LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

EXQUISITE COASTLINE

Extraordinary 1,309M cruise on board Bagheera of Whitby discovering the West Coast of Ireland in challenging conditions WHAT A PICTURE!

Winning images from the photographic competition as well as the story behind a member’s special photos

EVENTS AND TRAINING

Wide-ranging programme of sailing, courses and Club activities, plus how to be prepared for a rescue at sea

AND MORE...

Meet your new Club Committee, HPO news and great sailors who flew the LSC burgee

CONTENT LITTLE SHIP CLUB

President: Mike Golding OBE

Commodore: Barrie Martin

COMMODORE’S COLUMN: State of the union Barrie Martin reviews the Club’s sustainable recovery from the covid years and thanks all volunteers who have made this happen ..................3

Sail and Power: Jonathan Hague

AT THE CLUB: Committee contact details; Advertising in Little Ship .......................................4

Vice Commodores:

Membership: Paul Kelly Rear Commodores:

Commercial: Stephen Sydes IT: Andrew Ormsby

Training: Henry Bennett-Gough

Hon Legal Adviser: Barry Denyer-Green Hon Treasurer: Antony Smyth

Members of the Club Committee:

Matthew Alford, David Clements, Tim Crabtree, Simon Kaye, Francesca Mason, Iain Muspratt and Phil Shatz President’s Committee:

Anne Billard, Michael Forbes Smith, Arlene Keenan, Jill Moffatt and Mark Turvey Honorary Life Vice President: Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

Little Ship Club Ltd, Three Cranes Walk, Bell Wharf Lane, Upper Thames Street, London EC4R 3TB Tel: 020 7236 7729 Fax: 020 7236 9100 Internet: www.littleshipclub.co.uk Email: [email protected]

Directors: The Club Committee

Members: All Guaranteeing Members

Club Secretary: Nicholas Long Hon Librarian: Geoff Quentin

HPO Liaison Officer: Anne Le Verrier-Bizzey

Hon Chaplain: Fr. Tim Handley Hon Archivist: Ian Stewart

Editorial Committee: Brian Humber, Chris Nicholson, Deborah Wheeler

Managing Editor: Anne Billard [email protected]

Design and production: Linda Mugridge [email protected]

Advertising: for advertising enquiries [email protected]

Little Ship becomes ‘printed on demand only’

To make sure you keep receiving your printed copy of the Little Ship please contact the Club – turn to page 47 for further details and a contact slip. If you have done so already, there is nothing more for you to do, and the Little Ship will keep landing on your doorstep.

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CONTENT

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

EDITOR’S COLUMN: Anne Billard introduces this edition of Little Ship ....................................4

NEWS FROM YOUR COMMITTEES: Our new Club Committee working for the members: Introducing your Club Committee, elected at the AGM on 7 March ...............................................................................5 Training: RC Training, Henry Bennet-Gough on his priorities to promote training .......................5 Membership: VC Membership, Paul Kelly on his strategy to boost recruitment .........................5 Almost 100 – help prepare!: Peter Newbury on plans to celebrate the Club’s centenary in 2026 .....6 Membership: Welcome to new members ....................................................................6 Obituary: Martin Sedgwick ....................................................................................6

EVENTS: On the water and at the Club Details of upcoming rallies, cruises, training and social events .........................................7–9 AT THE CLUB: Photographic and Artwork Competition 2021 Winning pictures and report by Nicola de Quincey ...................................................10–13 BEHIND THE PHOTO: Every picture tells a story Geoff Quentin shares the story behind some special family photos taken more than 40 years ago .......................................................................14–15

TRAINING: MPSC training courses available to Club members Melanie Calvert, Chief Instructor/Principal at MPSC Metropolitan Police Sailing Club (MPSC) invites LSC members to join courses .................................................15 TRAINING: Ready for rescue Club RYA First Aid Instructor Colin Trowles looks at how we can prepare our vessel (and our crew) for the arrival of either the lifeboat or a coastguard helicopter in the event of a medical evacuation at sea ..................................................................16–17 AT THE CLUB: Celebrating our Club awards Photographs by Geoff Quentin of the Laying Up and Prize Giving evening at the Club ...........18–20 AT THE CLUB: Recently on social media .............................................................21–22 UNDER THE LSC BURGEE: Explorer proudly flies LSC burgee – Greenland 1931 In the first of a new series in which we will look back through the Club journals and remind ourselves of some of those great sailors who flew our flag with pride Julia Jones looks back to 1931 and tells the story of Augustine Courtauld.......................................23–25

ON THE WATER: Occupational therapy for the night watch David Lowe shares limericks he wrote on night watch during his Atlantic travels in 2015..............26

CRUISING: A walk on the wild side David Clements reports on Bagheera of Whitby’s 2022 cruise to the west coast of Ireland that covered 1,309M .........................................................................27–39 OBITUARY: Charles Adair Quayle Michael Forbes Smith remembers long standing member Charlie Quayle .........................40–41

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Five days training This article was first published in the March 1938 edition of The Journal of the Little Ship Club .....................................................................42–44

BOOKS: Reviews Hon Librarian, Geoff Quentin reviews two books recently donated to the Club Library ................44 HPO NEWS: Full clubhouse for an optimistic HPO Dinner Report by Anne Le Verrier-Bizzey, HPO Liaison .......................................................45–46

HPO CONTACT LIST ..........................................................................................47 Cover photograph: ‘Kilmakilloge in morning stillness’, David Clements.

COMMODORE’S COLUMN

STATE OF THE UNION “If the definition of a club is a community of people engaged in a worth-while project, then Torbay Yacht Club, as it became, was exactly that in the full sense of the term. All the work was done by volunteers, mothers and other helpers who used to spend Fridays toiling at the oven, baking cakes and scones for the kids when they came ashore famished.” ‘All the Oceans’ – memoir by Ron Holland.

T

his last year has seen a sustainable recovery in all aspects of the Club’s activities. Our mission to get people out on the water safely has been filled and we have the advantage of a great clubhouse in which to entertain, train and talk about what we do. As stated succinctly by our founders and one in particular Mr Robert Gibbon who wrote in 1926 before the first meeting of the Club “I dream of a register of members who would answer questions on seamanship and navigation, cruise in company to .... and find members willing to help out a skipper...” The last year has been one of investment and recovery. The outcome of a deficit was not a surprise. The investment was necessary to get back to growth again and recover from the worst economic downturn in the Club’s 96 years. Our membership has grown for the second year running and loyalty through lockdown and the covid years has been outstanding. We now have the largest number of under 40-year-olds as members in living memory. On the other hand, our oldest member is 102 not out and our longest standing membership is 76 years. Sadly, last year we have had to mourn not only our late Queen but five members and friends, compared to only three in the previous two covid years. Last year we have seen a dramatic recovery in the number and quality of the rally and social events reported on so well in these magazines. This winter we have seen boat loads of trainees out on the water practicing what they have learnt in the classroom. More than 50 trainees have been studying the RYA long and accelerated courses and another 150 more on our own specialty courses and the Short Range Radio certification. For the last Fast Cruise of the 2022/23 series we had a record 92 sailors out on the Solent in March looking for the next puff of wind and then dining in the Old Town of Southampton. We have had what many have described as the best ever clubnight talks and speaker programme. This has included a racing model yacht demonstration by Dr Charles Clarke, who also spoke about his 3 Peaks

Volunteers are at the heart of the LSC. Commodore Barrie Martin reviews the Club’s sustainable recovery from the covid years and thanks all volunteers who have made this happen.

“We shall try to stick to the three-year Business and Marketing Plans. A key part of this is to emphasise the value of membership whether young or old; far or near; novice or experienced.”

Challenge experiences, a reflection by Charles Barrington on his cruise in 1967 with Sir Miles Wyatt on Tyger to The Land of the Pointed Mountains (Svalbard), Julia Jones on her recently published ‘Uncommon Courage – The Yachtsmen Volunteers of World War II’, and, in collaboration with the Royal Institute of Navigation, the story of Antares charts of Scotland by Bob Bradfield. Some of the other highlights are: Two or three film production companies have started using the clubhouse including a weekend shoot for the Netflix film ‘Back in Action’ with Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. Several new reciprocal clubs including Royal Southampton Yacht Club and Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club plus two more overseas, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club and Yacht Club of Greece. Two new affiliated clubs. The City Livery Club are welcomed back and the Travel Circles Club, whose Travel Association members have started booking their events at the clubhouse. Corporate members National Westminster Bank Wine Society are now holding their monthly tastings at the clubhouse, which might help us appreciate our wine more. Following the AGM your new Club Committee has now been formed with a full complement of willing helpers to continue the strategy, which is to focus on what we do well. We shall try to stick to the threeyear Business and Marketing Plans. A key part of this is to emphasise the value of membership whether young or old; far or near; novice or experienced. A big thank you is due to all the Committee members, the trainers and instructors, rally and social event organisers, and the small army of volunteers who give their time so willingly to make the Club what it is today. This would make Mr R Gibbon and the other 28 founders of the Club proud. Wishing all our members and friends a wonderful boating season ahead. n Barrie J Martin, Commodore LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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EDITOR’S COLUMN

EDITOR’S COLUMN SPRING 2023

Welcome to the spring 2023 issue of the Little Ship. In this issue, we look back to At The Club events from the end of last year: on page 10 you have an opportunity to feast your eyes on the results of the Photo Competition, while you can turn to page 18 for results and pictures of the Laying Up Supper and Prize Giving: a reminder of the trophies available – either for yourself, or to nominate a deserving candidate. For those fancying themselves as singers, Mark Turvey’s Shanties are still, after 12 years, a roaring success. Page 20, we reminisce about the last edition: like all the others, a house full to capacity met to enjoy the evening. As usual, our Social year started with the HPO dinner, masterfully organised by Anne Bizzey. For the second year in a row the evening saw those HPOs not able to travel to London join us on Zoom. Turn to page 45 to hear from Anne, and from some of the Club’s international representatives. All had the same request: please give them a ring when you visit their area! If you are still preparing your summer sailing, turn to page 7 for our full programme. For our social events, page 8 has the full list of what is happening at Bell Wharf Lane. In this issue, we are premiering a new series: ‘Under The LSC Burgee’. Written by Julia Jones, the series will look back to our earlier years, and remind us of some of those great sailors who flew our burgee with pride. Turn to page 23 for the first of those fascinating stories. On page 16, one of our trainers, Colin Trowles, reminds us how to prepare vessel and crew for the arrival of a coastguard helicopter. For an idea of how training was done in years past, turn to page 42 for our From The Archives piece: dating from March 1938, entertainingly written, it tells of a training visit to a warship. It is not only until the very end however that it makes clear that the training was in preparation for the war everyone could see was coming. In that light, it makes for rather moving reading. Looking forward, a Centenary Planning Group has started thinking about the Club’s next important birthday: on 5 November 2026, the Little Ship Club will be 100. On page 6 Peter Newbury is highlighting some of the projects being considered. Don’t miss the call for photographs or other mementoes you might have! Closer in time, turn to page 5 to meet the new Club Committee, and hear some of the plans for the coming year. The Club mourns two very long-standing members: Martin Sedgwick, who passed away last Boxing Day, and Charlie Quayle, who lost his long battle with cancer on New Year’s Eve. Charlie’s funeral was held at St Michael Paternoster Royal, and Michael Forbes Smith gave the eulogy. You can read his tribute on page 40. Our library has been gifted a number of fascinating books. Reviews are page 44 for those looking for some reading material. For sailing news, pages 27–39 are a log of David Clements’ foray to Ireland, with some of his usual crew. The Editorial Committee do hope you enjoy this issue, and reiterate our appeal for copy, photographs, comments … and content you would like to share with your fellow members. To get in touch: [email protected].

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LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Anne Billard, Editor

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH n n n n n n n n n

n

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Commodore: Barrie Martin: [email protected] Marketing Committee: [email protected]

Membership Committee: [email protected]

Racing Committee: [email protected] Sail and Power Committee: [email protected]

Social Committee: [email protected] Training Committee: [email protected]

Young Section: Benedict Ryan: [email protected]

Editor: Anne Billard: [email protected] If you are a new member, please contact Paul Banks: [email protected]

Events: for booking events please email [email protected] or contact Michelle Kimpton +44 208 786 7392 or contact Nick Long +44 207 236 7729 [email protected]

Dining: for booking tables in the dining rooms please email [email protected] or contact Kiera Green: [email protected]

ADVERTISING IN LITTLE SHIP

Little Ship looks forward to helping you reach our audience of passionate sailors and great socialisers.

For details on how to advertise email: [email protected] Little Ship also offers a small ads section, see page 6 for details.

NEWS FROM YOUR COMMITTEES

OUR NEW CLUB COMMITTEE WORKING FOR THE MEMBERS

Members of the Club Committee from left to right: Phil Shatz, Nick Long, Barry Denyer Green, Simon Kaye, Jonathan Hague, Anthony Smyth, Barrie Martin, Tim Crabtree, Iain Muspratt, Paul Kelly, Henry Bennet-Gough, Matt Alford, Steve Sydes.

Meet the new Club Committee, elected at the AGM on 7 March. For the next year, they will be steering the Little Ship Club. Under the Commodore’s stewardship, they will manage our Training, Sailing and Social programmes; ensure the Club provide members what they look for, and attract yet more to our clubhouse. You can find their biographies and individual responsibilities on our website (littleshipclub.co.uk/general/club-officers-and-committees). If you have ideas, comments – or time to volunteer – do get in touch: many hands make light work, and running the Club does need many hands.

TRAINING

MEMBERSHIP

Training is at the heart of everything that we do at the Little Ship Club. Not only does it offer the chance for us Club members to improve as sailors; it also provides an important route for us to attract and retain new members, impart knowledge to a new generation of sailors, and (in part) ensure the commercial viability of the Club. Having had the pleasure of receiving most of my own RYA training from the Club, and having instructed on the Day Skipper course and served on the Training Committee, I know first-hand the significant impact that the availability of high-quality, well-run training can have on an individual’s experience of the Little Ship Club. I stood for election as Rear-Commodore Training as I believe that I can continue the good work and progress made by the training team and help to grow this significant part of Club life. I intend to prioritise the following areas: n The conversion of ‘training members’ into full members of the Club. n Recruitment to grow and support the existing Club training team. n Marketing strategy to grow the number of non-members undertaking LSC training course. n Focus on providing relevant and engaging training to Club members outside of the formal RYA pathway. I look forward to seeing you on the water or in the classroom soon!

Having completed four years of RC Training I must thank the Training Committee and instructors for all of their support and hard work. While a challenging time I believe we were collectively successful in getting the training back to its usual capacity with courses. I wish Henry Bennett-Gough every success during his tenure. Every role at the Club has its challenges and Membership will no doubt offer me that! I have successfully recruited a strong Membership Committee to assist in our goals of increasing membership and awareness to the City of London of The Little Ship Club. We look forward to our City events as the Sheep Drive returns to Southwark Bridge. My first challenge is to, finally, get our membership booking automated and online and save some trees for our 100-year anniversary. Club members’ assistance is always welcome on any event and I look forward to seeing many of you over the coming months. Do feel free to contact me with ideas and initiatives!

PLANS TO BOOST TRAINING

Henry Bennet-Gough, Rear Commodore Training

CITY LINKS AND AUTOMATION KEY TO RECRUITIMENT

Paul Kelly, Vice Commodore Membership LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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NEWS FROM YOUR COMMITTEE CENTENARY PLANNING GROUP

ALMOST 100 – HELP PREPARE!

The Club will be celebrating its centenary in just three years’ time in 2026. A series of special events and commemorative merchandise is being planned. In conjunction with this, Past Commodore Peter Newbury is compiling a new history of the Club to be published as a coffee table book and he would like your help. He is looking for any interesting stories or material from any period, but particularly photographs. Please can you look through your family albums and see what you can find. If you are a second or third generation member, perhaps you can help with pictures from the early pre-Second World War days. Pictures of on the water, or clubhouse events are equally welcome. Although the Club’s archive has a good deal of useful material, there are some notable gaps. For instance, there are no pictures of the original venue of The Ship Restaurant in Whitehall. In particular also needed are pictures of, and events at, the Old Ship Tavern in Ivy Lane, Beaver Hall, our own original 1962 building and the short-lived 1970s training centre at Yarmouth IOW. This is not to say items from more recent events would not be equally valuable. The archive only has a relatively few pictures of on the water events and anything here from any period would be most appreciated. A box of photographs, which look to be mostly from the 1980s does exist, but the pictures do not have any accompanying detail about them – dates, events, boats, people etc. If you have contributed any of these, we would be most grateful if you could spare the time to come to the Club to go through them to identify anything. If you can help, please contact Peter at [email protected]. Thank you.

Peter Newbury

NEW CLUB MEMBERS Welcome to new members who have joined the Little Ship Club recently:

Stuart Burchell Bill Burnham Robert Bradfield Phillip Clarke Joe Dainty Roger Davies Rob Dornton-Duff Fiona Fowler Kenneth Fowler Jochen Froehlich Steve Gillion David Greenleaf Bea Greenwood Tom Gregory Marko Gucheski Matthew Guidotti Timothy Harford-Cross Wendy Kane Anurag Kesari Tom Lamond Ottilie Lefever Andrew Lefever Murray Macdonald Kate Marfleet Niamh O’Shea

Martin Sedgwick RIP 10 August 1945 – 26 December 2022 Martin died suddenly in hospital in Portsmouth on Boxing Day. Caroline and Martin met at the Little Ship Club on a training course at the end of the 1990s. They married and he subsequently became Club Secretary and she Honorary Treasurer. He will be remembered by many members for his work in the clubhouse and on the many rallies in which they participated together in Odin. Members of the Club joined Caroline Sedgwick in remembering Martin in a very moving ceremony at the Oak Crematorium in Havant, before enjoying refreshments and more photographic memories of Martin’s full life at the Triangle Centre in Liss, where Martin spent many happy hours.

LITTLE SHIP SHOP WINDOW – OUR SMALL ADS SECTION Our shop window is open to all advertisers and Club members have a 50% discount. There is no charge to Club members who advertise their own boats for sale. So if you have a rental property, items for sale, have a small business of your own or are a sole trader, advertise in the Little Ship Shop Window.

