Single Handed Sailing

The magazine of the Seamaster ClubVolume 16

Issue 6December

2007

CONTENTS3 Chairman’s Report

4 From the Editor

5 Two drown rowing back from thepub

5 RNLI Provisional SummerStatistics

6 Letters

10 Smoke Alarms

12 DIY Improvements to Water &Electrics

13 Urgent Product Recall -Crewsaver Life Jackets

14 Save Our Waterways Campaign

16 Remote Sail Handling

17 The Canta Libra Tales

18 RNLI News Release- Wearingof Life Jackets

19 Sailbad The Sinner- onpropellors

Cover Picture: The Seamaster 23 Sailer pictured on the front cover has beenmodified to facilitate single-handed sailing. More details in page 22.

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Disclaimer: The views, opinions and any other content of entries inthis magazine are those of the contributors; The Seamaster Club, andthe Editor, do not accept responsibility for such content.

What are they laughing at?Answer later in this mag.

Lyme Regis Town Crier

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CHAIRMANS REPORTA very big thank you to all of you that attended our AGM in Lyme Regis, one of the best

we have had. Our guest speakers Phil Ball from the RNLI station and Jake Kavanagh fromPractical Boat Owner were excellent being both interesting and very entertaining. Jake, asalways, was hilarious. Peter & Stella Campbell of Coldstream II organised a great nauticalquiz, Peter & Elizabeth Gwyn-Griffiths won a years free membership. The Royal LionHotel was very comfortable, with good food, friendly staff and in a lovely setting a stones

throw from the beach. Without exception we all loved the place!More of you should try to come next year, its not just official business, more a social event. We try to

organise interesting and amusing guest speakers, have a great display of Seamaster photos and history andall get together for excursions and meals. It gives a great opportunity for you to meet us and for us to meetyou, hearing your views helps us to keep your club alive which in turn keeps the Seamaster boats going.It’s well worth making a long weekend of it, a short break with other Seamaster owners, a chance to makenew friends and pick up useful tips from other members.

This is my fourth term as Chair, the first 3 being years ago and I would have liked a new face at the helm.We are very conscious of how we spend your money.With help from Neil Frost we are modernising day

to day running by reducing the number of meetings and using email more. A lot of work goes on behindthe scenes; the committee spend a lot of time phoning and travelling and hours doing all that’s necessaryto keep the club running. We give our time freely but expenses for phone calls, equipment and petrol haveto be met. We are always trying to minimise these costs and make ourselves more efficient.

I’ve a busy winter ahead getting the remaining lightning damage sorted out and all the replacementelectrical kit working as it should. New teak in the cockpit no longer matches the original so I’ll have tohave opposite matching panels made to make it look right. My insurers “Haven Knox-Johnston” havebeen very good and paid for everything required to date, a few more small items are yet to be replaced asit takes some time to find matching items or suitable new ones. Tidemill Yacht Harbour on the Deben inSuffolk have been marvellous, if you are in that neck of the woods you should visit. All this has been alittle stressful and very time consuming, sadly I lost this seasons cruising season.

Now is the time to winterise our boats. I remove all soft furnishings and store them in my loft for thewinter. The boat comes ashore to allow the underwater sections to dry out and save expensive damage asGRP is not waterproof. Damp hulls lead to osmosis and blistering - very expensive to put right! I coverthe boat by fitting a “Ridge pole” fore to aft secured to the handrails diagonally and held up with uprightpoles. One lashed to the pulpit, one midway on the cabin top and one secured to the rear quarter cleats.Its surprising how rigid you can make it all with lots of ropes in all directions. The ridgepole and uprightsare 2"x2" sawn softwood joined to ease summer storage. The cover hangs over the rubbing band, securedby ties along its length allowing rain and even snow to slide off. I can work fairly easily under the coverallowing deck paint and GRP polishing to be done before the end of spring. Fitting the old canopy keepsthe summer one in good condition. Once covered I open all the locker doors and the windows slightly toallow air to circulate preventing mould and damp which damages the woodwork. Bilges must be dried asany water left causes condensation and soaks into the GRP. The fresh water system is emptied and thetaps opened, blowing down the lines with the dinghy pump clears any laying water. Sea Cocks are leftopen after the engines are frost protected to save splitting open from ice expanding within, especiallyvulnerable are “ball valves”. I have timber toe rails that I coat with varnish once a year, removing themtakes an hour but is well worth it to keep them looking good. One thing to remember when doing this isto squeeze a tiny amount of sealant into each screw hole in the GRP. The underside of the toe rails havea thin rubber gasket rather than sealant making it very easy to take them off and put back in the springonce re-coated with varnish. If you want advice on winterising your boat e-mail or telephone me.

Finally, may I thank all past and present committee members, Elizabeth our retiring Chair for all herhard work in controlling the rest of us at meetings, and you the membership, for your continuing supportthat allows us to run the club for all our benefit.Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and good boating in 2008 Paul Killick, Chairman

From the Editor

Annual General Meeting

At the AGM on 11th November Paul Killick (Thames area)was elected as Chairman, supported by Will Hawkes (Norfolk

Broads). Dennis Taylor joined as a new committee member.The full committee is set out on page 42.

DEFRA Cuts and increased licence fees. The boating communitycontinues to do all it can to oppose the DEFRA cuts and increased licence fees. At pages20 & 21 is a major extract from the AWCC campaign urging you to play your part by writingto MPs.

Fire Safety: It is sad to have to report that fire remains a very real threat on board boatswith yet another Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on a fatality . So much so thatnew guidance on selection and installation of suitable smoke alarms has beenpromulgated by British Waterways and the Fire Protection Association and may be foundon the Boat Safety Scheme website below. I have included an article on Smoke Alarms etcin this issue. (BSS website: http://www.boatsafetyscheme.com/site/FirePortal_216.asp)

CREWSAVER LIFE JACKETS: PRODUCT RECALL: Crewsaver’s lifejacket servicingdepartment have announced there is a problem with the United Moulders’ Mk3 StandardAutomatic Head fitted to Crewfit and Survivor inflatable lifejackets - see page 19.

Coordinators: Unfortunately Ian Burnett has sold his boat and moved to Yorkshire so hasresigned as Coordinator for Scotland. We now have several vacancies for which volunteerswould be appreciated.

