Drug Boat Dreams and a Savage Way to Sail

A shout-out for two sets of sailors met at the Delos meetup back in February.

First up there's the Drug Boat Dreams otherwise known as Targ and Teeps. They bought at a government auction the yacht Golem (as in Jewish folklore) which had been trying to smuggle £120m worth of drugs to Europe. It had to be pretty much torn to pieces inside by the National Crime Agency to find all the packages of cocaine, so it went for not that much but has required a lot of work to get it back together. Recently the mast was put back in and rigged.

You can follow their adventures on Instagram here: note the emphasis on cobalt blue, which fortunately exactly matched the colour of my macarons:

Then there's a Savage way to Sail, a solo circumnavigation being planned by an ex army sailor to raise money for charity. There's a web site here which describes the route and yacht and also a MyDonate page here for those wanting to make a donation. The yacht chosen is Coralle a Camper & Nicholson 40AC.

One of the charities is Turn to Starboard which offers sailing as a means of re-engaing and re-habilitating ex-servicesmen from the UK's military.

Good luck to both Golem and Coralle and the crews of both!

The Boat Race 2018 - a video

Rather than taking stills, this Boat Race decided to shoot only video and put the result on YouTube, as can be seen above.

Must admit can see why the BBC has 30 plus camera and a mesh style radio communication network to pass video up and down the Thames: the rowing eights are going so fast you only get to see a snapshot of the race.

However in this case it was all over by Hammersmith Bridge so got to see the most important thing.... Cambridge ahead!

Cambridge wins everything!

The Boat Race (and spring) is coming

Spring seems slow in coming this year but one sign of it is already here, namely the Oxford - Cambridge University Boat Race.

Traditionally held in early spring it is scheduled for tomorrow and this afternoon there was a trial run complete with cherry pickers, a helicopter and two rowing eights.

Winter is going.

Boats! Boats! Boats! .... in Geneva, at night

 

The beast from the east returns

Blighty is currently being hit by another cold snap, a few weeks after the last one which was dubbed by the media "the beast from the east".

However the temperature is still above 0C so the snow is melting rather than settling, hence its not very photogenic. Instead here's a photo from Geneva showing one of the marinas frozen over, something which hasn't happened to the Thames since 1814 when an "elephant was led across the river below Blackfriars Bridge".

No chance for an Elfstedentocht here on the Thames. If you haven't heard of this its a 200 km ice skating tour / race held in Friesland in north Netherlands whenever the ice is thick enough, which apparently is not very often.

You can get a feel for it (and the intense cold) in this Public Service Broadcasting (the band) video:

Remembering Stephen Hawking

There's been a lot in the media about the sad news of the death of Stephen Hawking and it made me remember my old Cambridge days.

He was a familiar sight then and I often saw him sitting in his wheel chair zooming along the streets of Cambridge, zipping across roads with an alarming speed.

While I studied in the same department as him - the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP to its friends) - he didn't teach us undergrads.

One of my post-grad friends who was lucky enough to have him as a lecturer invited me to the senior common room for tea when Hawking was there - not sure if that's enough for me to claim to have had tea with him but it was certainly memorable.

He wasn't always right and like all humans he had his failings. But he asked the big questions about the universe and came back with some big answers. He made science accessible with a recurring role in shows like The Big Bang Theory. He stood up for what he believed in politically.

And he showed that humans are defined by their mind more than their body: despite doctor's early prognosis he was to live a full life.

It reminded me of Charles Darwin who it is often forgotten was ill for large parts of his life. Darwin also noted that "Even ill-health, though it has annihilated several years of my life, has saved me from the distractions of society and amusement".

But Hawking seems to have enjoyed those distractions of society and amusement as well as doing great science:

Icy conditions for Lake Geneva Swimmers

There were no swimmers with polar bear blood to be seen trying out the steps down into Lake Geneva above, and none climbing onto the basking platform below.

There was little need of the no swimming signs:

I've swum in the lake before but not this trip!

