The Southampton International Boat Show is currently on.

The impression I get from the media razzmatazz surrounding this event is ‘Goody, let us flog more £100K starter boats to awe-struck punters…’

There are of course definite signs of a greater interest in environmentally friendly craft, especially on the power side. However, like the grandiose ‘starter’ boats always ‘flogged’ to the punter, these are very expensive.

There is an alternative to all of this if a punter wants to begin his or her passage into ‘boating’ in an affordable way and that is the second hand market.

Boatyards and yacht clubs are stuffed with decent vessels which can currently be purchased for a song. These craft, both power and sailing, are so often bypassed. It is a great shame for they could provide that inexpensive gateway into the sport, past-time even, without that £100K price tag…

I have mentioned Andy Seedhouse before. This outfit is based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, up on the River Deben.

See: https://www.andyseedhouseboats.co.uk/

There is an eclectic array of small motor and sailing craft in his yard, begging for a loving home. All would make great starter packages – even for that first year or two, before going forward into the sport with a larger more expensive craft.

If it wasn’t the person’s cup of tea then no great expense has been coughed up and in all probability it would sell again.

So often, with glazed eyes, a chap (usually) takes his family to a boat show. The family all go gooey eyed down below while the man twiddles knobs on an ‘instrument stack’ next to a shiny steering wheel and is hooked.

Within the first owning season, an expensive boat begins its sterile static life gathering weed in an expensive marina gobbling up family reserves.

Let us all be totally honest: how often have you walked past a modern boat, covers, decks and ropes going green, and wondered about her?

I do. It makes me so sad.

Oh, yes, what was that opening ceremony all about with some chap flying on a hose cutting the ribbon…

It is now nearly three months since I was promised a response by the Royal Yachting Association to my investigations around the difficulty in obtaining bottled gas.

The story:

Royal Yachting Association – Ditch-crawler follows up on gas cylinder shortages…

Enquiries wherever we went where gas was normally available was mixed. On the whole the smaller bottle sizes were difficult to obtain including a mid range bottle of 7 kg too (next size up from the 3.9/4.5 kg).

There was no outlet that had refills of the 3.9 kg propane and the 4.5 Kg butane – thank goodness we sorted ourselves out prior to leaving base!

We felt safe in getting back to a more normal level of decently cooked grub cooked aboard this season again. We id eat ashore more than usual but only where we knew the quality was acceptable: last year we had some pretty mediocre and moderately expensive offerings…

With a return to base mid summer, we were able to replenish our gas from home, knowing a certain supplier…

I was surprised to be sent copy of a letter response in Practical Boat Owner (September 2022) in which a lady asked the questions most of us have been asking.

Practical Boat Owner did not really answer the question – seeming to me to be biased towards the industry excuses…

However, here it is:

Hope for next year?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to replenish with the ease of those ‘pre-covid’ days…

I wasn’t aware that Bill Turnbull was suffering from prostate cancer when I began my investigative journey which led soon after to a diagnosis that shook me to the core.

It was a BBC R4 Breakfast programme that jolted me into action. That was not so long after Bill’s diagnosis, which ultimately claimed his life…

Bill died this week.

Rest in Peace, Bill.

For me it was a reminder of the ‘escape’ I made by my demand for a test. Bill, on the other hand in an interview said he’s had a test at age of forty, then fifty, then for an unknown reason not again until he was in pain – in his back, dating to his years of lugging heavy reporting apparatus, so he took pain killers and dismissed it…

As he said, it was a bad move for when eventually when getting on for sixty-two he visited his doctor, a psa test showed a high number. It was bad news.

Bill battled and campaigned. Thank you Bill: their are many in the media industry who haven’t ‘shouted’ about it and should have done for men take notice of a favourite pop star, etc…

See Bill’s BBC tribute: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59082523

When I was undergoing my initial tests I was preparing for an Essex Book Festival talk. That was during early February for a March date.

I’d had my first prostate specific antigen test which was ‘high’ but the doctor at my surgery said was nothing to worry about. I was called for a further test: the hospital were by then activated. They weren’t happy … for damned good reason too as it turned out!

See the tale:

Ditch-crawler reiterates the need for men to get prostate cancer check….

Strangely, I am in the end game of the editing of my next work, which has been a longer drawn out process with my new publisher than with previous, however, I am assured all is well and my review of final changes is close.

It would be nice to think that the Essex Book Festival organisers will be interested in a ‘re run’ in 2023 – book event that is, not my illness…

This morning prostate cancer was being discussed on the BBC R4 Today programme by a presenter and various, including the oncologist who ‘dealt’ with Bill.