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LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

You can choose from these window sizes:

n 1/4 page (portrait) 92mm (w) x 128mm (h) £200

n 1/4 page (landscape) 190mm (w) x 61.5mm (h) £200

n Landscape 3-quarters page width 141mm (w) x 61.5mm (h) £150

n 1/8 page landscape half page width 92mm (w) x 61.5mm (h) £100

n Small (portrait) 43.7mm (w) x 61.5mm (h) £50

For more details and to book an advert contact: [email protected]

Luke Paine Steve Pallett Kirsty Pierce Adam Piper Chris Taylor Reed Alison Taylor Reed Jim Ring Rachel Roffe Lucas Rosenthal-Kenny Anne Sandford Manogna Sastry Anna Schoeman Linda Stuart Richard Stuart Anthony Tucker Sebastian Wale Colan Walsh Kenton Ward Alistair Wilson Jeremy Wilson Wendy Wilson Dominic Wyatt

NEWS FROM YOUR COMMITTEES

ON THE WATER AND AT THE CLUB

With the 2023 sailing season underway here’s a round up of all events on the water and highlights of the social events at the Club. All sailing activities as well as social events are listed on the website: https://littleshipclub.co.uk/events/all

RALLIES AND CRUISES

PRACTICAL BOATING EXPERIENCE WEEKEND

4SATURDAY 29 TO SUNDAY 30 APRIL

A weekend on Lindisfarne for those new to sailing. On the Saturday we will practice basic boat-handling, ferry glides, use of radar, a threepoint fix, a running fix, MOB drill and much more. After dinner ashore there may be some night pilotage. On the Sunday, and depending on the weather, we may sail around the Isle of Wight, to practice passage-planning, basic navigation, use of chart-plotter, and fixes. You will need a sleeping bag, and a few pounds to cover food: otherwise, no cost. For details please contact the organiser Barry Denyer-Green. Barry is a Yachtmaster (power) and RYA Cruising Instructor. Organiser: Barry Denyer-Green

SPRING SOLENT RALLY

4SATURDAY 29 APRIL TO MONDAY 1 MAY

Join us for our traditional South Coast opening rally. Details on the website. Organiser: Jonathan Hague

WEST MERSEA RALLY 4SATURDAY 29 APRIL TO MONDAY 1 MAY

The season opener on the East Coast will include dinner on Saturday at the West Mersea Yacht Club, and the annual pilgrimage to the Company Shed for a seafood and bubbles breakfast on Sunday. Organiser: Jonathan Hague

CALAIS RALLY 4SATURDAY 27 TO SUNDAY 28 MAY

The annual LSC rally to Calais is held in conjunction with the Royal Naval Sailing Association, Maldon Little Ship Club and the Royal Temple Yacht Club. Itinerary includes dinner at the Cercle Amical Maritime, Bubbly Recuperative Party on the host boat and a prize-giving reception at the Calais Yacht Club. Organiser: Jonathan Hague

EAST COAST CRUISE 4SATURDAY 17 TO SATURDAY 24 JUNE

Join us for a cruise around the East Coast. Please register your interest by emailing the organiser. If you have space for crew or are looking for a berth then please use the Skippers and Crew Forum to post details of your requirements. Organiser: Jonathan Hague

BRIGHTLINGSEA RALLY AND BUXEY ASHES

4SATURDAY 5 TO

SUNDAY 6 AUGUST

This rally is a joint event with Maldon Little Ship Club. A pontoon party will be held on Saturday. On Sunday we will join Maldon Little Ship Club at low tide (weather permitting) for the Buxey Ashes Cricket Match on the Buxey Sands. Organiser: Jonathan Hague

COMMODORE'S CRUISE – DORSET

4SUNDAY 6 TO

SATURDAY 12 AUGUST

The Commodore’s Cruise will take place along the Dorset Coast between the Solent and Portland and will be led by our Commodore, Barrie Martin on board A Day At the Races. Organiser: Mark Turvey

BELGIUM AND NETHERLANDS CRUISE4SATURDAY 19 AUGUST TO SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBER

Join us for all or part of the two week cruise to Belgium and The Netherlands. Highlights of the cruise will include the Zierikzee Harbour Festival and the Cruise Dinner in Veere Yacht Club. An outline of the proposed programme will be announced but will remain flexible, and may change to suit the participants and the weather. Organiser: Jonathan Hague LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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EVENTS AT THE CLUB

Club nights are held every Tuesday evening at the LSC clubhouse, here are some of the highlights.

FITTING OUT DINNER418 APRIL

The Fitting Out Dinner marks the beginning of the sailing season.

OLD SALTS’ LUNCHEON CLUB 425 APRIL

CANAL NARROWBOAT CRUISE

4SATURDAY 9 TO SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

A week’s canal cruise from Stone, Staffordshire on the Trent and Mersey Canal. The plan is to go north through Stoke to the Macclesfield Canal at Marple and then return to Stone. Boats will be hired from Canal Cruising. There is a mixture of single and double berths on each boat. Please contact the organiser to find out more. Organiser: Jonathan Hague

An Old Salts’ lunch club for long-serving members of the Little Ship Club has been formed with a view to encouraging older members to resume their social activities and reconnect with old friends and associates to recall past times and exploits, and to re-establish contacts. It is focused initially on those members with 25 years of membership of the Little Ship Club and the plan is to hold lunch meetings, initially on a twice-yearly basis, on a Tuesday, so that lunch attendees can stay on to meet up with other members in the evening.

‘FOR THE LOVE OF BOATS’ TALK: KIM FISHER

425 APRIL

Re-scheduled from 31 January the talk covers 60 years of boats Kim has owned, designed, built, and sailed and his involvement with the Amateur Yacht Research Society.

‘CORONATION’ TALK: STEVE RIEDLINGER42 MAY

The Club will celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, the fourth monarch in the Club’s life, with a ‘Coronation’ talk. Speaker Steve Riedlinger is the archivist at Roehampton Club, Ernest Shackleton’s old club. His wife is a descendant of Frank Cowper, pioneer yachtsman and founding member of the Club.

‘THE SHIP BENEATH THE ICE’ TALK: MENSUN BOUND 49 MAY

BURNHAM ON CROUCH

4SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER TO SUNDAY 1 OCTOBER

Join us for the End of Season East Coast Rally. We will berth at Burnham Yacht Harbour and dinner will be held at The Olde White Harte. Organiser: Jonathan Hague

SKIPPER AND CREW SERVICE

For all your skipper and crew requirements please use the Skippers and Crew forum on the Club website. Or email your requests to: [email protected]

ON THE WATER

For any queries, suggestions or offers of help with any of the Club’s on-thewater activities please email: [email protected]

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LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Maritime archeologist, Mensun Bound, will talk about his recent book. Ranulph Fiennes describes ‘The Ship beneath the Ice’ as “The gripping and inspiring story of an extraordinary achievement by a brilliant team. In spellbinding prose, Mensun Bound narrates how Shackleton’s Endurance was located 3,000 metres below sea level in one of the most inhospitable parts of our planet. Peppered throughout with captivating tales of Shackleton and his crew, it is a must read for any armchair explorer”.

‘SAILING IN CHILDER’S WAKE’ TALK: JIM RING416 MAY

Jim Ring is a distinguished documentary film producer and successful author. His biography of Erskine Childers, ‘The Riddle of the Sands’ is regarded as the best yet written.

RUM TASTING EVENING: SOLENT RUM 423 MAY

Solent rums are a new range of rums inspired by the yachting heritage of the South Coast. They are produced in Hampshire by craft distillers, using gorse flowers foraged locally from the Solent shores, Hampshire mainland and the Isle of Wight, to fresh limes, coconut, sugar kep, exotic spices and driftwood.

WINE TASTING WITH THE NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK WINE SOCIETY 46 JUNE

One in a series of wine tasting evenings with The National Westminster Bank Wine Society. Nine Corney and Barrow wines selected from European producers will be presented by Kate Magee. Future wine tasting evenings scheduled for: 4 July, 1 August, 5 September, 3 October and 7 November.

TRAINING The Club offers the full range of RYA and LSC courses. Some courses have been scheduled and others are being planned. Here we outline some of the courses on offer, for further details including booking arrangements, on these and all our training opportunities go to the Club website. RYA VHF SRC

412 APRIL1000–1800 419 APRIL 1000–1800 49 MAY 1000–1800 413 JUNE 1000–1800

If you own a fixed or hand held marine radio you are required by law to hold an operators licence and if you are up-grading your installation to include a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) radio you will need a new licence. The course for the Short Range Certificate (SRC) is taught in the Classroom. An online course is available, please go to the Club website training page for details. The final examination will be taken straight after the course at the Club using modified DSC radios. The required course materials, which are included in the course costs, are available as a booklet or in electronic form. The course covers the use of marine radio including GMDSS, routine, distress, urgency and safety procedures. Price: £100 (members); £145 (non-members).

RYA DIESEL ENGINE

413 APRIL 1000–1630 414 JUNE 1000–1630

Most modern sailing yachts have auxiliary diesel engines which skippers rely on heavily for closequarters manoeuvring. For the motor cruiser, the marine diesel engine is the prime source of power. The course introduces the basic theory of diesel engine installation and maintenance. The Club has its own demonstrator marine diesel engine mounted on a carriage. No prior knowledge of internal combustion engines, or mechanical engineering in general, is assumed. The one-day course covers: fundamental understanding of the cycle of four-stroke internal combustion engines; the provision of air, fuel and cooling water; exhaust systems; ensuring that fuel, air, lubricating oil, cooling water and exhaust components are kept freely flowing; cleanliness, basic fault diagnosis; simple maintenance and elementary repairs at sea. The RYA’s standard handbook is included in the price. Price: £100 (members); £145 (non-members).

RYA FIRST AID 415 APRIL 1000–1730

Knowledge of first aid makes a vital contribution to sea safety. This one-day course is also a pre-requisite for the RYA’s Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore practical examinations. The price of the course includes a professional handbook and the standard fee for issue of the RYA’s First Aid certificate. Price: £100 (members); £145 (non-members).

LSC BASIC SEAMANSHIP (STRANDED ROPE) COURSE

43 MAY 1900 TO 17 MAY 2100

This course is an extended Club version of one we have delivered to Royal Navy midshipmen. It introduces practical seamanship which is designed to relate strictly to the requirements of modern cruisers. It is so popular that some members have attended twice, just for the fun of it, and brought their friends along. All levels of ability are catered for, from the tyro to the ‘old salt’. The course begins with coiling a rope, proceeds through a carefully-selected minimal set of knots and techniques, and finishes with splicing rope to chain and an eye in three-strand material. It runs for six hours, spread over three evenings. Included in the price of the course is an illustrated handbook and a ‘bosun’s bag’, containing practice materials. Price: £85 (members); £115 (non-members).

LSC BRAIDED ROPEWORK WORKSHOP

413 SEPTEMBER 1900–2100

AND 20 SEPTEMBER 1900–2100

This is a more advanced course than Basic Seamanship, but the two are independent and can be taken in either order. It is especially popular with owners and long-distance cruisers, who see the satisfaction in, and benefits of, being able to maintain their own rigging. Techniques are introduced for handling braided ropes of various types, specifically covering in depth the production of braided rope eye splices and soft shackles, and a special technique for finishing halyards. A maximum of only three students for each instructor means that we can give closelytailored guidance to ensure successful completion. The course runs for four hours, spread over two evenings. Included in the price are an illustrated handbook – containing material not available elsewhere – which covers the techniques in fine detail, and practice materials. The special tools needed are provided during the course, and can be purchased at the end at a competitive price. Price: £95 (members); £125 (non-members).

READ MORE ABOUT TRAINING

4Club RYA First Aid Instructor Colin Trowles sets out how we can prepare our vessel and crew for the arrival of either the lifeboat or a coastguard helicopter in the event of a medical evacuation at sea (see pages 16–17).

4The LSC is an affiliate of the Metropolitan Police Sailing Club, turn to page 15 for information on MPSC training courses.

Not a member? Why not give it a go? Receive one month of free membership by completing one of our short courses! Visit the training pages on the Club website for more information (littleshipclub.co.uk/training). LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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PHOTOGRAPHIC AND ARTWORK COMPETITION 2022

ORGANISER’S REPORT

The Little Ship Club Photographic and Artwork Competition 2022 received fantastic images which represent both a great variety of experience on land, sea and under water, and a significant increase on previous years. Corinthians, family, crew and LSC members joined in with many beautiful and fun entries which invite the viewer to be curious about the story behind the image. On the prize giving night we heard some of those stories and were treated to a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau. The images were taken over a very wide geographical area across the world. A new category

CATEGORY 1: BEAUTIFUL BOATS

showing repair and decay proved a popular theme. (Plenty of work to be done!). Entries were interspersed with humour. The sheer beauty of wildlife and landscape above and below the water was very well represented. We hope that you will enjoy these photographs and artworks in this magazine. If you have not already, do look on the website to view all the variety and quality of the entries. The judges wish to say a huge thank you to every entrant for submitting your images. Most of all we hope that everyone will take part this year!

The judges: Niki Gorick (member, professional photographer and author), John Payne (member and winner of the Commodore’s Choice 2021), Nicola de Quincey (member and co-ordinator) and Barrie Martin for the Commodore’s choice.

Under sail or power or moored

First ‘Queenies catch, Peel, Isle of Man’ Tim Crabtree Third ‘Falmouth’ Andy Ormsby

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Second ‘Log Canoes on the Choptank River, Maryland’ Jenny Shinkfield LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Highly commended ‘Misty one’ Patrick Winterschladen

PHOTOGRAPHIC AND ARTWORK COMPETITION 2022 CATEGORY 2: PEOPLE PORTRAITS AND GROUPS Present day or from your family boating archives

First ‘The Friendship Rose en route from Bequia to Tobago Keys’ David Clements

Second ‘Dermod O’Sullivan receives his LSC burgee from David Clements in Crookhaven’ David Canning

Third ‘So you made a good start’ Geoff Quentin

Highly commended ‘Celia at Beachy Head’ Robert Nightingale

CATEGORY 3: WILDLIFE AND PETS Wildlife and/or pets – on land, sea or air

First ‘Gentle giant of the seas’ Nick Barter

Second ‘Frigate birds, Galapagos’ Patrick Smith

Third ‘Rumpole goes everywhere’ Barrie Martin

Highly commended ‘Bald Eagle soaring over the Chesapeake Shore’ Patrick Winterschladen

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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PHOTOGRAPHIC AND ARTWORK COMPETITION 2022 CATEGORY 4: WEATHER/WATER Preferably with an emphasis on climate change and sustainability.

First ‘Crescent Sun over Kent Island (Partial eclipse)’ Patrick Winterschladen

Third ‘Before the storm’ Avril Ormsby Second ‘Drizzle, fog patches, fair later. Skye.’ Andy Ormsby

Highly commended ‘Dawn Light over an Icy Chesapeake’ Patrick Winterschladen

CATEGORY 5: REPAIR AND DECAY Boats or parts of boats in need of/undergoing repairs.

First ‘“T”! (Bequia)’ David Clements

Third ‘Waste not, want not’ Nick Long

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Second ‘Sunset on Supreme, Ardglass, NI’ Leigh Gibson LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Highly commended ‘House boat’ Avril Ormsby

PHOTOGRAPHIC AND ARTWORK COMPETITION 2022 CATEGORY 6: ARTWORK

Any painting, sketch or artwork on the theme ‘The sea, it’s in our blood’ First ‘Old Steamer’ Patrick Smith

Second ‘East Coast Pebbles’ Patrick MacCulloch

ALAN WALDEN-JONES TROPHY 2020

The Commodore’s Choice was awarded to Steve Burgess for ‘Sail trainees enjoying(?) sunset’.

Third ‘Jubilee Beacon, Bryher’ Tim Crabtree

Highly commended ‘ ‘Self portrait’ Patrick Smith

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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BEHIND THE PHOTO

So many photographs capture more than a moment in time, they can also give us hints about the future. Here Geoff Quentin shares the story behind some special family photos

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY F taken more than 40 years ago.

or me the photograph, of a seemingly innocent summer afternoon lazy sail in a dinghy well over 40 years ago, has a lot of background plus indication for what would happen. I can best give some idea as to my thoughts under three headings; Location, Activity and Crew. Location; this is easy, it is the calm water behind Osea Island on the Blackwater Estuary. We moved to Southend-on-Sea in the summer of 1974 but this photo is from 1975 when Peter, stbd forward was five, Rosemary, port with the leg over the side, was three and David, in the stern, was two and Caroline at the helm. I had chosen the Blackwater as it was beautiful, calm, no commercial shipping and I could launch the dinghy at any stage of the tide from Stone Point. The children loved the adventure, they could do what they wanted in the shallow waters, find crabs, chase flat-fish and make sand castles. Activity; it is obvious that the children had buoyancy aids so were safe, and I would often take them without their mother so that Caroline had a break from the children and could straighten the house, their

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LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Top: Caroline with Rosemary, David and Peter sailing in shallow water, Merlin Rocket on the Blackwater Estuary. Right and below: Ashore at Stansgate Point. The children are splashing in the pools that always contained interesting things. Below: Peter has found something interesting.

bedrooms and get a grip on the situation. This was much appreciated whether it was sailing or cycling in the woods, anything to give her a break. We went sailing often and later years saw us using sailboards as well as a dinghy and of course Bangoes. We even had a day-sailer on the Blackwater and would overnight sometimes (not Caroline). In this photo (photo top right) we were sailing in very shallow water with both the centre-board and rudder up. I would have been just standing with water below the knee calling Caroline to sail close to me in absolute safety. Caroline was happy and comfortable. So what a happy crew and helm. Rudder up, almost no wind and in very shallow, therefore safe, water. Rosemary looking at the sandy bottom, Peter smiling and even Caroline comfortable enough to wave and give me a big smile (photo top left). Then we would go ashore on Osea Island to explore the pools. Notice the shoes (photo left) so that they could go wherever they wanted without hurting the feet and it made for a totally blissful summer afternoon.

