run for
berth holders by berth holders
Members’
Newsletter Edition No. 109
www.shbha.co.uk January 2007
|
J |
anet takes the helm.
As this newsletter goes to print
our new marina manager, Mrs. Janet Taylor, will have completed 4 months in
post. Invited to add a few words to this edition, Janet was happy
to make the following
contribution:
“ I first
joined Tarmac Construction in 1989 and came to work for the Project Director at
the ‘Crumbles Harbour Village’. When the construction of the marina was well
under way it was part of my job to arrange guided tours around the marina
before it was flooded which I am sure many of you will remember. I then became
the Administrator at Sovereign Harbour Marina Limited and set up the business
working processes and was proud to welcome the first customers into Sovereign
Harbour in 1993.
I am now
delighted to have this opportunity to contribute to Sovereign Harbour’s future
development and to continue the marina’s excellent teamwork, with its strong
commitment to ensuring all our customers enjoy first class service and
facilities.
It is my
aim to ensure that all our customers receive the highest levels of customer
service from our friendly and experienced staff.
I look
forward to seeing you around the marina and if you have any queries or problems
please do not hesitate to contact me at the marina office.”
Janet Taylor, Sovereign Harbour Marina Manager
What’s been going on?
At the
monthly meeting held between the Officers of the Association and the marina
management many items are discussed. Some are of a minor nature and easily
resolved. Others are on-going and take more discussion. Others remain frustratingly
stubborn and seem to be permanently on our agenda.
To keep you up to date …….
ü
The new start line for the yacht races has
been approved by EBC and SHYC have erected the necessary mark. The change means
that there should not be so many yachts in the entrance channel conflicting
with other boats leaving and entering the locks
ü
More
owners using chip and pin numbers.
By the New year all gates and barriers should be using this system thus making
the marina more secure. If you see unauthorized people on the pontoons please
contact the office immediately
ü
A
promise of new shower controls for the
West harbour which should see an end to us all being cooked alive in the
summer
ü
A
promise for improved signage on the
piles in the North harbour along with stickers
on pontoons to help direct anyone who falls in to the nearest ladder. The ladder at the top of the harbour was
removed to stop people getting into
the water. Rescue buoys are available
in the immediate area
ü
Take
up of the Berth-Holder Association’s suggestion for more energy saving measures to be considered. These could include light
sensors and time switches. Already a small reduction in the level of lighting
in the underground car park has resulted in dramatic savings. Not only are such
measures environmentally friendly but may save money (and keep down fees!)
ü
The bins should all have a spring clean and
be fresh for the new season.
We are
still pressurizing for a web cam
facility with a view to the entrance of the channel. This should enable
more people to see if conditions are safe enough to put to sea before setting
off from berth or home.
The
Harbour have employed an architect to complete the necessary drawings to
support a planning application for additional
facilities at the top of the north harbour. Shrubs and screening will be
included to enhance the area. Consultation with all interested groups is taking
place.
The waiting pontoon idea has been subsumed
into the suggested permanent lifeboat pontoon project.
A query
from a member about what ‘approved contractors’ were has
resulted in the Association finding out that this only means that they have
been checked for third party liability cover. This covers those who employ
their services. It was recognized that individual contractors may not always
perform to standard and that it is advisable to ask around before employing
someone.
Some problems are of a more
frustrating nature! These include:
The ventilation system in the central facilities block. Those who use these know that it
can be like a sauna in there! Investigations are ongoing with the
manufacturers, engineers, installers and builders all involved. It seems that
the problem may revolve around clogging filters.
The doors to and from the car park and the path around the perimeter of the
marina are still closed due to health and safety reasons. This has caused a
great deal of frustration and inconvenience for all and the project is now well
over its anticipated completion date. We continue to press for this problem to
be resolved at every meeting and we will
not give up!
We are
planning to work with the Sovereign Harbour Management on a questionnaire which will seek the views
of all berth-holders. The idea is to cover the
range of facilities and services offered by the marina This initiative
has worked well in other locations and will give us all information which we
can use in discussion to improve identified areas.
Change of Channel
The marina has now got permission
to use Channel 80 which is used by most marinas. Using the new channel will mean
that our communications will not be over-spoken by ships offshore who are
rightfully using their intership method of contact. Full details will be found
in the 2007 Year Book but rest assured the staff will be keeping a dual watch
(on 80 and 17) for some time for those of us who forget!
