· PDF filepowder, FM200 and water mist. Manual, automatic or electronic activation. Price from £100 2 + #"'3-&)'! 1!") 0! 08452 177574 sales@!remonkeyltd.co.uk!remonkeyltd.co

FREE DIGITAL MAGAZINE

Douro River Cruise Replacing seacocks Broom Ocean 37

JANUARY 2014

Destination Guide POOLE HARBOUR

MY BOAT Norman 20 renovation

BOAT TEST

Greenline 33 Hybrid

OwnerA!ordable practical boating

Motorboat

October 2013

we

lco

me

ab

oa

rd

Motorboat OwnerDigital Marine Media LtdDragon Enterprise CentreStephenson RoadLeigh on Sea,Essex SS9 5LY

General Enquiries01268 922991

contact us Advertising: For all trade, private, display or classi!ed adverts01268 922994 [email protected]

Subscriptions: 01268 922991 [email protected]

Editor, Neale Byart01268 922992 [email protected]

Associate Editor, Claire Frew01268 [email protected]

[email protected]

@

Welcome to the January issue, and depending on when in the month you are reading this, it’s either a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, or how was the boat show for you? We have travelled the length and breadth of the country this month to bring you another jam packed mag. Claire has been down south !nding out all about Poole, our largest natural harbour, while I have been in Cumbria talking to a man who has rescued and

restored a Norman 20. "ere are many things about Peter’s story that struck a chord with me, his enthusiasm, the fact that his annual boating budget is less than buying a daily pint of beer, and all the clever ideas he has put into his project. "e biggest thing though, was that he bought his boat while unemployed and without telling his wife. "e reason this resonated with me was that I once did exactly the same thing, so I know just how he must have felt the

day he had to confess. Luckily Peter’s story ended well and his wife is now even keener on the boat than he is, if that’s at all possible. My advice to the rest of you is, don’t try this at home. Take it from me, not all partners are as understanding as Mrs Whewell. I hope you have an enjoyable break, and if you are out on the water over the festive period, or early in the new year, please do take extra care in the cold weather. "is month’s feature on the dangers of carbon monoxide is a timely reminder of how keeping warm can come at such a tragic price. For those that are venturing to Excel in January for the boat show, please do come along to our stand and say hello. We’ll be there on stand A175, all day, every day, and we would love to meet you and hear your comments about the mag, or any other general boating chit-chat. Merry Christmas

From the Editor

T.Cha

pp

ell / Tra

de

r Mo

tor Y

ac

hts

See you at

London!

Stand

A175

Motorboat Owner 3 2 January 2014

CONTENTS

Motorboat Owner 5

BOAT TEST68 Greenline 33

REGULARSNEWS page 6INBOX page 8CUTTING EDGE page 24Q&A page 34TESTED page 60

CLASSIC CRUISER GUIDE

Broom Ocean 37

JANUARY 2014

page 64 Safety CheckCarbon Monoxide

page 10 My BoatNorman 20 renovation

p38

21 POOLE HARBOUR

Destination Guide

p48

PRACTICAL Everything you need to know about seacocks18

CRUISING Portugal Douro River Cruise

A cost e!ective range of hand held dry powder, foam, CO2 and water mist extinguishers from 1kg/litre to 9kg/litre and a selection of "re blankets from 1m2 to 1.8m2.Price from £10.00

STANDARD RANGE

PERSONALISEDPRODUCTS

We can supply hand held dry powder, foam, CO2 or water

mist extinguishers in all sizes personalised with your boat

name, make, model and logoPrice from £12.00

PREMIUMRANGE

Anything from the standard or

engine room ranges using high quality, corrosion resistant stainless

steel cylinders.Price from £120

ENGINE ROOM SYSTEMSBuild your own engine room system from a large selection of components. 1kg/litre to 50kg/litre, foam, CO2, dry powder, FM200 and water mist. Manual, automatic or electronic activation. Price from £100

BO

AT

FIR

E S

YS

TE

MS

08452 177574 sales@!remonkeyltd.co.uk!remonkeyltd.co.uk

p26

If you have news from your region, email us [email protected]


Are you keeping your boat in the water over the winter? The Canal & River Trust is offering shorter term agreements to boaters who prefer to stay put in selected moorings over the winter months. Three, six and nine month permits are available at some of the Trust’s long term mooring sites. The Trust claims it will be much cheaper and more flexible for boaters.For the full choice of permits and terms and conditions visit the websitewww.canalrivertrust.org.uk.

Winter mooringpermits now available

UK East and West coast battered by stormsOn !ursday 5th of December the biggest tidal surge since the storms of 1953 hit the UK coast. It a"ected the east and west coasts with ports experiencing a metre more tide than predicted. Rhyl in North Wales, Hull and Boston on the East Coast were among those worst hit by #ooding. !e boating community seems to have been relatively unscathed, although there were a few reports of boats breaking free in marinas and getting blown over on the hard. We’ve had many reports of marina sta" looking a$er boats and trying to minimise damage. At the Scarborough RNLI lifeboat station both lifeboats were removed from the station by the volunteer crew in advance of the surge. Later on the exceptionally high tide #ooded the lifeboat station and large parts of the seafront. !e high tide measured 7.3m at neighbouring Whitby, incredibly that’s 1.5m above the predicted tide. !e clean up operation is now underway. If you have any surge stories or images please do email us.

D Bro

ad

Bayliner’s new 742 cuddy will make its debut at this years London Boat Show in January. !is follows the success of the 642, tested by us in our October issue. Fitted with a 5.0 litre Mercruiser 260hp the boat will be priced at £49,950. (Stand E222)

New Bayliner 742

A new ‘fairer’ toll structure for the BroadsA new 2014/15 toll structure, proposed by the Broads Hire Boat Federation and the Norfolk and Su"olk Boating Association, has been given the go ahead. !ere will be a 2.8% overall fee increase, with a 3% rise for the smallest boats. Large motor cruisers of 41sqm will see an increase of 2.25%. Hire #eet boats will see a rise of just 1.2%. David Broad, Chairman of the Navigation Committee at the Broads Authority, announced the new tolls and said “this revised proposal supports the hire boat industry during di%cult economic times and moderates the impact of last year’s increases on larger boats”. He added that the committee “works with the range of toll payers on the Broads to ensure fairness and value for money”. For more information visit www.broads-authority.gov.uk

RNLI D

Barry

!e North Shannon Yacht Club [NSYC] has been revived by a group of enthusiasts. !e NSYC was originally founded in 1896 with a &rst Commodore being Lord Kingston of Kilronan Castle, but unfortunately club activity ceased in 1933. Now,a$er a gap of 75 years the committee is invitingyacht and motor boat owners to join. !e club will base itself on Lough Boderg and hopes to make the club as vibrant again as it once was, stimulating social and boating activity in the region.

North Shannon Yacht Club revived

Boston Marina For Sale

Estate agents Bruton Knowles has Boston Marina for sale at o"ers over£150,000. !e 52-berth marina is onthe River Witham in Lincolnshire, near Boston town centre. With convenient access to the North Sea and inland the marina is home to a mix of coastal and inland cruisers.

N S Y C 1896

@INBOX email: [email protected]


I am writing to publicly thank all the people who helped me and my wife out this summer.We had set o! on a month’s holiday aboard our Westwood A35. One week in to the holiday we had decided to leave Torquay and head back east to Poole. Toddling along at not much more than tick over, thinking how lucky we are to be boating, we seemed to hit something. "e engine made a strange noise and then all seemed well again. Eight hours later we arrived in Poole and were told the bridges wouldn’t open until 6.30, a wait of an hour. No problem so we pulled over to the Town Quay to get some supplies and walk the dog. As I pulled back the throttle there was an almighty crunch and the engine stopped. Dri#ing into the quay side my wife threw a rope and we managed to tie up. On closer inspection there was metal swarf and chunks of aluminium laying in the bottom of the engine bay. I rang Cobbs Quay Marina and they gave me the name of a chap who could tow us into the marina. He soon arrived, towed us in and gave us a name of an engineer who would be with us the next day.Chris Manners from Penton Hook Boat Sales, who sold us the boat some years ago advised us to ring our insurance company. "e insurance company sent a surveyor. "e marina sta! were brilliant and li#ed the boat out the next day. "e engineer Lee from Leeway Marine checked it over with the surveyor and found that there had been a major engine failure due to something straining the prop. He would have to li# the engine out and order parts, which meant we would have to abandon the holiday. "e next problem we had was getting back to our car at Hayling Island. Luckily a chap called Adam came along the pontoon asked us if he could help and without hesitation said “OK, I’ll take you back to your car”! Lee repaired the engine and made a superb job of it. "e surveyor, insurance company, engineer and marina sta! all worked together to make the whole process as stress free as possible. So here we go, a big thank you to: Clive of G & C Auto Marine, Lee Stroud of Leeway Marine, Nautical Insurance Services Ltd, John Katenkamp of Cox & Haswell Ltd, All the sta! at Cobbs Quay, Adam Busby and Chris Manners Penton Hook Boat SalesJohn & Sue Bennett

A big thank youSTAR LETTER

Reading your reply to mixing oils in “Q&A”, rang alarm bells. I understand that putting synthetic oil into a diesel engine that has had mineral oil as the norm can wreck it. "e cause apparently is that it results in glazing of the bores. I would stress that the age of the engine is a factor but at any rate the oil type speci$ed by the manufacturer should always be followed. At the Freeman Owners Forum we have been asked this question in the past and from the wealth of knowledge within have always advised against using synthetic oil in a diesel engine. Richard Sellers-Smith

Using the right oil

"e Editor replies: I have to agree that you can’t go wrong if you stick with what the engine manufacturer recommends, especially for older engines, although current thinking seems to be that synthetic blends are #ne to use in themajority of engines.

On reading your article on winterising I’m reminded of something that happened a couple of years ago. Normally I have my Antaris craned out before I set about winterising it, but

in preperation for it being li#ed I winterised it in the water. I did all the usual things, closed the seacock

and ran anti freeze through the engine etc. As far as I was concerned I had done everything correctly, but come the spring and with the boat back in the water I was horri$ed to $nd water rising in the bilge. We managed to get the boat li#ed before too much damage had occurred. On closer inspection we found that when I closed the sea cock, which was the ball valve type, a plug of river water became trapped inside the ball and had frozen during the winter. "is split the casting practically in half. What I should have done, and now always make sure I do, is open the valve a#er running the antifreeze through. So readers with ‘ball’ type sea cocks beware, the power of ice is unbelievable. Dennis Hill"e Editor replies: A good tip Dennis and a timely reminder. It is always worth checking the bilge a$er launching.

Beware the power of ice

MY

BO

AT


Peter Whewell had no previous interest in boats when, four years ago, a friend called upon his

engineering background to help him !x up a yacht that he had bought. "e yacht had been holed and sunk and was now sitting in a !eld awaiting a complete repair and refurbishment. Peter admits that he loves nothing more than !xing and refurbishing stu# and he had no problem getting stuck in. He stripped down and overhauled the seized winches,

and helped rebuild the engine among other things. At the end of the 12 month restoration Peter had a taste for all things nautical and his eye was caught by an old Shetland sitting in the corner of the same !eld. It was around 15$, had no engine and was obviously unloved. Peter tracked down the owner but despite the neglect, he did not want to sell it enough for the two of them to agree a price. "e bug had really bitten now and, not put o#, Peter spoke with his brother who

works on the canals doing upholstery and canopies, and asked if he would put the word out that he was looking for a little boat to work on as a project. What his brother found him was a Norman 20 that was in need of a new home. It was very grubby, full of water, had no engine and the marina where it was moored needed shot of it, so it was going cheap. "e result was that Peter became the new owner of Sylk Lady for the sum of £350. While this is not a lot to

pay there was the added complication that Peter was between jobs, and therefore had little disposable money. It was only a$er buying it that Peter told his wife, which given their !nancial circumstances, did not go down too well. “She was mad at !rst, but luckily now she loves the boat as much as me, and in the summer she only usually makes it to midweek before asking if we are out on the boat at the weekend”. “"e boat has given us a great opportunity to spend time together and we have done

“My wife was mad at !rst, but now she loves the boat as much as me”

Peter Whewell’s Norman 20

MY

BO

AT


so more than we ever would have done without it”. "e next problem was what to do with his new project. "e marina wanted it gone and Peter couldn’t a#ord to leave it there in any case. Luckily a friend had some warehouse space going spare so the search was on for a road trailer. Again Peter’s brother came to the rescue by !nding a nice roller coaster trailer perfect for the Norman for a reasonable £600 and just 10minutes down the road. With the boat in the warehouse, work could begin in earnest. "e !rst job was a pressure wash of the exterior followed by a quick polish, which transformed the boat from a grubby wreck into something that suddenly looked, from the outside, pretty reasonable. "e water !lled interior meant that the bulkheads were rotten so Peter started by ripping literally everything out, as Peter was keen to see the condition of the boats hull from the inside as well as out. "e galley unit was removed, the toilet compartment dismantled and even the main cabin bulkhead came out. All of the old rotten wood was kept, to be

used as templates for new panels, which would be cut from marine ply. All of the windows and frames were removed. "e two forward facing cockpit windows were plastic and had become very crazed so these were replaced with toughened glass, as were the two forward facing windows in the cabin. "e rest of the windows were refurbished and replaced with new aluminium brackets being hand made to replace the rusted mild steel ones originally !tted. All of the deck hardware was also removed including cleats, cabin top handrails and pulpit, and everything

re!tted and bedded in with a good dose of sealant. “I wanted to make sure there were no leaks when I put it back on the water”, Peter tells us. He also replaced every single nut, bolt and screw with stainless steel ones, “there were many examples of mild steel !xings on the boat that were simply rusting away”, he said. Everything was put back more or less as original but Peter made a few minor alterations. "e steering wheel box used to protrude through the bulkhead and into the toilet compartment so Peter made a console to mount it on. He also re-wired the boat and added some LED lights to the cockpit, cabin, galley and toilet compartment and the new console gave him a place to mount the switches. “It shows how little I knew about boats as when I was getting the labels made

up for the helm I used the word Kitchen instead of Galley” he laughs. Other modi!cations include a fold down table from the starboard side cabin bulkhead and a wooden step to allow boarding without treading on the vinyl seating. Outside there were some small areas of gelcoat to repair, most notably on the bow where it had bashed against it’s mooring. Peter added a brown stripe just below the gunwale using coachwork enamel paint. “It was only about £15 per tin and has done just as good a job as a specialist marine paint”. He had some new names made for the boat by a local vinyl company and also added some Sylk Lady motifs to each side. On the transom Peter has added some wooden doors across the engine well. "ese do a great job of keeping the noise down, and he has also

