Recent content by JunkMing

A subject close to my heart, on which I have written extensively. See : http://www.thesimplesailor.com/articles.html May 2009 - Fear Can Cost a Packet and September 2008 - Safety At Sea - A Radical Approach I'd copy them here but they are a bit long!

Enzo, to give you a serious reply - there would be no problem at all for a She 31. The Jester Challenge is the antidote to rule-makers and committee-wallahs who get exercised about such things as a few inches difference in length overall. Nobody would give a damn if your boat happens to be four...

It gives no pleasure to report that Mike Richey passed away suddenly last night after a heart attack.

Good stuff. You set yourself a very, very tough first assignment and came through it well. Coldest spell of the year ( the wind chill must have been something else); virtually the longest nights of the year; in a very awkward patch of sea (I spent almost every weekend of my teenage school years...

Nicki, I took the generally available tables then using a bit of maths extrapolated from them. Fortunately at that time Don Jordan was still alive and although he was not well and did not usually respond to requests for information he was sufficiently interested to look at the problem himself...

Don Jordan was emphatically against the use of any sort of trip-line with the JSD, as the risk of the two lines twisting together and impeding the proper functioning of the droguettes is too great. Despite this I made provision, when building my own JSD (see a photo here May 2009 -...

Nick, many thanks for the post. It was great to get the detail on how you coped with the rudder loss. It was a piece of exemplary seamanship, an object lesson for the 'Help! Get me out of here!' school of modern ocean sailing, and a perfect illustration of what the JC is all about. Roger

See http://www.thesimplesailor.com/voyages.html

72N

Thanks, Graham! A propos: ODE TO A CRACKED TOILET BUCKET (Composed at sea, July 2009) Oh bucket, now the shine of youth is gone, Four years of faithful service nearly done, Now that thy frame grows frailer by the day, Time’s vigours flush thy waning life away, Let us not grieve nor rue thy...

Thanks John. I've been away for a few days collecting Mingming from Whitehills Harbour. In the ice I had to adopt the same sort of sleep/watch pattern as one would if, say, in fog off the Lizard i.e. the most severe possible. The big advantage up there in July is that there is of course no real...

Couldn't imagine there would be any problem at all. There were several 31 footers in the JAC 08. Go for it! Roger

I've been in touch with Colin and he's confirmed that he will be at Plymouth for the start and that he'll shortly begin organising a good-sized spectator boat. Roger

We had a spectator boat for the JC 06 and very successful it was too. The Plymouth start line is much too far from any viable shore-based viewing point. The spectator boat was organised by the marvellous Colin Sykes, who acted as general factotum for the last few days prior to the start. Last I...

John, I can't imagine there'd be any problem at all. Just put your entry in and come along. To be barred,something like 30 skippers would have to say they don't want you in the Challenge. That's not going to happen. There are already bigger boats entered. We hate rules and nitpicking. Go for it...