G
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hlb
RIP
Re: The good old days
Well in the goodld days, sailing was only for the very rich. Or those that could go away for long periods without needing to return. Especialy on a powered boat. It means going directly for one harbour to the next with out running out of fuel looking for it. So save time, fuel and is also a lot safer. Dont forget. In the good old days ships were wrecked by the hundreds through mistaking one land mark for another.
Also many of us are far to busy and get far to little practice in to be expert in everything.
The other things are. Suppose its foggy. Or little Vis. Heading for open water and staying there till it clears just isn't a fun thing to do for those with families aboard.
Have you sent off Your Stamped. SAE and cheque. Yet.
Haydn
Well in the goodld days, sailing was only for the very rich. Or those that could go away for long periods without needing to return. Especialy on a powered boat. It means going directly for one harbour to the next with out running out of fuel looking for it. So save time, fuel and is also a lot safer. Dont forget. In the good old days ships were wrecked by the hundreds through mistaking one land mark for another.
Also many of us are far to busy and get far to little practice in to be expert in everything.
The other things are. Suppose its foggy. Or little Vis. Heading for open water and staying there till it clears just isn't a fun thing to do for those with families aboard.
Have you sent off Your Stamped. SAE and cheque. Yet.
Haydn
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Only for the rich?????
Sailing has not been only for the rich for centuries. On the east coast most of us had grotty old boats that we did up ourselves, or salvaged out of a mud bank. Fishermen used to race their smacks on their time off.
No, it wasn't necessarily BETTER, whatever that means. It was a hell of a lot less comfortable, and a hell of a lot hatder work.
After a sail for example, one had to unbend the sails and take them ashore to the washouse and drying shed. Every yacht club had a huge drying shed. Almost all decks leaked because it is difficult to caulk a light deck on a small boat. It was difficult to get women to come to sea, mainly because of the heads. Almost all boats leaked when pounding in bad weather.
The contentment in sailing is a balance. A ratio if you like of struggling to overcome things that try to prevent you enjoying yourself. Certainly we now voyage much more adventurously that we ever did.
William Cooper
Sailing has not been only for the rich for centuries. On the east coast most of us had grotty old boats that we did up ourselves, or salvaged out of a mud bank. Fishermen used to race their smacks on their time off.
No, it wasn't necessarily BETTER, whatever that means. It was a hell of a lot less comfortable, and a hell of a lot hatder work.
After a sail for example, one had to unbend the sails and take them ashore to the washouse and drying shed. Every yacht club had a huge drying shed. Almost all decks leaked because it is difficult to caulk a light deck on a small boat. It was difficult to get women to come to sea, mainly because of the heads. Almost all boats leaked when pounding in bad weather.
The contentment in sailing is a balance. A ratio if you like of struggling to overcome things that try to prevent you enjoying yourself. Certainly we now voyage much more adventurously that we ever did.
William Cooper
DanTribe
Well-known member
Re: The good old days
I can remember the good old days, especially:-
Damp sleeping bags, actually, damp everything.
Bullet proof, but not waterproof, oilskins.
Trying to light the Primus.
Swearing at the Stuart Turner.
Trying to get a fix by radio direction finder [never really got that to work]
But you did get a sense of achievement when you arrived where you intended.
I can remember the good old days, especially:-
Damp sleeping bags, actually, damp everything.
Bullet proof, but not waterproof, oilskins.
Trying to light the Primus.
Swearing at the Stuart Turner.
Trying to get a fix by radio direction finder [never really got that to work]
But you did get a sense of achievement when you arrived where you intended.
tonyleigh
New member
Re: The good old days
Intended to be very flippant but I find myself answering seriously! If I had to be afloat as I was 45 - 25 - 10 - even 5 years ago - - - - I couldn't! They were all good - for then. I will use anything that 2002 offers if it makes my sailing "good days" now.
Intended to be very flippant but I find myself answering seriously! If I had to be afloat as I was 45 - 25 - 10 - even 5 years ago - - - - I couldn't! They were all good - for then. I will use anything that 2002 offers if it makes my sailing "good days" now.
G
Guest
Guest
Re: The good old days
Come and have a go on Fair Breeze some time, where we're busy trying to recreate the sailing conditions of the 1930s.
Or are we? My so-called 'authentic' boat has a self-furling jib, a handy 10hp inboard to supplement the quanting pole, a flushing loo, a cool box and a cooker to replace the Primus (but you still have to wash in a bucket). The bilge pumps are electric now and the fire extinguishers really do give that authentic look. So who am I trying to kid?
