Sailing fifty years ago

[LittleSister]

It must have been '67 that I first did my two major boating firsts, both with my local London branch of the the Sea Cadets.

Boat cruising - out round the Solent in MFV 1060 (how on earth do I remember that?) for a long weekend, visiting (I think) Yarmouth, where we bounced around for the night moored to a skeletal pier-head, too scary for all but a few daredevils (not me!) to attempt to leap for the metal ladder to get ashore for a few minutes. I also recall, on another day, sunlight reflecting off windows or roofs miles away across calm water. Also 'on watch keeping duties' standing in the pouring rain in the bow of the vessel watching out for timber baulks etc. in the water as we were underway, and on the few occasions I did see something unable to make myself heard by the officers on the bridge (who would anyway have had a much better view than me!). The gruelling, repeated chore of bilge pumping, using stirrup pumps lifted from or screwed in to deck. Peeling vast pans of spuds, stood at night in the doorway of the galley. Watching one of the older lads buoy jumping, to secure our bow line to some huge ships' mooring buoy. Standing on the open railway platform at the end of the trip, having to hang on to a lamp-post because the ground was moving around a great deal.

Sailing - I'd been down to Gosport several times 'pulling' big wooden whalers and cutters from the naval Royal Clarence Yard, staying at (on?) HMS St. Vincent and drinking orange squash in the NAAFI of an evening. One day an older cadet asked if I wanted to come sailing, and off we set in a Bosun for a truly exhilarating hour or two blasting round Portsmouth harbour. It must have taken hours for the grin to come off my face, and changed my life.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I was also wondering when lifejackets were invented?

Well, we usually wore the old kapok filled kind, but I guess they weren't very photogenic!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

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.

My Dad's main joy in sailing was that he knew the phone wouldn't ring! Because Dad needed it for business, we had a phone at home - this was (in the late 50s and early 60s) unusual in our part of the world; few of our friends were on the phone and it wasn't until I moved to London in the early 70s that I became accustomed to the idea that a phone was used socially.

 

[johnalison]

My Dad's main joy in sailing was that he knew the phone wouldn't ring! Because Dad needed it for business, we had a phone at home - this was (in the late 50s and early 60s) unusual in our part of the world; few of our friends were on the phone and it wasn't until I moved to London in the early 70s that I became accustomed to the idea that a phone was used socially.

The telephone at home was certainly not for social use. The downstairs one was in its own room, which we also played in. God help my twin and me if we didn't keep utter silence when the phone was in use.

I didn't get VHF on a boat until 1987, but then had the pleasure of communicating with family via Link Calls, which were a particular delight, once you had penetrated the mystery of actually getting a connection.

 

[dunedin]

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.

You had luxury ! I was consigned to sleeping on the floor and under the cockpit on our Silhouette.
And the cooker had a gas bottle which was connected up and sat in the cockpit when cooking - once badly attached the connection leaked, and suddenly the companionway was a mas of gas fuelled flames. Ouch! The outboard was too heavy to lift on, and rarely started anyway, so was just moveable ballast.
Albin Vega's were local superyachts

Somehow I prefer the comforts of our modern 38 footer (space, comfort, heating, stability, speed, inboard diesel), can't think why ?

 

[Habebty]

My first taste of sailing was in an Atalanta sailing from Hardway to Bembridge. From then on I knew what I wanted. I also sailed Bosuns out of Clarence Yard with the 5th Gosport Sea Scouts.
Glad things are more comfortable now though Nothing beats that feeling you get in a warm cozily lit dry cabin after a chilly winter sail.

 

[Robert Wilson]

My first taste of sailing was in an Atalanta sailing from Hardway to Bembridge. From then on I knew what I wanted. I also sailed Bosuns out of Clarence Yard with the 5th Gosport Sea Scouts.
Glad things are more comfortable now though Nothing beats that feeling you get in a warm cozily lit dry cabin after a chilly winter sail.

Perhaps a large Rum n Coke while lying in a deep, steaming-hot bath when finally ashore? :encouragement:

 

[Judders]

...and the Fulmar is becoming one of the classic boats alongside the Twister and Contessa 32, but better overall in my opinion...

Is it really?

 

[fisherman]

A quick look at my post history will show my espousal of safety measures. Fifty years ago at the local regatta we raced the Hornet against a couple of mirrors, a bosun, and some others. Only just in the bay, had a few pints as usual, informal handicap we expect to win as usual. The wind became a bit more brisk, and after the fifth or so capsize the buoyancy gave up, the boat was waterlogged and we had to be rescued....along with everyone else who had capsized, by the one safety boat. At 6ft 2 and 11 stone being in the water so long and so exhausted was no joke. And I used to take this boat out to sea by myself frequently. No flares, no l/j. Lucky to still be here.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Sailing/racing an Enterprise on Ullswater.
Winds were (probably still are) all over the place from the fells and valleys.

Screaming along on a reach, leaning far out (crew and skipper) heads almost touching the water, stomach muscles straining, forearm muscles on fire.

Sudden downdraft/windshift/hole-in-the-wind from the fell top - instant capsize and a dunking.

And then a seventy mile drive home to Darlington, all to be repeated the following weekend, and the next etc etc

.What fun!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The telephone at home was certainly not for social use. The downstairs one was in its own room, which we also played in. God help my twin and me if we didn't keep utter silence when the phone was in use.

I didn't get VHF on a boat until 1987, but then had the pleasure of communicating with family via Link Calls, which were a particular delight, once you had penetrated the mystery of actually getting a connection.

