official publication of the otago yacht club · scouts jamboree contingent in january, and the...

Otago Yacht Club October 2012 - March2013

Cable Official publication of the Otago Yacht Club

Regular reports & notices Commodore’s Report p.2 Sailing News p.5 Social Events p.9 Works News p.11 Members’ forum and membership p.14 For Sale etc., Club supporters p.38

Contributed articles & photos Photos Cup Day p.13 Around the Yard with Les p.15 The Tillerman’s Tale– Bill McIndoe p.20 Regatta boats of the Bahamas - Barry Crane p.30 Cruise of Avanti 2013 Pt 1 - Bill McIndoe p.33

Otago Yacht Club October 2012-March 2013

COMMODORE’S REPORT

Last year our club had been in existence for 120 years and it has adjusted

and evolved to meet the needs of its members and the challenges, brought

on by the changing times. Our membership consistently hovers around

220 ranging from kids learning to sail in optis; to trailer sailers; to

keelers; and then to those who are retired, sold their boat, and come along

to enjoy themselves at our social evenings.

According to a diary I kept then, the first time I sailed a keeler out of the

boat harbour was March 1954. Then the entrance was opposite the

present clubhouse and even with a draft of only 3 feet we could get out

only at half tide or above. When the Leith is in flood the discharge at the

mouth is loaded with fine sediment, washed away from the catchment

hills. On an incoming tide it fills the boat harbour and the sediment settles

on the bottom reducing the depth. About 1965 the present entrance was

opened and the old one closed.

This was a great improvement. However, the reclamation on the other

side of the river mouth for the LPG site helped to divert the suspended

material round towards the new entrance and we began to lose depth

again. So, forty years ago, when I was Commodore the first time, to

address this problem, with the combined enthusiastic effort of a group of

skilled members and general club support, we built a dredge. Due to

some wit, I guess, it became known by members as “The Phantom

Sucker”. However, by the time we were ready to start the then Harbour

Board decided to prevent us from discharging the spoil over the rock wall

and the project unfortunately failed.

About twenty years later the Government decided to dismantle the

structure of the elected Harbour Board and spread its authority over two

new entities, the Port Company and the new one that owns all its shares,

the Otago Regional Council. The property produced by reclamation by

the old board then came under the jurisdiction of the Dunedin City

Council.


COMMODORE’S REPORT

So when you are sailing down the harbour in the channel its the port

company; when we want to do something around the club its the DCC;

and when we want to do something about moorings, jetties or dredging

its the ORC. The occasional overlap of these authorities and the frequent

requirement for resource consent has greatly increased both the

complexity and difficulty our club has in its effort to improve our

yachting environment.

I would therefore like, on behalf of all our members, to express our

appreciation for the patience and dedication of two of our members,

Geoff Murray and John Chappell, in obtaining Resource Consent for

dredging. Communication with the ORC and the DCC has its challenges

and reaching an agreement which would be beneficial to all parties takes

time. There is still some work to be done before this project can start and

the club will need to find funds to extend workable depth to other useful

areas. This will not only greatly increase the usefulness of the boat

harbour to local vessels of medium to deeper draught but also to those

visitors who call to have a break in our city from their round the world

voyages.

Piles unable to be used due to silting


With this and other improvements about to take place we are aware of

the fact that the lease of the area occupied by the club expires in June

this year and I hope that our negotiation with the DCC is as reasoned

and productive as that with the ORC. I remember after the decision was

made to build a new clubhouse all the members were asked to

contribute $300 each to help create a building fund and by the time the

construction was complete we had a hefty mortgage which took many

years to pay off. Not only is this building a great club asset but it is

eagerly sought after for hire by various city organizations.

Since the resignation of Nikky the tasks of the events coordinator have

been temporarily dealt with by Kevin, Kay and Fiona. A couple of

weeks ago we appointed a new person, Catherine Gubbins to carry out

this important task and she is taking up the reins with commendable

enthusiasm.

The sailing school team, led by Ann Jones, is doing a great job and there

are some ideas being offered to make it even more effective.

I am often told by members how much they enjoy our social events.

Credit for this must go to Ann Crane and her helpers. To many others

such as, Les, Paul, Barry, Fiona, Mike and of course Kevin and Kay, for

your commitment and effort to keep the wheels of our rather complex

organization turning.I thank you.

Our club is in good heart.

Gordon.


SAILING

The season contained a full series of events some of which were well at-

tended and some not. We still need more boats out there. There were 8

Read Marine Wednesday night races, some of which were cancelled due

to unfavourable winds. The last race on March 13 was well attended fol-

lowed by a barbecue. I will only mention a few of the events held. The

White Island Race was sailed in December in moderate conditions and

enjoyed by those sailing.

The club hosted the South Island Sunburst Regatta in November, a large

Scouts Jamboree contingent in January, and the South Island Secondary

Schools Regatta in March. All these events were successful and the Club

was complimented by those attending.

The Oamaru race was held early in February rather than its Easter slot as

it was planned to coincide with the Terra Nova Regatta being held in

Oamaru. Two boats crossed the start line but both unfortunately failed to

finish.

The OYC cup day was well attended and pictures are dotted around this

issue of Cable.

The Sailing School and Youth Sailing programme continue to develop

and Ann Jones has written about these.


Learn to Sail Classes 2012-13

The past sailing season has seen many new faces pass through the Otago Yacht

Club Learn to Sail programme. Last term we provided a mid week class for

children (aged 9-13), a class for Littlies (aged 7 & 8), and an Adults class (both

on Sunday mornings). This term there has been an even greater demand for clas-

ses. We have had 2 mid week children’s classes operating on Tuesday and

Thursday afternoons, as well as our Littlies and Adults classes on Sunday morn-

ings. It’s been really encouraging to see so many kids, and adults so keen to learn

to sail. All of our classes are running at capacity , with most having extensive

waiting lists!

Both Ben Hawker and Scott Rhodes have been our lead coaches this season,

with various other volunteer coaches stepping up where need has arisen, with

special note going to Vern Hall, Warren McNoe & also the various youth sailors

Gwin Wilson (8) getting rigged &

ready to sail. Becalmed ...

SAILING


who have provided many hours of assistance to coaches. Thanks also to Fio-

na Balch for her onshore care. Intermittently throughout the season we have

had a social BBQ lunch after the Sunday classes, which has been a great

way to get to know and welcome new families to the club. If you are inter-

ested in the OYC Learn to Sail classes, please email me on, oycsail-

[email protected] or ph. 0274781267. Classes fill quickly, and will be

beginning again in October 2013.