Here are a few current facts to digest:

• One man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK…
• Get tested.
• The earlier the diagnosis, the greater chance of a ‘cure’…
• Late diagnosis means a certain early death, still…
• Men get by- passed by the system within the NHS, unlike women.
• It is still a ‘Cinderella’ cancer…

So, in memory of Bill Turnbull, please, I am asking men to think about a test, then get it done. The NHS cannot say NO!

When one has had a near end of life experience, the joys and preciousness of life are sharpened: one is a very long time dead…

We set off from Queenborough on the West Swale early the other morning bound for Gravesend.

It was a quiet still morning n the harbour, but clearing Sheerness the sails were up and drawing nicely to a northerly – not the forecasted east-northeast!

We proceeded nicely up the Nore Swatch and passed the eastern end of Canvey Island.

After passing the East Blyth, we changed over and I went below for a wash and do the breakfast clearing up. The clearing up done, I set to with my ablutions…

I was half way through this without a stitch on when Christobel started the engine, saying something…

The something was drowned out by a tremendous crash with an unsavoury noise. I saw a buoy rush aft past the aft most port. We’d hit it a glancing blow.

I looked aft, the dinghy bounced off and we were clear. Below, I could see that water wasn’t rushing inboard, but what damage was there apart from my mate, who was in tears…

‘I got it wrong…’ she said, shedding more wetness.

‘I thought…’ she wailed.

We’d ‘bounced’ the Mid Blyth Buoy – a bloody big bugger!

I am always saying to my helms to leave buoys well clear: I can remember my father ‘mating’ with several in my childhood on the engine-less spritsail barge May Flower.

‘Carry on please…’ I pleaded. I need to check below properly for damage. I was shaking from the shock…

Splintered paint covered the table and cushions from ‘deck stress’ apart from that there was nothing to see below. I pulled the berth cushions out and looked around. Dry. No water was leaking in…

Above deck the damage looked serious, at first!

Closer examination later showed we had ‘got away with it’ and there wasn’t a mark on the hull or rubbing band…

The deck edge was stressed and a join had opened with one side ‘popped’.

Apart from the obvious, all looked sound, so we continued on our passage with the mate on the helm.

We did not discuss the ‘incident’ until moored at Gravesend – initially on a sailing club buoy before moving to alongside the Town Pier, which had been booked.

At the ‘Court of Inquiry’ the Mate pronounced herself guilty as charged!

She’d got too close and then chose wrong way out… hey ho, cheers darling!

I had had a good look too. The cabin side beading has loosened and the deck edge lifted, with one deck join too.

The edges, join and beading were sealastic sealed … as a keep water out measure.

The join has been screw fastened which thankfully pulled the popped section down.

Christobel helped with tool passing and some pictures…

Several original fastenings were punched a little, rust treated and plugged… (a common Finesse fault)

The deck edge and cabin side beading remain to be dealt with.

I have also got to ‘gingerly’ put a number of fastenings along deck edge into a 5/8” Iroko plank – tentative pencil dots have been made…

The good news is that all drilling swath is good coloured wood!

The Finesse is clearly a tough old bird. I really thought the worst and had a terrible night rescuing my Mate twice and failing once… Shock?

The good news is that Whimbrel survived, intact, and my Mate too is slowly regaining her confidence…

Bless.. xx

Update: Saturday 13th Aug.

Alongside the Greenwich YC pontoon (inside berth) a run of new deck edge fastenings we’re fitted.

All drillings – fine drill first- stayed in wood. The planks are max 5/8” thickness!

screw size drilling and countersinking done, my row of fastenings had the deck edge secure.

There are a couple of old fastening tops to deal with … popped as deck was pulled down hard.

Those and repair to fabric of edge to do next…

Update: 20th August.

During our stay in St Katharine Docks Marina repairs were progressed.

The deck edge was carefully stripped of paint, sanded and the glass sheaving re-coated with epoxy.

This was allowed to cure before final filling, sanding and several coats of undercoat paint.

The area of deck either side of a plywood join was then cleaned back to he original glass sheaving. Old capped fastening heads were cleaned out, fastening punched, an application of anti-rust treatment before wood plugs glued.

A further fastening head spotted was also dealt with before a filler coat was applied. Whether or not the join needs a piece of cloth epoxied over remains to be decided…

The last job before ‘hitting’ home was the treatment of a fine crack in the sheer strake. Creeping crack cure was dribbled along until saturated.

A couple of fastenings were added above and below for good measure and decrease chances of movement. The filled over screw heads are barely visible.

Next: the deck edge/cabin side batten must be removed, repairs made and batten re-bedded…

Update: 22nd August.

we arrived home on a glorious evening after having a Ray Day with scrub of Whimbrel’s bottom.