Ice Sculptures of Geneva

The boats in the previous post were not the only things covered in ice in Geneva down by the lake.

According to Wikipedia, Lake Geneva suffers from something called the Bise, which is a cold wind coming down the lake from the north-east.

The Bise was really was rather dramatic: it felt like a wild animal had taken over Geneva, with lights swaying wildly, creating pools of light that swirled in the dark, and gusts thrusting against one, as if trying to push over or whisk away into the night.

It also flung up spray from the lake which froze in dramatic fashion into ice sculptures (above)

Walk-ways  were covered in a smooth layer, causing dangerously slippy conditions:

Frozen Boats! Frozen Boats! Frozen Boats! .... in Geneva

I've been off in Geneva again, struggling with a cold and the cold, rather than posting.

It really was rather chilly, and the wind thrown spray froze on boats down by Lake Geneva, as can be seen by these three examples:

Actually, not sure if this one can still be classified as a boat, as it seems to be acting like a submarine:

What Lizbef did next

At the Delos tribe meet-up last week had a chance to catch-up with Lisa and Liz and what they've been doing post Delos.

Turned out that apart from eating some of JP's special macarons both have been very busy. In particular, recently Liz and her Edouard have bought a boat together:

Alas a bit of work is required as Papageno (as per the Magic Flute I guess) was storm damaged and in particular has broken masts, which is a bit of a handicap for a sailor.

But, like Delos, it is an Amel.

Good luck Liz and Edouard!

The last Wild Beasts in Hammersmith

I've blogged before about the band Wild Beasts but this is for the last time as yesterday evening they had their final gig in the Hammersmith Apollo before splitting.

This quartet have a unique sound which I described earlier as "as if they are the chamber music of rock, a falsetto voice over metallic chords". A common theme of their songs was, well, work it out for yourself from these lyrics:

All the King's Men:

Girls from Roedean, Girls from Shipley

Girls from Hounslow, Girls from Whitby

Bed of Nails:

Be blatant as a bailiff

I want my lips to blister when we kiss

We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues:

Trousers and blouses make excellent sheets

Down dimly lit streets

You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to work this one out.

It was a wonderful yet sad evening. Wonderful as the set list was packed with favourites but there was always the knowledge that it was the last time ever we'd hear these chords, these tunes, these songs.

It was a special gig, with confetti (above) and multiple encores plus a choir at the end. Some lead vocalists might have done a spot of crowd surfing but these guys are from the Lake District which is known for its walking rather than surfing, hence we got this:

There could only be one final, final song, the aptly named The End Comes Too Soon, which wrapped up the magnificent story of Wild Beasts:

To sing us out the choir gave us the poignant Cheerio Chaps, Cheerio Goodbye, and then it was over and we streamed out into Hammersmith and the night.

It was reminder that all good things come to an end at some point. So if you have a band you want to see and they are playing near you, grab the chance.

The end comes too soon.

Update: reviews in Guardian here, Quietus here, Telegraph here, Times here, DIY here, NME here, Standard here and finally the Independent here with this apt quote:

"It proved to be the wrong time for this extraordinary – almost definitely the most interesting British indie/art-rock outfit of the past decade – but their music will endure and this was a fitting last act"

Delos tribe in London

I've loved watching those SV Delos videos and when the call came out on FB that there was a Delos tribe meet up I had to go.

London was wet, its streets and roads awash, winds biting cold, but the atmosphere in the Admiralty pub was fantastic, warm and full of great people.

I came prepared with some baking goods. For these deep sea sailors it had to be something blue, so came up with these Blueberry and Lime macarons:

A great evening!

Book Review: Swallows, Amazons and Coots: A Reading of Arthur Ransome by Julian Lovelock

I got this for Christmas and finished it within 2 days. But then I am a bit of a S&A buff.

This book looks at the series of novels by Arthur Ransome about those Swallows, Amazons and Coots from a more analytical viewpoint. It goes in depth into the background, considering how Ransome's own life is revealed (or not) in the books and how it connects or differs from the society in which he lived and times during which they were written, namely 1930 to 1947.

