THE

CLASSIC MALTS CRUISING TO LAGAVULIN, OBAN & TALISKER

AN INVITATION TO SEVEN SEAS EMBARKONA TALISKER RARE JOURNEY OF I DISCOVERY The Golden Spirit of Skye. 10 years old 45.8% volume. , The Master Distiller of each of Full flavour, lingering '.tJh} .. "4t?' the Classic Malts Distilleries on peaty taste. 'f'-'IIIIRflJ.ft , if ( . · ·· the west coast of Scotland - Talisker <· .,;...:e.f,e:,J ;/j,j.-- -, ,•: LagavuI m, Oban and 1:aIISker - Distillery ··:.·. As ; · ·,., invites you to embark on a rare L .:._n ...... >'1>-r..,:..,.,.- . f d . "·"(,'-" 4., JOUrney o iscovery. 'C·) I .t I . '- 'I> ' ,.. /' · "::_::\ Classic Malts Cruising is a IOBANI :.. '" '-: ' Sailing the spectacular west _ 14 years old 43% volume. .·. ..,j::;:' coast of Scotland - and enjoying Dehcate peat aroma, long smooth " .1.-7 ''··---.._ · Scotland's finest single ·malt finish. :; '- n;' ,RY•.r;/':':'---'- whiskies in the distilleries where ';:--, '- / they are created. " c _;_Ml:JL Oban 0 ' " 7(.· /::-::-' Distill .ry You and your crew will be given ' - -- ,- --?_ a warm welcome at each of the ,,•.,r-0''oR"-- i.,.. distilleries where you will have LAGAVULIN _ C{toNsAv --' _}-' the opportunity to discover The IINC. lC l'> l -'" \1,11LI W u 'i ¥ :- ' J/ RIN Classic Malts. ··IG - --· -- ·:r. /,•r"P r !S V ;,<> f:t c. o'f'N\ I For more joformatjoo , , r .· , · , The Classic !slay Malt ; / '_;> \... . fc0, \. .:J li.... \ v I Please write to: :r-/ (, ( i:fY ... \ ·- ·," 16 years old 43% volume. The Classic Malts Society, .J _ ._) 0<- G,../ : ,-·:, o\ Powerful aroma, smokey "':L-a_g_a_v_u-:h- n, " ' ,' I / - ) " Balfour Building, - 0 ..l . . peaty taste. Distillery / ' Banbeath, ,_ _./ Leven, Fife, KY8 5HD, Scotland.

OLD AND OLD SHIPMATES BY MAGAZINE KENNETH D. SHOESMITH Rl I

THE SEVEN SEAS MAGAZINE ., .,

'

MARCH2000 Lunches & Evening Meals

Genuine Home Made Food EDITORIAL: After some stunning days of brilliant sunshine, with sharp frosts and brisk sea-side 1 Minute from J4 of M25- Signposted 'Well Hill' walks, the weather had turned overcast with a piddling mizzle and all thoughts of

cracking open paint tins and slapping gloss on topsides has faded. However, this editorial is being written a month before publication, so perhaps by the time you TEL 01959 534457 receive this, spring will have arrived and fitting out boats will be rather more than a vague idea. (I am prompted to this line of thought by the fact that the moorings bill arrived this morning.) Certainly by the time you read this deathless prose the

sun will be approaching the equator, heading north to warm the old bones. After the partying, the year seems to be much like all its predecessors.

BARKING DEVELOPMENTS CO. LTO. I am grateful to a number of members who have sent me copy for this issue. I have FRESH WHARF, HIGHBRIDGE ROAD, my desk uncluttered by the gobble-de-gook that my computer seemed to serve BARKING, ESSEX IG11 7BP with it as a rather lavish condiment, so here it is. That said, I shall fall silent.

0181-594 2408 0181-594 2408 Richard Woodman. Editor

For Correspondence: Captain Richard Woodman MNI THS (Retd.) Horsford Lees 73 Fronks Road Dovercourt FOR ALL TYPES OF PUMPS Harwich Essex C012 3RS

Fax: 01255 506957 0181 -594 2408 E-mail: [email protected]