Working from the dinghy as a stable platform the cabin side batten was removed intact. The original sealant was removed and a section of loose sheaving cloth. Area was sanded.

Apart from clear movement running forward there was a gap to the cabin side at the inner deck edge aft, but it didn’t seem to be ‘fresh’ – from build? There was clear movement along the aft deck section. The edge was re secured with bronze screws.

An old fastening was punched in and plugged too.

Epoxy was then run into the gap and movement crack followed by thickened epoxy. This was left to cure.

The whole area was then sanded ready for application of glass cloth.

I was surprised at how translucent the glass cloth went, but it’s there!

The batten was taken home for cleaning, sanding and epoxy dressing of ends to allow fitting back flush at angled cuts.

And glory be, a tube of Simpson MSR marine sealant ordered while away arrived in the post!

Penultimate update – 23rd August.

The good mate joined the work party for this penultimate day of repairs.

Her job was below – sanding and undercoating the cracked paint on the underside of the deck.

While this was going on I set to and prepared the batten for refitting, adjusting the bevels to fit. It was to be screwed back into place – holes were prepped too.

The epoxy and glass cloth areas were sanded to take away any high areas. The deck join area too, ready for a coat of undercoat paint.

We stopped for a break before the final exercise – it was exceedingly hot and humid…

Break over, I set to work. Sealant – Simpson MSR compound – was applied to mating area then a little epoxy mixed and applied to forward end. I had to get on now…

Working from forward where curvature was greatest, the screws were driven home.

Reaching the aft end a further bob of glue was applied to batten join and last screws driven.

Christobel in the meantime had done a clean through below around her working area. We had a lunch stop … allowing batten to settle.

While I went round the screws again and sealed tops with thickened epoxy, the mate applied her second coat of undercoat paint…

Of yes, Christobel left this buoy a fair distance off. Look at the flow past its body!

The end- all the sticking plaster comes off!

There was a ‘kick in the nuts’ to the job: I found that I had to re fasten the deck edge going forward of the stanchion. Also, the outer stanchion base fastenings go through into chocks behind the shelf strake set between the ribs.

Great. But, the chocks bare on the underside of the deck inside the sheer strake, thus inward pressure on stanchion was lifting the outer edge of deck which was not helped by failed/loosened fastenings.

I fitted a covering chock inside to go over the the infill chock and underside of the shelf. This was screwed to shelf and fastened through from sheerstrake. Pressure on the stanchion showed no movement if deck…

The edge was released and hardened up after application of runny epoxy before it had time to set off. Edge was then coated with thickened epoxy.

I shall be looking closely around the other five stanchions…

All is now painted and has been tested in the estuary!

Ah, Dick, you whipped out your colt 45 and blazed away, words zipping as the tale unfolds…

I was enthralled. I laughed out loud while reading (most unusual) and nearly cried as sobering and sad words spilled from the pages too.

I always knew Dick spent time in Fleet Street on a new newspaper which hit the world in a blaze of tabloid hype and steamy stories. It ‘s a world I knew nothing about, other than the scandals that have trundled from the news with a regularity over the last couple of decades, leading to a massive tightening of regulations.

I knew Dick when I was young – being a ‘Thames barge boy’ – when he used to come aboard my spritsail barge home, the May Flower, to help out! Dick later sailed as mate aboard the mighty sprittie, Cambria as no. 2 to the inimitable Bob Roberts. I didn’t reacquaint until years later.

Now, I know what he was up to. Dick learnt his craft with the Dundee Courier at their offices by Fetter Lane – the building remains with its painted advert above and can be clearly seen from a bus.

He was soon having a rollicking good time as he sloshed his alcoholic way through the miasma of Fleet Street’s news desks and pub floors. As a news hound, he chased’ news’ and the people behind them, insinuating himself easily into the cracks in the stories.

What couldn’t be had from the coal face was made up … but the paper’s readership from the start lapped it up, gullible to the very core!

He names characters without a care: truth cannot be challenged. It silences detractors … something I’ve learnt.

Big press names rolled off the pages. ‘Huge people’ discussed by the media talking heads and tut tutters. Wow, he knew them in the work place. Now we do too…

A bloody good read Dick, which I quaffed with equal eagerness with a beer or two whilst keeping cool afloat this summer.

Not a sailing book, but written by an amusing and characterful sailor.

Available from Amazon:

Guttersnipe: A tabloid hack’s Fleet Street memoir: Amazon.co.uk: Durham, Dick: 9781717766960: Books

Read it and be lifted.