Peter found Sylk Lady unloved and full of water

"e wooden bulkheads were rotten and the boat required re-wiring

"e rotten bulkheads were removed and used as templates to make new ones

MY

BO

AT


added a wooden shelf across the top of the engine well to rest the canopy on when it is folded back, and to !x it down to when it is up. Peter’s brother came to the rescue again by making a new canopy and recovering the cockpit cushions. "e galley was remade in much the same style as original using the original small sink and tap, which takes water from a portable container stored in the cupboard below via an electric pump. Peter added some !ddles around the edge of the galley unit using stainless steel cupboard handles and mounted a stereo system in the side with speakers in the cabin and cockpit. "e gas system was removed and the toilet compartment was lined with le$over %oor tiles to create a really nice !nish. Keeping it in the family further, Peter enlisted his

mum to make curtains for the windows and he needed to add some rails, as there was nothing there when he got the boat. "e boat was bought in July 2011 and by late 2012 the space in the warehouse was required by the owner, so the boat needed to be removed. Most of the work was done with just a few little jobs le$. “Ideally I would have liked to have le$ it in there for the winter to completely !nish it o#, but with the space needed I decided to get the boat out and get it a%oat”. "e trouble with this plan was that Peter had no mooring to put the boat on, and the boat still had no engine. Peter’s local waterway is the Lancaster Canal, and the Canal and River Trust, who look a$er the waterway, o$en auction o# available berths. Peter put a bid in for a suitable sized mooring and, he suspects because it was winter and therefore there was little interest, won it for a very reasonable sum. "is gives him the rights to the bank side mooring, which is at Garstang and just

"e remade galley unit with stainless steel kitchen door handle !ddles.

Nearly !nished, just some upholstery work to do.

"e Lancaster Canal provides 42 miles of lock free cruising.

Peter !tted some doors across the engine well to reduce noise and keep the weather out.

a few minutes walk along the towpath to Bridgehouse Marina. "e sum bid is the amount paid each year as a mooring fee. "e boat was launched and motored to her new berth using an old borrowed Seagull outboard. Peter’s search for an engine began with a wanted ad on a buying and selling website. He was looking for something in the 9.9 to 15hp size, ideally four-stroke and preferably Yamaha. About six weeks a$er launching the boat he received a call from a guy in Liverpool saying that he had

MY

BO

AT


a 2002, 9.9hp Yamaha four stroke for sale for £550. Still with no income, and with the boat now in the water, he decided that the trailer was surplus to requirements and sold it to fund the purchase of the engine. It was only once the engine was bought that Peter realised that he also needed some controls. An Internet search revealed a company selling a used Yamaha 703 control complete with cables, which was !tted a$er a few modi!cations. He also needed a short cable link for engine instrumentation and luckily the same company had a used one of these in stock too. A fuel tank was sourced via his brother and neatly installed in the starboard a$ locker. At !rst the engine wasn’t running right, so Peter stripped the carburettor, cleaned it out and gave the

engine a good service and since then it hasn’t missed a beat. "ere is still work to be done. Peter’s brother will continue with the upholstery work to the cabin cushions, and there are a few areas of gelcoat that need attention. Peter is currently in the middle of designing and producing an in!ll for the V berth. "e wooden part of this in!ll will !t underneath the foredeck inside the cabin on some custom made sliders that Peter is currently in the process of fabricating. "e Lancaster Canal runs from Preston in the South up to near Kendall in the North, although the last few miles have been cut o# since the M6 was built. "is provides 42 miles of canal to explore and the longest stretch in the UK without any locks. "e canal stood in isolation to the rest of the canal network until 2002 when the Ribble link was completed, allowing boats onto the Leeds and Liverpool canal, and vice versa. Peter uses Sylk lady as a day boat, taking his family and friends either north

or south to one of the riverside pubs for lunch and a drink before a gentle cruise back to base. As yet he hasn’t managed to convince his wife to spend a night on board but once the !nal few modi!cations are complete he is hoping that will change. “I nearly got the boys on board for an overnight jolly, but one thing or another got in the way so that never happened”. Considering that Peter was a non-boater only a few years ago he can’t contain his enthusiasm for boating. “I love the fact it

is so relaxing. I love all the nature that you see along the river and I really enjoy just how friendly and sociable everyone that you meet on the river are. People will stop and chat simply because you are on a boat, and everybody waves at each other. "e best part by far though, is the opportunity it provides to spend some quality time with my wife and family. "e boat has probably cost me a little over £2000 all in, but I can’t put a !gure on the enjoyment we get out of her. My annual running costs are very low too. "e mooring, canal licence, insurance and Boat Safety Scheme certi!cate costs come in at just over £1000 per year, and I can spend a whole day on the water and not get through the 12 litres of fuel in the tank”. Now that’s a#ordable boating.

"e re-designed helm console with electrics

"e toilet compartment has been smartened up

Peter is building an in!ll for his !rst overnighter

PRACTICAL


HOW TO

Replacing seacocks

W

TOOLS

YOU WILL NEED

DIFFICULTY RATING

!e humble seacock. What is yours made from?

If you have one of these on the outside, make sure you know where it is on the inside.

What is a seacock?

Types and materials hat do you think is the most important bit of kit on your boat? !e engine? Your electronics? Maybe your drinks cabinet? !e answer is none of the above, although arguably they would all be rather di"cult to live without. !e single most important thing on your boat is quite possibly the humble seacock. Almost every boat has one, some have many, but do you know when yours was last changed? Do you even know what material it is made from? !e problem is that seacocks can be made from a number of materials, some of which will last for many years, while others can fail in considerably less time.

When we are referring to seacocks we generally are talking about the three components that make up the through hull #tting for either a water intake, or water outlet. !ese components are the skin #tting, the bit you see on the outside of the hull, the valve, which allows you to turn the water $ow on or o%, and the tail, which is where the hose connects to. !ere is usually one per engine for the intake of the raw cooling water, unless the boat has an outdrive or outboard, in which case the water is taken on board through the leg. Each toilet will have one or two for inlet and outlet, and then there are other items such as deck drains, generators and air conditioning systems

that can also have a seacock. Make sure you know where all of the seacocks are on your boat. When it is next out of the water, #nd them on the underside of the hull and then work out where they are on the inside. It is not unusual for people to own a boat for a number of years and then suddenly discover a seacock they did not know existed.

If you have replaced the seacocks on your boat, you will probably know what material you bought, and therefore know roughly what their service life might be. Brass, which in my mind are not really suitable for use on a boat, especially

below the waterline, really only has a lifetime of around #ve years, and even then I would want to be checking them annually. DZR is also a brass, but one that is resistant to dezinci#cation and is therefore wholly suitable for use as a seacock. Bronze is arguably the best material but its high cost, and the fact that DZR o%ers similar performance for less money, means it is rarely used nowadays. Another material, which is relatively new in terms of use in seacocks, is plastic. !is is not just any old plastic though; this is a glass-reinforced plastic that meets ISO, CE, IMCI and other relevant standards.

PRACTICAL


So if you have decided it is time to replace your seacocks, what do you need to do? Well I went through this process last year. !e toilet seacocks on our Sealine were changed just prior to us buying it, but the exterior $ange of the skin #tting was looking decidedly pinkish so I chose to replace both of them with plastic versions made by Tru Design, and supplied in the UK by Lee Sanitation.

Here’s how I did it:

One of mine was particularly stubborn and in the end it was easier to cut through the thread below with a hacksaw

Undo the retaining nut on the skin #tting. If it starts to spin either wedge something down it, or get someone outside the boat to grip it

!e area around where the new skin #tting will sit should be cleaned of any old sealant or antifoul paint

BONDING

HOW TO IN 16 STEPS

!e photo doesn’t show it,but this #tting had a pink tinge. We were also unsure what it was made from, so decided to replace it.

Remove the hoses from the tails, if they have been on a long time this may be harder than it sounds

Using a wrench, unscrew the valve from the skin #tting

Checks and Markings

CW617N, this is brass

Types of valveBall valve

showing any signs of pink colouration, you should consider changing it. !e pink colour comes about due to dezinci#cation, which means the zinc content of the metal is gone and what is le& will have become brittle. In extreme cases the metal simply crumbles, and if that happens when the boat is in the water the bilge pump is unlikely to keep up with the $ood. Another check worth doing is to have a look at the components and see if there are any markings. If you #nd CW617N, that indicates the component is brass and in my mind should be replaced immediately. If you #nd CW602N or CZ132 this indicates the item is DZR. You may also #ndCR, which standsfor Corrosion Resistant, and which is also used on DZR products.

If you don’t know what yours are made of, how old they are, or whether they are #t to be le& in place there are a number of things you can do. On the inside of the boat, does the valve, hose tail and what you can see of the skin #tting look clean and shiny or is it covered in green, or even have a pink tinge to it. If the later, it probably needs replacing, or at least a closer inspection. On the outside of the boat, scrape any antifouling o% the skin #tting $ange and see what the metal looks like. Again a nice shiny bronze colour probably means it’s ok, but if the surface is pitted or if it is

Most valves are of the ball valve type and these are generally considered suitable as a

seacock. Many boats have gate valves installed, and these are not ideal. !is is mainly because they are o&en made from brass, but also because there is no easy way to tell by looking at them whether they are open or closed. Gate

valves also seem more prone to seizing than ball valves. Another type is the taper valve. Blakes is a well regarded manufacturer of taper valves, originally made in bronze they seem to last the lifetime of the boat, so if you have an old one, look a&er it. Modern Blakes taper valves are made from DZR and should provide many years of good service.

654

321

Gate valve

PRACTICAL


Clean up any excess sealant, particularly on the outside where you will want a nice clean #nish ready to be antifouled

Fit the hose tail to the valve using either some Te$on tape, or the same sealant used on the skin #tting, to create a watertight joint

Again using Te$on tape or sealant, join the valve to the skin #tting, taking care to get the valve in the correct orientation to allow the handle to move freely

16

Reattach the hose to the hose tail. Always double clip using 316 grade stainless steel clamps and always ensure that both clamps are tightening down onto the tail.

TIME TAKEN

COST £

CONSUMABLES

Apply the fastening nut to the skin #tting. Ensure the #tting doesn’t spin as it is being tightened

Some #ttings have keyways on the inside or outside, or slots on the inside, whichhelp to hold them in placewhile tightening, A special tool may be reqired

An internal backing plate should always be used to spread the load. If you don’t have one, cut one from some marine ply and bond it down with sealant

If the new skin #tting requires a larger hole than the old one, wedge a piece of wood with the new size hole cut in it over the old hole as a template

Apply a good bead of sealant around the $ange of the skin #tting. Sika$ex 291 is a good product for this

Apply more sealant around the base of the skin #tting inside the boat to #ll any gaps around the thread

151413

I chose Tru Design plastic products as Ididn’t want the worry of corrosion issues.I have heard it said that you should not use reinforced plastic seacocks in the engine room due to the possibility of them being damaged in a #re. While these seacocks do meet many regulations, #re resistance information is hard to #nd. It could be argued that a metal seacock with a plastic or rubber hose would leave you in no better position if the valve was open, a likely scenario if the boat was in use. It could also be argued that if a #re was so intense that it had melted a seacock in the bottom of the bilge, the boat is probably well beyond saving. I spoke with Tru Design who con#rmed that their ball valves meet the requirements of USCG #re regulation 183.590.

121110

87 9 Tru Design plastic seacocks

CUTTING the latest boating gear and technology


Marine Teak TablesHas you your cockpit table seen better days? !ere is a new range of decorative teak table tops now available in the UK. Marine Teak can supply various shapes and sizes with most designs incorporating a very nautical compass star.Price from £149www.marineteak.co.uk

Garmin Echo SeriesGarmin is launching no fewer than 27 new products in early 2014. First up is the echo and echo dv Series. !ese compact entry-level echo sounders all o"er HD sonar and dual band transducer in a choice of four screen sizes and either grey scale or colour. !e dv versions also come with Garmin’s Down Vü technology for a photo like view underwater.Price from £155www.garmin.co.uk

Baltic LifejacketsBaltic has a whole ra# of new lifejackets for 2014. !ere is the purposeful looking 150N automatic Optima available in black or black and yellow, the bright 150N automatic Acapulco, available in Hot Pink or Azure Blue and the Baltic Dotty, a 50N buoyancy aid also available in Hot Pink and Azure Blue.Price Optima £144.50, Acapulco £97.15,Dotty £47.90 www.baltic.se/en

Raymarine a SeriesRaymarine has revamped its a Series, which are now available with screen sizes up to 7”. All four models in the range are now o"ered with WiFi capability, with the a78 and a68 version also providing CHIRP and Downvision sonar technology. !e a77 and a75 come with ClearPulse Digital sonar.Price from £800www.raymarine.com

Crewsaver Ergo!t JacketLifejacket manufacturer Crewsaver has launched a new inshore clothing range, which includes this Ergo$t Jacket. Designed for everyday use this waterproof jacket has a stowaway hood, adjustable cu"s, reinforced elbows and articulated arms. It also has a curved front zip feature to avoid rubbing on your chin. Matching hi-$tting Ergo$t Salopettes are also available. Price £130www.crewsaver.com

Dometic Master"ushLooking to replace your toilet but are struggling to $nd one small enough? Dometic claims its MasterFlush® 7100 and 7200 Series Orbit Macerator Marine Toilets are space-saving, cost-e"ective and e%cient toilets for motorboats. !e 7100 and the low pro$le 7200 feature a rotating base which allows the

toilet to be rotated to any degree in relation to the bowl. !ey are available in white or bone colours. !e 7100 models can be 12V or 24 V DC, drawing a minimal 20 amps and 10 amps respectively.Price £399www.dometic.com

Digital Yacht WL450 Do you need a better WiFi connection on board? If so, the WL450 from Digital Yacht could be what you are looking for. !e 1m antenna is said to allow users to connect to hot spots up to four miles away. !e unit can be connected to a router to allow multiple devices, including tablets and phones, to connect and share the hotspot.