NEWS FROM THE BRIDGE FEATURES The Honourary Secretary has written to the, Padre of the Tower of London sending a donation for the Chapel PANACEA'S VOYAGE - Part One Organ Fund and the Committee has recently approved donations of £50 be made to the Fleet Air Arm and tbe Friday 28th May 1999 Royal Marines memorials. Consideration is also being given to the Appeal for a Falklands Memorial at On board: George, Robin & Sheree Tickner, Garth Curtis & Jill Norfolk. Pangbourne. The Merchant Navy War memorial Service of Remembrance was well attended by Club Members and the President laid a wreath on behalf of the Club. After having taken delivery of Panacea, and having stowed all the various bits and pieces away, we left Hayling Island with full tanks of water and diesel and no wind. It was about 17.00 and low tide. We were warned that The Christmas party was well attended by ninety-three members and guests, the raffle raising £303, which was there was little water off the end of the sailing club jetty, and sure enough we had to push through the mud to get excellent news. away. We tried sailing from the bar, (the sand bar, not the club bar!) but had to use the engine through the chan• nel inside the Owers and all night. It was a glorious night ... absolutely no wind, a flat calm with the moon mir• The financial situation at the time of going to press is, to the nearest pound, as follows: rored on the water, with such good visibility that it seemed unreal. By the time we reached Dungeness it seemed Current Account: £2.073; Laristan Fund: £878; Reserve Fund: £15,609. silly not to go to Boulogne, and we entered the marina in blazing sunshine. Robin led us to a charming cafe that The President's donations to the end of 1999 amounted to £550 with a donation of £50 to the Royal British Legion he knew, where we sat outside in the sun drinking the odd glass of red wine, which we then had to sleep off on (for wreath) outstanding. the boat. The evening was a delight, one of those balmy evenings that we so rarely get in England, but in France seem to be tbe norm. Another meal outside made the end of a perfect day. Members not present at the January dinner will like to know that Lieutenant-Commander Frank Nowosielski, Commanding Officer, HMS Victory, dined as a guest and the President moved an unopposed motion that com• We had agreed to leave at the crack of dawn and soon after we had left we listened to the Shipping Forecast. N.E. manding officers of Victory should be honourary members of the Seven Seas Club. We hope that they will want 3-5 decreasing. Nothing to worry about, but before we had reached Dover we were getting 33 knots of wind, bang to extend their membership after posting elsewhere and we look forward to seeing Frank at forthcoming dinners. on the nose! We plodded our way into huge seas off South Foreland and up to Ramsgate, which by about 13.00 began to look like a good idea. When we were tied up in the marina, we were followed by a procession of boats all making the same wise decision. The heavens opened in a thunderstorm, and we listened with concern to a Mayday call, then to the Lifeboat trying to locate and rescue the three men on a small motor boat drifting onto NEWS OF MEMBERS the Goodwins.

Applications for membership has been received and accepted from the following: It is an ill wind, as they say, and that evening the Royal Temple Yacht Club was full of very wet people who had not intended to be in Ramsgate. Monday morning with a similar forecast but becoming variable, we had a good Edward Hunter 20 Hall Lane, Dovercourt, Harwich, Essex C012 3TE sailing breeze through the Edinburghs, but once again had to motor gently across the sands at low water to take Telephone 01255 502743 the tide up to Burham, arriving in brilliant sunshine soon after mid-day. A good shakedown. Edward served his time as a shipyard electrical apprentice in Belfast, sailed deep-water as an electrician with Canadian Pacific before joining the old British Rail passenger ferry service at what was then Parkeston Quay, Most of the summer was spent doing little jobs on the boat sitting in the marina at Burnham, but we did get the Harwich, were he served many years as Electrical Maintenance Manager to ferries operating on the Harwich• occasional good sail, a weekend in Brightlingsea was very enjoyable in spite of the rain. Hook service. Tuesday 27th July 1999 Ivan Whitting 7C Park Hill, Bickley, Bromley, Kent BR1 2JH On Board: George and Gary Sims Telephone 0181 467 6705 Ivan's father and grandfather served in the Royal Navy and Ivan was for some years a tutor for that excellent Anthony, my son, had managed to convince the company he works for that they needed to entertain some clients, organisation The College of the Sea. Ivan retains a keen interest in maritime matters. so it was arranged that during Cowes Week Panacea was available: all I had to do was to get her to the Hamble.

Perry Wilson May End, York Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex CM20 8HP We left mid morning, an hour or so later than intended, with a strong N.E. wind. At the mouth of the river as we Perry is a yachtsman, a member of the RYA and a Sea Cadet officer holding RNR commission as a lieutenant. turned to cut across the Whittaker we realised that the wind was stronger than forecast, and that the delay meant that we would be off the North Foreland with wind over tide ... not comfortable, so we returned to Burnham to Rodney Hewett 46 Albert Street, London NW1 7NU wait for the wind to ease by the evening. Once again at the mouth of the river we decided that the seas were run• Telephone 020 7387 3965 ning too high and that the wind, instead of easing, had actually increased. This time we ran back to the Roach, Rodney is an experienced yachtsman and we wish all a warm welcome and look forward to seeing them at our dropped the and had a great steak & kidney pie and a bottle of red wine before settling down to a decent d nners. night's sleep. In the morning we tried again, only to find that the wind, again forecast to decrease, was still blow• ing 25 knots. Rather than go back in to the Crouch and face beating out yet again, we reached across to Three members have had to resign, largely due to other commitments and pressures. They are: Mr A. S. Cooper, Brightlingsea, where the creek was full of activity with Pyefleet Week. Meeting up with Bobby & Linda was a Mr M. Moon and Mr Bill Bentley. bonus, and we ate ashore with them in the evening in a very good Fish & Chip restaurant. As we returned to the Colne Yacht Club, the sun was going down, the water looked, calm, and the sky was clear. At last the break in It is with great regret that we learned of the death of Eric Hem. His funeral at St. Margaret's Church, Barking was tbe weather, so instead of sitting on the balcony enjoying a pint with friends we decide to try again. It was a glo• attended by the President Mike Pinner, Tim Sanders-Hewett and Mr and Mrs G.S. Sanders-Hewett. rious sail out of tbe Colne and through the Spitway, across the Crouch and towards the Barrow, but by the time we tried to tum, the wind was back up to 30 knots. The thought of crossing the sands witb that much wind in the Other news is that Bill Sparkes has recently returned from a visit to France, but has been unwell. A message wish• dark was daunting, so with real disappointment and some monotony we retraced out steps to Brightlingsea, where ing him well has been sent with some medicine of a Scots variety. We hope that by the time he reads this, he will we dropped anchor by Bateman's Tower to sleep. Thursday morning started as we expected, but there was a dif• be fit again. Good news of Charlie Scoons and David White who are reported to be well. ferent feel to the wind. This time, the fifth attempt was going to work. It had to ... I had to be in the Hamble by the weekend. Sure enough the wind was finally easing, but as the law governing these things dictates, the wind a hired Mondeo Estate with no roof-rack. Sorry Charlie. On we drove to Reading to pick up Charlie's friend died away so much so that before we got to the Edinburghs we were motoring, and we continued motoring right Richard, who had travelled from somewhere up North to go to a Pop Festival in Reading. After a long wait he through the night to arrive in the Hamble Friday morning. Two problems came to our notice, which I was deter• turned up and we were off. mined to sort out. One was the screeching noise from the propeller at revs between 1200 and 2200. The other was an annoying leak, which although not fast, was enough to make the floor of the main saloon wet. When we arrived in Falmouth frustrated that it was probably too late to consider leaving anyway, but my disap• pointment was increased when I noticed that there was no mainsail on board. This was just too much. I returned Cowes Week. 31st July to 6th August 1999 the hired car to Truro station, got back to the marina office, where the security guard had been trying to find the home telephone number of the sailmaker. Once this was found, I 'phoned him, ready to have a good row, onlyto The Sunday was the first day for us, with Antony's own party of friends, plus Robin & Sheree and Carol. Each be told that he had left it in the marina office, as he did not have the key to the boat! First thing Sunday morning day we had a group comprising one or two from the host company and three or four guests. we filled the tanks and some jerry-cans as well, bent on the mainsail, and left under engine at 07.30. This engine has certainly been run in! We motor-sailed most of the day, keeping the revs down to an economical level. This First thing each morning we had to take a trip to the local Tesco's for food and booze, and we quickly found out was the first time we had been able to do this without the terrible screeching noise from the old propeller, which that this crowd needed plenty of both. was described to me as a "singing" propeller.

