Practical Boat Owner June 2020

DIY at home or escape it all? The world has turned upside-down since we last published an issue. Features editor Alison Wood and I wanted to react in some way, so we put together a list on the website of more than 100 DIY projects you might be able to do at home. It seemed like a good idea to encourage DIY for everyone stuck at home. But everything is moving so fast! Is it irresponsible to be ordering and buying non-essential supplies at a time like this? Possibly. But if all commerce dries up completely when it doesn’t physically need to – wouldn’t that be a crying shame? So maybe we should have concentrated on detaching ourselves from reality completely. Escapism in the form of ‘Amazing Adventures’ will be our next online…

SEND US YOUR STORIES Email news editor Katy Stickland at pbo@ti-media.com, tel: 01252 555213 Boaters are being urged to continue to support their local marine businesses and sailing networks where possible as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact on the UK. As PBO went to press (3 April) recreational boating had been suspended, with many harbours, marinas and sailing clubs remaining closed as part of efforts to control the spread of the virus. The RYA said it was suspending all of its training and directly organised events until at least 31 May. The association’s sport development manager, Alistair Dickson, said many organisations were now “really concerned at what the future holds” and he urged sailors to support marine businesses, where possible. “During these challenging times people are looking at where they can cut costs, but…

Boaters will still be able to use subsidised diesel to heat their vessels. The confirmation from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) comes after the Chancellor announced the removal of the subsidy on red diesel in the March precoronavirus Budget. A consultation will be held in the summer on the proposals, which would see the entitlement to use red diesel removed, except for agricultural, rail and noncommercial heating purposes by April 2022. Currently, UK marinas sell red diesel on a 60/40 split of full and lower tax rates for propulsion and heating or power generation. Under the new measures commercial boats, like fishing vessels and ferries, will need to switch to white diesel, although they would remain entitled to the Marine Voyages Relief, which gives them 100% relief on fuel duty. In a statement…

Colin Mudie, who designed the 19ft clinker-built Sopranino and yachts for Laurent Giles, has died, aged 93. Born in Edinburgh in 1926, Colin studied engineering at Southampton and completed his design apprenticeship with the British Power Boat Company before starting his career with Laurent Giles and Partners. It was at the Lymingtonbased naval architects that he was asked to draw the plans for the 19ft clinkerbuilt yacht Sopranino for Patrick Ellam, founder of the Junior Offshore Group (JOG). The yacht had a narrow hull, two bunks, a small chart table, galley and cockpit. Together, Colin and Patrick sailed Sopranino across the Atlantic. They left Falmouth in September 1951 and arrived in Barbados, via the Canary Islands, in February 1952. They sailed north to Cuba, where novelist Ernest Hemingway was invited on board in Havana,…

A campaign to save Maldon YC has been successful. The Essex club was faced with the prospect of leaving its clubhouse after Maldon District Council served an eviction notice, with an offer of extension, last year. The local authority wanted the land as part of proposals to develop Canada Dock. Following a campaign and meetings, the council has now told the club it will grant it a new lease. It has also given assurances that access to the River Chelmer, which leads into the River Blackwater, will also be retained. The club’s social secretary, Sarah Graves thanked all who had supported their campaign. “We knew our club was worth fighting for and this outcome will be a huge relief to the membership and committee,” she told PBO. “It does seem that the…

The National Watersports Centre in Scotland is to shut, with the loss of around 30 jobs. The centre, which is located on Great Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde, mainly teaches sailing including RYA cruising courses and instructor training. It is scheduled to permanently close in September. The decision by the national agency for sport, sportscotland, follows a review of the centre’s increasing running costs. Campaigners from the pressure group Save the Wave, which was set up to fight the closure, said they would continue to lobby for Cumbrae to remain open. The chief executive of sportscotland, Steve Harris, said it would look at other ways the centre could be used to support the island’s economy. “The main activity at Cumbrae was sailing and this is where the review was focused. We looked at…