Price £420www.caclase.co.uk

Super Rope CinchDo you struggle with bowlines or slip knots? Super Rope Cinch allows ropes to be secured with vertical or horizontal pressure, and be tied and untied in less than one second with a simple twist.Price £7.99www.justrightproducts.co.uk



Before a chance meeting at the boat show in Southampton, I didn’t know anything about Portugal’s navigable inland waterways. So when the conversation turned to me experiencing it for myself, I was sur!ng the web for a cheap "ight quicker than you can say Ryanair. #e navigation in question is the Douro River and it runs from Spain, right across northern Portugal to the Atlantic at Porto, some 200km in length. #e chance

Cruising Port to PortIf you like boats, fantastic scenery, warm weather, friendly people and a good bottle of plonk,I think we have just discovered your perfect holiday.

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

their friendly customer service and Feel Douro didn’t disappoint. #ey o$er simple one or two week charters, but are happy to be "exible and do whatever is required to make your charter easy and special. You want picking up and dropping o$ from Porto airport, which is just 20 minutes away, no problem. You would like home cooked dinners in the boat’s freezer, again no problem. #ey will even sit down with you and work out an itinerary including making bookings and reservations if required, something we took full advantage of. #ey also o$er the use of a mobile phone on board so that any calls you make are at local rates, rather

conversation was with the sta$ of Feel Douro, a company that has set up base in the new 300 berth Douro Marina, at the mouth of the river in Porto. #ey o$er a "eet of four Greenline motorboats for charter, a pair of 33’s and a pair of 40’s. #e single engine 33’s o$er 2+2 berths, while the twin engine 40’s are able to accommodate 4+2. We would be using a 33 !tted with Hybrid technology. #e Portuguese are well known for

than using your own phone and paying roaming charges. You can have electric bikes on board, an espresso machine and even a personal tour of the area in their shuttle bus if required. On top of that every charter gets a special delivery of home baked cake, made by Feel Douro boss Manuela. In short, they are happy to do anything they can to ensure your trip is easy, enjoyable and special. #e Douro Valley is where Port wine is produced. #e vineyards and farms, called quintas in Portuguese, are spread along the valley over 100km inland. #e river has been tamed with the building of !ve dams and locks in the latter part

by Neale Byart



N

Pinhao

Ferradosa

Pocinho

Ribeira de Murca

Régua

Alpendorada

Crestuma

Porto

Entre-os-Rios

Douro Valley

Douro Valley

Douro Marina

Eclusa de Carrapatelo

of the 20th century. Before that the Port wine was transported from the vineyards to the cellars in Porto by "at bottomed boats called Rabelos. #ese boats had to undertake the passage down the Douro river under sail and through the rapids; a dangerous occupation. Over the 200kms from sea to Spanish border, the river rises over 100 metres and even with the locks, the currents can still be strong. Nowadays the produce from the vineyards is shipped to the cellars of Porto by road, but the Rabelo style boat is still very much in evidence in the tourist boats that ply the river, and a few remaining traditional boats that take part in an annual rally in Porto. Now I am partial to the odd glass of red wine, but have never really been properly introduced to Port. On day one this was about to change. Before we set o$ on our charter we had a look around the city of Porto, and the !rst of many wine-tasting sessions. #e cost of these sessions vary depending on the quality of the Port you

want to taste. At Churchill’s cellar in Porto we tried everything from a table wine, through to white Port, Ruby, Tawny, Late Bottled Vintage and !nally Vintage Port. #e helpful sta$ at the cellar also gave us a tour, plus lots of information about Port wine, its history and the Douro Valley, which was useful as we made our way up river over the next few days. Next morning, back at the marina, and a%er a thorough handover by the Feel Douro team, we slipped our lines and headed up stream. #e !rst part of the navigation is tidal and takes you through the World Heritage city of Porto, where the bank is lined with Port cellars. We passed traditional Rabelos and cruised beneath the spectacular Maria Pia and Dom Luis bridges. A%er Porto the scenery changes to countryside, and 19km later we arrived at the !rst lock. Reading my script, provided by Feel Douro, I called up in Portuguese. Luckily the answer came in English. #e currents just before the lock were very strong, and the water rather

turbulent, but we were soon in the lock, and tied up. All of the locks have "oating bollards, which on a boat the size of ours meant using just a single line from the amidships cleat with a ball fender fore and a%. #e the 15m rise was sedate and the whole process very simple. #ere are !ve locks between the sea and the Spanish border, and they have to be booked at least one day in advance. #ere is a cost of &10 for each transit for a boat the size of ours, so if you go all the way to Spain and back you are looking at a &100 fee. #e Feel Douro team can make the bookings in advance, but once made you either need to stick with them, or readjust your itinerary with new lock bookings; you can’t simply turn up later or earlier. Once out of the lock we switched over to electric and cruised silently towards our intended overnight stop, 27km up river at Entre-os-Rios. En route there were plenty of places we could have stopped for lunch, or some shore side exploration, but we were on a tight schedule so we had lunch on the go. #e Feel Douro team had booked us an evening dinner reservation at an old convent in Alpendurada, just a short taxi ride away. #is was an excursion well worth taking. Not only was dinner fantastic and very a$ordable, we were also given an impromtu tour of the old convent, which is now a hotel. It has retained many of the original features, including the old kitchen area dating from 1024, where we ate our dinner, cooked in a medieval stone oven. #e next day we had 16km to run to the lock, and with the lock booked for 09:55

!e trip boats that ply the river in Porto are built in the style of traditional Portuguese Rabelos



we set of at 08:00. #ere is no speed limit on the river, although wash should be kept down when passing moored boats, but as we didn’t want to rush we allowed plenty of time. #e geography of this area is amazing and as we approached the second lock the scenery was getting better and better. #e dams and locks "ooded the valley by up to 60 metres in places and despite sometimes being in stretches of the river barely 50 metres wide, the depth sounder was o%en reading over 50 metres. As we rounded a corner we were met by the sight of what turns out to be the deepest lock in Europe, the Eclusa do Carrapatelo, at 35 metres. Approaching it felt like we were heading into a dark cave, and once inside it felt quite daunting knowing how much water was being held

back just the other side of the gate in front of us. Despite the dimensions, the rise was gentle and again the friendly lockkeeper answered my now improving Portuguese with his much better English. Leaving the lock we settled in for a three hour passage at 12kmh to our planned lunch stop at Regua. You are never allowed to forget that you are in a valley on this trip as the rock rises, almost vertically in places, on both sides. Some parts were reminiscent of the Wild West, and I half expected to come under !re from the cli$ faces by arrows. By lunchtime with just a few kilometres to go we entered the demarcation area for Port wine production. #e steep hillsides were covered in terraces, many made by hand using local slate to build the walls.

Autumn is perhaps the best time to see this as the yellows and reds of the leaves provided a simply stunning view. Regua is the largest town on the River a%er Porto, and a good stopping point for lunch or overnight. #ere are shops and restaurants here but also the Museu do Douro, Douro Museum, which is well worth a visit. From

Regua it is just 5km to the next lock, a mere tiddler at around 28m deep. #e river shallows for this last section, thus the current increases to around 4 knots; we had to really put the revs on just to make good time. On arrival at the lock I called three times in my now almost "uent Portuguese. I didn’t get an answer, but the lights turned green and in we went. Out the other side of the lock there was barely any current at all, the scenery was possibly the most amazing we saw and we took a nice gentle and slow run up to Pinhao, our base for the evening. Here we were met by Osvaldo from Feel Douro, and he took us to a local high point known as Casal de Loivos Belvedere, alledgedly said by the BBC to have one of the six best views in the world. Having seen it, I am not going to argue. From there we took in a vineyard visit and tasting session

!at is not some cold war submarine pen, that’s the deepest lock in Europe with a rise and fall of 35 metres

Terraced hillsides line the Douro River. We may have missed the harvest but the beautiful autumn colours more than made up for it.

Dinner in an old convemt dating from 1024



at Quinta do Panascal where we walked among the vines on the terraces and learnt all about the history of the area and the wine production, and of course tried a few varieties for ourselves. #is stretch boasts one of the best restaurants on the river, called DOC, which has moorings outside. Unfortunately our budget did not stretch to DOC but instead we found a local restaurant where dinner and a drink for two came to the princely sum of 14 Euros. #e next morning we were to tackle the fourth, and our last lock. #ere is a short stretch of the river just before the lock where the valley narrows and the "ow increases greatly. Extra care is needed here not to meet one of the large hotel boats coming the other way as there is not enough room to pass, and the "ow of the river makes turning, and even stopping, quite tricky. Looking at the lock schedules we could see that there was such a boat coming out of the lock just before we were due to go in, so we le% plenty of time and got to the lock early to await out turn. Our

!e view from Casal de Loivos Belvedere. Said by some to be one of the best views in the world

plan was to transit the lock, head up to our lunch stop, and then return a%er lunch back to the base at Pinhao as this was our last day on board. Unfortunately when we arrived at our designated stop we were too late for lunch, as this late in the season you need to plan and book ahead. We carried on up river a little further and ate lunch on board before turning back, around 40kms short of the Spanish border. Heading back down we had our only opportunity to go down in one of the locks, as we would be leaving the boat at

Pinhao. Despite being quite used to the size of the locks, going down was a whole new experience and it felt like we would never stop dropping. Eclusa de Valeira is the second deepest lock on the Douro at 33m and from the stern I took a series of photos as the lock emptied to show the scale. #ese can be seen on our website gallery. #e process only took about 15 minutes so the decent is quite fast, but like all the other locks, there is no drama. #e design allows these massive chambers to "ood and empty with very little in the way of surging or turbulence. Night navigation is not allowed on the Douro River, even for the commercial boats, but by the time we le% the lock the sun was already behind the hills and light was fading fast. We had 20km to go so we had to make good speed, slowing where required, but still we arrived back at Pinhao in the pitch dark. With no chartplotter and few lit navigational aids it was an interesting experience. Boating on the Douro River was a fantastic experience. I have cruised the #ames and the Seine, but this was something completely di$erent and something I would de!nitely recommend. Unlike many charters, this doesn’t actually need to be expensive. With Ryanair "ying direct to Porto you can get there for peanuts. #e boats are good value too. #e 33 can be chartered for a week from as little as £1074 at current exchange ratesfor a winter week, up to £1843 for a weekin high season. #e 40’s rates are from £1405 up to £2851, but remember this could be split over two couples. #e

weather we experienced in November wasa bit drab, but temperatures in July and August o%en hit 40°C. If that is too hot foryou, the recommended time to go is June or September, and if you want to see, and even take part in the harvest with some grape trampling, October is the time tobook. Rates in June and October are £1636 for the 33, and £2463 for the 40. We covered around 160 of the 200km of navigation and four out of the !ve locks in three days. In a week you should have no trouble making the Spanish border and back, but for a more relaxing cruise, perhaps taking time to anchor, swim and explore towns and villages, I think you would either need to take a little bit longer or aim to turn back like we did, short of the border.

With light fading we made our way back to base

Distance cruised: 191km (103nm) 25nm on electricFuel used: 139 litres (30.6 gallons)Hours run: diesel 15hrs electric 6hrs Total 21hrsAverage fuel consumption: 2.04gph/2.55mpgAverage consumption inc electric: 1.46gph/3.37mpg

LOGBOOK

‘Tawny’ Greenline 33 Hybrid Single VW TDI 165hp

Parts were reminiscent of a wild west canyon

Feel Douro www.feeldouro.com/en

A I put this one to the experts and Lee Sanitation and they replied: there are several possible issues to look at here. Is there a build up of lime scale and crystals in the cylinder bore? If so a product such as LeeScale may help. If the piston and cylinder are worn, then you really need to either look to service the pump, using a kit which contains new seals etc, or if the pump body is worn, a whole new pump mechanism may be needed. Some cleaners used in the bowl can actually damage the seals so this may be what has happened in this case. If the piston is simply dry, cooking oils are very good and should not damage anything, including the environment. If, however, there is an underlying problem the result will, as you have found, be only temporary.

Q&A Your Questions Answered

If you have a question, email us at

[email protected]


Tide heights and pressureQ !e manual pump on my Jabsco toilet is sti" and squeaks as it is being used. I have tried lots of di"erent lubricants, coconut oil being the best, but the result is only ever temporary and the sti"ness and squeaks return again in a few days. Is there a long term solution?