Recommended Traders - Chandlers, Engineers, etc.: We are planning to substantiallyimprove the information given to Coordinators to help fulfill their roles. As part of this weare creating a database of suppliers of goods and services helpful to Club members.This will be issued to Coordinators early in the new year. To help me build this databasemay I ask any member who has had satisfactory service from a trader, be it supplyinggoods, services, or advice, etc., to forward details to me by email, letter or telephone. I amindebted to those members who have already supplied such details but need more. Forexample, have you had a new hood recently or have you had a valuable repair carried outon your boat?

My email address is now “seamasterclub@hotmail.co.uk”. I have had considerabletrouble with my PC over the past three months or so and, whilst managing to remain on-linefor most of that time, my b.s.l@btclick.com email address is now defunct and I suspectmany emails may have gone astray. Also, many of my saved emails with material formagazines have been lost. If you have sent me an email and I have not responded, or yourarticle has not appeared in the magazine, please let me know.

Brian Rowland

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NOTE TO PROSPECTIVE MEMBERSYou may have been handed this magazine by a friend, and now be wondering how to find out moreabout joining the Club. For more details, please email brian@seamasterclub.org

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Two drown rowing back from the pubTalking with members on the NorfolkBroads I learned that many of them aremuch more careful about using life jacketsthan many others I have seen.

The following “News in Brief” appeared inthe Times and is worth reproducing:

Two men drowned after apparentlyfalling from a dinghy as they rowed backto their yacht after visiting a pub.

The pair, who have not been named, arebelieved to be in their fifties. They werenot wearing lifejackets when theincident occurred on Saturday night.

The alarm was raised when their dinghywas found washed up on the RiverDeben at Bawdsey, near Felixstowe,Suffolk, yesterday. A search and rescueoperation involving helicopters andlifeboats was launched. A coastguardspokesman said: “Shortly after thesearch had begun two male bodieswere located by Felixstowe HarbourMaster and the Harwich InshoreLifeboat.” Police said that there were nosuspicious circumstances.Ed.

RNLI Provisional Summer RescueStatisticsPreliminary figures released by the RNLIshow that during the devastating inlandflooding across parts of the UK thissummer over 200 people were rescued byvolunteer RNLI crews. Additionally, aroundthe coasts of the UK and Republic ofIreland, RNLI lifeboats launched over3,500 times throughout June, July andAugust, and RNLI lifeguards aided nearly8,500 people on beaches during the sameperiod.Now the charity is calling on members ofthe public to respond to its own ‘SOS call’by getting involved with RNLI SOS Day andstart preparing for the charity’s national dayof fundraising, which takes place on Friday25 January 2008.

SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

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LettersHi Brian,

Many thanks for the magazine - some veryinteresting articles again!

I finally finished the Eberspacher off onFairhaven. It worked so well this weekendthat my wife had to turn it off as the boat gottoo hot!!! I also took the oppurtunity to rewirethe diesel stove correctly as the previousowner had got a bunch of cowboys to do thejob and it was wired into the starting batteryinstead of the leisure battery.

I thought I’d offer my thoughts regardingwinterisation following your article. I doagree with new oil and oil filter as it meansthat the engine is sitting over the winter innice clean oil with no contaminants in. Withregards to the fuel fi lter I’ve alwaysrecommended (and indeed on expensivekit such as combines which are laid up overthe winter period too) that the filter is left inover winter and then changed after the boatis used a few times in the spring. Thereasoning behind this relates tocondensation / water ingress. The filter willtrap any moisture which has entered thediesel over winter and after you replace thefilter in the spring you throw the old filteraway complete with any trapped moisture.

Another tip relates to replacing filters too. Alot of people will drain the oil and changethe oil, oil filter and diesel filter all at thesame time. The engine is then bled andusually started near full throttle to get rid ofexcess air left after bleeding. At this pointthere is a short period where the enginehas no oil (as the oil has been drained andreplaced with a new filter which is usuallyput on empty) I usually replace the oil andoil filter, starting the engine at just abovetickover and watching for the oil pressurelight to go out, stop the engine and thenreplace the diesel filter. That way there areno worries about revving the engine with nooil in it. In some cases you can fill the oil

filter before spinning it on and this helpsalthough this is not usually the case asthe oil filter mostly lays horizontal or angled.

I offer a winterising service for £80 on asingle engine boat. This covers oil, filtersand antifreeze check / top up. I could offerthis service to members at the same priceas long as there were 4 boats in the samearea in the water, (so the engine can bestarted and warmed).

I hope this helps.

Regards

Tom CarnellRedlands Engineering Services Ltd

RiggingHello Brian & Sylvia

Thanks for a great AGM weekend, we didenjoy it. So many new and existing folk tomeet, lovely and a really super venue.

Meeting Mike Benson in the flesh wasextremely useful from several angles, I amsure I can work with him!! In fact I am tradingmy old Main Sails for a pair of Drying OutLegs !!!.

How kind to be welcomed as new Sailingmembers, much appreciated. Mike said hehad no idea we were going.

The people who have ALREADY made myrigging ,in 1 day only, are

Splicing & Allied Services LtdEldorado WorksDrake AvenueGresham rdStaines,Middx,TW182ABtel 01784 464447

They also have a website (same name)I heard today that my Maxiroach Sail / Easyreef system is being delivered on Thursday,so it is all happening !CheersDavid & Barbara

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From: David CooperHi everyone please read this received froma friend who is in the property insurancebusiness. Although not nautical, it is wellworth reading.

“Their house burnt down, nothing left butashes. They have good insurance so thehouse will be replaced and most of thecontents.” That is the good news.

However, they were sick when they foundout the cause of the fire. The insuranceinvestigator sifted through the ashes forseveral hours. He had the cause of the firetraced to the master bathroom. He askedher sister-in-law what she had plugged inin the bathroom. She listed the normalthings....curling iron, blow dryer. He keptsaying to her, “No, this would be somethingthat would disintegrate at hightemperatures”. Then her sister-in-lawremembered she had a Glade Plug-In, inthe bathroom.

The investigator had one of those “Aha”moments. He said that was the cause ofthe fire. He said he has seen more housefires started with the plug-in type roomfresheners than anything else. He said theplastic they are made from is thin. He alsosaid that in every case there was nothingleft to prove that it even existed. When theinvestigator looked in the wall plug, the twoprongs left from the plug-in were still inthere.

