run for berth holders by berth holders
Member’s
Newsletter Edition No. 118
www.shbha.co.uk
January 2010
Party time!
Saturday 26th of September saw members of
SHBHA all spruced up and heading for the celebratory 10th
Anniversary Dinner.
Well
waited on and quite replete we were then entertained by Sam Llewellwyn
who regaled us with his tales of basic boating and the incredible fun in Summer
of boiling a kettle up a creek (almost without the paddle!) followed by simple shrimping. He compared this to the winter amusement he had of
patching, digging holes and varnishing.
Realising that minimum boating can be too minimum, Sam has
progressed to the luxury of a Cornish Shrimper but still thinks the absolute
must have bit of kit is not the all singing and dancing new electronic wizards
but a galvanised bucket which he puts to use in a
multitude of ways (some combinations best not to think about!)
Starting
with his character building, childhood days in the Scilly
Isles he talked us through the ballet of boating activities and experiences,
along with tales of some of the
sometimes shady folks he had met (all in the line of research for his books you
understand!).
On
his luxury ‘matchbox’ (his words) his sailing gave him much happiness and he
convinced us that for all the contention in boating whether we head
Page 1
off to picnic, race, circumnavigate or potter there is nothing
better than messing about in boats.
After
more convivial chatter the enjoyable evening came to an end and we wended our
way back to our boats. It was somewhat incongruous clattering (as quietly as we
could!) along the pontoon in high heels and DJ’s before retiring for the night!
Services for members
A
new company offering preferential terms to members of
A wide range of boat tuition is on offer from ‘first
day on the water experiences’ through to advanced training leading to RYA
qualifications.
One
of the most popular courses to date is aimed at those boat-owners who are new
to boating and to others with some experience but who feel that they would like
to be more confident at maneuvering their boat within the confines of the
marina with its locks and pontoons. Tuition can be on your own boat.
For
further details contact them on 07713 639066 or www.harwellcharters.co.uk
Also new to the marina
is Matthew’s Boat Care. This new
service is run by Matthew Yeomans and as the company
name implies is concerned with providing a caring and professional service
aimed at making your boat look at her very best. Preferential terms are
available to members of SHBHA.
Contact
details are tel: 07534 251649 and e-mail mathewsboatcare@googlemail.com
Fender Search
Following the recent
gales and strong winds a number of fenders of differing shapes and sizes were
to be seen floating around in the harbor. Unfortunately many of these were
missing their boat’s name and could not be returned to the craft from which
they came. It is good idea once a year to re-apply your boat’s name with a
permanent marker pen which should ensure that your errant fenders can be
returned.
Page 2
Annual General Meeting 2010
The
Annual General Meeting of
Members
wanting business items adding to the meeting’s agenda must lodge these in
writing with the secretary no later than March
22nd 2010.
The
AGM will be followed by a pre-booked buffet
lunch, price £5. To complete the occasion
a presentation will be given which should be of interest to all berth-holders.
Please complete the form
below and send it together with your remittance, no later than April 20th 2010
to SHBHA Secretary,
Mrs.
Carol Holland
Elm
Cottage,
Marl
Ninfield TN33 9LD 01424 893326
(Cheques to be made payable to ‘SHBA Association’
)
Please
reserve me______ places at the AGM buffet lunch on May 9th 2010
Name/s__________________________________________________
Telephone
contact number _________________________________
Boat
name ______________________________________________
Signed__________________________________________________
New Post
At the AGM we will be
seeking to recruit an assistant editor. The new post will mean helping the
editor to create the next and subsequent magazines (which are produced three
times a year). Most articles are able to be completed at any time to fit in
with personal schedules and final copy need only be assembled just prior to the
print date. It is hoped that eventually the assistant will be promoted! If you
are interested or want to find out more contact either the Chairman or Editor
via the address as on the website
Page 3
Sardine or Pilchard
?
During the summer months of 2009 most angling boats going
to sea found the mackerel to be most obliging. During one of the hectic sessions,
when mackerel seemed to be everywhere, a different kind of fish was brought
aboard having taken the brightly coloured feathers
meant for the mackerel.
Searching
through books and internet sites revealed that the fish was in fact a sardine.
Or was it a pilchard?
The
terms sardine and pilchard are not precise and the usual meanings vary by
region. For instance, to many people a sardine is a young European pilchard.
Though the measurements are imprecise a sardine is smaller than 6 inches (15 cms).