Jeanne & Mark

practising their

downwind sailing.

Olly Jones (10y) being encouraged

along by Martin Balch.

Mike & Sophie

making steady p

rogress upwind.

SAILING


SAILING

Youth Sailing at the OYC There has been a good sized group of active youth sailors sailing regularly from

the OYC this season. We kicked off the beginning of the past season with a train-

ing weekend run by Mike Thomson (ex-Otago sailor) last September. Following

this, between travelling to various sailing events and regattas between Wanaka and

Christchurch, they continue to return to the OYC on Sunday mornings where they

have some

racing-specific coaching from Ben Hawker. Late last year Fletcher Meyer sailed

for selection to represent the Otago/Southland region at the Starling Match Racing

regatta in Auckland , which was held in January this year. He had a fantastic time,

and learn’t alot from his time on the water up there. A number of our Starling sail-

ors are preparing to go to Picton early next month to sail in the National Starling

Champs. We wish them all well, and above all else, hope they have a fantastically

fun time! Next weekend, a large group of the youth are heading off sailing on the

Otago harbour for the weekend. They will stay over night on Quarantine Island,

and amongst various other ‘mystery’ activities, will have a great weekend away!

A good fleet of our Starlings on the harbour late last

William Bennet & Fletcher Meyer .


A little late but I thought a few words about our OYC Christmas Party (08 December

2012)are in order. Our Christmas celebrations in 2012 were held on a Saturday, we

chose a Saturday to encourage those Members who cannot always attend our Friday

night functions to come along and enjoy our OYC Christmas Party. To this end Ann

Jones organised the hire of a bouncy castle (unfortunately only the little ones could use

it and not us bigger ones). A model boat race was organised and Vern did the honours

in a row boat to rescue the odd capsize or wayward model. Ann also secured our musi-

cians for the dinner entertainment. Ann (she is a busy well connected lady) managed to

persuade Santa to take time out of his busy schedule to visit us and he arrived in an

Opti much to the children's great excitement. Shirley surpassed herself with our Christ-

mas food and the table treats.

I planned the menu, with input from Ann and Shirley and decorated the tables, Fiona

erected one of our Christmas Trees and gave assistance on the day, Barry very kindly

decorated the Christmas trees. Kevin manned the bar for all us thirsty people. The

clearing up in the kitchen was mostly done by Sue Hall ably assisted by Graeme Ben-

nett.

We were very lucky with summer weather so the children were able to spend most of

their time outside. We had a good turn out of 60 plus persons (including children). It

was a great afternoon and evening and it was lovely to see so many people of all ages.

A good team effort, so a big thank you to Ann Jones, Shirley Zwies, Kevin Martin,

Verne & Sue Hall, Graeme Bennett, Fiona Balch, Barry Crane, also to Paul Anderson

who gave a Christmas Greetings speech to all present. We have posted photographs on

the web-site for all to see.

The first TGIF of the new year was on Friday 1st February 2013, we did not have a

Speaker as I felt this was an opportunity for our Members to chat over dinner (prepared

by Shirley) about their Christmas and New Year holidays. I did put out a request to all

present to put forward their ideas for future TGIF nights, a Speaker, subject or some

other idea that they thought may help. We now have a couple of ideas, a possible

Speaker and a thought about starting a “clearing up after dinner help” roster.

Friday, 15th February 2013 - We had a pot luck night (my very first) and I was ex-

tremely pleased to see the range of food brought along. Our Speaker was Clark Sin-

clair, he showed us slides and told us about his travels overland in Australia. A totally

different subject giving us an insight into the difficulties and dangers of travelling

along some of Australia’s trail/roads in the far north.

SOCIAL EVENTS


SOCIAL EVENTS

Friday, 01 March 2013 - Speaker Gordon Caley - Delivery Voyage Adventures

Gordon gave a very entertaining talk on his delivery trip adventure on board Manana,

the yacht that didn’t make it. He had the sailor’s 2nd worst nightmare (1st being fire) a

yacht taking on water faster than you can pump it out. It was very informative giving

first hand information about getting into and surviving in a life raft. Gordon was ably

assisted by Johannes Rauch manning the lap top PC. Shirley organised a Chinese take-

away followed by fruit salad and ice cream (the last from the Gourmet Ice Cream Co).

Friday, 15 March 2013 - Speaker Steve Dawson - Sailing & Science, an adventure with

Whales & Dolphins from the Tropics to the Sub-Antarctic.

This was a very interesting presentation from Steve. We learnt a lot more about Dol-

phins and their behaviour and the ways his team record dolphin and whale activity

around our coasts. He kept us entertained and there were lots of questions after his

talk. He also bought along copies of a book entitled Dolphins Down Under

(Understanding the New Zealand Dolphin) written by him and Liz Slooten. We had

over forty people attend. This was my first experience of cooking for a large number of

people. I must particularly thank Fiona Balch for helping me in the Kitchen and

Shirley Zwies for her assistance, also Barry Crane who not only set all the tables he

also prepared the salads. Hayley Stuart, Fiona Balch and Peter Wilhelmsen were a

great help with the clearing up after dinner.

The next TGIF is on Friday 05 April 2013, Speaker and subject to be advised.

On Friday,19th April 2013, Alan Edwards will be giving a talk on Orokonui Eco Sanc-

tuary Past, Present & Future. If time permits he hopes to include some discussion on

ways we can do our bit for local wildlife both on land and at sea.

Just a note to remind everyone, the closing time for booking for TGIF nights is the

Thursday morning before TGIF night. We will always try to cater for late comers but it

cannot be guaranteed. The email address for bookings is, [email protected] If

you email [email protected] she will pass them on to me but they could miss the

deadline.

WANTED - more help in kitchen, either for help to clean up after dinner or help with

food prep or cooking. Unfortunately, due to pressures of work Shirley cannot always

cook for us, so we will be needing some volunteers to cook.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


With pleasant Summer conditions upon us, the inevitable pre-Xmas rush for boat owners

to get their yachts up to scratch took place. The club has invested much time and money

on the infrastructure that allows members to slip their boats and work on them in a safe

and secure environment .

Items like cradles, rails, power supply, water supply, workshop, storage space, winch &

cable, washdown facilities etc. often go un-noticed by most members until they them-

selves have to use them. All of these assets require regular maintenance, improvements,

surveying, upgrading and even replacement.

