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The Burgee

Port solent yacht club magazine May 2017

www.psyc.uk.com Send contributions to the editor: [email protected]

1 Cover: Alum Bay Anchorage 2 From the Commodore’s Cockpit Ian Reed (Reflections)

Welcome to the May 2017 issue of The Burgee. Spring brings us buds, daffodils and lambs, fresh winds and some crisp early morning temperatures.

We started the year with winter meets which are reported in this issue of The Burgee, all very well attended by very appreciative members.

We started this year’s on-the-water events with the Shakedown Rally to Shepards Wharf up the Medina at Cowes. This was well attended and a great start to the season even if it was April 1st! This was closely followed by the Easter Rally with 8 to11 boats at all venues: Bembridge (Friday), Hamble Point (Saturday), Folly Inn (Sunday) and the very good end-of-Rally Tea at the Port House (Monday).

So a busy and eventful period with the weather giving us the Spring start we had all hoped for ….. and a further five new boat memberships in the last two months. Welcome to all new members who should have their 2017 PSYC Handbooks with the events schedules. Any problems, call one of the Committee members.

At the time of writing the Bucklers Hard Rally (13th -14th May) with the Safari boat supper has been publicised to members. The PSYC Barn Dance (Friday July 21st) notice is also out. Members and friends need to commit early with a deposit for priority booking as the event will be opened to all berth holders later. Don’t miss out – get it done without delay!

What now? Well, keep looking at the PSYC web site (due to be revamped by Jacqui our Web Master) for updates and information and look out for mailed notices from the Hon Secretary (note: if you change your email or postal address please let the Hon Sec know).

If any member would like to take up the rally lead for the MERCURY Rally, 10th -11th June, please contact me directly. I will give support (if needed) to any volunteer.

As an RNLI sea safety advisor I had to take my update on the First Aid (Merchant Navy) Cert. We will be looking at organising some training in 2017 (as noted in February's Burgee) as we have had several new members in the last four months. However, the standard First Aid procedures have changed quite a bit over the last year or so. If you are interested you can contact me directly and we will see what can be done.

In the meantime enjoy The Burgee and, as always, please consider any contri- bution you can make to The Burgee and the web with a story of your experienc- es, good or bad, or any boating techniques that you think will be entertaining or useful to all. Look forward to seeing you on the water

3 February’s Winter Meet at the surface by the interface box. Another yellow hose is used as a Summary by Hugh manometer to measure the exact depth Nightingale (Shiraz) and is open-ended; in an emergency it could be used as an alternative diver About thirty members and guests came air supply. The hat has a HD camera to enjoy a talk by Ruben and Debbie on it. from RS Divers. Ruben covered a brief history of both himself and the company. He started working with yachts and commercial vessels from his twenties to now in his forties. He began

The whole equipment requires a five- man team of one diver, one standby diver, one supervisor, one tender (to diving for fun and non-commercial look after the umbilical), and a second activity before falling in love with it. He tender to look after the second diver. It became part of the boat scrubber is not cheap to run so they are not enterprise, (we had one in Port Solent), cheap. where he used his diving experience to They do a lot of bottom inspections; finish the missed bits but the scheme typically they recently had to drag a car fell through. He set up on his own in out of a pond after the owner had left 2005 and became a limited company in the handbrake off while she chased 2008, mainly cleaning racing boats. after her dog. One of their first jobs was However, one day he had a phone call to look for a Faberge egg which, sadly, from a ferry operator and decided he they didn’t find. It has been a busy time would have to be more professional. scrubbing and changing props, to This kind of work meant he had to start which they have now added a lot more using surface supply diving rather than large commercial tasks. They have a SCUBA and he had an example of the basic team of 5 employees with up to equipment to show us. The diving hat 20 additional divers. Most recently they weighs 25 kg in air but is not so heavy won the contract to help with the in water so we were able to try it. Portsmouth Harbour Capital Dredge working with the MOD. Therefore The hat is connected to the surface by Ruben had some restriction on what he an umbilical comprising a blue air could talk about. The harbour search hose, a red communications cable and has found a lot of debris including a yellow hose carrying air. High shopping trolleys, grenades and some pressure air is reduced and controlled bombs and mines; RS Divers tend to be