I read your thread thinking 'damn and blast, bor, the old days are the best' then realised what nonsense I was talking.
So here's to the old days with all mod cons!
Had you thought about posting this on that under-used forum Classic Boat? It would be interesting to see what kind of responses you get over there.
"El manana es nuestro, companero..."<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by The_Fruitbat on Sat Mar 23 21:04:25 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>
Come and have a go on Fair Breeze some time, where we're busy trying to recreate the sailing conditions of the 1930s.
Or are we? My so-called 'authentic' boat has a self-furling jib, a handy 10hp inboard to supplement the quanting pole, a flushing loo, a cool box and a cooker to replace the Primus (but you still have to wash in a bucket). The bilge pumps are electric now and the fire extinguishers really do give that authentic look. So who am I trying to kid?
I read your thread thinking 'damn and blast, bor, the old days are the best' then realised what nonsense I was talking.
So here's to the old days with all mod cons!
Had you thought about posting this on that under-used forum Classic Boat? It would be interesting to see what kind of responses you get over there.
"El manana es nuestro, companero..."<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by The_Fruitbat on Sat Mar 23 21:04:25 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>
cgull
New member
Re: The good old days
I find GPS useful as a secondary system.
What does amaze and amuse me is why we need GPS navigation systems in a car???
I find GPS useful as a secondary system.
What does amaze and amuse me is why we need GPS navigation systems in a car???
LadyInBed
Well-known member
Re: useful as a secondary system
If you find GPS useful as a secondary system, what do you use as your primary system? All the older electronic systems (RDF and radio bearings) have now gone, so do you use your sextant or DR and pilotage or a combination of both?
Re the original question, I've crapped myself hitting fog mid channel without radar. No way do I want to go back to the days of guess work, equally I dont want to go back to driving a Morris 1000, though it was fun at the time.
If you find GPS useful as a secondary system, what do you use as your primary system? All the older electronic systems (RDF and radio bearings) have now gone, so do you use your sextant or DR and pilotage or a combination of both?
Re the original question, I've crapped myself hitting fog mid channel without radar. No way do I want to go back to the days of guess work, equally I dont want to go back to driving a Morris 1000, though it was fun at the time.
BrianJ
New member
Re: The good old days
What would you have done when sailing from Fiji to Auckland and not being able to use he sextant for 18 days..due to bad weather.. how would you have made contact with Auckland radio to advice them you had found an abandoned yacht... how would you have gone to the aid of a yachy in distress...out in the Pacific, without all those modern aids ?
I like them.
BrianJ
What would you have done when sailing from Fiji to Auckland and not being able to use he sextant for 18 days..due to bad weather.. how would you have made contact with Auckland radio to advice them you had found an abandoned yacht... how would you have gone to the aid of a yachy in distress...out in the Pacific, without all those modern aids ?
I like them.
BrianJ
G
Guest
Guest
Re: useful as a secondary system
Yes the so called good old days. Everything looks like it was fun in retrospect. there certainly was in my opinion more of a cameraderie when folks were sailing boats that they had more often than not either converted or built themselves. I can remember some wonderful sailing on my friends Yachting Monthly Eventide which he had converted to a deep fin boat and cutter rig,and the forehatch was made from a television screen. the engine was a marinised Morris 1000 engine, and if after a sail in a bit of a chop (quite common in the Bristol Channel) then in order to start the engine to make our moorings at Clevedon it was quite often the case that the spark plugs would have to be removed and warmed up over the gas burner before juggling them in your hands to replace them for the engine to be started.We have of course moved on since them. But nowadays I do feel that sailing cruiser owners who keep thei boats in Marinas and pay somebody an extortionate price to lift the boat out and apply antifouling,or have small maintenance jobs done by the yard are really missing out on the enjoyment of sailing and ownership of a boat.Equally total reliance on electronic gizmos and not carrying out traditional navigation is I think taking away from the joys of sailing.I would stress that this is not jealousy as I feel extremely lucky to keep a boat in a drying natural harbour on the North Devon coast,with possibly the most beautiful coast in the country where Exmoor meets the sea, and would not swap it for a Solent marina under any circumstances.
I am glad that I am a Bristol Channel sailor where luxurious marinas are still few,and there are still a large number of sailing cruisers still enjoying sailing as it should be,and where there still exists a genuine cameraderie amongst cruising folk.