The routine was easy to adopt ... Coffee on arrival, swiftly followed by Bucks Fiz and off down the Hamble into We had thought of going into Brest to refuel and take the best forecast with which to cross the Bay of Biscay, but the Solent. Off the Royal Yacht Squadron we watched the various starts to the races, always ensuring that we got the forecasts gave us N.E. 3-4 in Biscay, 6-7 in Finisterre so we cracked on. By 19.30 the wind had died, so we close enough to enjoy the atmosphere, but never so close as to interfere. took the sails down.

We would sail with some of the fleets, managing on several occasions to be at a turning mark as the Maxis or 07.00 Monday found us south of Ushant and at last a sailing breeze. Full main and a boomed out genoa kept the Class one were rounding ... always a good spectacle. speed well up. The only fright I had was when the depth sounder suddenly said "LOST". After a while I realised that we had gone from about 150 metres depth to 4500 metres! We kept our watches during the day, at least the For lunch we would either pick up a spare or drop anchor in a sheltered spot where, if the day was warm, two younger lads slept all day, and at dusk the wind piped up to about 20 knots, so we went through the night several went swimming off the boat. Everyone on board was encouraged to take an active part, either sail han• under genoa only. dling, winch winding, or steering. We would motor slowly up the Medina, the river at Cowes, taking in some of the atmosphere of the Regatta before sailing back to the Hamble. Sundowners were the normal except for the dri• Tuesday morning we put a reefed main up for the day, and again took it down for the night. Wednesday morning vers, and some evening were extended to include a meal and a few more drinks in a pub or restaurant in Hamble. we didn't bother with the main at all, and furled half of the genoa away as we were having 35 knots most of the day. The seas, even with a North-Easterly blowing rather than the usual South-Westerly, were huge. When we During the week I had Opal Marine on board redoing the seal round the fresh water filler with silicon, and the looked over our shoulders we would see a wave building up astern, but it would take ages to get to us because of local Volvo agent listening to the propeller. I had a quote from the yard for a lift out and an hour's hold ... £194 the length of the waves. Thank goodness we had 4500 metres under us. plus VAT! As Volvo's advice was that the propeller was "singing" and there was no need to change it, I (wrong• ly) decided not to have the boat out. I wasn't looking forward to making a land-fall at night with those seas on a lee shore, so we stayed about 10 miles out from Cap Finisterre, watching a most impressive display of lightning over the Spanish hills. At 22.00 the wind I met some very interesting people, but more of that later.. died as suddenly as I have ever known it to, so once again we started the engine and motored in mist or fog down the Spanish coast to Bayonna, arriving at 14.30. As we approached the coast the wind just as suddenly came in The next leg was done by Gary Sims and Robin Tickner, who took the boat on to Falmouth. at 30 knots from the South! Once we had refuelled and had been allocated a berth, a Frenchman next to us said that he had been hove to for a whole day crossing the bay, and weren't we lucky we hadn't arrived the day before. Sunday 29th August 1999 While we were having 35 knots from the N.E. approaching Finisterre, only about seventy miles south they had On board: George, Jeremy Halfhide, Charlie Antrobus, Richard Pattinson. had winds in Bayonna of 50 knots, causing damage to several boats which broke their moorings! I decided to attack the leak problem with silicon, so Jeremy and I spent some time redoing the seal round the fresh water filler. The 5 day forecast for Plymouth and Biscay looked too good to miss, so I was trying to be away from Falmouth Saturday evening. I had spent most of the week in Falmouth making final preparations, getting on board tins We stayed two nights in Bayonna, such a lovely town, the only English people were off boats visiting, some on galore for the A.R.C., making a main boom preventor, and most important of all to convince Volvo that my pro• their way to do the ARC and some on their way back from the Mediterranean and hardly anyone spoke English. peller was faulty and needed changing. All the people in Falmouth were so helpful that when I left jobs to be done This should be a place to go back to. in my absence I was confidant that they would be done. The boat was out of the water with no propeller, and no mainsail, and a man up the mast taping up the spreaders. Here the Volvo agent was adamant when he listened to Before daybreak on Saturday we slipped out of Bayonna, through a fleet of fishermen in dinghies and motored the prop that it needed changing, so I had a lift out only to find that they hadn't a new one in stock and had to all day in hazy sunshine to Leixoes, the port on the coast near Porto. Melissa joins us in the evening for a slap• wait for a new propeller to be sent by courier from somewhere, and the sailmaker had taken the mainsail away up meal on board. Leixoes is a very industrial port, with cargo and oil terminals. Not at all pretty, but it gave us to put reinforcement on the sail to take the wear from the spreaders. It transpired that that boat was lifted out for the