THE BATTLE OF BEACHY HEAD
by Robert Page
We don’t
seem to talk much about the Battle of Beachy Head. This maybe because it was inconclusive. But as, many years later, Sovereign Harbour nearly became the
location for an Exhibition about the battle it warrants more attention.
It all
started early in June 1690 when a large French fleet left Brest with the
intention of crushing an Anglo-Dutch fleet in the Channel. The French fleet consisted of 77 men of war
and 23 fire-ships and was under the command of Admiral Tourville. One of these ships was commanded by Jean
Bart an infamous French commander who is still highly thought of in NW France.
The
French fleet was first sighted off the Isle of Wight on Sunday 22 June 1690.
This was reported to Lord Torrington who was to command the Anglo-Dutch fleet
of only 57 ships of the line and 11 fire-ships. Lord Torrington was pessimistic about his chances of winning and
wrote “....the odds are great, and you know it is not my fault....let them
tremble at the consequence whose fault it was the [English] fleet is no
stronger” Nevertheless, Queen Mary
- acting as Regent - had ordered him to fight.
She had been advised that “there were not above 60 [French ships]
that could stand in line”.
One of
the English vessels was the “Anne” a 3rd rate warship of 70 guns. She was
commanded by Captain John Tyrell. The Battle started in earnest on Monday 30th
June 1690 and under the influence of tides and wind the fighting vessels moved
eastward eventually arriving off Beachy Head, then Hastings and Fairlight.
Several Dutch ships were sunk but only the “Anne” suffered serious damage and
was beached by Capt. Tyrell at Pett Level, between Winchelsea and Rye. When he learnt that the French were
attacking Rye Captain Tyrell decided to set fire to the “Anne” so that she
could not be taken as a prize. Strangely, although the French had the upper
hand, they then abandoned the fight and went home.
However,
the story is far from over. The “Anne”
still lies under the sand at Pett Level.
Although some two thirds of her was destroyed in the fire she
is the
only remaining British warship of that era.
Attempts have been made to
preserve her, not just because of her historical interest but also to protect
her from treasure hunters who, in 1974 tried to excavate her remains with a
mechanical digger. To prevent further harm to the vessel the Nautical Museums
Trust, which runs the Shipwreck Heritage Centre in Hastings, purchased the
wreck of the “Anne” for £1 and she has been a
protected
wreck ever since.
In 1995 the Trust applied to the
National Lottery for several million pounds to build a museum in which the
wreck could be housed. Sovereign
Harbour was one of the locations under consideration for the museum and
discussions with Tarmac plc. were quite positive. Sadly, the Lottery decided that it had better uses for its money
than preserving our Nautical Heritage and said “No”!
In 1995
the stem post and part of the bilge were still clearly visible at low water
springs but over the last 10 years she has become increasingly covered by sand
and nothing is now visible. The sand
fortunately gives her some protection until money can be found to lift her and
preserve her.
On the
other side of the Channel the French seem prouder of the battle than we are. In
Dunkirk they have formed a very active l’Association Tourville which is
building a full scale replica of one of the French warships involved in the
battle. They will name her “Jean Bart” after the French captain. In 1999 the
Nautical Museums Trust and
L’Association Tourville prepared a joint application for European
funding to support the efforts being made on both sides of the Channel. Once
again the response was
negative.
Captain Tyrell wrote 316 years ago “...we
have a hundred and odd men killed and wounded. our main mast, mizzen mast and
bowsprit shattered all to pieces, and
foremast quite shot away. We received above 60 shot betwixt wind and water. I
have got up a topmast to act as a jury foremast, but the foresail is too small,
she will not work with it. The French are to leeward with the wind ENE and
NE. Our ship is being so much battered,
God Almighty send us clear of our enemies.
My men were very skilful and behaved themselves with a great deal of
gallantry.
Next time
you are sailing past Beachy Head, give a thought to Capt.Tyrell and his men.
Red Diesel
On
Saturday 9th December the Treasury Minister, John Healey, confirmed
that the UK Government’s application to renew the derogation on red diesel for
private recreational boaters had failed. Further information is available on
line at a number of sites including:
www.mby.com/auto/newsdesk and www.rya.org.uk
To meet….or not to meet?