Towards the end of June I wrote to the head honcho of the Royal Yachting Association, Sarah Sutcliffe, regarding the cancelation of my membership and my reasons why.

I received a confirmation of receipt from her personal assistant stating that my communication would be placed before the Chief Executive.

Time has ticked by. There has been no response.

The problems remain acute with supply to marinas and other outlets of calor gas in particular, yet the RYA clearly does not have the balls to respond to a member cancelling membership after some 40 plus years of loyalty.

All I was asking for was pressure from what purports to be ‘our’ governing body to be applied to suppliers…

It typifies the crassness of this organisation that clearly exists as a self-employment project with not a care for the ordinary sailor, other than the gathering of gold medals.

I can think of many an Olympians and I doubt if they would be similarly treated. The Royal Yachting Association needs to remember the greater majority of sailors sit on the lower rungs…

Their loss will be a charity’s gain.

The story thus far:

Ditch-crawler tackles Royal Yachting Association over the ‘gas’ problem, or tries to… | Nick Ardley

Now, I wrote to the editor of the ‘Yotty’ Newspaper – All at Sea. The editor was back to me in a trice.

The July 2022 issue of the paper has my letter and their findings – no more than I had gleaned. But, and this is an important point, they responded in a positive manner, agreeing it was something that needed to be sorted out.

The piece is added below:

I always try and pick up a copy of this publication when seen in a chandlery or marina office: it is quite informative, if largely south coast orientated (aren’t they all…)

So, I would like to say thank you to ‘All at Sea’ and the rags editor, Jane Hyde, and Simon Everett.

Over the past month I have enquired at five different outlets about the ‘gas problem’ and ALL reported the situation as dire!

Coming upstream on the River Orwell yesterday I spied Jack Coote’s old yacht, Blue Shoal on the mooring trot below Ostrich Creek. The vessel, was, I believe, Jack’s last.

Many possibly won’t know of Ostrich Creek. It is the seaward end of Belstead Brook which runs down to the salty Orwell where Fox’s Marina and the Orwell Yacht Club are situated.

Ostrich Creek was the first sailing anchorage of the inimitable Maurice Griffiths who shared a ‘tore out’ with a couple of buddies for a short while in the early 1920s. MG lived up the Wherstead Rd running into Ipswich.

Janet Harber, one of Jack’s two daughters, told me recently that Blue Shoal’s owner gives her a sail from time to time. How lovely…

I never met Jack, but I am sure my father and grandfather did back in the late 1940s and the 1950s. I would have relished the experience.

For years I have kept Janet supplied with updates for the East Coast Rivers pilot book. Updates can be obtained from the last issue publishers, Fernhurst.

Finished the last jobs, I don’t think so! However, the target has been achieved many time over this season what with the fine weather enjoyed.

Just before leaving for my birthday June cruise, I completed the final edit on latest book. See earlier post. I am now awaiting it to be finalised for final acceptance before it moves to next stage. Hey ho.

Laptop and file has to come sailing!

We got home from an extended two week early June cruise around Medway and Swale, taking in the Pageant (that wasn’t) and the Finesse Rally on following weekends, two weeks ago now.

It seems an age and poor Whimbrel has had no sailing since – me as well!

There were various jobs to deal with. While away the mast step came adrift on Twitch. It was fixed but not completed while away – allowing it to be used. A coating of epoxy completed the job.

The mast leather needed re-tacking.

Then the thwarts had a sand and varnish too – the gunnels had been completed a couple weeks earlier.

In the meantime, I had to carry out some planking edge paint repairs caused by a hard mooring buoy – annoying!

The boat has been fully stored with her dry provisions ready for some weeks of cruising, pottering and exploring.

My sister and two friends join for a week this coming Saturday – a convivial little group, especially the chap who says he is Welsh, but actually only a quarter. We have fun!

I had an interesting conversation with the yotty paper ‘All at Sea’ and a letter and answer will appear. It is all about the gas problem. Editor was unaware, but staff on the paper were and no one had said anything!

As for the Royal Yachting Association – they have been given the big heave ho! A waste of space.

One morning was spent at a fruit farm picking luscious Gooseberries, raspberries and some red currants. So two types of jam now awaits our return from our holidays…

If you yourself are off sailing or just off on land holidays, enjoy and make the most of a generally covid ‘free’ time.

Take care and be safe…

Last year our summer sailing was particularly torrid in respect to an ability to obtain refill gas cylinders from marinas, or, as it later turned out, from anywhere.

I recounted this in a web article, see:

Ditch-crawler recounts summer gas problems…

I followed this up with a little research. It would seem that the problem actually surfaced at least a year beforehand. There are numerous entries on caravan and boating forums about the problem running back to prior to the covid pandemic.