BEHIND THE PHOTO Back at Stone Point, Peter would help while the two younger ones found interesting things in among the stones. Clearly it is bottom of the tide and a long way for me to pull the dinghy back to the car park. Peter would help and Caroline carry the family things such as food and drink. Now Crew; the major problem is the helm. Caroline was very at-home on/in the water and could swim the crawl far faster than I could make progress through the water. But, and this is a big but, she was not sporty or physically adventurous so to get her to helm needed much tact and perfect conditions. This situation continued throughout our sailing together right up to the end. The rule I kept to was; no shouting, no asking her to do something she was not prepared to do, always – but always – say thank you. This worked even in force 8 conditions up the Strait of Otranto. Of course there always had to be a time in the adventure when Caroline had her way with things be it furnishing the boat downstairs, meals that she prepared, going ashore, visits to a museum or gallery, perhaps a particular restaurant but something for her with the sailing for me. Caroline would not have come sailing with me if I had not done this, I know this for a fact, it was never said, but I know. Many husbands, perhaps even most, turn up at the Club without their wives, I managed my approach in a way that meant that my Caroline always enjoyed the sailing adventure and even made the Club

Below: Preparing the dinghy for hauling out, Stone Point.

hers by becoming a member in her own right and doing things for the Club. Now the children; Peter, although a bit naughty, was attentive and became an excellent helm and skipper, Rosemary, a very delightful little darling, needed constant monitoring and could helm but would never make a skipper, thirdly David, although very lovely and friendly plus very bright, never made a good helm as when he grew older would argue with his father, who obviously had an inferior intellect, so David was a hopeless helm and never became interested in being a skipper. So there is a lot in the photo looking at it from my advanced years. n

WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR STORY

If you have an image you would like to share with Little Ship readers please get in touch with the editor ([email protected]).

MPSC TRAINING COURSES AVAILABLE TO CLUB MEMBERS The Metropolitan Police Sailing Club (MPSC) was founded for officers and staff of the Metropolitan Police Service. An associate membership category welcomes affiliated yacht clubs, other Police Forces and Emergency Services, along with their family and friends to this friendly club bringing people together through sail days, charters and training.

RYA Competent Crew – no experience needed All courses run from Monday–Friday 22–26 May – two places available 26–30 June – one place available or two if a couple 2–6 October – one space available or two if a couple 9–13 October – three places available

The Little Ship Club is an affiliate of the MPSC, and the following courses still have spaces available:

For full details of the above courses please see our website www.mpsc.london or call Melanie at MPSC on Training and RYA enquiries 07437 914054.

Based at Mercury Yacht Harbour in Hamble, membership of the MPSC provides a sociable club environment in which to enjoy sailing, meet people with the same interest and develop skills – from the first time you step onto a boat, right up to Yachtmaster Ocean.

RYA Practical courses at the MPSC All courses are £550 per person for a five-day (Monday–Friday) residential course.

LSC members are invited and welcomed to MPSC. Please visit our website www.mpsc.london for more details to ensure you enrol for the correct course for your level of experience or give me a call.

Please note Comp crew is combined with Day skipper or Coastal to get a good crew balance.

RYA Day Skipper – Day Skipper theory needed or knowledge to level of to enrol 22– 26 May – two spaces available 26–30 June – one place available or two if a couple 9–13 October – three places available

We also have members’ days which are a day out on the Solent for £50 and Little Ship Club members would be very welcome on the following dates: Thursday 13 April, Friday 5 May and Friday 26 May. Please see www.mpsc.london for further details. We look forward to hearing from you, Melanie Chief Instructor/Principal MPSC

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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TRAINING

READY FOR RESCUE

In this edition of Little Ship, Club RYA First Aid Instructor Colin Trowles (former RNLI helm and training assessor) looks at how we can prepare our vessel (and our crew) for the arrival of either the lifeboat or a coastguard helicopter in the event of a medical

evacuation at sea, and in the case of the latter

N

what equipment and procedures you will

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o matter how much we prepare and keep ourselves safe when we’re at sea, we all know things can go wrong and when they do, they seem to escalate pretty quickly. Any responsible and experienced skipper would have already given a comprehensive briefing to their crew prior to setting off and this should include obtaining knowledge of any medical conditions and medication required of each and every one of you. And skippers, that includes YOU as well! So there you are having a wonderful relaxing sailing trip. You’re miles off any land fall and then it happens, one of your crew suddenly takes a turn for the worse and becomes ill. Ashore of course we can call 999 and hope that an ambulance can get to you quickly. But out at sea it’s a completely different matter of course. You will be using your VHF to call either a Mayday or Pan Pan (depending on the severity) and reassured just to hear a helpful comforting voice of a coastguard operator at the other end. They will decide on the most appropriate rescue resource to send to you and be there to advise you accordingly. On this occasion, His Majesty’s Coastguard has decided that evacuation by Rescue helicopter is the most appropriate and fastest response to get your crew member off to hospital, where they can receive the necessary medical treatment. Depending where you are sailing, the helicopter will be lifting from either Lee-on-the-Solent (for the south coast area) or Lydd, (Essex and Kent coastline). The rescue helicopter will call you on Channel 16 as they approach and will provide instructions as to how they will want to form up on you. Most of the time it will be underway, whether that be sail or power. There are some occasions however when the aircraft will format with you stationary (if the conditions are not that bad to prevent this method). If sailing is the preferred option, this will need to be on the port tack, allowing the pilot who sits on the starboard side of the aircraft better sight of the moving target below. When they arrive above you, they slowly lower a weighted bag (the Hi-line) down to your vessel. (This is approximately the size of a large bag of crisps and invariably ‘hi-vis’ orange). LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

HM Coastguard

need to follow.

Above: Double strop air lift (note the static charge cable).

SOME SIMPLE STEPS TO FOLLOW

1 Someone will need to be assigned to monitor the

2 3

4

5

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VHF. Before long, when the helicopter arrives communication will be made much more challenging due to the obvious noise of the machinery above you. Brief your crew (if they’ve been on an RYA First Aid Course) they will know the procedure (or should do)! It’s really good practice to have a notebook to make notes on the casualty, this will be crucial in the handover the winchman who will be a paramedic. (Use the ‘SAMPLE’ mnemonic as a guide). Have an orange smoke flare on hand if required. This may be called upon to provide an indication of wind direction or to identify you from other vessels if required. Clear the area on the boat where the winch man will land of any clutter. Lines, danbuoys, anything that could be whipped up in the downdraft and be a risk to the helicopter. Foil blankets are a prime example and should be avoided at all costs (unless securely wrapped round the casualty). Have a pair of heavy duty and sturdy gloves to handle the Hi-Line when it lands on board.

TRAINING 7 Have a clean bucket (assigned permanently to ‘in

9 10

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Click to email Jeckells

Hi-line prevents the winch man from swinging as they are lowered

Static Charge cable

Above: One crew will haul the line in whilst another coils it neatly in the bucket. The Hi-Line is preventing the winch man from swinging as they descend from the helicopter.

Click to visit Jeckells website

In the rare event of a horizontal lift being required (someone who has been in the water for long periods) two harnesses will be used. One for under the arms, the other for the legs and when patient stability is required due to their injuries, the basket stretcher will be the preferred option for lifting. There is no substitute for the real thing and occasionally (if you’re lucky) the coastguard may call you via VHF and request a training exercise with you. Seize the opportunity with both hands (but remember to wear your gloves!) n

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Library picture

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the event of emergencies’). This will hold the HiLine and bag as it’s lowered down to you. One crew will haul the line in whilst another coils it neatly in the bucket. The Hi-Line is preventing the winch man from swinging as they descend from the helicopter (see illustration right). Attached to the winch man will be a cable which is carrying all the static electricity from the helicopter. Allow this to earth by touching the sea or the boat first. NEVER GRAB THIS CABLE OR YOU WILL RECEIVE A VERY NASTY ELECTRIC SHOCK! Also attached to the Hi-line is a quick release link, which the winch man can release in the event of an emergency. NEVER TIE THE Hi-Line TO THE BOAT When the winch man lands on the boat, they will release the winch wire from their harness and that will be lifted back up to the helicopter until he or she and the casualty are ready to be airlifted. They will then take over and deal with the casualty. As and when it’s time to return to the aircraft, again the weighted bag will be lowered from the aircraft and the procedure repeated again. Once the harness is over the casualty and ready to be lifted with the winch man, the reverse procedure is adopted and the Hi-line is then paid out to stop them swinging upon their return skywards.

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AT THE CLUB

CELEBRATING OUR CLUB AWARDS

It was a full house, and a happy crowd, who met for our traditional Laying Up and Prize Giving evening on Tuesday 8 November 2022. Credit for a successful evening goes to Jonathan Hague, who ensures deserving candidates are properly nominated during the year, and that as many of

the Club’s available prizes are awarded. For the 2022 edition, trophies were

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presented and engraved mementoes

The Nelson Trophy was awarded to Fran Mason.

were awarded by the Commodore.

The Ramille Cup was awarded to Charlie Clarke.

The Lord Mayor’s Medallion was awarded to Robert Stevenson and crew.

The Len Kent Cruising Cup was awarded to David and Rose Ecklin.

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

The Baton was awarded to Sasha Henry and Lewis McDonald.

The Suhaili Trophy was awarded to David and Heather Houston.

The Royal Oak Cup was awarded to Paul Banks.

The Ladies Seamanship Cup (Mrs M.J. Sadd) was awarded to Celia Greetham.

AT THE CLUB

The Conrad Tapster (Galleon) Trophy was awarded to Inka Luhrs.

Jonathan Hague presents Barrie Martin with the Mercer Shield.

The Commodore Perry's Plate was awarded to Jill Moffatt and the late Charlie Quayle.

The Wilson Haffenden Cup was awarded to Philip Mileham.

The Dulcibella Shield was awarded to Mark Turvey and collected by Ron Gardner.

The Anthony Powell Memorial Trophy was awarded to Rene Chinnery.

The Colonel Hudson Memorial Trophy was awarded to John de Witt. John was also awarded the Eldridge Cup.

The Jack Orr Trophy was awarded to Andy Ormsby and collected by Matthew Alford.

The Old Seadog Trophy was awarded to Tim Bizzey and collected by Anne Bizzey. Tim was also awarded the Vertue Cup.

The R.W.J. Gibbon’s Ladies Cup was awarded to Anne Billard. Anne was also awarded the Orfordness Light Trophy.

The Dusseldorf Bowl was awarded to Kevin Mulligan. The Scott Trophy was awarded to Chris and Julie Overall.

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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AT THE CLUB

The Peggy Wise Bowl was awarded to David Lowe and collected by Debbie Wheeler.

The Dr Anne Riches Bowl was awarded to Ian Foster and Chris Collman and collected by Anne Billard.

The Bone of Contention (The Slade Trophy) was awarded to Richard Strong.

Members and friends fill the clubhouse.

SHANTIES EVENING

For the 11th year in a row Mark Turvey organised a hugely successful Shanties evening. Together with the stalwart French shanty and URNU vignette, Mark and his choir led the crowd in all the well-known favourites – and some tunes less well known. All are eagerly expecting the 12th Shanties evening at the end of this year.

Choir led by organiser, Mark Turvey.

Mike Golding, Michael Forbes Smith and Barrie Martin.

The Corinthians Trophy was awarded to Derek and Leticia Smith and collected by Iain Pickard.

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Alexander Catering Rose Bowl was awarded to Paul Kelly.

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

The David Williams Alderney Tankard was awarded to Greg Hirst.

MORE TROPHY WINNERS ...

In addition to the prizes illustrated here Leigh Gibson was awarded the Conrad Tapster (Gaff Yacht) Trophy; Charles Barrington was awarded the Maurice Griffiths Challenge Trophy and Mark Turvey won the Motor Cruiser Award. Visit the Club website for a full list of awards given to members in 2022.

URNU number.

Final number.

François Xavier for the traditional French shanty.

AT THE CLUB

RECENTLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA...

It’s been an active few months for the LSC and Twitter gives a taste of what members have been up to.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more stories and pictures from the Club and our friends on and off the water. Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Mar 10 Some more amazing training opportunities coming your way from the #LSC. 15 March – RYA SRC classroom course and assessment. 26 March – RYA Diesel Engine Course. Don’t miss out and join today!

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Jan 30 Sunday plans sorted. Join our @RYA Diesel Engine Course and learn about engine installation and maintenance for a safer sailing experience! No prior knowledge of internal combustion engines, or mechanical engineering needed! Book your place here ...

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Mar 6 AGM meeting tomorrow at the #LSC. The event will take place as a hybrid meeting, both at the Club and online via zoom ...

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Jan 23 #LSC Club Night tomorrow. We will be hosting the clockmaker Richard Stuart, who will give a talk about aspects of marine chronometric development. Followed, as always, by a scrumptious dinner catered by @bovingdons.

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Mar 2 Join us for a City Sailing Series drinks evening on 9 March at the #LSC. This social evening is open to all skippers and crew, we will be discussing 2023 regattas that are scheduled for 2023. More info ... Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Feb 14 Double fun tonight at the #LSC! We will be having a Pop Music Quiz Night during dinner and also a delicious wine tasting event indulging in some fantastic Chateau Musar. Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Feb 10 Fast Cruise 5 approaching! Join us on 11 February for Fast Cruise 5 and the Marmalade Cup (awarded by the Commodore). We will be going to Beaulieu River with dinner at the Royal Southampton YC, Gins Farm. More info .. Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Feb 7 Club Night is on at the #LSC. We are hosting marine consultant Tony Tucker who will entertain us with some of the more unusual projects he has been involved in. After this, we will be indulging in a delicious dinner at the Club’s restaurant. Little Ship Club Retweeted Julia Jones @GoldenDuck_ltd · Feb 1 Ever wondered about the complexities of tidal river ownership? Here’s a brilliant article @river_deben (which is not purple! This image is from the Crown Estate site)

Little Ship Club Retweeted The Magenta Project @TheMagentaProj · Jan 12 Equality across the board Meet our new Board of Trustees –10 talented industry leaders, equal men and women, together driving more equality and inclusion in sailing. https://themagentaproject.org/uncategorised/equalityacross-the-board/ #equality #inclusion ... Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Jan 1 Happy new year to all. Fair winds, sailing in good company with friends old and new! #LSC. Little Ship Club Retweeted Rhyl RNLI @rhyllifeboat · Dec 30 Has anyone else spotted this on the wall not far from the lifeboat station in Rhyl? What a special tribute to @RNLI. Thank you whoever you are! Little Ship Club Retweeted The Magenta Project @TheMagentaProj · Dec 16 Join us Friday, 26 May 2023 in our ‘Race for Equality’ Regatta and Gala in partnership with @SunsailUK to support our worldwide programmes and mission for more equality and inclusion in sailing. Learn more ... Little Ship Club Retweeted The Mission to Seafarers @FlyingAngelNews · Dec 13 The Revd Canon Andrew Wright reflects on how we must remain hopeful through stormy times. Read his reflections here ... LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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AT THE CLUB Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Dec 12 Seen in Southampton Waters. Time for another wildlife-spotting competition Commodore?

Little Ship Club Retweeted @foreshoreseashore @mudlarkanna · Dec 11 The river #thames this morning. Could be 1850. #masts in the icy mist. First time on the foreshore in eight days, and just for a walk. Normal service to resume soon. #Thamespath #london #riverthames. Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Dec 10 So it turns out, not only are the Little Ship Club great at sailing, they are also great at fancy dress. ... see the winning costumes @hamble.

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Nov 23 Standing room only for our #shanties evening in aid of @HelpforHeroes. Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Nov 20 #paintedhall #greenwich what a privilege to join the RNVR to celebrate their 75th anniversary.

Little Ship Club Retweeted Julia Jones @GoldenDuck_ltd · Dec 7 @WW2TV Thank you Paul, for a lovely conversation about Maid Matelot last night @OfWrens. I thought your viewers might like this photo of the little boat Rozelle persuaded her parents to buy her when she was 21. Another tribute to her ability to get her own way in the end!

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Nov 14 Tomorrow at the #LSC we are welcoming the charity Autism On The Water. Its founder, Murray McDonald, will give a talk to raise awareness to help autistic people to access sailing. Followed by a delicious dinner by @bovingdons. More info ...

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Dec 6

Little Ship Club Retweeted

Club Commodore leading the race in Fast Cruise 3. #sailing #beautifulboats.

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Dec 6 #training #sailing and a lot of #fun to be had at @littleshipclub1.

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Nov 29

Beaujolais Nouveau

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Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Nov 28 Great memories of visiting with @littleshipclub1 East Coast rally. Dockyard Chatham @DockyardChatham . Nov 27 #OnThisDay in 1810 the Navy Board advised the Dockyard’s Ropery Officers that they had asked Mr Henry Maudsley to provide forming machines (used to ‘form’ or spin yarn into strands). These machines arrived in 1811 and are still in use today.

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Happening tonight at the #LSC Prize giving ceremony for the photographic and artwork competition. Join us to see all the beautiful pictures have a chat along with a glass of

Jill Moffatt @Jill Moffatt . Nov 12 Blacksmiths lining up to parade in the Lord mayor’s Show! @Tweeting_Hammer #lordmayorsshow

Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Nov 9 Standing room only for the @littleshipclub1 #layingup supper and #prizegiving. With fabulous dinner by @bovingdons. Little Ship Club @littleshipclub1 . Nov 6 Fast Cruise 2! We are back at it again. A weekend of rain, heavy winds and delicious food. Cannot wait for the Fast Cruise 3 ....

UNDER THE LSC BURGEE From the earliest years of the Little Ship Club its distinctive burgee has been carried to distant areas of the world, on unique yachts and by fascinating and adventurous people. This is the first of a new series in which we will look back through the Club journals and remind ourselves of some of those great sailors who flew our

EXPLORER PROUDLY FLIES LSC BURGEE – GREENLAND 1931

flag with pride. Here Julia Jones looks back to 1931 and tells the story of Augustine Courtauld.

