October Cruising - Broom Owners Club

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Sweeping
Statements
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Winter 2015
October
Cruising
Does it get
any better?
Dunkirk
75th
Don Walker tells all
inside!
Anniversary
Reports
inside!
Trunnion
Bearings!
you read
about them
here first!
Getting
There!
it’s not all
plain sailing!
The Magazine of the Broom Owners Club
www.broomowners.com
The BOC Committee
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Membership Secretary
Webmaster
Magazine Editor
Technical Co-ordinator
National Events Co-ordinator
Publicity Officer
Regional Development Officer
Independent Accounts Examiner
Regional Co-ordinators
Central & North East
Eastern, including The Broads
Ireland
Rest of the World
South Coast
South East
Thames
Regional Representatives
Channel Islands
Scotland & Borders
South West
Points of Contact
South East
Trent Area
Wooden and Classic Boats
Gill Oldham
Frank Hawkins
John Oldham
Stuart Crowther
Linda Varney
Carole Harvey
David Haugh
David Harrison
Vacant
John Oldham
Frank Hawkins
Jacqueline Morgan
01489 564798
01494 565050
01489 564798
01953 607423
020 8948 6251
07713623514
01789 490994
07860 208 106
goldham@warsash64.freeserve.co.uk”
FrankWHawkins@aol.corn
oldham@warsash64.freeserve.co.uk”
stuartgcrowther@aol.com”
j.chance@virgin.net”
caroleharvey97@gmail.com
David.Haugh@btconnect.com”
dcharrison1@gmail.corn
Peter Bentley
Andrew Holmes
Maurice Kerr
David Haugh
Gill Oldham
Vacant
Andrew Cotter
0113 286 3692
peter.margaret.bentley@gmail.com
01405 831942
thomas-holmes@btconnect.com
+353 862547947 mgkerr@trevennan.com
07715 308041
celiacotter@googlemail.com
Peter Donne Davis
Morrison Sutherland
Bevan Kendall
01534 863765
01475 687152
01752 661261
p.donnedavis@gmail.com
morrisonsutherland@yahoo.co.uk”
bevanmayotte@
Richard Clementson
Ron Careless
Lee Jackson
01843 843481
01142 875129
01502 539772
r.clementson@btinternet.com
Editorial
I
t’s been a busy year, and family commitments,
especially the birth of my granddaughter, have kept
us so busy that by the time October arrived our
boat was still a long way from its winter moorings. To
the rescue came Don Walker, who volunteered to help
me get Sinemora back to Bruges when most have given
up cruising for the winter. You can read what happened
next in Don’s article about our journey through Northern
France.
We normally go cruising in more welcoming weather,
and if the winter is a time when you start to plan for next
season’s cruising, then Gill and Peter Pitcher’s article on
cruising through the Ijselmeer could whet your appetite
and the section on Dunkirk Remembered will remind
many, not only of the valiant rescue of the BEF, but also
of our own summer season when, in 2015, the Dunkirk
Weekend started a good deal of us on our cruising
journeys.
lee@jackson-marine.co.uk”
Contents
Editorial by David Haugh . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chairman’s Report by Gill Oldham . . . . . . . 4
Tech Torque
A Water Pump Problem by Nick Worsley . . . . 14
Lonely and Forgotten by Nick Worsley . . . .
Regional Reports
Eastern by Andrew Holmes . . . . . . . . . 7
South Coast by Gill Oldham . . . . . . . . . 6
Events Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Membership
15
Life Rafts by David Harrison . . . . . . . . 16
It’s ‘curtains’ for Blinds by Don Walker . . . .
| by David Haugh
18
A Broom Boat, Waterloo and Brixham by Gill Oldham 20
Stan the Dog goes to Mars by Peter Willett . . . . 22
The Ijselmeer by Gill and Peter Pitcher . . . . . 24
Statistics by Andy Nurse . . . . . . . . . . 9
OctoberFest by Don Walker . . . . . . . . . 26
New Members by Linda Varney . . . . . . . 8
Dunkirk Remembered
Subs are Due by Stuart Crowther . . . . . .
13
Dunkirk Weekend by David Harrison . . . . . 34
The 2015 AGM by Linda Varney . . . . . . .