Saturday,
12th October dawned still and grey. The committee met as agreed
ready for the’ Meet’ but by now the Easterly wind was blowing in whisking the
newly laid sand away from the blocks and swirling it into the air. In spite of
that the first ‘swop’ item arrived resplendently draped on a trolley. The owner
began pumping the dinghy up (for that’s what it was!) as someone arrived to
search. Some discussion took place and before too many minutes had passed the
deal took place and cash changed hands.
This was
the first of many ‘swaps’ that took place at the inaugural Berth-Holders Meet.
Other notable items sold that morning included another dinghy, an engine (which
included a free boat!), and a rather handsome looking telescope. Many smaller
items were snapped up quickly and one family took longer to unload their
goodies into the trolley and move to the pitch than to sell what they had
brought!
The tea
and coffee on sale from the lifeboat house was appreciated by everyone and many
took the opportunity to stock up on Christmas cards which were being sold by
the RNLI fund raising team. The Sea Safety team was on hand to offer help,
advice and free ‘Sea checks’. Several berth holders chatted to us and some new
to the harbour joined our ever-growing Association.
All those who came to sell went home happy
and most who came to buy found something. It was a pity that more people didn’t
join us as all goods had been sold by just after lunch so apologies to those
people who turned up after everything had gone.
This was
the first time we had organized such an event and we all feel that another one,
with some modifications and probably at a different time of year could be even
more successful. It seemed the biggest problem was people didn’t seem to
understand the term ‘meet’ so we think we’ll call the next one a BOAT JUMBLE! (See the dates for your
diary page)
Discounts
for members
As the
sailing season of 2007 gets closer many owners’ thoughts turn to preparing their
boats for the approaching spring and summer. Catalogues are perused, words like
anodes, anti-foul, ropes and rigging seem to be in every sentence spoken.
Listed over are the names and contact details of those businesses dealing in
the marine market that currently offer discounts to members of Sovereign
Harbour Berth Holders Association on production of a current membership card.
In the words of a recent supermarket promotion,
“ every little helps ”
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 on mainly
ropes and rigging. Contact: 01323 763019/766185 www.cableandropeworks.com
SUFFOLK SAILING offer a pre booked 10% reduction on
liferaft servicing cost (but not carriage).
Arrangements can be made to see your liferaft inflated. 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
or local area officer, Terry Colbran, on 07860 362367
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 SHBHA members. Contact; 01323 764004 or
07951 739953
Yacht and powerboat surveyor,
Rupert Smith, has
offered a 20% discount to members of SHBHA for surveys on mono hulls during the
months of December, January and February.
He can be
contacted on 01323 898782 and/ 07931565798.
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.
The Royal Sovereign Light
To begin I feel that it will be helpful if we look briefly
at what preceded the Royal Sovereign Light Tower and that was of course the
Royal Sovereign Light vessel.
Trinity House, the authority responsible for lighthouses,
vessels, buoys and beacons had at first been opposed to the idea of light
vessels but the Nore Light Vessel established at the mouth of the River Thames
in 1732 proved so popular and successful that Trinity House adopted the scheme
and took charge of the vessel from its previous owners.
Until about 1886
light vessels were constructed of wood when they then became chiefly composite,
followed by iron and since 1936 all light vessels have been made of steel.
It was in
1875 that a light vessel was established on the Royal Sovereign Shoals,
approximately 7 miles from Bexhill-on-Sea and 6 miles from Eastbourne. This
vessel was the first to have a flashing light showing three successive flashes
at one minute intervals and in 1877 the character was changed to three quick
flashes every 45 seconds. There have been 8 light vessels on this station since
that date and the last vessel was removed from station in September 1971 when
it was replaced by the impressive Royal Sovereign Light Tower.
The last vessel, light vessel number 5, was built in 1953
with a red hull and had the light tower amidships. The name was painted in
letters 6 feet high on both sides. She was 137 feet overall length, had a beam
of 25 feet and a builders tonnage of 346. The light was shown at a height of 40
feet above sea level and in clear weather its character of one flash every 20
seconds was visible at a distance of 11 miles. In addition the vessel was
equipped with fog and submarine signalling devices.
Lightships work in a very hostile environment and
maintenance is important to help ensure reliability and safety. They have to be
removed from station and replaced with another vessel every 3 years whilst dry
docking and refitting are carried out. The last time the Royal Sovereign Light
Vessel underwent this maintenance programme in the mid- sixties it was at a
cost of £12,000 during the course of which 16 tons of barnacles were scraped
off her bottom!