chance to catch a bus on Sunday in to Porto for some sightseeing and port tasting. Having tasted and bought one day, put back in while the hoist was needed for another boat, then lifted out again, all for £83 plus VAT. some lovely vintage ports we felt that the port of Leixoes was worth tolerating. Jeremy and I had another try with silicon, this time around the floor of the anchor well. Jeremy had a surgery on Saturday morning, so we could not leave till that was over then travelled to Oxshot to collect Charlie. Charlie had it in mind to hitch a lift with us to Spain or Portugal so that he could go surfing in We now had the task of getting to Lisbon and arranging flights home. Jeremy and Melissa already had theirs Biarritz. When we arrived in Oxshot the most important exercise was to decide whether or not there was going booked, but Charlie and Richard decided not to go to Biarritz, but showing a sense of responsibility decided to to be room for four people, luggage, provisions, eight pillows and other extras, plus Charlie's surf-board ... all in fly home on Wednesday. I needed to be home Thursday evening, so having left Leixoes before 06.00 with again no sign of the Portuguese Trades which are supposed to blow from the North, we had to motor ... 128 miles in the first 24 hours. It was during a particularly boring stretch that we got the mobile 'phone to work and booked the flights. At 13.30 on Tuesday we berthed in the first marina by the Tower of Belem and the memorial to Henry By the last quarter of the 19th Century world trade had in<;reased enormously, much of it being carried in British the Navigator where we allowed to stay for one night only, but were not even charged. We had covered just 800 ships, though with large increases in the merchant tonnage of the United States, Germany, Italy, the miles since leaving Falmouth, more than half of which was under power. and Norway. Much of this trade focused on the waters of north-west Europe and while lightvessels were adopt• ed throughout the British Empire and upon the coasts of the United States, the fickle sand-banks of the North Sea Wednesday morning we had a super breeze so we sailed around Lisbon for a few hours, under the huge suspen• and outer estuary of the Thames guarding the approaches to the then great port of London, meant that they pro• sion bridge and into the Doca Alcantara where Charlie and Richard left us to fly home. Jeremy, Melissa and I liferated in British waters. Specifically, they were maintained on the coasts of England and Wales, it being the found a berth in which (I hope) the boat will be safe for five or six weeks before I return for the next leg to Las policy of the , the general authority for the region, to provide a major light every twen• Palmas. In Doca Alcantara we met up witb Pipp II from Brightlingsea, with John Wakefield, Neil Morrey and ty or thirty miles to aid coastal navigation. Thus in 1908 there were no less than 54 lightvessels on station in this Bill Garrow on board, going slightly further than me, they are going round the world. I left Thursday morning for area. England leaving Jeremy and Melissa with a guide book of Lisbon an a couple of days sightseeing. George Kingston The number was never constant, reflecting a continual ebb and flow in demand. When in 1910, for instance, the lighthouse on Bardsey Island was increased in height and power, the lightvessel stationed in the middle of A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LIGHTVESSELS, Part Two 1906-1996 Cardigan Bay was withdrawn. Similarly, when war broke out in 1914, the northern limits of tbe extensive banks off Norfolk were marked at the Admiralty's request by the Swarte Bank lightvessel. This was not the only aug• mentation due to the outbreak of war. An extensive boom was laid across the Strait of Dover to prevent German U-boats from getting into the English Channel and its 'gates' were marked by lightvessels. The last manned relief of the However, it was the sea war between 1939 and 1945 which had a greater impact upon lightvessels. Frequently Humber LV. in bombed or machine gunned by the Lutwaffe, one was sunk on the Helwick station in 1940. No 40 had been built 1988. THV for service in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and rigged as a schooner to sail out and mark the Basses Reef during the PATRICIA, lying construction of a lighthouse. On completion of the building project, No 40 returned home to be put into general astern, pumps service and the outbreak of war found her marking Helwick Sand off the Gower coast of South Wales. Fortunately fuel and water her crew escaped with their lives, but those aboard the East Dudgeon in January 1940 were not so fortunate. into the lightves• Harried by constant attacks, the master decided the best course of action was to abandon the lightvessel. In sel. Shortly after• appallingly cold and windy weather the two boats struggled west onto the Lincolnshire coast where they were wards a buoy both wrecked and six of the seven men were drowned. replaced tbe lightvessel. The sunset is appro• Due to the vulnerability of lightvessels exposed on the East Coast, several were withdrawn and anchored, fully priate as an era manned, in Sea Reach at the mouth of the Thames, though the narrow swept channels out of the Thames were passes. also well provided for with additionallightvessels which exhibited their lights only when convoys were passing.