Her sister-in-law had one of the plug-insthat had a small night light built in it. Shesaid she had noticed that the light woulddim and then finally go out. She would walkin to the bathroom a few hours later, andthe light would be back on again. Theinvestigator said that the unit was gettingtoo hot, and would dim and go out ratherthan just blow the light bulb. Once it cooleddown it would come back on. That is awarning sign .

The investigator said he personallywouldn’t have any type of plug-in fragrancedevice anywhere in his house. He has seentoo many places that have been burneddown due to them.

Robin Carter has supplied thefollowing postscript to his article onpage 25 et seq:Brian

As Sailbad has been out of the water thelast couple of weeks for a new shaft andbearings and prop repair I can completethe tale. The prop which does match theboat extremely well, I measured as 12 inchdia by close to 8 inch pitch, its difficult to getan exact pitch measurement but its certainlyin that ballpark. I had been advised byMaffet’s at Loddon, a local yard with goodexperience of matching props to boat/engine/gearbox configurations (theyadvised Goosander and The JB, who weredelighted with the results) that a 12 x 7would work well with a 1 to 1 box on the 27.

I was a bit apprehensive about having theprop repaired as I’m a fussy sod but I letMarkwell Engineering who made the shafthave a go and it looks fine. I was adamantthat it was a repair and that the correctoriginal form should be retained. Theyrecurved one blade that had a flat, filled theseveral dings and rebuilt all the edges, andreground and balanced the finished job. Itlooks good and I’ve checked the curves witha former (I know I’m sad!) and it now lookslike a prop not a rotavator blade! It can onlywork better (famous last words!) as itperformed pretty well in its rough state, butwe look forward to being able to give theold tub a bit of stick now it won’t be shakento bits by the bent shaft and oval cutlassbearing.

I took the opportunity to sand and antifoulthe bottom and polish the hull gellcoatbetween rainstorms and arguments with awell known Norfolk canopy maker who isclose to getting a front window coverreturned to them wrapped around a brickthrough their shop window, grrrrrrr, butthat’s another story! Any way we should beback in the water next week to enjoy thepeace, tranquility, and force 8 gales of aBroads winter.”

Best RegardsRobin

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Dear BrianWe recently had a new

hood made for our 813,Coldstream. We used a very good

trimmer, Cath Collyer who runs herown business, near Shiplake, called

“Custom Covers”. I first met Cath a coupleof years ago when she was recommendedby Paul Hughes of “Marine Windows” inCaversham. I hadn’t realised that both Cathand Paul were on the Club’s l ist ofRecommended Traders within the MembersOnly area of the website but can now easilyunderstand why!

Cath came down to our mooring atMedmenham, took precise measurementsand made a number of constructivesuggestions to improve the headroom(moved the front hoop) and the visibility(bigger clear panels, much lighter in thecockpit). Also the design was specific to ourboat rather than the one size fits all approachof our previous canopy. Overall a much betterdesign with the main section of the hood inone piece rather than with a seam up themiddle which would be prone to leaks ason the previous canopy.

Cath then came back to the mooring twice,once to fine-tune the template she had madeand then to fit the new canopy, making onthe spot adjustments where needed.Overall nothing was too much trouble. Not acheap product but well worth the money,we’re delighted! Some photos of thefinished result attached.Kind regardsPeter CampbellPs - When one of the “Lift the Dot” studsfor the canopy popped out of ourwindscreen, it was Cath who sourcedsome for us, albeit from Paul Hughes ofMarine Windows. I think each stud costsabout 50p if you buy 100 at a time whichhe does - I bought 5 or so off Cath.Certainly worth any of our memberscalling Paul Hughes, I’ve alwaysfound him very amenable.

Contact details:Cath Collyer 07876 316327Paul Hughes: 01189 482664

Accidents on BoatsSmoke Alarms

The Marine Accident Investigation Branchhas now released the final report on the fatalfire that occurred on the narrow boat. LindyLou that resulted in a fatality. The full reportcan be accessed via the web link; http://w w w. m a i b . g o v. u k / c m s _ r e s o u r c e s /Lindy%20Lou.pdf A.W.C.C. recommendsthe fitting of smoke alarms and BSS hasasked A.W.C.C. to participate in amanufacturers trial of alarms fitted in boats.The Seamaster Club recommends thefitting of both smoke alarms and CarbonMonoxide detectors on boats, has alreadypublished some related articles andanother is at page 16.

Hi Brian,Sikaflex 291 I have got a new supply ofSikaflex 291 in both black and white. I willoffer them to the club at £5.50 per tube +postage on top if that is any use to anyone.

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This is a cost price - I think most chandlerssell them for about £9 - £12 a tube.Regards Tom

Sikaflex 291 is ideal for bedding glass inwindow frames. I used it many years agoand stil l have no leaks from thesewindows. Copies of a Seamaster articleon sealing windows in this way areavailable from me. Tom can be contactedon 01453 731 612. Editor.

Hello BrianAnother missive about progress withMoonbeam, our Sailer 23.Today we installed the complete exhaustsystem, clipped up, etc. Also, the Diesel fuelsystem is connected to the engine but I willwait until spring before filling up with fuel toavoid the “nasties”. Incidentally does anyoneknow if regular automobile diesel suffers fromthe “nasties”?? Now feeling to be gettingsomewhere with this massive project.Best WishesDavid

From the Vice PresidentAGM

I wish to thank the Members for their kindwords at the AGM and to assure them thatalthough I will no longer be reporting on page3 I have managed, as promised, to obtainsome space here.Peter and I enjoyed meeting up with so manyof you for the first time and I am sure you willagree with me that the camaraderie withinthe Seamaster Club is the best. Thank youall for your company.To move on to a more serious event - on theway home we encountered a situation

whereby a fellow traveller decided to cometo a full stop on an empty roundaboutleaving us skidding to a halt under his rearbumper. If you have AA relay don’t worrythey won’t offer any help except to refer youto your insurance company (whathappened to the “very nice man?”).We had visions of being driven home - ( Imust have been watching too manyadverts). Well the insurance company tookpity on us and hurriedly collected our car(just our car) leaving us on the roadsidewith some of our luggage (you feel so sillyand abandoned), the rest of ourpossessions were taken away in the carto where - we were not sure, neither wasthe driver.We know now, eight days on, andinspection of the car has been moved on afew more days. Still no transport! (Just incase you are concerned for us, our sondrove the 100miles to pick us up). Did I tellyou – we loved that car We would go shopping by boat, but thelocks are closed for repair.Today I fought with my bicycle to reach thesurgery to collect an inhaler, (another itemstill in the said car) but this was not a verygood idea. I became a nuisance to thedrivers on the road. I am thinking, maybe Ishould join the children in the safety cyclingclass being offered in the school opposite,but I resisted, and put my bicycle away.Maybe when the Summer comes, whoknows.On a happier note: May I wish you all a veryhappy Christmas, New Year and awonderful, safe boating season in 2008.Elizabeth Gwyn-GriffithsVice President

