GYC Newsletter: July/August 2006

 

A message from the Commodore:

 

Dear Members,

 

Over the last few months many events have taken place. Greenwich Yacht Club has been a busy little Club.

 

A number of courses have taken place including a radio course leading to a Radio Operator’s certificate by Ray Wheatley, a certificated short First Aid course 2 hours per week over 4 weeks by John Donaghy. Both of these courses were well attended and were also very successful. Other courses likely to be arranged will be Day skipper, Yacht Master and Diesel Maintenance courses. For further information on these please see Brian Harrison or Julie Coleclough on club nights and below in this Newsletter. There are to be further First Aid Courses (incidentally all free to members) run by John towards the end of July - information about these will be placed on the notice boards in the Clubroom and the Yahoo Groups e-mail notices. The last First Aid Course was enjoyed by all who attended and I am reliably informed that they are well worth attending.

 

Preparations have been taking place for this year’s East Coast Cruise organised by Ray sharp and Carol O’Shea with regular preparatory meetings being held on Tuesday nights.

 

A number of cruiser races and trips have taken place and dinghy races have been held. Our leg of the Travellers Trophy took place with about 25 dinghies from different Clubs along the river. We are doing well again this year and I hope we win the trophy yet again. PS – we did!!! Well done Niki and Lucy!! And everyone else who took part!

 

We have held a couple of open days on Bank Holiday Mondays and people have come to try out sailing on the river.

 

The Motor Boat section has had a couple of really pleasant trips up river and one downriver to Queenborough.

 

Rowing practice continues under the expert guidance of Damon Rowley and Andy Pledger.

 

A number of social events have taken place at the Club including a “Beatles Night” with a very good band playing as the Beatles. The event was sold out and everyone had a good time.

 

The Annual Art Show took place and a good weekend was enjoyed by all who came. During that weekend we had the Art Show, our leg of the travellers Trophy a barbecue and a jazz band. The weather was good, both bars were open and The Club was buzzing.

 

The bad news is that the Treasurer has left us and we now need to co-opt a new Treasurer for the Club. Irene Catchpole has volunteered to take on this task. Thanks, Irene!

 

Much work has taken place on the landside to improve the offer made to people wishing to hire the rooms for weddings etc. The bar has been refurbished and now has a proper working cellar. The kitchen is to be cleaned up properly and will be kept locked to prevent misuse.

 

I hope you all enjoy the summer and boating on the river and other exciting places. Remember not to take unnecessary risks.

 

Best wishes

Frank Lerner - Commodore

 


24 Hours In A Dinghy - GYC at the 3 Rivers Race (By James Eastwood)

 

My regular crew, Darren Bell and I represented GYC at the 3 Rivers Race on the Broads on the 3-4th June. We had a cracking sail on the Saturday doing the Ant, South Walsham, and Hickling legs and arriving at the lower Bure buoy by 9:30pm. There's a different balance to be struck between boat speed and effort in an endurance race, however we had been pushing hard most of the day, with plenty of spinnaker usage and 100's of roll tacks. On route, we'd received applause at the Potter Bridge for our speedy mast drop, arriving at the mouth of the bridge at full chat, backing the main to take the speed off, and dropping the mast from the cleated jib halyard. We later had one of the Horning SC committee members congratulate us, with the words '...that's how to drop a Wayfarer mast!'

 

But at the Bure buoy the wind died and with the knot of tide running against us made any further sailing impossible. There began a cold night sleeping in the boat, waking every hour to check conditions, until 4am. The morning brought very light winds and we spent 8 hours sailing wondering whether we would make the finish for midday to get a placing. (The course must be completed in 24 hours to place).

 

In the end we were disappointed to finish at 12:20, 20 minutes late, excluded from the results and having the indignation of being overtaken in the last 10 minutes by another Wayfarer as we got stuck in a wind shadow literally within sight of the line, however hats off to the other Wayfarer crew they were very good in the river's fluky airs! We were the only two of 8 Wayfarers to complete the course.

 

Exhausted from such a long dinghy sail and disappointed we were both down beat. All the hard work to prep the boat and get there wasn't going to be recognised, not even were we eligible for a finisher’s plaque. When cheerily asked by the organisers whether I'd be back next year, I politely told her 'No, I don't think I will!'