10
We Remenbered Dunkirk by Christopher Cole . . 37
The River Thames Boat Project . . . . . . . . 11
They Returned by Mike Cunningham . . . . . 38
Notes to the Constitution by John Oldham . . . . 12
Flying Visit by Linda Varney . . . . . . . .
39
A much older battle was remembered by Gill and John Oldham when they took their Broom 425,
Quantum Leap, to Brixham, prompting Gill to write about their brief encounter with another famous
battle. Sam the talking dog, if he survives his trip to Mars, would probably have something to say about
this too, and you can read about his latest exploits in the magazine.
I don’t think I knew I had a trunnion bearing on the boat, but in fact we all have, and as Nick Worsley
explains in Tech Torque, it’s an often forgotten, but vital, piece of the boat. This and other technical
articles, including an interesting experiment with a life raft by our ever inquisitive David Harrison,
will help to keep us all on our toes and suitably busy during the closed season. In fact, together with
membership statistics, and a warm welcome to new members, this edition should provide something of
interest for all members, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the read.
Keep the articles coming, and I hope to give you another full magazine in
the next issue, including more cruising tips and ideas, technical advice and
aspects of boating that could make your boating experiences more fun, and
adventurous too. Something Broom Boats were built for - and deliver.
NEXT ISSUE . . .
Note - The views and comments expressed in articles in this newsletter are
those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by the editor, committee
members or other club members.
2
Please send all your articles for the next issue to
David.Haugh@btconnect.com to reach me by
31st March 2016 at the latest.
www.broomowners.com
www.broomowners.com
3
My thanks to them, to all who served on last year’s
committee and those who worked behind the scenes. All have
given and continue to give so much of their own time in the
interests of the club.
There are many places of interest within a short distance
of the hotel.
While many of the members of the 2015/16 committee
are already familiar names having served in previous years,
there are also some new faces. We are very pleased to
welcome onto the committee Peter Bentley as Central and
NE Region Co-ordinator and Andrew Cotter as Thames Region
Co-ordinator. Our thanks to them for offering to take on these
roles.
the Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth,
(including the Mary Rose exhibition);
These include:
the Submarine Museum, Gosport;
Southsea Castle;
Portsmouth City Museum;
the Hover Craft to and from Ryde, Isle of Wight;
At the time of the 2015 AGM, no members had volunteered
to stand for election to the posts of Web Master, National
Events Co-ordinator or South East Region Co-ordinator.
The good news is that over the course of the weekend,
Carole Harvey very kindly offered to take on the role of Web
Master and was co-opted onto the committee, pending her
election at next year’s AGM. Sincere thanks to her for taking
on this very important work. Also, Richard Clementson kindly
volunteered to be the Point of Contact for the South East
Region.
the Spinnaker Tower and Gun Wharf Quay shopping centre;
and a short journey east along the A27, Tangmere Military
Aviation Museum.
So, please put the dates of the 2016 AGM in your diary. I
look forward to seeing you there!
In this role, Richard will not be attending committee
meetings or organising events. He will however, be very
willing to give help and advice about boating activities in the
region to other members. The club is extremely grateful to
him for offering to assist in this way.
In the meantime, my very best
wishes for a successful boating
season!
| by Gill Oldham
It is a great honour to have been re-elected as Chairman
of the Broom Owners Club for the third year
I
look forward to the next twelve months and working
with the committee to serve the interests of the
members. Throughout the 2015 boating season, Broom
Boats Ltd and several of their agents have supported the club
by generously sponsoring a range of social functions. I am
very grateful for this continuing interest and help and look
forward to working with the company during 2016.
The 2015 AGM held at Bisham Abbey over the weekend
16th-18th October, was a great success and reports on the
event will appear elsewhere in this magazine. My thanks to
all those involved with the organisation and to the members
who attended and entered into all the various activities so
enthusiastically.
The raffle that took place at the Saturday evening
Gala Dinner, was expertly organised by David Harrison and
generously supported with donations from companies and
members alike.
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The final sum raised was £1,0000 and I had the privilege
of presenting the cheque for that amount to Louise Sibley,
(above) the Chair of this year’s chosen charity, the River
Thames Boat Project. In response, Louise gave a brief
description of the Charity and its work. The text of her talk is
printed on subsequent pages.
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Chairman’s Report
In the absence of an elected National Events Co-ordinator,
South Coast Region member John Adcock, has kindly offered
to organise the 2016 AGM weekend. Very many thanks to
him. As a result, some of the planning is already in place.