Two years ago the club overhauled the actual underwater part of the slipway which had

suffered slumping and broken or rusted bolts and rotten timbers. All of this took consid-

erable time and effort on the part of the Works Committee and their helpers.

This year the Works Committee have looked at ways of making the slipping of boats

easier and quicker, eg. A rope-reel on wheels to accommodate one complete long length

of rope for winching boats about the yard, was built. This has taken considerable time

and effort out of that part of the job. A trolley for the waterblaster hose reel is also being

looked at – all of these little improvements greatly enhance the overall “slipping experi-

ence” for the boat owner. Work has also continued on improving the slipping wharf.

Cradle No 5 (the Clubs’ largest) is reaching the end of its useful life. A new replacement

cradle, very slightly larger and more robust, with adaptable features to enable it to be

used for larger fin-keelers as well as long-keeled boats is on the drawing board.

WORKS NEWS

New wharf fendering


.

Geoff Murray and John Chappell are still representing the club at both O.R.C. and

D.C.C. level with regards to the remaining issues with dredging.

The working bee in September was a great success with many tasks completed and

others started. Thank you to all of you who gave of your time and energy and a special

thank you to all of the new members who showed no hesitation in rolling up their

sleeves and getting stuck in. Without working bees and other volunteers who work tire-

lessly throughout the year (without payment) our fees would rise considerably---- thank

you all.

In December the Waste disposal unit in the kitchen failed. The walls of the unit had

become very thin and it was decided that a replacement was the only sensible solution.

The Clubhouse exterior varnish has needed redoing for some time and tenders were

put out earlier in the year to three companies. The successful contractor later declined

the contract but Paul Anderson offered to do the job at the same price. This was ac-

cepted by the Committee and Paul has commenced the work and is doing a good job.

Thank you Paul.

The curtains in the high north facing windows in the Clubhouse have deteriorated in the

sun and have caused issues with sunlight on the projection screen for daytime hirers.

These have now been taken down and new curtains have been made and are waiting on

high ladders becoming available to instal.

Considerable electrical and plumbing maintenance has been carried out and the oppor-

tunity has been taken to carry out improvements at the same time.

The grease tank in the waste water line from the kitchen had been covered by the gar-

den border and largely forgotten as a consequence. It has now been pumped out by spe-

cialists and this needs to become a more regular maintenance operation.

Les. McBean.

Vice Commodore

WORKS NEWS (Cont.)


Members’ Forum

No submission has been made to the members’ forum. Please read the

Editor’s note below and submit your article or comment.

We take this opportunity to welcome the following new members since

the last issue of Cable:-

Don Watson Eddy White Kathryn Holmes

Norman Sinclair Rex Gibbons Nicki Atkinson

Robert Free Jo Rauch Stephen Kilroy

Rob Pearson

We bid farewell to the following members who have resigned and wish

them well in the future:-

Murray Paterson Brian Smith Jaryd Grimwood

Doug Stewart Colin Carey John Clover

Terry Thomas

MEMBERS’ FORUM and MEMBERSHIP

Editor’s Note. The “Members’ Forum”, above, is a feature to which

Members can submit their views on any and all Club matters. We urge

you to use it! And, as always, we welcome new articles about cruises, his-

toric races, boats, the hazards of ownership, and practical solutions to

abiding problems that can range from wood-rot to plumbing. Supporting

photos are welcome, too.


Editor’s note: Due to the elapse of time since the last cable in October

Les’ report is in two parts. The first is up to Christmas and the second

to March.

Part 1

Warning: due to extensive use, the rails at the top of the slipway may be HOT ! Yes

the mad last minute rush to get boats ready before Xmas is upon us.

The following list of boats have been either up the rails or down or both since our last

Cable edition.

Marimba-Mike Harkness’ Eric Wing built sloop has been up for annual maintenance

and cockpit enlargement and is back in, looking very smart indeed.

Triple Echo- Nigel Ensors’ trimaran (ex Tactile Too) was out for a scrub and paint and

minor repairs and is back in Deborah Bay swinging on her mooring.

AROUND THE YARD WITH LES

Aradine


Casino –Vern Halls’ sharp looking sloop was out and back in the water in a record

time for Vern of FOUR days! That included a complete sanding of the hull, applica-

tion of anti-fouling, touch-up of topsides, zinc replacement and polishing of white

gelcoat. A good effort all round.

Wilkie-Graeme Dickies’ Davidson 30 was also up and back in after only a relatively

short spell ashore getting a general tidy-up. Modern yachts built of modern materials

are a real boat owners dream compared to the traditionally built boats that required

many, many hours of often laborious work to maintain.

Kaikoura-John Chappells’ beautifully maintained motor –sailer has also spent a short

time ashore even though she falls into that traditional category mentioned in the last

sentence. However John has learnt to keep on top of the work with careful planning

and not putting things off for” another day” which can often happen if you are not

committed to caring for your vessel.

Lung- Nu—Richard Farquars’ Sabre 20 also joined the ranks of yachts having only a

short time ashore as compared to previous years. This yacht gets a lot of use and once

again its relatively modern construction means minimal work at slipping time. She is

back in the water after only 11 days ashore.

Beverly Pearl-P.C.Y.C.’s committee boat is also back in after an extended period

ashore getting a complete engine transplant. This launch is a true harbour workhorse

attending almost every clubs principal day or special event. If she were not fibreglass

it would be a nightmare finding volunteers to assist in her upkeep.

Quartetto --Peter Ansteys’ H28 is back in after some deck & toe-rail restoration work.

This yacht spends most of her time in the upper harbour ,D.C.C. Marina, & I am

amazed how knocked about she gets in there – the north-easterlies send quite a swell

into the harbour basin area in general.

Meltdown – Richard Hawkins Young 88 is back in after the complete removal of her

old anti-fouling & a complete new system applied, along with a new folding propeller.

A very tidy job indeed.

Tiercel – David Ojala & Chris Doudneys’ H28 had a true 24 hour haul-out with the

anti-fouling being applied the very day she was water-blasted – an extraordinary ef-

fort.

AROUND THE YARD WITH LES (Cont.)


Aradine – (picture page 13) Brian Marstons’ very traditional launch is out for some

remedial work and an extensive paint job. Regardless of the appearance of her home

built wheelhouse, I feel this is one of the classiest boats in the harbour. Aradines’ hull

lines reflect a time in our history when a boatbuilders skill was paramount to almost all

other trades – her stern in particular is a work of art.

Harlequin – Peter McGrouthers’ sloop was out for some T.LC, in particular her bright-

work ( as she does have a good share of lovely teak to look after). Korena has spent

many hours stripping off the old varnish in between winning the S.I. Sunburst Champi-

onships with Richard Hawkins!