I

n November 1931, when the Little Ship Club was not quite five years old, the Commodore received a letter from a member who hoped he’d be glad about an open boat expedition, recently completed, which was possibly the furthest north voyage yet undertaken by a vessel flying the LSC burgee. That must have been quite a letter to receive. I felt a jolt of excitement even spotting the reference in the LSC Journal (Volume VI, November 1931). The writer – and Club member – August Courtauld had made transatlantic headlines earlier that year as the ‘Millionaire’s Son alone on Ice’, ‘Marooned in an Arctic Waste’, ‘Absolutely Without Food’, ‘Father’s SOS from Liner – no expense to be spared’, ‘Mother says “I have no fear”’, ‘The Woman Who Waits…’ Twenty-seven-year-old Courtauld had been part of the British Arctic Air Route Expedition which had left England in the summer of 1930. That expedition was led by 23-year-old Gino Watkins, was organised via the Royal Geographical Society and had received significant funding from the Courtauld family. It aimed to establish whether air travel between Britain and Canada would be viable using a Great Circle

route – Faeroes, Iceland, Greenland, Baffin Island and Hudson Bay. The Greenland section was the least known and the expedition’s objectives were two-fold: survey sections of the east coast of Greenland from a base camp established near to the shortest likely great circle route and collect recordings from a meteorological station 120 miles inland on the Greenland ice cap, over which air travellers would potentially need to fly. The explorers established their base on the ice cap and set up a two-person rota to keep it manned. They had discovered however that they had underestimated the viciousness of the gales which swept the ice cap from late autumn. Courtauld, Wager and Chapman, trekking in December to relieve their companions, had such a gruelling journey that they arrived having eaten most of the stores that should have sustained the next pair on duty. Rather than abandon the station, August Courtauld had volunteered to remain alone to continue monitoring the instruments. Even then, they had failed to grasp the full harshness of winter on the ice cap. The first expedition

Top: Augustine Courtauld. Above: Explorers – John Rymill, Gino Watkins, August Courtauld, Freddy Chapman. Left: Proposed British Arctic Air Route.

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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UNDER THE LSC BURGEE

Top left: Ice Cap Station as found 5 May 1931. Top right: Southern Greenland, showing the seven journeys of the British Arctic Air Route Expedition. Left: The expedition team: Gino Watkins is centre front, with August on his right. Below: Quest lying at base: approach to Ice Cap across fjord.

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which set out to relieve Courtauld could not find the station. The ice cap now was a featureless stormwracked snow sheet. The explorers who flew over it in their Moth Aeroplane could see nothing. The tunnels which should have enabled Courtauld to emerge and take weather readings had fallen in and from 22 March he was completely trapped underground. By April the RGS had expressed some public concern for his safety. Another search party set out and from that moment, every day for a fortnight, his plight made headlines. On 5 May 1931, August Courtauld had been dug out alive. His light, heat and food were all finished but he claimed afterwards that he had never lost his faith that he would be saved. The rescue party had not been so sanguine: their leader, Gino Watkins, had brought a prayer book ready to read the funeral service over his grave. There were radio messages to be sent and press publicity to be ducked. “Take no notice hysterical rescue nonsense. Relief carried out as part of ordinary programme. No danger,” as Courtauld untruthfully wrote to his fiancée, Mollie Montgomerie. The expedition’s surveying work continued through the arctic summer. Then, when the year was up and it was time to return home, Watkins asked Courtauld if he’d stay to assist a 600-mile open boat trip from their LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

base near Angmagssalik, round the southern tip of Greenland to Julianehaab on the west coast. Privately Courtauld wasn’t keen. He knew that the period of his entombment had given his family serious anxiety (as well as additional expense funding speculative rescue missions) and he was also longing to return to marry Mollie. As the most experienced

UNDER THE LSC BURGEE

Above: The open boat journey Watkins, Courtauld and Lemon in the Quest’s whaler carrying the kayak. Photo published in LSC Journal, December 1932. Below: August Courtauld on board his yacht Duet. Bottom: Duet.

sailor in the group, he also thought the proposed expedition extraordinarily risky. However, as he wrote later, “no-one could resist Gino and of course I said yes. Gino never gave orders, he just asked you to do something. You always did it.” After much discussion Watkins, Courtauld and Percy Lemon (an army officer) took two 15ft whaleboats from their mothership, Shackleton’s former Antarctic vessel Quest, and an 18ft hunting kayak from which Watkins proposed to keep them supplied with fresh meat, native fashion. The whalers were fitted with Johnson Sea Horse outboard motors “which proved as temperamental as outboards always do”. Their bows were decked over and short masts fitted so they could sail in emergency. With increasingly blustery conditions and contrary winds the sails seem to have been generally ineffective and Courtauld spent much of the journey struggling to repair first one outboard, then the other so that whichever boat was least disabled could tow the other. They carried fuel, basic provisions, sledges, bedding and surveying equipment for six weeks but knew that if they didn’t reach Julianehaab before the

winter ice set in, they would be trapped for another winter. They also flew Courtauld’s LSC burgee. It was another extraordinarily close-run thing. Courtauld’s biographer Nicholas Wollaston used his private diaries to reveal the gap between his public description of “good times, good fellows and bright sunshine” and the reality of “near calamities, strained friendships and terrible weather” (The Man on the Ice Cap). Almost his only pleasure appeared to be suet pudding concoctions, using packets supplied by Mollie mixed with whatever berries could be discovered in the rocky havens where they were forced to shelter. One of the boats had to be abandoned. A pre-arranged petrol dump was found only to contain paraffin. When their dilapidated and leaking boat eventually reached Julianehaab, the sailors discovered that two other explorers, attempting to cross by kayak and sledge, had not arrived and had sent no message. Watkins and Courtauld set out again, taking passage in local boats further up the coast to Holsteinsborg. Finally, the missing members of the expedition were rescued by a party of Inuit and all four boarded a cargo ship for Copenhagen. By now it was the end of October 1931. At what point did Courtauld decide to send his message to the LSC Commodore? This may seem a pedantic question but answering it may convey something of the particular thrill that LSC membership evoked in these early years. Courtauld was not a natural communicator. At official receptions, both on arrival in Copenhagen in mid-November 1931 and then at the Royal Geographical Society in December he was terse to the point of rudeness. Yet his note to the Club bubbles with delight and pride. By November of 1932, having married Mollie, bought his dream yacht Duet and suffered the terrible news of Gino Watkins’s death, he took his LSC loyalty a stage further and agreed to give other members a talk about his experience. This was announced in Volume VIII of the Journal, November 1932. “The Yarn and film which you are to have on November 2nd will describe the experience in setting out and coming home, its work and its pleasure and the life of the people of the country who are the most pure Eskimos left anywhere. However, the spinner of this yarn and author of these words is grass-green as a speaker. It is his first attempt so please be kind.” Oh for a burgee with magic properties to timetravel us back those 90 years! n Julia Jones is a writer, researcher and currently an honorary member of the Little Ship Club. In 2021 she published a new edition of Augustine Courtauld’s autobiography ‘Man the Ropes’ in partnership with his family.

Photographs: Almost all are courtesy of the late Julien Courtauld. The single exception is the page from the LSC Journal which shows the whaler, carrying Watkins’ kayak. LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR THE NIGHT WATCH

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David Lowe shares some of the limericks he wrote to pass the hours on night watch during his Atlantic travels in 2015.

ince 2005 I have occasionally foregone the exhilaration of cruising my Dragonfly 9.20 trimaran to help my chum Richard Hunter move Cloud Nine his 2001 vintage Moody 46 around the Med. It is an experience akin to levering oneself out of a Lotus 7 and climbing into a spacious, luxuriously appointed but somewhat underpowered campervan. By 2014 Richard had decided that he had seen enough of the Med and during the course of a convivial lunch he enquired whether I would be prepared to help him sail Cloud Nine to the Caribbean. I have never been one to turn down an adventure so in November 2015 I found myself climbing on board in Fuerteventura and being introduced to my other fellow traveller Nick Naismith. This missive is not however about our adventure. I did not keep a detailed personal log and these days I struggle to remember what I did a week ago. Suffice it to say we sailed south to the Cape Verde Islands where we spent a fascinating week exploring. Then

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Above: Richard Hunter, Nick Naismith and David Lowe on board Cloud Nine.

on 21 November we set off from Mindelo and 15 days later we arrived in Grenada. At some stage, possibly at the end of the above mentioned convivial lunch, I volunteered to assume the role of ship’s cook. Overall I was pleased with my performance although most things taste good after a few Catuputas, the local Cape Verde stew. There was however one tricky moment when a fairly large quantity of minced beef I had purchased in Mindelo turned out to be horse! Throughout our Atlantic travels we sent a daily email to our nearest and dearest via a satellite link. It was a brief communication containing the usual navigation information and little else. I have always enjoyed making up limericks so I decided to spend some of my hours on night watch coming up with a rhyme that we then inserted at the end of these daily missives. I came across these recently and felt they might amuse readers of Little Ship.

One night on a southerly course We dined on a pie made from horse The big give away Was a slight taste of hay Well disguised by a Greek vino sauce

Today is a memorable day As the yacht has sailed over halfway We are scenting the rum Beach bars and sun That are now about one week away

If you’re sat out on watch for three hours You will certainly gaze at the stars As time passes by And the moon rises high You’ll spot Jupiter, Venus and Mars

The skipper a chap of good cheer Is a steady consumer of beer He also likes wine From real crap to quite fine Any time, any place, all the year

Like Hemingway’s man of the sea He sat steadfast, his rod, on his knee Tales of a large catch He couldn’t quite match And not even a nibble got he

I’ve just tried out Hunter’s ensuite A privilege and quite a treat There’s a push button loo And a hot towel rail too Plus a grinder to mince what you eat

If you’re partial to unusual stew You might try a Catuputa or two But this culinary feat Made from beans, eggs and meat May result in a dash to the loo

We all will remember the squalls They arrive like a kick in the balls If the skip gets irate The poor crew he’ll berate Like it came the wind suddenly falls

We’ve given some names to the crew A distraction and something to do The best one is Bunter The voracious food hunter Plus Popeye who knocks up the stew

The crew really can’t comprehend Why a man of sound mind would pretend That a ukulele Is a good thing at sea When his vocals are hard to defend

A rumble drifts over the waters And the hissing of wind never falters Is this the next storm That will herald the dawn Or the skipper asleep in his quarters

A fantastic cruise on Cloud Nine Sailing trade winds in weather so fine At the end of the run We found white sand and rum A great end to a really good time

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

CRUISING Bagheera of Whitby’s 2022 cruise to the west coast of Ireland covered

1,309M and consisted of three legs. The first leg began on 16 May

when David Clements and crew set sail from Dartmouth and ended

445.7M later in Dingle on 29 May. The second leg was a delightful

cruise up into Connemara covering 191.9M from 6 to 20 June and

finally, a week later, leg 3, a 672M leisurely sail back to Dartmouth

ending the voyage on 17 July.

David Clements reports.

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

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here comes a time when you start to think about how many tough cruises one has left in one and that makes you think about what you would really like to repeat. In 2021, we had planned to go to Scotland but covid scuppered that; when it came round to 2022, thoughts again turned to the west coast of Ireland. Memories of I think four earlier cruises came flooding back and thoughts of Scotland finally drifted away and the siren call of the wild west prevailed. Planning as usual started early, in fact on 2 January 2022 when the first call to arms went out. It soon became clear that there were enough potential victims – sorry, crew members – and so planning started in earnest. By March the cruise had taken shape – a long leg from Dartmouth to Dingle, a cruise up into Connemara and a leisurely sail back to Dartmouth. This all entailed the usual logistical challenges of getting boat and crew in the same place at the same time to achieve the planned crew changeovers; with the public transport of Ireland, this proved a challenge but it all seemed possible and so the plan was set in tablets of stone – a risky thing to do!

LEG 1 – DARTMOUTH TO DINGLE MONDAY 16 MAY 2022 – DARTMOUTH

Diana’s efficient taxi service delivered the Skipper, Mike Wrigley and Shaun Nesbitt to Kingswear in the late morning and the task began of stowing the usual vast amount of stores and crew dunnage. With both being very familiar with Bagheera, it was soon done

Above: Old Grimsby Sound viewed from Bagheera. Inset: Skipper David Clements enjoying Irish waters. Below: Rigger Barry Hollis up Bagheera’s masthead.

and by 1330, the final crew member Nicola de Quincey was on board, having been delivered to Dartmouth from the Totnes area. With a good forecast, it was decided to have a shakedown run round to Salcombe and at about 1500 we left the mooring but then disaster struck – while hoisting the main off Dartmouth, the halyard jammed once again as it had done the previous year. There was no option but to return to the berth and call for help, which soon arrived in the form of rigger Barry Hollis and his team. A trip aloft confirmed the problem but time ran out before the job could be finished and we had to face an evening in Kingswear – not a hardship really. A good supper of venison casserole provided by Pippa Wrigley and a bottle of good red wine relieved the Skipper’s woes!

17 MAY – DARTMOUTH TO NEWTON FERRERS

The crew was up at 0700 to await the return of Barry and his team, who arrived at 0930, equipped with the necessary ideas and parts to effect a working repair: a new masthead sheave fitted and a strop lashed round the top of the mast just below where the halyard enters the masthead to reduce the risk of it jumping off the sheave. At precisely 1207, we left the berth once again and hoisted the main, this time without incident. Once outside the Dart, it was a grey morning and we found only a light southerly breeze and so motor-sailed across LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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CRUISING

Top right: Crew preparing to leave. Top left: Bagheera in Old Grimsby Sound. Left: Skipper relaxes in the late spring sunshine. Below: Wild Song in Kinsale.

Start Bay but who cared – we were on our way. The cruise had started as it so often had in the past with a fine dinner in the cockpit in the late spring sunshine.

18 MAY – NEWTON FERRERS TO OLD GRIMSBY SOUND, SCILLY

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We decided that with a good forecast, we should put some miles under the keel and so what turned out to be an extraordinary day started at 0545 when we left the mooring in the Yealm in bright sunshine. By 0620 the engine was off and we were sailing across Plymouth Sound in a pleasant force 3 southerly with Helford River as the aim. By the time we reached Rame Head, the wind had increased to force 4 and we were bowling along at 6.5–7 knots, a speed that we kept up for the rest of the day. It was a cracking sail and as we passed the Dodman with the time still only 1045, it became clear that with the prospect of a fair tide round the Lizard, we could go further than Helford and made a provisional plan for Mousehole. The Lizard was rounded in style at 1330 as Bagheera bucketed along at 10.5 knots over the ground with the big spring tide pushing her westwards. Picking up a buoy in Hughtown for the night had seemed attractive but when we saw how the yachts moored there were rolling, we hastily changed our plans and with plenty rise of tide left, we ran back across to Tresco and picked up a mooring in Old Grimsby Sound as the sun set. It was perfect peace LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

after a long but incredible sail – we had averaged 6.6 knots from mooring to mooring.

19 MAY – OLD GRIMSBY SOUND, SCILLY

Everybody slept well after the long day before and we enjoyed a good but late breakfast. It was a glorious Scilly morning, bright sunshine and a lovely breeze. At 1200, the crew went ashore using our Torqeedo electric outboard, now in its second season. It is a joy to use, even if it takes some time to re-charge its battery. We left the dinghy on the beach in front of the old Island Hotel and walked up past the church and over the hill to the main village, calling in at the Island office to pay our dues and being tempted by the good but very expensive range of food in the Tresco Stores.

20/21 MAY – OLD GRIMSBY SOUND TO KINSALE

The forecast for the day was south or south-west force 2–4, increasing 4–6 with sea state moderate or rough, with the weather fair – a great forecast for a fast crossing to Ireland. After filing a passage report with Falmouth CG, by 0820 we were on our way, with Nicola at the helm in perfect sailing conditions. However, the wind steadily increased and blew force 6–8 for most of the crossing, with Bagheera in her storm rig of three reefs in the main and staysail only – and it was very rough indeed. Conditions moderated overnight and by 1210 we were alongside in Kinsale Yacht Club’s excellent marina. By a strange coincidence, we were berthed next to Paul Heiney’s and Libby Purves’s Victoria 38 Wild Song, our neighbours on our home pontoon in Dartmouth. They were on their way to a Royal Cruising Club (RCC) rally in Oban (Paul being the Commodore of the RCC).

22 MAY – KINSALE TO GLANDORE

With the help of Kieran, the marina manager, we left Kinsale at 1203 with some reluctance – we had not done justice to the place.

CRUISING

The sails were set off the amazing Charles Fort and we tacked down the estuary towards Old Head of Kinsale which we rounded at about 1400. By 1600 with the wind falling light, we gave up the unequal struggle and motor-sailed on past the aptly-named Seven Heads and the rugged Galley Head until we were able to bear away towards Glandore entrance and sail the estuary, passing the rocky islets of Adam and Eve (“leave Eve and hug Adam” as the sailing directions instruct) and anchoring (with difficulty, as the best spots are now taken up with moorings).

Above: Sunset in Old Grimsby Sound.

23 MAY – GLANDORE TO SHERKIN ISLAND (BALTIMORE)

We awoke to a typical cold front morning – a bit on the chilly side with a brisk north-westerly breeze. Through binoculars, we could see how sad Union Hall now looks, with a large wreck right in the middle of the harbour. Fishing must have seriously declined in Glandore. We had a very breezy sail to Baltimore where after a very late lunch in the cockpit, we ‘enjoyed’ a visit from Irish Customs – a friendly man in big boots who laboriously took down our details. It was clear that the Irish authorities were finding Brexit as much of a nuisance as we did. Nicola, Mike and the Skipper then went ashore to explore Sherkin Island, which we found to be delightful. There were wild flowers everywhere as we walked up towards the lighthouse, passing on the way the extraordinary and aptly named Horseshoe Harbour, almost totally enclosed but for a narrow entrance to the south-east. From the lighthouse and the old keeper’s cottage, we had wonderful views all round, looking down to Cape Clear Island to the west, up to Roaring Water Bay in the north and back to Galley Head in the east. Click to email RIGIT

24 MAY – BALTIMORE TO CROOKHAVEN

The 0600 forecast was for the current north-westerly to back round into the west or south-west and increase once again to force 6, ruling out any attempt to round Mizen Head – a headland not to be trifled with. Instead, we decided to have a day sailing around the islands in Long Island Bay and aim for Crookhaven for the night. At 0900 we retrieved a very muddy anchor and headed over to Baltimore where we picked up a buoy and the crew disappeared ashore for stores and to explore Baltimore while the Skipper cleaned the mud off the decks. They returned an hour or so later almost empty-handed – the Baltimore shop is poorly stocked and the answer to all enquiries was “you’ll have to go to Skibbereen for that”. At 1235 we slipped the mooring and headed out of Baltimore Bay via the north passage. Once clear of the channel, with the wind at the top end of force 4, Bagheera was tearing along as we navigated the many sounds between the islands.