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And the final piece of good news –
The details are:
Dates: 14th -16th October 2016
Venue: Royal Beach Hotel, Portsmouth, PO4 0RN
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You can look up more information about the hotel on its
website: www.royalbeachhotel.co.uk
An important element of the Sunday morning AGM, was
the election of the committee for 2015/16. This year, two of
the club’s longest serving members stood down from office.
Louise Busby was a founder member and for the past 11 years,
has been the Web Master and National Events Co-ordinator.
The club owes her a huge debt of gratitude for all her work
over this time. Kelston Tobin was the South East Region Coordinator and for several years his wife Jackie was General
Secretary. Together, they have done sterling work to promote
the club in region and nationally.
www.broomowners.com
www.broomowners.com
5
Around the Regions
Around the Regions
Eastern Region
| by Andrew Holmes
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South Coast
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Broom Boat Show followed by a Fitting Out
Supper at Coldham Hall attended by 40 people
including a contingent from Brooms and other
BOC Committee members. 12 boats moored
outside and a ferry service was provided by
Brooms from their yard.
24th April
6 boats cruised in company to the Orwell, visiting
Shotley and Ipswich. This was organised by Ken
and Jane Foster.
26th May
Andy Beale organised a tour of the Oyster Yachts
factory in Hoveton. 12 people attended and some
had dinner in Hotel Wroxham afterwards. 2 boats
moored at the hotel.
5th June
6 boats travelled together to Southwold. John
Ogden was the organiser.
4th July
Broom BBQ. 58 people there, mostly BOC
members.
8th August
3 boats cruised to Wells.
16th August
3 boats cruised to Woodbridge.
29th-30th August
20 boats came to the Beccles weekend. A BBQ
took place Saturday evening and on Sunday
we travelled in small boats up river under the
old road bridge to Gelderston for lunch. In the
evening 41 people sat down to dinner at the
Waveney Hotel followed by a talk from the
Operations Manager of the Lowestoft lifeboat. An
enormous thank you to Jane Neale for organising
this event.
| by Gill Oldham
Several members came by boat while others, who could only
come for part of the rally, arrived in their cars. All enjoyed a
Friday evening meal at a local Chinese restaurant and for those
staying on for the entire weekend, there was a chance to visit
local places of maritime interest and to enjoy a Saturday evening
meal at the marina’s Greenlight Ship. A special ”thank you” to
Chris and Donna for leading this rally.
The final event in the South Coast’s 2015 calendar was
the BOC and Broom Boats Ltd Buffet Supper held at the Royal
Southampton Yacht Club on Friday, 18th September, the last Friday
of the Southampton Boat Show. 35 members and their friends
were joined by Mark Garner, Managing Director of Broom Boats,
senior staff and some of the Agents. During the evening, Mark
shared with us news about the development of
the company and there was plenty of time
for informal discussion about BOC’s
future activities. My thanks to
Mark Garner and the Company
for generously sponsoring this
event.
Finally,
a
special
thank you to all the South
Coast members who have
supported me during this
season, particularly those
who have organised events.
If I am re-elected as South
Coast Co-ordinator at the this
year’s AGM, I would welcome
suggestions for activities and offers
to lead rallies during 2016.
www.broomowners.com
14th November
A Laying Up Supper will be held at the Royal
Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club. Our guest speaker
will be a Commander from Border Force. Geoff
Eason is the organiser.
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ollowing the successful “Start of the Season Supper” that
was reported in the Spring edition of the magazine, the
Summer’s main rally took place over the long-weekend of
17th-19th July at Island Harbour, Isle of Wight. Over the years,
this event has become a firm fixture in the South Coast’s diary
and has always been a popular rally. This year was no exception
and despite the forecast of very changeable weather, 10 boats
and 26 members and friends (some coming by ferry and car),
enjoyed a weekend that included: a drinks reception on Friday
evening; a “bring your own food and drink” BBQ on Saturday
lunchtime and an excellent meal at the on-site restaurant Breeze
on Sunday evening.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the “fun sports”
challenge against members from the Island Harbour Yacht Club
(IHYC).