Tanaka – Peter Wilhelmsens’ well cared for cutter-rigged yacht is looking splendid

after his many hours of work. Her trip down the ways is imminent.

Seaforth – Robert Cloughleys’ beautiful schooner is finally back in the water after an

extended, extended period ashore, during which both the boat & Robert went through a

myriad of changes. The result is fantastic. Robert continues to work on bringing the

yacht up to a standard only he is happy with – this time the masts have been taken out

AROUND THE YARD WITH LES (Cont.)


and are getting a thorough workout. I have watched Robert go through all of the trials

and tribulations that such a job entails. Periods of feverish activity, periods of no activity,

depression, joy, worry, despair and relief are just some of the things Robert has had to

deal with as he has been restoring a boat his father built many years ago. Robert is to be

commended on his on-going commitment to see this job through to the end. Thank you

Robert for looking after a boat that greatly enhances our harbour with its presence.

Like me if you are working in the yard over the Xmas – New Year period try to take

some time out to spend time with your family and friends during this very special time.

Les.

Part 2 New year --- around the yard part 2

Tokoeka—Frank McCarthy’s trimaran will be on the hard for most of the autumn and

winter while an extensive overhaul is being undertaken.

Cloudrift—Keith Hendersons’ Vagrant design keeler was recently hauled out and craned

onto its’ own cradle and put in the trailer – yacht park. This boat is now for sale and

would be a fantastic boat for a small family or for solo sailing. It has an extensive inven-

tory and very good sail wardrobe. With its diesel motor and ease of handling this is the

ideal harbour cruiser/racer with coastal excursions not out of the question either. I can

personally recommend this yacht as a very good buy.

Omeo—John Rutherfords’ Spray design steel yacht is up for a complete hull painting

and antifoul. This is a very stable and dry boat at sea. A few years ago I remember sail-

ing in the Oamaru race and was amazed to see perfectly dry decks on Omeo whilst the

yacht I had just stepped off had been totally soaked for most of the race ( likewise the

crew!).

Charlie Noble—Bob Watts “Dory” style keeler was up recently for a paint and antifoul

along with the fitting of a new transducer for a chart plotter.

Freya –Doug Blagdons’ keeler recently came up the slip for a propeller change and some

woodwork down below. This yacht has been many years in the building process but it

looks as if he is on the home stretch now.

Marimba—as reported earlier was up the ways some months ago and is now back along-

side while Mike installs a brand-new Yanmar diesel engine.


Telegram Sam—Johnathon Eames’ Ross design keeler was hauled out recently and

had the keel removed before the yacht was craned onto a truck and taken through to

Christchurch to get some repairs done and a new mast fitted. All of this work is neces-

sary after John unfortunately got dismasted in Decembers’ White Island race.

Saphire—Ken Bevans’ keeler ( ex Peter McGrouthers’) is out for a hull inspection and

anti-fouling for prospective buyers from Oamaru. This is another great buy and it will

be a liitle strange not to have her in our local fleet.

See you around the yard--- Les.

Marimba


Two Weeks Narrowboating on the English Canals - 2012 with Bill and Margaret

McIndoe

At Heritage Narrow Boats Ltd Marina we went through joining procedure and instruc-

tions for driving the narrowboat "Ramsdell" and operating the locks, then sailed for our

first experience on the British canal system.

After an hours motoring , a convenient section of the canal bank at the Dane River aque-

duct seemed as good as any for staying overnight. I maneuvered Ramsdell alongside the

bank 50yds north of the aqueduct. James, my grandson and his father Chris leapt ashore,

hammered the spikes into the edge of the tow path and rove the mooring lines through

the eye of the spike, back to the boat and all was "safely" secured.

The next day the twelve Bosley Locks hove in sight. For the first two locks I was appre-

hensive but once the system became clear we all managed well. If our lock was empty

Chris and James would run along the tow path and up the bank to the open lower lock

gates. I bought Ramsdell into the empty lock, the wet walls towering above me. The

Lock Bunnies closed the lower gates then using their crank handles opened the two pad-

dles of the upper gates which let the water into the chamber. Gunning the engine I held

the boat against the incoming rush of water which was trying to push the boat back

against the lower gate. Magically the boat rose as the lock filled. When the water in the

lock was level with the pond ahead the Lock Bunnies pushed on the gate beams and the

great doors swung open allowing me to motor ahead into the next pond. Then they

dashed helter-skelter for the next lock at the end of the pond to get it ready for my arri-

val.

If it was full of water, opening the paddles in the lower gates allowed the water to escape

into the pond that the boat was now in. I then moved forward across the now quiet water

of the pond and into the empty next lock. Thus we progressed upwards through the

twelve locks. Eventually we arrived at the Top Lock.

Fool's Nook was a likely canal side pub. It was selected as a stop for the night and din-

ner ashore. The electric swing bridge, taking local traffic from a side road over the canal

and onto the busy main road and to the pub was something that we hadn't encountered.

The barrier arms came down and the complete bridge, like a big-ship gun turret, rotated

around on a central axis until it lay parallel to the canal, nesting in the bank. As soon as I


had moved the boat through the boys activated the mechanism, closed the bridge and

returned to help secure us to the bollards on the grass towpath. At a reasonable price the

pub meal at the Fools Nook was what we wanted.

The next day the rain was light and as the travelling day drew to a close, I put the boat

alongside the bank and secured to the tow path. All aboard to dry off, a cup of tea and a

biscuit. A snooze seemed called for. Thus Margaret and I drifted off to sleep, in our

own little bunks, still clutching a book and pretending to read, while a light drizzle fell

on the green English fields about us. Awaking with no sense of alarm I opened one eye

and looked out the port side at the green water of the canal. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I opened the other eye and looked out the starboard side at more green canal water. All

very calm. It dawned on me that there should be grass on one side at least. I bounded up

the stairs to discover we were adrift; had come detached from both our mooring stakes

and the 49ft boat lay at an angle across the canal with the bow jammed into one bank

and the stern into the other, completely blocking the fairway.

After watching the effect that a passing barge had on a moored boat I realised how we

had broken loose. As a narrowboat slows to 2 mph to pass a moored vessel, in such a

narrow channel, water is pushed ahead of the moving boat. This moving water pushes

the moored vessel forward against its mooring lines. As the passing vessel clears the

other water flows forward again bringing the moored vessel hard aft against its restrain-

ing ropes. Then the moored boat is sucked away from the bank and bumped back again

thus pulling against both lines at once. This movement had wrenched both stakes out of

the ground and we were adrift.