Phil Ball (RNLI) & Paul Killick (Chairman)

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Smoke AlarmsThe BSS has moved to makeits strongest recommendationthat boats with overnightaccommodation are fitted with

at least one suitable and effective smokealarm. They hope to persuade boaters touse smoke alarms as part of their fire actionplan to aid detection and escape from fire.Early detection of a fire can help boaters dealwith a small fire before it gets out of controlor give everyone aboard the chance toescape without being overcome by smokeor poisonous fumes, particularly whilstasleep and unaware of the advancing anddeadly danger.Smoke alarm technology has advancedsignificantly over the past few years withmore features being available in alarms,such as optical sensors, extremely long lifelithium batteries and the facility to ‘hush’ thealarm when, for example, cooking food.To enjoy the maximum protection an alarmcan offer, there are three key points toconsider; choosing the right type of alarm,fixing it in the best place, and having aroutine of pressing the test button to checkthe alarm’s ability to work.The alarm of choice is an optical alarm witha long-life battery, a hush button and onethat meets either BS 5446:2000 Part 1, orBS EN 14606:2005, preferably also carryinga certification mark.The recommendations have beendeveloped with the help of one the UK’sleading bodies on fire protections issues,the Fire Protection Association (FPA). A setof guidelines is available on the BSS websiteand these have been drawn from the FPAreport and reviewed by all the majorsuppliers of battery-powered smoke alarms.The guidelines cover the alarm choices inmore detail, advice on positioning the units,and guidance on routine care, testing andmaintenance.The headline points from these BSS smoke

alarm guidelines are as follows:• Owners of boats with overnight

accommodation areadvised to have atleast one smokealarm of therecommended type.• Although any type ofproprietary smokealarm may provide a degree of protection,the recommended type is an optical orphotoelectric cell alarm because this typeis particularly sensitive to dense smokefrom a smouldering fire. The alternativeionisation type is best suited to flamingor fast developing fires.• A smoke alarm with an extra-long lifebattery, also known as a lithium batteryor 10-year sealed-in battery, isrecommended. Boaters will have moreconfidence in the continued protectionover many years, without having toremember to replace the unit’s battery.• Choosing an alarm with a hush buttonis recommended because this will allowthe alarm to be easily temporarilysilenced, for example, if activated whenmaking toast.• An alarm that has been independentlycertified that it meets either the BS 5446-1:2000 or BS EN 14604:2005 standardsoffers more assurance that it will work ifand when it is needed to. The BritishStandards Institution ‘Kitemark’, or themark of the Loss Prevention CertificationBoard (LPCB), are evidence ofindependent certification.• Mounting an alarm in the right positionis vital. For maximum levels of protectionit must detect a fire in its earliest stages.Generally alarms should be mounted onthe deckhead or ceiling, 30cm from thecabin sides and within five metres ofeach protected area of the vessel. Onsome boats this may mean installingmore than one alarm, and it isrecommended to choose units that canbe linked together.• At the same time, an alarm must beable to wake anyone sleeping aboard,potentially from deepest sleep. The

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advice is to try out the alarm(s) in situbefore fixing in position. If the trial suggeststhat not everyone would be woken if firestarted, a different spot should be tried, ormore alarms installed – again with therecommendation about linking.• Making alarm testing second nature isessential in order to pick up any problemswith the alarm before it is put to the test forreal. Boaters are strongly recommendedto press the test button on each alarm aspart of their boarding routine. Boaters thatlive or stay aboard for longer than a weekare urged to get into the habit of testingalarms once a week.

The BSS recommendations form part of itspartnership activities with Warwickshire Fireand Rescue Service to improve safety forboaters through advice and information. Thispartnership also hopes to influence manymore boat builders to install the best types ofsmoke alarms from new. A proposed non-statutory code to be published in due coursefor operators of hireboats and similar vesselswill likely cover the subject of smoke alarms.

Nigel Grant, former Head ofCommunity Fire Safety and YouthDevelopment for Warwickshire Fire andRescue Service, said,

“In the future I can see that smokealarms will become the norm on boatsand I’m keen for alarms, of the best typeand well placed, to be used as anothervital part of a boat owner’s fire actionplan made with family members. But, itis crucial that boat owners understandthat testing the alarm routinely bypushing the button is better thanpushing their luck.”

The smoke alarm guidelines supporting thisrecommendation are available from the linkson the home page of www.boatsafetyscheme.comas too is the advice on making a fire actionplan.

Technical advice available at the BSSBSS office telephone 01923 201278BSS email:bss.enquiries@boatsafetyscheme.com

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DIY Improvements to Water & Electrics on my Seamaster 30

Every once in a while I get around to doingminor improvement work on my 30“Nattajack” – things that I have been thinkingabout and then putting off until later.Having recently found some spare time forimprovements I decided to work my waythrough my growing wish-list and myexperiences may help other owners and givethem the confidence to tackle some basictechnical tasks on board.I had been unhappy for some time with thecharging characteristics of the alternatorsystem on my Perkins 4.236 diesel engine,so I decided to invest in a “smart” regulator– I selected an Adverc BM but there are anumber of similar products available on themarket. Thanks to the helpful Adverc peopleand explicit written instructions Iaccomplished installation of the black boxand associated wiring within a few hoursbut the presence of an intermittent warninglight and wavering voltage measurementsconvinced me that all was not well. Thesymptoms suggested faulty batteries (theyare both over 3 years old), so I invested inone new 110 AH starter battery. However,the new charging system was still notperforming as expected and the alternatorstopped charging all together. Consultationwith the Adverc experts confirmed that theremust be a fault in the old alternator orregulator, since alternators never stopcharging, albeit at only a fraction of an ampwith a fully charged new battery. Theconclusion was that I needed to replace theold Lucas 11AC alternator with a modernhigher output machine and the model bestsuited would be a Prestolite (Lucas) A127MT70 Amp which was compatible with theexisting fixings and had the desiredinsulated earth return.

