Any Advice Gratefully Received

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CJ1

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I've just purchased my first boat, a 1984 bilge keel Moody 27 (I don't count my Laser...)

My experience is about 1500 miles chartering in the UK and the Med, often but not always as skipper.

I plan to keep her as near as possible to Whitstable, so probably Faversham, Oare or Conyer.

So I've got a few questions and hope that some locals may be able to help me.

There is no way my wife will ever board the vessel, so some of the sailing will inevitably be single handed.

1. Any advice on the pros and cons of the mooring options mentioned above, or are there others I don't know about ?

2. Any advice on the best insurance company to use ?

3. The vessel does not have a liferaft or a windlass. Do you think they are necessary ?

4. The boat comes with a 6KG anchor and 30m of lightweight chain. It seemed a bit small to me. What do you think ?

5. I enjoy racing - despite the fact that it is extremely rare for me to come anything but last. What are the options in the area ?

Any advice greatly received.
 
Hi and welcome.
I'm in the same area. I keep mine at Swale Marina, Conyer, at the moment. Conyer Cruising Club has regular racing and they're a nice crowd. No racing out of Oare or Faversham that I know of.
I'm insured with GJW, but you need to get a few quotes,
I wouldn't bother with a liferaft if you're just pottering fairly locally. Presume you have a VHF and the ability (and qualification!) to use it.
Anchor could be a bit bigger (visit Faversham Chandlery, Mark will advise you) but you don't need a windlass unless you're very creaky.
Oh, and I also have a Moody. It's absolutely worth joining the owners association if you're maintaining the boat yourself, tons of advice on there.
 
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Can't help with your mooring options close to Whitstable, as my boat is further up the Medway. But some of your other questions, I might be able to answer as a single hander.

2. I am currently insured with two different companies for two different boats. I generally use screen scrapers or comparison sites to find the best deal. By preference I always would insure with GJW if they would match some of the cheaper companies. As your 1984 boat might be worth a bit more than my boats from the 60s and 70s they would definitely be worth a look. I do like Yachting 24 who are the cheap Pantenius brand.

3. I have a liferaft as I do a lot of ocean sailing, but for local work I don't think I would bother as you are close to rescue most of the time. A PLB may be worth while as a single hander as would a life jacket [or harness] and tether. Windlass for a 27 ft boat is marginal but in a strong wind trying to get up your anchor can be difficult without a windlass on a boat with a lot of windage. I have a manual windlass on my 34 feet boat which is brilliant pulling out my anchor in a strong wind or tidal flow. Single handed it is always a bit hard to get your anchor free either under sail or motor.

4. The 6Kg of anchor for a high windage boat like a Moody seems a bit light to me as does the 30 m of chain. Of course there are anchors and then there are anchors. You can increase your holding power by having all your chain on the bottom by adding a rope warp.

As for your racing I don't know what the options are on the Swale. Lots of good fun racing in the clubs up on the Medway. Some of them even encourage single handed racing.

Of course the ultimate racing for single handers is the Jester Challenge.
 
Just a note re GJW who I also use. You need to notify them that you will be single handing as that is not included in the standard wording. They didn't charge extra but limited it to daylight and up to 12miles offshore. I expect they would give more than that but I haven't asked.

Have fun with the boat.
 
Thanks for the advice - looks like GJW is getting the most recommendations, so Ill check them out.
 
Thanks for your reply - I think, then, Ill check out the option of renting a liferaft for those - probably infrequent - occasions I venture offshore.
 
I think that a windlass would be excessive on a 27ft Moody, as well as putting more weight where you don't want it. We had no trouble with a 25lb plough on our Sadler 29, and a friend's wife used to raise their 35lb-er. If the anchor is hard to break out, a gentle shove with power will do the job. I think that something like a 25lb CQR or 10kg modern anchor would be normal, perhaps a bit less.

I can see little point in a liferaft for local sailing. I can't ever remember a yachtsman saved by one in the Thames area. I have crossed the N Sea and Channel many times without one in the past. If you are going abroad it would make more sense to hire one at the time, but in the meantime your money would be better used in getting normal safety gear such as lifejackets, harnesses and jackstays.
 