The pilchard was once
the backbone of Cornish industry providing jobs for thousands of fishermen. At
the end of the 19th century, Newlyn alone
was handling some thousands of tons of pilchards a year. Pilchard Palaces,
salting and processing plants, could be found in most of the Duchy’s ports. The
boom lasted until the 1930’ s when a change in taste
meant that by the 1950s sales were dwindling and by the early 1990s a mere 6
tons a year were being landed in
Along
came Nick Howell, manager of the Pilchard works factory and museum at Newlyn who accepted the unique challenge of how to make
Britons think pilchard again. He began by changing the name from pilchard to
sardine as his early research showed that the appeal of the name was most
important. Now fresh sardines –aka pilchards- are back in force in
Other
important points which support the revival include, there are no landing quotas
for pilchards, the fish is good for your heart being rich in omega 3 and recent
studies suggest that this reduces the likely development of Alzheimer’s disease
and in 1997 pilchards prices were 1.5 pence a kilo but today have risen to £1
per kilo.
The
fish are caught at dusk usually in seine or drift nets, landed in the middle of
the night and are at the factory by six in the morning. They have to be fresh
to retain their appeal.
But
when is a pilchard a sardine. A food industry source explained,” a pilchard is
bigger than a sardine and anything under 6 inches is a
sardine and anything over 6 inches is a pilchard – but could also be called a
sardine”.
Perfectly
straightforward then !
Page 4
The Story Behind the Picture-‘The Fighting Temeraire tugged to
her last berth to be broken up,1838.’
This
picture is by JMW Turner, perhaps the best loved of English Romantic artists.
The
98 gun Temeraire played a heroic role in the Battle
of Trafalgar in 1805 where, second in line behind Nelson’s Victory she took
much of the fire aimed at the flagship and yet by the end she had captured two
French warships. For these actions she was thereafter known as’ The Fighting Temeraire’ and remained in service until being
decommissioned and towed from Sheerness to Rotherhithe in 1838 to be broken up.
In
the painting Turner was happy to use a little artistic licence.
To begin with she is shown travelling east away from sunset even though
Rotherhithe is West of Sheerness. He also included masts and rigging when these
had already been removed. The old sailing ship is being pulled by a squat,
steam-powered tug belching black fumes – ugly new technology superseding the
graceful yet obsolete. Turner was so fond of this painting he refused to sell it,
calling it,’ My Darling’. View it at www.artgallery.co.uk
For
the first time, this year my wife and I tried out the Boat Show Package offered
by Premier Marinas to all of its berth-holders. We were mightily impressed by
the organization of tickets, car parking and spacious, modern coach transfer in
addition to the warm welcome we received upon arrival.
It
became obvious in the first couple of hours of walking around
Even
so, we found lots of things to see and do, bags of
catalogues, fliers and magazines to collect and by late afternoon we were ready
to clamber back onto the coach exhausted after an enjoyable day.
Our
experience of the Premier Package was good and we will certainly use it again
in the future. Ed
Page 5
Sovereign’s Summer Visitors……. Dolphins or Porpoises?
A
number of reports have been received, particularly during the late summer and
early autumn, of sightings believed to be of dolphins or porpoise.
The
differences between dolphins and porpoises are not at first obvious, but the
two species are not difficult to distinguish between once you know the key
points of difference. A little research has resulted in the chart below which I
hope you will find helpful.
|
|
||
|
Feature |
Dolphin Characteristic |
Difference in a Porpoise |
|
The nose |
|
|
|
The fin (Some species of both
have no fin on their back) |
|
The l |
|
The teeth (The difference in teeth between
dolphins and porpoises reflects the difference in the fish that they catch) |
|
|
|
Size |
Dolphins
grow up to 12 feet long |
Porpoises
are usually less than 7 feet long |
|
Shape |
|
|
|
Sounds |
Dolphins
produce sounds we can hear (and are talkative!) |
Porpoise
sounds are inaudible to us |
|
Behaviour |
Dolphins
have much less fear of humans and will ride the waves alongside boats |
Porpoises
are shy - you are much less likely to see one - wild or captive. |
|
Groups |
Dolphins
live in large groups |
Porpoises
live in pods of 2 - 4 |
|
Lifespan |
Dolphins
can live for more than 50 years |
Porpoises
do not live long past the age of 15 |
Dolphins and porpoises are
both mammals, this means that they have major differences to fish.
As mammals dolphins and
porpoises have lungs and breathe air through their blowholes. Although they
have no gills they can still dive for up to 20 minutes.
Another characteristic of
these mammals is that dolphins and porpoises give birth to live young which
they nurse, and which are born with hair!
Dolphins
reputedly spend one third of their day sleeping, one third eating and one third
playing or making love. What a life!
