Practical Boat Owner March 2020

with the editor All in a good cause Some say that in a perfect world there would be no need for charity, volunteers, fundraising etc. If so, we live in a world that is sliding further and further from perfection, because the number of good causes competing for attention continues to expand. This month’s lead news story features the charity Around and Around, which runs Sir Alec Rose’s ketch Lively Lady as a sail training yacht. Still on the news pages the steamship Waverley has been saved by last-ditch donations again, and we celebrate a pair of RNLI volunteers who have served 100 years between them in the north-east of England. But the RNLI is an inspiration to people in other ways as well. Sean Chambers is an illustrator who is hoping to raise…

with the editor All in a good cause Some say that in a perfect world there would be no need for charity, volunteers, fundraising etc. If so, we live in a world that is sliding further and further from perfection, because the number of good causes competing for attention continues to expand. This month’s lead news story features the charity Around and Around, which runs Sir Alec Rose’s ketch Lively Lady as a sail training yacht. Still on the news pages the steamship Waverley has been saved by last-ditch donations again, and we celebrate a pair of RNLI volunteers who have served 100 years between them in the north-east of England. But the RNLI is an inspiration to people in other ways as well. Sean Chambers is an illustrator who…

The hunt is on to find the author of two 100ft handwritten scrolls celebrating the life of Sir Alec Rose and his groundbreaking 1968 circumnavigation on his ketch Lively Lady. Sir Alec’s family passed the documents to Alan Priddy, principal of the charity Around and Around, which is the custodian of the 36ft yacht. The University of Portsmouth is digitising the scrolls, which are believed to be around 50 years old. The documents are so large that each section has to be photographed and scanned. It is hoped they can be used to raise money to secure Sir Alec’s legacy. Ideas such as turning copies into wallpaper for yacht clubs and a stage show are all being considered. “We don’t know who made this remarkable document but clearly the person interviewed Sir Alec…

The Scottish Government has outlined proposals for up to 17 new commercial-scale offshore wind farms. It has launched a consultation into its draft Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy, which will inform the next round of seabed leasing for offshore wind in Scottish waters. Scotland currently has six operational offshore wind farms with a further eight, including two floating wind farms, having been given consent. Most are located in the Moray Firth and east Scotland. The draft marine plan lists 17 new sites including off the Isle of Whithorn, Islay, Lewis and Orkney. A further eight are planned in the north east and three off east Scotland. The report highlights that some of the proposed wind farms could impact on navigational safety for shipping, marine and coastal recreation and access, water quality and the…

The hunt is on to find the author of two 100ft handwritten scrolls celebrating the life of Sir Alec Rose and his groundbreaking 1968 circumnavigation on his ketch Lively Lady. Sir Alec’s family passed the documents to Alan Priddy, principal of the charity Around and Around, which is the custodian of the 36ft yacht. The University of Portsmouth is digitising the scrolls, which are believed to be around 50 years old. The documents are so large that each section has to be photographed and scanned. It is hoped they can be used to raise money to secure Sir Alec’s legacy. Ideas such as turning copies into wallpaper for yacht clubs and a stage show are all being considered. “We don’t know who made this remarkable document but clearly the person…

A new set of regulations governing how hire boats on Britain’s inland waterways are managed and built has been published. The consultation on the revised Code for the Design, Construction and Operation of Hire Boats – better known as the ‘Hire Boat Code’ – is open until 9 March. The existing voluntary code is to be replaced by a new mandatory one. There are also changes to the responsibilities for hire boat operators, hirers and hire boat licensing authorities of sailing boats over 6m LOA and powered boats of all lengths. These include limiting the use of pontoon and open boats under 4m due to stability concerns, making sure hirers are aware of relevant safety information such as weather and navigational hazards, and the introduction of a reporting process to record incidents or…