In the past, this event has taken the form of a cricket match
but this year, with a smaller grassed area due to building works at
the marina, the sports activities were Boules, Throwing the Wellie
and Hurling the Horseshoe. BOC members excelled in all the
activities and won each event! To celebrate, prizes were awarded
to the winners and challenge cups were exchanged between the
two captains, Heather Bowley (IHYC) and Gill Oldham (BOC).
During the Summer, we received news from Broom Boats Ltd
that the company had appointed James Dickens of Hythe Marina
as the South Coast Agent. James is already well known to many
BOC members and we had hoped to organise an event with him
during August.
However, for a number of reasons, this did not prove possible
and the event has been postponed until next season.
Over the weekend of 4th- 6th September, members Donna
and Chris Dawson organised a meet at Haslar Marina, Gosport.
18th April
BRO
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his has been a busy year with a wide variety of events taking place
and I am very grateful for those who have organised them. As I
keep on saying the role of a coordinator is to coordinate and it
would not have been possible to hold so many events without the efforts of
a loyal band of helpers.
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B.O.C LOCAL
& NATIONAL
EVENTS 2015-16
Dates
Organised by Event, Venue/time
Contact
NOVEMBER 2015
14
Eastern
Laying Up Supper
Geoff Eason
BOC
BOC Reception at the London Boat Show
Gill Oldham or Linda Varney
South Coast
Start of the Season Dinner Royal Lymington Yacht Club,
7.00pm
Gill Oldham
Southampton Boat Show Reception and Buffet,
Royal Southampton Yacht Club, 7.00pm
Gill Oldham
Annual General Meeting Weekend, Royal Beach Hotel,
Portsmouth PO4 ORN
Gill Oldham & John Adcock
JANUARY 2016
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APRIL 2016
9
SEPTEMBER 2016
23
South Coast
OCTOBER 2016
14, 15, 16
BOC
Welcome to NEW members
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he Club continues to grow, and whilst we
do lose a few members, mainly through
boat changes or giving up boating, it
seems we attract more new members than we
lose, and it is with great pleasure that a warm
welcome is extended to the following.
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Central and North East
Martin and Deborah Wright . . . . Eastern
Martin and Lindsey Stone . . . . .
Don Taylor and Allyson Ingamells . . .
Kenneth and Veronica Bircher . . . .
John Waller . . . . . . . . . Iain and Allana McDonald . . . . .
Peter and Julie Merricks . . . . .
Loreto and Sarah Tamburrini . . . . South Coast
David and Rosemary Lyth . . . . . David Rose . . . . . . . . . Thames
Richard and Julia Hand . . . . . .
Vanessa Shenton . . . . . . . .
Alan and Linda Thomson . . . . . Roger and Jenni Haile . . . . . . Tony Riley and Margaret Snook . . . Trevor and Angela Norwood . . . . David and Sandra Glass . . . . .
www.broomowners.com
Denada
Easy Going
Lady A
Shellseeker
Wave Dancer
Oscar
Miss Martinique
Aleena
Balayette
Sea Mist
Bequia
Bonnie Blue
Desert Star of Wargrave
Ragamuffin II
Legacy
Pelican Buoy
Lady Penelope
www.broomowners.com
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2015 AGM
| by Linda Varney
Another BOC residential weekend – where has the season gone?
A
nother BOC residential weekend – where has the season
gone? This year we were visiting a beautiful stretch of the
River Thames near Marlow. Bisham Abbey comprises the
old building, a sailing club and the national sports training centre.
So we, more sedate (at times anyway) boaters, found ourselves
surrounded by tracksuited young sportsmen and women looking
fit and energetic – except for a few who seemed to be suffering
injuries as a result of their exertions! The café had reassuringly
healthy options but the vending machine near the accommodation
had good supplies of crisps and chocolate bars.
The tutors were very knowledgeable, not phased by the ‘not
always straightforward’ questions and I think we all learned
something. The rest of the group headed for Windsor and in the
afternoon 26 went on a Dukw (or Duck as they are popularly
called) trip which was well enjoyed. It ‘provided a good vantage
point’ and ‘was very informative’.
A group of participants found their way to Bisham on Friday
afternoon, some by a scenic route thanks to their satnavs. Great
to see familiar faces and meet new friends. Dinner was in the
smaller Warwick Room where half the tables opted to eat by
candle light, hoping for friendly ghouls to appear from the
gloom? Well it was almost Hallowe’en. Navigators and General
generously provided the drinks to set the evening going.