During 'Operation Neptune', the seaward component of the D-Day landings, Trinity House Vessels followed the minesweepers laying dan buoys to the beaches and after the landings had been established, two old lightvessels were anchored off 'Kansas' and 'Juno' beaches in the approaches to the Mulberry harbours on the Normandy coast.

This unusual employment was followed in the aftermath of war, by stationing spare lightvessels to mark wrecks. These were painted green in the then internationally accepted colour for a wreck-mark and manned by disposal parties. Armed with tonite, detonators and a work boat, these groups began the tedious business of blowing up The fordeck of tbe many wrecks which littered the channels, but the task was too big for the resources of the lighthouse author• an old, manned ities and was eventually taken over by the Royal Navy. lightvessel showing the Lightvessels are at constant danger even in peace time, mainly from risk of collision. Between 1877 and 1929 no air-powered fewer than eleven lightvessels were run down and sunk, usually by steamers, which old seamen then considered windlass and murderous craft. Ten of these were lost, except No 38 which was raised from the bottom at the Gull station. More the main riding recently, on 16th February 1961, THV Mermaid (built 1959) was on general sea duty when she received ames• cable. To port sage that the Haisbro lightvessel off the Norfolk coast had been holed by the S.S. Marshall. Water was pouring and starboard into the lightvessel and Mermaid's captain, Commander P.C.V. Inman, advised the lightvessel's master to take are the spare elementary damage control precautions, altered course towards the casulty and increased speed. A Mayday mes• bower sage was broadcast in case tbe lightvessel foundered before Mermaid arrived. The Marshall and the motor ves• for emergency sel Ordinance stood by the lightvessel and the RFA Wave Chief soon made an appearance. Meanwhile onboard use. the Haisbro, the cable had been shortened in and the chain stowed to give the lightvessel a port list. Following Inman's instructions all fresh water, which was stowed aft, was pumped over tbe side and forepeak was flooded. The linings covering the holed area were torn down, the lightsmen working in freezing water. These measures reduced the danger of foundering. As she sped towards the casualty, the Mermaid's crew were turned

