Sovereign Harbour
Berth-Holders
Association
run for berth holders by berth holders
www.shbha.co.uk January
2006
Up and Running!
As you can
see from the website address above the Sovereign Harbour Berth Holders
Association are now on the net. Web-master and North Harbour representative,
Nick Jordan has worked hard at designing and producing a user friendly web
site.
Pages show
committee information including how to contact us on any matter. If you still
prefer personal contact you will also find a list of berths where we can be
found regularly. Details of all events are found on the calendar page whilst
weather links provide up to date and detailed information both for the local
area and further a-field. Other web sites such as the Marine and Coastguard
Agency and the R.N.L.I. can also be accessed via the Links Page.
Webmaster
Nick is hoping to build a Photo Gallery of your boats together with pictures of
places you have been. Instructions of how to contribute to this section can be
found on line.
We hope
that you enjoy navigating the site and we will be happy to receive your
comments and ideas. We are confident that the web site will continue to grow
and develop with your support and contributions.
Members Response to the Brighton Bounce
Whilst
acknowledging the above mentioned article, which appeared in the last newsletter,
was written in a light-hearted way it contained a very serious message.
Mr. Melvyn
Newell of Takara (H51) wrote to say that he lost his dear chum, Lieutenant
Commander RNR David Spens in similar circumstances last summer when he drowned
from a pontoon in Granville Marina, France.
Whilst we
all take extra care in difficult circumstances it is all too easy to drop your
guard in what seems like a safe environment. This tragic occurrence can be
reminder to all of us that accidents do not always happen at sea.
Winged residents and visitors
The
quantity and variety continues to increase in Sovereign Harbour. Recent
sightings have included a pair of Goosanders, White Egrets, Grebe, Guillemots,
Cormorants, Shags and the ever present Swans and Seagulls. The summer months of
July and August saw a number of reports from the West Harbour of a Kingfisher
(I was privileged to witness two of these occasions this year… but where does
it live? ed)
Water life
As
Sovereign Harbour continues to grow so the aquatic life that can be found in
its waters develops and becomes established. Mullet from pin size through to
adult fish weighing 6lbs or more can be seen grazing from the concrete walls of
the harbour and, particularly during the hours of darkness, eels of all shapes
and sizes can be seen in the beam of a torch.
In the
shallow water the three spined sticklebacks’ lifecycle can be observed.
In spring
the male develops his bright courtship colouration and starts to build a nest
on the bottom using plant fragments which he cements together with a secretion
from his kidneys. He then drives several females into the nest, one by one,
where each lays some of her 100 to 400 eggs. These are immediately fertilized
by the male who then drives the females away and takes over the task of caring
for and guarding the spawn.
He repairs
the nest, drives away nest robbers and fans fresh water over the eggs with his
pectoral fins. The eggs hatch in 4 to 27 days, depending on the temperature,
and in about a week the young fish move off sometimes in large shoals to hunt
for prey in the vegetation.
Loch Ness and the Mint Imperials
by Robert Page
One of my
more memorable holidays afloat was on Loch Ness. The memory depends less on the
amazing scenery and more on me finding myself sitting on the bottom of the loch
under four metres of water. My wife and I had hired a motor cruiser for the
week from the marina near Inverness. With us were our son (10y) and daughter
(11y). The cruiser’s inventory included an inflatable dinghy, stowed on the
foredeck together with its 5 h.p. motor. 
We had not had much time to use the
dinghy for the first few days but eventually gave in to my son’s nagging and
agreed to launch it. My wife and daughter were not interested in helping and
because it was dull and damp, retreated to the cabin to read and suck Mint
Imperials.