Page 7
Gourmet Galley - ‘Crab Foo
Yung’
You will need;
1
large tin of crabmeat (or fresh if you are lucky)
4
chopped spring onions, 6 well beaten eggs, 1 tin of bean sprouts (drained) (or
fresh), 2 tablespoons of groundnut oil, salt and pepper to taste and a little
garlic powder if you so wish.
Lightly
mix together the beaten eggs, the drained bean sprouts, the chopped onions, the
crab meat, pepper and salt and pinch of garlic powder.
Heat
a little oil in a frying pan and when it begins to smoke pour in, using a
ladle, about a ¼ cup of the egg mixture. Proceed as if you were making
pancakes, turning the patties over when one side is browned and adding oil to
the pan as necessary.
The
patties are done when the egg is just set and they are brown on both sides.
With this recipe you should be able to make a dozen small patties.
Waypoint Wanderer ‘Let there be
light’ crossword answers
Across
answers;
6. LIZARD:
17th. century light with twin towers
8.
STRUMBLE HEAD: Connected to the mainland by a footbridge
9. ST BEES:
Destroyed by fire in 1822
11.
LONGSTONE: Sight of great heroism
13. BULL
POINT: Has guided ships near
14.
NORTH FORELAND: Thanet Beacon since 1499
15. FLAMBOROUGH
HEAD: 54' 10'N 000.25 W approximately
18.
20.
NAB: nick
21.
Down
answers
1. START POINT:
Begin here
2.
3. CROMER:
famous for crustaceans
4. NASH POINT:
Famous architect of
5. EDDYSTONE:
Smeaton's Tower was here
7. NEEDLES:
sharps
10. TREVOSE
HEAD: West country
light on 45 foot granite cliffs.
12. SOUTHWOLD: Found in the town centre.
16. MUMBLES: speaks unclearly
17. PENDEEN: Nearby Geevor Tin
Mine and Museum
19. SMALLS: rinse them
One
reader was so motivated by our quiz that not only did he provide all the
correct answers but e-mailed his solutions together with all the Lat and Long
positions!
Page 8
A Slippery Tale of a Fish Caught Twice
It
was Wednesday September the 30th 2009, a good day, a very good day. The sea was calm,
light breezes filled the air and a gentle sun completed the needs for a
pleasant day at sea. Upon reaching our boat a near-by berth-holder recounted
his fishing success of the day before. He kindly supplied the co-ordinates
necessary for us to visit the same mark and a box of bait to use.
On leaving the harbor
the auto pilot was set and skipper and crew settled
down for a 20 minute run to the mark. On arrival fishing gear was assembled and
a trace of cod feathers was duly lowered to the bottom. Interest in the
feathers was slight as we slowly drifted in the neap tide down the edge of a
bank which showed up very clearly on the fish-finder. Only a scad, a pouting and one mackerel were caught. All were
returned safely to the water. On the 6th or 7th drift the
line tightened and refused to move. This was no fish, it was the bottom. No
amount of pulling could free the tackle and with a crack the line parted.
New
gear was attached including feathers, squid and a red tailed rubber worm and we
commenced further drifts. Once again the line tightened but this time it began
to move and I became aware of a lot of head shaking going on from whatever was
attached to the line. Taking care I wound up several metres
of line only for it to be snatched back down below. This give and take went on
for 20 minutes after which when looking over the side skipper and crew could
see a large white shape coming up from the depths. A few minutes more and laid
by the side of the boat was a splendid cod of about 20
lbs. All we had to do now was to lift the fish into a prepared fish box on
board. But how? We were without a gaff or landing net
and to lift that weight by hand was asking for the line to break.
The
skipper donned a harness and attached himself to the bathing platform
strongpoint. The crew took over the fishing rod and was shown how to ease the
clutch in case the fish suddenly decided that it didn’t like it up here any
more. Then working together the fish was securely lifted up and into the
waiting fish box.
On
return to the harbour we were interested to know how
much the fish weighed. A set of scales was borrowed and the fish attached. The
scale spun round to maximum. The shock bounced the fish off the scale and it t
hen gracefully flew
through the air, missed the pontoon and disappeared into the marina.
Fortunately we could see the white shape of the fish on the bottom.
Page 9
Boat
hooks, gaffs, landing nets and poles were all taped together
to reach the bottom and our elusive fish. Fifteen minutes
later success was achieved and the fish was carefully hauled out and placed in
the fish-box ready for our journey home. ‘Well done!’ an excited passer-by
cried out, ‘I didn’t know there were fish that big in the
And
the weight I hear you ask? That was
20lbs 3 oz in old money.