Click to visit RIGIT website

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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After lunch, we motor-sailed down Long Island Sound (now, where have I heard that name before?) and picked up a mooring in Crookhaven, ready for a run round Mizen Head the next day. It was not to be... Crookhaven is very sheltered from the west but with a bit of north in it, the wind was now very strong and funnelling straight down the anchorage and although O’Sullivan’s Bar tempted us, it was not safe to go ashore and we ate on board.

25 MAY – CROOKHAVEN

It blew a full gale in the night and although we were safe, it was not comfortable and the crew didn’t surface until 1000. With the forecast continuing to offer us no comfort (south-west to west, force 6–7) we were clearly going nowhere and a long day on board loomed ahead – it was what one former crew member would have called ‘a knitting day’. By midday, with cabin fever coming on, we phoned O’Sullivan’s Bar more in hope than expectation to see if there was any possibility of a water taxi to take us ashore. After a few minutes Dermod O’Sullivan rang back to say that he would come out to collect us in his father’s fishing boat, which he duly did. As we walked towards the pub from his father’s private quay, he pointed out his car and said “there’s my car, the keys are in it, just use it if you like” and we did just that – what true Irish hospitality.

26 MAY – CROOKHAVEN

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The forecast gave us no relief, with winds still forecast to be force 6 and upwards with a strong wind warning out for all Irish coastal waters and so we settled ourselves down for another long day. The midday forecast was more promising with the winds moderating to force 2–4, albeit with forecast of rain and mist. A French yacht ahead of us had pointed out that there was a strip of sailcloth showing from the furled yankee and once the wind had moderated sufficiently, we unfurled it to find that it had split from luff to leech about a quarter of the way down from the head and was clearly unusable. When this had happened and how we hadn’t noticed it before, it was difficult to imagine. We folded it as best we could and Mike had the great idea of using the staysail on the forestay. Sadly, the idea came to naught because the distance between the head of the staysail and the top of the forestay was such that LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Top left: Horseshoe Harbour, Sherkin Island. Top right: Crookhaven at dawn. Above: Early morning sunshine in Valentia.

when we tried to furl it, the halyard just wrapped itself round the forestay and the sail wouldn’t furl.

27 MAY – CROOKHAVEN TO VALENTIA

With a good forecast, we were up early to catch the best of the tide round Mizen Head and slipped the mooring with great relief at 0555 in the first of the morning sunlight. Bizarrely, after the strong winds of the previous few days, there was almost no wind at all and we motored out of Crookhaven, rounding the Alderne Rocks at 0605. A trip to the Skelligs is a must on this coast and we motored out to Skellig Michael, with its beehive huts once occupied by monks. Little Skellig (Skellig Beag) is no less dramatic; although not so high, it is incredibly jagged and provides a home to no less than 40,000 pairs of gannets. From afar, it looks as though the island is covered in guano but although that is the case, the main whiteness is the gannets, who occupy every possible ledge and pinnacle. The sound and the smell are not to be forgotten.

28 MAY – VALENTIA TO DINGLE

Just to mock us, it was a glorious hot sunny morning, with barely a breath of wind. After breakfast in the cockpit, we chatted with the crew of Tern, a Crealock 37 moored astern of us, based in Falmouth. They were spending their whole summer in Ireland and Scotland. Although the rise of tide was marginal, the Skipper decided on the adrenaline rush of leaving Valentia by the north channel. This requires careful navigation,

CRUISING LEG 2 – DINGLE TO CLIFDEN MONDAY 6 JUNE 2022 – DINGLE

some of which is counter-intuitive as you must leave buoys to starboard which you would think should be left to port. Although the depth under the keel was less than a metre as we crossed the Caher Bar, we reached the deeper water without incident, passing Church Island with its ancient, ruined church and passing Doulus Head and out into Dingle Bay at 0925.

Above: Crookhaven entrance.Below: Bagheera in Dingle Marina.

29 MAY – DINGLE HOME

It was another lovely morning and it seemed a shame to be going home. The Skipper handed over the yankee to Niamh, the wife of the sailmaker, who turned out to be the daughter of the retired manager of the marina – keeping it in the family! After locking up Bagheera, we were picked up at the marina gates by Dingle Shuttle Bus, the owner of which rejoices in the lovely name of Dolores! It was a glorious drive to the airport through lovely countryside, particularly where the road winds its way along Dingle Bay up to Castlemaine. We were delivered safely to Kerry Airport (Mike, Nicola and the Skipper) for the flight to Stansted and to the station (Shaun) to catch a train to Dublin. It had been a challenging leg and difficult for the Skipper, who had to balance the wish to give the crew a varied sail with the vagaries of the weather. Still, we managed to hit the target of getting the boat to the right place on the right date – an achievement in the circumstances! Leg 1 cruise distance 445.7M, engine hours 27.5.

“ It had been a challenging leg and difficult for the Skipper, who had to balance the wish to give the crew a varied sail with the vagaries of the weather. ”

The Skipper and his brother-in-law Pat Duval arrived at Kerry Airport, to be met by John and Gini Yates, who had been touring Ireland in the period leading up to their joining Bagheera. Bagheera was in good order when we arrived back at Dingle Marina and we soon settled in. The first thing to do was to have a massive shop at the trusty Supervalu and stowage was quite a problem! The yankee was delivered form Galway by Niamh and safely bent on and Bagheera was ready to go, although the forecast was not promising. However, it was a lovely evening and we walked up through the town to return to Ashe’s for another excellent dinner. Earlier in the evening an unusual Canadian yacht based in Halifax Nova Scotia, the Meteor, had arrived in Dingle from the Azores. She was owned by two women and was based on an American fishing boat design, with a wheel tilted at 45° and a cockpit that was hinged and rose up on hydraulic rams to expose the engine and lots of stowage – an extraordinary feature.

7 JUNE 2022 – DINGLE

It was a lovely morning but the sky was threatening and the forecast still poor, with winds of south-east going south-west 6–7 and rain later. The lunchtime forecast was awful and confirmed that the next few days would bring strong winds and heavy rain and so we called up John and Gini to suggest that they should not leave the car yet but return to Dingle. This they did and at least they had managed to get a full gas cylinder. In the evening, rain set in and the wind arrived; it was now westerly force 5–6 gusting 7 with heavy rain and we were pleased to be alongside in shelter, enjoying an excellent supper of Irish pork chops!

8 JUNE – DINGLE

We woke to a bright and (very) breezy morning, with the wind still blowing force 5–7 from the west and north-west. With the forecast still dire, we were going nowhere. The log reports simply “forecast lousy”.

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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9 JUNE – DINGLE

Still in Dingle! It had been another wild night, with warps creaking, halyards rattling and the wind shrieking in the rigging of all the other yachts in the marina. The forecast held out no hope of an early departure but the day was bright and breezy and we drove round to the south side of Dingle Harbour to climb to the amazing Eake Tower, which stands guard over the harbour entrance. Tonight it was Pat’s turn to cook and he made a wonderful fish pie for us as we listened to yet another wild forecast. A deep lowpressure system was stuck between Iceland and Greenland which was combining with a high-pressure system in the Atlantic to create the strong westerly airflow over Ireland which was keeping us in port. We noticed that no other boats were venturing out, which justified our decision – but it was not easy for the Skipper.

Above: Bagheera in Port Murvy, Inishmore.

The log reports “a slow start to the morning, doing small jobs” – even a yacht in harbour needs odd bits of maintenance. The sun came out though and John drove us all out to Slea Head and Dunmore Head to admire the big race in the Blasket Sound with tide running strongly against the wind. The beach where some of the iconic scenes from Ryan’s Daughter were filmed gave some fine photo opportunities as we walked out to Dunmore Head. The sun suddenly disappeared and we could see a heavy rain squall racing in on the strong breeze and we ran for the only shelter available, an old wartime lookout building on the top of the headland.

Below left: Dingle cloudscape.

10 JUNE – DINGLE

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LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Below: Leading mark, Inishbofin.

Unfortunately, it had no windows and the shelter which it offered, only partial at best, was shared with some young people. We were a bedraggled bunch as we trudged back to the car. We returned to Dingle via Smerwick Harbour to find that still nobody had left Dingle and once again, the forecast held out no hope of sailing the next day, although the outlook was starting to show signs of hope.

11 JUNE – DINGLE

Below right: Remembering scenes from the film ‘Ryan’s Daughter’.

It was race morning in Dingle and the Marina was buzzing from about 0700 with athletes assembling for Dingle’s version of a triathlon – a shortish run followed by kayaking round a course in the harbour and then a long bike ride round Slea Head, following our drive of the previous day. With the forecast now suggesting that we might be able to sail the next day, it was time to park up John and Gini’s car and we all went to Tralee and had lunch in a café in one of the squares. The evening forecast was more hopeful and the Skipper did some serious planning before supper.

12 JUNE – DINGLE TO INISHMORE

An optimistic crew was up for tea and biscuits at 0515 and prepared Bagheera for sea while we awaited the 0600 forecast. This at last promised a good sail, with winds of westerly force 4–5 but possibly increasing to force 5–6 for a time later. We decided to make a run for it; we had enjoyed Dingle but six days stuck in harbour was a record for the Skipper in a lifetime of sailing. At 0620 we left Dingle with one reef in the main (the only yacht to leave) and motored out to Slea Head to catch the first of the north-going tide through the Blasket Sound.

CRUISING Although the forecast was for the winds once again to reach force 5–6, we left Portmurvy at 1040 under full sail with a south-westerly force 4 and fairly raced across to the mainland. By 1240 we had brought St Macdara’s Isle abeam but sadly there was too much swell to permit a landing and visit the extraordinary stone chapel/hermitage where the saint spent his days. Once anchored safely in Roundstone, we enjoyed a great supper at O’Dowd’s.

15 JUNE – ROUNDSTONE TO INISHBOFIN

Above: Inner harbour, Roundstone.

A feature of the day was the recurrence of line squalls, which we came to recognise from far off as they approached us – a black line on the horizon which as it came over us marked a sharp increase in wind strength with gusts of 20–25 knots true but they only lasted for 10–15 minutes and then the wind fell back to around 15 knots. It felt prudent as we were the only boat out to file a passage report with Shannon Coastguard. At 1900 we entered Gregory Sound that divides Inishmore from its smaller neighbour Inishmaan, having averaged over 7 knots since leaving Sybil Head – a great but punishing sail. By 2000 we had picked up a mooring in the peace of Killeany Bay, with only two other yachts joining us. We ate and drank well and slept soundly.

Another of the iconic destinations of Connemara is Inishbofin and that was our target for the day. The crew were ashore for provisions while the Skipper kept anchor watch – low tide had revealed a buoy which was on a short scope such that we hadn’t seen it when we anchored at high tide the night before and there was a risk of it catching under the transom. There was no point in leaving Roundstone early as the tide was too low for crossing the bar and also the northgoing tide round Slyne Head didn’t start until 1520 and so it wasn’t until 1500 that we cautiously

13 JUNE – KILLEANY TO PORTMURVY

The morning was spent ashore in the less-thanglamorous village of Kilronan. The Aran Islands are a classic tourist trap, with frequent fast ferries from Rossaveel on the mainland bringing in hordes of day trippers, who are immediately descended on by hustlers offering them pony and trap rides, minibus tours and bicycle hire. We motored round to Portmurvy where the crew went ashore to visit the amazing prehistoric ruin of Dun Aengus, a stone fort built on the very edge of a 200 metre-high cliff, and to admire the extraordinary landscape of Inishmore, where the only thing appearing to grow in the fields are rocks. The Skipper meanwhile caught up on his beauty sleep. Although Portmurvy is exposed from north round to east, the wind was firmly anchored in the west and we enjoyed a peaceful night at anchor.

14 JUNE – PORTMURVY TO ROUNDSTONE

No cruise to Connemara would be complete without a visit to Roundstone, the home of O’Dowd’s Seafood Bar and Restaurant and that was our next target.

DISCOUNT FOR LITTLE SHIP CLUB MEMBERS

Richardsons Yacht Services offer Club members a five per cent discount off general chandlery in store at Island Harbour. Click to email Richardsons

Click to visit Richardsons website

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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CRUISING Island Sound at speed, keeping a watch on our course as we headed south-east down the coast past the various rocks and islets towards Clifden. We picked up the important landmark of Carrickrana with its prominent white beacon which marks the start of the approach to Clifden and carefully set Bagheera on the leading line – although the front marker of the tower on Fishing Point is easy to see, the back mark of the ruined castle is impossible to pick out at a distance and we were thankful for the chart plotter. It is a dramatic entrance and with the strong winds and heavy swell, the waves were crashing on the rocks of Coghan’s Rocks to the north of us and Doolick to the south. At 1450, we picked up a visitor’s mooring in Clifden and the leg was complete. raised the anchor, watching the errant buoy all the time until we were clear of it.

16 JUNE – INISHBOFIN

It was a dreich morning (Scots term, for those who don’t know it!) with yet another strong wind warning and we decided to have a lay-day in Bofin Harbour. The rain stopped at lunchtime though and we enjoyed a great walk round the west end of the island. With another night of strong winds forecast, the Skipper asked the ferry captain if we could use his mooring and also whether we could come alongside the ferry to access the only water tap on the quay (which bizarrely had been installed so that it was below the high tide mark!).

19 JUNE – CLIFDEN

Above: Beautiful sunset, Clifden. Below: Pins viewed from Ballynakill.

17 JUNE – INISHBOFIN TO FAHY BAY, BALLYNAKILL

It was a foul morning with very heavy rain – surprisingly, the first heavy rain of the cruise, in spite of all the strong winds – and the Skipper and Pat got very wet on the trip to put him ashore for the 0815 ferry. However, as the morning wore on, the rain stopped and the sun came out and we had a lovely sail under yankee alone accompanied by lots of dolphins across to the mainland, with fantastic views of the 12 Pins and up the coast to the north. By 1240 we were in the narrows off Freagillaun South, the sheep-inhabited island which sits in the entrance to Ballynakill Harbour. The views were splendid and we anchored off Ross Point in 5.5 metres for lunch and to wait until there was enough tide for us to enter the lovely Fahy Bay.

18 JUNE – FAHY BAY TO CLIFDEN

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The last day of this leg of the cruise had arrived and it was at least sunny, still with a fresh breeze. After running the engine for a while to charge the batteries, we left Fahy Bay at 1045 with 2 reefs in the main. We managed to sail back out through the entrance but couldn’t quite make Cleggan Point and had to have some engine assistance to get us round. It was a fine sail and we passed through High LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

“ ...the rain stopped and the sun came out and we had a lovely sail under yankee alone accompanied by lots of dolphins across to the mainland, with fantastic views of the 12 Pins and up the coast to the north. ”

It was yet another very wild night, with a northwesterly wind funnelling straight down the bay at force 6–7. The Skipper stood anchor watch in the cockpit as Bagheera surged around the mooring, periodically checking the rope and chain bridle for signs of distress. In the morning, the first job was to make Bagheera secure for leaving her on this rather exposed mooring for a week. Once the wind moderated a little, we were able to go ashore to the Clifden Boat Club for lunch where we met up with Commodore Damian Ward and his father Jackie, he of the three-legged dog on our previous visit (now too old for dinghy trips but still gamely hanging on). They were very kind and entertaining and just as friendly as we had found the Club on our previous visit. When asking about the fee for using the moorings (owned by Galway County Council), Damian replied with a wink that the fee was at his discretion.

20 JUNE – HOMEWARD BOUND

We had arranged for a taxi to collect us from the Clifden Boat Club at 0815 to drop John and Gini in Clifden to catch a series of buses back to Tralee to collect their car and to take the Skipper (expensively) to Knock Airport for the journey home. The wind was still strong in the night and there was a concern that it would be difficult to get ashore in the morning but thankfully, we woke to bright sunshine and almost flat calm. It was a great journey to Knock through wonderful mountain scenery and then along Lough Corrib. Knock airport was a revelation – a big modern terminal in the middle of nowhere, the brainchild of a local priest who had turned a shrine where a girl had seen a vision of the Virgin Mary into an international place of pilgrimage. Queues there were none – the only flight that morning was just leaving at 1030 with the next one being the Skipper’s at 1315! This leg of the cruise was perhaps the most difficult of all, with six days lost in Dingle waiting for the winds to moderate, with much anxiety for the Skipper with almost every day marginal for sailing. Leg 2 cruise distance 191.9M, engine hours 14.8.

CRUISING LEG 3 – CLIFDEN TO DARTMOUTH TUESDAY 28 JUNE 2022 – CLIFDEN

The Skipper and crew member Sylvia Chesters arrived at Knock from Gatwick to find earlier arrival David Canning waiting for us and our chauffeur, Chris Robinson, arrived soon afterwards. Chris had been staying at a family cottage on an island in Lough Corrib and had kindly volunteered to collect us all. It was a bit of a squeeze in Chris’s Mini but we managed and drove off through the rain back to Clifden – sadly, with the mist down on the hills, the view was lost. By the time the boat was checked over (all was well and the mooring arrangement had held fast), the wind had dropped sufficiently to be able to go ashore and collect Sylvia and David with the stores (less one bottle of wine, broken when the handle of the bag came adrift).