Those years, like Ransome's life, were packed with events and historic changes. Lovelock considers  how both England (in particular, rather than Britain) and Ransome related to women and the colonies, the differences and similarities, and how that affects how we read it today.

The book is structured as one chapter for each of the 12 books, starting with Swallows and Amazons and ending with Great Northern? with diversions as themes are picked up and analysed.

I found it fascinating though I didn't always agree with Lovelock, and looking at the reviews online can see there are others that disagreed with him. I have so many thoughts jotted down that I'm going to have to post them separately on another occasion.

An interesting buy to anyone who loves the books as much as I do, and there's even a foreword by Sophie Neville - a great pleasure as always to hear from this expert on all things related to S&A.

London Boat Show: On The Waterfront

There comes a time when you've heard all the talks, checked out the interesting new boats, browsed the boat show and had a bite to eat when the day seems to have been rather long and the exit beckons.

Outside was the magic twilight in which docklands glowed, reflecting in the hotel-yacht nearby.

A quick peak out at the quay-side by the ExCel exhibition centre and it was clear there were no boats on display:

It was rather cold: time to take the DLR and head west.

London Boat Show: Random Photos

London Boat Show: Ladders

There're always some off topic stands at the London Boat Show.

For some reason many are basically the sort of thing you'd see at an Ideal Home Show, in particular kitchen and bedroom focused, with knive and pans sets or new beds. I did wonder if they never left but the stands stay there all the time.

This one make me immediately think of one of the Greendale courses on the TV show Community, namely Ladders:



Though they didn't describe itself as ladders but instead something about "Access Solutions".

London Boat Show: Two Cars and a Helicopter

At a boat show you expect to see... well... boats, though for some reason other vehicles seem to creep in.

The amphibious car (above) did sort of make sense but this one less so:

Though maybe if you're buying a massive white gin palace you might as well colour coordinate the Bentley while you're at it.

But then what happens if your helicopter is charcoal grey???

That's done it! Cancel those orders!!

London Boat Show: Rowing the Indian Ocean

At the London Boat show saw another of those cross-ocean rowing team expeditions things. I know its all for a good cause (*) and terribly hard work but really can't get that enthusiastic - sorry guys!

I just can't see why you'd row when you could sail. Maybe I've seen too many SV Delos videos but they seem to be having a lot of fun while this just seems like making life hard for yourself.

Also, wasn't that the route that the debris from that the Malaysia flight 370 aircraft crash followed, washing up at Mauritius too?

Anyhow, there's a web site about there voyage here.



(*) raising money for to support those with Parkinson's Disease which really is horrid so worth funding

London Boat Show: Kraken Travel

A couple of years ago I went to a talk by Skip Novak at the Southampton Boat Show (as blogged here).

Afterwards wandered around looking at boats with two chaps I'd met at the talk called Henry and Emil. It turned out there were planning to charter a Challenge 72 to sail to high latitude destinations such as Jan Mayen island, home of the mighty Beerenberg.

Alas that sailing trip didn't work out due to complicated reasons and it was to set a pattern for the next few years where I'd get all excited about an adventure sail only to get sick and not go.

Anyhow, I met Henry again at the London Boat Show where he and his company Kraken Travel had a stand. They do just the sort of exciting sailing to interesting places that I'd like to be doing - see the video above (gold stars for those that spot Henry in it) - so had a good chat and catch-up.

Here's hoping at some point will be able go on voyages like these again.

London Boat Show: Golden Globe Race Anniversary & Susie Goodall Racing

I used to go round the boat show visiting the yachts on display and imagining sailing away in them. But now there aren't that many boat builders at the show and those that are on display are usually either plastic gin palaces or the potter round the Med types with fat beams.

However this one did catch my eye: a tough, go-anywhere Rustler 36 and it really is going on an adventure as Susie Goodall is racing it around the world as part of the 50th anniversary of the Sunday Times 1968 Golden Globe Race.