The
waters between
Although
most wrecks were as a result of navigational errors or poor weather, there are
stories of people deliberately luring vessels to the shore. Lanterns
tied to grazing livestock, could
be seen well out to sea and easily mistaken for the lights of another vessel. On
a dark night, and in poor visibility, the light could be interpreted as meaning
that the area between the struggling ship and the light (of what they thought
was another ship) indicated an area of ‘safe’ water. By the time they
recognised the looming land mass, it was usually too late and they ran aground.
How much active wrecking was done by local people is unknown, but the resulting
salvage was certainly seen as a good source of income by many.
Jonathon Darby was Parson
of East Dean in the late 17th century and his duties included the burial of
bodies washed up from ship wrecks. He realised that a fixed light could be a
reliable warning to sailors of the coast, so he set about excavating ‘Parson
Darby’s Hole’ near to Belle Tout, creating a chimney that led up from the coast
and ledges where he could set lights on stormy nights. It has been said that Parson
Darby created his ‘Hole’ to escape the tongue of his wife, but he often spent
nights here watching the sea, and there is little doubt that this resulted in
many lives being saved.
Parson
Darby died in 1729 and is buried in Friston
churchyard with the epitaph ‘Sailors Friend’ on his gravestone.
Association Burgees
New
and distinctive Association burgees are available from the association
treasurer Mrs. Rona Jordan. The price is £20.
Page 10
What’s Been Going On?
At
the most recent meetings the following items have been discussed:
Some
cleaning issues related to the facilities blocks and especially the lack of
soap in the dispensers
The
emptying, and cleaning, of the bins (or not as the case may be!)
The
problems of jet skis launched elsewhere speeding in and out of the approach
channel
The
contract to provide automatic air-fresheners in the shower blocks
Marking
of trolley parks and signage re fire door in the underground car park
Salt
bins needing to be refreshed
Provision of another
facilities block for the north harbour (Yes we keep
bringing this up!)
Still
on-going is the long saga of a facilities charge in relation to the provision
of electricity!
ü The individual two hours
free berthing practice offered by Premier via the website will be arranged for
a weekend in 2010
ü The mess made by
starlings the marina has initiated an investigation into deterrents
ü 
Pontoon washing is due
to restart
ü Talks have started with
hoist providers!
ü There is to be an
evacuation drill before next season
ü The
ü Last time we asked for
members’ ideas for the marina particularly in relation to the lack of boats
wishing to use the west harbour cut. One member
suggested that these berths would be ideal for ribs and the Marina Management
are following up this idea.
Andy
Osman was promoted to the new post of Regional
Manager for the central area and is now responsible for Southsea,
Janet Taylor remains manager here.
As a result of the issues
surrounding problems of security and non maintenance of the pontoons of members
with private berths in the south harbour a letter was
written to the Managing Agents, Persimmon.
Discussions are still underway regarding the long term future for this
area of the marina.
Page 11
RYA Moorings and
There
is no report from the Autumn Moorings and
Further
to the notice in our last newsletter I have sadly to report the death of Steve
Clement our
Following
this loss the SHBA committee has co-opted Mr. Ted Neame
to fill the vacancy. We welcome Ted to his new position and look forward to
working with him.
Report ……….fire talk
Over
thirty members attended a most interesting talk about the possibility of fire
onboard a boat in the marina and the devastation that could be caused. Mrs.
Janet Taylor our Marina Manager was also in attendance.
Andy
Garland, the new Regional Manager responsible for
Gary Mead, the local gas
engineer, was also present and told us some hair-raising tales of gas
installations and their part in possible fire outbreaks.
……….Are you on my radar?
A
full house attended the free session on first steps in using radar on board. Mr.Ted Neame, berth-holder and
qualified RYA Instructor, talked the interested members through setting up
their radar, getting the best out of it and its varied uses to help keep them
safe. The tips gained sent us all back to berth to see if we had optimum
settings along with the knowledge that if we have it on board we should have it
switched on at sea. (see Collision Regulations!)
Page 12
Sink or Swim!
After
receiving numerous requests from members we have decided to host another Sink
or Swim event at 2.30pm on Saturday 27th February.
The
event will be held at Motcombe Pool,
Graham,
the tutor from Suffolk Sailing is well qualified to teach the skills involved
in inflating and boarding a liferaft and apart from
basic survival techniques you will also get the opportunity to try and right
things when something goes wrong. The warm,
safe environment of the pool is a good place to have a go so that you are
prepared if something happens at sea.
If
you only want to try out your lifejacket in a realistic setting then come along
as well.