Having ensured that the batteries weredisconnected for safety, I was able toremove the old alternator fairly easily

since access to the single enginein my 30 is excellent. It was a

messy job, with over 30

years of carbon deposits around the pulleysand drive belt. When offering up the newalternator to the existing mountings itbecame apparent that new bolt fixings wouldbe required and since the lugs were atdifferent positions I would require a shorterV-belt and need to modify the tensioningbracket which was curved to suit the oldmachine but fouled on the casing of the newone. The solution was simple – I reversedthe tensioning bracket so that theadjustment is now at the engine end ratherthan at the alternator. And a new V –belt wasobtained from a local truck spares supplier.When it came to the crunch, the newly wiredalternator worked perfectly with the AdvercBM system as evidenced by the ammeterreading.The old volt meter on my instrument panelwas giving a reading well below thatindicated on a multi-meter so I invested in areplacement instrument with high sensitivitywhich now confirms the battery voltage moreaccurately, shows when the alternator isregulating and reflects the drop in voltagewhen loads are applied.The bonus of fitting the new alternator wasthat 7 old cables serving the redundantregulator and field relay could be strippedout, enabling me to tidy up the wiring in theengine room. Prior to doing this I spent manyhours checking the entire wiring system,making diagrams and noting which circuitswere which. The result is a series ofdiagrams and charts which I haveincorporated into my comprehensiveowner’s handbook. I am now fully conversant

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with the on-board electrical systems andfinally understand how my Webasto hot airheater is wired!Another bonus is that I have been able to fitan electronic tachometer working off thealternator W terminal, having discovered thatthe new tacho generator obtained from ASAPSupplies would not fit my engine.Whilst I was attending to things electrical, Itook the opportunity to install a replacementwater pressurisation pump for the domesticsupply as the existing one lacked capacityto feed the 3 outlet positions in my boat.Knowing from experience that anything youcan buy for a caravan is usually half the priceof a marine product, I purchased a new 12volt Shurflo water pump designed for RVsfor a fraction of the cost of the marine modelwhich apparently differs only by having a fullywaterproofed pressure switch. Since mypump is mounted in the forward bilge areathat I clean with a vacuum cleaner ratherthan a bilge pump, I can see no justificationfor needless expense. At the same time, Iremoved the existing small pressure vesseland installed a larger capacity one with adiaphragm and a pressure gauge, so I cannow see how the system is performing.My final improvement cannot berecommended too highly. I was fed up withthe appalling mess created when changingthe engine oil filter. The standard one was areplacement paper element, the removal ofwhich entailed unbolting the outer canisterduring which time loads of black oildescended into the bilges – and the fasteryou tried to undo the bolt the more messyou seemed to create. The answer was to fita modification obtained from LancingMarine which includes a modern screw onfilter canister. Why didn’t I do this years ago?If your engine oil filter is a messy old-styleelement why not enquire if it can beconverted. It is a simple job and veryrewarding.See Items for Sale for the bits and piecesthat I have salvaged.Stephen Peters,(Member 283)

URGENT: PRODUCT RECALL

Marinestore have told us about thefollowing product recall.

PLEASE READ.IF YOU DON´T OWN A

CREWSAVER LIFEJACKETBUT KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES

PLEASE INFORM THEM.Crewsaver issues lifejacket safety

warning09 Oct 2007

PRODUCT RECALL: Crewsaver’s lifejacketservicing department says there is aproblem with theUnited Moulders’Mk3 StandardAutomatic Headfitted to Crewfitand Survivori n f l a t a b l elifejackets.

Tests indicate thatthis component,which was fittedto Crewfit andS u r v i v o rl i f e j a c k e t sm a n u f a c t u r e dbefore 1997, isnow at the end ofits safe andusable life andshould be replaced.

Crewsaver insists it is essential that thehead replacement be undertaken by thecompany. “On no account should youattempt to replace this yourself,” saidCrewsaver.

The company strongly recommends thatowners of Crewfit or Survivor lifejacketswith an Mk3 Standard Automatic Headfitted should contact Crewsaver on + 44(0)2392 528621 or emailsales@crewsaver.co.uk to discuss thereplacement process.

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The Save Our WaterwaysCampaign:

WRITE LETTERSYou should all be aware of the increasedlicence fees, etc., being introduced as aresult of the cuts in DEFRA grants to theWaterways; both the EA and BW waterways.

The RYA, NABO, AWCC, etc are all fightingthe DEFRA cuts as hard as possible.

AWCC are asking all their members to helpmaintain the pressure by writing letters totheir MPs etc. The Seamaster Club aremembers of the AWCC and support thisinitiative and you can play your part by writingletters to your MP, etc.

Letters from private individuals and fromwaterway businesses and localcommunities, to relevant arms of theGovernment, are an important part of thiscampaign. Any letter you write in support ofthe campaign will be welcome and up tofour letters, or more, would be great. Eachshould include some of the general pointsoutlined below but should also be targetedto the recipient. We have not set out astandard letter because personal letters, notcopies of standard letters, have more impactand they demonstrate that each and everyindividual actually cares – it is not just “flagwaving” or should I say “Ensign Waving”.

The four letters should go to:

1. To your own MP;

For contact details of your MP, go tohttp://www.writetothem.com/

This is the most important letter, as yourown MP is the only one with an obligationto reply to you.

Many MPs have responded favourably, andthe campaign has prompted a number ofquestions and debates in the Commons(visit http://www.saveourwaterways.org.uk/for details). A number of Early Day Motionshave been signed by over 200 MPs of allparties. The Liberal Democrats formally

supported our campaignby a resolution at theirSpring Conference.

We need this to continue,so we need to keep up thepressure on MPs. If you’ve already written tothem, now’s the time for a second, or even athird, letter. We also want a change ofemphasis at this stage. Although thesources of the problem lie within DEFRA, itis very clear that there can’t be a solutionwithout some extra money from centralresources, so we should now all be askingour MPs to press the Chancellor to addressour concerns.