Toilet trouble

A Yes pressure does have a hand in the actual tide height compared to predicted height. Predicted tides are based on an average atmospheric pressure of 1013mb. For every mb higher or lower, it is said that the tide will be 1cm di"erent to prediction. A quick search tells me that the lowest pressure recorded in the UK was 926mb in Perthshire in 1884. !is would have meant the tide would have been around 0.9m higher than predicted. !e highest pressure recorded was 1055mb in Aberdeen in 1902 and this would have meant a tide around 0.4m lower than predicted. !ese kinds of pressures are very rare so realistically you would usually only experience around 0.2m di"erence during a typical spell of high pressure. So on the face of it, 1m does seem quite a lot, but there are other factors to also take into account. !e wind a"ects tidal height, particularly in shallow water. !en there is wave action, which will reduce depth in the troughs. Finally there is the accuracy of the chart data. Some measurements on UK charts were taken with a lead line many years ago, and in areas where depths are measured more frequently it is because they change frequently. Add all this together and I think that 1m is about the minimum you should add as your safety margin.

Q How does pressure a"ect predicted tide heights? I o#en hear that I should calculate in an extra meter to deal with any variations on the predicted tide but that seems a lot. Does pressure really a"ect the tide by this amount?

Q We keep $nding the battery %at on our Freeman. It is moored on a river bank with no electricity so we ensure than everything is turned o" when we leave the boat, including the main battery switch, which I understand cuts all power. A#er a few days, the engine will start $ne, but if we leave it two weeks the battery is too %at to turn the engine over. What could be causing this?

Flat battery blues

A If this has only just recently started happening it could simply be that your battery is no longer capable of holding a charge and requires replacing. Alternatively, has it only become a problem since having some work done on the boat, in which case you’ll need to have a close look at what has changed. With the main battery switch o" you are almost correct in that nothing should be getting power. !ere are some exceptions

to this. !e obvious one is your automatic bilge pump, and it is possible that it is working in your absence, perhaps due to a sha# seal leaking more than it should. Something else to consider is that with older boats there is the possibility that someone has wired something direct to the battery, and that item could be using power while you are away. If you are handy with a multimeter you can measure any constant drain on the battery. Turn the master switch o", remove the positive lead from the battery and then put the meter

in line between the positive battery terminal and the positive lead with the meter set to read DC Amps. A tiny drain of around 10 milliamps, like a stereo memory might use, is no problem, as it would take months to drain a healthy battery. A constant draw of 100mA, on the other hand, may cause problems to an 85ah battery over a period of a couple of weeks. If you $nd you have a power drain that can’t be explained, try removing fuses one at a time to narrow down what could be using the power.

Q&A Your Questions Answered

If you have a question, email us at

[email protected]


Q Next year I have decided to do my $rst Channel crossing. I am based in Brighton and for the last couple of years I’ve ventured along the coast in both directions, making it as far as Lymington in the west and Dover in the east. Next year I want to go south but where should I head for and what do I need to do? Distance wise it is no longer than some of the trips I have already done but I still feel a bit daunted about being out of sight of land.

First cross Channel

A While a $rst Channel crossing can seem a bit daunting it is really not much di"erent to a trip along the coast of a similar distance. In fact in many ways it is easier, with no shallow water and few obstacles for the majority of the passage. From Brighton the obvious place to head for is Fécamp. It is the closest all-tides port to you, and all-tides access is important for a $rst Channel crossing. You really don’t want to be worried about hitting a tide window, and a 24 hour access port will allow you to slow down or speed up to whatever pace you feel comfortable with, without fear of missing a cill or gate. Fécamp o"ers a nice easy entrance, as long as you avoid strong NW or W winds, has a 24hour fuel berth, and the sta" in the o&ce speak good English. !e town is typically French with a wide choice of good restaurants, not forgetting the Benedictine monastery where the monks brewed the liquor of the same name. On passage, stay west of Greenwich light ship and you don’t need to worry about the formalities of crossing a Tra&c Separation Scheme (TSS), although you will almost certainly encounter some shipping in the Channel. My golden rule, is if you can’t pass at least three miles in front, slow down or turn and go behind. An AIS receiver is a great addition when going across the Channel. You can see the ships as AIS targets o#en before you can with the naked eye. AIS will tell you how fast they are going, and most importantly how close you are going to get. Weatherwise, pick a day with a good forecast and check the actuals from the Greenwich Light Ship, which provides real time data from the middle of the Channel. As far as paperwork goes make sure you have the boat’s original registration certi$cate and ensure everyone is carrying a valid passport. Insurance and radio documents should also be carried. You won’t need any certi$cates of competence, although if you have them, you might as well carry them just in case.

Q !ere is a wooden plaque on my boat with an ON number and a number beneath that says RT with a whole number and then a fraction. What is this plaque for and what do the numbers mean?

What do these numbers mean?

A !is will be the ships registration details. !e boat is, or has been in the past, registered on part 1 of the UK ships register. !e ON is the registration number and the RT is the registered tonnage. !is last $gure has nothing to do with boat’s weight but is calculated from a measurement survey and refers to the boat’s interior volume. Part 1 registration has to be renewed every $ve years at a cost of over £100; so on many boats the Part 1 registration is allowed to lapse and the boat is put on the Small Ships Register (SSR), also known as Part 3.

Q Someone asked me how my depth instrument was set up and if I have calibrated it. To be honest I have no idea. I always thought it showed depth below the propeller but now I am not so sure. How do I calibrate it to show what I want?

Setting up a depth sounder

A You need to enter the keel-o"set function so you will have to dig out the instructions for your particular depth instrument. With keel o"set set to 0.0, the depth displayed will be that below the transducer, which is actually not much use. Measure the height between transducer and the lowest part of the boat and enter this value into the o"set as a negative $gure. !e depth display will now show the depth below the lowest point of the boat, in other words the boat will ground when the depth reads 0. If you want to see total water depth, change the depth o"set to a positive $gure equal to the distance from transducer to the waterline. In this set-up the boat would ground when the gauge reads the same as the boat’s dra#.Another way to do it if your boat is in the water and you don’t know the measurements is to use a plumb line to $nd the depth of water the boat is sitting in, then adjust the keel o"set to show that depth, or if you want depth below the prop, the total water depth less your dra#.

Fécamp in Northern France is an all tides port


If you have a budget of £40-50k and you are looking for a cruising

liveaboard, a! cabin boats from the 70’s and 80’s o"er incredible amounts of space, and are certainly worth considering.#e Ocean 37 made its debut at the London Boat Show at Earls Court in 1969. When new it was billed as a ‘spacious weekend retreat’, a capable sea boat that was equally at home inland. It used

with drawers and a large wardrobe on the port side. A ‘tub’ chair allows you to sit at the dressing table and mirror. Very few modern boats of this size have this feature, let alone in a guest cabin. #e two 6’4” bunks have upholstered berth fronts, designed to stop you rolling out of bed while at sea. #e two berths could be customised to incorporate a slot in in$ll and we know of at least one example that has

Built 1969-1983Prices then £58,000-£68,000Prices now £42,000-£52,000Length 37! / 11.28mBeam 12! / 3.66mDraught 3! / 0.91m Air Draught 8! 6in / 2.59mFuel 200 gallonsWater 100 gallonsDisplacement 8 tonnes approx

Broom Ocean 37the same hull as the 37 Continental but was very di"erent by design. It was introduced by Aqua$bre, a proli$c GRP boatbuilder that was acquired by Broom in 1971. As a result of this you will $nd some boats on the market that were built and $tted out by Aqua$bre, and some by Broom. Because of this buyers may $nd di"erences in the layout, $nish and $t out. Today, regardless of

CLASSIC CRUISERSa complete guide to the best boats on the used market

areas. #e toilet compartments o!en feature the characteristic 1970’s pastel coloured suite, complete with a shower mixer tap. #ere is a shortage of storage for toileteries in this compartment. Moving a! and up two steps takes you into the saloon. #is forms the main dining and living area with ample room for entertaining. #e U-shaped

their age and $t out, these boats are as tough as old boots and highly regarded as reliable and comfortable cruisers.

Interior#e Ocean 37 is extremely spacious, and with two separate cabins it will sleep 6 comfortably. #e forward cabin is fairly large and has a V-berth con$guration. It includes a small dressing table

been remodelled by Broom to incorporate an island double. #e anchor locker is at eye level in the bow. You will $nd an escape hatch $tted to either the foredeck or to the cabin roof. #e latter lets a little more light in to the cabin. Have a good check around the windows and hatches for leaks and damage to the wood. Unusually, both cabins are ensuite with no access to either from communal


chart table in the starboard corner of the saloon. #e window seals in this section are prone to failing so have a good check of the wood linings behind the curtain, on the cupboard tops and around the base of the cupboards for signs of rain or water ingress. #e galley location is unusual for a Broom. It’s not on the lower forward cabin level, but sunken on the port side, a! of the saloon. It’s very accessible when you’re underway with only two small steps down and a sturdy guardrail. It’s actually quite a sociable arrangement. #ere is a stainless steel sink with a useful draining board, however access to it is slightly obstructed by the deck bulkhead above. #e galley itself is full of clever storage holes, for instance there are slots for

Some forward cabins have been !tted with a double island berth

plates in the void under the companionway stairs. #e wipe down worktop is usually a dark wood e"ect veneer and underneath there is a huge shelved cupboard. #e galley’s close proximity to the dinette does have one disadvantage in that the dirty dishes will be on display when you are entertaining, but if you are lucky this may lead to more volunteers for washing up! Further a! and through a companionway corridor takes you into the master cabin, and it’s here where

dinette will seat $ve people and additional seating isprovided by the two cabin tub chairs. #ere are twolarge storage lockers beneaththe seating, and under the

Light and airy with plenty of space. "is is the saloon on board an early model from 1972

Plus two, a double is created using a pull out drawer as an in!ll

Forward toilet compartment

middle seat there is a drawer containing an in$ll cushion. #is pulls out and slots in creating a generous double. Large sliding windows either side provide plenty of light

and are low enough to see out while sat in the dinette area. #e lower helm is on the starboard side and a collapsible helm seat latches on to the side panel. Some owners favour helming from down below, particularly when the weather is bad, but the raised a! deck does obscure the view a!. From new, the lower helm featured a compass but no other navigation equipment. On some models this is still the case nearly 40 years on. #e original instruments, an echo sounder and VHF are a!, above the lovely "e saloons fold out chart table

you really get that little ship feel. Under the stairs there is what Aqua$bre dubbed the ‘oil skin locker’, which provides more storage. #e a! cabin o"ers either two


In the a# cabin two singles were standard but some have a double

1981 £51,000Twin Perkins 175hp dieselsRBS Marine01243 512101www.rbsmarine.com

1976 £44,950Twin Perkins 145hp dieselsNorfolk Yacht Agency01603 713434www.nya.co.uk

1973 £45,000Twin Perkins 175hp dieselsBray Marine Sales01628 773177www.thamesboatsales.co.uk

a slot in table on the port side, a starboard helm seat and a bench seat adjacent running fore-and-a!. If a boat has been used predominantly inland the navigation equipment, if any, may be original or somewhat dated. If you are intending to take it to sea you will want to consider upgrading it. With modern equipment $tted to the upper and lower helm you could leave the original VHF telephone and depth sounder, if $tted, as period features at the chart table.

1972 £42,950Twin Perkins 145hp dieselsEssex Boatyards01702 258885www.essexboatyards.com

been repainted. All models have teak grabrails which run along the coachroof, some all the way a! and others just forward of the cockpit. Most boats are also $tted with wooden toe rails between the stanchion posts. Any exterior exposed wood is easily revitalised by a quick rub down and a coat of varnish or teak oil every now and then. If the boat is $tted with a patterned non-slip deck material, make sure that this is in good condition and is not li!ing away. Check around the stanchion bases for stress cracking. O!en Ocean 37’s were $tted with

white painted metal cleats, the paint %akes o" through age and use but you may be lucky and $nd a previous owner has replaced them with shiny modern stainless steel cleats.

Cockpit and helm#e raised cockpit is accessed from the centre of the a! deck. #is whole area is enclosed by a full height canopy providing another useable living space. We have seen several seating con$gurations available on the market. #e original design has two seats a! with

Look for additions such as diesel heating and an immersion heater with calori$er as these transform the boat and your usage.

On Deck#e Ocean scores serious points with its wide, one level walkaround decks. #ere is a continuous guardrail with a centre gate for shore access. #ere are a few exterior features that will need occasional maintenance. #e coloured sections of gelcoat, usually navy or green, are prone to fading so will need a polish now and then. Be aware that this may have

"e galley is very accessible when the boat is underway

Full length wardrobe in master

single berths, or a double and a single. #e spacious cabin has a dressing table with storage drawers, a tub chair and full height wardrobe.


been re-engined. Some Oceans were $tted with 175hp versions of the Perkins HT6354, giving a slightly higher top speed. Aqua$bre did produce versions of the models for hire%eets and they were o!en $tted with a single Perkins 65hp. Check the seacocks are in good condition and that the valves move freely. Also check the condition of the fuel tanks, if they are original they could be showing signs of corrosion, in which case they might need replacing.

Design Notes#e Ocean was introduced in 1969, with prototypes dated 1968. It wasn’t until 1973 that Broom recorded production of this model. Aqua$bre o!en supplied

EnginesTwin 145hp Perkins HT6354 engines, (H stands for horizontal and T Turbo) were normally $tted to the Ocean as standard. #ese six cylinder engines, now circa 40 years old should give a economical cruising speed of 10-12 knots at around 1600rpm, and a maximum speed of 16 knots providing the hull is clean. Service parts should be easy to source in the UK, alternatively the Broom Owners Club can provide a list of suppliers.