out and prepared the emergency stock buoy which Trinity House Vessels carry against such an eventuality, along maximum scope. The crew on board at the time consisted of two men in each watch and Skipp, the master. An with making other arrangements. Mermaid arrived on scene with her collision mat prepared, her boats cleared eighth man was also present, an official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, who was carrying out some away, the buoy ready and her crew alert. The application of the collision mat and a salvage pump controlled the observations. influx of water and while this was being attended to the lightvessel was allowed to drift off station, Mermaid laid the buoy which had by now been fitted with the same light characteristics as the Haisbro herself. Having accom• What happened is unclear, but at 0115 on the 27th November, Mr Tilsey of Deal Coastguard infonned Harwich plished this she took the lightvessel under tow. Meanwhile at Harwich a spare lightvessellying on the moorings that the South Goodwin light was not to be seen and he thought the lightvessel was off station. At 0230 the in the River Stour was made ready for sea, her hull painted with the name 'Haisbro', her light and fog signal Ramsgate lifeboat left harbour, followed twenty minutes later by the Dover lifeboat; conditions were appalling. coded to conform with the Haisbro's characteristics and on the 18th, THV Ready arrived off the northern end of It was 0730 before the wind dropped significantly and the beach-launched Walmer boat could be slid down the the Haisbro shoal to remove the buoy and restore a lightvessel to the station. ways into the sea. By this time THV Vestal, Captain R.N. Thompson, was passing the Sunk lightvessel, outward bound from Harwich, while an American helicopter had been scrambled and was over-flying the Goodwins. The The danger to lightvessels from collision remains to this day. On the evening of the 16th August 1996, a small lightvessel was soon located from the air, lying on her beams ends on the side of the Kellett Gut, a passage sep• containership, the Vilm, having passed close to the Sunk lightvessel, fouled her propeller and severed the moor• arating the north from the South Goodwin Sands, some six and a half miles from her station. None of the lifeboats ing. Fortunately, the lightvessel, No 7, was hitched to theVilm which dropped her own anchor and awaited the had got near her and it was some time before the American airmen spotted Ronald Murton, the Ministry officer, arrival of THV Patricia (built 1982). Once extricated, the mooring was reconnected by the tender which had clinging to the rails in his pyjamas. Murton was winched to safety and told how shortly before his rescue he had grappled the seabed for the parted cables. A second incident occurred within days to No 9 lightvessel on the F3 been able to talk through a damaged porthole to Able Seaman Porter who informed him that Skipp and Fog Signal station. An unknown vessel, thought to have been a fishing trawler, stemmed the lightvessel amidships, stoving Driver Viney were trapped with him. News of the disaster had already hit the headlines and this information in her entire side. At Harwich, No 17 lightvessel was being prepared for the Sanettie station and was swiftly revived hopes ashore of a rescue being possible. At 1030 Vestal arrived on scene and attempted to land a party reprogrammed to the characteristics of the F3. She was towed out by Patricia as a substitute. Both of these by boat on the sands, but a heavy sea was still running and even at low water later in the day they were unsuc• lightvessels were unmanned, so the likelihood of identifying the culprit in the latter case are non-existent. cessful. At the time of Vestal's arrival, THV Patricia left Harwich and later laid a buoy on the South Goodwin station, relieving Vestal on the 28th as the Royal Naval diving tender Romola dropped anchor. The naval divers Notwithstanding these incidents, the weather remains the lightvessel's most implacable foe and while it was not and Patricia's crew spent the day trying to locate the survivors while Vestal returned to Harwich. Here she picked common for lightvessels, with the massively heavy ground moorings, to drag off station, it was not entirely up No 65 lightvessel, an old maintained in reserve which had been hurriedly manned and by 1615 that after• unknown and No 27 on the Selker station off Cumberland, drove ashore and was wrecked at Drigg in the 1920s. noon was returning south with the lightvessel in tow. By noon on the 29th, Vestal had laid No 65 lightvessel on Cable failure was rare, but when it did occur it was usually ascribed to the most vulerable part of a mooring, the station and removed the buoy. swivels. To function properly a swivel must lie in that part of the mooring which lifts and falls to the sea-bed and is known as 'the thrash'. The thrash is subject not only to wear due to rising and falling from the action of the At dawn that same morning a final search of the wreck was made. Most of the compartments were already full waves and the range of the tide, but to the attrition of sand and shell particles in the turbulence created over the of sand and not a single body was found. Skipp, Lanham, Philpott, Viney, Cox, Lynn and Porter had all perished. seabed due to the passage of the tide. While chain links and shackles wear relatively evenly, the swivel, a more Within a few weeks there was not a sign of the wreck herself; the Goodwins had lived up to their name as 'the complex piece of engineering with bearing surfaces, more easily breaks down and is more difficult to examine great ship swallower' for the capacity of the sand to literally engorge a whole hull. during routine servicing. In February 1936, for example, No 561ightvessel on the Morecombe Bay station and in March 1948, No 80 on the exposed Sevenstones station broke their main cables. Both were brought up off sta• Being run down or dislodged at the caprice of the weather were not only the conditions endangering lightvessels. tion using their spare bower anchors, but they had ceased for the time being, to be reliable seamarks and had to Towing them to and from station was often a hazardous operation, not least because passing ships failed to exhibit the red and white flares which told mariners of their plight. observe the signals exhibited by the towing tender. In 1894, No 22 was being towed off station and was run down and wrecked. Under tow to a docking by the Trinity House Vessel Vestal in 1967, No 83 lightvessel was struck Another incident occurred in 1961 when No 13 lightvessel, then serving on the East Goodwin station, began to and sunk by a Polish fishing vessel. In 1972, No 1 lightvessel was being withdrawn from the Varne station by drag north in heavy weather. A relatively deep water station compared with her neighbours, this was an unusual THV Patricia when in clear weather a mile north of the East Goodwin, a German ship named the Ragna, altered event in more ways than one. The lightvessel finally brought up again when she fouled at St. Margaret's Bay to course across the tender's stern and smashed into the lightvessel. La Panne, No 6 telephone cable. When THV Vestal arrived to unravel the mess it was found that a link of the lightvessel's cable had straightened and parted when fouled by an old aeroplane propeller, an ancient anchor and Occasionally other tows damage lightvessels. In September 1949 the Cairo City, under the tow of the tug ninety fathoms of cable, legacies of British history from two ages. Masterman, fouled and holed the Cross Sand lightvessel and on 28th June 1981, No 21 on the Vame station was badly damaged by the Ore Meteor, a dead ore carrier under the tow of tug Suzanne M. The Ore Meteor hit the A more dire incident was to occur in 1954. The modem, unmanned lightvessel, fitted with alarm sensors, will lightvessel, her anchor fouled No 21, bought down both masts and severely damaged the lantern. alert the monitor controlling it when the severe impact of a collision activates her alarm system. In times past it was her crew of lightsmen who kept a ceaseless vigil and