We were
alongside a pontoon at the time and the depth was about 4 metres. Lifejackets
had been provided but we were not cissies and did not wear them! I cautioned my
son about falling in and then we heaved the dinghy over the side. I proceeded
to demonstrate the safe way to get into an inflatable dinghy whilst carrying an
outboard motor. I sat on the pontoon and gently eased my bottom onto the
dinghy. Suddenly I was aware that things had not gone quite as I had planned. I
found myself sitting on the bottom of the loch with the outboard still in my
arms. It took a moment or two to appreciate that the reason I had not floated
to the surface was because of its weight. Although I was conscious that the
outboard motor was somebody else’s property I decided that it would be better
to dump it than to drown. As soon as I let it go I rose slowly to the surface
to be greeted by my astonished son. The first thing to do was to ensure that he
realised that my method, although generally successful, had its drawbacks.
Having satisfied myself that his safety training had not been compromised I
tried to get out of the water but was unable to do so because the pontoon was
too high and I was wearing heavy waterproofs and wellies. I suggested to the
boy that he ask his mother to help me.
He
considered the various options open to him and he reluctantly agreed to do
this. However,” Mum—Dad’s fallen in the loch” fell on deaf ears.
continued
They were
too busy enjoying reading and sucking Mint Imperials to be taken in by these
sorts of jokes. Luckily, thinking that his pocket money might be docked if he
didn’t try a little harder, he again relayed my suggestion, that some help
might be appropriate, with more vigor.
Eventually
my wife and daughter rose from the cabin to observe my plight but were unable
to affect an immediate rescue because they were doubled up with laughter. In
the meantime I was hanging onto the pontoon shivering with cold; remaining
dignified and calm became increasingly difficult. My team then came to their
senses and, after putting on their wet weather gear and making sure it was
colour coordinated, came and heaved me out of the loch.
When I had
changed into dry clothing we borrowed a long pole from a helpful lock keeper
and lashed our boat hook to it. The water was quite clear and it was easy to
see the outboard lying on the bottom. It took us a couple of attempts to hook
it and bring it to the surface. To my surprise after attaching it to the dinghy
transom it started after just a couple of pulls.
One should
learn from such experiences and the lesson here is quite clear;
Never allow Mint
Imperials on board your boat !
Membership Matters
The
Sovereign Harbour Berth Holders Association currently has 263 members. This
represents a marked increase in the membership during the last 12 months and
the officers and committee are hopeful that we can continue to generate
continued steady growth.
Your
membership of the association does really matter because when we are seeking
changes or adjustments with the Sovereign Harbour Marina management we can do
so from a position of strength with the voices of
our
members behind us.
So when
you next wander the pontoons and stop to chat to a like minded soul, ask them
if he/she belongs to the SHBHA and if they do, congratulate them, but if not
steer them towards a membership form. Membership forms are available from the
shower blocks in the Central and West Harbours as well as in the Lock Control
Office, the membership secretary and any other officer or committee member. You
may if you wish pay by standing order. Go to www.shbha.co.uk
and download the necessary form.
Discounts for members
I am sure
that you will have heard the saying that refers to a boat being a large hole in
the water into which owners regularly throw their money.
So, any
help with the cost of running our boats whatever their shape or size should be
welcome. The list below contains the names and contact numbers of those
businesses that currently offer discounts to Sovereign Harbour Berth Holders on
production of a current membership card.
RINKER BOATS. Offer a 10% discount on their
chandlery stock.
Contact:
01323 470444 www.rinker.uk.com
WATERFRONT SAILING ACADEMY. Offer a 10% discount off all
standard RYA courses. Contact: 01424 844181 or 07775 904122.
E-mail –anglomed@tesco.net
CABLE AND ROPEWORKS. Offer a 5% discount
Contact:
01323 763019/766185 www.cableandropeworks.com
SUFFOLK SAILING offer a 10% reduction on liferaft
servicing cost and all other marine safety equipment. Arrangements can
sometimes be made to see your liferaft inflated. Discount should be requested
at the time of booking. Contact: 01473 833010
www.suffolk-sailing.co.uk
R.N.L.I. Offer a free Sea Check at your convenience.
