22nd Sept: Boat Show
A larger ship!
The Boat Show shrinks year by year. At one time the Show stretched up to the Town Walls with a bridge over Mountbatten Road. Now it is confined to Mayflower Park. There were even empty berths in the Marina and, as in recent years, very few yachts afloat. I’ve been told that yachts are for sale around the local Clubs with the high price of moorings and Marina membership cited as the cause. However in compensation this year there were more “Feature” Boats, although on the Tuesday I visited, some were not open.
The Lifeboat “Engine Room”
The ones I did go on included a Lifeboat which is being restored, Ex RNLB Guide of Dunkirk. She had originally been sponsored by the Girl Guides but her first use was to become a Dunkirk “Small Ship”, hence the name. On board I was surprised to see she had a centreboard although given that she could be sailed as a ketch, it should not have been surprising. They have not tried sailing her yet but intend to do so, apparently the sails are thick and heavy!
I spent some time aboard Sea Scamp, a yacht I often see on the Solent when doing NCI watches. Quoting from her website:
Sea Scamp
“Sea Scamp is a classic Bermudan sloop, built in 1936 for the German Luftwaffe. She was brought to the UK in 1945, raced by the Royal Marines, then operated as a training ship by the Royal Navy and the Sea Scouts. In 1984 she was bought by two enthusiasts who set up the Sea Scamp Syndicate to sail and maintain her. We now have around 110 members of all ages and abilities.”
It was pleasant chatting aboard her and feeling her moving on the waves, she is narrow beamed having been built for racing! Nowadays she is on the National Historic Ships register and based at Shamrock Quay. I ended up giving a donation towards her new mast appeal.
Helen Mary R.
Finally I went onboard the Sail Training yacht Helen Mary R. which is a 57-foot Bowman ketch built in 1986. She is operated by the Morvargh Sailing Project based in Fowey, Cornwall, and has won the accolade of UK Sail Training Vessel of the Year from the MCA. She reminded me of the TS Donald Searle which is often out on the Solent.
A strange looking motor launch moored next to the Huntsman 31 Double Century was apparently built as a tender to J Class yachts. She had a really long foredeck to enable the huge sails to be carried on board.
A strange incident was that I may have bought an epropulsion Spirit 1 outboard from the Nestaway Stand. They were doing a good deal with regard to price but the model I wanted, a short shaft Evo model, was out of stock at Nestaway. A helper on the stand from an East Coast firm said he could sell me one but when I tried to pay using the Partnership card it was declined by their fraud department. Phone cover at the stand was not good enough to get the sale to go through, so he said he would send me Bank details by email that evening, but never did. If he does now, after the show, I am in two minds whether to go ahead since I’d rather purchase from a more local firm, and I’m still wondering about the more pricey Spirit 2 model.
