johnalison
Well-known member
Wreck buoys were green, certainly, but there weren't enough wrecks to go round, so the other stbd marks were black.
Sailing fifty years ago
- Thread starter BelleSerene
- Start date
Wreck buoys were green, certainly, but there weren't enough wrecks to go round, so the other stbd marks were black.
Concerto
Well-known member
Started sailing in 1965 on my parent's new Kingfisher 30. Moored for some years in Queenborough, it was the second largest yacht there, with a Nicholson 32 being the largest.
By today's standards our new boat was very primitive with little home comforts. A petrol engine, fresh and salt water pumps in the galley, under lever Tufnol winches, a log and Seafarer, compass, gold alloy mast, roller reefing mainsail, vinyl covered berth cushions, Avon dinghy, Seagull outboard, and a full gas cooker.
Things I remember include the following. Hauling the tender up the muddy causeway. Keeping clear of the starting cord of the Seagull outboard. Trying to guess where the tide would be after a trip ashore, and secure the painter accordingly with a long line and a very long looped bowline if you were too late. The run ashore at high tide with water cans to fill the water tank. Only 12 volt on board and no access to 240 volt. Jumpers knitted by my mum. Yellow PVC oilskins. Canvas deck shoes and yellow boots. Poor balance of the rudder making helming very hard. Slow sailing speeds. Knowing how to keep a running log and positions on the chart. Sailing into a harbour and mooring alongside a stone wall and climbing iron ladders to get ashore - and adjusting the mooring lines for the rise and fall of the tide (no marinas then except Berthons). The great fun of dipping our ensign to all the RN ships heading to or from Chatham Dockyard. The only yacht on the River Medway with a white ensign had it rigged so the helmsman pulled a lever to dipped it. Sailing at least once a month, every month of the year, including washing the frost off the decks and sailing in a snow storm. Being young meant I could climb the mast and sit on the spreaders for a good view. Life jackets and safety harnesses were only worn when the wind was force 7 or stronger. The marine toilet regularly got blocked.
Meeting Gypsy Moth IV off the Isle of Sheppy before she sailed up the Thames for Francis Chichester to be knighted. Sailing to Ostend for the first time in 1967. Being boarded by a customs launch after we sailed close to a lot of ships anchored in the Thames due to a dockers strike. Rescuing 5 fishermen from an upturned dinghy in January, having the RNLI alongside to take them off so the helicopter could take them to hospital (we were never thanked by the men, but heard they complained we did not retrieve their dinghy!).
Other general memories of that period include. Visiting the Earls Court Boat Show and feeling the buzz with new boat designs everywhere and chandlers (like Captain Watts and Thomas Foulkes) with never before seen goodies. Avidly reading the latest yachting magazines for yachting exploits and perusing the pages of secondhand boats for sale. Hearing about the pox affecting GRP boats called osmosis and dismissing the idea. Yacht clubs that had waiting lists for new members and waiting lists for club moorings. Servicing the moorings during the winter months. The first craning out of boats as they were too large and heavy for wheeled cradles. Drying out to scrub as the tide receded, no pressure washers then!
Times were certainly very different. Those who sailed wooden boats found them generally damp and needed lots of maintenance.
By today's standards our new boat was very primitive with little home comforts. A petrol engine, fresh and salt water pumps in the galley, under lever Tufnol winches, a log and Seafarer, compass, gold alloy mast, roller reefing mainsail, vinyl covered berth cushions, Avon dinghy, Seagull outboard, and a full gas cooker.
Things I remember include the following. Hauling the tender up the muddy causeway. Keeping clear of the starting cord of the Seagull outboard. Trying to guess where the tide would be after a trip ashore, and secure the painter accordingly with a long line and a very long looped bowline if you were too late. The run ashore at high tide with water cans to fill the water tank. Only 12 volt on board and no access to 240 volt. Jumpers knitted by my mum. Yellow PVC oilskins. Canvas deck shoes and yellow boots. Poor balance of the rudder making helming very hard. Slow sailing speeds. Knowing how to keep a running log and positions on the chart. Sailing into a harbour and mooring alongside a stone wall and climbing iron ladders to get ashore - and adjusting the mooring lines for the rise and fall of the tide (no marinas then except Berthons). The great fun of dipping our ensign to all the RN ships heading to or from Chatham Dockyard. The only yacht on the River Medway with a white ensign had it rigged so the helmsman pulled a lever to dipped it. Sailing at least once a month, every month of the year, including washing the frost off the decks and sailing in a snow storm. Being young meant I could climb the mast and sit on the spreaders for a good view. Life jackets and safety harnesses were only worn when the wind was force 7 or stronger. The marine toilet regularly got blocked.