Contact:
R.N.L.I. 0800 328 0600
E-mail watersafety@rnli.org.uk
SOVEREIGN HARBOUR offer a 10% discount from diesel
pump prices
up to 250
litres contact: 01323 470099 www.sovereignharbour.co.uk
SOVEREIGN SPORTSBOAT TRAINING offer a 10% reduction on
RYA
Certificated Courses. Contact: 01323 470844/470823
e-mail mail@sovereign-sportsboat.co.uk
MESSENGER MARINE Offer a 10% reduction on liferaft
servicing costs and other marine safety equipment. Arrangements can be made to
see your liferaft inflated. Contact: 01243 379441 www.messengermarine.co.uk
ETHOS, stainless
steel fabricators and marine trimmers offer trade rates to members of SHBHA.
Contact; 01323 764004 or 07951 739953
This is by
no means a comprehensive list and the editor will be pleased to receive details
of other businesses offering a preferential rate for members of the Sovereign Harbour Berth Holders
Association.
Getting Spliced !
If you
would like to know more about ropes, including their use and care and how to
splice them, come along to the evening organized for Sovereign Harbour Berth
Holders at the Haven School, Atlantic Drive on Thursday February 2nd
2006 (6.45 for 7.00). Rob Lyne from English Braids will give a talk and
demonstration after which there will be some time for practical work on three
strand and braid on braid rope so bring along some bits to practice on. Tea and
coffee will be available to help you enjoy this free evening in the quiet time
of the year.
Coffee Morning and Lifejacket Check 
On
Saturday March 25th between
10.00 and 14.00 hours, we have arranged for members the opportunity to be able
to bring along their lifejackets to the Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club to have
this vital piece of safety equipment checked by the RNLI Water Safety Team.
They can also find out how to do these checks themselves at the same time. Have
a free cup of coffee/tea too! Can you afford to miss this?
Ideas for future events
We are
currently looking into a number of new ideas for berth holder members. These
include RYA First Aid Courses, presentations with a practical bias such as
firefighting equipment and black and grey water holding tanks. In addition Sue
and Liz are investigating boat handling skills and other related practical
activity courses especially for ladies.
If you
have any ideas or topics for future events that you would like considered then
please drop a line to the chairman.
Sad Loss
At the end
of October the Association’s Fishery Liaison Officer, Chas Gerrard died after a
long period in hospital. Chas had always given generously of his time, energy
and experience to Sovereign Harbour Berth Holder members. He was also a member
of the Eastbourne RNLI Water Safety Team supporting a wide variety of events
including ‘Sink or Swim’ and lifejacket checks. He is greatly missed by those
who knew him.
As the
newsletter was going to print we also learnt of the sudden death of Geoff
Ticehurst. You will probably have seen Geoff during the summer packing the
locks with good humour. He also did other duties around the harbour, always
with a smile, and will be a great loss to the Marina team.
v
COXSWAIN’S
CORNER
Welcome to
the first of which will I hope be a regular feature in the Berth Holder’s
Newsletter. Many of you will no doubt already know me but just as a reminder I
will clarify my position.
My name is
Mark Sawyer and I am the full time coxswain of the Eastbourne RNLI Lifeboat
Station which is hidden away next to the lock keepers office right on the
water’s edge, next to the outer harbour and where the Eastbourne All-weather
Lifeboat ‘The Royal Thames’ is moored. I have held the position of coxswain for
four years now and have been involved with the Eastbourne RNLI for just over fifteen
years having started on the slipway launched, 8 knot, double ended Rother class
lifeboat which used to be launched across the beach near the Fisherman’s Club.
The
all-weather lifeboat was moved to Sovereign Harbour when it first opened in May
1993 so I can say that I have been here from the very beginning to what was
described by some as a pond in the middle of the Sahara desert!