Please
use the form below to book your place. A fee of £10 per person will be charged
on this occasion but it will be money well spent! After the first event we organized we had a letter from a member
telling us how it saved his life when his dinghy sank beneath him in Emsworth Channel the following summer.
Go on Give it a try…………It might save your life!
*Spares to rearm your lifejacket
will be available at a special price*
__________________________________________________________________
Complete,
cut out and send to:
Rona
Please
reserve me _________________places at the sink or swim event which will be held
at Motcombe Pool on Saturday 27th February
2010.
The
names of those participating are:
My
boat name is________________________________________
Please
find enclosed my remittance for £10 per person.
(Make
cheques payable to Sovereign Harbour
Berth-Holders’ Association)
Page 13
Meet the People- Matthew Yeomans
New contractor on the block!
Matthew
came to live in the area when he came to help his sister with her business here
in
In
earlier years Matthew appeared in the Eastern Daily Press when he was one of
the first in the area to be given ISO 9002 accreditation for his car body work.
He loves this type of work and puts his heart into coming up with that special
finish. The Porsche cars (and their owners!) that he used to work with demanded
an exceptionally high standard.
His
core business at
On the short, drab, wet
days he can be found, complete with his oilskins and flat cap under boats in
the yard preparing ready for the work to begin. He often goes into the shower
blue from all of the hose water that has soaked him during the day. Conversely
he is happiest when on the longer days he can step out into the sunshine and
admire the end result. He is always proud of his work and considers that his
business name (Matthew’s Boat Care) reflects the service he gives. He is there,
after all, to give the boat longevity with his thoroughness and good products.
Happy
to be giving his best, Matthew wouldn’t swap places with anyone around the Harbour but wouldn’t like to be without his trolley which
saves him endless walking and thus time.
First
boarding a yacht when he was in a cot as a baby gives a clue that Matthew has
boating in his blood. Indeed his grandfather worked with Leslie Landamore to draw and build the prototype Yeoman class
yacht out of cedar strips. There are still plenty of this type of vessel
competing on the
Page 14
wooden yacht was in fact designed by his father about 30 years
ago so he is well motivated to keep everything in good shape.
He
is hoping to be able to have a short break in the summer to visit the Channel
Islands where his dad has a boat and being adventuresome he is looking into
sailing from the North of Scotland to
Ultimately he thinks he
will sell his vessel to buy a racing yacht. He must also have speed in his
blood too as he would love to race Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton on a
formula one track!
Working hard means he
doesn’t have much time to read anything other than books about boats but he
does listen to anything from Mozart to Motorhead!
Although the business is only just getting going he is looking to the future
and hoping that trade will increase to the point where he can start to employ
someone. He would like to pass on the many skills and knowledge he has. In the meantime
he realises that he just has to work hard and put in
the hours.
We
wish him well!
On
8th October 2009, Nick Jordan as chairman of the Berth-holders
Association was invited to attend a meeting of the Sovereign Harbour Rotary Club which had been started the previous
month. At that time they were still affiliated to the Eastbourne
Rotary Club but with 16 members already signed up, they were confident of
reaching the 20 needed to become independent.
The
idea is to include members of the sailing fraternity with others living on,
working round or using the harbour, to develop a
group of like-minded people to socialise and to raise
money for local charities.
Anyone
interested in joining, especially boat-owning Rotary members, will be made most
welcome.
The
club meets every Tuesday evening at 7:00pm at Simply Italian on the Waterfront.
The session starts with a light meal followed by the meeting.
If
you would like more information, please contact Sam Sweiry
by phone on 01323 479111 or by e-mail at: shrotaryclub@aol.com
or just turn up on any Tuesday evening.
Rona
Chairman,
Webmaster Nick Jordan (NX17)
and Sailing Club liaison officer
Vice
Chairman Pete Holland (NG11)
Secretary Carol Holland (NG11)
Treasurer Rona
Membership
Secretary Nigel Dumbell (F30)
Newsletter
Editor Roy Sydney (WS17)
Auditor Derek Last (G16)
Web
addresses for the officers and editor are available
via the website at www.shbha.co.uk
Dates for
your diary
For local
events and more information, posters will appear around the harbour
and information can be found on the web site.
Sink or Swim Motcombe
Pool February 27th 2010
Boat Jumble and Free Lifejacket
Check
10-2.00 Saturday March 27th 2010
Berth-holder’s AGM May 10th
10.30 Sovereign Harbor Yacht Club
SHBHA
Safety Evenings continue on alternate Monday evenings. Full programme details are on the web-site.
We ask you to encourage others to join
and keep the Association
strong