4 called in after a surface scan. Much of rigid procedures. They had one near- what followed concerned the problems miss when working on a boat on a of finding and dealing with ordnance. slipway when one of the concrete Once identified, a bomb cannot simply “anchors” started to slide slowly and be moved; estimating its size in the un-noticed down the slip but the diver mud has its own problems. felt the pressure of it. It had to be fully reported. They do not work where there The services they provide include is any differential pressure as in locks underwater inspection and and they have never had to use the maintenance, underwater photographs standby diver. of damage, visual inspection of props, rudder and the stern. It appears that An enthusiastic round of applause Debbie will answer the phone at any followed this fascinating and time of day or night. There are about entertaining talk. four other dive companies in the area and there is some interaction. They are As I write these notes there is news that used to doing searches for mobile a 500 lb bomb has been dredged up in phones, car keys, prop rope problems the harbour, the worst scenario since and many case studies are on the web, this means it had been moved. It is www.rsdivers.co.uk. They are still being carefully dragged out to blow up cleaning many of the race boats and a bit more of the Isle of Wight. Fastnet boats, and some 80/100 foot boats are cleaned every day at a cost of March’s Winter Meet £400. They cleaned Alex Thomson’s boat; the J class yachts have a 7m keel; Summary by Hugh all of the major players use divers. Nightingale (Shiraz)

He felt now was the time to invite Ian introduced Sam Hunt, a consultant questions and nominations to wear the dermatologist, previously based in hat. They usually only work down to Portsmouth but now in Winchester. Her about 20 m, deeper needs a SAT main target audience for talks was container with 4 divers maintained at golfers which is how she met Ian. pressure and operated through an air Golfers are nearly always out in the sun lock to a pressurised dive bell. How and she recently realised that sailors much to clean a yacht is shown on the are also out in the sun (hopefully – distributed leaflet, however they did Hugh). We talked about the risks; we once do a drift dive in the Solent to are outside for most of the day. When clean a yacht as it approached the start should we wear sunscreen? Now? In line. While this was being discussed March? We should be using sunscreen Gail Gould, one of our new members, from March to October. We should also and Dave Aldridge both tried on the wear broad-brimmed hats and gloves hat. The umbilical as shown is 45m are excellent but wearing shorts long; they could dive to 50m and can presents a sunburn problem. We remain under water for up to three should have regular skin checks; Sam hours. Diving deep is better in clear asked how many of us had suffered water so Egypt is much easier than the skin problems. From the year 1800 it Solent. Answering a question, Ruben was noted that there was a relationship made it clear that they have had no between sailors and skin problems; mishaps mainly because they stick to golfers receive each year 270 times the

5 amount of UV needed to cause radiotherapy or chemotherapy. It is sunburn. For sailors there is the added most important to be safe, avoid reflection from sails and the water; it sunburn, wear protective clothing, use also should be noted that 80% of UV high protective sunscreen with SPF penetrates mist. There are >30. Most people do not put enough on approximately 70,000 new cases of and factor 50 probably results in factor malignant melanoma per year with the 30 efficacy. The best policy is a good highest incidence in the SW region and cover of Factor 50 which should last all the incidence is increasing. day except in intense sunlight areas.

Most new cases are referrals from GPs. Do not worry about large moles. Sam There are three main types that cover showed a picture of a mole-covered 95% of skin cancers: Basal Cell back followed by a picture of a large, Carcinoma (BCC), Squamous Cell crusty mole. The golden rule is do not Carcinoma (SCC) and Malignant burn. Be generous with SPF 30+ and Melanoma (MM). UV changes genes by apply 30 minutes before exposure and providing energy that upsets covalent before dressing. Reapply if necessary. bonding within the DNA molecules. Which is best, cream or spray? A thick People who have been outdoor types are gloop has plenty of zinc while a spray all living at greater risk and especially is more chemical. The best one is the those with red or fair hair or with light one you put on. Wear a long-sleeved eye colour (blue etc). Sunscreen used shirt and brimmed hat but remember to be sold as tan-enhancing but now that 80% of UV can penetrate clothing there is more emphasis on protection. dependent on weave. Use UV-protective You have to watch hair loss and V neck wrap-around sunglasses and carry tops. Scaly spots are really common sunscreen with you. Another picture and are generally Actinic Keratosis (AK) showed an older gentleman with one which are usually harmless but can side of his face damaged (a truck develop into SCC. Basal Cell Carcinoma driver). Retinoids can reverse wrinkles is the most common and has raised but may cause severe peeling. With round rings. Squamous Cell Carcinoma bright-red sun damage (all tanning is is the second most common and has damage) the reddened skin will peel off. the potential to spread to distant sites; note that this can also be caused by Sam said “I’m done”; there was smoking. Malignant Melanoma is due spontaneous applause. Q. what about to uncontrolled growth of moles. vitamin D as, with complete block, Remember your ABC’s, A Asymmetry, there is no tanning but the body can no B Border, C Colour, D Diameter, E longer synthesise vitamin D? NIHCE Elevation and be aware of your own says 20 minutes a day is sufficient but skin. If worried say by a funny mole, go dermatologists say use Vitamin D see your GP. He will assess and refer tablets. you to a local dermatologist who will further assess using a dermatoscope Ian thanked Sam and there was a and might also take a sample. The further show of appreciation. treatment for scaly skin might be Aldara cream (an immune response modifier), Efudix cream (a DNA synthesis blocker), freezing or surgery. More advanced cases will require