Yes the so called good old days. Everything looks like it was fun in retrospect. there certainly was in my opinion more of a cameraderie when folks were sailing boats that they had more often than not either converted or built themselves. I can remember some wonderful sailing on my friends Yachting Monthly Eventide which he had converted to a deep fin boat and cutter rig,and the forehatch was made from a television screen. the engine was a marinised Morris 1000 engine, and if after a sail in a bit of a chop (quite common in the Bristol Channel) then in order to start the engine to make our moorings at Clevedon it was quite often the case that the spark plugs would have to be removed and warmed up over the gas burner before juggling them in your hands to replace them for the engine to be started.We have of course moved on since them. But nowadays I do feel that sailing cruiser owners who keep thei boats in Marinas and pay somebody an extortionate price to lift the boat out and apply antifouling,or have small maintenance jobs done by the yard are really missing out on the enjoyment of sailing and ownership of a boat.Equally total reliance on electronic gizmos and not carrying out traditional navigation is I think taking away from the joys of sailing.I would stress that this is not jealousy as I feel extremely lucky to keep a boat in a drying natural harbour on the North Devon coast,with possibly the most beautiful coast in the country where Exmoor meets the sea, and would not swap it for a Solent marina under any circumstances.
I am glad that I am a Bristol Channel sailor where luxurious marinas are still few,and there are still a large number of sailing cruisers still enjoying sailing as it should be,and where there still exists a genuine cameraderie amongst cruising folk.
G
Guest
Guest
Re: The good old days
Regarding GPS in a car, I once heard of a taxi driver using it to find Kings Cross from Grays Inn Road.
For those people not in London, it involves driving in a straight line for about 200 metres.
"El manana es nuestro, companero..."
Regarding GPS in a car, I once heard of a taxi driver using it to find Kings Cross from Grays Inn Road.
For those people not in London, it involves driving in a straight line for about 200 metres.
"El manana es nuestro, companero..."
G
Guest
Guest
Re: The good old days
It seems to me that you get out of sailing whatever you want. If you relish the "good old days" when your oilskins were really that, when RDF meant tuning in to transmitters which only gave a reliable bearing if you could actually see them, if you enjoy navigating "properly" without microchipped aids then go ahead and do it. Most of us I suspect prefer a compromise. I remember the feeling of comfort when I first used a radar in fog, but would never have relied upon it for navigational purposes.
I remember when I was sailing as mate on the 72 foot gaff schooner Hoshi in the early 1970's (before even VHF!) we were returning to Salcombe Harbour in very light winds. The mighty Lister was fired up and while the skipper was on the wheel I operated the throttle control to his commands. He asked for more revs when the whole throttle control came away in my hands. He said not to worry, dived under the chart table to grab a hammer and some 2" copper nails which he knocked in where the corroded mounting screws had come from saying "You can't do that with your b****y fibreglass", and we motored on.
You pays your money and takes your choice.
It seems to me that you get out of sailing whatever you want. If you relish the "good old days" when your oilskins were really that, when RDF meant tuning in to transmitters which only gave a reliable bearing if you could actually see them, if you enjoy navigating "properly" without microchipped aids then go ahead and do it. Most of us I suspect prefer a compromise. I remember the feeling of comfort when I first used a radar in fog, but would never have relied upon it for navigational purposes.
I remember when I was sailing as mate on the 72 foot gaff schooner Hoshi in the early 1970's (before even VHF!) we were returning to Salcombe Harbour in very light winds. The mighty Lister was fired up and while the skipper was on the wheel I operated the throttle control to his commands. He asked for more revs when the whole throttle control came away in my hands. He said not to worry, dived under the chart table to grab a hammer and some 2" copper nails which he knocked in where the corroded mounting screws had come from saying "You can't do that with your b****y fibreglass", and we motored on.
You pays your money and takes your choice.
G
Guest
Guest
Re: useful as a secondary system
We are all now gripped in the 'white heat' of sailing technology since yachts became electrified and Mr Micro Chip is raking the sides of even the most humble yachtsperson ( note the PC).
To be fair, I think most of us enjoy having them and enjoy playing with them. And has been said, we probably venture further and in worse weather than previously was prudent. But we can still live without them if necessary.
I raise my hat though to people who made sailing possible for the masses. i.e. Uffa Fox, marine ply, Alec Rose, Sir F Chichester, GRP etc . There are sadly however a minority who hate all this and long for the old exclusive days of bespoke wood, Blue Ensigns and the rest of us in their term of 'plastic snot' who need a damn good thrashing.
