Practical Boat Owner August 2021

with the editor To receive the editor’s monthly email newsletter, go to our website: www.pbo.co.uk Practical is political… Readers write in to ask why they haven’t seen a thing in the magazine almost as often as they ask ‘what were you thinking publishing that?’ This month, Chris Caswell asked why the Midget 26 hasn’t had a mention since the 1990s, while in the published letters (page 12) we are firmly rebuked for ‘the temerity’ to express political leanings. Well – to answer the first complaint – good question! The Midget range sounds like a very interesting series of used yachts. And to the second: I tend to agree. Contributors often send articles containing scathing political opinions and for the most part we edit them out, or suggest ‘toning them down’. We ought to call…

Teenage skipper Katie McCabe has set off on a solo anticlockwise circumnavigation of Britain in a 26ft wooden sailing boat, accompanied by her dad David in his 33ft yawl. Katie, 14, featured in PBO (October 2020) when she shared her experience of helping to restore a 1950s Morgan Giles-built West Channel One Design sloop, Falanda – in which she is now undertaking her challenge. If successful she could take the mantle from Timothy Long of being the youngest person to sail solo around Britain. At the time of going to press, Katie and David were due to set sail in their respective wooden vessels on 30 June or 1 July from the River Exe, in an anticlockwise direction. David, 54, is a self-taught boatbuilder. The McCabe family used to live aboard a converted fishing…

Sailors concerned about pet passport demands when travelling from Britain into Northern Ireland – or NI residents returning from Britain – have been granted a temporary reprieve. The introduction of checks at Belfast and Larne ports, which pose an additional hurdle to sailors as these ferry ports are not normally open to yachts (PBO news, July 2021), has now been delayed until at least 1 October 2021. It means anyone travelling with dogs, cats, ferrets or birds, on board to NI from Scotland, England and Wales can continue to do so without the enforcement of new pet restrictions for the time being. The new requirements include additional documentation, rabies vaccination and a tapeworm treatment, and come as a result of the NI Protocol, meaning pet travellers moving from Great Britain to NI must…

The Canal & River Trust has been awarded England’s inaugural international Blue Flag award for the Royal Albert Dock and Salthouse Dock marinas in Liverpool. The Trust, which looks after 36 hectares of waterspace at Liverpool’s South Docks, received the award after its marinas in Liverpool received top marks for high standards of environmental information, management, safety, and boating services. The water quality within the docks is of the highest standard and is home to an array of wildlife including thousands of blue mussels and hundreds of 2m-long European conger eels, dubbed the ‘Dock Ness Monsters’ by locals. During the summer thousands of moon jellyfish can be spotted in the water. Daniel Greenhalgh, regional director at the Canal & River Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded this prestigious international Blue…

The Greek customs authority has acknowledged the rights of UK yachts to retain their EU VAT status when returning to Greece from outside EU waters. The move follows a complaint to the European Union (EU) by the Cruising Association (CA). Proof will be required of the ‘yachts being in EU waters on 31 December 2021’. This does not apply to boats that were in UK waters on that date, which now have UK VAT status. Following a request to the EU Commission for clarity, on 3 June Greek Customs announced the acceptance of UK yachts returning from non-EU Countries to regain their Union Goods Status, provided they return within three years under the same ownership, with no changes to the vessel. CA spokesman Christopher Robb said there is little doubt that “the principle of the…

A man who previously volunteered with Buckie RNLI has been sentenced after making false and malicious calls to HM Coastguard. Leon Marandola, aged 20, was ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and given a two-year supervision order at Elgin Sherriff Court. A restriction of liberty order has also been imposed. Marandola admitted making 19 hoax calls, between 17 June and 25 August 2019, which led to HM Coastguard sending out helicopters, rescue officers and RNLI lifeboats when in fact no one was in danger. The estimated £170,000 cost doesn’t account for volunteers’ wages lost due to call outs, HM Coastguard operations room costs or costs to any merchant or industrial ships that may have been diverted to assist. Marandola joined Buckie RNLI as a volunteer in May 2019. Coastal Operations Area Commander…