who alerted the office of the District Superintendent The green 'wreck' lightvessel made a brief reappearance in the Strait of Dover in 1971. In January the Peruvian vyith any problems. They were also at risk themselves and this vulnerability was to be cruelly exposed during the ship Paracas was in collision with the tanker, the Texaco Carribean. The latter was cut in two and sank; short• great storm of the night of 26th/27th November 1954, when the South Goodwin lightvessel parted her moorings ly afterwards a German cargo ship, the Brandenburg ran over the wreck, sliced open her bottom and also sank. and drove ashore in very heavy weather. Loss of life was considerable and despite the establishment of two green lightvessels and fourteen lit buoys, ships still penetrated the danger area and a few weeks later a third ship, the Greek-flagged Niki, was added to the wreck• The moorings of No 90 lightvessel are thought to have failed at a swivel, though this has never been conclusive• age. The disaster was the catalysing event which brought about the introduction of a new buoyage system. ly proved. On the 12th November the master, Mr H.T. Skipp, found the 150 fathom shackle was working slight• ly and hardened it up. This was not a particularly significant occurrence and Skipp reported himself satisfied to This new system coincided roughly with a number of events which were to impact upon the lightvessel. In 1969 the Superintendent at Harwich by signal. On the evening of the 26th it began to blow hard. In Dover harbour, crew reliefs of Trinity House lightvessels were no longer carried out by tender, but by helicopter. The tender fleet alongside the eastern breakwater a swell of 3 to 4 metres was running; further offshore the conditions were bad. was accordingly reduced from nine ships to five and at the same time the number of lightvessels began to be pro• The wind was from the SSW, force 11 to 12, gusting at hurricane force. By midnight, at the height of the storm, gressively reduced. Replacement was to have been with a number of Lanbys, an acronym for LArge Navigational the tide was running north through the strait at its maximum velocity. The movement aboard the lightvessel was Buoys. These 40 feet diameter discus-shaped platforms supported a 40 feet high tower which was initially armed violent, with the bow rising to waves and snatching at the cable which Mr Skipp would have had paid out to its with a Xenon light. The flash of these proved to such short and intense duration that it was difficult to take take a bearing, a problem compounded by retention on the image on the retina which could cause the navigator to mistake the bearing if his head moved. Lanbys were finally fitted with revolving lights, racons and fog signals, ROPE-YARNS competing as economic replacements for the traditionallightvessel, though they were never capable of carrying FLYING THE CLUB BURGEE IN NEW ZEALAND the aerial array required for a radio-beacon. Paul Antrobus writes to wish everyone a belated Happy Christmas and New Year. Paul sent apologies for absence to the Club Christmas party last year - reason - a trip to Auckland, New Zealand, to spend Christmas and New They were, however, difficult to access and very uncomfortable to work on, being detested by maintenance staff. Year with club member Charles Scoones. Club member David White was also in the house party, along with They were also occasionally compromised by the somewhat primitive telemetric links to their controlling base Doug Laurie - not a member but has visited us on several occasions. This travelling crew sailed together on var• stations, usually a lighthouse or depot within 20 to 25 miles distance. The first Lanby was established in ious occasions in the 60's, and in Auckland sailed again together on Charles's 35ft sloop 'Taitua'. A fine wood• Morecambe Bay with another on the Cork station in the Harwich approaches. Then in 1972, with the introduc• en vessel, designed by John Lidgard, 6.5 tonner, built in 1968 out of New Zealand kaurie timber, the most famous tion of the full Strait of Dover Traffic Separation Scheme, a Lanby was laid on the Greenwich meridian in mid• timber of NZ, subject to massive harvesting in the early part of the century and now the remaining kauri forests Channel. By this time improvements in telecommunications were such that the automation of lightvessel hulls are strictly controlled. She sails beautifully, and in her day was at the leading edge of NZ yacht design. She has a was considered and on 30th May 1981 the first automated lightvessel, the pre-war built No 93, was laid on the short built keel and still holds her own in harbour races against many modem rivals. The Club burgee was flown as Shipwash Bank, off Orfordness. Six years later a comprehensive review of aids to navigation was carried out by we cruised the Hauraki Gulf. Trinity House and a major overhaul was carried out. Many large Class 1 lighted buoys are capable of supporting lights, fog signals and racons, adequate provisions to underwrite the increasingly sophisticated suite of ship-borne electronic navigational aids then becoming commonplace. The decision was now taken to reduce the number of Auckland, of course, is where the current America's major floating lights and to replace Lanbys by automated lightvessels. After the war Trinity House had 22 Cup contest is being staged and the visiting crew lightvessels. The Corporation had reverted to sequential numbering starting from one again. They later acquired were able to watch some of the round robin races, two additional redundant hulls from the Commissioners for Irish Lights and Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. some from the Pride of Auckland catamaran, a com- These latter ships belonged to the No 17 class, a fine, high sided hull with exceptional sea-keeping qualities pany which also runs tourist sailing cruises and developed for Trinity House and which marked the apogee of lightvessel hull development. The last manned Charles is one of their sailing skippers. lightvessel was removed from the Channel station in June 1989. One of the class, No 18, seems set fair to be pre• served at Harwich in her 'as built', manned configuration. One evening, the entire visiting crew plus all our wives shipped aboard Jack Nazer's 43 footer for a Today the number of Trinity House lightvessels is reduced to thirteen, one of which, No 95, the last pre-war hull Thursday evening 'rum race' in the harbour. Jack to be built by Philip and Co of Dartmouth, is solar powered and marks the Inner Dowsing shoal of Lincolnshire. and his wife Marilyn visited the Seven Seas Club on Two smaller light floats supplement these and are all now monitored and controlled from the Operations Control a couple of occasions during their extended visit to Centre at Harwich. The only Lanbys remaining in service lie on the Arklow and Codling stations off Eire. The England last year - and the Seven Seas burgee was Irish authority also run lightvessels on the Coningbeg and South Rock Stations. again flown for the day, and left with Jack as a sou• venir for his wall. It is probable that this number will further diminish in the next quarter-century. The lightvessel however, has enjoyed a new lease of life serving the public as yacht clubs, night clubs, youth training venues and the like. One Paul and Charles ocean raced together under the last of the tenders which played a part in this chronicle, the 1938-built Patricia, is today a night-club in , (PP) Bernard Baxter (Baxter & Grimshaw fund founder) in the 'Evenlode'. Charles also did some but perhaps the most spectacular relic of this passing age is the old Elbe lightvessel which began life as a sailing vessel and was returned to her former glory as the sail training ship Alexander von Humboldt. . . amazing cruises in his 14ft dinghy 'Jocanda' TAITUS' Owned by Charles Scoones, bemg smled here including sailing to Copenhagen and a winter cruise © Richard Woodman by Paul Antrobus on the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland N.Z. through the UK canals - all under the canvas of the October 1996 Dec. '99. tent over the boob!