The new Golden Globe Race will leave on the 30th June 2018 from Portsmouth and re-create the classic race, avoiding modern designs and technology. As this web site puts it "iPhone, no mod cons, just solo with the sun stars and horizon".

Sounds fascinating!

London Boat Show: Emma Bamford

I'd met Emma Bamford at last year's boat show and bought her two books about her cruising life, Casting Off & Untie the Lines, which I'd read, enjoyed and reviewed (see this post).

But they left me with the inevitable question about what happened next, so went along hoping to hear there was a third book out that would give answers.

Alas it was just the two books I'd already read available but I had a quick chat afterwards as to what she was planning.

Apparently she is working in sailing journalism in the UK and is writing a novel about yachties in the Indian Ocean arriving at Chagos Islands where there's a baddy and the plot thickens (so to speak). One to look out for ... whenever. Not sure when as it sounded like it might not be available for next year's boat show.

So I left the Boat Show without picking up another book.... ah well, I have a good stack at home.

London Boat Show: Sam Davies and Tracy Edwards

I arrived particularly early for the Legends sailing talk with Tracy Edwards and Sam Davies (above) and that was just as well as it was really popular - with good reason.

Tracy Edwards, MBE, was of course skipper and driving force behind Maiden, the first female crewed yacht in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht race (now the Volvo), which won 2 of the 5 legs and ended up second overall.

She has inspired many others to follow her footsteps and helped them directly, including Sam Davies, inviting her to join the crew of the multihull Royal SunAlliance.

Both have mega projects they are working on. Edwards has rescued Maiden and is now planning a global voyage to raise funds for charities that support female education. Apparently there will be berths available in return for contributions - worth looking out for that later this year. You could even sail with Edwards, though I get the impression she could be a bit of a tough cookie.

And Davies is off again on another Vende Globe! Must admit to be rather thrilled by this one in particular as she really lit up the 2008-9 circumnavigation. She really seemed to be not just relishing the challenge but actually enjoying it, and you can see why France has taken her to heart with her natural girl-next-door charm:

Her new boat is being upgraded to the latest foils and then she'll have a good long period to get familiar with it before the race. Bon courage, Sam!

London Boat Show: Navigation Tips with Stokey Woodall

My chat with Conrad Humphreys touched on navigation techniques but later there was to be a whole talk about it from Pete "Stokey" Woodall (above).

I'd seen him at a previous London Boat Show when he'd described the star clock (below) for which the answer was not 42 but 41.5. I'd even gone off and done a bit of maths to work out that it was really 41.58 which I guess is close enough.

It was a very entertaining talk, including such gems as rolling up a chart into a cone and using it to locate fog-horn directions to within a few degrees (apparently that really works). Also a metal frying pan can be used to shield an AM radio so that the direction of the transmitter can be identified from the two possible directions 180 degrees apart.

There was also some more celestial navigation tips based upon one of the stars in Orion, Mintaka, that rises or sets due East / West:

Fun and informative!

London Boat Show: Conrad Humphreys and C4's Mutiny

Last year Channel 4 broadcast a programme called "Mutiny" in which they re-created the voyage of Captain Bligh after the Mutiny on the Bounty in which he was cast adrift in the Pacific in small boat.

The programme showed 9 men sailing a 23 foot open wooden boat 4,000 miles from Tonga to Timur and there was plenty of drama on the way. The boat itself was on display at the last boat show (as blogged here).

The channel's notes can be found here and it can be seen that there was only one named crew member, namely "Anthony Middleton, of SAS: Who Dares Wins".

There is a difference between a non-sailing commissioning editor and a sailor, because from my viewpoint the crew was round the world sailor Conrad Humphreys and some bloke from the marines (apologies to Anthony Middleton for that lack of knowledge).

In most cases there was perfect agreement between the two apart from the final leg where a lack of wind and water meant there was a discussion about whether to row towards wind patches.