Hull and Handling#e semi-displacement hull provides a cushioned ride, while its weight allows it to push on when conditions are less than perfect. However the rounded hull form does mean it has a tendency to roll a bit. #e boat also has the reputation of being wet in a head sea, no problem if you are under cover or helming from down below. Its a typical Broom and o"ers exceptional handling at close quarters owing to weight again and its deep keel.

Most Ocean 37’s were !tted with twin Perkins 145hp HT6354’s

On the downside they will smoke on start up, and while running at slow speeds, but this should soon clear once you put some revs on. #e engines are beneath the saloon %oor and access is a bit $ddly, involving moving furniture, rolling up a single piece of carpet and removing a combination of %oor panels. Some owners have $tted li!ing hatches in the saloon %oor, and in the a! companionway, for quicker access to the essentials such as the seacocks. Access to the steering gear is below the dressing table in the a! cabin. Incidentally these boats were made with a hatch in the saloon coachroof, designed for removing the engines if required. With the original engines prooving so reliable, it is rare to $nd one that has

It’s hull gives a so# ride and exceptional close quarter handling

"e sheltered helm position serves as an extension of your living space. At the helm there is no dash space for modern navigation equipment, so you will have to !t units where you can on brackets

the Ocean’s hull and superstructure to private individuals to $t out. #is means that the $nsished product could vary greatly in terms of quality. Broom built boats are usually $ttedwith a builder’s plate locatedclose to the inner helm. Ifyou are in any doubt about the origins of a particular boat you can contact Broomdirectly with a hull number for further information. #e hull number can usually be found on the inside of the transom.

"e Ocean has the reputation of being wet in a head sea, but its semi displacement hull, weight and solid build quality allow you to push on when other boats may have to slow down.


Prices £34,000-£45,000Length 37! Beam 12! 4in"e same hull to the Ocean with conventional ‘galley down’ layoutBuy one (pictured) 1971 £39,950www.norfolkboatsales.co.uk

Prices £29,000-£49,000Length 34! 10in Beam 12! 2inA popular family cruiser. "e a! cabin has an unusual2 berth L shape layout.Buy one (pictured) 1979 £49,950www.boatshed.com

Prices £64,000-£74,000Length 37! Beam 12! 4in"e successor to the Ocean and Continental. It has stepped side decks and a double a! cabin.Buy one (pictured) 1982£64,950www.boatshowrooms.com

Family 37 Crown 1978-198637 Continental 1968-1978 35 European 1973-1983

CONTEMPORARY CHOICE Broom 370If you like the design and layout of the Ocean 37 but fancy something a bit newer, the Broom 370 o#ers a spacious double a! cabin and a top speed of 30 knots.Price from £285,000

Year 2011 - present dayLength 37! 7in/11.46m Beam 12! 4in/3.78mAir draught 10! 8in Displacement 8000kgEngine 85-230hp dieselwww.broomboats.com

For more information visit www.broomowners.com

Conclusion#e Ocean 37 is something of a retro classic and still sought a!er today. A well maintained example o"ers everthing a modern Broom does at a fraction of the price. Yes they will require a bit of maintenance now and then but to quote from the original 1970’s brochure ‘You will be proud to own an Ocean 37’.

Before buying any used boat, always employ the services of

a YDSA or IIMS accredited surveyor and, if you have

any doubt about the engines,a separate engine survey by

a suitably quali!ed person is recommended.

Boats built for the hireboat market are easily identi$ed by the single engine and basic $t out. #ese boats make a cost e"ective alternative and are ideal inland cruisers or liveaboards. #ey may well have su"ered some exterior bumps during their working lives but the engines should have led a stress free life and been regularly

serviced. If $tted, a radar dome is o!en positioned on top of the coachroof. However many boats have had a stainless radar arch added, which improves helm visability and radar performance. If the boat has been used inland this may hinge to reduce air draught, perhaps with gas struts for easier operation.

SOLVING PROBLEMS UNDER YOUR BOAT.... JUST GOT EASIER!

I am delighted at long last

to have been able to

rectify having some

appropriate equipment to

allow me to go down

underneath the boat to

cut free rope that may be

entwined around the

propeller.

David Scott Cowper

Arctic Explorer

* Lighter Than Conventional Equipment

* Fast to Put On In An Emergency

* Stows Easily On Board

* Simple To Use

* The Complete Solution -‐ Just Add Air!

Use code

MBJ14 To Get

33% OFF

R.R.P

Neale Byart

Editor Motorboat Ownerwww.mini-‐b.com Use Coupon Code: MBJ14 +44 (0) 1268 681167

Every boat should have one on-‐board...

Just incase!

Destination POOLE HARBOUR


Poole has it all, from watersports and beautiful sandy beaches to stunning anchorages and scenery.

Once a valley !ooded at the end of the last ice age, Poole Harbour is a shallow tidal estuary of rivers with scattered islands. It’s protected by sand dunes, surrounded by wild heather marshes and the beautiful rolling Purbeck hills. "e town of Poole is located on the north bank of the estuary and can be reached by water via a network of deep dredged channels. "e town dates

northern arm of the harbour is called Sandbanks and is a residential hotspot for the rich and famous. It is littered with jaw dropping beach and harbour front homes, some worth in excess of eight #gures. You could easily spend a week exploring the harbour by boat, hopping between anchorages and marinas, perhaps even taking a trip up the River Frome to the neighbouring market town of Wareham. Alternatively base yourself in one of the marinas to hit the beach or high street for some retail therapy, or use Poole’s excellent transport links to see the sights.

Approaches"ere are two entrance channels into the harbour, the Swash Channel and the East Looe Channel. "e Swash Channel is the recommended route into the harbour, it is well lit at night and navigates you safely behind Hook Sand, a drying sand bank to the east of the entrance. "e white chalky cli$s of Old Harry (Handfast Point) are a signi#cant landmark as the Swash Channel lies just under a mile due north in Studland Bay. "e green starboard mark, Bar Buoy marks the start of the Swash Channel and is approximately two miles

back to Roman times with an original settlement at Hamworthy. It later became an important British trade port for goods such as wool. In more recent years it was a signi#cant departing point for the D-Day landings during the Second World War. Nowadays Poole is a popular Dorset holiday destination on what is known as the Jurassic coast. It’s also a commercial dock and ferry port with links to the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey and the Brittany Port of St Malo. "e

Claire Frew

SSE of the entrance. As you approach this buoy you will see a yellow mark to the north, this is marking a 17th century wreck discovered in 2004 and in 2013 an ornately carved rudder was retrieved from the site. Always keep a good look out for shipping. "e Swash Channel is used by commercial tra%c and ferries that operate

!e unspoilt island of Brownsea is run by the National Trust and is home to the red squirrel

!e channel into Poole Harbour is well marked

Bar Buoy

South Hook

HOOK SAND

TRAINING BANK

East Hook

STUDLANDBAY

SWASH

CHANNEL

EAST LOOE CHANNEL

Poole Harbour Lim

it Speed 10 knots

SOUTHBEACH

MIDDLEBEACH

KNOWLEBEACH

SHELLBAY

HandfastPoint

Old Harry Rocks

Haven Hotel

Poole Harbour Limit

Poole Harbour"is huge natural harbour has everything a boater could possibly need in terms of facilities, scenery and shelter. With so much on o$er we think you will want to stay longer

Po

ole

To

uris

m -

Su

e S

ieg

er

Po

ole

To

uris

m



from Poole, and it has a boat channel to the west, allowing smaller cra& to get out of the way when large shipping is in the channel. "e East Looe Channel is north of the Swash on the Bournemouth side and is a narrow route between the beach at Sandbanks and Hook Sand. It is marked with buoys but is not recommended for those unfamiliar with it during the hours of darkness. "e channel is best used in

settled weather and, becasue depths in the channel can vary, caution should be exercised at low water. Ensure you have backed o$ your speed early to below 10 knots in both approach channels and note that there is a 5-knot speed limit 300 metres o$ Poole and Bournemouth beaches. "e Swash channel passes the beautiful sandy beach at Studland, Shell Bay in particular, and transits between

!e harbour is a network of marked channels. Right, view across harbour with Parkstone Bay Marina in front

Bar Buoy

South Hook

HOOK SAND

TRAINING BANK

East Hook

STUDLANDBAY

SWASH

CHANNEL

EAST LOOE CHANNEL

Poole Harbour Lim

it Speed 10 knots

BellBuoy

WYCH CHANNEL

DEEP

SOUTH

DEEP

WYCH CHANNEL

UPPER

ARNE

BROWNSEA ISLAND

To Wareham

MIDDLE SHIP CHANNEL

SOUTH DEEP

SOUTHBEACH

MIDDLEBEACH

KNOWLEBEACH

SHELLBAY

HandfastPoint

Old Harry Rocks

Poole

Cobbs Quay

Poole Quay Boat Haven

HOLES BAY

Parkstone BayMarina

SalternsMarina

SOUTH

LongIsland

RoundIsland

FurzeyIsland

GreenIsland

WYC

H CH

ANNE

L

LakeYard

PooleYC

ParkstoneYC

WHITLEYLAKE

SandbanksYacht Co.

Port of PooleMarina

FERRY TERMINAL

Gigger’sIsland

must give way to this, passing behind and leaving plenty of room. It is a large chain ferry which has a !ashing light at either end to indicate when it is on the move, and which direction it’s travelling in. Be aware of the tide passing through the entrance as it can run up to 4 knots. "e harbour is accessible at all states of the tide, but the entrance can be uncomfortable in strong S and SE winds, particularly on a strong ebb tide, which results in a wind against tide situation in the Swash Channel and entrance. Once in the harbour you will see Brownsea Island directly ahead of you, continue to follow the channel as it makes a turn to starboard taking you between Brownsea and Sandbanks. "is is called the Brownsea Road. On the starboard side of the channel, at Bell Buoy south cardinal, the channel splits o$ to what is known as the North Channel. "is was once the original maintained channel in the harbour, and is now the route you should use to reach Salterns Marina. "e cardinal also marks the start of a masted forest of swinging moorings. "e shallow water of Whitley Lake lies beyond, a favourite haunt for kite and wind surfers.

Training Bank on the western side and Hook Sand to the east. "e next landmark you will see is the conspicious Haven Hotel on your starboard side. "e Sandbanks Ferry operates across the mouth of the entrance, you

Po

ole

To

uris

m -

Su

e S

ieg

er

A peaceful anchorage at Arne

!e River Frome at Wareham

Up to 4 knots of tide can run through the entrance



Continuing ahead in the main channel, Poole town will soon be visible on your right. Turn to starboard a&er Stakes south cardinal buoy and enter the Little Channel. Town Quay is directly ahead and Poole Quay Boat Haven will be to starboard. Cobbs Quay Marina lies in Holes Bay, beyond the Hamworthy and Twin Sails li&ing bridges. Poole has a small and very unusual tidal range with two double high waters a day and, because of this, tidal calculations for Poole are based on low water.

Where to moor"ere are plenty of marinas to choose from in the harbour o$ering visitor marina berths or buoys. However it is Poole Quay Boat Haven that o$ers the best opportunity to explore the town with its shops, restaurants and transport links. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle and venture further into the harbour, perhaps you want to experience going through the magni#cent Twin Sails Bridge, MDL’s Cobbs Quay Marina

Boats can continue into the harbour using the Middle Ship Channel, but are advised to stay in the small boat channel to the south as the channel bears round to the west. If you are visiting Parkstone Bay Marina, access is all states of tide, but if you have over 1m draught you will need to avoid entering half an hour either side of low water springs. Approach the marina via the North Channel, (green marker NC11), and use the Parkstone Yacht Club Channel. Turn northwest just o$ the yacht club entrance and following the outer wall. "e marinas buoyed channel should be obvious from this point.

Poole Quay Boat Haven

(& Port of Poole Marina)

10m visitor berth £36.2010m 1-week berth £222.8010m annual berth £695001202 649488www.poolequayboathaven.co.uk

Where to moor

Visitor Marinas operate VHF Channel 80

Parkstone Bay Marina

10m visitor berth £40.0010m annual berth £6,15010m annual dry stackberth £5,67001202 747857www.parkstonebay.com

Salterns Marina

10m visitor berth £46.8010m annual berth £7,40501202 709971 www.salterns.co.uk

Cobbs Quay Marina

10m visitor berth £33.2010m annual berth £4,59110m annual dry stackberth £4,92301202 674299www.mdlmarinas.co.uk

Lake Yard

10m visitor berth £43.2010m annual berth £578501202 674531 www.lakeyard.com

Speed LimitsA speed limit of 10 knots is applicable in the harbour throughout the year. Restrictions are relaxed within the Wareham Channel, Middle Ship Channel and North Channel between 1st October-31st March. "ere is a year round limit of 6 knots in Little Channel and Holes Bay, and 10 knots in the harbour entrance area between Bell Buoy and 1400 metres from South Haven Point. You should always be mindful of your wash. "ere is a 5-knot speed limit within 300 metres of beaches, including Studland Bay.

Bridge Li"sAt weekends the bridges open every hour at half past the hour, between 05.30 and 23.30. On weekdays the times are the same but with no li&s at 08.30, 13.30, 17.30 and 20.30 to avoid peak tra%c times. "e two bridges open in sequence. In the morning the Twin Sails bridge opens #rst, followed 15 minutes later by Poole Bridge, and then lastly the Twin Sails bridge again to let boats enter Holes Bay. From 15:30 the sequance changes starting with the Poole Bridge. Visiting boaters can check the headroom on the height gauges at the bridge to judge if they can pass without requiring a li&. "e bridge operator can bereached on VHF channel 12. Boats can tie up on a waiting pontoon on the Hamworthy side between bridge li&s.