The
River T
Thames
Boat
Project
The AGM raffle proceeds were donated to
The River Thames Boat Project. This is what
the Charity does
Saturday – a slightly blustery day – two groups headed for the
sailing school. Some opted to find out more about how to get the
best from the available electronics, both navigational and safety
aids. The other explored what to do if you were ‘suddenly alone’
(rather than single handed but equally relevant) and covered a
wide range of topics. People found this ‘thought provoking’ and
came away with ‘to do’ lists for themselves on their own boat.
We all came together in the evening with new arrivals, all
dressed to impress. Guests from Broom Boats and Tingdene
joined us. The Great Hall provided a stunning setting for the meal
after we had enjoyed a drink, courtesy of Broom Boats. The Hall
has a high beamed ceiling and yet more family portraits but still
felt welcoming. David Harrison had working his usual magic (and
his socks off!) cajoling many of our regular contacts to provide
prizes for the raffle. Some were of considerable value. Everyone
was very generous, buying tickets and the ‘three top prizes’ were
drawn in full audience with the others having a ticket added for
collection later. A late arrival (Dragonfly) was offered for sealed
bids.
A total of £1,000 was raised for the River Thames Boat
Project (details elsewhere) and presented to Louise Sibley, Chair,
of the Project’s Trustees, after the AGM on Sunday. Feedback
on the weekend was positive overall and those at the AGM
overwhelmingly voted for another residential weekend in 2016.
So hope to see you all in Portsmouth on 14-16 October 2016.
Photo by Ian Reynolds of Amore of Poole
he charity runs a community barge, ‘Thames Venturer’, that offers
day and residential cruises for frail older people, for those living with
physical or mental disability and for the socially disadvantaged. We also
run education activities on board and on shore mainly to teach younger people
the importance of looking after our environment and, using the boat as a model
for the planet, of living sustainably. We were formed in 1988, by 1990 had acquired a hull to start fitting out and
by 1995 had a working vessel making regular trips with a home base at Kingston
upon Thames. We have 70+ volunteers, including a trustee Board of 12, and a
staff of 4, including a full-time professional skipper. Our operational turnover is
c £160,000 per annum. Last year we were out on the river with our charitable
work for over 160 days and deployed around 5,000 hours of volunteer time.
| by Louise Sibley
But the most important things is what that means for our clients.
Here are just two comments: From a primary school teacher: “It would take a month of learning in the classroom to achieve what the children
have learnt in one day on School on the River”
and from a member of a dementia support group after their first cruise with us: “What I noticed….was our ‘other halves’ started to more actively engage with
the other members. It was pleasing to see people talking to each other. There
was one person who looked as happy as I had ever seen her.”
Thank you again to the BOC for such support. It means a great deal to us.
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11
OM
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‘Notes to the
Constitution’
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he Constitution was drawn up at the time the Club was
founded in 2004. It was based, (with permission) on that
of the Seamaster Club and, with minor adjustments, has
served us well ever since. However, it is simply a framework that
sets out, in broad brush strokes, how things happen and ‘who
does what’.
Subsequently, most decisions have been made by the
committee, which meets four times each year. The results of
its activities affect what happens in the Club at national and
regional level. Although Its deliberations are always reported in
the committee minutes, they are not recorded elsewhere. As a
result, not only do members have to search through past minutes
to see what decisions have been taken, but committee members
may find themselves discussing questions that have already been
considered in earlier meetings!
With this in mind, I have produced a document that draws
together information about the functioning of the Club.
| by John Oldham
It summarises current practice, while accepting that things
may change and issues be re-visited. Not a hard and fast set of
‘rules’, then, but a record of what happens now.
The result is not light reading –it is something to dip in to
when necessary rather than to study from end to end. However, if
you are an insomniac, doing so may provide a handy cure!
Copies of the document were circulated at the 2015 AGM and
were well-received. An updated version will be put on the Club
web site and copies (in A5 format) made available to members on
request. It will also form part of the publicity used by the Club at
Boat Shows and other events.
Of course, to be of any value, it must be regularly updated. So,
if you have any queries or wish to suggest matters for inclusion,
please send them to me, as the General Secretary.
S
A BOC service for insomniacs
I will then pass them on for consideration by the committee.