More worrying though is the recent so called professional sailors like Ellen Macarthur who was totally controlled by technology and her 'back up' team even when to eat and sleep, which direction to go, and probably, when to go to the loo as well. I would not be surprised to find that she is in fact a hologram and there was no human on board. I also read in PBO recently that a contributor and expert could not ( or would not) sail his motorsailor home in decent weather and had to be towed home by the RNLI !
This in my view demeans the true spirit of sailing and is the greatest threat we face to our freedom of being able to go where we want without depending on others.
We are all now gripped in the 'white heat' of sailing technology since yachts became electrified and Mr Micro Chip is raking the sides of even the most humble yachtsperson ( note the PC).
To be fair, I think most of us enjoy having them and enjoy playing with them. And has been said, we probably venture further and in worse weather than previously was prudent. But we can still live without them if necessary.
I raise my hat though to people who made sailing possible for the masses. i.e. Uffa Fox, marine ply, Alec Rose, Sir F Chichester, GRP etc . There are sadly however a minority who hate all this and long for the old exclusive days of bespoke wood, Blue Ensigns and the rest of us in their term of 'plastic snot' who need a damn good thrashing.
More worrying though is the recent so called professional sailors like Ellen Macarthur who was totally controlled by technology and her 'back up' team even when to eat and sleep, which direction to go, and probably, when to go to the loo as well. I would not be surprised to find that she is in fact a hologram and there was no human on board. I also read in PBO recently that a contributor and expert could not ( or would not) sail his motorsailor home in decent weather and had to be towed home by the RNLI !
This in my view demeans the true spirit of sailing and is the greatest threat we face to our freedom of being able to go where we want without depending on others.
janetp
New member
It\'s all in the mind
Don't you think we tend to look back wearing our tinted specs and conveniently gloss over the grot..... We used what was available and did what was possible years ago: is that not what we're still doing today??
How lucky we are to have such a choice of products to take a lot of the chores and hard labour out of sailing.
I swing the lead line if necessary but how much easier to use the depth gauge........... etc..
And fun ..... well no difference there then or now.... just when you feel that everything's going swimmingly and it's FUN ....... some disaster or other surfaces to shatter the illusion. - and it's all down to you and not the ferry boat captain.
Surely that's the reason we're out there?
Don't you think we tend to look back wearing our tinted specs and conveniently gloss over the grot..... We used what was available and did what was possible years ago: is that not what we're still doing today??
How lucky we are to have such a choice of products to take a lot of the chores and hard labour out of sailing.
I swing the lead line if necessary but how much easier to use the depth gauge........... etc..
And fun ..... well no difference there then or now.... just when you feel that everything's going swimmingly and it's FUN ....... some disaster or other surfaces to shatter the illusion. - and it's all down to you and not the ferry boat captain.
Surely that's the reason we're out there?
LadyInBed
Well-known member
Re: The good old days
Just watched 'Hornblower' - were they the the day's you were hankering after?
Just watched 'Hornblower' - were they the the day's you were hankering after?
AndrewB
Well-known member
Call me elitist but ...
... there are lot of people in boats these days who we would be better off without.
Conversation in marina today:
New boat owner: Why do you have that old ladder on deck?
Me: What system do you have as an emergency back-up if your rudder fails?
NBO: My Beneteau is less than a year old, so its not likely. And even if it did, I'd just call up for help.
Me: From the lifeboat?
NBO: It would be an emergency, wouldn't it?
Without VHF, Mobile Phone, the sea used to be a closed book to people like this.
Also ... Boat Rage. I though this was just a joke when it was first mentioned. Or confined to places like the Norfolk Broads where clueless charterers were let loose. But it's real all right, and running rampant. And that's something the new breed of owners have brought in.
... there are lot of people in boats these days who we would be better off without.
Conversation in marina today:
New boat owner: Why do you have that old ladder on deck?
Me: What system do you have as an emergency back-up if your rudder fails?
NBO: My Beneteau is less than a year old, so its not likely. And even if it did, I'd just call up for help.
Me: From the lifeboat?
NBO: It would be an emergency, wouldn't it?
Without VHF, Mobile Phone, the sea used to be a closed book to people like this.
Also ... Boat Rage. I though this was just a joke when it was first mentioned. Or confined to places like the Norfolk Broads where clueless charterers were let loose. But it's real all right, and running rampant. And that's something the new breed of owners have brought in.
Buck
New member
Re: Call me elitist but ...
Then theres all those ner do wells with regional accents. Dont know what the boating worlds coming to, just the other day I was saying to Tristram and some other jolly chums down at the yacht club..............................................