As an aside, I was astonished to read that one person decanted gas from a larger to smaller 4.5/3.9 kg bottle. I am sure it is possible, but safely…

Last autumn I wrote to a ‘cooing’ editor of the Royal Yachting Association magazine congratulating the British Olympic team in all their medal glory. Yes, I am sure all sailors are pleased.

But what about the ‘humble’ sailor doing what our Government advise – have a staycation. That for sailors and caravaners, including campers, means the use of bottle gas for cooking…

Nothing appeared in following magazines … I wrote to the membership section asking them the same question.

Neither elicited a response, which when you read the excerpt from the June issue of the RYA magazine is, quite frankly, a load of rubbish.

The saga continues – Calor have apparently stopped blaming Covid, drivers and Brexit and now accept they haven’t sufficient bottles. Apparently, 100, 000 have been ordered.

The problem is many people are ‘sitting’ on empties or no longer used cylinders in garages and sheds…

Swale Marina and a yard shop in Maldon have none of the smaller cylinders. Garden centres and other outlets report dire shortage.

As would have it, on leaving the office at Swale marina during the past two weeks my eyes alighted on the latest issue of ‘All At Sea’ so I picked up a copy.

The All at Sea paper trumpeted the forthcoming season with total silence on an issue that is vexing the minds of many boaters – paucity of bottled gas.

I emailed the editor, Jane Hyde. Within a few hours she responded. Upon checking with a certain Simon Everett, it transpires he has had the same problem. This chap has been tasked with investigating. A copy will come my way before publication. I await with interest.

Now, that is what the RYA should have done.

Sitting in Whimbrel’s cockpit watching the world go by whilst reading … I mused upon all of this. Surely, I am not the ONLY person to have raised the problem with people who should and can use influence and pressure.

I canvassed my Facebook ‘friends’ with the problem. Those that chose to respond, all agreed, essentially, that they find it hard to understand what exactly the RYA actually does for its members – cruising members that is.

Yes, they lobby Government on some important issues, but they have completely lost sight of the ‘humble’ sailor…

What am I going to do. Well, cancel my membership for one, then pay that same amount to a charity that actually works positively.

Update: All at Sea have investigated and found that what I have said is correct. One of the paper’s staff has experienced problems – part time delivery skipper.

All at Sea are responding in forthcoming issue – hopefully July/August issue.

We have cancelled our future direct debit to RYA and emailed our (my) termination of membership.

As promised for those who are interested in such affairs, I have been over the last week dealing with the final edit and insertion of illustrations and captions for the my editor to do their bit.

There is a little tale here: I quipped to the mate that I expected the job to appear in my inbox while we were doing the antifouling and hull touch-ups on Whimbrel.

Well, we got on with the antifouling on a Friday evening a week and a half ago now. The job was all completed on the Saturday, including various ‘scuff’ marks being sanded and repainted – most due to damage caused by the modern ‘hard’ mooring buoys now almost universal around the east coast rivers. In the evening Whimbrel was returned to her mooring.

The story so far:

Ditch-crawler’s publisher says, my book’s illustration stage coming shortly…

Well … checking my spam mail box on the desk computer on Wednesday following our boat work, with my finger hovering on the delete button, I suddenly noticed one from ‘AM Production’ – heck, my publisher.

Transferred safely and opened I found a request for my final edit. It arrived the day we started work on Whimbrel’s bottom!

So, I had to set to and get on with it. I had a week before we were due to sail off to the River Medway to participate in the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant on the river.

See: https://tillerandwheel.com/medway-platinum-jubilee-river-pageant-2022/?fbclid=IwAR0nDS-stT5E6wiz2F9qS5ZFPGe8y-V2a1C1MFjEqGnmDkNm7_4vULWRZh0

My current publisher was content for me to set the illustrations into the text, so once I got set up, it was just a matter of copy & paste.

The ‘book’ will later go through a pagination process where it is pushed into the published size, spacings and layout etc.

Editing in hand.

I had a break in the middle and overhauled Whimbrel’s two sheet winches. They were opened up, cleaned of old grease and crud. Pawls were checked and deburred. All was regreased and reassembled , then back to editing…

Finally, I came to the end!

A break was taken to clear the head and ‘sit’ on what I had done.

While the head cleared I had a couple of hours down the club preparing and antifouling the bottom of Twitch, the tender.

After dealing with Twitch, I again ran all the way through the text looking at my corrections. Around a half dozen other ‘mistakes’ were found too – some inflicted by others!

A busy couple of weeks for sure. Hey, but, you all say, you love it…

All my work has now been ‘put to bed’ and will go off to the publisher…