded crater of a huge extinct volcano. Depths
of 500 metres even precludes cruise ships from anchoring here!
Returning to my starting
point at Preveza at the end of the season, Lady Hamilton had visited 33 islands
and logged just over 2000 miles in the year 2000.
Once again I am currently
back in England to build up my cruising funds. I am flying out to rejoin the
boat on the 22nd of April and plan to end the 2001 season in the Ibiza.
A sad farewell to Don McDowell
Editor
One of the saddest duties as
editor of the RSA newsletter is to report the loss of one of our members. Don McDowell
had been a member of the RSA for many years. In latter years he and his good
lady were regular visitors on walks through the yard and on a good day sailing
his small brig at Paglesham.
His daughter Heather has
sent me a brief summary of Don’s sailing years for this newsletter.
“His first boat was a 16’
half decker, bought when he was 16 and he taught himself to sail from books.
After a couple of seasons, she was wrecked by gale whilst hauled up for the
winter and he didn’t buy another boat until after the war.
This was SWAN, another half
decker which he sailed to Paglesham from Deal in 1956. In 1958 she was sold to
Paul Bishop.
DORMOUSE was built for him
in 1957 by Frank Shuttlewood, and in her my parents sailed to France and
Holland as well as the Medway, Essex and Suffolk rivers.
With the family growing he
needed a bigger boat, so in 1969 DORMOUSE was sold to Reg Seal and he bought
TINY MITE, a Shuttlewood built barge yacht. She was sold in 1983. After that he
continued to sail the local creeks in ‘CYGNET’, a 12 ‘ GRP dinghy, as well as
sailing holidays on the Norfolk Broads.
His last sail was 3 years
ago, helping me sail a leisure 20 around from Maylandsea.”
A Passage.
Bill
Chrystie
Picture it now, rounding
Dungeness when heading West, the wind,
force 5-6 came from ahead and then, on the return trip, (three weeks
later), now heading East, the wind blew
from the East. I am sure it was premeditated and I am certain I know who
was the instigator. Perhaps the following was his train of thought? Here he is,
as ever, irritatingly self assertive.
“Stand aside! Let me pass!
Give way, make passage; I am Aeolus, god of the wind. I want some diverting
amusement, shuffling clouds around the heavens is extremely dull and I'm bored.
So, let me see, what is on
offer here? A fishing boat. No that won't do, they are always too busy to
notice me. An ocean liner perhaps? Not really; it needs a typhoon before they
become alarmed and even then the disturbance is so unrewarding; besides lots of
energy is required and it really is most exhausting.
No! What I need is something
that can be easily tossed around, may be teased a little and hopefully where I
might cause some frenzied disorder for a while. I just want some fun!
Ah! Now what's this? This might do. See there far below a sailing
boat, neatly trimmed and with all sails set. I'll disturb their peace and
quiet, perhaps even give them a fright!
This is just
right. Tormenting sailboats is quite amusing and always provides abundant
sport.
Let's begin with a gentle breeze.
From any quarter will do; enough to fill the sails and delight our unsuspecting
mariner; and who knows, perhaps with luck, make him abandon caution entirely.
See there: how charmingly he reacts. He's ecstatic, poor chap.
Now fired with boundless
enthusiasm he settles contentedly, the tiller under his arm, his back against
the cockpit coaming, relaxed, at ease and with a look of total bliss upon his
ridiculous sun browned face. Clearly this must not continue. I will blow and
blow and blow and produce a disturbed and turbulent sea, that should dispel his
fatuous grin.
Watch this! See how the boat
twists this way and that. Out of control, first her prow and then her stern, is
catapulted haphazardly into the air. Now capricious seas, short, steep and
hostile assault on every side, whilst the crew, by now pallid and green, feel
disturbing twinges of panic trickle down their spines.
And look there! The ancient
mariner I have upset, he shakes his fist and curses loudly to his god. Oh good!
How wonderful! It's beginning to work. Now I must blow yet more vigorously, but
from quite a different compass point. That will confuse him and ridicule his
pathetic efforts to regain the equilibrium so wickedly destroyed only moments
before. Even now, unbalanced, the boat heels dizzily, gunwales awash and a ton
of water right across the deck, all navigation a total wreck.
Look! She's in stays, the
sails all ashake, and can you hear the wind in the rigging shrieking dementedly
about this displeasing hell?
More wind now and perhaps,
just occasionally, an even stronger gust, simply to increase the carnage and
disharmony. Already hard pressed and almost unmanageable, the boat will fall
off those perpendicular waves, be laid flat on her beam ends, then left
floundering with all power lost. I'm told sailors are quite used to this sort of thing
so it won't upset them much.
Meanwhile our troubled crew cling desperately to their
beleaguered ship, debating which would be wisest; to jump overboard and drown,
or stay amongst the living and stoically endure their fate.
Now is the moment to launch a more fearful sea;
prodigious waves with crests that break and foam about their puny hull,
striking first to starboard then to port, even making it go west about. See how
she yaws, driven forward in a blinding smother of spray, finally stumbling
drunkenly into the iron faced trough that lies waiting between each billowy
wave. The rudder madly flails as futile attempts to control an impending broach
are made. All to no avail I am glad to see.
The crew look terribly cross as they rush about
reefing sails and the like, desperate to regain command before their worthless
souls are lost. There's a gybe! It nearly took the mast. It caught them by
surprise. Oh what delight! This really is a treat! I'm certain they'll not
survive, just look at that maelstrom I have made. Huge waves spiral in and out,
slithering and twisting pitilessly then crash and break with malevolent
savagery.
I learnt the trick of making whirlpools from Poseidon.
He said it freezes the boldest sailor's blood -I must admit it rather frightens
me too. Look there, enormous breakers attack the rocks so dramatically; a
trifle theatrical, if you ask me. Yet maddeningly still she floats! Surely I
must be victorious, these violent seas should destroy this flimsy craft with
ease. Really there's no escape.
Over there the rock bound coast waits hungrily to
conclude the grief I have begun. Even now the sound of booming surf has reached
our mariner's ears, a spitting hiss at first and then a gargling roar that
starts as a howl and ends in a shriek. Now they know tear- more than fear it is
the horror of impending doom. Terrifying that unholy sound, and look how our
sailors have tripled their frantic efforts to survIve. Indeed superb sport;
though I doubt they would agree!
But now regretfully I have to end this entertainment,
I'm getting tired and I must go in search of other places where I can wreak
more havoc and pandemonium. I'll take one last look before I leave—Jumping
Jehosaphat! What damned sorcery is this! ! ? The boat sails easily, no longer
pitching, rolling or surging uncontrollably in that cruel sea. Slyly the
impertinent skipper has regained control and even now, blast him, congratulates
his crew as jubilantly they sail, no longer in fear, all grinning from ear to
ear.
I see! They think they have the better of me? Well I'm
not finished yet. Let me try one more trick, because I do not blow for their
delight. I will cease to blow outright; that will remove their contemptuous
smirks. Then let them curse and swear for I think you must agree," Better
too much wind than none at all! !"
Finally do not think me wholly villainous; whilst I would
admit I prefer the apocalyptic scenario (It's so much more fun). I also bestow
gentle breezes, which on balmy sunny summer days allow you to crowd on every
sail, then, so I hear, sailing really does become fun.
But, foolish sailors- young and old- beware, for when
all seems calm and tranquillity, I sleep, quite contentedly, until the
next time. “