Buck
The thing about men and fish is one is always trying to eat the other.
Then theres all those ner do wells with regional accents. Dont know what the boating worlds coming to, just the other day I was saying to Tristram and some other jolly chums down at the yacht club..............................................
Buck
The thing about men and fish is one is always trying to eat the other.
billmacfarlane
Active member
Re: The good old days
Not sure what good old days you're talking about ? Are you talking about the pre electrickeries days , when you navigated by DR only , or using that deadly accurate RDF ? What was so good about them ? If it gives you a sense of adventure to sail without them , then that's not a problem. Or are you talking about the days pre GRP when you caulked and painted the hull each year after lay up in a mud berth ? Add hemp ropes and tan sails and you've got a very labour intensive boat. What was so good about those days ? Again there's nothing to stop you recreating them .Or are you talking about the days of your youth when everything seemed an adventure ? The days when you looked at the world through young , fresh eyes ? That's a lot more difficult one to recreate. In the good old days there was nothing to stop you taking a ferry to France. Do you really want to sail in a leaky bathtub , that makes about 2 knots to windward for as long as it takes to get to France , wondering if the seams will let in more than your bilge pump can remove ? I don't. Give me a modern , efficient boat , with decent electrics and a heater , that I can lounge about in with light and space down below. Adventure ? Adventure is got nothing to do with time , but a lot to do with how you view the world . One man's adventure is another man's boredom. If you want adventure you've got to make your own , perhaps visiting new harbours or sailing a longer distance than you've ever done , or setting yourself intricate navigational exercises , or going on a 3 week cruise without ever visiting a marina and anchoring every night . I agree there is a new breed of yotty with a different attitude to sailing. They regard sailing as a " leisure activity " , are busy people with only 2 days per week free if they're lucky , and therefore want those 2 days to be worthwhile. They need the convenience of a modern marina , a modern reliable boat with a modern reliable diesel , so they can sail rather than do maintenace at the weekends. Because of this , the concept that an older yotty had of self suffiency because they had to be self sufficient in older boats is more alien to them . They need to be back in the marina by Sunday night to hit the office desk on Monday morning. Witness the rise of Seastart to come to the aid of them. We might as well get used to this attitude because as more people come into sailing then the more you're going to see it. The good old days in sailing ? I think with my modern fin keeled GRP boat that the good old days are NOW . It's no good looking back , at some mythical days through rose tinted glasses. Look forward and do what you have to do to enjoy you're sailing.
Not sure what good old days you're talking about ? Are you talking about the pre electrickeries days , when you navigated by DR only , or using that deadly accurate RDF ? What was so good about them ? If it gives you a sense of adventure to sail without them , then that's not a problem. Or are you talking about the days pre GRP when you caulked and painted the hull each year after lay up in a mud berth ? Add hemp ropes and tan sails and you've got a very labour intensive boat. What was so good about those days ? Again there's nothing to stop you recreating them .Or are you talking about the days of your youth when everything seemed an adventure ? The days when you looked at the world through young , fresh eyes ? That's a lot more difficult one to recreate. In the good old days there was nothing to stop you taking a ferry to France. Do you really want to sail in a leaky bathtub , that makes about 2 knots to windward for as long as it takes to get to France , wondering if the seams will let in more than your bilge pump can remove ? I don't. Give me a modern , efficient boat , with decent electrics and a heater , that I can lounge about in with light and space down below. Adventure ? Adventure is got nothing to do with time , but a lot to do with how you view the world . One man's adventure is another man's boredom. If you want adventure you've got to make your own , perhaps visiting new harbours or sailing a longer distance than you've ever done , or setting yourself intricate navigational exercises , or going on a 3 week cruise without ever visiting a marina and anchoring every night . I agree there is a new breed of yotty with a different attitude to sailing. They regard sailing as a " leisure activity " , are busy people with only 2 days per week free if they're lucky , and therefore want those 2 days to be worthwhile. They need the convenience of a modern marina , a modern reliable boat with a modern reliable diesel , so they can sail rather than do maintenace at the weekends. Because of this , the concept that an older yotty had of self suffiency because they had to be self sufficient in older boats is more alien to them . They need to be back in the marina by Sunday night to hit the office desk on Monday morning. Witness the rise of Seastart to come to the aid of them. We might as well get used to this attitude because as more people come into sailing then the more you're going to see it. The good old days in sailing ? I think with my modern fin keeled GRP boat that the good old days are NOW . It's no good looking back , at some mythical days through rose tinted glasses. Look forward and do what you have to do to enjoy you're sailing.