Meeting Gypsy Moth IV off the Isle of Sheppy before she sailed up the Thames for Francis Chichester to be knighted. Sailing to Ostend for the first time in 1967. Being boarded by a customs launch after we sailed close to a lot of ships anchored in the Thames due to a dockers strike. Rescuing 5 fishermen from an upturned dinghy in January, having the RNLI alongside to take them off so the helicopter could take them to hospital (we were never thanked by the men, but heard they complained we did not retrieve their dinghy!).
Other general memories of that period include. Visiting the Earls Court Boat Show and feeling the buzz with new boat designs everywhere and chandlers (like Captain Watts and Thomas Foulkes) with never before seen goodies. Avidly reading the latest yachting magazines for yachting exploits and perusing the pages of secondhand boats for sale. Hearing about the pox affecting GRP boats called osmosis and dismissing the idea. Yacht clubs that had waiting lists for new members and waiting lists for club moorings. Servicing the moorings during the winter months. The first craning out of boats as they were too large and heavy for wheeled cradles. Drying out to scrub as the tide receded, no pressure washers then!
Times were certainly very different. Those who sailed wooden boats found them generally damp and needed lots of maintenance.
Poignard
Well-known member
Good post, Concerto. :encouragement:
I sense you feel something worthwhile but indefinable has been lost from sailing. If so, I think I would agree with you.
I sense you feel something worthwhile but indefinable has been lost from sailing. If so, I think I would agree with you.
Robert Wilson
Well-known member
At any regatta/race-day you could hardly sea the water for blue sails - Enterprise dinghies by the hundred
ex-Gladys
Well-known member
The Nationals were at Penzance in 1973, 230 boats... I was driving the guard boat on the gate start....
stephenh
Active member
Here's a googly -
Crewed on a '30s 45' schooner from Harwich to Falmouth, anchored in Studland Bay -
very clear sandy bottom - there was hardly any Eel grass !!!
Also went fron Vlissingen to Brest in a mobo - 3 different buoyage systems - Dutch, Belgian and French.
The French (IIRC) had a slightly different system on the north (Channel) coast from the system on the Atlantic side.
All very confusing...
We had VHF and could make phone calls to landlines - remember the 'Gold Franc' anyone ?
Crewed on a '30s 45' schooner from Harwich to Falmouth, anchored in Studland Bay -
very clear sandy bottom - there was hardly any Eel grass !!!
Also went fron Vlissingen to Brest in a mobo - 3 different buoyage systems - Dutch, Belgian and French.
The French (IIRC) had a slightly different system on the north (Channel) coast from the system on the Atlantic side.
All very confusing...
We had VHF and could make phone calls to landlines - remember the 'Gold Franc' anyone ?
laika
Well-known member
If only there was a forumite with a boat capable of hitting hurst narrows at exactly 76.4699 knots they'd be able to take a go pro back and post the footage on their return...
fisherman
Well-known member
27ft Falmouth Quay punt, kelvin heavy duty 8
http://www.sky-net.org.uk/kelvin/petrol/poppet/7hp/index.html the particular smell of paraffin, the injuries to foreheads when the starting handle flew off
aground on an oyster bed for an hour, 'who's been eating the milk?' (Marvel). going off round the harbour in a bosun, I think, no safety gear, 'if you get in trouble, just luff up'. Melting the end of the new fangled plastic rope, and plunging burned fingers in the (cold) kettle. Sitting on the end of the sliding seat in the ancient Hornet (no. 263) and watching the lee stay detach itself. RCYC water taxi with the Stuart Turner. Much gentler times.
http://www.sky-net.org.uk/kelvin/petrol/poppet/7hp/index.html the particular smell of paraffin, the injuries to foreheads when the starting handle flew off
aground on an oyster bed for an hour, 'who's been eating the milk?' (Marvel). going off round the harbour in a bosun, I think, no safety gear, 'if you get in trouble, just luff up'. Melting the end of the new fangled plastic rope, and plunging burned fingers in the (cold) kettle. Sitting on the end of the sliding seat in the ancient Hornet (no. 263) and watching the lee stay detach itself. RCYC water taxi with the Stuart Turner. Much gentler times.