Marine SuppliesOn the Quay there is Piplers of Poole chandlery. Salterns have a chandlery on site, as does Cobbs Quay. Poole Marine Services on West Quay Road is the local Volvo Penta dealer, plus there is Golden Arrow Marine next door.

is situated in the North West corner of Holes Bay. Your visit will take you past the impressive RNLI head o%ce and college, easily recognisable with its pontoons populated with distinctive orange lifeboats. Cobbs Quay is accessible at all states of the tide and o$ers fuel and all the facilities you would expect, plus there is "e Boathouse restaurant and chandlery on site. If you are an MDL berthholder you can make use of their Freedom Berthing scheme, but you will need to tackle the two bridges to gain access (see panel). It’s a 1.6 mile/30 minute walk to Town Quay via Poole Bridge, or you can catch the No 9 bus to town from Blandford Road. Salterns is another all tides marina that can accommodate visitors and serves fuel. It has the reputation of being one of the most expensive marinas in the UK. It’s a tranquil spot and has the advantage of being closer to the harbour entrance. "ere is a chandlery and hotel with a good restaurant on site. Out on the main road, just a short walk away, there is a Tesco

Sandbanks Yacht Company

10m visitor berth £24 plus harbour fees10m 7 month launch & retrieve £460001202 611262 sandbanksyachtcompany.com

Poole Quay Boat Haven is closest to the town



has visitor berths and the Lake Yard Club Restaurant on site. "e newdevelopment of Sandbanks Yacht Company will be opening its doors in 2014 to o$er swinging moorings, ‘launch and retrieve’ berthing packages and 5 visitors berths for boats up to 10m. "e boatyard is located close to the entrance thus avoiding a long troll the harbour.

Where to eat and drinkIf you tie up at Poole Quay Boat Haven you will be spoilt for choice for places to eat, all within a #ve minute walk. Visiting boats can get a discount at the restaurants

Express and a #sh and chips shop. About a mile beyond Poole and the ferry terminal lies the small but well equipped marina Lake Yard. Ideally situated for exploits up to Wareham, it

3 Poole ParkBoating Lake

3

POOLE QUAY

Twin Sails Bridge

£ 1Baiter Park

BridgePoole

KEY1 Tourist Information2 Guildhall Tavern

5 Poole Museum4 Custom House3 Storm Fish Restaurant

6 Corkers7 Deli on the Quay8 Harlees9 Dolphin Shopping Centre

10 RNLI College11 Poole Marine Services

12 13 ????????????

14 ????????????

15 ????????????

16 ????????????

17 ????????????18 ????????????

C

£

Bus Station

Slipway

Cashpoint

ChandleryC£

Tesco ExpressFood Store

High StreetPost Office

SainsburysFood Store

AsdaFood Store

Railway

2

1

3

1

2

54

9

86

10

7

3

11

10

£2

Food suppliesIf you are moored at Poole Quay Boat Haven there is a very convenient Tesco Express with a cash machine overlooking the marina. It is open from 6am-11pm everyday. You will also #nd a Sainsburys local with a cash point just a 3 minute stroll from Poole Quay Boat Haven, on the corner of Old Orchard and High Street. "ere is a larger Sainsburys superstore on the right just o$ the High Street. (see map)

TransportPoole train station is a 15 minute walk from Poole Town Quay and provides links to Weymouth and London via operator South West Trains. "e Bus Station is behind the Dolphin Shopping Centre.

SlipwaysPoole harbour is an ideal place to explore with a trailboat. Baiter Public Slipway is a popular place to launch and recover boats in the harbour and is located in Baiter Park, to the east of the town quay. It’s a wide concrete ramp with a very shallow entry angle. It is recommended to use a long tow line to a trailer, as this will help avoid getting your vehicle wet. "e slipway is in a large car park with a dedicated area, with long parking bays, for leaving cars and trailers. Please note there is no holding pontoon. Parking and boat launching costs £9 or £7 if you arrive a&er 2.30pm. Other slipways include Davis Boatyard, Rockley Park, Cobbs Quay and Salterns Marina. "e above are by arrangement, so charges may apply, and you will also need to pay harbour dues.

For more harbour information visit:

www.phc.co.uk & www.poolebay.net

in the development directly behind the marina, so check at the marina reception when you arrive. "e town’s high street

Poole Town Map

!e popular Guildhall Tavern on Market Street

Baiter Park Slipway is very convenient



WeatherWebsite www.pooleharbourweather.comfeatures weather actuals and a webcam showing views from the NE corner of Poole Harbour over Whitley Lake and towards the main channel o$ Brownsea Island. It’s also available as an app for your iPad or iPhone from the App Store. Other resources are the Met O%ce Inshore Waters Forecast Selsey to Lyme Regis and the Met O%ce Shipping Forecasts for Portland and Wight.

Where to #ll upPetrol and diesel is available at Parkstone Bay Marina, Cobbs Quay, Salterns Marina, and Ridge Wharf.

Harbour duesHarbour dues are usually included in your visitor’s berthing fees. Harbour dues run from 1st April to 31st March each year. "e 2014 rates per metre are: 43p per day, £1.71 per week, £6.60 per month and £10.11 per annum. "erefore a 10m boat will pay £101.10 per year. Vessels 4.5m in length or below and with an engine size of 5 HP or lower are exempt.

Tide Timeshttp://www.tidetimes.org.uk/poole-entrance-tide-times#axzz2l6YULcRp

Charts & Pilot BooksReeds Channel Almanac. Imray 2300 Dorset and Devon Coasts Chart Pack. Admiralty Poole Bay and Poole & Harbour Approaches charts. ‘Inshore Along the Dorset Coast’ by Peter Bruce. Imray ‘"e Shell Channel Pilot’. Ordnance Survey maps Purbeck & South Dorset OL15 and Bournemouth & Purbeck 195.

has the usual spattering of gastro pubs, co$ee shops and reliable chain restaurants such as Pizza Express. However, if you are looking for something unique to Poole, the top choice is "e Guildhall Tavern. It is a small nautical themed French restaurant on Market Street o$ering #sh and meat dishes, plus a Fruit de Mer takeaway service. Make sure you book a table as it is very popular. Another good choice is Storm, a #sh restaurant just o$ the Quay at the bottom of the High Street. Corkers is an all-day café bar with outside seating on the town quay serving breakfast, lunch, a&ernoon tea and has a #ne dining restaurant upstairs, both !oors look over the harbour. If you are looking for a lunch or co$ee stop, overlooking the marina there is Deli on the Quay, you won’t be able to resist the cakes on o$er. Finally a&er a long days boating there is nothing better than take-away #sh and chips. Head to Harlees on the quay where you can also eat in. Further a#eld why not take in the view over Holes Bay and the Twin Sails Bridge from the Riggers Restaurant and Slipway Café Bar at the RNLI College. It’s a 10-minute walk away on West Quay Road. "e restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, except lunch on Saturdays. If you are staying overnight at Parkstone

Bay Marina the on-site cosy waterside log cabin South Deep Café serves excellent food throughout the day and we can recommend the hot chocolate. If you are up at Cobbs Quay the Boathouse serves fresh #sh specials plus pub favourites.

Places to see and visit"ere is so much to see and do in Poole but here are just a few ideas. Poole is the home to the RNLI and they have an impressive training college and testing facility in the heart of the town. 90-minute Discovery Tours of the college are available Monday to Saturday, costing £7.50 per person. You can book via the website www.rnli.org/college Travelling further a #eld a visit to Monkey World is a must for kids of all ages. "is ape rescue centre, made famous by a television show ‘Monkey Life’ Animal Planet, is situated near Bovington on the A31 between Bere Regis and Wool. Our suggestion would be to hire a car to visit the centre but also use the opportunity to take in sights such as Lulworth Cove, Corfe Castle and Wareham, or search for fossils at Kimmeridge and wander around the town of Swanage. Another way to explore the Jurassic Coast is to catch the bus. "e X53 bus from Poole Bus Station goes to Wareham, Weymouth, Bridport and beyond to Exeter. "e buses run every two hours seven days a week. Tickets cost £7.70 for adults and £5.70 for children, for unlimited daily travel. You can also do almost a whole circuit of the harbour by bus. "e number 40 Purbeck Breezer from Poole Bus Station takes you anti clockwise to Corfe Castle, Wareham and Swanage. From Swanage you can then catch the open top Purbeck Breezer 50 that will

take you towards Studland, across in the Sandbanks Ferry and into Bournemouth. Both buses run in both directions every 20-30 minutes and an all day ticket will cost £8 for an adult and £5 for children. Staying closer to the quay, in the Old Town the Poole Museum showcases Poole’s rich history and is free to enter. "e display includes a 2000 year 33& longboat found preserved in Brownsea Island mud. Poole o$ers excellent shopping, and there is a market every "ursday and Saturday on the High Street. Heading north on the High Street will take you through the delightful old town, and continuing onwards you will discover the pedestrianised high street fringed with shops. All the big names can be found in the huge indoor Dolphin Shopping Centre at the very top of the high street. Opposite this is the Lighthouse, a theatre and concert hall o$ering comedy, ballet and musicals, o&en with celebrity appearances. If you want to hit the beach, the number 52 bus from Poole Bus Station will take

Stay, take a tour and eat at the RNLI College

Free entry, the Poole Museum on the High Street

Destination GUERNSEY


you to the beach at Sandbanks. Adult tickets cost £4 and children £2.60 for one-day travel. If you have bikes on board there is a 4-mile route from Poole Quay Boat Haven along the seafront via Baiter Park, Whitecli$ Park and Banks Road. It should take approximately 25 minutes. Brownsea Island is run by the National Trust and the Dorset Wildlife Trust. It is a secluded haven for wildlife and home to a red squirrel population. Boat trips over to the island operate from Poole Quay with half hourly services from Brownsea Island Ferries and Green Slade Pleasure Boats. Trips start at 10am with tickets costing around £9.50 for adults, £6 for children and a family ticket for £25.00. If it’s raining Tower Park houses a cinema, Splashdown indoor water park, and a Mega Bowl. "ere are plenty of leisure activities in the area too. Poole has #ve golf clubs in close proximity. On the water you can brush up on some powerboat skills, or try dinghy sailing at Rockley Waterports Centre. Wind and kite sur#ng are popular sports at Whitley Lake on Banks Road. It is incredible to watch or you can even take part. "e Watersports Academy is just across the road and o$ers one-day sessions or private tuition. If that’s all too exhausting for you, a simple mooch along the bustling town

quay is a must. Its cafés will give you prime position to gawp at the colossal cruisers in the adjacent Sunseeker yard."e quay is a popular spot for crabbing so if you have kids on board a crabbing line and bucket can provide hours of fun.

Exploring the Harbour and beyond"ere is an anchorage at the western end of the harbour, near Arne and around the back of Long Island. Check the tides before you visit as it can get very shallow. It is a RSPB reserve and a quiet haven, so it’s very peaceful. Another sheltered anchorage is in South Deep, on the southern side on Brownsea Island. It is not permitted to anchor over the shell#sh beds or in the channel, but you should #nd deep enough water just outside the channel to !oat at all states of tide. Be aware landing is prohibited on many of the islands in the harbour. If you venture outside the harbour Studland Bay is sheltered from south west to north west-wind directions and has over two miles of sandy beaches. "ere is a 5-knot speed limit within 300 metres of the beach and be mindful of your wash at all times. Seahorses are common in the bay and they cling on the long seagrass that grows in the sandy bottomed bay. To help protect their habitat yellow markers o$ South Beach indicate where anchoring is prohibited. If you dinghy ashore at South Beach you will #nd a beach café selling ice creams, and the Bankes Arms pub with its large garden a short walk away. You can even borrow a bucket and spade from the café. We would suggest you anchor in around three metres and avoid areas of sea grass, as it disturbs the Seahorses and o$ers poor holding.

