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What is a classic?

Dan Houston asked me how I would define a classic? This is a bone we've all gnawed at some tiime or other.
It used to be easier, but I think as time goes by it must evolve. Boats we currently consider not to be classics will stand the test of time and demand to be considered. Perhaps we will have to start debating a classic plastic category. Should they be called plassics or classtics? Eventually Dan will have to feature them in his magazine unless they change the title to Classic Wooden (or occasionally metal) Boat

My definition is
A classic yacht has s a hull form designed primarily to maximise it's performance through water not how many cabins it can be wrapped around.
It will probably be made of wood and will most likely have elegant lines

A wider definition would be that a classic has a hull form which results from its function, this would cover working boats but then you could argue a place for double aft cabin plastic yacht developed forthe hot weather charter market where sailing was secondary to providing a diving platform.

The easiest definition is one done by exclusion, i.e. our unspoken definition is that a classic has not been built in GRP and it's pre 1970 (or at least appears to have been built before then).
This gives us a boat which has either attractive lines or, if it's dumpy and lumpy it's probably a working boats and it makes us feel nostalgic for a time when men were men and had to suffer horrendous working conditions to earn a pitance.

Marcita on the Way Back

Marcita on the Way Back

This sketch was penned by Kit Ellis who took the Vannes to Brest leg with Paul Baker and John Lee.
He said, I attach a sketch showing Paul, John and me battling into a lumpy sea for too many hours with F7 (at least) winds during our stretch from Vannes. Marcita performed excellently - the crew coped.
For the full story of the Brittany trip see http://www.sailblogs.com/member/marcita/

Marcita Launch

Marcita Launch

Marcita was launched on Tuesday to give her time to take up before her departure for Brittany on Monday 15th.
We were pleased to see she was vitually dry, shipping only a few litres in the first 24 hours.
Here you can see her, before we fitted the spray hood, guardrails and all the safety equipment, as she would have looked (apart from the modern rig) when originally launched in 1957.

Marcita Engine overhaul

Marcita Engine overhaul

Our marine engineer has been busy with Marcita's engine over winter.
We took her out for a complete overhaul, the engine bay was repainted and she was refitted with new mounts and prop.

London Boat Show Ticket Offer

As usual we have a good offer for tickets. Just follow the instructions below.

Tullett Prebon London Boat Show – Saturday 12th to Sunday 20th January 2013
CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS £12 TICKET OFFER
Valid any day 12th – 20th January


WEBSITE BOOKINGS: www.londonboatshow.com
TELEPHONE BOOKINGS: 0871 230 7140
BOOKING REFERENCE CODE: JG1


IMPORTANT NOTES

Tickets can be ordered up to midnight on Friday 11th January.

Tickets can be printed at home or delivered by post. Because tickets ordered via postal delivery could take up to 7 days to arrive the most expedient option, for those ordering tickets over the Internet, is to use the website’s 'Print at Home' facility.

A single transaction fee of £1.75 applies whether ordering one or any greater number of tickets.

Youngsters 15 years or under go free (up to two per accompanying adult) provided tickets for them are requested when ordering adult tickets.

Group orders for 10 or more tickets (still at the same price) can only be made by telephone.

When booking you will be asked to select the day you intend to visit. This is merely to enable the organiser to anticipate numbers for logistical purposes. When you receive your tickets they won’t be day-specific and they can be used to attend on any single day.

WEBSITE STEP–BY–STEP BOOKING PROCEDURE


Click on ‘SHOW TICKETS BUY NOW!’ at top/right of homepage.
Enter & submit promotional code (JG1).
This brings up a ‘Ticket Options’ page. DISREGARD EVERYTHING ELSE – JUST CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THE DAYS BETWEEN 12th & 20th January.
This brings up the £12 ‘any day’ ticket offer which is then straightforward to follow.


NOTE: If you want to visit the show between Monday & Wednesday tickets are only £10 and you do not require the JG1 code to order them.

Southampton Boat Show Ticket Offer

As usual we have a good offer for tickets. Just follow the instructions below.