• Use the various ParliamentaryQuestions and Adjournment debateslinked to from: http://www.saveourwaterways.org.uk/ to get some ideas for questions to ask.

• Talk about the benefits given byspecific waterways (if there are any)within your MP’s constituency, includingregeneration, open space, wildlife,industrial heritage.

• Use local examples

• Ask the MP to take the matter up onyour behalf with Hilary Benn(Environment Minister), Jonathan Shaw(Waterways Minister) and Alistair Darling(Chancellor of the Exchequer). If they doso, your MP will be obliged to seek aresponse along with giving his or her ownviews on the proposed cuts. Suggest toyour MP that in doing so, they might liketo use some of the points listed below.

• Ask for their continued support byraising questions in the House.

• Point out that the funding plans for2007-8, announced by DEFRA on 22December 2006 perpetuate the post-cuts level of funding for Waterways.There’s useful information and commenton this on the IWA web site, which alsohas a press release which challengeshim on the grounds that these figuresare at odds with his earlier statements.

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2. To the Waterways Minister:The Rt Hon Jonathan Shaw MP,Parliamentary Under-Secretary, DEFRA,Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, LondonSW1P 3JR

• Once again, make use ofexamples local to the constituency.• Talk about the threat to both directand indirect benefits given by thewaterways such as education,community, economic uplift, exerciseactivity, leisure, heritage• Also mention the economic,environmental and heritage value ofliving waterways.• Ask for an assurance that currentthreats of reduced grant are false andthat Waterways will be supported• Ask why Waterways, waterwaysusers and waterside communities,should be penalised formismanagement of the Rural FarmPayments scheme and the cost ofprecautions against Avian Flu.• Seek a timetable forimplementation of the final decisions• Point out that nowadays thewaterways are so well-used andpopular that a serious threat to themwould be a vote-loser.• Point out that the grant levelsannounced for next year perpetuatethe cuts which he said several timeswere for one year only.

3. To the Environment Minister:The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary ofState, DEFRA, Nobel House, 17 SmithSquare, London SW1P 3JR

• Ask him to decide that reasonablegrant levels to Waterways will bemaintained for the next three years.• Suggest that making thewaterways and their users foot part ofthe bill for failings in an entirely differentpart of DEFRA is an unfair penalty.• Ask if the Government‘s currentpolicy document Waterways forTomorrow is now defunct. Ask specific

questions about progress inimplementing some specificrecommendations in this document.

4. To the Chancellor of the Exchequer:The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, Chancellor ofthe Exchequer, HM Treasury 1 Horse GuardsRoad London SW1A 2HQ .

• Make some of the general pointsbelow, and those listed for theEnvironment Secretary.• Point out the unfairness in makingthe millions of people who enjoy thewaterways in one way or another pay ashare of a financial shortfall in a totallyseparate area of DEFRA• Argue in particular that any part ofthis shortfall which is caused by EU-imposed fines or witholding of grant bythe EU is a penalty imposed on the UKGovernment and should therefore be metfrom Government central funds.• Point out that the sums of moneyinvolved, while huge in waterways terms,are tiny in Government terms.

General points that can (and some should)come into any of these letters.

• the facts about the cuts as set outon http://www.saveourwaterways.org.uk/• the pleasure of visiting waterways,whether by boat, on foot or by cycle,• the contribution to society made bya living waterways system, including thethriving leisure economy they host andthe burgeoning shoots of a possible re-growth of waterborne freight as anecologically-friendlier mode of transportthat will ease road congestion,• how the cuts threaten the realprogress that has been made under theGovernment‘s Waterways for Tomorrowpolicy and• an individual or local focus relevantto yourself as the writer.

You might also like to make some of the samepoints in letters to the national or local press.

Remote sailhandling

This email to theSeamaster-Club from adutch reader may interestour sailers:

From: gert star(gert.star@planet.nl)To:brian@seamasterclub.org May be these picturesare a idee for someonewho sails often alone andwants to prepare his sailsnear the helm position. with nautical greets, G. StarBoreas PG2829Netherlands.

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The Canta Libra TalesThe refurbishment of Poppy is nowcomplete. A busy week of refitting themechanical parts and ISO approved fuelpipes, battery cables,switches and rebuiltdynamo, mag andstarter. Member Will Coxhas now made and fitted4 new Oak ribs, all newengine covers andscarfed in a new plank onthe port side. Deryk theMuseum’s varnishspecialist finished all ofthe covers, seats, boardand trims which contrast with the whitegloss of the other parts. I think the wholefinished job looks wonderful. (see pics). Onemod I am thinking about is to fit a small mastwith a single sail and a detachable leeboardso as to make a smallmotor-sailor. Most of thefolk at the Museum areconvinced I have finallygone round the bend butthey continue to humourme. Let’s hope that StevenTruss who is doing the BSSCert agrees.Most visitors to the Museum are avid old boatfans and have been helpful with informationabout “Poppy”. It now seems to be a lot olderthan I thought. The engine was researchedand was delivered to Herbert Woodsboatyard in Oct 1956 but the rest of the boatis an American inshore dory design. Thiswould have originally had two rowingpositions and no engine. It is made of crossplanked elm boards with oak ribs and larchplanking. It has been suggested that it wasimported by an American serviceman duringthe war to use on the broads and rivers ofEast Anglia. As you may know we had lots ofairfields during this period. Not a bad job ina war, looking after a fighter base andboating in between. I now believe that it wasleft here after the war and was converted toa motor day boat for the emerging hire trade

by Herbert Woods in 1956. I am trying toconfirm all of this but “who cares” it is still alovely little boat.Various people have assumed that I would

leave Poppy on shore for theWinter and launch in theSpring. “Rubbish”. How am Igoing to get to the pub andback. I wont drive, am too lazyto walk or cycle, so Poppy isgoing back in the water toprovide transport. What canbe better on a cold frostymorning than a trip to thelocal in an open boat (“mustbe mad” we’d better buy him

a drink!). “Cheers lads and move away fromthe log fire.”Talking of winter, it is time to winterise CantaLibra. This will consist of filling the fuel tank,checking all levels in the engine and

gearbox, ensure both gasbottles are full, restock thecocktail cabinet, ensuresufficient wines and beersare aboard along with otheressential supplies. Oh yes,fill up with water. I will thenbe ready for winter cruising– the best time of the year,

no hire boats, just a few fishing boats andplenty of moorings. You can be sure that afew of our hardy members will be out andabout and I will surely meet up with Robin &Pam (Sailbad the Sinner) Steve & Angela(Emma Louisa) and hope to meet up withany other members who fancy it. If you callme I will try to arrange an informal meeting.Will hawkers, Canta Libra / Poppy

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Half of Breydon Water, the Yarmouth end. It looks wide, butthe channel, not visible from the air is twisty in places.