I endorse all said above, but would also add an answer to a question not asked!
I found the most important bit of kit when I was sailing alone, was a decent autopilot. When I say decent I mean one which does not expire at the first hint of moisture. I suspect the below decks type that operates on the steering quadrant ( or the rudder post on your boat) will be too expensive, but if you do not yet have one, or if the existing one is a bit Mickey Mouse, then buy the best you can afford or justify. A remote feature is very useful too.
 
We have a manual windlass on our 32 footer (8mm chain, 15kg Rocna), the kind where the drum is vertical and you put a winch handle in the top and wind it just as you would with a winch. So to use it you have to kneel or sit on the deck with your feet in the anchor well and bend over it, either way I find it very hard to use & much easier (and faster) to motor up to the anchor to get some slack, pull the slack in by hand and then lock it off on the windlass & repeat. An electric windlass would be nice...

Conyer is lovely, we visit on our East Coast cruises. Choice of the bar at the club or the pub a very short walk up the road. I've stopped at Hollowshore a couple of times (on a smack of course) but never ventured up to Oare, but again it looks like a nice place to have a boat. Faversham is a nice town, no idea what the berthing is like. From Conyer it's a pleasant walk across the fields to Teynham station and a short train ride into Faversham.

There are all-tide swinging moorings at Harty Ferry as well.

I suspect your choices may involve a trade-off of facilities versus cost.
 
Maybe a bit further from Whitstable than you were thinking, but Lower Halstow Yacht Club just in the Medway could be worth considering. All of our moorings are drying swing moorings on soft mud, so not walk ashore, but would cost you a lot less than a marina with about the same tidal access as the other locations you mention. Our facilities are fairly simple (no bar) but adequate. We have a program of top of the tide races throughout the summer plus some longer day races.

I'm insured with Navigators & General (it is a special Westerly Owners Policy) and have 24hr single handed cover and a basic club racing cover. Don't know if they do anything similar for the Moody Owners association.
 
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CJ1 said:
I've just purchased my first boat, a 1984 bilge keel Moody 27 (I don't count my Laser...)

My experience is about 1500 miles chartering in the UK and the Med, often but not always as skipper.

I plan to keep her as near as possible to Whitstable, so probably Faversham, Oare or Conyer.

So I've got a few questions and hope that some locals may be able to help me.

There is no way my wife will ever board the vessel, so some of the sailing will inevitably be single handed.

1. Any advice on the pros and cons of the mooring options mentioned above, or are there others I don't know about ?

2. Any advice on the best insurance company to use ?

3. The vessel does not have a liferaft or a windlass. Do you think they are necessary ?

4. The boat comes with a 6KG anchor and 30m of lightweight chain. It seemed a bit small to me. What do you think ?

5. I enjoy racing - despite the fact that it is extremely rare for me to come anything but last. What are the options in the area ?

Any advice greatly received.
Click to expand...

Whitstable used to have moorings that dry out I recall, so walking out is poss
 
Capt Popeye said:
Whitstable used to have moorings that dry out I recall, so walking out is poss
Click to expand...

It's a bit exposed for a bilge keel Yacht, especially on fairly firm sandy mud. We have a beach property in sight of Whitstable on Sheppey. I have a mooring sinker that I can set up a temporary mooring on, but wouldn't dream of leaving my boat on it without keeping a close watch on weather forecasts and being ready to run for shelter with changes in the weather.
 
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Most important, Welcome to the East Coast!
We are a friendly bunch.

Regardding mooring, follow the advice above and join the Moody owners association and seek their advice on what sort of mooring will be suitable for your boat. Some bilge keek boats take get very badly stressed by settling into and out of stiff mud. Think about the angle of the keels as they settle into the mud.
 
No probs with Moody bilge keels in mud berths that I've ever heard of.
Just to echo FulmarJeddo's comment about mooring at Whitstable. Don't. Years ago there were a lot of club boats out there but most if them died on the beach in gales over the years. I was there last Sunday morning when it was howling from the NW, it was a mass of white short steep waves that will eventually either break the tackle or rip out the samson post.
 
I'm insured with East Coast Mutual; low overheads and monitored by board of honorary members. Maybe worth getting a quote.
I've got a heavy 30'er. Roll bar anchor digs in well to Medway mud but can get it to break out using line led back to Genoa winch
 
Queenborough might be another option to consider. A bit further from Whitstable, but less tide dependant than Faversham or Conyer. There are swinging moorings in the Swale, but I'm not sure who you would speak to about those.
 
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