How things
have changed since those early days, some for better some for worse. I find
working in the harbour environment very enjoyable, with Harbourmaster Andy
Garland and his team helping with the smooth running of the Lifeboat station
and the operational effectiveness of the
Lifeboat.
This could be anything from
discussions concerning dredging of the harbour entrance, buoyage, lock
operations, boat movements and to what seems to be the biggest headache at the
moment, access to the lifeboat station through the building site which seems to
bring fresh challenges every day. I look forward to the day when the building
work is complete and things will become somewhat more peaceful.
The one
thing I do enjoy about being next to the locks and lock keeper’s office is that
it ensures regular contact with the boating community including the fishing
fleet, power boaters or the sailing fraternity and you can almost guarantee the
first question is going to be, “What’s the weather going to be?” The trouble
is, yes, I do monitor the weather very closely but I can only get it from the
same sites available to everyone and I have no personal contact with the
‘Boss’ upstairs so inevitably it is
sometimes wrong ! And, yes, who gets the blame?
All joking
apart, Sea Safety is a major part of my job so being able to assist with any
advice is never a problem and, if I am unable to assist personally, I can
usually steer people in the right direction.
The Berth
Holder’s Sea Safety talks which are held at the lifeboat station I find can be
of special interest because everyone, myself included, can share their own
experiences be they good or bad and I feel that if someone can learn something
that may be useful and which might be able to assist them in the future then it
is worthwhile.
On a final
note may I wish everyone enjoyable boating in the New Year but winter is here
so do not forget those winter boat checks.
Best
wishes,
Mark Sawyer
Coxswain,
Eastbourne Lifeboat
What’s in a Name? 
Take a
busy weekend in the summer, spend ten minutes watching the locks turn around
and you will be assured of a plethora of boats’ names, many of which must have
special meaning to the owner/s.
I wonder
if members are willing to share the derivation of their boats’ names which I am
sure will prove of interest to others. To start the ball rolling………..
When
buying our boat, Schoolin’s Log, it
was almost as if fate had taken a hand. The previous owner was a headteacher of
a school in Oxfordshire which catered for children with special needs. One of
the daily tasks was for the schools register to be collected from, and returned
to, the secretary’s office. One of the children volunteering for this duty was
unable to get his tongue around ‘school’s register’ and insisted on calling it
‘schoolin’s log’ instead. His headteacher took this derivation and named his
new Hardy Mariner ‘Schoolin’s Log’ in
honour of the child’s achievements. As we were both headteachers ourselves we
felt it was totally appropriate to retain the name!
I look
forward to receiving your stories(Ed).
What we do
Since
becoming Vice Chairman at the AGM I have been attending the monthly meetings
held between some of the officers from the Association and Andy Garland, the
Operations Manager here at Sovereign Marina.
I thought
it may be interesting for you to know some of the many varied topics that have
been on the agenda in recent months. Please bear in mind that this only
provides a brief summary!
We are
currently involved in much discussion on future developments including the new
boat park, additional pump out facilities, further development of the West
Harbour car park and of course more facilities for the berth holders in the
North Harbour as well as working on the joint project of producing a
‘Frequently Asked Questions’ sheet for newcomers!
Following
requests by your reps, the additional provision of small items such as towel
hooks, handles, flower tubs, toilet brushes (coming soon!), improved security
measures etc all make life around the marina easier and more enjoyable.
Complaints
about badly or unmarked fishing gear 
ü
We
managed to get a meeting arranged between the harbour, fishermen’s
representatives, and the District Inspector for the Marine Fisheries Agency.
The latter have undertaken to liaise with boats about their responsibilities
and monitor the situation. We all acknowledge that there will always be rogue
fishermen but hope that there will be some improvement. (If not we’ll try
again.)
Complaints
about the surface in the current boat park
ü An assurance that remedial work will be carried out in the near future
Difficulties
with parking have been on going 
ü
Tighter
controls of builders cars with some being clamped.