PSP Southampton Boat Show 14th to 23rd September 2012
CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS £12 TICKET OFFER
Valid any day including Preview Day on Friday 14th September

WEBSITE BOOKINGS: www.southamptonboatshow.com
TELEPHONE BOOKINGS: 0871 230 7140
BOOKING REFERENCE CODE: Clubs 12

IMPORTANT NOTES
Tickets can be ordered up to midnight on Thursday 13th September.
Tickets can be printed at home, delivered by post, or collected at the Show. Because tickets ordered via postal delivery could take up to 7 days to arrive, those purchased shortly before the show can be collected on arrival from the advance ticket box office at the main entrance. The most expedient option, for those ordering tickets over the Internet, is to use the website’s 'Print at Home' facility.

A single transaction fee of £1.75 applies whether ordering one or any greater number of tickets.
Youngsters 15 years or under go free (up to two per accompanying adult) provided tickets for them are requested when ordering adult tickets.
Group orders for 10 or more tickets (still at the same price) can only be made by telephone.
When booking you will be asked to select the day you intend to visit. This is merely to enable the organiser to anticipate numbers for logistical purposes. When you receive your tickets they won’t be day-specific and they can be used to attend on any single day including Preview Day.

WEBSITE STEP BY STEP BOOKING PROCEDURE
Click on ‘SHOW TICKETS BUY NOW!’ at top/right of homepage.
Enter & submit promotional code (Clubs 12). Then click ‘PLEASE SELECT’ box and select the name of your Club or Association.
This brings up a ‘Ticket Options’ page. DISREGARD EVERYTHING ELSE JUST CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THE DAYS BETWEEN 14th & 21st SEPT.
This brings up the ‘CLUBS ANYDAY’ £12 ticket offer which is then straightforward to follow.

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East Coast Depths

East Coast Depths

On the East Coast we are used to sailing in water not much deeper than the draft of the boat, but I thought this bouy we saw in Brightlingsea this weekend was a touch too optimistic

Sailing with Integrity - 12th July

Sailing with Integrity - 12th July

While Caressa was racing round the cans, Brian Gascoigne and I were on Marcita in the cruising section. This means each morning we get together with other cruisers to decide what we fancy doing. With an F6 and short, steep chops in the Solent, that was a bimble up the Medina to run aground while we had our lunch.
The grounding was intentional and saves the effort of anchoring but don't try it unless you are absolutely sure you know what's on the bottom and you have plenty of time before high water.
Another day we were asked by Will Stirling, builder of Integrity, to help him sail her while she was photographed.
Here she is shown being launched. By the time we were on board she had all her sails and another several miles of rope, all the same colour.
We worked out that with outhaul, inhaul, bobstay tensioner, whisker stay tensioners and forestay tensioner, she had more rope just on the bowsprit than Marcita has in total.
Initially we felt a little useless, only being good for 'point and pull duties' but as the sails went up, we settled in, began to anticipate what was required and started to feel like proper old gaffers.
She was beautifully balanced and cut through the Solent with only light pressure on the tiller. Down below, despite being modled on a late Victorian gentleman's yacht such as Marigold, her panelled saloon could have been from a Georgian House in Spittalfields.
We are looking forward to a go on his next one but Will cannot start untill he sells Integrity. She's available through Sandeman for £300,000.

More New Sails

More New Sails

There is something very satisfying about bending on a new sail.
As the sail slides out of the sailbag it lands on deck, the fabric uncreased and pristine.
You undo the sail tie and start to unfold it, a smell of the sail loft wafts into your nostrils.
Somehow this perfume drifts across the water and other boats notice what you are doing. 'Ah new sails, have you won the lottery' or 'new sails, getting serious this year I see'. You bristle with pride as the attention gives you a momentary high.
The deck of a yacht is not the smooth floor of the sail loft, and as you open it out inevitably new creases appear . With a pang of ennui the ageing process begins.
On the water I look up and realise how shapeless the old main had become. Instead of a baggy tea towel I now see a gracefull aeorofoil impelling Marcita forward, not just sideways.
Brian and I are convinced that, twinned with the new genoa from last year, the new main gives us an extra knot to windward.
At the end of the week, I put on the old mainsail to take her home. I tell myself the tea towel is perfectly good enough for downwind cruising, but really I just want to save our clean, almost crease free main to give us one more 'new sail high' next time we bend her on.