The 2015/2016 Broom Owners Club Committee
Left to right: David Haugh, Andrew Holmes, Linda Varney, Frank Hawkins, David Harrison, Gill Oldham (Chairman),
Stuart Crowther, Carole Harvey and John Oldham
£££££££££££
£££££££££££
£££££££££££
£££££££
££appeal
££An
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££Treasurer
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£££££££££££
Remember!
Remember!
The first of November, when
annual subscriptions fall due
If you pay by standing order there is nothing more
to do. Otherwise please write a cheque for £25/€35
payable to:
Broom Owners Club
and send to:
Stuart Crowther
9 Fritillary Drive
Wymondham, Norfolk
England NR18 0XA
You can also make a direct transfer in £Sterling to:
Account No: 66507251 Sort Code: 60-02-32
Or from overseas:
IBAN: GB77 NWBK 6002 3266 5072 51
IBAN BIC: NWBK GB 2L
In Euros to:
IBAN: GB52 NWBK 6072 0469 6444 89
IBAN BIC: NWBK GB 2L
Power. When You Need It
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cycle - wet, AGM or gel types.
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IN ALL CASES PLEASE QUOTE YOUR LAST NAME &
INITIALS IN THE REFERENCE FIELD
12
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13
TECHNICAL
TECHNICAL
TORQUE
TORQUE
A Water Pump
Problem
e
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y
n
o
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| by Nick Wolsey
| by Nick Wolsey
The prop shaft trunnion bearing is a
lonely sole who lives somewhere in
the bilges of your boat
B
etween the gearbox and the gland bearing
at the back, where the shaft exits the hull.
I was vaguely aware of its existence , I
had looked at it briefly under its little hatch on the
galley floor. I had looked into its inspection cover
and seen that it had oil, when we first got the
boat 3 years ago.
I have had repeated problems with the contacts on my
water pump pressure switch burning out
W
First I need to define the problem. When the pump is running
it creates a strong magnetic field around the motor. When the
pressure switch disconnects the voltage from the motor, this
magnetic field collapses. As the magnetic field collapses it
generates a reverse voltage for a few milliseconds in the field
coil. This reverse voltage, up to 50 volts, is applied across the
pressure switch contacts and adds to the normal 12v supply
on the other side of the contacts to create an arc across the
contacts as they separate. Thus the contacts are burned and
have a short life.
By connecting a diode across the contacts on the pump side in
a reverse polarity direction it can carry a current flow created
by the collapsing field and greatly reduce the reverse voltage
generated. The diode does not carry current when the pump
is running normally.
Because we are correcting the reverse EMF of a motor, which
acts as a generator as the field collapses and can create a
large current, we need to fit a 100ohm resistor in line with
the diode to limit the current generated. The resister and
diode need to be able to carry up to two amps for a short
time.
I fitted new contacts to the pressure switch, which I acquired
from the USA. I then fitted a diode and resister across the
contacts going to the motor. Time to switch on the pump,
open a tap slightly and observe the pressure switch contacts
closely.
&
hen I observed the switch in action it had notable
sparking when the pump turned off. This brought
to mind a similar problem we have in the aircraft
world with switches that control large contacts. To prevent
the switch contacts burning out we fit a diode across the
contacts. I set our electrical designers a task to solve the
arcing problem with switching an electric motor, and they
came up with the solution of fitting a diode with a resister in
series across the contacts.
Fo
r
g o tt e n
I was reminded of its presence this season
halfway across the lower Lough Erne with a
strong headwind and big waves, on my own,
when a loud squealing started up in the galley
area. I lifted the floor covering and the hatch to be
met by a cloud of smoke, the bearing was seriously
overheating. In stages between dashing back to the
helm to maintain direction into wind, I did not want to
go broadside in those waves, I first used WD40 to cool the
housing down, then spray on grease in the filler, then engine
oil, eventually the squealing stopped.
Later when I had time to service the unit properly I worked out
how it functioned and how badly it had been maintained.
The unit is a simple split cast iron housing containing a triple oil
bath with a filler, drain plug and level hole. The shaft runs in a split
bronze bushing. The unusual feature is the oiling ring. The upper
bush has a window exposing the rotating shaft.