RNLI NEWS RELEASELifejackets - Useless unless wornThe RNLI elevated the debate on “alwayswearing a lifejacket” with the launch of asummer awareness campaign.Research published revealed that themajority (98%) of sailors and motor boatersown lifejackets, but only 42% actually claimto ‘always’ wear them when on board.The RNLI launched an awarenesscampaign to encourage those using the seato always wear a lifejacket, promoting themessage that l ifejackets are ‘uselessunless worn.’ This recommendation isfounded on the years of experience of theRNLI’s voluntary lifeboat crews who knowhow unpredictable the sea can be. They aretrained to put their lifejacket on and ensureit is correctly fitted whenever they go aboarda lifeboat, whether out on a shout or intraining, whatever the weather.John Donaghy the RNLI voluntary crewmember who appeared in the campaignadvertisement, said:“As a Paramedic for the London AmbulanceService I am all too aware that during anemergency time plays a critical role in acasualties ability to survive. If you alwayswear your lifejacket it will buy you vital timein an emergency, and could mean thedifference between life and death.”As a keen sailor and motor boater TonyWafer, RNLI sea safety programmesmanager, recognises that personal choiceand judgement are both crucial factors inenjoying the freedom of the open sea,commenting on the awareness campaignhe says:‘We’re simply aiming to encourage more ofthe boating community to switch their riskassessment around and say “when shouldI take my lifejacket off?” rather than “whenshould I put it on?” because experience tellsus that in an emergency there is not alwaystime to make sure your lifejacket is securelyand correctly fitted .’The Marine Accident Investigation Branch

(MAIB) report into the incident involving YachtOuzo on 21 August 2006 and the tragic anduntimely death of her three crew, highlightedthe importance of raising the debate aroundlifejackets and ensuring they are correctlyfitted. Although the three crew of yacht Ouzowere wearing lifejackets the report indicatedthat their life may have been prolonged dueto a range of factors. The RNLI gives fullsupport to the MAIB report recommendationswhich state that the British StandardsInstitute (BSI) is recommended to:“Consider the likelihood that during anemergency, lifejackets will not be fitted tightlyand that, therefore, to be effective, acrotch strap should be standardsupply with every lifejacket.”Tony Wafer continued:“All RNLI volunteer crew memberswear lifejackets fitted with crotch straps sowe fully support the MAIB reportsrecommendation to the BSI, and are willingto share our knowledge and experience insea survival in the future development oflifejacket design and technology.”Sea survival expert based at the Universityof Portsmouth, Professor Mike Tiptonacknowledges that while we can never knowthe full circumstances that led to the crew ofOuzo being found in the sea, he says:“Lifejackets tend to be worn when there isan immediate threat to life of those on board,or conditions permit that the choice hasbeen made to wear one. While a riskassessment has therefore been made, alltoo often many boaters are leaving this vitaldecision too late to allow for any contingencyto be put in place. The UK and Ireland arecold water countries - you don’t have long inthe water before the impact of cold sets inand a lifejacket buys you vital time and couldeven save your life, but only if you’re wearingit correctly.’RNLI Sea Safety volunteers across the UKand Ireland have been trained to givedemonstrations and advise the public onhow to choose and fit lifejackets correctly.Further information can be found atrnli.org.uk/seasafety/lifejackets.

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Tales of Sailbad the Sinner

(The twirly thing under the boat)After a Norfolk area Seamaster lunch,discussion turned to propellors and someone said it was a bit of a black art. Sometime later I was researching another boatrelated item and started to think about whatI knew about props. Sadly I’m a bit of atechno geek, and it was quite a lot, eventhough since having the Sinner I had notworried much about the twirly lump of bronzeunderneath the hull.

Back in the 80’s and early 90’s I raced S850catamarans at top level, and had beenfortunate to have the services of the worldsforemost prop man, Phil Rolla, a Swiss whoraced at world level in offshore powerboatracing, a sport held in contempt by us realcircuit racers. They were fast but huge boatsowned by millionaires who sat in the boatwith a “man” at the wheel and another “man”on the throttles. There was some slight risk,mostly of the champagne being spilt, andthey always made the news when themarquis de something or prince whateverwiped out his boat, but we considered it akinto cross channel ferry racing. We raced in asport where 250 Kg boats did 110 mph, andpulled 4 G on corners, and 10% of allaccidents were fatal.

Phil could not get good props so he set up acompany to design and build his own. Hedesigned the surface piercing propeller forhigh speed boats and was a genius. Beforelong anyone who wanted to win was beatinga path to his door. He was very wealthy, whathe did was for satisfaction, not money. Hewould only deal with winners, and you hadto be asked to contact him, and then you’dbe given his phone number in Switzerland!In 1987 I was making my mark and wantedbetter props, eventually I was given thenumber. He was charming, and spokeperfect English. I had never met him, fewpeople had, yet he knew me, what boat andengine I had, my history, my results and mydriving style! He told me what I needed! Itwas a fixed price, a thousand a prop, that’s

in 1987! He would send it to me and I wouldsend him a cheque when I was happy withit, or send it back with feedback and he wouldalter it! They were always right first time! Itcertainly wasn’t a black art to him, it wasmeticulous research, hydro science andengineering skill. His props were superb, Ibought five in total between ’87 and ‘90.

So what is the science that makes a propwork? A prop both paddles and screws itsway through the water. Various componentsmake up the design of a prop and are moreor less the same irrespective of the size orspeed of the boat. The factors are the same,but the surface piercing prop is only relativeto very high speed craft. I’ll use the racingprops as an extreme reference but I’m wellaware that ours are very different, althoughthe principles apply, just slower. Payattention now, this is starting to get technical,and I will be asking questions latter.