Another lightship, at one time stationed on the Sovereign
shoals, can be found at Haslar Marina. This is now being used as a restaurant
and amenities block. Bearing the name ‘Mary Mouse 2’, she is painted a bright
shade of green!
In the next edition of the Sovereign Harbour Berth-holders
Newsletter an actual account of life aboard the Royal Sovereign Light Vessel
will be featured.
(Part four of this series will appear in the next edition
of your newsletter and will include an actual account of life aboard the Royal
Sovereign Light Vessel in 1940.)
On Thursday February the 1st 2007 at 20 .00hrs
in the Sovereign Suite of the Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club a display will be
presented including a film of the building of the Royal Sovereign Light Tower.
Coxswain’s Report
As we approach the end of the 2006-year one of the questions I get asked by many people is ‘What sort of year have you had and has it been a busy year for you?’ The answer this year is no, not really. This has been the quietest year since I took over as coxswain just over five years ago but Eastbourne is still one of the busiest Lifeboat stations in the country.
The All
Weather Lifeboat ‘The Royal Thames’ has been launched 44 times and the Inshore
Lifeboat ‘The Joan and Ted Wiseman 50’ has launched 48 times. Is there any
reason for this? Well I would like to think that people are now more prepared
when they go to sea and are aware of the problems they could encounter due to
the many RNLI Sea Safety initiatives which are available to the mariner and
general public.
So just
what sort of incidents did we respond to in 2006? The most common call out has
got to be machinery failure closely followed by vessels that get caught on
fish/pot marker buoys. Some of these are very well marked but some are not so
well marked! A bone of contention for some, I know, but one which I won’t go
into! Discarded trawl net mid channel managed to catch a few people this year.
No, I know it should not be there. It is very difficult to see and so hard to
avoid. The following are in no specific order but were all attended to by the
Eastbourne Lifeboats:
Vessels
that have grounded, rigging/equipment failure, persons reported missing,
persons cut off by the tide, persons stuck in the mud in the outer harbour
(very messy), a cruise liner with 708 persons onboard which was on fire in a
position 20nm South of Sovereign Harbour, reports of red flares, divers with
the bends (decompression sickness), sailing dinghies caught in a violent squall
and capsized, vessels swamped and sinking, reports of activated E.P.I.R.B,
swimmers swept out to sea and exhausted, rubber dinghies being blown out to
sea, windsurfers, canoeists, kite surfers and other persons injured requiring
medical assistance to name just a few.
As a
charity having to rely entirely on donations P.R has to be a very important
part of the lifeboat station. We take part in many of the town’s events so that
the general public is aware that there are lifeboats in Eastbourne and what
they are there for.
We were very busy back in July with
the’ 999’ show that takes place on the Western Lawns. This gives people the
opportunity to look over the Inshore Lifeboat and meet the crew. They also get
the chance to view both Lifeboats afloat during a demonstration at sea with the
Coastguard Helicopter which is based in Lee on Solent.
Open day
alongside the Waterfront, where the public get the chance to look over the All
Weather Lifeboat, is another opportunity to meet the crews.
Being
afloat for the four days of Airbourne is always very interesting as we normally
get to take part in a demonstration working with the RAF Chinook Helicopters.
This year we were able to work for the first time with the Dutch Search and
Rescue Helicopter and the Belgian Search and Rescue Sea-king Helicopter, good
training for the lifeboat and helicopter crews and good P.R. As for the weather
I will pass on that one!
The August
Bank Holiday saw the second Eastbourne RNLI Regatta held here at Sovereign
Harbour. A lot of hard work and a lot of support in many ways and forms saw a
very successful weekend despite the weather yet again! We were able to raise
funds in the region of sixteen thousand pounds which goes into the Eastbourne
Lifeboat funds. To all the people that supported us a big ‘thank you’.
As for
2007 who knows what it will bring, hopefully many happy hours afloat for
everyone but if you find yourself in a situation of needing assistance you know
there will always be a lifeboat here at Eastbourne ready to assist, no matter
what the time or the weather.
Mark Sawyer
Coxswain.
Is it a Shag or a Cormorant
?
Both of these species of birds can be found near water and
it can be difficult to tell them apart.