TBH, if I'd been on that boat I know which of the two I'd have listened to the most carefully, namely the one that had sailed round the world and knew a thing or two about how to keep moving when trapped by a high pressure, but the episode was cut by someone who shared the channel's view that saw first and foremost a TV personality from the SAS.

Anyhow, it was great to meet Conrad Humphreys at the London Boat Show and hear about the voyage first hand and see some of the photos on his iPad. He also showed some of the ship's biscuits they survived on and if they were only eating a couple of those a day its no wonder they lost a lot of weight.

We also had a brief chat about navigation and the techniques they used which was pure old school techniques like dead reckoning and celestial navigation. I asked about whether he'd read Tristan's "How to Read Water" book and he hadn't but knew about Tristan and was wondering if he should reach out, to which I said yes, as that sounds like a great combination.

It was all very interesting and I look forward to hearing what he does next.

More London Boat Show photos for Tillerman

 Spent yesterday wandering around the London Boat Show in between listening to various talks.

More pics and stories to come but of course first up those all important photos for Tillerman...

The full moon and storm Eleanor in a tide gauge

The weather seems to be in the news a lot in the first few weeks of 2018.

The difference in temperature between my friends in Australia and east coast America seems to be about 60C compared to which our blighty weather seems comparatively mild.

But we did get storm Eleanor blow through around the time of the full moon which led to fears of a storm surge on top of a spring tide and so the Thames Barrier had to be closed.

Previously I'd posted how closing the barrier could be read in the behaviour of the flow and this time I kept an eye on the live tides at Chelsea to see what the impact would be.

From what I understand (via Twitter) the barrier was closed at 12:15 and it can be seen that there is a sudden dip in the water height at Chelsea, but not at the same time. It seemed to take 45 minutes for there to be a significant change in the height, but then there are several miles from the barrier to this gauge.

After the dip, the levels continued to rise but more slowly, due to the Thames river flow rather than incoming tide, with a maximum delta from predicted height of 2.23m - though the flow had been less than predicted anyway. Danger averted the barrier opened when the water levels equalised later in the day.

So lots of factors from the moon to the weather to one of London's largest infrastructure assets all influencing one simple gauge.

Top 10 Posts of 2017

Happy New Year all! Time to look forward at 2018 and back at 2017.

2017 was a difficult year as had to cancel two big sailing trips and so there was a distinct lack of boating. But what were the top ten posts of 2017?

By view count it was:

1. London Boat Show pics for Tillerman
2. Paddle boat Italie on Lake Geneva (above)
3. Scorchio!
4. So sad
5. Boating weather
6. Boats! Boats! Boats! ... on the Thames at Putney
7. Sleaford Mods going down like B.H.S on the Thames
8. Book review: "A Race Too Far" by Chris Eakin
9. London Boat Show 2017: Recreation of Bounty Voyage
10. Boris Staysail's vinning sailing "alternative truths"

By number of comments it was:

1. (Untitled post)
2. Boats! Boats! Boats! .... at Richmond
3. Five Gigs for Glastonbury Weekend
4. Niagara Falls trip 3/3 - Chicago!
5. Quiz: How many ferries across the Thames are there in London?
6. London Boat Show pics for Tillerman
7. Boating weather
8. Sleaford Mods going down like B.H.S on the Thames
9. Book review: "A Race Too Far" by Chris Eakin
10. Before "All is lost"

My favourites (in no particular order) were:

1. Totally Thames Installation: Future Dust
2. The Ferries of London: the secret Greenwich Ferry
3. The London Stones: Yantlet Creek
4. The Ferries of London: Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry
5. Visiting Bazalgette's magnificent sewers
6. Paddle boat Italie on Lake Geneva
7. Two lessons from my first yacht sail
8. Before "All is lost"

Yes, struggled to get the full 10 favourites.

It was noticeable how view counts decreased in Q4 - did anyone else notice that? Maybe should have posted more London Boat Show pics for Tillerman.

I wonder what 2018 will bring...