29 JUNE – CLIFDEN TO FAHY BAY, BALLYNAKILL

The forecast was the familiar north-west 4–5, 6 at times, but decreasing 3–4 later. As we were only returning to Ballynakill, there were plenty of boltholes along the way and at 1310 we left Clifden. Although we were sad to say goodbye to our hospitable friends, the mooring had been uncomfortable and we looked forward to more sheltered anchorages. It was by now a familiar route back through High Island Sound and past Cleggan into Ballynakill Harbour where we passed Freghillaun South at 1653; with a neap tide, we had enough water to sail straight into Fahy Bay where we anchored at 1740. Sadly the weather was not so good as on the previous visit and we were denied the magnificent views but it was still a lovely and peaceful anchorage.

30 JUNE – FAHY BAY, BALLYNAKILL TO INISHBOFIN

After an amazingly quiet night, we awoke to shafts of sunlight on the 12 Pins – a wonderful sight. At 0915 we left Fahy Bay, still with reefs in from the previous leg but with Carrignahoy abeam to starboard at 1125, we shook out the reefs and had a good sail across to Inishbofin, picking up the leading line at 1210 and motoring into Bofin Harbour, anchoring in six metres in the south-east corner.

1 JULY – INISHBOFIN

We awoke to heavy rain and strong winds and it was clear that an involuntary lay-day stretched ahead of us and so Sylvia cheered us all up with bacon sandwiches for breakfast. After a lazy morning on board, the rain stopped and we went ashore for another round of Murphy’s and chowder at the Beach Café. The sun then came out and we had a short walk round the harbour to North Beach Bay, past the lough which used to be fresh water but which was now brackish following a breach of the natural breakwater that divides it from the bay.

Above: Bagheera crew at Mizen Head. Below: Passing Mizen Head in the early morning.

Walking back round the harbour we could see that a yacht had moored in the ferry’s berth alongside the quay, in spite of a plethora of notices telling people not to obstruct the berth. We awaited the ferry’s return with interest and as the crew of the yacht were clearly absent, he had to moor on the other side of the quay. The captain cannot have been amused by such thoughtless action and even when he had returned from his last trip of the day to Cleggan, the yacht was still there.

2 JULY – INISHBOFIN TO ROUNDSTONE

The log records “dodgy forecast – again!” of a fresh westerly wind veering north-west later. We decided to give it a go and left Bofin Harbour at 0840 in sunshine to catch the last of the south-going tide round Slyne Head. It was a lovely west coast day, with a fresh breeze, fluffy white clouds and bright sunshine. Initially we motor-sailed but at High Island we were able to kill the engine and sail south as the wind started to veer, allowing a great sail down the coast to Roundstone.

3 JULY – ROUNDSTONE TO INISHMORE

At last, the weather was showing signs of settling down, with fine weather forecast for later in the week and no force 6 warnings! We left Roundstone at 0910 and headed out down past St Macdara’s Isle, again too rough to land. Three French yachts passed us bashing into the stiff breeze going in the opposite direction – we didn’t envy them. It struck us that this was the first time on the whole cruise that we had seen three yachts out sailing at the same time! The west coast north of Mizen Head remains almost empty of other yachts, much as it has been on each of the Skipper’s previous visits. This time, we all went ashore for the short walk to Dun Aengus, where we were lucky to find a bored guide who gave us a conducted tour of the fortifications. It is one of the wonders of Ireland or indeed Europe. The walk back gave us a lovely view of Bagheera lying peacefully at anchor in the bay. LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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CRUISING 6 JULY – DINGLE TO VALENTIA

Once again, we awoke to drizzle but the forecast was good, apart from the possibility of mist and fog, with “increasing confidence of a heat wave” for later in the week. We left Dingle Marina with some sadness – Peter (the marina manager) and Colm are a great pair who had looked after us very well. By the time we had cleared the entrance to Dingle Harbour at 1130, the sun came out and we romped across Dingle Bay at 7–8 knots. Doulus Head, that beetle-browed headland that guards the north entrance to Valentia Harbour, came up at 1320 and we moored up inside the breakwater at 1400. It was very crowded, with small boats being moored in such a way as to take up lots of the available space but we managed to squeeze in, just along from our Canadian friends in Meteor.

4 JULY 2022 – INISHMORE TO DINGLE

It was tea and biscuits in a lovely dawn at 0530 as we prepared for the long journey south. Rounding Slyne Head feels like leaving the real wild west and heading back to the Dingle peninsula feels as though you are almost home. The forecast was for our old friend west or northwest 5–6 but soon decreasing 4–5. A west-north-west force 4 wind gave us a broad reach and conditions were great for a fast passage. Bagheera rattled along at 7–8 knots with only the occasional line squall giving us a few minutes of concern. Although conditions started out grey, the weather gradually improved as the day went on and as we started to bring Loop Head abeam we could already see the towering bulk of Brandon Mountain on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula, some 35 miles away. We made slow but steady progress through the sound and by 1735 we were able to bear away past Slea Head and down the south side of the peninsula towards Dingle, passing the entrance at 1910 and mooring up in a great berth at 1950. It had been a wonderful sail and we were delighted with the care that our friend Colm, the deputy marina manager, had taken with our arrival – an easy berth, electricity loaded on to the pillar and a fob for the shower block taped to the pillar. To celebrate, the Skipper cooked toad-in-the-hole and we relaxed with the glow of a great sail behind us and a major milestone passed.

5 JULY – DINGLE

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We decided on a well-deserved lay-day in Dingle but awoke to drizzle. The crew went off for showers and laundry, already much needed, after which the water was filled and the boat generally tidied up. The day was marked by the political dramas at Westminster, with the rule of King Boris finally unravelling as Sunak and Javid resigned. The end was nigh! After a fine dinner ashore, It was a relaxed crew that strolled down through the town, stopping in Paudie’s Bar at the Dingle Bay Hotel for some folk music and a last drink. LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Above: Darrynane Harbour. Below: Skipper and David swim in Sneem.

“ A west-northwest force 4 wind gave us a broad reach and conditions were great for a fast passage. Bagheera rattled along at 7–8 knots with only the occasional line squall giving us a few minutes of concern. ”

7 JULY – VALENTIA TO DARRYNANE

The Skipper was in bad humour as the forward heads were blocked! A job for later. The forecast was for light winds and rain/drizzle and fog – not encouraging. We set out at 1040 with no clear plan, only to see how the day unfolded. At Reenadrolaun Point (wonderful name) the engine was killed and we wallowed along with Bagheera having difficulty in maintaining any speed in the sloppy sea often found along this stretch of coast, where the long Atlantic swells break against the cliffs and rebound to cause confusion. After a misty visit to the Skelligs, the mist cleared and we had a cracking sail back to the mainland in brilliant sunshine that was to stay with us for the next four days. By 1640, we were anchored in Darrynane, which was not too crowded in spite of an Irish Cruising Club Rally being there already. The crew all went ashore while the Skipper wrestled with the heads, eventually clearing them but finding that the top and bottom seals now leaked. Aaagghh!! Still, it was a perfect evening and the crew were very patient as dinner was very late but at least we were able to eat in the cockpit in glorious surroundings.

8 JULY – DARRYNANE TO KILMAKILLOGE

The promised heatwave had arrived and we woke to brilliant warm sunshine, with breakfast in the cockpit in the most beautiful surroundings. The Skipper went ashore to visit the ruined abbey and to feel the lovely white sand of Darrynane Bay between his toes and it was difficult to leave. Leave we did though at 1200 and passing Abbey Island to port, we headed out into the Kenmare River. The wind was light but who cared as there was not a cloud in the sky. As we were moving only at fishing speed, out came the new fishing gear and lo and behold! we caught a 4lb pollock. Lunch was taken round the cockpit table as we drifted along and it was the hottest day the Skipper had ever encountered in Ireland. At 1510, we anchored in Sneem in four metres in lovely surroundings, with a fine panorama of the McGillicuddy’s Reeks to the north-east. The oldies (David and the Skipper) were straight over the side

CRUISING

for a swim as the water was relatively warm. It was a pleasant interlude and Sneem is a beautiful anchorage but after tea and cake, we motored across to the south side of the Kenmare River and threaded our way through the fish farms of Kilmakilloge until we found an idyllic anchorage east of Collorus Harbour, just inside Escadawer Point. There were a couple of boats on moorings but otherwise just trees and mountains. We cooked the pollock and ate it in the cockpit in complete isolation – it was absolutely lovely. With no light pollution, the stars were wonderful and it was perfectly peaceful.

9 JULY – KILMAKILLOGE TO LAWRENCE COVE

In the morning it was glassy calm and not a cloud in the sky, although a wraith of mist still hung over the mountains. We ate breakfast in the cockpit while an otter? a seal? pottered around the bay. Reluctantly, we left Kilmakilloge under engine as there was no usable breeze – in fact virtually no breeze at all. Once again, we had amazing views of the Reeks as we motored down the Kenmare River past Ardgroom and Cleanderry. Off Cod Head, we observed a strange area of foam in our path which sent the Skipper scurrying down to have a look at the chart but there were no rocks and it must have been caused by an eddy of tide meeting the main stream. Dursey Sound is always one to get the heart racing and we entered the north end at 1300. The tide was

Above left: While in Crookhaven we visited O’Sullivan’s and the Skipper presented Dermod with a LSC burgee. He seemed delighted and the burgee was last seen draped over a whisky optic! Above right: Skipper works at the chart table in the Celtic Sea. Below: Lawrence Cove Marina.

much less than we had anticipated and with no cable car crossing, the passage under the wires was less dramatic than it can be (Bagheera’s mast height is just short of 19 metres and the clearance under the cable car is only 21 metres!). We emerged into the wide entrance to Bantry Bay and suddenly there were other yachts about – the calm forecast had tempted more than usual to round the psychological barrier of Mizen Head. As we turned the corner into Beare Island Sound, a breeze finally arrived and we were able to sail the whole length of the Sound, passing south of the stilldangerous wreck of the Bardini Reefer, before turning into Lawrence Cove where we moored up at 1630, with its chatelaine running down the pontoon, skirts billowing, to guide us in. It was as quirky and friendly as ever, with nothing locked and everything taken on trust.

10 JULY – LAWRENCE COVE TO CROOKHAVEN

Yet another lovely morning with the mountains on the north side of the Sound etched sharply against the brilliant blue sky. The Skipper went ashore to the shop for a few stores – it really is a very old-fashioned establishment. We enjoyed a short visit to Adrigole but time was against us and we had to keep moving on. As we crossed Bantry Bay, a breeze came up and we were soon sailing briskly at 7 knots out towards Sheep’s Head, which we rounded at 1505. We managed to sail across the entrance to Dunmanus Bay (still never visited) but as we rounded Mizen Head with the wind now up to force 5 it backed into the south-east and we were unable to lay the coast past Brow Head and up to the entrance to Crookhaven and we motorsailed the last leg, picking up a mooring in Crookhaven at 1655.

11 JULY – CROOKHAVEN TO BALTIMORE

We woke to thick fog in the anchorage and could barely see the next yacht and so it was not a morning for an early start. Rock-hopping in that area needs good visibility and not over-reliance on chart-plotters. LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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CRUISING

We settled down to a breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs while waiting for the fog to clear. The Skipper wrestled with the forward shower tray pump, which had started to misbehave during the great heads sort-out of a few days earlier but to no avail. It all seemed to be fine but just wouldn’t pump – frustration! At 1200 the visibility had improved sufficiently to leave and we slipped the mooring and sailed out into Long Island Bay. We were forced to motor through the north entrance to Baltimore Bay, where we anchored north-east of the harbour in 5.3 metres at 1535. After a snack lunch of cheese and biscuits, it was all ashore for a pilgrimage to Bushe’s Bar, still one of the best in Ireland, and we sat outside in the sunshine and soaked up the atmosphere. Baltimore has changed and along with its clientele is now much more sophisticated than it was but fortunately, Bushe’s Bar is unchanging, apart from having had a lick of paint.

12 JULY 2022 – BALTIMORE TO KINSALE

With a long day ahead of us, the crew was up early and we left Baltimore at 0630. It was a “slack isobar”

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Above: Baltimore Harbour and north entrance viewed from Sherkin Island.

morning – grey and still, with no movement in the clouds and a little light rain. As we motored east, the rain increased and it was a miserable day and we were pleased to reach Kinsale.

13 / 14 JULY – KINSALE TO ST MAWES

Above: Lot's Wife Baltimore Beacon viewed from Sherkin Island. Below: St Mawes in the morning sunshine.

The time had come to leave Ireland and the beauty of the early morning made it very hard. We crept away from alongside our neighbours at 0605 and hopefully didn’t wake them. The log records “smoothly and almost silently under way”! We took our departure from the Bulman buoy at 0635 and with a northerly force 3–4 we sailed fast towards England. At 1000, we filed a passage report with Cork Radio as Ireland slipped astern. By 1200, we had reached the Kinsale Gas Field where dismantling was still in progress and after almost nine weeks of work, it looked much the same! Dolphins entertained us as we passed the platforms, showing that they are little disturbed by the activity. On previous trips across the Celtic Sea we had encountered no shipping but at 2000, the Brittany Ferries Armorique came up astern, en route from Cork to Roscoff. The Skipper had a pleasant chat with the Officer of the Watch who courteously altered course to leave us well to starboard of his track. David cooked an excellent pasta for supper and we all felt prepared for the night ahead. The log records us dead running on a lovely night, with a number of encounters with fishing boats to keep us on our toes. At 1015 we were at the Runnell Stone (almost too close to it!) and had a glorious fast sail across Mounts Bay in brilliant sunshine. The Lizard came abeam at 1415 and we started a long slog up towards Falmouth. It was clear that Falmouth would be very crowded and we opted to anchor in St Mawes for the night. Here it was also very crowded but we found space to anchor (second time lucky, the anchor failing to hold in the kelp of St Mawes the first time) and reported our safe arrival to Falmouth Coastguard. We settled down to enjoy the spectacle of the Falmouth Working Boats finishing their mid-week race – a great sight and unique in this country – and then went ashore in search of fish and chips, which we found at the Rising Sun.

CRUISING from Bolt Tail but with the spring tide still running against us, we had to motor-sail in past Start Point and back across Start Bay to Dartmouth, making our ‘landfall’ as usual on the Homestone. It was not until 2015 that we were back on our berth for the last supper and lots of reminiscences and refreshment! Leg 3 cruise distance 672.3M, engine hours 62.7.

17 JULY – HOMEWARD BOUND

15 JULY – ST MAWES TO NEWTON FERRERS

It was another perfect morning, warm but not too hot. The Skipper went ashore early for croissants and (hopefully) for scones but they were not yet available. We left St Mawes at 1015 but the wind was very light and we pottered along for a while at 2.5 knots across Gerans Bay and Veryan Bay, eventually bringing the Dodman abeam at 1415 – a very slow sail. At this point we decided that if we were going to get anywhere before nightfall, we would have to motor and it was a long spell under engine from the Dodman past Eddystone and into the Yealm. We moored up in glorious peace and quiet in the Thorn Pool at 1940. It was one of those memorable evenings with warm evening sunshine and supper in the cockpit in the soft beauty of the Yealm – a stark contrast to the strong winds and harsh grandeur of Connemara. The night was perfectly still.

16 JULY – NEWTON FERRERS TO DARTMOUTH

Suddenly, it was the last day of the cruise. With the tide only fair round Start Point until midday, we decided not to rush and left the mooring at 1015. It was a cracking sail across Bigbury Bay, although boat speed was knocked off by a very lumpy sea. The day was enlivened by the VHF radio; first there was a very panicky Mayday call from a yacht which had run aground on the mud in the Hamoaze, just opposite the dockyard in Plymouth. Not wanting it to be seen where he was, he had turned off his AIS but we could see from the lifeboat’s AIS that he was some two cables on to a drying area at the entrance to Millbrook Lake – what he was doing there, heaven only knows but it certainly was not a Mayday situation. The second was another Mayday from a yacht which had run aground on the Cannis Rock just outside Fowey – hard to do as it has a very large Cardinal mark just beside it! At 1405 we anchored in a busy Hope Cove for lunch, with the usual annoyance of RIBs and speedboats passing too close at speed and troubling us with their wash. The mood was improved by a long board out

Above: Glorious peace and quiet, Thorn Pool, the Yealm.

Above: Anchored in Hope Cove. Below: Crew celebrate their arrival in home waters.

The morning was spent as usual in packing up and cleaning Bagheera ready for her next exploits. Diana arrived at 1200 for an early lunch and then we had the task of ferrying vast quantities of gear ashore and somehow getting it all into the car. It had been an extraordinary cruise; the first two legs were tough on the crew and particularly on the Skipper, who was faced with almost daily decisions about whether it was safe to sail and even when it was, the conditions were often marginal. The combination of a depression sitting stationary midway between Greenland and Iceland together with high pressure in the Atlantic for much of the cruise had given continuously strong west and north-west winds and consequently challenging conditions. Nonetheless, Ireland reminded us frequently of its amazing nature and grand beauty. Highlights were landfall in Kinsale, exploring Sherkin Island, the warmth of our welcomes in Dingle, O’Dowd’s Seafood Bar and Restaurant in Roundstone, the beauty of Fahy Bay, lunch in Gorteen Harbour near Roundstone and of course the wonderful period of fine weather which made Darrynane, the Kenmare River and Bantry Bay such a delight. As ever, my thanks are due to the brave and tolerant crew who made it all possible and my apologies are due to them all for the occasional indignities to which they were subjected. Thanks are also due to Bagheera of Whitby, who never failed to inspire confidence even in times of severe weather. n Cruise distance 1309.9M, engine hours 105.