In the case of the cormorant
it holds the position of being the largest all-dark European sea-bird, with a
yellow patch at the base of the bill, a white patch on its face and in its
breeding season, a white patch on each thigh with a predominantly white head
and neck in the breeding season of April/June. This bird can be found on
inshore waters on all types of coasts and also on inland lakes. An adult bird
can stand 36ins or 90cms.tall. The cormorant feeds mainly on fish, crabs and
other crustaceans.
The shag is
smaller than the cormorant and all dark except for yellow patches at the base
of its bill and around its eye. During the breeding season of April/June, the
shag has a distinctive curved crest. Juvenile birds are mostly brown with a
white-ish chin and throat. Shags are exclusively marine birds nesting on rocky
coasts and rarely wandering to muddy or sandy shores or inland. This bird
stands 30ins or 76cms tall. The shag feeds exclusively on fish for which it
dives to depths of 20 metres.
R.Y.A. asks for your help.
Noted
below is the most recent communication from the Royal Yachting Association
regarding their campaign for clearly marked fishing gear.
“ For
several years the RYA has been encouraging boaters to report incidents of
propeller, keel or rudder entanglements with submerged fishing gear.
The RYA
has raised the problem that poorly marked fishing gear poses for the safety of
navigation many times with the MCA over the past few years but despite this the
MCA have always maintained that there are insufficient statistics to warrant
any action.
Now,
however, the Marine and Coastguard Agency have given their support to the RYA
campaign and together with the help of CHIRP, (Confidential Hazardous Incident
Reporting Programme) has tried to collect details of as many entanglements as
possible to show that there is a safety case for action.
To date
we, the RYA, have received a mere 86 reports over a 4 year period. This is
however 40 more or so than the MCA say they have had on which to base their
position. Unfortunately by the time the lifeboat is launched the root cause is
oft forgotten.
Now it may
be that there really is not a problem but all the anecdotal evidence together
with views expressed by our members suggests otherwise. The MCA have at last
begun to corroborate reports of entanglement incidents and with the help of the
RYA database are evaluating the size of this issue.
It is now
more important than ever that leisure boaters report any entanglements with
nets and/or other fishing gear. This can be done by downloading the relevant
form at www.rya.org.uk and/or www.chirp.co.uk.
The RYA
Chief Cruising Instructor says,” fishing pots are often positioned close to
changes in depth such as headlands and the sides of channels. Be especially
vigilant in these areas. Be aware that common floating household items are
often used as pot markers. Give floating milk and oil containers and footballs
a wide berth! “
Above all keep a good lookout and report any problems
Page 12
Meet the People
On a cold,
windy day, with rain lashing down I was able to meet Ben Mellor, lock keeper at
Sovereign Harbour. It was naturally quite quiet with little boat movement-
quite a contrast to the summer when the job is extremely hectic.
Ben first joined the staff when he was looking for an
apprenticeship in 2001. He started working with the maintenance team and had
just completed his training when the post of relief lock keeper became vacant.
It wasn’t long before he became a permanent member of the lock keeping team -
an opportunity Ben welcomed. Changing direction was the best thing that
happened to him as he is really happy in this role and loves coming to work on
his shift days. Since taking up the post he has attended quite a lot of
training and is qualified in practical and theoretical aspects of boating.
Additionally he is trained in hoist movements so that should an emergency
happen out of hours he can deal with it. Naturally Ben’s maintenance training
can also come in useful at these times.
The lock
keepers’ job entails overseeing boats using the harbour and safe running of the
bridges and locks. At the height of summer, when things get really busy, there
is help available from the seasonal staff. All boats are checked in and out of
the marina against the computer records so there is plenty to do in addition.
The recently installed lock control system makes life easier and is much safer
to operate than its predecessor. Finger tip control with touch pads gives an
immediate response. Information, such as depth of water in three different
locations is also displayed on the console so that this can be passed on to
boaters if required. Cameras are an invaluable tool in all areas of the job
particularly as the site is so large.
All
keepers work a shift pattern with the rota showing five days on/five days off followed
by two days on/two days off. Everyone has an equal number of night and day
shifts in each month. Being on nights gives Ben the only negative side to the
job as he has to travel home 22 miles in the morning rush hour and at these
times it takes him over an hour!