The canal is only 4ft deep in the middle, 2ft at the sides and about 30ft wide. Tillermen

who fall into the water don't drown they just stand up! A boat underway and passing an-

other is like a moving dam - pushing and sucking water down both sides.

The boat was equipped with a 300 x 100mm hook made of 12mm stainless steel rod,

shaped rather like a large safety pin with 70% of the opening clip snipped off. These

"safety pins", as we called them would slide down the inside of the steel plating support-

ing the bank and hook onto a structural member. With the mooring line attached and

tensioned back to the bollard it made the boat secure. After that breakaway I always used

the these clips. Unfortunately the metal bank lining is only on about 30% of one side of

the canal banks so the safety pins cannot always be used. We had then to revert to the

stakes.

At Marples the Macclesfield Canal ended and joined the Ashton and the Forest Peak

Canal. We secured to big ring bolts on the stone canal tow path and went ashore to ex-

plore. The stonework at the junction of the two canals was impressive with handsome

roving bridges, high retaining walls with neat gardens and closely cut lawns.

The "Ring of Bells" whispered sweetly in our ears and we did enjoy our evening pub

meal.

The rain was heavy during the night but cleared up to blue sky in the morning.

Casting off our lines I took Ramsdell under the big stone roving bridge to the magnifi-

cent junction of the Ashton, Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals. To port, the canal led

down the 16 Marple Locks which was the start of the Ashton Canal and continuation of

the Stourport Ring. We turned hard-a-starboard into the Peak Forest Canal heading for

Bugsworth Basin and Whaley Bridge.

There were two swing bridges and two lifting bridges to negotiate. With only two of us

aboard now, the bridges were not easy. Somebody always ended up on the wrong side of

the canal in eminent danger of being left behind. One of the swing bridges was stuck. A

nice man came walking along the tow path and together we got it open. Then he had to

close it to get back on the tow path side of the canal so he could walk home. The inter-

esting thing was that the track across it led to a rickety farm gate which opened onto a

paddock. It didn't actually go anywhere at all.

The canal wound through the countryside, often with steep drop-offs, high banks and

aqueducts all built of carefully cut stone. Overhanging trees, narrowings and

many bridges required close attention by the Tillerman and the lookout. Visibility ahead


was often obscured so that an approaching narrowboat would be sighted often perilously

close.

The canal was about 30ft wide and the boats 6ft. When meeting another boat there was

often a third boat tied up to the canal bank. The combined width of the three boats was

18ft which only left 4ft between each boat and the outer moving boat and the bank. With

our boat weighing 12 tons and 49ft long and many boats were 15 ton and 65 ft long

passing required judgement and good nerves especially if on a curve where both boats

would be turning and their stern swinging out towards the bank.

So as not to damage the canal banks, the speed limit was 4mph. When passing other

boats or boats moored to the bank it was necessary to reduce speed to 2.5mph. It was

important to restrict the speed so that the stern wake did not break along the bank which

was a no-no. The Narrowboats were flat bottomed, no keel and a draft of 2ft. The tiller

was short and the rudder a long barn door. Steering was hard work requiring strength,

judgement and constant attention. It was desirable to have another person standing by

the Tillerman to help with the lookout and warn him of what lay ahead be it an ap-

proaching boat, a skinny, a bridge or a clump of sedge weed lying in the water waiting to

foul the prop.

Under the bridges the width of the canal narrowed to 7ft giving 6ins on either side. The

boat had to be lined up parallel with the stone sides and exactly in the middle of this

narrow space otherwise the steel hull, still doing 2.5 mph, would strike the stonework.

Ramsdell from Heritage Brochure


Bridges came in several varieties. A Roving Bridge which had a functional and pleasing

design; so clever and beautiful that it is hard to re-imagine. It allowed a horse towing a

barge to pass over the bridge and carry on along the tow path without unhitching the tow

rope. The towpath led to a steep curved ramp on say the south side and up to the bridge

deck. The horse then was then led across the bridge and down another ramp still on the

south side of the bridge, ending on the other side of the canal. It then turned and contin-

ued on along the towpath which led under the bridge and on down the canal without un-

hitching the tow rope. I could see where stone corners had been worn away by the fric-

tion of tow ropes over the years. The small bridges carried minor country lanes or a

farmer's track for moving stock or implements across the canal from one part of the farm

to another.

Then there were the "narrowings" or skinnies, which were built into the system to allow

sections of the canal to be drained for repair and maintenance work. The clearance on

either side for the barge was the same as under the small bridges. The banks of the nar-

rowings were made of stone with slots reaching the bottom on either side so heavy

planks could be dropped in to form a dam. If planks were similarly dropped into the next

narrowing (or under bridges which also had these slots) a section of the canal would be

isolated. Between every set there were controlled drainage channels to allow the water to

be discharged safely into a stream.

In the event of an accidental breach in the canal bank the planks for narrowings and

bridges could be dropped in. Planks would contain a section of canal so that miles of the


canal between sets of locks, containing millions of cubic metres of water, could not dis-

astrously empty onto the surrounding countryside. If the canal were to empty, every

barge on it would be sitting in the mud on the bottom, stranded. There might not be

enough water in the canal reservoirs to refill the system until rainwater refilled them.

In the horse drawn days the bargee, his wife and family lived in the very small after part

of the barge so that as much as possible of the boat could be devoted to cargo. The bar-

gee's wife, apart from doing the cooking and looking after the children, would also steer

the towed engineless barge. Moving many miles each day around the UK canal system

it was impossible for the children to attend school. Sadly barge children, and adults,

were largely illiterate.

The canal system in UK is 4000 miles and along the whole distance is the towpath - a

good walk if you had that in mind. The path is normally 5ft wide from canal edge to

private land edge which was either somebody's garden fence, a hawthorn hedge, a stone

wall or one strand of wire with a cow looking over it. The little track, where people

walk, is 2ft wide and either paved with stones, gravelled or just dirt with puddles after

rain. Every bridge is numbered so as long as you have a canal map it is simple to locate

your position. Many locals use the towpath for exercise and nearly every walker had a

dog. Both dogs and walkers socialize when on the path. We found them invariably com-

municating with a polite nod to us and a warm greeting. And all the dogs did the same.

We flew the New Zealand ensign of course which they always noticed and appreciated.