ü
Discussion
of ways that the boat owner stickers can be made more easily available to
identify authorized vehicles
Difficulties
in communicating
ü
More
notice boards provided (and more on stream). The weekend weather forecast to be
posted on all boards.
ü
More
‘Do not feed the birds’ signs
Investigations
into the water pressure in the North harbour 
ü
Checks
completed by SE Water on pipes and also to the RSZ units. Pressure confirmed as
appropriate. Investigations currently ongoing associated with the flow rate.
Friction
between boat owners and pedestrians with regard to bridges
ü
A
review of the bridge lifting policy with another trial of the timed lift. An
assurance that if this is not successful it will be further reviewed.
Lack of electricity on two pontoons in the west harbour
ü
A
phased introduction of lighting and bollards
Damage to
boats by building work
ü
Reassurance
that there will be on going support for individuals and cleaning at no cost to
the marina will continue
Lack of
trolleys
ü
More,
(and ‘parking chains’) to be provided. The £1 toll will hopefully reduce the
disappearance rate!
Information
about French marina closures due to rallies etc 
ü
Sovereign
Harbour have promised to put this item on the agenda at a forthcoming meeting
of the ‘8 Marinas Coast to Coast’ group in an attempt to obtain the information
for those hoping for a weekend abroad.
Provision
of Rubbish Bins in the North harbour
ü
Andy
Garland was meeting with the current contractor in December and hopefully some
of the problems will be resolved
Health and safety issues are important and topics covered
include a new laundry room door which is now on order. This follows an incident
when a member was nearly catapulted into the machine by someone pushing the
door open. The new door will have more viewing panels to hopefully prevent a
repeat of this incident.
The
ventilation system in the new facilities block was also under scrutiny. After
monitoring the sauna type conditions this problem was logged as a formal
complaint which will have to be dealt with by the builders.
New
cleaning contractors will start work in all facilities blocks in mid January.
A Stitch in Time Saved Nine! 
As part of
regular, but long term maintenance, this year we decided to have the Calor gas
system checked. This proved more difficult than anticipated. The first hurdle
was finding a CORGI registered marine gas engineer but having found one an
appointment was eventually made and the visit undertaken. The company used was
tremendously busy as it would appear that many boat owners had the same idea!
Having
located the constricted route taken by the flexible pipe (through a small
inspection hatch behind the draw unit) it appeared that the job would not take
too long. However when the time came to attach the cooker to the new gas pipe a
serious fault was found. It was clear that at sometime in the past there had
been a gas leak and in an attempt to rectify the situation a wide variety of
sealants had been applied to the connectors.
It was
therefore necessary to remove the offending joint and replace it which the
engineer proceeded to do. But horrors upon horrors, it then came to light that
not only was the connection festooned with sealant but that the nut attaching
the pipe to the cooker had been tightened so much that it had split along its
length leaving only PTF tape and sticky stuff to hold the system together !
On
reflection we count ourselves lucky to have discovered this before it became
apparent in a more volatile way.
Annual General Meeting
The Annual
General Meeting of the Sovereign Harbour Berth Holders Association will be held
by kind permission of the Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club on Sunday April 23rd.
commencing at 10.00.
Discussion
items for the agenda must be lodged with the Honorary Secretary, no later
than Sunday March 12th. 2006.
Dover Coastguard, Dover Coastguard, Dover
Coastguard. This is…….
….Your
chance to visit Dover Coastguard Station. The visit will take place on
Saturday, April 8th. Places can be booked by contacting the vice
chairman Sue Sydney for further details on 01424 212072. Previous visits have
been thoroughly enjoyed by all who went and should this
event be oversubscribed a further visit may be possible in the Autumn.
The Gourmet Galley Recipe No.1
Smokies in cream
Smokies in
cream, a rich, easy to make dish, makes an excellent meal served with crusty
bread and a green salad. Accompany it with a well chilled Muscadet wine.
Ingredients
for four.
