Recent content by bdh198

Does anyone know where I can find a replacement opening handle/latch for the galley counter top door on a fridge (the boat is a Hanse 370, 2007 build)? Ours was damage when a heavy object was placed on top of it when it was open causing the latch to bend and breaking the closing spring. I...

I’ve lost two drones overboard. Both cheap(ish) secondhand DJI Phantoms. The first was rather embarrassingly because I forgot to turn off Return To Home when trying to get footage of the boat under sail in the Solent. It was in bright summer sunshine, and when RTH kicked in I wasn’t able to see...

Thanks all for the helpful observations. It’s an interesting consideration about the dyneema core slipping in the outer cover. Is this still a problem with modem dyneema ropes, or was this more common with dyneema core 10-15 years ago and provided I go for a reputable brand it shouldn’t be...

We have recently purchased a new mainsail for our Hanse 370 and are looking at also replacing the halyard (which is currently 12mm polyester) with one that has a dyneema core to reduce the stretch in the rope and get as much performance out of the sails as possible. The boat is used for family...

Good to hear Bramblemet is getting replacement kit. It’s a useful tool when sailing in the Solent, and I’ve found myself using the archive files of weather data on many occasions to look up the records. I was a bit worried ABP weren’t going to continue maintaining the station after it stopped...

It looks like the sheer number of beautiful places in Scotland available in the survey has probably split the vote for places in Scotland… “With 34 destinations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to choose from, as well as 40 locations in Scotland, 5,813 participants had to evaluate...

Is a marina a "dock"? The Court of Appeal has clarified the issue and with potential consequences for boats kept in a marina that suffer catastrophic damage as the result of a single occurance where the design, construction and maintenance of the Marina were said to be defective. However, the...

Couldn't have picked a worse weather window for getting some good footage of the demolition:

Yep, apparently they couldn't launch their drone in the Force 9 gusting 10 that hit right at the moment of demolition.

I'm quite glad I didn't make the effort to watch it from anchor. From the images being posted on various sites, unless we had been in very close proximity to Calshot we wouldn't have seen anything! I did venture to the top of Portsdown Hill but that proved to be a waste of time, although I was...

+1 for Fishwick, supplemented by Cunliffe for the larger harbours and marinas. We spent eight weeks cruising the West Country and the Isles of Scilly this summer and these books plus some Admiralty Charts for the area were all we needed for suggestions of where to explore plus giving us the...

I might have to take my drone and try and capture an aerial shot of the action with the boat at anchor in the foreground.

Depending on the forecast, I'm tempted to go out, anchor off Osborne Bay or Lee-on-Solent and watch the sunrise demolition on Sunday morning (31/10/21). Is anyone else planning to be out? It has been such an iconic part of Solent sailing for so long, and has been a witness to all the highs and...

I’ve been in three times unplanned. Twice in a marina and once when solo sailing a Sailfish 18 down Farnham Creek. However, I’ll only cast one vote.

2. I think you should just get on with it. You’ll have no trouble in benign conditions, and if you have a couple of kids on board with fenders at the ready and taking manoeuvres slowly you’re unlikely to do any serious damage if things go a bit pear shaped (other than perhaps a slightly bruised...