6 Shakedown Rally Mark owned Alchemist, the yacht Ian and Sandra Reed that sank after it hit the wreck of (Reflections) the Varvassi inside the Needles in last year's Round the Island race (fortunately no casualties). He had The first PSYC on-the-water event had Alchemist, all wood, built in of the year, the Shakedown Rally, 1977 at Lallows in Cowes. Although was to Shepards Wharf in Cowes. he was not on board (he had lent While the March weather had been her to Club members), it had been fickle (as past experience of Rallies a big shock. However, they had in March had demonstrated) April found a similar boat in Spain that 1st gave us a cold day on the water needed doing up, so there was some and only a spot of rain. Being good news. layered up and keeping the ears warm was a priority, on Reflections The ISC did a great job for us in at least. Winds were 16 to 19 knots their restaurant on a busy night adding a substantial chill factor but it gave us a good reach up the Solent from the Forts to Cowes with a good sea-state. Soulmates, Shiraz, High Time, Somerled, Mañana and Reflections were berthed just inside the outer pontoon which was very comfortable. All was well organised on arrival by the Berthing Master.

with Lymington SC also visiting. The food was really good and the venue overlooking Cowes entrance made for a really great evening.

The return to Port Solent saw lighter winds that had backed somewhat but weren’t any warmer. This was a good first outing despite Drinks and nibbles were on the chilly conditions. Reflections prior to making our way down to the Island Sailing Club for our evening meal. A few of us had a chat with the ISC Commodore Mark Wynter prior to sitting down.

7 8 Easter Rally operations with military precision as they tried to allow boats to peel off from Judith Hunter (Mañana) the first raft, followed by our rafts etc…which worked fine until one boat Our first port of call was Bembridge on either lost steerage or ran aground off Good Friday with nine boats attending. the main fairway. We took this Duver marina was packed with several opportunity to go as Tricky C’s left, and rallies as well as numerous boats we were closely followed by Salacia and turning up on the chance of finding a Reflections who was the lead boat on space on a busy holiday weekend. All this next leg to Hamble Point. this made mooring quite tricky for Unfortunately, we later learned that Ian everyone, with the harbourmaster and Sandra had engine problems due Gordon barking out instructions as he to fuel contamination and ended up tried to fit in all the boats. We were having to call out and join Sea Start at rafted alongside Salacia and the other some expense before being taken back power boat; Tricky C’s then rafted to us, to Port Solent, but I’ll leave Ian to tell which made a stable platform for the full story. Up to Speed and Salacia hosting drinks and nibbles later on went off to join other rallies and we were Mañana. However, Andy and Emma in joined at Hamble Point by Roger and Wild Confusion found themselves on the Sue on High Time. After the crowded outside of the raft behind us which rafting at Bembridge it was very nice to consisted of four other PSYC sailboats, find ourselves on long, spacious namely Bright Future (new members pontoons at the marina and even nicer Alan and Jane), Up to Speed, Reflections to be welcomed by the staff with a and Legato. Shiraz was on the inside of ‘Treats’ trolley and offered a cold beer the same pontoon so we were all very or Pimms just after tying up! Port cosily grouped together...in fact Patricia Solent could do with taking note! was able to pass her beautifully made Sandra called to let us know about their canapés to me from her bow to our problem but said that if they got back stern with the helpful aid of Brian into Port Solent in time they would balancing precariously on Salacia drive around for the meal later, so we without dropping any! As the evening volunteered to be host boat again for turned quite cold nobody volunteered pre-dinner drinks and nibbles, to stay on the afterdeck for drinks and generously contributed by other boat nibbles, so we managed to cram 22 crews. At the Ketch Rigger, we were bodies into Mañana’s saloon before indeed joined by Ian and Sandra, Pippa heading for the water taxi to Brading and Ciaran after their adventurous Haven YC for dinner. The taxi took return to Port Solent and enjoyed our longer than expected as it was very low meal seated together in a covered water so they could only take 10 people veranda area, followed by Ian dishing at a time; we were about half an hour out mini Easter eggs. late sitting everyone down for dinner. On Easter Sunday, the marina laid on The next morning was dry but not coffee and croissants, chocolates, eggs particularly warm and the reverse and various freebies in their reception chaos began as soon as there was so we all negotiated a late departure to enough water in the channel for people head to The Folly Inn. As we didn’t want to creep out of the harbour. Gordon and to arrive there until the walk-ashore his merry staff were on hand to direct pontoon was clear of lunch-timers, we

