Cruising Article

[Tony]

DCA Autumn Bulletin No. 228
Interesting and well written account of a 50 NM coastal cruise from Portland to Poole harbour in a BayRaider 20 Exp.  Clearly illustrates the capabilities of this excellent boat. (Including successfully short tacking against wind and tide in the Wareham Channel where most would have needed an engine!) This sort of thing should go in the SBA (sorry, SYA) library.

Written, by the way, by a certain Jonathan Stuart, of whom you might have heard .......?

[Jonathan Stuart]

Thanks Tony, I really appreciate your comments  . I will put a copy in the Library as suggested.

[Jonathan Stuart]

This article is now available in the Trips section of the Library, and may also be read this the link below:

http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/?p=1362

[BobT]

Jonathan,
Enjoyed reading about your trip.  A couple of questions on the photos if I may.  What tiller extension do you have, perhaps I should start a post on tiller extensions as it is perhaps a general question to the forum.  Second I noticed a frame at the back of your boat/yacht/vessel, I assume it is for a tent cover? Would you mind posting some details?
Regards,
Bob

[Jonathan Stuart]

Bob,

Glad you enjoyed the article. The tiller extension is a Spinlock. Looking at their website it looks like model "EJ" but if you want the exact model and length then let me know and I'll look on the boat.

There is a bit of a story about that frame, so bear with me because I'll give the full history in case it's of interest. In the dim and distant past, when the BRe only existed in Matt's mind and on CAD software, the original design had a gunter rig. That aft frame, which is an aluminium sprayhood hoop, was included in the design to support the yard when the sail was dropped, given there was a cabin in the way unlike on an open BR. The hoop would also support a cockpit tent. I remember it well because I had just had a test sail on a BR and was sitting with Matt when he showed me the BRe on his computer and we discussed and he added the hoop.

Some time later he recommended to those that had pre-ordered a BRe that the one piece carbon mast should be standard. So we lost the yard but the hoop stayed for a tent. Given I was keen on a tent I made sure I got the hoop but I'm not aware of any other boats that had this fitted before Matt changed the tent design and a different, flexible hoop is now used.

But I've kept that hoop, even though I don't have a tent because it's really useful as a gallows to support the boom. I use it a lot, either to support the boom and/or stop it swinging about. And to bring the story to a conclusion, I've just ordered a cockpit tent from a local sailmaker and that will use this hoop for support. I think the design has some interesting features so if it works then I'll post some pictures in the forum.

[Peter Taylor]

Jonathan,

Sometime I'm hoping to sail Seatern along the Dorset Coast... did you choose a time when the ranges weren't firing or did they allow you to go through "at best speed"?  I've heard various versions of what is and is not allowed!

Peter

[Jonathan Stuart]

Peter,

Most of my sailing is on weekends and there is rarely any weekend firing and there certainly isn't any on the summer weekends. Weekdays are another matter and they seem to fire most weeks, again except for peak holiday periods. I live near the ranges and, depending on where the army is firing, my doors rattle when they fire so I wouldn't want to be on the water at the other end of a tank shell at these times!! I've never heard of boats being allowed through - although that's not to say it doesn't happen - and the army does take this very seriously and has boats patrolling, etc. Of course, there's always the offshore route but in a 20' boat I prefer the inshore passage through the ranges and past St Alban's Head.

As an example, you can find this year's firing times via the following link:

http://harbour.weymouth.gov.uk/harboursafety/documents/INF_LulworthInformationForMariners_2015.pdf

[Peter Taylor]

Jonathan,

Thanks for the link, I tend to avoid sailing at weekends so it's useful to know when they don't fire. Apart from the perils of venturing into the "open ocean", going the offshore route rather negates sailing along the Dorset Coast to see the scenery!

Peter