 

But after a couple of days I began thinking that we had unfinished business on the broads, and that I undoubtedly would have to pay them another visit...

Cruiser Race Dates

Race                           Date       Course                   Start             OOD

Westerly Challenge Jul 2nd   GYC/Gravesend/GYC 0800       Nick Fossey

Bob Walker Trophy   Jul 9th   GYC/Lower Pool/GYC 0900      Steve Wilson

Meridian Trophy       Sep 24th Driftwood Barge       1300       Geoff Williams

Lady’s Cup                 Oct 1st    GYC/Greenhithe        1030       Jay Prehn

Ovens Buoy               Oct 15th GYC/Ovens/GYC        0830      Brian Harrison

The Windas Cup Race

Saturday, 24th June

Dinghy Race Dates

RACE                           DATE          HW    START             OOD

 Bosun Open Erith         July 16th   0607    TBA

Commodore’s Cup          July 23rd  1313     1130                  Don Duane

Mayors Trophy             July 30th   1735    1535                 Julie Coleclough

Meridian Trophy           Sept 10th  16.07    1400                Tony Norwell

Courage Shield              Sept 23rd 1508     1330                Mick Sadler

Start of Winter Series Oct 22nd   14.36    TBA

 

Congratulations to Niki and Lucy who helped bring home the Travellers’ Trophy!

Dinghy Race Safety Boat Crews

Sat 15th July Open sailing to Erith                              TBA

Sun 23rd July Commodore’s S. Wilson, B. Harrisson, A. Pledger, P. Murphy

Jubilee Cup Sun 30th July Mayor’s Trophy J.Prehn, N. Crawford, N. Prehn, D. Rowley

Sat 9th Sept Open sailing TBA

Sun 10th Sept Meridian Trophy J.Four, R. Barnes, N. Crawford, S. Wreyford

Sat 23rd Sept Courage Shield M. Mitchell, L. Willis, A.Pledger, N. Fossey

Sun 22nd Oct Winter Series1 TBA

 Rowing

 

The Great River Race

Sat 16th Sept 2006

 

Come and be part of our team for “the London Marathon on water”. Row with hundreds of other boats from Richmond, through the Pool of London and home to Greenwich.

 

It’s an amazing experience.

 

Contact Andy Pledger on 07773 849697 or at  andrewpledger@aol.com

 

SOUTHMERE BOATING CENTRE PROGRAMME 2006

 

RYA Dinghy Day Sailing Course

A two day course for holders of RYA level 2.

Day 1. Sunday July 23rd at Southmere Boating Centre

Day 2. Saturday July 29th from GYC

Discount for GYC members. Phone Southmere Boating Centre. 020 8310 2452

 

RYA Start Sailing Level 1 Saturday 10.00 – 12.30 4 Saturdays starting on: June 3rd, July 1st, Sept 2nd, Oct 7th

RYA Basic Skills Level 2 Saturday 13.30 – 16.00 4 Saturdays starting on: June 3rd, July 1st, Sept 2nd, Oct 7th

RYA Basic Skills Level 2 Saturday 10.00 – 12.30 4 Saturdays starting on Nov 4th

RYA Dinghy Seamanship Skills Saturday 13.30 – 16.00 4 Saturdays starting on: June 3rd, Sept 2nd, Oct 7th

RYA Dinghy Seamanship Skills Saturday 10.00 – 12.30 4 Saturdays starting on Nov 4th

RYA Start Racing Saturday 13.30 – 16.00 4 Saturdays starting on July 1st

Open Sailing Workshop (for Level 2 holders) Saturday 13.30 – 16.00 4 Saturdays starting on: June 3rd, July 1st, Sept 2nd, Oct 7th

Open Sailing Workshop (for Level 2 holders) Saturday 10.00 – 12.30 4 Saturdays starting on Nov 4th

RYA Basic Skills Level 2 Coastal Endorsement Saturday or Sunday, All Day on: July 29th, Oct 29th

RYA Day Sailing. By arrangement

RYA Sailing with Spinnakers. By arrangement

Dinghy sailing trips Sunday All day on July 2nd, Sept 3rd

Tel: 020 8310 2452 Email: southmere@boating.fsbusiness.co.uk

 

www.southmereboating.co.uk

 

 

Navigation Classes 2006

 

I thought I would just tell people about the dates for the Autumn Navigation and VHF classes.