We found that the English are reserved and seldom opened a conversation. But if we

talked to them they would immediately became friendly and only too happy to continue

the conversation.

Access pathways came to the canal from across the fields, off the bridges and from the

villages. Some walkers told me they just walked from their houses and others had driven

from a greater distance to exercise their dogs in a place distant from any roads where

there was no traffic and no noise. For them it was a quiet place of water, birds and soli-

tude.

Up the Peak Forest Park canal to Bugsworth Basin

The engineer in charge of building a canal was called the Navigator. This name also

became applied to the labourers who actually worked with pick, shovel and wheelbar-

row. Eventually this was shortened to Navvies which is a term we still use today for a


man who works on the roads with a pick and shovel. The title Navigator is still en-

shrined in the name of several canal-side pubs.

When clear of Marple, the Peak Forest Park canal was narrower and windier than the

Macclesfield canal. The country through which it had been built was steep sided with

more valleys. The banks were thick with bushes, and trees overhanging the water which

with the constantly turning canal made visibility difficult. We kept the speed down to

have time to react to the sudden appearance of another Narrowboat and be able to pass

safely or stop. Narrow boating is not all beer and skittles. They require strength and

judgement to steer all day, as one must to cover the ground. It requires much more ener-

gy than steering a yacht at sea, where you probably have self steering and much more

sea room.

Two crew are needed on deck when underway - one to steer and one to keep a keen

lookout for oncoming boats, bridges and the narrowings. The fantasy of floating effort-

lessly through the England's countryside is a myth - it is hard work. Once the boat devi-

ates off course, or a sudden alteration of course is needed such as when an unseen boat

approaches from round a corner, it requires strength and judgement to alter course. Of-

ten boats are on passage for five hours in a day which leaves the skipper drained of en-

ergy.

Locks need a crew of three - skipper to handle the boat and two more to work the lock

mechanism. If fit or young two could manage.

The rain gear provided, leaks around the shoulders and is too light. Buy a second-hand

set on arrival. It is desirable to have gumboots. Buy a cheap pair on arrival.

The canal has no flow (it is not a river), is green and contains leptospirosis (Weil's dis-

ease), a nasty infection. No swimming, and must wash hands after handling mooring

ropes. The canal water is only used to float the boat.

The Boat Manual says that to keep the domestic batteries charged it is necessary to run

the engine for a total of five hours a day while moving, or for five hours at a fast idle

when stopped and tied up to the bank. Being boaties we were careful with the electrical

load and found we didn't need that long a period charging the batteries. When the fluo-

rescent lights stopped working the domestic batteries are down.


The Loo is flushed with fresh water and the sewage goes into a holding tank. It works

fine but needs to be taken to a pump-out station at one of the marinas every seven to ten

days, depending on numbers aboard. Water consumption has to be watched. The recom-

mendation is that the tanks be filled every day. With a 300 litre tank, boaties accustomed

to conserving water will not need that many refills. As always, it just depends on water

discipline.

I looked carefully to see how the original Navigators kept the canal water at a constant

level if it rained heavily or if there were a drought. Every mile or so there were stone lips

that established the depth of water. If rain water ran off into the canal and the level be-

gan to rise the water would flow over the lip, through a grating to collect debris, and

down a stone lined channel, sometimes in a pipe under the canal, to a suitable stream

bed where it could disperse naturally. Thus, the canals never became over-full.

In the event of a shortage of water and to replace water released when it flowed downhill

from locks that were filled and emptied, the Navigators had built reservoirs which auto-

matically kept the locks and the canals full to their established level without human in-

tervention. It was a system whereby a stream ran into a man made reservoir, kept at a set

level with a dam and the excess running off back into the original stream bed. A reser-

voir outlet was then channelled to the canal to keep it at that same level.

It did seem as though the canal was getting narrower and more overgrown even though I

knew we were close to the restored Bugsworth Basin. Then the canal widened, the bank


-side growth had been cleared and a big sign said we were there. We could see high stone

walls and bridges, different levels, buildings and roads.

Limestone was mined further up in the hills and bought down to Bugsworth Basin by

train. Coal was bought up by barge. There had been retorts in which the coal and lime-

stone were combined in layers and burnt to produce slaked lime which was necessary for

the production of cement for building the burgeoning factories, railways and industrial

complexes of Great Britain's extraordinary Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th

centuries.

The development of the steam railway engine and building of the railway lines signalled

the slow demise of the canal system. Rail was cheaper and faster than barge transport

and the canals slowly fell into disuse. The Bugsworth Transfer Station and inland port

was by-passed and no longer used. Over the years it was neglected; it filled with rubbish

and was overgrown by the returning forest. Some parts were dismantled and mined for

the huge amount of building stone available and the rubble of its past industries would

take much work to clean up.

After the WW2 it became obvious to some that the British canal system could become an

important recreational and tourist facility of great charm but would need a lot of work to

restore it to use. Many miles were restored and in 1990 a group of enthusiastic Canalers

based in Whaley Bridge and Bugsworth Basin realised that Bugsworth Transfer Station,

the inland port could be restored to something of its original form and become an attrac-

tion that would draw Canalers from all over Britain. The group of members of the Inland

Waterways Protection Society set about this enormous project. The restoration was fin-

ished after fifteen years of clearing overgrowth, removing detritus of the industrial revo-

lution and rebuilding worthwhile structures using stone from tumble down buildings.


Margaret and I had a good lunch at another pub called the Navigation Inn. The next day

we cast off, turned the boat round and motored back down the Forest Peak canal heading

for its junction with the Macclesfield canal at Marple.

My daughter Victoria (51) and my granddaughter Rosie (18) arrived by car at the Bosley

Top Lock #1. They stowed their gear aboard and started to help us through the locks.

First they closed the two massive No 1 Top Lock gates. They wound the handles which

opened the shutters and the water sluiced out of the lock into the pond below. The water

level dropped seven feet and Ramsdell went down with it until it was the same level as

the pond. A gentle push on the beams opened the gates and I motored out into the pond.

They closed the gates and the shutters and with much laughter ran helter-skelter down

the incline to Lock No 2 where the procedure was repeated.

When Chris and James had done the locks on the way north they had taken one and a

half hours. The girls were determined to beat this record and moved swiftly from lock to

lock and I helped by moving the boat as quickly as possible. To everybody's delight it

took only one hour, beating the boys by half an hour and thus establishing a new world

record!

At the Bottom Lock No 12, Victoria walked one mile along the tow path back up the

locks to Top Lock No 1, collected the car and drove to the Heritage Narrow Boats Base

car park at Scholar Green, where the car would be ready for our drive to Cheltenham.