9 poodled slowly across the Solent no dancing on the tables as it was passing High Time and Shiraz and Sunday! arrived around 1500 to find Wild Confusion already circling in the river. The return trip to Port Solent on Easter We called Dave on channel 72 and Monday was uneventful in calm seas received instructions to come onto the but not a lot of sunshine. With the help middle of the pontoon as there was, as of the tide we made the trip in about an usual, still one malingerer taking up hour...BUT then spent a similar the south end. Shiraz also needed to be amount of time hanging around the alongside the pontoon as Marion was approach to the lock as we all queued recovering from an operation, so they to get back in. (Editor’s comment: got on to the north end soon after us. Should have left at early morning low Bright Future appeared next to raft to water like Amoret did!) The rally was Shiraz followed by High Time; Wild rounded off by joining several other Confusion was still circling so we PSYC members for afternoon tea and signalled them to raft to us, closely drinks, which had been organised by followed by Amoret. The wind had Amanda, at the Port House. All in all, picked up from the west and was it was a very sociable rally spent eating, driving boats on quite hard. Tricky C’s drinking and making new friends. arrived, but the last remaining interloper hadn’t left yet, so they had A Cautionary Tale to pull up on the mid-river pontoon to Brian Munslow (Salacia) await the yacht’s departure by 1600. They were then rafted to by Nick Nack I'm submitting this, not to panic or and finally Island Spirit which alarm owners, but to raise awareness completed our allowance of nine boats. of a problem that could have developed Brian and Chris on Salacia had decided with catastrophic results. Whilst this is to stay on in Island Harbour and obviously more of a powerboat issue, walked down to join us for the evening those members with sail might also find festivities … which started with … something similar in their under-used you’ve guessed it … drinks and nibbles engine bays! on Mañana! As with many members’ boats, February is Salacia's time for her lift- out for annual maintenance. This year, in addition to the usual outdrive servicing, anodes and anti-fouling, the replacement of the starboard outdrive’s power-lift hydraulic hoses was planned. The port ones had blown late last season dumping the fluid reservoir contents outboard and were replaced as soon as possible. Being the same This time we squeezed 24 bodies into age (nearly 10 yrs), it seemed a prudent the saloon and didn’t touch the bottom, move to replace the starboard hoses as we think. This was followed by dinner preventative maintenance. The at the Folly Inn which was unusually engineering work was undertaken by quiet for a bank holiday weekend and the Port Solent Volvo Dealers, Golden Arrow.

10 Squeezing round the back of the starboard engine to gain access to the transom shield, the engineers found a worrying sight which brought to their minds a 2009 fire incident - a Sealine F34 in Stokes Bay, the same model as Salacia. It was, according to them, an unexplained aft-end fire in a 6-month old boat, which blazed to the waterline and sank. Thankfully, both the crew were safely rescued. Rather than include it here, the IoW County Press article is still online for those members who wish to find it themselves as, and I emphasise, this is a purely speculative connection.

On removing the top of the exhaust between the riser and the manifold the engineers found a plastic trunking installed on the transom, positioned trunking has been repositioned away close to the exhaust and showing signs from the exhaust! Fortunately the of what might be termed ‘heat stress'. cabling within the trunking was OK. In situ: Salacia is a 2007 hull, fitted with Volvo D4 260s. The damaged item was installed from new, so I would urge all members to double/triple check their engine bays next time you’re onboard for anything similar, whatever the age of your hull. Please be safe, not sorry.

PatioMagic! Magic? John Crooks (Entropy)

After the end of winter 2017, Entropy, my Beneteau 281, was in a deplorable state. Mould seems to like winter weather, and I usually have a problem, but this was the worst yet. Perhaps it was because the winter had been unusually warm and wet. The mould and green algae grow on the shady north-facing side of the deck. I complained about this to the man I was The affected area was about 20cm long. sitting next to at a PSYC lunch, and he Needless to say, the replacement said:

11 there was also the sooty dirt that drifted in from the nearby motorway (photo 2).