The prices have gone up a bit (for club members it is a very little bit). I have checked around and they are below most others in London. If any body knows of cheaper ones please tell me. It will be Julie and I teaching as usual on the Navigation Classes with Ray running the VHF. The club has purchased VHF radio simulators to improve the training we can offer.

So if you are interested or know any one that is - fill in an application form (available in clubhouse and shortly available on the club web site).

Prices

Day Skipper and Yachtmaster

£250for members and £295 non-members. 

Includes RYA pack and course materials

 

VHF £100
 

Course

Start date

End  date

duration

Dayskipper theory

12/9/06

10/12/06

12 weeks

Yachtmaster theory

12/9/06

10/12/06

12 weeks

VHF radio

Ray Wheatley. 0208 856 6655. Please note my new email address r.c.wheatley@hotmail.co.uk

Saturday 30/9/06,   or    Saturday  18/11/06

Saturday  28/4/07

 1 day

Any questions or further information please email me

Brian.harrisson@ntlworld.com

 

‘Give and Take’…

 

In case anyone has not noticed, there is a large box on a drum at the shed end of the main gate to the yard. It is a Give and Take Box. It invites any item, preferably boat-related, to be dropped in and for any one to take any thing from it. It is without any official status and of course no liability or guarantee is attached by anyone to any item. So far, several bits of rope, hose, brass hinges, some cleats, half-full paint cans, some wire and a pulley have arrived and passed through. If there was a ticket to a football match in Berlin, I didn't see it. You have to pass the bins to get to it, so it isn't used, outright, as a dustbin.

 

Peter Waugh  

Gas Alert

 

While returning from the Windas Cup at Erith I had the second scare I have had with gas on board ‘Zeste’ since I bought her. ( The first was when an experienced sailor and a brilliant cook left a gas ring turned on and unlit on the East Coast Cruise off the Essex coast – resulting in a gas filled boat with yours truly left to go below and open all hatches and manually pump out the bilges, taking care not to create the slightest hint of a spark while the remaining five crew members fled to the cockpit and eyed the dinghy nervously!)

 

Our experience recently has prompted me to share with as many others as possible what happened in the hope that it may help to enhance general boat gas safety.

 

The sight of a brand new motor cruiser pathetically hauled up on the shores of the upper Thames and Police cordoned off in 1981 is still fresh in my mind. It had been blown to pieces by a gas explosion. I am sure many others are aware of similar tragic incidents - even involving club members - that have happened even more recently.

 

Whilst cooking and brewing tea at Erith I noticed a smell of gas – I have a good nose – and repetitively checked all connections and, of course, the cooker itself – thinking perhaps I had left something on. I turned off (as I always do) the gas supply to the cooker. On boats where the only means of isolation of the gas supply is on the bottle itself I routinely turn this off after every use - and certainly each evening.

 

I performed a full check when we arrived back at GYC and disgorged our tow of nine dinghies and ‘Fat Fred’ – using a method a gas engineer had shown me and which I also use on my caravan. A bit of washing up liquid and a soft paint brush- perhaps a 1” varnish brush – worked up into a lather and ‘painted’ on the whole of the gas pipework starting at the cooker end. The slightest leak will show as bubbles in the lather. A bit like checking for rim and valve leaks on a car tyre.

 

It only took a minute to confirm that the flexible armoured pipe joining the cooker to the fixed pipework was indeed leaking.

 

On performing a ‘post mortem’ on the pipe after removing the armouring and braiding the leak was on the part subjected to the most flexing near to the cooker itself.

 

My suspicion and that of club members I showed the rubber internal section of the pipe to was that the cooker on ‘Zeste’ had, for possibly protracted periods of time, been left on its gimbals and the constant flexing had resulted in the gradual failure of the flexible connecting pipe.

Remedy:

·        Flexible pipe renewed. (NB – it has to conform to BS 3212).

·        Gas alarm fitted! 

Lessons to be learned:

·        Always turn off gas when not in use.

·        Regularly check pipework, appliances and joints etc. Especially flexible pipework (BS 3213 refers – the flexible piping on boats must be armoured and braided in order to resist mechanical and heat damage)

·        Never leave cookers on their gimbals whilst not necessary.

·        Fit a gas alarm/detector for peace of mind.

 

Tony Norwell -  July 2006