AndrewB
Well-known member
\"We might as well get used to this attitude\"
"...because as more people come into sailing then the more you're going to see it."
Yes, you are right there, Bill.
"...because as more people come into sailing then the more you're going to see it."
Yes, you are right there, Bill.
Mirelle
N/A
Twaddle
Ignorance is clearly bliss in your case.
The sport, hobby or recreation of sailing from place to place in a small boat without a paid crew and without paying for expensive yard maintenance goes back well over a hundred years, and most of the founding fathers of this particular way of spending one's spare time and cash worked Saturday mornings until midday, and had to be in the office early on Monday morning. They relied on the train to get them to somewhere near where their boat lay on her swinging mooring, dragged their dinghies down the hard, rowed off to her, and set sail. They knew that on Sunday night they faced the same process in reverse and they also knew that they had no reliable engine to get them back to their mooring.
In the winter they did their own maintenance.
Despite this, they managed pretty well. They even wrote pilot books, and letters to the Yachting Monthly
They did not navigate by DR and RDF only; they carried sextants, and used them, on passages around the coast and across the Channel and the North Sea.
Anyone who caulks a wooden hull every year has very serious structural trouble; there are boats that have done 70 years without a recaulk; mine had a partial recaulk when she was 48 but that was because she had been painted black for 47 years.
Tan sails were tanned in order to reduce the work of looking after plain cotton sails; I am still using a tan dressed cotton/terylene mixture suit, made 15 years ago, which shows every sign of lasting another 10 - try that with Kevlar!
Hemp rope was rare, most of us used Manila, which was sold by weight and came in "yacht" or "No 1" grade one bought the latter and it lasted two seasons. You end for ended it after the first year. It was far easier to splice than synthetic rope, so this was no great hardship; what was a pain in the neck was the way it shrank when wet, so you had to slack off halyards and be careful when cleating off.
I suppose that like Andrew B I will have to get used to the attitude of the people who want everything on a plate, including the right to crowd once pleasant anchorages and drive about in RIBs , but please do not tell me that this is because they are leading such hectic lives - that is their look out.
As I have said above, people used to have less time, and they made proportionately bigger sacrifices to go cruising under sail, with no mod. cons. Why should I have any sympathy with people who want everything done, who see the RNLI as a sort of free AA, and who seem to believe that mere money, as opposed to time and effort, will buy them the pleasures of sailing?
Ignorance is clearly bliss in your case.
The sport, hobby or recreation of sailing from place to place in a small boat without a paid crew and without paying for expensive yard maintenance goes back well over a hundred years, and most of the founding fathers of this particular way of spending one's spare time and cash worked Saturday mornings until midday, and had to be in the office early on Monday morning. They relied on the train to get them to somewhere near where their boat lay on her swinging mooring, dragged their dinghies down the hard, rowed off to her, and set sail. They knew that on Sunday night they faced the same process in reverse and they also knew that they had no reliable engine to get them back to their mooring.
In the winter they did their own maintenance.
Despite this, they managed pretty well. They even wrote pilot books, and letters to the Yachting Monthly
They did not navigate by DR and RDF only; they carried sextants, and used them, on passages around the coast and across the Channel and the North Sea.
Anyone who caulks a wooden hull every year has very serious structural trouble; there are boats that have done 70 years without a recaulk; mine had a partial recaulk when she was 48 but that was because she had been painted black for 47 years.
Tan sails were tanned in order to reduce the work of looking after plain cotton sails; I am still using a tan dressed cotton/terylene mixture suit, made 15 years ago, which shows every sign of lasting another 10 - try that with Kevlar!
Hemp rope was rare, most of us used Manila, which was sold by weight and came in "yacht" or "No 1" grade one bought the latter and it lasted two seasons. You end for ended it after the first year. It was far easier to splice than synthetic rope, so this was no great hardship; what was a pain in the neck was the way it shrank when wet, so you had to slack off halyards and be careful when cleating off.
I suppose that like Andrew B I will have to get used to the attitude of the people who want everything on a plate, including the right to crowd once pleasant anchorages and drive about in RIBs , but please do not tell me that this is because they are leading such hectic lives - that is their look out.
As I have said above, people used to have less time, and they made proportionately bigger sacrifices to go cruising under sail, with no mod. cons. Why should I have any sympathy with people who want everything done, who see the RNLI as a sort of free AA, and who seem to believe that mere money, as opposed to time and effort, will buy them the pleasures of sailing?