The diameter of the blades: surprisinglyhas little impact on the design, although itcan impact on the blade shape. Generallythe boat designer has the most impact onthe diameter by the design of his hull. Hewill allow a safe clearance based on draughtand shaft, or in the case of outdrives thegearbox design. A small prop is beneficialfor several reasons, it fits in tight spacesand has a lower tip speed for a given rotationspeed so reducing disturbance whichimpacts on cavitation or slip which is both acurse and an aid in prop performancedepending on circumstance. Clearancefrom the boat is more critical than thediameter, too close and more cavitation isgenerated.

The pitch: Picture a prop turning in gelatineor balsa wood and with no slip the pitch isthe distance in inches that it would travel ina revolution, still inches as far as I’m aware,although I have been away from the frontline for a few years. Pitch varies dramatically,I raced with surface breaking props, (thatmeans, that at high speed the boat rode onits gear case with only half the prop in thewater). This had a dramatic effect on the

pitch used; I used 12 inchdiameter props between 19and 20 pitch. I believe (notsure!) that my Seamaster 27is on a 1:1 gearbox and runsa 12 inch diameter by 8 pitch.The longer the pitch the closerthe blade line angle will be tothe shaft line, the MickeyMouse blades are about 60degrees to that line, a racingcleaver will vary from 20degrees to10 or less at thetrailing end.

Blade shape or amount ofcup: there are historicformulae for this, but it’s inthis area that clever designers work, this wascertainly Phil’s area of genius. There werefixed arcs of cup but the black art is in varyingthe pitch or tightening the cup towards thetrailing edge of the prop. Basic props mustallow for both forward and astern which limitsthe design of those props. They tend to be ofthe Mickey Mouse ear shaped blade stylewith a constant radii cup shape. This meansthey work astern as well. Racing props weredesigned to rotate one way, with a razor sharpthin leading edge to reduce disturbance,sharply raked, and increasing cup ending ina trailing face almost at right angles to thedirection of travel and a square endedtrailing edge. They worked astern, just, moreby agitation than thrust.

Number of blades: these can be adjusted insize to give a similar performance butdifferent characteristics, so a three blade willhave bigger blades than a similar four bladedprop, overall they will produce a similar top

speed but bettera c c e l e r a t i o nand differenthandling, thehandling ism o s t l yinsignificant ona cruiser but ahigh speed boatcan get a lot

more lift from the back,thus affecting handling. Ona cruiser, a four blade (orfive) will be more direct withless caviation but can feelharsh. My first GP win wason a piece of Phil Rollagenius, a four blader withtwo big blades and twosmall blades, and the bestof both worlds!

Cavitation is the slip that aprop gets in water which isakin to a car getting wheelspin. I’ll get the good sideover first, the slip acts likea clutch, it softens the drive

take up, on a racing start it lets the prop spinup fast as the engine fires and gradually biteslike a variable clutch over the three secondsin which the boat has accelerated to 60 mph.No slip, and it will just flip over backwards,too much, and it will just sit there. On acruiser if you hadn’t noticed the cavitationthen it’s probably about right. On mine, it’sperfect on a tick over take off, if I give it a bit ofgun whilst stationary such as when dodginga tacking yacht, it judders, so it has areasonably high resistance to cavitation. Agood test of cavitation is when going fromforward to astern, we have heavy old tubsand they do take a few seconds to slow, itsbest done on a very light throttle to aid bite,and most props will cavitate when you windup the gas while trying to stop, mine does.So I can get judder and slip, but on balanceI think its level of slip is about right. Whenyou see a boat closing on a jetty with theengine roaring astern that is the carequivalent of having the wheels locked onice. Better to have started in astern earlierwith a tickle of gas, unless you have twinprops, with four or five bladers, in whichcase, bloody show offs! A displacementboat’s top speed is dictated by its hulldesign, presuming you have the power todrive it, if you have a pitch prop that lets theboat reach that speed with out slip, it willthen cavitate after that speed, so you will gono faster.

Cupping

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Now pitch. If you have props that are a goodbalance of bite against cavitation, and youcan reach your top speed before it cavitatesthen it’s as close as you are going to get,stick while you’re winning. You should alsoconsider how fast you wish to go, whichmay not be the max top speed, as many ofus sail in inland waterways with very lowlimits, but that top speed prop will probablygive low rev cruising at that reduced speed.

How can you benefit by changing props?With great difficulty without Phil on the endof the phone, To change, you need to knowwhat you’ve got. Reshaping is never verysuccessful, stretching a prop to a longerpitch disturbs the shape and that’s swingsand roundabouts. The common problemis a revvy drive, which suggests a longerpitch or more cup or both will improve itand if you know what you have, you can goup. But, by how much? It is a very sensitivething, my racing variance was 19 to 19.5and 20, that’s a 5% change but generallyhalf that, which produced massive resultchanges to suit long or short courses,rough or smooth water, and salt and freshwhich will all have an impact, so I wouldnot advise changing by much more. Youalso need to consider that the best man inthe world always said, try it, if it doesn’t workreturn it! So it’s not a guaranteed result. Ifthe pitch is too great it will first judder andthen cavitate as you try to build the revs,like driving a car on ice. If you use a highergear and you can balance a light throttle,great, but when it spins it spins faster! Theblack art is not in the prop design, it’s inmatching the prop to the boat. Unless youhave had a change of engine, i.e. petrol todiesel, or a change of gear box ratio, orclearly have the wrong prop I would adviseyou to stick with the devil you know!

Can you improve a rough prop? Goodnews, yes. The shape and leading edge iscritical, chips, bends, or ripples howeverslight will significantly alter drive, cavitation,and balance. Consult a real expert, suchas Steel Developments in London, missingbits however small need filling, the shape

needs matching and the prop needsbalancing. If you can’t find an expert, if youare an engineer, fussy and precise, do ityourself. Most props are bronze, they canbe filled with braze, there will generally beone blade good enough to use as a pattern,make a cardboard former for blade shapeand some for cup shape at severalsections. Heat, small shaping hammers,and patience will reform the blade to match.The leading edge benefits from being sharpbut the blade should not be polished, asmoothish rough casting (does that makesense?) is best, Rolla’s were caststainless, ground and then fine grit blasted.If the shape matches, the balance will beclose, but a perfectionist will make pivots tospin a prop on and grind until balanced.

Mine works well, but it looks like its been ona rotavator, so I may have a go at it if theboat ever comes out of the water longenough, I wonder if I’ve still got that phonenumber?

The crew of Sailbad the Sinner

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