While she moved the car we continued steaming down the canal. On arrival at Congleton

we tied up and awaited Victoria's arrival. In half an hour, fit, graceful and athletic at fifty

one years, she strode along the tow path having walked all the way from Scholar Green.

There was a little confusion because Margaret had gone on a Find Victoria Search Party

and now had disappeared. I had visions of Margaret in the canal imbibing canal water

and a dose of leptospirosis. So I went off to find her. Then Rosie disappeared on her own

Find Margaret Search Party and as she disappeared from view I was afraid that she too

might get lost. Everybody did return to the boat, still dry and not a case of leptospirosis

to be seen. On arrival at Scholar Green we cleaned the Ramsdell and returned it to Herit-

age Boats. Loading the car with all our gear we drove through the rain, the flooding and

the night, south to Victoria's cottage near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, arriving at

9pm, tired but in good heart and looking forward to exploring Bristol and the Seven Val-

ley

Well, that was how we ended our canal boating adventure.


I was listening to a recent broadcast of a sailing race when the announcer said that the

yachts were all configured with the latest thinking in sail design, having a cut-off peak

to the mainsail. My immediate thought was that this was not new and my mind went

back to the eighties when Ann and I were living in the Bahamas.

As well as regular yacht racing there were Family Island Regattas. These were for tra-

ditional sloops of different sizes defined as Class A and Class B. Rivalry was fierce as

each boat represented their island. We supported the boat from Acklins as Ann did

some work for a Bahamian who came from there.

The boats in the ‘A’ Class (around 28ft) and the smaller ‘B’ Class (21-23 ft) have

many features in common. Note: There is a small C Class but we did not see them race.

They are planked upright upon a full length keel. Ribs are usually live madeira

(‘Horseflesh” in the Bahamas). Single planking is from any light wood to hand. Fibre-

glass is banned except as a deck covering. Epoxy is however, used extensively on the

hull with heavily plastered microballoons and much longboard sanding to obtain a per-


fect finish. There are limits on outside ballast and boats use any combination lead, stones

and sandbags stowed in the bilges. (As an aside this was traditionally so that the boats could

be sunk in the event of a hurricane and emptied of stones or sandbags and refloated when

the hurricane had passed.). The racers commonly take on sandbags to adjust for any days

wind strength or size of crew and are allowed to jettison them underway, (crew often as

well for final run home). They are not allowed to move ballast from side to side.

The rules are silent on sail area but they must be cotton. No winches; no spreaders; no exot-

ic rigging. An A class boat can employ no more than three pries, and a B class no more than

two. Pries are long planks which are jammed under hoops of rebar that go through the deck

amidships. Often 5 to 6 crew get out on each of the pries to balance the enormous sail.

The most striking feature of the Bahamian racing sloops is their solid unspreadered painted

masts of spruce to a height nearly twice the boats length. The boom articulates at a goose-

neck or jaws very near deck level and extends from 6’ to 10’ past the transom. A small

curved headboard tops the mainsail and is hoisted on one halyard. The mainsail is loose

footed. A very high aspect ratio jib sets on the forestay.

The spread of sail is way out of proportion to the hull . The hull has considerable wetted

area, but taken in proportion to the vast sail area, the entire hull must act as a keel.


The racing takes place in sight of the shore, and on shore there is a carnival atmos-

phere, with temporary food shelters, music, and illegal gambling on the results.

Some boats are sponsored and sponsors are busy handing out t-shirts or other

goods. I understood there was a vague handicapping system based on previous

results but no one seemed to know how it worked.

I have seen some IOR boats take on the sloops and they were left standing to wind-

ward. Overall I had the impression that despite the rivalry the Regattas were tre-

mendous fun for all and after all isn’t that what yachting is about.


PART ONE AVANTI'S 25th VOYAGE TO THE MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS The forecast for strong southerly winds didn't concern me but the two metre southerly

wave train meeting a two metre northerly wave train off Oamaru generated by a low

lying east of Banks Peninsula, was a worry. However, the weather for the next week

was for fresh northerlies which I didn't fancy beating all the way against to reach

Akaroa. Now that we were all ready to go the thought of waiting for another five days

for better weather before departure was unpopular. Understanding the probable condi-

tions we decided to "go for it" anyway. And we got bad-stuff in spades!!

We sailed from Careys Bay at 13:00 Wednesday 2nd January 2013 and arrived Akaroa

Heads at 13:00 on Thursday 3rd January after a rough trip and perhaps a record passage

of 24 hours averaging 6.6kts.

Avanti roared along at 7kts and the big overtaking breaking waves tested the Autohelm

self steering to its limits. I had reefed the main to half sail and with the motor at 1300

revs, which gave a water flow over the rudder to give good steerage, we rode the gale

north. To slow the boat down and avoid broaching as the wind strength increased, I

kept reefing the mainsail on the electric Hood Stoway mast until it was one eighth full

size.

This slowed the boat down from 7kts to 5kts which reduced the blind rush surfing down

the face of a following wave; the heeling 30 degrees to leeward in the trough with the

white water up to the cabin windows and the inevitable broach averted by a whisker.

The north running waves were by then meeting the south going waves and they were

confused. Waves breaking from astern were smoothed out somewhat by the propellor

wash and the boat wake but the big ones broke with a roar onto the stern and occasion-

ally into the cockpit. The northerly wave train broke over the starboard side and cabin-

top with a crash changing the view in the cabin windows from darkness to white water.

Some big ones broke over the boat and water came through a ventilator dorade box and

into the boat. There was a scramble to find and screw in the one remaining deck-head

ventilator closure not in place.


Moving around the boat was difficult. Making a cuppa in the violent motion was

nearly impossible but Margaret still produced cups of tea with cookies. Cooking

seemed out of the question but Margaret produced ideal meals for the occasion of

chops or steak, sauté potatoes, mushrooms in sauce and green veg followed by sliced

peaches and chocolate rice with cream. Magic!

Sleeping in the sea berth (the settee in the grand saloon) which is midships fore and

aft, was the safest place. We both took some interesting tumbles but thanks to the

safety ropes rigged and many grab-handles we both survived without any major

damage. When taking our turn for a five hour watch, strapped into the watch-

keeper's seat in the cockpit was not necessarily safe. If we lost our grip or dozed for

a second when the ship rolled to port it was a long way down to the cockpit floor.

The jerky motion was so violent that standing and holding onto a good handhold

took anticipation and strength.

