messing about in boats

Mishaps and Memories: Red diesel explanation

2012-01-01T20:28:00.000Z

Mishaps and Memories: Red diesel explanation: The story of red diesel would be somewhat comical if it weren't for the fact that its completely true. Let me give you a bit of history fir...I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, please show your appreciation by clicking one of the adverts anywhere on this page: It only takes a second and I get a few pennies

Lewmar Extended Compact Pod for Sale

2011-11-05T13:39:00.000Z

http://www.lewmar.com/products.asp?id=8490&type=77&channel=1 For sale here for £220: http://deckbits.com/chandlers/index.php?manufacturers_id=10&sort=3a&filter_id=1643 Suitable for up to 3 Raymarine ST60 sized instruments, but does not have any holes cut, so will be fine for any manufacturer's instruments. Price £85 + 5 P&P It is the same model as this one sold here: http://www.ybw.com/

Swedish charts and pilot books for sale

2011-11-05T13:22:00.000Z

Arholma-Landsort and Gotland: Your Guide To The Harbours In The Stockholm Archipelago by Lars Hassler. Current Edition. RRP £50 This is the excellent pilot book for the Stockholm archipelago. It's absolutely essential if you're planning on exploring the 24,000 islands and hundreds of secluded natural harbours. Price: £15 + £2 P&P Landsort - Skanor by C. Soderbergh. Current Edition RRP

Main Sail Cover for Sale

2011-11-05T12:48:00.003Z

SOLD 4M long. Made by Hood sails. Has elastic and hooks making it nice and easy to fit. Only used once (when we discovered it is 30CM too short for our boat) - see piccy. £50 inc UK Postage

Sweden Yachts 36 For Sale

2011-10-01T10:14:00.002+01:00

This isn't our boat, but I saw it listed this week. It's interesting looking at all the little differences between this and ours. SWEDEN YACHTS SWEDEN 36 - Listed at £68,000 GBP (31/09/2011)"Stainless steel standing rigging renewed 2003 - 2005 Running backstays Furlex 300s roller reefing system 2008. Excellent sailing characteristics combined with comfort, high quality of finish and a classic

Sweden Yachts... back again?

2011-09-26T20:20:00.002+01:00

The website recently changed to the above image. There's also the following article published on IBI News: Sweden Yachts reconstruction on its way By IBI Magazine/Lars-Åke Redéen After filing for bankruptcy last year, Sweden Yachts is under reconstruction with three well-known persons in the lead. The goal is to keep production in Sweden and continue to produce high-quality boats with top

Another argument for smaller boats

2011-09-26T19:05:00.000+01:00

I was marina shopping at Southampton boat show this weekend. On the stand of one marina chain they were advertising a berth for a 10 meter yacht at £3700 per year. When we got the quote for our 10.9 meter yacht it was over £5100. Talking about this discrepancy revealed that it's because there's a tiered pricing structure. One rate for boats less than 10 metres and another for boats over 10 metres

Yacht steering wheel hide covering

2011-09-26T07:45:00.000+01:00

When we bought our boat three years ago, the elk hide grip on the wheel was already well past its best. It was a bit green in places, some of the stitching was missing and the leather had started to harden. I've been meaning to get round to replacing it for a while, but hadn't stumbled across where to get this done. Option 1: DIY Kit - Clyde Marine Leather You tell them the dimensions of the

How to get an 80' mast under a 65' bridge

2011-09-21T20:33:00.000+01:00

Product of the Boatshow: Boat Box

2011-09-20T23:17:00.001+01:00

I wondered around Southampton boat show today and was struck by how samey everything was... it felt just like all the other years. I did spot this product though... It's a combined hard tender and car roof box. The price seemed OK to me too at £595.

Got thrown out of MDL Marinas stand at SIBs today

2011-09-20T22:44:00.000+01:00

So I wondered into MDL Marinas booth at Southampton boatshow today. I picked up a brochure and looked at it for a second when someone came over and said that I'd have to leave as they were expecting a royal visitor to walk past their booth in the next 10 minutes or so, but I could come back later if I wanted./sigh

Worst nightmare...