It was only after pressure washing that the boat was restored to pristine whiteness (photo 3). The pressure washer also efficiently removed a patch of green algae I had forgotten to spray. You may ask what is the point of PatioMagic! when you can pressure- wash live or dead algae equally well? However, there is no doubt that dead algae are easier to remove than live and, if you have to clean your boat by hand with a scrubbing brush, PatioMagic! would help. Furthermore it is not a good idea to pressure-wash a teak deck – it is too drastic and will cause damage. If any member would like to try PatioMagic!, let me know and they can use my kit. I bought a much larger bottle than I needed, not realising how far it would go, so there is plenty to spare. I am also willing to lend my pressure washer. said “Aha! What you need is PatioMagic! You can buy it at any large hardware Editor’s comment: John has spotted the superstore. You just spray it on with a key point with his comment on the sprayer that you can buy at the same extreme non-wisdom of pressure- time, and in a week or so all the algae washing teak; this criminal treatment are dead” strips out the soft grain so that the I took his advice. As it says on the harder wood forms projecting ridges that bottle, the algae died, but Entropy was break off when stepped on. For several not restored to shining white. The dead years I have used a watering-can with algae remained as a grey deposit, and a spray rose to treat Amoret’s teak deck with PatioMagic! (a specific algicide) diluted 1:4. Do this on a dry day in early spring and the teak looks immaculate within a few days and remains so for the rest of the season. Of course, sea- water discourages re-growth of algae so plenty of sailing to windward is a good follow-up treatment. All this is vastly better than using the two-stage treatment with alkali then acid that forms the basis of most chemical treatments.

12 Space-Occupying Lesion Tony Firth (Amoret)

This is an editorial apology for two things.

First, the good news! Because of a good supply of copy, this issue of The Burgee won’t fit into twelve,pages, so it has to go up to sixteen.

Second. The bad news! The available material fills fourteen pages but not sixteen. This means that I need to create something to fill the last two pages.

Happily, I have a solution that doesn’t involve me in extra writing! I am organising a Jurassic Anchorage Meet to the coast in mid-August. There won’t be time for Hugh to send a notice out after I get back from my summer cruise to Galicia, so I’m filling the remaining space with a notice of this Jurassic Anchorage Meet. If you are interested in taking part, please contact me around the end of July. •••••

Jurassic Anchorage Meet (to , Chapman’s Pool, Studland Bay and South Deep) Fri 11th August – Mon 14th August

Contact Tony Firth (Amoret) 02392221950 [email protected]

Given suitable weather, this mini-Summer Cruise will allow exploration of some of the spectacular scenery of the .

However, all the Dorset coast anchorages between Anvil Point and Weymouth are unsuitable or untenable if there is significant onshore wind. Therefore there are a couple of backup plans:

Ÿ “Plan B” would go straight to the anchorage in Ÿ “Plan C” would be not go further west than Poole Harbour.

The meet starts on a spring tide allowing us to cover a lot of distance on the first day. We’ll meet up by dinghy on the anchorages with drinks, safari suppers etc, according to taste.

13 Friday 11th August(HW Portsmouth 1446 4.6m) Leave Port Solent at 1130, down the Solent through Hurst to Bridge WC Buoy then past Anvil Point and St Alban’s Head to reach the anchorage in the eastern end of Worbarrow Bay.

Saturday 12th August (LW Portsmouth 0813 0.8m; HW 1525 4.6m) Carry the east-going tide in the morning back towards St Alban’s Head, then follow northwards along the west side of the Head keeping about 1 Ca offshore. Chapman’s Pool is the small bay in the corner, with a sandy spit on the port hand and some rocks on the starboard hand as you come in (photo below). Anchor on sandy ground in sufficient depth for a brunch stop. Use the rest of the east-going tide to round Anvil and Peveril Points, then past Old Harry and into the popular but spacious anchorage in Studland Bay.

Sunday 13th August (HW Portsmouth 1610 4.5m) Enter Poole Harbour on the rising tide and anchor for the evening and night in South Deep in the peaceful southern part of the harbour

Monday 14th August (LW Portsmouth 0938 1.1m; HW 1703 4.4m) Tide turns fair at Hurst at about 0830, so leaving South Deep at about this time will give us a flood tide all the way back to Portsmouth back to Portsmouth. Those who can get an extra day off can join Amoret for another anchorage in the West Solent (Alum Bay, Hamstead Point or Gull Island) and get home on Tuesday.

Please contact Tony on 02392 221950 or [email protected] if you are interested in joining this slightly different event.

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