Practical Boat Owner October 2020

with the editor To receive the editor’s monthly email newsletter, go to our website: www.pbo.co.uk We’re all in it together ‘They think it’s all over…’ as the famous bit of BBC commentary from the 1966 football World Cup Final goes… but sadly it isn’t, is it? Coronavirus, that is… News in this month about the replacement Southampton Boat Show is encouraging, but the enormous jamboree of sailing that is the Round the Island Race (sorry to be so Solent biased!) has been fully cancelled. A postponement until September originally seemed on the cards, but the pandemic continues its global rampage and resurgence in Europe. We enjoyed a bit of respite though: solo skipper Bill Norrie was at sea for 92 days out of Cape Town bound for New Zealand – a conscious choice to…

The reliability of communication transmissions between boats at sea and the UK Coastguard is set to improve with a new £170 million emergency radio network. Existing copper telephone wiring will be replaced with modern fibre-based technology to each of the HM Coastguard’s 155 remote radio sites, which monitor VHF and MF radio transmissions from vessels. The new network will be built and maintained by Telent Technology Services, with the replacement work expected to take a minimum of three years. Towns and villages close to the remote radio sites will also be able to utilise the new network, improving Internet connectivity for residents. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)’s commercial and programmes director, Damien Oliver, said although the current network, X21 Kilostream, was 100% reliable it was around 40 years old. This makes it…

The RYA is trying to find out how many cruisers could be adversely impacted if the UK leaves the EU without reciprocal visa-free travel arrangements. At present, the UK is offering EU citizens visa-free travel for six months out of 12 from 1 January 2021. The EU is offering the standard Schengen arrangements of only 90 days in 180. Improving access is also not currently part of the UK’s negotiations with the EU. The RYA believes this “will have a significant impact on UK citizens’ rights to travel in Europe after the end of transition, particularly those who wish to spend the summer, and possibly longer, in the EU27 on their boats.” The survey aims to gather statistics to clarify the breadth of the issues involved. Survey participants will be asked to complete questions…

Larry Pardey, who with his wife, Lin, inspired generations of bluewater cruisers through their sailing books and cruising adventures, has died, aged 81. Together the couple sailed over 200,000 miles in their two famous wooden engineless boats, Seraffyn and Taleisin, circumnavigating the world both westabout and eastabout. They also won numerous accolades for encouraging ocean cruising in small craft including the Ocean Cruising Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Originally from Canada, Larry was a professional skipper working in California when he met Lin, and together they built their 24ft Lyle Hess-designed cutter, Seraffyn, which was based on the long-keeled Bristol Channel cutters. They lived aboard Seraffyn for 11 years, sailing the world and writing about their cruising lifestyle before Larry, a master boatbuilder, built the 29ft Taleisin, which was also a Lyle Hess design.…

Sailors should keep traditional navigation skills up to date and be aware of common threats to online systems to avoid becoming a victim of a cyber attack, according to a security expert. Jonathon Sweeney from Red Sky Alliance, which is a cyber security partner of UK maritime security firm Dryad Global, spoke to PBO after Garmin, which owns Navionics, was a victim of a days-long cyber attack in July, disrupting many of its online services. Sweeney said that any online system was vulnerable to attack, including GPS receivers, satellites and ground stations, although potential hackers would need a “high level of skill”, making attacks unlikely. The attack meant Navionics customers were unable to access the Navionics server via their log-ins. The Navionics Boating app, Chart Installer, and Navionics Chart Viewer were all affected;…

A new non-profit sailing organisation has been set up specifically to provide sail training to young people who have experienced the care system in the UK. Based in Glasgow, Care to Sail is run by 22-year-old Declan Cox who believes his life was saved through sailing. Having suffered abuse as a child, Cox was put into care, and spent some of his teenage years homeless. He also attempted suicide. “I was lucky enough during this time to have a couple of good people in my life that would take me out sailing. It was sailing that saved my life, helped me form positive relationships and grow to be the person that I am today. It is my own story that has made me so determined to help others who have had a…