As Avanti is rigged ,sail adjustments can mainly be made from inside the

safety of the enclosed wheelhouse. I seldom had to venture outside to make

adjustments to the sail. The 2.6m inflatable was hoisted and lashed in place at the

davits aft. When one critical lashing gave way and the dinghy started flogging it

loosened the other six lashings. I had no option but to don safety gear, attach my

tether to a strongpoint and proceed to its rescue.

Standing on the stern deck, hanging on, jammed between the backstay and the

guardrails, trying to capture the dinghy, replace and tighten the lashings, I was able

to appreciate the majesty of the gale. The stern lifted to the swell and with a roar the

breaking white water hitting the transom, came aboard surging about my legs. Fur-

ther forward another series of waves were hitting with heavy boat-shaking thumps

onto the starboard side sending white water over the cabin-top and streaming aft

down the side decks and running over my feet. The wind howling in the mast and

rigging supplied the treble and the rumbling sea filled in the continuous deep bass

notes.

If the dinghy had not come loose I would never have gone out in those conditions

and stood on the stern. When I had done the job and the dinghy was safe I realised


this had been a wonderful experience and I was lucky to have been there on that

day.

The performance of the yacht going downwind showed the true worth of

Avanti's Cavalier 39 class cruising-boat hull design and to the Autohelm 6000 self

steering. Full marks to Bob Salthouse, who as a young man designed her in 1970.

At Akaroa:

We are on the Akaroa Cruising Club mooring 100m off their excellent jetty. On

MetVUW weather forecast maps I can clearly see the next window in the weather

which may allow us to sail north.

The plan is that today, with a 15kt head wind, we will sail around to Le Bons Har-

bour, on the north east corner of Banks Peninsula, and anchor for the night. On

Sunday the wind should be northerly and we will proceed to sea bound for the

Marlborough Sounds. With the good winds forecast for later from the south we

might enter Tory Channel about 20:00 on Monday 7th January and secure to moor-

ing in Hitaua Bay.

Sunday 6th January 2013.

At Le Bons Bay, NE corner of Banks Peninsula.

We had a roly-poly night anchored at Le Bons Bay which was fairly open to the

incoming easterly swell. However, anchoring here for the night allows us to com-

plete the remainder of the voyage to Tory Channel and be at sea for only two days

and one night. Radio reception is poor in the Banks Peninsula bays and we could

not read the weather forecast. We did receive good radio reception from Taupo

Maritime on SSB at 05:30 and, taking a calculated chance on the not good fore-

cast, weighed the anchors and sailed for Tory Channel.

After starting in a strong southerly the wind has eased to 15kts. Avanti

is now bowling along at 6kts and Kaikoura Peninsula is 42 miles to the north


which we will pass at 21:00 tonight. I am hoping to enter Tory Channel at

12:00 on Monday and proceed to a mooring in Hitaua Bay for the night. After

resting up for a day or two we will move on to Picton Marina on say Tuesday

or Wednesday.

We have some strong winds ahead of us and probably a gale while at the moor-

ing in Hitaua Bay. When we get safely into Tory Channel and Hitaua things will

be clearer. At the moment we do have e-mail contact but as Avanti moves up the

coast will probably lose it.

Monday 7/1/13

Had a wonderful sail up the Marlborough Coast. I am always careful when

approaching Cape Campbell with its tall black and white lighthouse set on a

low point. The strong flashing light indicates to navigators that theShepherdess

Reef extends a mile and a half offshore and must be treated with caution. Using

all our aids to navigation - echo sounder, chart plotter and radar I followed, from

waypoint to waypoint, my safe previously laid course to double Cape Campbell.

Margaret was the watchkeeper but as is the custom, I as the Navigator was also

there to watch and check the doubling of this dangerous major New Zealand cape

with its long rocky reef and strong tides. After an hour of accurate navigating we

cleared the Cape and at 04:00 set course for Tory Channel 30nm across Clifford

and Cloudy Bay. Having had no sleep that night I toddled off to bed.

With a feeling of sweet accomplishment and with our little ship no longer rolling

and pitching, we entered Tory Channel at 08:00. Although bone weary we did

enjoy sailing up that stunning waterway to pick up the Mana Cruising Club moor-

ing in Hitaua bay at 10:00.

To our surprise, Daniel and Alex Foley in Waikiwi who were rafted up with us

on the Mana mooring, told us of the storm force wind in Hitaua Bay with

"white breaking water all over the bay" at the very same time as we were

experiencing ideal 15kt breeze not thirty miles away.


It will be difficult to move on Wednesday when storm force winds are again fore-

cast so we will proceed to Picton on Tuesday, when there will be only gales, to

meet my eighteen year old English granddaughter Rosie, who arrives at the Picton

Marina on Thursday 10/1/13. She has planned a very tight schedule for herself so

I am not sure what sailing experience we can arrange in the time frame and the

weather.

It is only 15:00 on Monday but bed calls these sleep deprived sailors. I

will close my iPad and head for my bunk to dream of elegant Hector dolphins

and breaking white water out in the wild blue Pacific.

Bill and Margaret McIndoe

Avanti

at Picton Marina

Thursday 10th January 2013

(to be continued)


The Otago Yacht Club acknowledges & kindly thanks the following businesses & organisations for their invaluable support: Mini Dig Ltd

Read Marine

Delta Services

The Trusts Charitable Foundation

Rainbow Paints

Keith Henderson has reluctantly for sale

CLOUDRIFT.

6m/20ft Vagrant designed by Appleby. A well

built strong and safe craft suitable for coastal wa-

ters or Southern Lakes. Vetus 10kw diesel. Com-

prehensive set of 7 sails all in good or excellent

condition. 3 berths ,stove, sink, toilet, sounder,

VHF, dinghy, and steel cradle.

On hard at Boat Harbour. Realistically priced at

$6500. For further details or arrangement to in-

spect phone Keith 488-2003 or Les McBean 488-

4579.


Otago Yacht Club: Officers & Committee 2012-13

Commodore Gordon Caley

Vice-commodore Les McBean

Rear Commodore Paul Anderson

Treasurer Barry Crane

Secretary Fiona Balch

Committee Members

Ann Jones Ann Crane Bridget Meyer

Michael Harkness Graeme Bennett Peter Wilhelmsen

Vern Hall

Website www.otagoyachtclub.org.nz

Caretaker/Manager Kevin Martin

Events Coordinator Catherine Gubbins

official publication of the otago yacht club · scouts jamboree contingent in january, and the...

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