Recent content by Rosie1963

I am totally new to Greece but it has piqued my interest after a couple of poor summers in the UK, with the longer term view of having a boat permanently there. I would like to explore its islands and was considering sailing from Vliho, Lefkada as an initial base. What are the recommendations...

Was it a Hilliard? I think it was a Dallimore....

I have seen them with a hinged section that can fold-up to gain the extra height so you don’t ding you head on it when you come up the companionway when the boom is stowed - worth considering. Also, its wise to consider an option for off-centreline stowage too, as this will ease getting to the...

I think where you put it depends on the length of the boom. Rosie’s boom is long and it’s swing is over the poop deck. Most Bermudans are not like this though with much shorter booms Rosie has some clever modifications: in port or at anchor I insert turned mahogany dowels that fit into the...

IMHO this is an improvment to any rig

I know deep in my heart that the half a day saved goes on maintaining something miles more important - like the gold leaf in the carved name! I could not find tape for that!

I too started to use the gold self-adhesive go-faster strip. It takes half an hour each side and from a couple of metres away you can't really tell the difference.

1. Sculling on the Thames in January. Caught a crab. Rolled into icy cold water in shorts and singlet. I will never forget that shock. Trained to keep with the boat, but it was a long sweeping bend and I was out of sight for both safety boats. I tried to yell but could not. I knew that if I did...

James Roffe based Maldon: 07815 763377

The weakness of a Victory is that the service kit is more expensive than a Lavac!

I have a personal observation about yachts with two heads. I only go on such boats when invited to crew, and that is usually on longer passages. On nearly every occasion one of the two toilets has blocked – in a variety and styles of yachts. It is such a horrible job unblocking a toilet at sea...

So, it was in the mid 2000s sometime I went to our local chandlers, Foxes. There was a bit of a commotion, and I could see a yacht had sunk on a pontoon. I bought my stuff and asked the check-out what had happened they said seacock failure. Apparently a fairly new yacht. Rowing back to Pin Mill...

Not so sure. Isn't failure one of the major claims on insurance? I know first hand of a couple of sinkings on our river through failure. My surveyor inspected all the Blakes scrupulously asked for several to be replaced. One that was not being used (used to be for a saltwater galley intake -...

An extra heads is a couple of holes in a wooden hull and if you wont use it often, that is a liability one doesn’t need.

Thanks for this.