2011-09-20T21:57:00.002+01:00

Continuing my last post.... I spotted this thread. "Was down below when there was a big crash, SWMBO say's "Must be the bin men", I said "I don't think so" & walked up the pontoon to look & found this sorry site: " Apparently it was just put up in a cradle, which gave way underneath it... This is the boat: http://www.bigspiritadventures.com/ Best comment that was in the thread: "Looks like

Mishaps and Memories: crikey, that was close!

2011-09-19T22:12:00.000+01:00

This blog posting tells of one of my big boat owning worries - to return to the pontoon and just find a mast where a boat should be... Lucky chap.Mishaps and Memories: crikey, that was close!: Phone call at lunchtime..... "Hello... I think your boat is sinking!" Eek.... Guy in the yard spotted that she looked a little bit stern d...

Android App: Marina Codes

2011-09-18T19:47:00.001+01:00

I've just published my first app - It's called Marina Codes. Forgotten the gate code? Marina Codes remembers all your boat yard codes. A simple app to help you remember all the codes that you need when you're in and around the boat yard. I often end up at the showers with no idea what the code is, then have to go back to the harbour office to be reminded. It's in the Android Market,

Watcha cock | The Ships Bell | Cruising | RYA

2011-09-01T15:39:00.000+01:00

Watcha cock | The Ships Bell | Cruising | RYA Excellent article on the RYA website on seacocks Watcha cock Advice on buying new seacocks and keeping them in good working order through regular maintenance.The RYA strongly recommends that, when buying replacement sea-cocks and through-hull fittings, you only buy fittings that comply with ISO 9093-1.The difficulty is that many of the less expensive

Difficult Re-entry

2010-11-10T20:18:00.000Z

One of the comments: "I don't know that boat stays afloat given the collective weight of those guy's balls."

A special place in hell...

2010-10-27T11:19:00.001+01:00

I enjoyed this article written by RLW: A special place in hell...: " Off hand, I'm not a guy who believes in hell or heaven, but there are times I wish there was a special hell for those idiots who don't know how to use a dinghy dock... I've lost track of the number of times coming into a dinghy dock where we'd find some doofus had tied up in such a way as to make it impossible for others to

Wreck On Wednesday.

2010-09-30T13:54:00.001+01:00

Wreck On Wednesday.: " What happens when you try to enter a harbor during a storm? Since you're lucky, you end up on the beach as a local tourist attraction. Via Conjuminando and handbreit.

http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/news/501282/london-boat-show-coming

2010-09-30T08:42:00.001+01:00

http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/news/501282/london-boat-show-coming

Insurance Firms Plan Private Navy to Take on Pirates

2010-09-28T13:13:00.001+01:00

[The Independent 9-28-10] Insurers have drawn up plans for the world’s first private navy to try to turn the tide against Somali pirates who continue to plague the global shipping industry by hijacking vessels for ransoms of more than £100 million (US$1.579 million) a year, The Independent has learned.

Baltimore Boating Time Lapse

2010-09-28T07:49:00.001+01:00

What NOT to do!

2010-09-26T23:43:00.001+01:00

Steven Robert's Technomadic Micro-trimaran

2010-09-26T19:44:00.001+01:00

Steven Robert's Technomadic Micro-trimaran: " Visit - Steven Robert's Technomadic Micro-trimaran This is a neat looking 'technology demonstration' type craft that is now up for sale, at least to the right person. Probably need to be of a 'high-tech' bent. Pedal, solar and/or sail-powered, there are some interesting ideas to check out, even if you're not shopping for just this boat. "

RAPC Nautilus, toughest marine PC yet?

2010-09-24T09:28:00.001+01:00

RAPC Nautilus, toughest marine PC yet?: " This is my favorite sort of show and tell. The guy doing the showing, Bob Hilliard, is the chief engineer involved, and the location was the nav station of the 105-foot ketch Apache, which will be a beta site for Bob's creation, the RAPC Nautilus marine PC on the chart table. I admit to being a bit dazzled by the boat, which you can gander in this old

Wichard MX Shackles: a block alternative for static, high-load applications

2010-09-20T11:46:00.001+01:00

Wichard MX Shackles: a block alternative for static, high-load applications: " This is pretty clever! Sometimes, you need a bit of purchase for a line you don’t adjust often, and sometimes you would prefer not to incur the weight or maintenance penalties a block demands. If only somebody were to manufacture a fitting with a really smooth dished surface of moderate radius that smooth synthetic