WarehamIt is possible to visit the beautiful town of Wareham by boat on a rising tide. "is historic town has a museum, tearooms, shops, pubs, restaurants and a Saturday market. To get there continue westwards, out of the main ship channel and past Lake Yard, where you will enter the Wareham Channel. You will pass a water ski area on the starboard side, between Gold Point o$ the Arne peninsula and buoys WH11 and WH12. "e narrow channel into the River Frome is well marked by numbered buoys and posts, then small cra& moorings and tall reeds line it as it twists and turns upstream. "e river can be very popular during the summer therefore you are advised to keep to the right to avoid any close encounters with oncoming tra%c. Keep an eye on the depth and try to favour the outside of bends for best water. It will start to get shallow as you pass the church and approach the town quay. Access to Wareham Town Quay is approximately two hours either side of HW Poole with a

maximum dra& of 1.2m. For a lunch stop we would suggest that you start heading up the channel from north of Gigger’s Island around two hours before high water, taking around half an hour to reach Wareham at a sedate four knots. "ere is a limited number of alongside berths on the quayside so be prepared to ra& up. You can overnight if you are able to li& your engine or drives, and take to the ground, although it rarely dries out completely. On your way up you will pass Ridge Wharf Yacht Centre on your port side. "is pretty yard o$ers fuel, a slipway, 20-ton hoist, a chandlery and overnight berthing for visitors with toilet and shower facilities. Access is HW +/- 2.5 hours but be prepared to dry out to so& mud. "e Old Granary on Wareham quay o$ers excellent food and a waterfront terrace to sit and watch the world go by. On a summers evening it is a superb spot to watch the sun go down over the marshes, but make sure you book a table with a view on the mezzanine level.South Beach, Studland Bay is very sheltered

A superb lunch stop, !e Old Granary at Wareham

tested


All tests in Motorboat Owner are carried

out by real boaters in real life situations

If there was a speaker system for your digital music library that was wireless, waterproof and also acted as a wireless remote for your phone, that would be perfect wouldn’t it? We have been using the Kaos GN470 Bluetooth Speaker on board for a couple of months and it does all of the above. !e speaker is small, (50mm x 55mm), and lightweight andcomes with a Lithium battery, a micro SD card slot and a line-in socket. !e latter allows it to be used with items that do not have Bluetooth connectivity. With a full charge the batteryis said to provide over fours hours of use, but on our test it kept going for nearer 10 hours, although the wireless range does start to lessen as the battery gets low. With a good battery and a direct line of sight the wireless worked up to around 20 metres. Add in a bulkhead or a cabin door, and it drops to around 8 meters; still plenty to allow you to have the speaker in the cockpit and the phone/mp3 player down below. !e Kaos claims to be splashproof but I didn’t have much opportunity to test it on the boat, so I did the next best thing, I took it into the shower with me. While the qualityof the sound was severely a"ected by watergetting onto the speaker diaphragm, the Kaos kept working #ne. Once the water wasshaken out and the speaker dried, everythingwas back to normal with no apparent ill a"ects. I think we can say it will safely survive a rain shower or a bit of spray. !e

Nevada Kaos GN470 Bluetooth Speaker AShipShape MotorboatIf you #nd it hard to keep ontop of what maintenance yourboat needs, you might #nd AShipShapeMotorboat a handypiece of so$ware. It is designedto log and keep records of theboat’s kit and systems, theirmaintenance schedules, and even the tools you need to getto get the job done. Of course it doesn’t know any of this stu" to start with so you will need to devote a bit of time to accurately input the required information at the start, but once you have done so, it should take the guesswork out of your boat’s maintenance schedule. Each time you log on you update the boats engine hours and the program will then remind you of what maintenance may have become due; either by time, engine hours or both. Much of the information provided by the program is done so a$er inputting some basic information at the beginning, such as how many engines you have and what other equipment you have #tted. You then select from the menu a choice such as ‘winterising’ or ‘full service’, and it will provide a checklistof all the jobs you need to do. !e full service schedule looks a bit full on, but youcan pick and choose what you do, so you canjust tick the box and move on to somethingmore important. Because the lists are basedon some basic input, you will #nd many jobs on the checklist that are not applicable.It is quite straight forward to remove thesethe #rst time you use each list so that theprogram becomes more focussed on yourown boat each time you use it.Nevada Distribution www.nevadamusic.co.uk

AShipShapeMotorboat can be a usefultool but you would need to customize it down quite hard at the beginning, whichwill take some time, otherwise you could easily be overwhelmed with the amount of checks that it recommends. I would pareit down to just the engines and other mechanical systems that had speci#c servicerequirements and a few safety related checks,and leave many of the other items to goodsense. !ey are all good points; it’s just thatif the list is too large, you may well end upignoring it, or losing the more importantstu" among the less important. I haven’t played around with it enough yet to work out its full potential but I feelthat what you will get out of it, will dependvery much on the quality ofthe set-up, so if this kind oforganised record keepingwill help you, I would saygo for it, but be prepared tospend a decent amount oftime at the outset getting itset up just right to reap thebene#ts.

bottom of the speakerhas a rubber coatingthat meant it alwaysstayed where it was put. !e phone function is an added bonus. If you get an incoming call, the music cuts and you can answer by pressing the play button. Once the call is #nished, the music will resume. Music control is a bit #ddly as the volume and track skip functions are carried out by the same buttons using either a quick or a long press. !is makes it easy to change tracks when you wanted to adjust the volume, but this is about the only fault I can #nd. It is a great little speaker that provides a quality of sound far better than you would expect for its size and, if it keeps your expensive phone out of harms way, it can be considered money well spent.

Motorboat Owner

Value 3/5Usability 3/5Performance 4/5

“A useful tool for the DIY boater, available

for Macs and PCs”

Contact: Intelligent Maintenancewww intelligentmaintenance.com

PRICE

£49.99

Motorboat Owner

Value 4/5Usability 4/5Performance 5/5

“On board wirelessmusic and telephone

for under £50”

PRICE

£19.95

tested

62 January 2014

!ere are times on board when you need to make yourself somethingquick, easy and hot to eat, and for these occasions it is a good idea tokeep a supply of easy to prepare, longlasting foodstu" on board. Tins are anobvious choice, apart from the weightand the rust issues. At the Southamptonboat show we were drawn to a standdishing out little containers of steaminghot food. !at food was Stowaways, plastic pouches containing one of ninedi"erent meals and three soups. !ere are three good reasons whythese are worth considering on board.First they come with a long shelf life of up to one year, the second is that they do notrequire refrigeration, and the third is that, soups aside, they are complete meals, with each containing not just the meat, but alsopotatoes and other vegetables. !ey literallyare a one-stop-shop for a quick, warming meal. Each one can be cooked in either themicrowave, or by emptying the contents intoa pan and heating on the hob. So we set about testing every variety. Firstup, the soups. We were disappointed in theseas we found the Tomato and Basil, and the Vegatable Broth both a bit tasteless. !e Carrot & Coriander was marginally better

but the #rst two we gave 2/5 and the Carrotand Coriander 3/5. Next up were the meals,and here we found a marked improvement. !ere was not a single one that wasn’t tasty.In fact they all scored either 4/5 or 5/5 and it was quite hard to choose a favourite. !eSausage Casserole was excellent, the VenisonCasserole was tasty and tender, the Chickenand Bacon Pasta was creamy with lovelymeaty chunks, and the Chicken Balti Saagwas nice and spicy, although a little light onchicken. !e Coq au Vin had lots of meatand a real boozy %avour and the ChunkyChilli Con Carne came with big chunks ofbeef and delicious potato wedges. Our twofavourites were the Lancashire Hotpot witha lovely minty sauce, and the Beef in Alewith big chunks of meat and potatoes plus carrots and mushrooms in a tasty gravy. !e vegetarians among you will need torely on the Chunky Vegetable Chilli. It wasspicy and warming and deserving of its 4/5score.

Stowaways

Contact: Stowaways www.stowawayfoods.com

The HX300E - the fi rst Marine VHF Handheld to offer the ability to

charge via a USB port

Due to the widespread popularity of the USB charging system, fi nding the correct charger for your handheld has never been easier.

Not only that, the HX300E is packed with masses of features, is lightweight, compact and waterproof with a three year warranty. If accidentally dropped overboard, it will fl oat face up and a red fl ashing light will activate on contact with the water, even If the unit is switched off.

www.standardhorizon.co.uk

Email us at [email protected] or call us on +44 (0)1962 866667

ChargedUniversally

Nine di!erent tasty and warming meal options

PRICE

£1.75-£2.99

Motorboat Owner

Value 2/5Usability 5/5Taste 2/5

“!ese meals are perfect for a quick,

hot and tasty "x”

Value 4/5Usability 5/5Taste 4/5

MEALS

SOUPS


PRACTICAL

SAFETY CHECK

Carbon MonoxideBY PAM BORN

s winter sets in and nights become cold, our thoughts turn to keeping warm and cosy. If you are a year round boater, it’s a good time to remind ourselves that keeping warm may possibly bring with it the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Too o!en we hear tragic stories about boaters who lose their lives by breathing in this deadly gas. On Lake Windermere in early 2013 a mother and daughter sadly succumed to CO poisoning aboard a sports cruiser moored against the jetty at Bowness. In this case the MAIB found a portable generator was likely to be the cause. It was placed in the engine bay with an improvised exhaust system that had become detached. When running, this would have "lled the engine bay, and then the boat, with carbon monoxide. I can remember years ago waking up on a boat on the Norfolk Broads and feeling so cold that my whole body ached; outside there was a foot of snow. At that point in time I would have done anything for a bit of heat. Our insatiable appetite for warmth in moments like this perhaps makes us forget about the dangers involved in using certain appliances. Back then the most common form of boat heating was catalytic gas heaters, which can be dangerous if not properly maintained and used correctly. Our boat was "tted with a couple of these but luckily we were aware of the dangers.

Ensure you have good ventilation when using gas appliances onboard

What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon Monoxide Gas is highly poisonous, can kill in minutes and is o!en referred to as the “silent killer” as you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. It is produced when carbon based fuels such as gas, oil, petrol, diesel, wood or coal aren’t burnt completely. All fuels require oxygen to burn safely. If you ‘batten down the hatches’ to keep out the elements, boats can become almost sealed containers. Light a #ame within that sealed container and immediately the oxygen level starts to deplete and is replaced with carbon monoxide.

$e most common reasons for this deadlybuild-up of gas inside your boat are:

Insu%cient or blocked ventilation points that will prevent an adequate supply of air to replace the oxygen being burned up in the enclosed space.Faulty or badly maintained appliances which can produce higher levels of carbon monoxide gas.Exhaust fumes from engines, boat heating systems or generators that have faulty or even non-existent extraction systems.

Great care should be taken whenusing portable items on board,particularly generators.

Poorly installed diesel heaters or leaking engine exhausts are also possible sources of carbon monoxide

A


PRACTICAL

Carbon monoxide detectors should be tested regularly and replaced when date expired

Preventative measures include: Maintain a good air supply in cabins at all times when using appliances that burn carbon-based fuels i.e. gas hobs or cookers, water or cabin heaters. $is should include periodic checks of cabin vents for blockages.Have appliances installed and serviced by a competent person and always adhere to manufacturer’s instructions. Check any pipes, #ues or exhausts for signs of wear or damage.Regularly inspect your boat engine exhaust system for any leaks.Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm to British Standard BS EN 50291 but remember to frequently check the batteries.

Do’s

Never be tempted to:Leave gas appliances on overnight unless a manufacturer speci"es this in the instructions (meaning that they are designed for this purpose)Use an air-cooled, portable generator inside your boatBring your outdoor barbeque inside your boat – even when it is cooling

Don’ts

For further advice and more detailed information on Carbon Monoxide go to theBoat Safety Scheme website: www.boatsafetyscheme.org/stay-safe/carbon-monoxide-(co)and follow the link to their excellent publication ‘Carbon Monoxide Safety on Boats’ written in partnership with CoGDEM ($e Council of Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring) www.cogdem.org.uk$ere is also a new free 24 hour helpline number 0800 810 8464, managed by the B&ES (Building & Engineering Services Association) www.cohelpline.org

It is possible for you to lose consciousness within a short space of time if levels of carbon monoxide are high so it is important to be aware of the warning signs. $ese may include:

Sudden onset of Flu-like symptomsDizziness NauseaDi%culty in breathingHeadacheTiredness, weakness, di%culty in walking and confusion

Exposure to carbon monoxide fumes can not only kill but can permanently damage vital organs in the body as it replaces oxygen in the blood. If you suspect that you have been exposed to fumes – act immediately by getting everyone out into the fresh air (extinguishing the source of contamination on the way, if you can), open all doors and windows to allow air #ow and if anyone is su&ering symptoms, seek urgent medical attention.

Recognising the symptoms

Further information:

Fit a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Portable hobs should be used outside

Motorboat Owner 69 68 December 2013

Greenline 33 Hybrid Length (LOA) 9.99m / 32! 9inBeam 3.49m / 11! 5inDisplacement 4800kgsFuel Capacity 500 litresWater Capacity 300 litresRCD category BEngine as tested:Single VW 165hp TDI with hybrid driveOther Engine Options:Single Volvo Penta D2 75hpSingle Mercury Diesel TDI 150hpSingle Volvo Penta D3 220hpPrice from £128,215

Price with 150hp & Hybridfrom £162,500

BOAT TEST


Electric propulsion, as a serious alternative to fossil fuels for long distances and fast speeds, is still a

very long way o!. In the meantime there are a few companies producing products that make the best use of the technology available today. Perhaps the most well known in the UK is Greenline, who build a range of boats that o!er hybrid propulsion systems. For the uninitiated, a hybrid system, in the case of the Greenline range, means that the boat can be powered by either an electric motor, or a standard diesel engine. When we were o!ered the chance to try the Greenline 33 Hybrid, not just for a couple of hours, but for a three day trip up the Douro river in Portugal, it was an opportunity too good to turn down. It gave us the opportunity not just to test the boat, but to actually live with it. We slept on it, cooked and ate on it, showered on board and sat and lounged the evening away in the saloon. "is then, is quite possibly the most

integrity of the hull if they get damaged and can be easily replaced. Diesel engine options on the 33 range from a single sha# drive 75hp, o!ering a top speed of 9 knots, up to a single 220hp producing a claimed 19 knots. Out boat was $tted with a 165hp Volkswagon TDI engine, with the electric motor mounted between it and the gearbox. "e motor is a 7kW, 48V unit that is said to o!er propulsion speeds of up to 5.5 knots, but that is not all it does. When running on diesel power it acts as a generator, producing up to 5kW to recharge the 11.5kWh battery bank, which not only propels the boat, but also runs the boats domestic systems via a 3000w inverter. On the roof of the wheelhouse there is an array of 48v solar panels that can produce up to 1400W in sunny conditions. "ese panels supplement other charging methods on board, including a mains charger, and are said, on a good day, to deliver enough power for continuous cruising at slow speeds. "e layout of the 33 o!ers a few surprises, for a start there is no second cabin. "e

forward master cabin o!ers the %exibility of either two singles or a double berth with its scissor action bunks. "e cabin has a continuous line of eye level windows on three aspects, which allow plenty of light to %ood in. "ere is also an opening overhead hatch, but this is the only opening window, which did create a small issue. In early or late season, when the air outside is cold, condensation forms on windows and window frames. On the 33, the forward most eye level windows are directly over your head as you sleep and the condensation can drip onto the bunk’s occupants in the night. Below these windows there are eight small cupboards that actually o!er more storage than their size would suggest. I would have liked to see some stays on the doors to keep them open while in use. At the a# end of the cabin are two nice hanging lockers and, with the berth set up in double mode, there is lots of space under the bunk for bags and cases. "e toilet compartment is accessible from the forward cabin and also the communal passageway. It is a decent size and o!ers an

in-depth test you will read of the Greenline 33. "e Greenline 33 was designed from the keel up to be a hybrid boat, and therefore e&ciency was paramount. "e end result is a semi displacement hull designed to o!er low drag, less wake, good seakeeping and easy handling. "e hull has a pair of $n stabilisers a# to help reduce roll, provide true tracking and o!er protection to the propeller and rudder. "e stabilisers are sacri$cial, in that they will not a!ect the

!e forward cabin o"ers lots of light and plenty of storage.