But then Charles emigrated to NZ. Charles has returned to the UK in the last couple of years, for extended trips, and we have renewed our contacts - and Charles became a member of the Seven Seas Club, and was soon pressed into guest speaker activity. He now owns a narrow boat based in Warwickshire which Paul has travelled on and enjoyed a fabulous week last spring, in summer sunshine and cruising, as you do on the canals, from rub to pub. THV PATRICIA changes Charles will be back again this year and will be at Club dinners, but will also be taking paying guest on thenar• automatic lightvessels over in row boat "Water Gypsy' on a unique basis of 'B & B', i.e. you go with Charles for as many days as you have good weather free, any time of week, Charles and Annie show you the joys of the canals and lay on breakfast, but lunch and dinner can be in a pub or on board in the cosy cabin with its fine coal stove. Your choice, free and easy. Charles's first customers look like being other visiting Kiwis, but Seven Seas Club members may also like to taste the canals for a few days without the worry of full chartering, and for the days that suit you. Anyone interested should call Paul Antrobus (01372 843397) for further information.

Charles's uncle, John Scoones, was a founder member along with W.E. (Bob) Roberts, our most famous Thames Barge skipper and writer and broadcaster about Thames barges, and others, of the Narrow Seas Club. Baxter, Antrobus, Baker, Scoones and White and other Seven Seasers were also members. This club was also London based, meeting then in the upstairs room of the Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden.

There came a point in the Club's history when there was a move to permit ladies into membership. This motion was voted down by the members, and the resu lt was a breakaway group who formed the Little Ship Club. In the 60's, at a time in our history when Club membership had fallen to very low numbers, we held several of our monthly dinners at the Little Ship Club. Numbers were I 0 or 12, and it was at one of these meetings there that Probably the the option to close down the Seven Seas was discussed. We rejected that, and set about reviving our members. CHEAPEST Thus, here we are today. The Seven Seas continues in some strength, meeting in London as we do, The Narrow Seas is now meets in the White Hart at Burnham on Crouch. Ten years ago they admitted lady members and this for New and year their 'skipper' is a lady! And the Little Ship continues to thrive amongst the new developments in Upper Thames Street, London and is probably now the bigger and better known of all of us; they had a stand at this Second hand year's London Boat Show!

Charles hopes anyone planning a visit to Auckland area of NZ will get in touch. Call 00.64.8148.235. One day Chandlery there may be a local Seven Seas branch. Meantime Charles sends his best wishes to all members, and looks for• ward to being at our dinners in the Spring/Summer. in East Anglia

Info: Paul Autrobus Tel: 01372 843397 -A new concept

CLUB DINNER DATES FOR YOUR DIARY, 2000 in boat chandlery

Thursday 30th March tel 01245 380680 Friday 28th April (Ladies Night) The StPeet fax 01245 380724 Thursday 25th May (Annual General Meeting) Hatfield PPevePel Thursday 28th September (24 hr) 0973 326594 Thursday 26th October CHHMSFORD Thursday 23rd November ESSEX CM3 2EQ Friday 8th December (Christmas Party)

THE SLOP-CHEST

1. Club Tie Single Motif (New Design) £6.50 MALTA CONVOYS, 1940-1943 If posted £7.00 by 2. Ten Year Tie Roman Numeral X under Club Motif £6.50 If posted £7.00 Richard Woodman 3. Wallet Dark brown leather, rolled gold metal comers with Club Crest blocked in gold on front £6.50 ISBN 0-7195 5753-4 4. Enamelled Shield The Club Crest in enamel, mounted on a wooden shield, an excellent production £20.00 MALTA CONVOYS is a companion volume to ARCTIC CONVOYS of which the critics said: 5. Invitation Cards For ten, including envelopes £0.75 6. Club Burgee 18 inches, 12 inches on truck £15.00 'an extraordinarily vivid and accurate picture of the conduct of the convoys and of the conditions 7. Cuff!inks Bearing Club Crest, per pair £9.50 that men faced in these high latitudes'

Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Lewin All.items are available from the Hon General Secretary: Frank Whymark Esq. 42 Broxboume Road 'an admirable work of scholarship ... a gripping narrative , filled with stories of bravery, Orpington self-sacrifice and sheer doggedness which at times defy credibility' KentBR60BA John Keegan (01689 820484) 'this account is the most comprehensive and most accurate I have ever read' Seven Seas Sweatshirts Ludovic Kennedy

Members are al so reminded that Club Sweatshirts in Navy, Grey and Red are available in standard Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, and Double Extra Large sizes from Jeremy Miller (to whom cheques should be Both available from: John Murray Ltd, 50 Albemarle Street, London WlX 4BD payable) at a price of £18.50.