Practical Boat Owner Summer 2021

with the editor DIY boatbuilding Great news from regular contributor Nic Compton this month. Regular readers will remember that Nic set up a Facebook Group for DIY builders of the Western Skiff – the 14ft Nigel Irens/Ed Burnett-designed rowing and sailing skiff for which the plans are available via PBO for a small donation to the Ed Burnett memorial collection on justgiving.com There are two options for building: order pre-cut parts from Jordan Boats, or download the full-size plans and cut your own parts by hand. According to Nic, both options have appealed to readers. “Chris Hackshall started building his kit in October 2019. His only previous experience was building a 12ft Thames skiff designed by Selway Fisher for some friends in Cornwall,” says Nic. “He chose the Western Skiff…

Inspirational Olle sets sail on a round-Britain circumnavigation An Ipswich sailor has begun a circumnavigation of Great Britain with the additional passage planning challenge of ongoing cancer treatment. Olle Nash, 63, set sail aboard Renegade, a 1989 Moody 376 from Fox’s Marina on 23 May, and is determined to sail around England, Wales and Scotland, despite being on chemotherapy for bowel cancer. The father-of-three is permanently dependent on a colostomy bag, which his family have nicknamed Boris. “Circumnavigating Great Britain might not be much of a challenge to most sailors but when you’ve got cancer and you need to continue your chemotherapy and radiotherapy en route it’s a massive challenge”, said Olle, “It will be a series of day sailing trips and I’ve got a really good support group of…

Dame Ellen MacArthur is calling on Round the Island Race (RTIR) sailors to inspire young people to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer by raising £90 in honour of the event’s 90th anniversary. The ‘race for all’, run by Island Sailing Club, will see yachts of all sizes competing around the Isle of Wight on 3 July. Since becoming the official race charity in 2005, some £299,266 has been raised for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, making a huge difference to hundreds of young lives. Young people need support more than ever as COVID-19 has amplified the isolation, loneliness and anxiety they have experienced. The Trust will be supporting them in-person this summer, on regional day sails and five-day cruising and residential trips. Dame Ellen said:…

The Cruising Association (CA), through its local representatives, has helped to make cruising to France easier, post-Brexit. Since leaving the EU, boats arriving in France from the UK or Channel Islands are required to sail to ‘Ports of Entry’ – mainly ferry ports – and search out the relevant authorities, usually the Police aux Frontières, to register the boat and crew’s arrival. This same process would also be necessary before departing France for the UK or Channel Islands, presenting sailors with a potential problem for many passages. Now, as a direct result of two Cruising Association members’ tireless efforts working with local marinas and officials, the French government has announced a process to allow entry at any French port. A form can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/immigrationform, completed and emailed to…

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has received confirmation its International Certificates of Competence (ICC) and other certifications remain valid for skippering Spanishflagged boats. It follows ‘persistent’ consultations through the UK Government with Spain’s General Directorate for Merchant Marine. The RYA raised concerns when it became clear the UK’s new ‘third-country status’ meant the Spanish Government would no longer recognise RYA certificates. Following reinstatement into Spanish law, RYA certificate holders can continue to skipper boats registered in Spain and in the UK.…

Tributes have been paid to sailor, instructor, long-time contributor and friend to PBO John Goode, who has died after a short illness. John, 71, trained thousands of sailors through his Southampton-based sailing school and taught many more through his books and articles on seamanship and pilotage. PBO’s former deputy editor Dick Everitt said: “John Goode was a rough diamond, his tough exterior was honed by many years in the Merchant Navy. But he could also be very kind, with endless patience for students. On leaving the Navy he set up a company installing motorway crash barriers, which taught him to be a canny businessman, and gave him enough cash to take over the Southern Sailing School. There John developed loads of simple teaching methods, which tied in beautifully with PBO’s…