Ours was in the hallway, and my brother and I became adept at taking orders from Dad's customers! First time I used VHF was on a charter boat on the Clyde - I forget exactly when, but mid 1980s. I didn't have a VHF certificate, but had experience of radio procedure from having used HF radio in the Arctic, so I didn't mess it up too much!

 

[SailSouth]

the Fulmar is becoming one of the classic boats alongside the Twister and Contessa 32.

Nothing against the Fulmar but from my point of view as the owner of both a Westerly and a Contessa I appreciate them both in different ways but think what you are suggesting is a bit of a stretch...

 

[dancrane]

I still have to drag my dinghy up a muddy slipway and only have 12v electrics...

Wish it was only mud, on my slipway. And you have electrics? On board? I'm saving up for a candle in a mug, you know, a fancy one with a handle.

I'm often relieved to be still only on the brink of yacht ownership. The prospect of a cabin roof rather than a contrived tent, still seems a grand step up, and the small expense required to make simple, substantial increases in comfort, will (I feel sure) bring vastly more pleasure than spending thousands on thrusters and water-makers, ten years hence.

Amidst the big improvements, virtual guarantees of safety, or at least the wide availability of inexpensive ways to greatly reduce risk, I don't think the satisfaction that follows successful interpretation of sounds, smells and sensations when sailing warily in uncertain depths and reduced visibility, has changed at all from fifty years ago...

...and I doubt I'd wish it to. I'll strive for good food on board and the elimination of damp and cold. Otherwise, I want it simple as possible. Maybe more like sailing 100 years ago?

 

[jakeroyd]

I can only go back to the 1970's which does not really count. But 2 things I can recall.

16' dayboat with a Seagull Silver Century on the back. You know, the sophisticated one with a clutch. Running down Windermere and suddenly see the end of the lake/lee shore looming.
So we turn into the teeth of the wind. Thankfully the outbord starts and I congratulate myself.
15mins og motoring later I see the amazing vibrations from the Seagull are ripping the transom off.
Cue a very long series of tacks back up the lake.

Second.
Bought a clinker built nailsick National 12 built in aboit 1940 I think. In complete and utter ignorance.
I didn't even know it was a racing dinghy.
It had yellow bouyancy bags strapped under the seats.
Used sail on Lake Bala where we would sink it overnight to make it swell up and seal (a bit).
When sailing hard it would twist and let in masses of water.
Once a helpfull passer by daw me trying to lauch from the town end of the lake. Don't worry he daid and turned the boat around and gave it a big shove.
It took me a few minutes to realise he'd split the rather brittle wood it was made of.
A very wet slow sail to the other end of the lake like sailing a torpedo.

 

[Debenair]

Apropos post 69, team racing against Durham Uni in the ANUSC league in fireflys in Sunderland harbour October 1970. No life jackets as we all had them fancy wetsuit thingies which had loads of buoyancy through their closed cell structure.
B*****y great gust comes down the Wear and capsizes all six boats. By a fluke we were well in the lead down by the harbour entrance so had to wait a bit for the rescue boat. BUT... the boat turned turtle, the bottom was painted in that grey graphite paint made fashionable by Dick Pitcher after his victory in the FD worlds in about 1966 so we couldn't sit on top of the hull, and then the stern buoyancy bag floated away leaving us with bout 2m of boat above water. The rescue boat then pitched up, rammed us putting a large hole in the hull, and the collision caused the outboard on the rescue boat to partially detach itself and go for a swim with rescue boat crew attached. Once we had sorted that lot out we were floating out into a very grey North Sea.
Luckily a Buchanan Viking was out for his last sail of the season and towed our sorry little flotilla back to base. But I was very scared and honestly thought I might die that day.
However two weeks later we were up against Nottingham Uni racing in a snow laden gale on the international rowing course at Holme Pierrepoint. One sailed in some interesting places.

 

[Nico]

Hamble in ???

 

[Habebty]

Hamble in ???

What a lovely spot, be nice to keep a boat there!

 

[FWB]

Don't forget to download PBO No 1 Jan 1967
http://www.pbo.co.uk/specials/pbo-issue-no1-4539

 

[Muddy32]

No marinas, no sailing schools, no engine, [14" clinker dinghy towed behind to row/tow into Harbour]. Cotton Sails, racing folk obeyed the rules and retired if they hit a buoy [ we did at CH! after stemming the tide for 15 hrs!]

But on our own at the summer weekends in Newton Creek.

 

[dragonvc]

Started crewing on yachts in1967 ,memories of seafarer echosounders,more luck that an accurate figure emerged,seafix RDF dreadful in a heavy seaway surest way to seasickness and doubt as to position.Good bits consol charts ,lattice charts so that position fixing quicker than RDF though based on the same system.Pilot books with a multitude of line drawings useful on approaches to confirm position and landfall but lack of certainty made a good sailor cautious and checked the calculations.Walker logs but needed checking that no weed or a shark had not taken the spinner but logs were read religiously every hour but were accurate enough.Catering wondered why tinned potatoes ,but tasted good and quick to prepare,lots of tinned food with contents marked with wax crayons stored in bilges so labels came off,Vesta dried ready meals a bit overrated.I was lucky to crew on a Van De Stadt REBEL 41 hugely reassuring in big winds and a well balanced yacht with longish fin keel and spade rudder.Another yacht from that era was the 1969 Canada Cup winner Manitou 4 a well travelled yacht beautifully balanced and very rapid in light airs with tall rig and 150 per cent light genoa that was 40 yrs old.Keeping warm and dry in that time was a black art rarely achieved.