With some clever design, and with the #ick of a few catches, the galley and cockpit merge into one.


electric toilet, sink and integral shower. "e three mirrors in here go some way to making up for having none in the cabin. "e passageway outside has access to a large storage cupboard and hanging locker with a couple of steps up into the saloon. "ese steps li# out to provide access to the midships bilge area with pumps and sea cocks but no access to the engine, which is in

a separate boxed section. "e saloon o!ers seating for three on each side of the boat with the helm seat folding down to add to the seating on the starboard side. It’s a comfortable boat for dining, and a nice area to lounge in the evening and watch the bulkhead mounted TV. "ese two seats o!er the boat’s other berths making it a 2+2, or 2+3 rather than a true four berth boat. "e mass of glass in the wheelhouse makes this area nice and bright and the windows are at a height that allows you to see out when seated. "ere is also full standing headroom of well over 6# throughout the wheelhouse. In the %oor is a large hatch that, when li#ed, reveals the engine and electric motor, mounted in their own sound proofed box. "is does a good job of keeping noise down, but does restrict access to some parts of the engine. Beneath the port side seating is the heart of the hybrid system, the battery pack and electrical management. It is actually much smaller that you might imagine and there is still plenty of storage beneath this seat above the electrics. At the a# end of the wheelhouse is the galley. Nicely proportioned, the galley on our boat was all electric and o!ered a twin hob,

combination microwave oven, single sink and, on the opposite side, a domestic size fridge with separate freezer above. All that is missing is a drainer. Just watch that you don’t %ood the worktop by closing the sink lid with the tap set to its cold setting. As long as you keep those batteries topped up, this is a boat you could really spend some time on board. "e galley has a reasonable amount of storage, including three high level cupboards, which again could do with some stays to keep them open, although nowhere tall enough for a box of cereal. Between the galley and the fridge is a single patio door leading into the cockpit. Undo a couple of clips and the large glass panel behind the galley li#s up against the cockpit overhang, the rear galley upstand folds %at and the galley and cockpit merge into one continuous space, one of my favourite features on this boat. "e worktop has a set-in rubbish bin with access to remove the rubbish from outside, another really nice touch. "e cockpit is a good size and o!ers space for a couple of chairs and a small fold up table without them being in the way. "ere are also two corner units with cushions for extra seating. Inside these units are the shorepower electrics on one side, and a pulley system on the other for another of this boat’s clever features, its fold down transom cum bathing platform. Why pay one metre extra on your mooring fees when the bathing platform can be simply stowed using this pulley system? Access to the cockpit from the pontoon is via an opening door in the starboard side bulwark, which is great apart from those odd occasions when you $nd yourself port side to. To get forward you have a pair of side decks protected by deep, waist high bulwarks. Once you reach amidships you have to go up three steps to gain access to the foredeck,

!e large helm seat comfortably takes two, or folds down to become part of the saloon seating

!e transom folds down to open up the cockpit and create a large bathing platform.

!e side access gate makes boarding e"ortless, but through bulwark fairleads make ropework tricky.

!e galley is accessible from cabin and saloon


where nice %at decks and decent rails make for a safe working area. Sun pads a&x to an area over the cabin if required. Up at the pointy end is a large anchor locker capable of taking fenders, although the size of the access would preclude using it for big round ones. "e very forward part of the pulpit rail is detachable, o!ering Scandinavian style forward access if needed. "rough bulwark fairleads on the bow make taking a line back on board from a shore cleat a bit $ddly. A small mast atop the forward end of the wheelhouse roof provides somewhere to mount your aerials, while the vast area behind is where the solar panels are $tted. For maximum e&ciency these will need to be kept clean and while access to the forward section is easy, cleaning further a#

if you $nd yourself mooring port side to. "ere is also a bit of a blind spot on the port quarter caused by the fridge freezer. "ere is an option to have a sunroof over the helm, but this comes at the expense of one third of your solar panel capacity. "e helm is quite basic but there is plenty of space to mount a multifunction display and any other kit you might want to add. "ere

isn’t anywhere useful to place a chart and somewhere to put a mug or glass would have been nice. "e hybrid functions mean there are a few extra items mounted on the dash to monitor the electric side of things, plus a big switch to swap between electric and diesel

will require a bit more e!ort. "e helm comes with a seat easily big enough to sit two comfortably, and also o!ers a good standing helm position. "ere are a pair of sliding windows in each side that are useful to aid communication with the foredeck crew and to provide a bit of ventilation. "ere are three square forward facing windows, the middle of which opens, but the mullions are quite big so visibility is a little restricted. "ere was only one windscreen wiper on our boat, on the window directly in front of the helm, so in heavy rain there were visibility problems when looking out over the port bow. Visibility from the helm along the starboard side is good, which is useful as that is the side you are going to want to moor for your side gate access, but consequently not great

Knots Range (nm)

Noise(dB)

Cruising speed 4 16 47Full throttle 5 10 49

ELECTRIC PERFORMANCEAs tested 3/4 fuel, 2 crew RPM

Knots LPH GPH MPG Range

(nm)Noise(dB)

1000 3.2 1.5 0.33 9.70 1066 661500 4.9 2.7 0.59 8.31 907 702000 6.5 5.5 1.21 5.37 591 742500 7.0 9.2 2.02 3.47 380 803000 8.6 13.5 2.97 2.90 319 843500 11.3 20.5 4.51 2.51 276 844000 13.0 32.0 7.04 1.85 203 89

PERFORMANCE As tested 3/4 fuel, 2 crew

!e helm is simple, with space for additiuonal electonics. Our test boat had the mid range engine.

!e battery pack and helm information display !e electric motor $ts between engine and gearbox


ENQUIRIES: Inspiration Marine Group Tel: 02380 457008 www.inspirationmarine.co.uk

Linssen GS25.9

Mastervolt Hybrid

> NEXT MONTH AMT 185BR

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

LOA 11.99mBeam 4.25mDisplacement 8000kgsEnquiries: Inspiration Marine 02380 457008 www.inspirationmarine.co.ukPRICE from £245,686

LOA 8.2mBeam: 3.15Displacement: 6000kgsEnquiries: Boat Showrooms 01932 260261www.boatshowrooms.comPRICE from £114,090

!is Dutch steel displacement cruiser has a hybrid option, courtesy of Mastervolt’s DriveMaster 7.5 Ultra drive system.

Dutch company Mastervolt has a range of Hybrid solutions that can be used to electrically power almost any kind of boat. If the boat builder is #exible, one of these systems could be easily $tted at build stage and it is even possible to retro$t certain drive systems a%er build using an electric motor connected to the sha% via a drive belt.

Greenline 40!e twin engine 40 comes two electric motors and two 11.5kWh batteries. It o"ers a top speed of 22 knots and comes with a second cabin.

propulsion. Underway the Greenline has a very di!erent feel about it to any other boat I have driven. "e lightweight hull is susceptible to shi#s of weight, with even a light crewmember inducing a lean as they move around. "e single sha# drive makes reversing tricky so you need to make use of the prop walk and the bow thuster when close quarters, and remember that in reverse not much happens until you get some %ow over the rudder. Under diesel power the hull proves to be economical at slow speeds. With a full 500 litre tank and a cruise speed of 5 knots you are looking at a range approaching 900nm, or an economy of over 8nmpg. Crank the power up and the boat rises onto its semi planning hull and reaches a speed of 13 knots, but you lose the economy with a return of 1.9nmpg. Noise levels are acceptable at around 72dB at 5.5knots rising to 89dB when %at out. On

test we didn’t have any big seas to contend with but we did tackle some very confused conditions and the hull handled these faultlessly. Of course the question on everyone’s lips is: How does it perform on electric power? Well we had plenty of opportunity to test it, on one occasion running the battery all the way down. Firstly it is very, very quiet at 49dB, which is about the same as the inside of my house on a typical day. "ere is the strange sensation to get used to of casting ropes o! without an engine running, and we had a few strange looks from locals as we silently moved away from a pontoon. Speed is not on o!er when it comes to running on electric. Flat out we measured 5 knots, and easing back for better battery life saw our speed drop to around 4 knots. Obviously the slower you go the longer the battery will last and Greenline say that the boat has a 20nm range on electric. "e supplied gauges o!er some useful information, such as at full throttle the motor is pulling over 100Amps from the battery pack. By my calculations the 11.5kwh battery at 48v o!ers around 240Ah, providing just over 2 hours at full throttle, or a range of 10nm, which is pretty much exactly what we got before the low battery light came on. Cruising at 4 knots we were pulling 60A from the battery, and this would theoretically increase our range to 16nm.

We had pretty much no sun during our test, so these $gures could easily be bettered on a bright day, and in fact at around 3 knots you should be able to keep going on solar power alone on a sunny day. A#er %attening the batteries we switched back to diesel for the last mile or so of our journey, which threw up a bit of a conundrum. We had used almost all of the battery reserves and found no shorepower at our overnight stop. With an all electric boat we conserved as best we could but by morning we didn’t have enough power to boil the kettle, so clearly some planning and clever use is needed to get the best out of the system. Running on diesel, with the electric motor acting as a generator and with a little bit of help from the solar panels, the battery

pack was back up to 100% within a few hours and ready for another session of boat propulsion.

Conclusion"e Greenline 33 is a very clever boat in so many ways. "e galley that extends into the cockpit, the fold down bathing platform, the lightweight construction that o!ers e&cient performance while maintaining optimum sea keeping, and of course the hybrid system. It is great having permanent 240v but the ability to cruise silently and cheaply, even free if conditions allow, is fantastic as long as you can put up with life in the very slow lane. As a river boat you would barely need to use diesel, as long as you were happy not to be $rst to the lock every time.

!e side decks are deep and safe but a bit tight


Arvor Boat Owners Clubwww.arvorboatowners.co.uk

Atlanta Boat Ownerswww.atlantaboats.co.uk

Bavaria Owners’ Associationwww.bavariaowners.co.uk

Bayliner Owners Clubwww.baylinerownersclub.org

Birchwood Boat Owners Forumbirchwoodboatowners.myfreeforum.org

Broom Owners Clubwww.broomowners.com

Chaparral Boat Owners Forumforum.chaparralboats.com

Cleopatra Owners Clubmycleopatra.ning.com

Cranchi Owners Club & Forumcranchiownersclub.com

Dawncra! Owners Club & Forumwww.dawncra!owners.com

Fairey Owners Clubwww.faireyownersclub.co.uk

Fairline Owners Clubwww.fairlineownersclub.com

Fjord Clubwww."ordclub.com

Fletcher Owners Club#etcher-boats.co.uk/your-#etcher/owners-club

Freeman Cruisers Forumfreemanboats.forumer.com

Freeman Owners Clubwww.freemancruisers.com

Haines Owners Clubwww.hainesmarine.co.uk/owners.php

Hampton Safari Boat Clubhamptonsafaribc.webplus.net

Hardy Owners Clubwww.hardy-owner.org.uk

Mariah Owners Clubwww.mariahownersclub.com

Maxum Owners Clubwww.maxumownersclub.com

Microplus Boatswww.microplus.dk

Monterey Fourmforums.montereyboats.com

Nauticuswww.nauticus.co.uk

Nelson Boat Owners Clubwww.nelsonboatownersclub.co.uk

Nimbus Owners Club UKwww.nimbusowners.co.uk

Owners DirectoryNorman Appreciation Societywww.normanboats.co.uk

Princess Owners Clubprincessownersclub.com

Regal Owners Forumwww.regalownersforum.com

Relcra! Boaters Groupwww.relcra!boatersgroup.co.uk

Rinker Owners Clubwww.rinkerboats.com/owners-club

Sea Ray Owners Clubsearay.com/Page.aspx/pageId/9810/Owners-Club.aspx

Sealine Forumwww.sealineforum.co.uk

Sealine Owners Clubwww.sealineownersclub.org

Seamaster Clubwww.seamasterclub.co.uk

Seaward Owners Clubwww.seawardboat.com/club.html

Shetland Owners Associationwww.shetlandowners.co.uk/shetland/

Star Cra! Owners Clubwww.bates-starcra!.co.uk

Sunseeker Owners Clubsunseekerownersclub.com

Owners Club missing?email us at

[email protected]

Viking Owners Clubwww.vikingowners.org.uk

Warrior Boats Owners Clubwww.warriorboatsownersclub.co.uk

[email protected]

@

Advertiseyour boatwith us


My kind of boating. !e mooring is

Britain’s only FREE dedicated motorboat magazine

ONLINE 17th JAN

BOATS

PRACTICAL

PLU

S

CRUISING

NEXT MONTHL Kwhat I saw

send your

images to

us at

[email protected]

@Spotted something weird, wonderful,

or interesting on your travels?

SPOTTED!

SPOTTED! ?

SPOTTED!

SPOTTED! ??

Documents

· PDF filepowder, FM200 and water mist. Manual, automatic or electronic activation. Price from £100 2 + #"'3-&)'! 1!") 0! 08452 177574 sales@!remonkeyltd.co.uk!remonkeyltd.co