Kurrawong_Kid
Well-known member
Or bus or train drivers caps with a waterproof top obtained by questionable means.None of these guard-rail thingies, but we had a toe-rail !
And all the skippers wore their ex-RN white caps
Mark-1
Well-known member
lpdsn
New member
I guess if Seajet in his Anderson 22 could throw a drogue over the side at just the right point he could slow down to that. Should be able to bring back the America's Cup never mind a bit of GoPro footage.
AntarcticPilot
Well-known member
Does anyone else recall that women wearing trousers and even bikinis was slightly shocking? Perhaps a bit earlier than the film ,and perhaps less so "darn sarf"!
TangaraToo
RIP
People were a lot slimmer / fitter back then.
GeeW
Member
I remember in the mid/late '60's in the forepeak of my parents 'New' Silhouette II, waking to the smell of a primus (meths and burnt match smell) being fired up ....on a bad morning the smell of singing hair could be added to that accompanied by some uninhibited swearing by my father. Happy days.
Cooking was always a one pot affair and the new exciting additions to the menu were Fray Bentos pies and UHT milk that tasted disgusting.
The big yachts were often Atlanta 26's.
Cooking was always a one pot affair and the new exciting additions to the menu were Fray Bentos pies and UHT milk that tasted disgusting.
The big yachts were often Atlanta 26's.
eddystone
Well-known member
Do you chaps all have Sunseekers or something. I still have to drag my dinghy up a muddy slipway and only have 12v electrics. And have to use UHT milk as I haven't got a fridge. My wife was intrigued by the video of Cowes week as she crews on a Flying Fifteen most weeks albeit one with metal spars. Didn't the DoE and Uff Fox race a Dragon rather than an FF?
johnalison
Well-known member
I was also wondering when lifejackets were invented?
Concerto
Well-known member
Today I sail a 37 year old Westerly Fulmar and it is luxury by comparison. Using marinas is so civilized compared to being on a mooring with the faff of getting on board. Many people with AWB's love the on board facilities of showers and television, but that does not interest me in having a floating caravan. I wanted a boat that can sail well and provide a comfortable ride in all weathers, and the Fulmar is becoming one of the classic boats alongside the Twister and Contessa 32, but better overall in my opinion.
Many recent sailors do not realise how difficult things were 50 years ago. The rapid explosion of sailing as a pastime from the 1960's to the 1980's, was impressive but constrained by the limit on moorings and marinas. Today it has changed from lots of new boats to a fantastic choice of secondhand boats from the past 50 years to choose from. The size that is considered a starter boat has grown from 25 to 30 foot to 40 foot plus. Unfortunately most of the modern yacht designs are primarily being created for the charter market in sunny climates, not the UK weather. The way boats are constructed is all about production to keep costs down, not what is best practice. Many AWBs creak and groan as they sail in rougher weather due to the bulkheads and furniture modules moving, something that does not happen on older boats due to bonded in bulkheads and furniture.
What has been lost is the sense of excitement of planning a trip with rudimentary navigation equipment, the feeling of being cut off from work and dealing with just the elements to get somewhere. Today everything is so planned and everyone is in constant contact with friends and family elsewhere. Sailing by the seat of your pants is how I describe how sailing used to be, but I never try to plan exactly as I like to make changes according to the conditions. This year I set sail singlehanded from Chatham to the Isles of Scilly, but I never planned where I was going to stop each night. I expected to take 8 or 9 days to get there, but managed it in 6 days as I extended each sailing day to about 16 hours and had a day off en-route. It was so satisfying just sailing without a timetable, just an ultimate destination.
Boathook
Well-known member
At Faversham (Hollowshore) 50 years ago- kids in the pub collecting beers for parents and helping boatyard put in wooden posts to make more jetty's plus the Seagull outboard that was stopped by grabbing hold of the flywheel.
johnalison
Well-known member
That's a bit different to my experience in the '70s. I fear that our children's memories of the time may be dominated by scenes of them sitting outside in the wind and rain while their parents enjoyed a drink or two in the pub.
mjcoon
Well-known member
Ah, that's probably why they were barefoot, then; to avoid getting their brogues soaked...
Mike.