1 teaspoon
of butter 8
Fluid ounces of double cream
½ teaspoon
of black pepper ¼
teaspoon of grated nutmeg
4 small
smokies (small smoked Haddock) or 16 ounces of smoked, flaked haddock. Use the
naturally smoked haddock and skin the fish.
4 tomatoes
blanched, peeled, de seeded and coarsely chopped
2 ounces
of button mushrooms wiped clean and chopped
2 ounces
of Parmesan cheese grated
2 ounces
of Gruyere cheese grated and
1 teaspoon
of paprika
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees F (Gas mark 4, 180 degrees C)
With the
teaspoon of butter, grease a shallow baking dish and set aside.
In a small
mixing bowl mix together the cream, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour half
of the mixture into the prepared dish and arrange the flaked fish on top.
Spread the mushroom and tomatoes over the fish and pour over the remaining
cream. Sprinkle over the grated cheese and place the dish in the oven and bake
for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Remove the dish from the
oven and place it under the grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until the top is golden
brown.
Remove the
dish from the grill and sprinkle over the paprika.
Enjoy your
efforts.
Have you a favourite recipe that you would like to share with others!
If so jot down the details and send them to the editor on line or by post to;
R.A.Sydney, 75, Collington Avenue, Bexhill-on-Sea TN39 3RA
Contact
the editor
This
magazine is produced for members of the Sovereign Harbour Berth Holders
Association and we would be pleased to receive articles for inclusion in the
next edition. A variety of articles will make for an interesting magazine which
will appeal to the ever increasing number of members.
Have you
had an interesting trip? Have you been involved in a DIY project?
Have you
an experience that we could all learn something from? Would you like to see a
certain kind of article included? Get in touch!
editor@shbha.co.uk
Roy Sydney
75 Collington Ave,
Bexhill-on-Sea TN39 3RA
Did you know?
In this
year of Trafalgar I recently learned the following piece of trivia.
In the
board room at the Admiralty there is, to the left of the fireplace, a small
white disc about the size of an old shilling. It is set into the paneling at a
point that supposedly denoted the height of Lord Nelson. More probably,
however, it was placed in such a position to assist the committee when they
were interviewing candidates for commissions in the Royal Marines. In 1847 the
minimum height was laid down at 5’4” (approximately 1.62m for the enlightened
ones!)
Sovereign Harbour Berth Holders Association
Officers and Committee
2005/6
Chairman Brian Stiff (
F42)
Vice Chairman Sue Sydney (WS17)
Secretary Jenny Bilmes (J26)
Treasurer Roy Sydney (WS17)
Membership
Secretary Doug Neve (J28)
Harbour Representatives
Central Harbour Raymond Malik (J46)
Webmaster, Sailing Club
liaison officer and
North Harbour Nick Jordan (NW13)
South Harbour Liz Loveday (SX15)
West Harbour Alun Kraft (WR32)
Without Portfolio John Emby (WS16)
Without Portfolio Walter Martin (GO1)
Fishery Liaison
Officer Currently Vacant
Newsletter Editor Roy Sydney (WS17)
Web
addresses for the officers and editor are available
on the website at www.shbha.co.uk
Dates for your diary
February 2nd ‘Getting Spliced’ at the Haven School, Atlantic Drive, Sovereign Harbour South
March 12th A.G.M. discussion items deadline.
March 25th Lifejacket check in Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club.
April 8th Visit to Dover Coastguard.
April 23rd Sovereign Harbour Berth-holder Association A.G.M.
June 3rd & 4th Maritime Volunteer Service Charity Fun Weekend* in the Waterfront area.
Poster details to follow.
*The
Eastbourne based Maritime Volunteer Service Unit will be organizing this as a
charity fund raising event for itself and the RNLI. They would like people to
help and are looking for volunteers. If you can help please contact the
Chairman, Brian Stiff who will pass on your details. They are also looking for
use of a small tender with a coxswain