Practical Boat Owner February 2020

with the editor Confession and competence The words of columnist Dave Selby (page 16) this issue reminded me of my first trip as skipper. After avoiding all disasters getting out of the pontoon berth, exiting the marina and the harbour and hoisting the sails, my mostly novice crew and I enjoyed a few hours of plain sailing. Nothing went wrong – I was in control! Starting the engine to motorsail through a slightly narrow channel, however, made the boat react very strangely indeed. Our speed dropped right off, the reefed main and partially furled jib started to shudder slightly, but only the experienced First Mate on board noticed anything was up. The rest of the crew didn’t bat an eyelid. I simply couldn’t understand how starting the engine in neutral could be affecting performance…

Trustees behind a project to build a full sized replica of the famous 19th century clipper ship Cutty Sark have said they would like it built in the UK. The Cutty Sark 2 Sail Foundation Trust is an international team with experience of the design, construction and operation of tall ships. The project director is Vladimir Martus, who was responsible for the building of Shtandart, a full-size replica of Peter the Great’s 1703 flagship. The vessel was recently on display at the 2019 Southampton Boat Show. Draft plans for the £25 million Cutty Sark 2 have already been drawn up. They are close as possible to the original designs, with concessions to modern safety regulations. The ship has three holds for cargo, which can also be used as reception and exhibition space,…

Boat owners are being encouraged to take part in research to find out why fixed, drop and canting keels fail on monohull yachts. Marine surveyor and ship scientist, Kevin Gorringe, is leading the study at the Marine Learning Alliance College and the University of Plymouth. Research areas include design failures, owners failing to spot early signs of keel failure and negligent surveys. “Our concerns at the moment are that initial signs are being missed, in particular by surveyors, and several have legal cases for negligence against them at present,” explained Gorringe. Portsmouth marine law firm, Verisona Law estimated that since the mid-1980s more than 75 boats have lost their keels, with the loss of 28 lives. The firm is currently involved in a number of cases where owners have discovered defective keels on their new…

Boat owners are being urged to take steps to protect their vessels and gear over the winter. Figures from Dorset Police reveal both the theft of outboards and boats have risen over the last two years. In 2019, 23 boats and 22 outboards were stolen from the force area, compared to the theft of 11 vessels and 21 outboards in 2018. Inspector Richard Bader from Dorset’s Marine Policing Team said his officers were “dedicated to working closely with members of the marine community to tackle marine crime, as well as provide education and reassurance”. This includes working with Poole Harbour Watch volunteers “to ensure any offenders are caught and brought to justice.” “We would advise any members of the marine community to help act as our eyes and ears and report any suspicious…

Brian Meerloo, one of the co-founders of Cobramold, which successfully produced Leisure Yachts in the 1960s and 1970s, has died. Brian worked with German solo sailor John Adam on an early self-steering system which was later launched as the Windpilot, although he is perhaps best known for the Leisure 17 trailer-sailer. Designed by Arthur Howard, the Leisure 17 was launched at the 1967 London Boat Show, the same year Adam sailed his Leisure 17, Eve, solo across the Atlantic. Over the next 27 years, at least 3,400 Leisure 17 and 17SL’s were produced. The L20, L22, L23/23SL, L27 and L29 all followed. The editor of Saltings, the Journal of the Leisure Owners Association (LOA), Kevin Gilroy, said Brian “truly was a larger than life character, well suited to the Wild West nature of…

A Dutch sailor who hid cocaine with an estimated street value of £133 million aboard his yacht has been jailed for 16 years for drug trafficking. Maarten Peter Pieterse, aged 61, was sailing the Dutch-registered SY Marcia from Marina d’Angra, Terceira, in the Azores when it was intercepted by the Border Force cutter HMC Vigilant approximately 120 miles south west of the Cornish coast. It then escorted the 62ft Zeilboot-built yacht into Cornwall’s Newlyn harbour where a detailed search of the vessel was carried out. National Crime Agency and Border Force officers discovered 93 packages of high purity cocaine containing 1,661 individual blocks in a purpose-built concealment in the stern of the vessel – one of the largest ever drug seizures in the UK. Pieterse pleaded guilty to the offence. Crew member…