The
variety of the mix of duties and the opportunity to work outside sometimes
checking the boats when the weather is windy for example make this a very
interesting job. The area favoured least by Ben is when someone has a problem
with the pump out facility so he keeps rubber gloves to hand!
Ben’s fire
fighting training came in useful one day when he was working near the fuel
pontoon. He heard an explosion which happened when a
faultily
wired ignition ignited a build up of gas within a boat. Dashing to the scene he
looked for a fire extinguisher and couldn’t see any. In the panic he
momentarily forgot they were housed in specially made cabinets. It wasn’t long
before the situation was in hand however and it was only afterwards that the dangerous
possibilities were realised. Whilst on duty several other emergencies have
needed Ben’s help including sinking boats and drowning crew.
Modern
technology is a favourite with Ben and he loves his laptop which has films and
music on it. He has recently invested
in an x-box and new HD TV which entertains him at home and thus saves him money
on going out.
During his
12 hour shifts he sees a kettle as an essential piece of equipment and would
love to be able to arrange free-flow. Unfortunately at Eastbourne this is just
not possible. Asked whom he would like to change places with in the harbour Ben
answered ‘A berth holder with a nice boat to enjoy a calm day at sea.’ Clearly enthusiastic about his job he is
looking forward to the change of channel and asks for your help……….. ‘Please
turn on the radio and listen in!’
Gourmet Galley
This easy recipe cooks in one ovenproof dish so is ideal
for supper. I don’t have an oven on board so use the skillet pan instead. This
brilliant invention allows everything to cook as if in an oven, uses hardly any
gas and can be popped under the grill for the final stage of the recipe. If you
want to make the entire meal in the dish add other vegetables as required. This
may mean you need a bit more stock.
Cheesy Chops
1 kg potatoes, peeled
and thickly sliced
1 onion, sliced
½ pint of
vegetable stock (or wine!)
2tbsp olive
oil
4 pork
chops
1tbsp
wholegrain mustard mixed with 4oz grated cheddar and three tbsp milk
Spread the
olive oil onto the surface of an ovenproof dish. Place the potatoes and onions
(mixed) in the dish and cover with the stock. Lay the pork chops on top of
everything and cover the dish. Place in the oven (210°/gas 8) and cook until
the chops are tender (About ¾ hour +). When they are, spread the cheese mixture
over the chops and grill for about five minutes until the cheese is bubbling,
golden and crisp. Serve straight from the pan!
A.G.M.
The Annual
General Meeting of Sovereign Harbour Berth-Holders Association will be held by
kind permission of the Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club on Sunday April 22nd
2007, commencing at 10.00h.
Discussion
items for inclusion in the agenda must be lodged with the Honorary Secretary,
Mrs. Jenny Bilmes, 37, Madeira Way, Eastbourne BN23 9AJ, no later than Monday
March 12th 2007
WHAT’S IN A NAME ?
In this
continuing series of articles I am grateful to Mr. and Mrs Geoff and Judy
Latter for the following contribution.
‘Having to
choose a name for our new boat, we started with the letter ‘A’ and continued
through the alphabet. We had no joy until we came to ‘Z’ when Geoff said,
” What
about Zebulin ?” It had been his late
father’ s Christian name – William Zebulin Latter- and derives from the book of
Genesis in the Old Testament.
We kept the “Zebulin” for our next
boat but added Queen in memory of Geoff’s mother. Her name was Hilda but she
was affectionately known as “Queenie” in London where she lived.
The name
“Zebulin Queen” has been ours ever since and for the last 29 years has been
borne by our present boat, a C – Kip 40 Trawler Yacht.
It has
given us a lot of pleasure over the years as people have asked us where the
name comes from and in addition it is comforting to feel that Geoff’s parents
are keeping us and ’ Zebulin Queen’ safe.
The editor will be delighted to
receive contributions for inclusion in the next newsletter due out in May 2007.
Web
addresses for the officers and editor are available
on the
website at www.shbha.co.uk
Dates for your diary
London
Boat Show January 5th to 14th 2007
Royal
Sovereign film and talk February 1st 2007 in SHYC
SHBHA
Boat Jumble April 14th 2007 10.00 - 12.30 by the locks
SHBHA
Annual General Meeting Sunday April 22nd 2007 in SHYC
J Thanks to ‘Copyservice’ of Westham
for their
kind, helpful and efficient service in the
publishing of this newsletter.