Caressa flying again - 8th July

Caressa flying again - 8th July

Chris Potter and a crew of Yorkshire yotties took Caressa for the BCYC Panerrai Regatta.
Our first job on arrival was to put on her new suit of sails.
Sunday's Round the Island Race was the first race of the week. The BCYC do it the wrong way round so unfortunatley this does mean you have the tide against you from Bembridge Ledge Cardinal, approximately 75% of the course.
I was on Jonathan Dyke's yacht, Cereste, he is one of the owners of Suffolk Yacht Harbour so she is pin sharp and rated faster than Caressa.
Caressa didn't have the greatest of starts and on the spinnaker drag East from Cowes I could see her union jack kite a good mile behind us. No chance of seeing her new sails in action, I thought until, stuck in a wind hole off Ventnor, Caressa hove into view from behind and went past us. I was quietly smug, Jonathan was vexed to say the least.
We caught and passed her by the Needles but she had a great race and came third in class, 16th overall. For a crew unfamiliar with a boat that is a very commendable result.
The overall winner was Cherete, a Buchanan East Anglian built in Pin Mill in 1958, the year after Marcita

Marcita and Caressa on the way to Cowes - 4th July

Richard Elkan who completed his Coastal Skipper Ticket on the trip from Pin Mill to Cowes took this short video of Marcita Click here for the video

Marcita Passed with Flying Colours - 29th June 2012

Marcita Passed with Flying Colours - 29th June 2012

This year we had Marcita's 5 year out of water MCA survey which she passed with no conditions.
In the off season we did the usual annual maintenance and repainting.
We also continued to improve her with a new starter motor, new chanplates and some refastening on the starboard side and a new mainsail. This will go with the new genoa and spinaker from Suffolk Sails last season.
We also went for a completely new set of Tacktick wireless instruments.
We have installed them on a removable panel which attaches to the sliding cockpit hatch.
This means that you can always see the instruments no matter where the crew are sitting in the cockpit. Apparently they are all wired into the GPS so we can get all sorts of VMG readings etc. There are even two depth transducers, one on each side, to take correct for the angle of heel!
Oh yes, and some smart new white horseshoe lifebouys and lights for the pushpit
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Caressing Caressa - 29th May 2012

Caressa has had a whole list of work done in the off season.
The Engine has a new grearbox and an upgraded pulley system which has solved the slipping belt problem which always gave her that annoying squeal on start up. The heat exchanger was removed, shot blasted and repainted the it was given a thorough going over with new filters, oil etc.
Sails Although she had a new genoa last year we commissioned a complete new suit of sails from Suffolk Sails so we wanted to give oursleves more chance of keeping up at Regattas. Suffolk Sails made Marcita's sails so we knew they would be good. Simon Scammel could not have been more helpful so we would happily recommend them. Click here for their website
Interior We've redone the majority of the varnish work except the floor. The fridge lid was re-made and we have all new cushion covers.
Outside All the varnish was redone, in many places being taken back to wood where the previously used two part varnish was lifting and causing a yellowing effect. Maggie who learned her trade at Spirit yachts did most of the work and we are very pleased with the results.
Adrian Donovan (http://www.adriandonovan.co.uk ) remade the forward hatch for us and to stop those annoying MCA required handles from leaking we are having a cover made by Sail and Cover in Woolverstone.
Sail and Cover are also making a cover for the lazarette hatch and a new sunshade/cockpit tent which will make the cockpit perfect for alfresco dining.
All in all Caressa is feeling a lot happier from her winter TLC

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We're back with the Blog - May 2012

We had a bit of a disaster with our previous blog platform which crashed and was discontinued You can see archived blogs up to July 2010 by clicking here You can see archived blogs up to July 2010 by clicking here. Everything in between has been lost....

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