Recent content by snowleopard

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Lord Nelson was doing great and there appeared to be a need for more capacity. I understand that the cost of building Tenacious escalated far beyond original estimates and the cost of servicing additional loans meant any operating surplus was swallowed...

Agree 110%. A weird experience to enter from the sea and lock down into the canals. The "Standing mast route" can take you from Rotterdam to the German border and the only charges are a few euros for lifting bridges.

Yup, same here. A good inch of growth - Coppercoat didn't help - A couple of hours with snorkel and scraper got most of it off. And yes, lots of tiny creatures all over me, so itchy!!

It certainly seems that big ships are difficult to run for sail training as the costs increase disproportionately with size, witness the 4 ships of the STA and now the 2 from JST. Fleets of smaller boats seem to fare better but there's not much around for people with more severe disabilities...

We spent a few weeks in the lagoon, at anchor. Why do you need a marina?

I have heard today that the JST has collapsed. After several attempts over the last few years to raise emergency funds, reality has caught up with them and there seems no hope for another rescue. The ships are in the hands of the receivers and all staff have been laid off with immediate effect.

I built windows into the hulls of my cat, below the bridge deck and around 25 cm above the waterline. They were to provide emergency exits in the event of a capsize. I used Lewmar deck hatches. Two points: I built a lip in front of the forward edge of the hatches to deflect any fast-moving...

A friend is planning a RTW cruise and has asked my advice on a suitable boat. He is planning to do the World ARC (let's not discuss that here!) and has been advised by the organisers that boats under 40 ft are too slow to keep up with the fleet. I couldn't persuade him that he should go for...

I'm firmly in the camp of 'keep the old ones, 12 flares is better than 6'. I don't however go as far as the chap who was in real distress and told his crew to get out the flares, followed by "Not those, they're the good ones". I'm only getting rid of them because I'm swallowing the anchor and...

In my experience, the fridge will break down by the time you reach the Tropics.

Thought I'd share my experience of disposing of old flares. I phoned Falmouth CG and asked their advice: They will accept them on Monday and Friday mornings, by appointment only. They should be no more than 25 years old and normally no more than a dozen at a time. They store them in a...

Not banned but the RNLI 'asks' people not to use the sea for recreation because a rescue could endanger the rescuers. RNLI lifeguards have been withdrawn from beaches. That picture looks almost deserted compared to the density of surfers on a normal day!

I first learned to tie a bowline when learning to rock climb before the days of harnesses and all that modern hardware. Start by making a loop around the waist with an overhand knot. Pull on the short end and you are left with rabbit hole, tree and rabbit already threaded. All you need to do is...

Of course the result is a loop but not actually a bowline. Not sure I'd trust it in any critical application.

It's a shame boat sales sites don't have floor plans the way house sales sites all do. It would save a lot of wasted journeys.