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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OBITUARY

CHARLES ADAIR QUAYLE

Long standing member Charlie Quayle passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Faithful Kioni crew Michael Forbes Smith remembers him, his foibles, his strong-held opinions and never-ending improvement to his and Jill’s cherished yacht. This eulogy was given by Michael at Charlie’s funeral on 31 January 2023, held at St Michael Paternoster Royal. Well, Charlie had the last laugh, as Jill has said; dying just as Hogmanay was giving way to the New Year. New Year: a time of reflection and renewal. Of looking back, but also forward. And as we do so we shall remember Charlie year after year. Smile at his foibles; rejoice at his ebullience; and salute his courage. He would not have us mourn – and to recall and indeed marvel at his achievements will be an uplifting example for all of us to try – and perhaps fail – to emulate as we continue down life’s long road. Charles Adair Quayle was born on 27 January 1952, at St George’s Hospital when it was still at Hyde Park Corner. His father was in marketing and when his job took him to India in 1956 the family, including Charlie and his younger brother Tim went too, and on to Northern Italy when Charlie was 10. He was sent to boarding school, first at Witham Hall Prep School in Stamford which he loved and then at Felsted in Essex. I have heard stories of a much-loved grandmother having them for holidays in Royston and doing the school runs – but to and from airports. By all accounts Charlie had a ‘famous five’ sort of childhood and both school and holiday adventures set the tone for two of his great passions. He began sailing on Lake Iseo, east of Milan – showing an early architectural aptitude by designing a swing using the bow of their dinghy which had been sunk in a storm. And he discovered opera. And where better to do so then at La Scala – it was, he said, such an everyday event that it was like “going to the cinema”. I’m told Charlie was a chorister at Felsted – yet another revelation to me but join those two things together and it all clicks into place: that he was an opera snob – he disliked the ENO because the singing was in English: and that he could be an

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embarrassment to his fellow opera goers; quivering to join in; singing from the box. When he later married Jane – at Hampton Court Palace – the plumbing and electrical skills he had learnt on building sites during his university vacs came in handy when doing up their first flat and later the family home in Putney where Tom and William grew up. Though they parted, Jane has emphasised how very proud Charlie was of his sons’ achievements, their wonderful life partners, and what comfort he will have taken from their time with him in his last days. Anyone who knows anything of Charlie will have guessed – he was too comfortable in his own skin to need to advertise the fact – that he had a very considerable intellect, allied to a distinctly practical bent. He became a Chartered Architect, studying first at Newcastle University and later in London. Joining Kenzie Lovell, a City architect and project management practice, he led a project management group of 20. Moving to Swanke Hayden Connell Architects in 1995 he became Senior Project Manager on multi-million pound construction projects including the Deutsche Bank HQ and Merrill Lynch Financial Centre. Then, given his increasing responsibilities for contractual matters he decided that he needed legal skills. He began part-time law studies in 2006. At this point the two determining events of his later life took place. Though Jill and Charlie had met on the Coastal Skipper course at the Little Ship Club in 1998, they became an item only in 2006; yet another example of the Club’s prowess as a dating agency! But that was just before he suffered the first bout of the cancer that – despite his dogged defiance of it for 16 years –

eventually killed him. He arranged the timing of his chemo-therapy sessions so that he could attend the weekly law classes on his ‘good days’, with Jill as taxi driver. Fellow-students trying to cajole some taste back into his tasteless taste buds in the pub afterwards, when Jill became an even more important taxi driver! He was finally called to the bar at Middle Temple in 2008, outraged despite all he had gone through, that he missed a distinction by just one mark! He found impish satisfaction in constantly requiring the admin people to re-print his business cards as he gained one qualification after another. Charlie’s last professional move, in 2011, was to Barton Willmore, the UK’s largest multidisciplinary planning and design practice where he was in-house counsel heading up risk management, compliance and contractual matters. But he never allowed his work to swallow him up so completely that he had no time to engage his passions and energy beyond his working life. And he was blessed that two passions coincided – Jill and sailing. I really got to know them in August 2012 when I invited them to help me on the ‘work-up’ of my new boat Dream of Osprey in Croatia, as Charlie had recently recovered from his latest bout of cancer treatment and once again had hair. We found a spinnaker, in its snuffer, lying dirty, covered in salt stuffed into the bottom of the fore peak maybe 10 years before. We rushed it up onto the quayside, washed off the accumulations of neglect, sewed up the many rips, and made plans for sea trials. At which point my wife Claire booked a nice room in a nearby seaside pension and left us to it. It was a beautiful spinnaker, all red, white and blue. We had it up with Charlie on the fore deck in a balmy force 2 from the West as we approached Prolaz Zapuntal – the

OBITUARY

Charlie reading Charter or Martyr. Shanties Evening, 2019.

narrow passage into the bay between the islands of Molat and Ist. We were doing a good three knots. The wind grew brisker. We accelerated. We were rocketing along rising eight knots with the passage alarmingly close. “Get it down!” No response. “Get it down” – increasingly desperate. Flurries up for’ard and within 50 metres of the passage the spinnaker slid into its snuffer. We later discovered that the guy was too thick and was jammed in the jaw of the spinnaker pole. So quick-thinking Charlie had by main force unclipped the pole from the mast! By then, though, Charlie and Jill were exploring their own dream of owning a boat. From his hospital bed he had built up spreadsheet after spreadsheet of the ‘must have, nice to have’ variety – sound familiar? A Bavaria – surely a bit infra dig for a seasoned seaborne warrior? Charlie was conflicted. Nevertheless Kioni was acquired, in perfect condition, from loving owners with her own berth in Port Solent Marina. Of course, Charlie had to improve her – every visit I made, there were more strips of LEDs lighting up every locker when its hatch was opened; even the poubelle! The biggest upgrade was the new engine, which nearly halved the hour-long motor down Portsmouth Harbour to the Sally Port – during which Jill served up the breakfast bacon butties. They were, of course, coowners, Charlie and Jill. And as a result had conversations: spirited conversations indeed. And as Jill herself has confessed, once started no-one else could get a word in edge ways: it was one of the better spectator sports for the crew which I was privileged frequently to be. And Charlie had fixed and immovable ideas about how the boat should be run, victualled, sailed, moored. They took alternate days as skipper – at least that was the theory. Jill’s best comment on that was – I opened my

mouth and Charlie’s voice came out. That said, Charlie’s voice was remarkably quiet. On the foredeck which was my normal station I frequently could not hear him – he would mutter away leaving his crew to use their imagination; most times successfully. So, as Jill has said he was a soft-spoken control freak. But no-one could fail to warm to him. When I was Commodore, I can say with the utmost gratitude that Charlie and Jill were my Praetorian Guard when faced with stormy waters. Which reminds me of swords. As a soldier I had a sword which is now nailed to the wall. Charlie had 32 of them on his wall; reflecting his collectors’ mania and a family military history including service on the North West Frontier and the First World War trenches. All of which explains his ardent support of the charity Waterloo Uncovered re-creating the great British land battles of the past. Charlie took over the organisation of the Club’s annual Fast Cruise series in the Solent in 2017 – a semi-race plus a dinner in a pub or yacht club once a month throughout the winter: a lot of organisation; and of adjudication of winners and losers. All Charlie’s forensic skills came to the fore and to the frequent discomfiture of any challengers as to the Club’s rating rules or their race placings. Anne Billard and Barrie Martin, my successors as Commodore, would add their gratitude for Charlie’s commitment – the moment he retired in 2019 he joined the Committee, becoming ViceCommodore for Sail and Power. His reliability, his willingness to research objectively options for the Club, even against his personal preferences, his

cogent comments at committee meetings and elsewhere, all marked him out as an outstanding servant of the Club and its members. I canvassed reminiscences from many of them. Mark Turvey’s recollection of Charlie’s rendition of ‘Three Men in a Boat’ at the annual shanties evening. Or his asking Richard Keen whether the depth sounder was set to metres when it was in feet so there was only 0.1 feet under the keel. Tim Bizzey described some of his exploits as “intrepid”. The constraints of time prevent my recounting more – there are legions! And so, to the end. And in the end, it was not the cancer but the side-effects that killed him. He invented his own epitaph “the treatment was successful, but the patient died.” He also wanted to write his own eulogy; he certainly wrote our order of service. Some time after his final arrival in hospital his surgeon, wanting to check his mental capability said: “normally I ask patients to tell me who is the Prime Minister, but perhaps that’s not a fair question just at the moment…. Do you know where you are”. Quick as a flash the response: “Unfortunately, I know only too well”. When Jill asked him for advice on adjusting the central heating she found, when she got home, that he had done it remotely for her from his hospital bed. The control freak again perhaps, but a mightily courageous one. That’s the man I – we all – remember. His intelligence. His compassion. His humour. His friendship. Charlie, I don’t know how strong your faith was, if at all. But I say to you what I should wish said in due course for myself: In paradisum deducant te angeli: May the angels lead you to paradise.

Jill and Charlie off Normandy, 2011.

Fast Cruise.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES This article written by W Fuller was first published in the March 1938 edition of The Journal of the Little Ship Club. Photographs by permission

FIVE DAYS TRAINING

of the Admiralty.

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nother instrument which we found very interesting was the Stuart’s distance meter. This handy little object, about the size of a hymn-book, is used primarily for station-keeping when steaming in a flotilla, but can be used for taking the range of any not too distant object of known height. It is in effect a simplified sextant, employing a sliding eyepiece over a curved lens instead of adjustable mirrors, and is based on the solution of a right angled triangle, the perpendicular being the height of the object and the angle that at the observer’s eye. To use it one simply sets a pointer to the height of the object in feet, moves the eyepiece until the two images seen are sitting directly on top of each other (in the case of ships one gets the masthead of one image on to the waterline of the other) and then reads off the distance in cables on a scale, the whole operation taking no more than 30 seconds. On this day we were shown the working of the Kelvin sounding machine by a petty officer and the Gunner showed us the intricate breech mechanism of a high-angle pom-pom. It was impossible in the course of a single brief exposition to obtain a really practical knowledge of the latter, but our superficial curiosity received a measure of satisfaction which was at any rate thoroughly enjoyable. The same could be said of the director instruments and the breech mechanism of the 4.7 inch guns, which were shown to us the following day. We very much enjoyed these things, possibly more than anything else, but without seeing actual firing and spending much more time than was available in studying their principles and construction, it was hardly possible to take away any very coherent or useful impression. That evening we were taken with a number of officers from Shotley to a party given by a distinguished flag officer living in the neighbourhood. On Thursday we were taken round the engine and boiler rooms by the engineer, and were surprised to find both rooms quite cool, especially the boiler room. The engine room is not wholly under water, as in larger ships, but occupies the entire LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

midships portion of the ship, from top to bottom and from side to side. There were scuttles open in the sides, numerous large openings in the deck overhead and several powerful fans. The engines themselves, being turbines, were inconspicuous and mainly invisible, but it was interesting to watch the large revolution dials and to see how the pressure of steam is constantly adjusted to maintain the number of revolutions ordered from the bridge. The boiler-room is approached through an air-lock, because the whole compartment is kept at an increased air pressure in order to force the draught of the boiler furnaces. If both doors of the air-lock were opened at once, we were told, the furnaces would backfire and burn the stokers. The pressure is maintained by a couple of very large fans and the temperature at the working level was about the same as in the wardroom. The stokers looked clean and unruffled – very different from their counterparts in a coal-fired ship. Later we were shown the guns and director, to which I have already referred, and the range finder. The latter we found quite fascinating as we were able to work it ourselves. One has to climb up on to a high standard over the top of the bridge and perch on a motor-cycle seat; looking into an eyehole in the middle of the finder one sees the object whose range is to be taken cut in half, with one half slid to one side of the other; with one hand one keeps the finder tilted at the right elevation and with the other works a milled roller to bring the two halves of the object into alignment, watching the image with one eye and reading the range on a scale with the other. Another person sits on another perch opposite and, peering into a short periscope that reflects over his own shoulders, keeps the finder trained on to the object, so that the actual range-taker shall not have too much to do at once. We were told that the range-finder is only used at the beginning of an action, afterwards the range is judged from the fall of shot. We landed the Shotley boys early this day and turning round short, practically in our own length, in a crowded river we

Top right: One of Yachtmen’s Reserve.

were able to leave for Chatham by half past two. The economical speed of our ship is 12 knots, and to go even a few knots faster uses a vastly increased amount of fuel, so that without a special reason any higher speed is forbidden. While we were out exercising in the morning we received a wireless message reporting an aircraft missing in the Estuary and instructing us to keep a lookout for it; it was accordingly decided to return at twenty knots in order to complete the passage by daylight, but just before we left another message came reporting the aircraft found, so we missed the pleasure of a quick run home. I spent the whole return trip on the bridge, except for tea, and so was able to pay closer and more continuous attention to the procedures more than had been possible hitherto. The bridge of a destroyer is on two levels, the upper bridge and the lower bridge. The lower bridge consists of two separate triangular wings divided by a closed-in central structure, on each wing is a semaphore, and from the wings signal flags are hoisted. The forward part the central structure is the wheel-house; here, naturally enough, is the wheel, and also engine-room telegraphs, a gyroscopic and magnetic compass and an indicator which shows the angle of the rudder in degrees. The quartermaster who actually manipulates the wheel has a somewhat restricted view ahead and none at all in any other direction, but is instructed how to steer by a voice-pipe from the upper bridge. Another rating works the engine-room telegraphs subject to the same control. The after part of the central structure is occupied by the chart-house and the captain’s sea-cabin, a rather cramped compartment with a narrow settee-bed.

FROM THE ARCHIVES The upper bridge is approached by iron ladders from each wing of the lower bridge. There is no covering over it, but the sides give protection to about shoulder level and there is usually some spot in it which is sheltered from the wind. It is roughly oblong placed fore and aft, but the forward end is narrowed a little. Here is a slightly raised platform containing the two compasses and here stands the officer who is conning the ship. A speaking tube rears up from below and can be swung about into a convenient position. To one side is a small sheltered chart table, which can be illuminated. In the centre of the bridge, on a raised circular platform is the director, usua1ly covered with a tarpaulin, and further aft, on a higher stand is the range-finder. On the after edge of the bridge, almost against the fore-funnel is a small wireless installation in a box; this is not normally used – there is a proper wireless station beneath the lower bridge – but it could be used in action if the captain desired to keep in more direct and immediate touch. On either side of the bridge is a ten-inch searchlight in charge of a signalman; these can be used either for illumination, or, by means of a shutter mechanism for morse flashing; they are in fact the most frequently used means of signaling at medium distances both by night and day. The semaphores are used by day over short distances – ours were used once, for instance, to rebuke a picket boat which had got in our way – and the flags appeared to be used mainly for routine signals on arrival and departure. Wireless telegraphy was used for messages sent to beyond the limits of visibility. As the ship left Harwich Harbour the Captain was at the speaking tube giving a stream of orders for the helm and engine;

Design for mooring.

each order was immediately repeated back by the appropriate man in the wheelhouse, and the engine-room orders were repeated again when they had been answered from the engine room. The system of giving and repeating helm and engine orders is described in detail in the Seamanship Manual so I will not go into any further detail here beyond saying that while in the tortuous harbour channels the orders were given in degrees of helm, but that as soon as we were reasonably clear the quartermaster was given a compass course to steer. While at sea the Captain remained in actual control most of the time with the sub-lieutenant RNR standing beside him and doing the chartwork; when he did leave the bridge he left instructions that he was to be recalled if it were necessary to alter course or to pass within a quarter of a mile of any ship. To one accustomed to much smaller craft it was rather striking at how great a distance risk of collision was assumed to exist. The wintry daylight came to an end as we steamed up the Barrow Deep and it was quite dark before we sighted the Nore. It was a comparatively clear night and the lights of Southend could be seen on one side and of Sheerness on the other as we approached the Medway. Only good luck and our own promptitude, however, prevented our running down a sailing fisherman, who, with that robust optimism which is no doubt the backbone of something or other, had not thought it necessary in this channel to show anything in the nature of a light. By way of gentle expostulation our searchlight was shone in his eyes until he had dropped astern. Passing Garrison Point we flashed our name and the information that the light on one of the buoys had gone out. Now came another piece of tortuous conning with detailed helm orders shouted down the tube. At times the quartermaster was told to steady the ship on some conspicuous light or object ashore and in this he was assisted by a “pin light,” a small electric bulb on the after-side of the jackstaff. Finally we turned round and, steaming stern first with amazing dexterity, took up our position alongside once more and secured to the same head and stern buoys. For this manoeuvre a special portable speaking tube was rigged, down which the Captain was able to give helm and engine orders while hanging over the side of the bridge on one of the iron ladders. Orders to the mooring party in the stern were telephoned by a signalman. That

evening all of us from the Wanderer’s wardroom were most hospitably entertained to dinner by the Wishart and defeated by them at darts. The following morning, our last day we were shown the ship’s central store and received a brief explanation of the system of store keeping. A good deal of office work is required, as everything issued to the ship has to be accounted for, from an anchor to a drawing pin. Consumable stores are regulated by money value, a price being put on everything supplied, a valuation assessed for goods returned, and definite quarterly allowance of consumption established for each department. We were only able to obtain a rather sketchy impression of this somewhat unexpected aspect of naval life and would have been glad to spend more time on it if more had been available. Finally the Captain took us in hand and and gave us a short talk on signals and organisation. In the course of this we learned the three categories of Admiralty publications: at one extreme “Confidential” books, for whose secret safe-keeping an officer is always responsible; at the other extreme those general navigational works which are sold to the general public as well as issued to the Service, and in between, the “OU” class of very numerous technical handbooks and manuals issued for “Official Use” only but not strictly confidential. Equivalent Army manuals are, I believe, on sale to the public, and it would certainly be very welcome if these OU books were made available to members of the Supplementary Reserve. One would for instance learn far more from the short demonstrations one receives of guns and torpedoes if one had previously been able to read the subject up and knew what to expect.

