Britain By Boat - Tonight Channel 5 20:00- East Coast Episode

Cantata said:
I did a RYA course out of Lymington in the early 1990's where we took the boat back into the Yacht Haven under sail with simulated engine failure. I don't recall anyone asking permission first.
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RYA Young Skippers mid 80's had 3 enginless Duettes on the Solent, and regularly went to Lymington. Perhaps they had an arrangement. We moored up at the town quay - no fuss or hassle. Well, ok, apart from the lead boat going aground due to meeting the ferry half way up the channel (us=beating), and subsequently losing anchor + chain as it was not tied on, but finding it again by walking along the bottom. Apart from that it went well. The curry and subsequent night sail, and squashed bucket was a different story.
 
Back in the early eighties i used to crew on a 44ft S&S out of Berthon's. The engine worked but the coupling was problematic. We regularly sailed her in and out, only clouting the pontoon on the few times the propellor was connected.
 
I didn't think it was so bad, certainly makes a change from footy, dancing & antique auctions.
2 points about sailing on TV.
1/ why do they think it's mandatory to have presenters who take pride in not knowing anything about boats?
2/ when filming sailing why do they invarably have the engine running? Watching a re-run of Hornblower, even that had cooling water spouting out of an 18C ship.
 
You prompted me Dan to reach for an old book about the making of the Onedin Line series. There is a chapter devoted to 'Filming the Fleet' perhaps more apt 'The Fleet isn't oft Filmed'. "Producer and Director knew little of how a sailing vessel was handled, and those at the wheel of CR had equally vague ideas about film technique. It's quite an interesting chapter on the difficulties: I'd sum it up "a filming schedule and a weather schedule don't mix'. There is also the difficulties of lining up a shot of the vessel sailing without taking into account of the tide drifting the camera boat out of line while they set up the shot. The worst thing is "the small boat owner who see something interesting going on at sea and decides to motor out for a closer look". Other amusing cameo about the extras eating sandwiches and attracting seagulls while the Director is trying to create a mid-ocean shot.
 
Did anybody else pick-up on the comment right at the beginning that Michael Buerk is a very experienced sailor, and it showed footage of him and his wife/family/ cruising in the Med? (In quite noticeable winds)
How he suddenly becomes a "foot-in-mouth speak" on this dire programme I just don't know. Is he in need of the fees?

I managed about ten minutes of the first episode.
Dreadful

P.S. I have sailed those waters, once, but I couldn't help thinking that no channel buoyage was visible. My recollection is of numerous buoys dotted about the place. :confused:
 
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Robert Wilson said:
Did anybody else pick-up on the comment right at the beginning that Michael Buerk is a very experienced sailor, and it showed footage of him and his wife/family/ cruising in the Med? (In quite noticeable winds)
How he suddenly becomes a "foot-in-mouth speak" on this dire programme I just don't know. Is he in need of the fees?

I managed about ten minutes of the first episode.
Dreadful

P.S. I have sailed those waters, once, but I couldn't help thinking that no channel buoyage was visible. My recollection is of numerous buoys dotted about the place. :confused:
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He also mentioned he'd been on the Clipper Ventures Race.
 
Robert Wilson said:
this dire programme ...........I managed about ten minutes of the first episode ......
Dreadful

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I agree. I had to stop watching the first episode at the second ads. break.

I later thought I'd better give it a fairer trial, and forced myself to endure all of the first two episodes.

What a couple of totally annoying twits.

I shall not bother with any more.
 
I think this could have been a really good programme if the production team were even vaguely competent and if the presenters were being themselves

As journalists and newsreaders, they just don't have the skills or experience to carry off playing a role for the camera unlike, for example, Griff Rhys Jones and his companions on the various Three Men outings.

Given that both actually know what they're doing, a more sensible choice of boat (one with a reliable engine would have been a good start*) and a half decent director and editor and it could have been quite good light entertainment with a bit of sailing interest thrown in

As it stands, even total non- sailors I'm acquainted with think it's rubbish
 
It reminds ne [a bit], of the Dick Strawbridge & son on Amelie Rose series a few years ago. That didn't pretend to be the definitive instructional series on sailing but it was amusing and interesting.
Perhaps the team were trying to emulate that?
 
Once upon a time there was a good sailing series presented by Laurie Smith. Then along came the bad fairy and gave control of the media to the children.
 
OMG, I just watched the first episode last week and was so disappointed with the poor content. Just clicked onto the channel 5 catch up to see if this weeks was any better. The beginning of the programme said the second leg of the journey starts in Portsmouth. Who's stolen the coastline between Ramsgate and Portsmouth. Did everyone go home and then come back the following week after the boat was towed to Portsmouth from Ramsgate. At this rate this series will be over in no time, probably a good thing too, what a load of rubbish.
 
Thread drift warning:-

I have just watched an hour of Rob Bell presenting the story of HMS Belfast (Channel5).
IMHO the whole catalogue of facts could, and should have been compressed into about 20 minutes; but no, - repeated statements, intros, footage and irrelevant incidental matter.
Another waste of an evening's viewing of something that should have been exciting.

Back to the OP
 
tillergirl said:
You prompted me Dan to reach for an old book about the making of the Onedin Line series. There is a chapter devoted to 'Filming the Fleet' perhaps more apt 'The Fleet isn't oft Filmed'. "Producer and Director knew little of how a sailing vessel was handled, and those at the wheel of CR had equally vague ideas about film technique. It's quite an interesting chapter on the difficulties: I'd sum it up "a filming schedule and a weather schedule don't mix'. There is also the difficulties of lining up a shot of the vessel sailing without taking into account of the tide drifting the camera boat out of line while they set up the shot. The worst thing is "the small boat owner who see something interesting going on at sea and decides to motor out for a closer look". Other amusing cameo about the extras eating sandwiches and attracting seagulls while the Director is trying to create a mid-ocean shot.
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I recall being told that you could see the smoke from the steam train travelling through the woods in the background in one episode, but never actually saw the series myself.
 
LittleSister said:
I recall being told that you could see the smoke from the steam train travelling through the woods in the background in one episode, but never actually saw the series myself.
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That could be ok if they only saw the steam: mid 19th century would have had them. Another cameo in the chapter " the Charlotte was to sail up to her (an abandoned ship), round up into the wind and launch abaot to take a tow-line over to the stricken ship. Filming went well and the unit were soon ready to take some extra shots of the abandoned vessel all alone at sea. Charlotte was ordered away to ones ide, out of camera range, further and further off until at last the Director was satisfied she was out of sight. In a few more minutes the extra filming was over and the schooner was recalled for the next scene; by this time she was ell down-wind, and it took 45 minutes of precious filming time for her to beat back to her original position, while members of the unit tore their hair in frustration. A new rule was made: when a ship has to disappear from sight, it is instructed to sneak round behind the camera, not to set sail for the horizon!" "Life is complicated when the filming of one 'screen' day is spread over three or four working days. If the director is really out of luck the weather can be quite different each day, so that the ship appears to be in brilliant sunshine one minute and a near-blizzard the next. Even a wind-change causes a problem, putting the ship on a different tack past the same cliff in two consecutive shots. It may sound like a small detail, but it can make all the difference to the authenticity of a scene."

Perhaps we should readjust our assessment of the programme after all...……..:confused:


No, it's still rubbish.:encouragement:
 
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