HMS Wanderer.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES/BOOKS A trip of this duration can indeed do little but rouse one’s appetite for more and give one a sight of countless intriguing trails without time to follow any of them. I am sure that the arrangements made for us could not have been more enjoyable and it is difficult to see how they could have been more instructive; one laughs at Americans doing London in a day, but if one only has a day one has to make the best of it. If, however, we are to be allowed a second period of sea-training I am sure that every member of the RNVSR will be with me in hoping that, having now been given a quick look round, we may, on a subsequent trip be given a slightly more active and less superficial role. An ounce of practice is worth a pound of theory and if we could be given some measure of responsibility, however slight, our potential usefulness would I imagine be much increased. Obviously it is impossible to expend valuable ammunition in firing the guns for our especial benefit, but the navigation of the ship, its organisation and its office work are going on anyway. If we could be allotted some trifling jobs in any of these departments we should learn more than from the most graphic lecture. Presumably when the war comes we shall find ourselves in command or second in command of small auxiliary craft; the coastal navigation of such craft we are supposed to know something of already, the use of special weapons will no doubt have to be taught us in an intensive course, but over and above these things we ought, if we are not to get in a hopeless muddle, to know something of naval ways of doing things, the employments and qualifications needed, etc.

Hon Librarian, Geoff Quentin, reviews a couple of the books recently donated to the Club Library. Geoff is keen to hear from anybody who would like to join the book review panel, so please do get in touch! ([email protected]) CLUBLAND’S HIDDEN TREASURES Sam Aldred Independently published, 2020 ISBN: 9798675253821 The Club has been given this very fascinating and unusual book by Sam Aldred the author. We were treated to a beautifully delivered talk on 11 October by him. I thought I had an understanding of the basics of a club such as our sailing club but this book and the talk by Sam put clubs and their members in a very different light. Over the 279 pages some 38 clubs, not all in London, are described. Well not so much described but the special features of both the members and the interiors of these clubs is picked out in detail that illustrates the unique nature of each of the different clubs. What a revelation, this book should be browsed, dipped into, thought about and talked about to friends. Do have a look at it next time you are in the Club, even borrow it and the librarian will record the event.

ISLAND ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD THE STORY OF ST KILDA Charles Maclean Canongate Books,1972, this edition 1996 ISBN 9781786896100 The book was donated to the Club by LSC member Phil Shatz. LSC members will know about St Kilda, where it is, how remote it is plus how difficult to visit for a yacht. I specifically chose a cruise on the MV Maud to visit St Kilda and did so in July 2022. What a place and a book like this is really essential to appreciate fully quite what one is seeing. This book along with ‘St Kilda’ by George Seton (see below) provides the background to this remote outpost of civilisation until its abandonment in 1930.

Above: One of the many photographs in the book showing a family outside their cottage in 1890. And how the Main Street looks now in 2022.

There is considerable detail about the way of life, the customs, the manner of their daily life plus worrying passages on the arrival of do-gooders who basically spoilt things despite, one supposes, good intentions. There is much also on the very early history and first settlers plus lots on the wild life and the weather. So a fascinating book, much to recommend and will be available in the Club library.

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Boat practice.

LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

Left: ‘St Kilda’ by George Seton, published by Birlinn Ltd (new edition 2000). ISBN: 9781912476466.

HPO NEWS

FULL CLUBHOUSE FOR AN OPTIMISTIC HPO DINNER

There was a positive and happy atmosphere at the 2023 HPO

Dinner. It was held at the clubhouse on 10 January and attended by 70 people with four HPOs joining via zoom. HPO Liaison Officer Anne Le Verrier-Bizzey reports.

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t the beginning of gloomy January 2023 it was very probable that the popular Honorary Port Officers Dinner would be wiped out, either with torrential rain or various strike actions which did cause quite a few people to cancel their visit to London. “Yea of no faith…..but Hey Presto…” the evening approached with a really full clubhouse of 70 people, bunting and flags around the room adding some colour to the atmosphere and the zoom screen ready for our HPOs to log in from overseas. Trying to get 70 people seated in good time took a little corralling but the evening started almost promptly with Grace spoken by Fr Tim Handley followed by the Commodore welcoming the President, flag officers, members and friends to the evening. In my role as Liaison Officer, I gave a very short speech about the history of the Club which is approaching its 100th year anniversary in 2026. The HPOs were created soon after, 89 years ago. At the time the LSC was believed to be the only sailing club to have Port Officers. HPOs are presented with their own rectangular burgee to fly on their boat or in a marina, always waiting to make welcoming contact with members whenever they may be visiting their location. A big ‘thanks’ was given to those HPOs who had travelled from Scotland, the West Country and France to join us for this evening. Apologies were received due to travelling, holidays, working and weather from Angus Annan, Loch Lomond; Gabbie Ryan, Ireland; Stuart Aikman, Fethiye Turkey; Brian Gandey, BVI; Keith Martin, North Brittany; Galen Brislane, Bermuda, Alessio Gnecco, Genoa and Faruk Gunlu, Izmir. Only four overseas HPOs logged in via zoom. Bruce Phillips, Port Denaru, Fiji, started the ball rolling, now in the cyclone season there: Anne Bizzey mentioned that their old friends Marina and Chris Nicholson had big travel problems but sent their best wishes.

Above: Mike Golding, Jean Michel Gaigne (HPO Loctudy), Anne Bizzey and Barrie Martin.

“It was good to have such a successful and happy evening kicking off the year of events at the Club. I have received so many positive comments, which makes it all worthwhile. We just need members to please make their effort and remember to make contact with HPOs as they cruise the world this year!”

Pete Martin, Capetown, mentioned that Barrie Martin had visited at Christmas. Pete has sailed the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro and races regularly. Andy Chatterton, Cyprus, said it was queer watching the Club from his office as he is normally in the Club. He has lived in Cyprus for three years and in January was enjoying temperatures of 18°C by day and 9°C at night. Larry Blount, Annapolis, gave an update on the Corinthian Chesapeake Cruise in September. In November he visited the LSC and enjoyed the coastal England lecture. The Corinthians’ AGM was held on 6 November in New York with 100 members attending. Other events highlighted by Larry included lunch at Naval Academy in December; awards at Annapolis Yacht Club in January, and the forthcoming Massachusetts Heritage Cruise in July. There were five HPOs present in the clubhouse. Gary and Catherine Adams started off the evening: Gary reminisced about their first visit to the Club back in 2018; he then introduced Gill and Tim Vollum, the new managers of their marina, the real gateway for sailors to Scotland. Tim spoke of work they have done which includes repair facilities, lift and moorings for residents. Jean-Michel Gaigne, Loctudy, Brittany spoke about his location and offers help to anyone visiting South Brittany; he mentioned he is also happy to help with the burden of paperwork born of Brexit – although he mentioned that particular headache is becoming less onerous, and he predicted it might even disappear completely in the not-too-distant future. Don Walker, St Jean de Losne, Burgundy, is based in an inland port with an interesting history. It has access to the River Somme and there are big locks on the Moselle. Barrie Martin, Paris Basin, mentioned the marina facilities in Paris where he keeps his other boat. He said the marina was often short of staff but the restaurants are good. LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

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HPO NEWS David Clements, HPO River Dart, mentioned again that he has never been called upon, and would dearly love to see visitors! After every HPO had spoken we found ourselves with spare time. Anne Bizzey asked our President, Mike Golding if he could say a few words now rather than at the end of the evening so those on zoom would hear and see him. As always, he admirably filled the gap relating more thrilling tales of his adventures. In his usual inimitably entertaining way, Mike told the story of sailing and training Americans, who were determined to crew an untested new boat on the Fastnet Race. Despite the jib getting badly torn while beating through the Needles Channel they carried on and came fourth in class. The dinner was delicious, chicken Provençal

Above: The room is set for HPO Dinner.

followed by lemon tart with ice cream or cheese plate. There was so much noise as the room buzzed with conversation, members catching up on news with friends they hadn’t seen for ages due to covid. The Club is now gearing up for a welcoming year with a real feeling of optimism for the future. The evening finished with a glass of port for the Loyal Toast to The King and the Commodore followed by asking everyone to raise their glass to the Liaison Officer and HPOs, I felt very honoured! It was good to have such a successful and happy evening kicking off the year of events at the Club. I have received so many positive comments, which makes it all worthwhile. We just need members to please make their effort and remember to make contact with HPOs as they cruise the world this year! n

INTRODUCING OUR CLUB’S HPOS

The Honorary Port Officers were established by the Little Ship Club in the city of London 89 years ago and believed to be the first of its kind which still continues today. They consist of a network of HPOs worldwide and a Liaison Officer keeps in touch during the year. They are a personal contact for any LSC member who is sailing or visiting their port, willing to offer assistance should it be needed for mechanical, health, tourism or a welcome drink. Although LSC members are not sailing round the world as frequently as one would wish, the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Baltic and around the coast of Britain are prime areas to visit. Here, some of our HPOs write about their areas, personal backgrounds and the beauty of sailing in their parts of the world. I hope these might entice members to make contact with this very precious cadre of Club members spread across the UK and the world.

CAIRNS BIRRELL, HPO EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND

Hi everyone, I’m your HPO for the East Coast of Scotland and would like to introduce myself. I live in Anstruther, a fishing village with a harbour that has been partly converted to a tidal marina. Anstruther is home to The Scottish Fisheries Museum and is located on the SE coast of Fife, between St Andrews to the north and Edinburgh to the southwest. I now keep my boat, ‘Sia (pictured below) on the west coast but have sailed on the east for over 30 years, visiting most of the harbours between Whitby and Kirkwall on Orkney. I’ve owned and maintained nine yachts of various styles since 1985 and professionally do some work on boat gas systems around central Scotland. I’ve been commodore of two sailing clubs, chairman of the Forth Yacht Clubs Association and a representative on RYA Scotland’s Management Council, so I know a bit about sailing up here! I play a bit of golf and have been a club member in St Andrews and Elie but I don’t play a lot now but have experienced over 40 courses in my HPO area. I would encourage LSC members to sail on the east coast of Scotland, as it really does have a lot to offer cruising sailors. I will always provide support to those visiting or passing by on their way to the west, through the canal, or on their way to Norway or further afield. However, I will also offer support and guidance to those members who might be arriving by other transport types. The HPO structure is a wonderful service and we as HPOs should be contacted and enjoyed.

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LITTLE SHIP SPRING 2023

ANGUS ANNAN, HPO LOCH LOMOND

Angus Annan shares photographs of their new boat, a Westerly GK24 on Loch Lomond in the evening light and of himself driving a twoton dump truck. Angus describes the truck as “much better than a pavement scooter – everybody gets out of the way when they see you in this”. He said they use this machine as motive power for launch and recovery of the boat at the start and end of the season.

LITTLE SHIP CLUB HONORARY PORT OFFICERS

UNITED KINGDOM +44 SOUTH COAST OF ENGLAND BEMBRIDGE: Mark Grzegorczyk Mob: 07774 118804 Tel: 01983 873101 [email protected] CHICHESTER HARBOUR: Brian Humber Mob: 07801 211658 [email protected] RIVER DART: David Clements Mob: 07802 151538 [email protected] PORTLAND/WEYMOUTH: Nick Moger, Mob: 07786 628123 [email protected] EAST COAST OF ENGLAND BENFLEET AND LEIGH ON SEA: Terry Pond Tel: 01621 743711 [email protected] BRIGHTLINGSEA: Pete Hampson Mob:07496 004301 [email protected]

OBAN: Catherine Adams Tel: 01631 565333 Mob: 07770 817909 [email protected] [email protected]

FRANCE +33 ANTIBES: David Lakeman Mob: 766 198445 UK Mob: 07748 725524 [email protected]

ITALY +39 GENOA: Alessio Gnecco Mob: 335 5492 196 [email protected]

WALES MILFORD HAVEN & FISHGUARD: Bill Preece Mob: 07836 747226 [email protected]

BURGUNDY: Don Walker Mob: 07855 961508 [email protected]

SPAIN AND LANZAROTE +34 SICILY +39 Armando Addati Tel: +39 699308207 Mob: +34 3357 409289 [email protected]

ISLE OF MAN Wendy Horn Tel: 01624 862000 Mob: 07762 926600 [email protected] CHANNEL ISLANDS ALDERNEY: Doug White Mob: 07781 137875 [email protected]

GIBRALTAR +350 Paul Shannon UK Mob: 07900 690159 [email protected]

WEST MERSEA AND RIVER BLACKWATER: John Davison Tel: 01206 621843 [email protected]

GREYSTONES: John Murphy Mob: +44(0) 778 740 5675 [email protected]

LOCH LOMOND: Angus Annan Mob: 07785 523540 [email protected]

LOCTUDY, SW BRITTANY: Jean-Michel Gaigne Mob: 682 112524 [email protected]

GUERNSEY: St Peter Port, David Mitchison Mob: 07781 154478 [email protected]

Ronan Beirne Mob: 862543866 [email protected]

EAST COAST: Cairns Birrell Mob: 07710 451779 [email protected]

NORTH BRITTANY: Keith Martin Mob: 0691 352259 [email protected]

JERSEY: Brian Alderson Mob: 07700 866846 [email protected]

RAMSGATE: Dr Rodney Pell, Mob: 07771 764169 [email protected]

SCOTLAND CALEDONIAL CANAL: Michael Salter Mob: 07802 694812 [email protected]

CHERBOURG: Magali Hamon Mob: 0677 876577 [email protected]

PARIS BASIN: Barrie Martin Mob: 7778 390825 [email protected]

RIVER CROUCH AND GREECE: Tom Davey NORTHERN Mob: 07961 351478 EUROPE [email protected] REPUBLIC OF IRELAND +353 RIVERS ORWELL, DEBEN, CROSSHAVEN: STOUR, ALDE & ORE: Wietse Buwalda Bill Hughes Mob: 872 601 755 Mob: 07917 797578 [email protected] [email protected] DUN LAOGHAIRE:

GLANDOR-BALTIMORE: Don Street Tel: 353 028 33143 [email protected]

Last updated 28/3/2023

Only mobile numbers shown – unless landline requested

ICELAND +354 Egill Kolbeinsson Mob: 898 5181 [email protected] NETHERLANDS +31 AMSTERDAM: Gabe Langerak Mob: 645789923 [email protected]

MEDITERRANEAN BALEARIC ISLANDS +34 MALLORCA (NORTH): Ian Foster Mob: 670 235 569 [email protected] MENORCA: Christopher Collman Mob: 696 43 47 87 [email protected]

WATERFORD: Gabbie Ryan Mob: 861 638601 [email protected]

GREECE +30 CORFU & IONIAN SEA: Dimitrios Koutsodontis Mob: 6936647333 [email protected]

ESTONIA +372 Ado Tikerpäe Tel: 53 010 450 [email protected]

LEFKAS: Matt Ferraby Mob: 07958-936514 [email protected]

CYPRUS +357 NORTH/SOUTH: Andy Chatterton Mob: 07816 526255 [email protected] TURKEY +90 FETHIYE: Stuart Aikman, Mob: 535 599 8538 [email protected]

AUSTRALASIA AUSTRALIA +61 MELBOURNE: Graham Cunningham Mob: 412 151 944 [email protected] FIJI +679 Bruce Phillips Mob: 9998 332 [email protected]

AFRICA

SOUTHEAST ASIA SINGAPORE AND SOUTHEAST REGION +65 SINGAPORE: Daniel Whittington Tel: 8298 3416 [email protected] THAILAND AND ANDAMAN ISLANDS +66 PHUKET: Steve Lawrence, Tel: 0926756820 [email protected]

MIDDLE EAST YEMEN +967 ADEN: Capt Roy Facey UK Mob: +44 07549 344293 [email protected]

NORTH CAROLINA: James Smart Tel: 252 975 1014 [email protected] PHILADELPHIA: Bill Thomas Tel: 610 668 1177 Mob: 610 416 0548 [email protected]

NEW ZEALAND +64 AUCKLAND: Steve Burrett Tel: 9425 9191 Mob: 21 942 732 [email protected]

BERMUDA +1 441 BERMUDA: Galen Brislane Mob: 595 0033 [email protected]

BAY OF ISLANDS: Sarah Fountain Mob: 0274 365521 [email protected]

USA +1 ATLANTIC

AMERICAS

CANADA +1 LYCIAN COAST: Hasan Kaçmas, Tel: 90 242 323 VANCOUVER: Michael D Trundle 66 80 [email protected] Tel: 604 926 2925 IZMIR: Faruk Gunlu [email protected] Mob: 532 441 7616 [email protected] SOUTH AFRICA +27 CAPETOWN: Pete Martin Mob: 071 500 4253 [email protected]

NEW YORK (PORT): George Milne Tel: 201 567 0579 Mob: 201 960 4491 [email protected]

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS +1 284 Brian Gandey Tel:+1 284 494 4868 [email protected]

USA +1 (EAST COAST)

CARIBBEAN +1 649 Don Street Tel: 353 028 33143 [email protected]

ANNAPOLIS: Larry Blount Mob: 443 282 0702 [email protected]

ST MAARTEN +1 721 Jane Harrison Mob:1721 520 1530 [email protected]

BOSTON TO CAPE ANN: Ernest Hardy Tel: 617 846 6320 [email protected]

Trinidad +1 868 Reg Potter Mob: 775 0285 [email protected].

FLORIDA: Darryl and Lynne Currie Mob: 9047354639 Tel: 3862224136 [email protected] NEW JERSEY (SANDY HOOK TO CAPE MAY): Steve Tyler Mob: 732 673 8631 [email protected]

CUBA +53 HAVANA: Comm José Escrich Tel: 7 204 1689 [email protected]

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH

For any information about the Club’s HPOs please contact Anne Le Verrier-Bizzey, HPO liaison [email protected] Any amendment to personal contact details should be sent directly to Anne and copied to Jonathan Hague [email protected] to keep the Club database up-to-date.

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HPO CONTACT LIST

Little Ship is a ‘printed on demand only’ publication – contact us to receive your printed copy

Please remember the Little Ship is a ‘printed on demand only’ publication. The magazine will continue to be published online and you will be emailed to let you know a new edition is available. To ensure you keep receiving your printed copy of the Little Ship please contact [email protected], or return this slip to Nick Long in the Club office: Little Ship Club, Three Cranes Walk, Bell Wharf Lane, Upper Thames Street, London EC4R 3TB. If you have done so already, there is nothing more for you to do, and the Little Ship will keep landing on your doorstep. Name:

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Little Ship Club: Three Cranes Walk, Bell Wharf Lane, Upper Thames Street, London EC4R 3TB 020 7236 7729 l https://littleshipclub.co.uk