Resting on the shaft is a steel ring which hangs down into the oil
bath. As the shaft rotates it acts on the ring with a small amount
of friction causing the ring to rotate, drawing oil up from the bath
to be rubbed off onto the shaft and work down into the bush.
A very simple concept.
On the occasion of my squealing bearing this oiling ring had been
displaced onto the shoulder of the bush and was not being rotated
by the shaft, it was also not visible through the filler window. As I
did not know the ring existed I did note that it was not visible on
previous inspections.
I gave the unit a good cleanup, service and paint. I was amazed
how much gunge was in the bottom of the oil sump, it had
obviously never been serviced in 40 years. Thankfully the bushing
survived the overheating and there is no scoring on the bearing
face. The unit is now ready for its next 40 years of service.
Success, not a hint of sparks and arcs. The pump has now run
successfully for this season.
14
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15
TECHNICAL
TECHNICAL
TORQUE
TORQUE
Life Rafts
• Opposite: A BOC member’s 4 man life raft being serviced by PLS in 2014.
• Left: Raft returned from hire on test.
• Below-left: Part of the PLS hire stock ready for distribution.
| by David Harrison
Many who cruise offshore will carry a life raft and accept that every 3
years or so it will require servicing but has one ever questioned what a
service entails and will it always inflate when needed.
Surprise surprise !! Gas could be heard escaping, the box
separated and out came what appeared to be a perfect life
raft which became fully inflated, after which surplus gas could
be heard escaping through pressure relief valves. All safety
equipment with the exception of the batteries (flat but not
corroded) for the torch and internal light was in perfect order
including 6 x 1 lt. tins of water. All this 22 years after its last
service.
Whilst direct involvement on my part was not necessary, a
subsequent opportunity arose to visit PLS to see their operation.
The raft was left on the lawn for several days with no sign of
leaks so the problem was what to do with it. By undoing a
fitting, pressure was released and the raft completely deflated
using a vacuum cleaner, however it proved impossible to fold
into a sufficiently small bundle and return it to the canister.
Servicing
The central office in Burnham on Crouch handles all enquires
and will advise the nearest collection point and time scale or
agree to make a collection or delivery from a specific address.
Collection and delivery from a depot is part of the standard
service but collection / delivery to a specific address would be
extra.. One plea I did receive was not to leave servicing to the
last minute particularly in the Spring as it’s a very busy time.
A
company whose advert appears regularly in Sweeping
Statements, offers members discounts and supports
the BOC raffle each year is Premium Liferaft Services
(PLS) so when my life raft service became due I approached PLS
at the London Boat Show to see if they could service a Viking
life raft.
Premium do not manufacture life rafts, their primary business
being life raft hire and are the largest dedicated hirer of life
rafts in Europe. Being independent they are not tied to any
particular make but are licensed to service most makes of life
raft including Viking, however, they are based in Burnham on
Crouch, Essex, I live in Reading and the boat is moored in
Southampton so how was this going to work?
I need not have been concerned. PLS currently has 25 depots
around the UK and in addition, distribution facilities in the Isle
of Man, Northern Ireland and Sweden all serviced by a well
established routine for collection and delivery.
The nearest depot for me was at Mercury Marine on the river
Hamble so having accepted a quotation it was a case of
dropping the raft off at the marina where it was logged in and
placed in a secure lockup store. There was no more involvement
on my part until I received a phone call to advise that the raft
was ready for delivery. The outstanding invoice was cleared by
card and a delivery date for return to Mercury Marine agreed
where it was duly collected.
16
After arrival in Burnham all details are checked before the raft is
inflated and allowed to stand for a sufficient period to check for
leaks. If a leak is found and the raft made of suitable material,
repairs will be undertaken if at all possible.. All stores such
as lights, flares and first aid kits are inspected and any found
out of date or if not in good order replaced. Gas canisters are
refilled with CO2 to capacity to ensure complete inflation.
The raft is then deflated and packed together with its stores in a
polythene bag under vacuum and sealed thus helping to ensure
damp does not reaches the raft whilst in service. It is then
finally packed in its valise or GRP container ready for despatch.
Hire
As for servicing, all enquiries are channelled through the office
at Burnham but efforts are made to maintain a number of rafts
at each depot to provide a quick response, however the number
and type held will vary depending on demand. Return does
not have to be to the same depot as collection. The minimum
hire period is 4 days with payment for short term periods in
advance but hire periods can be extended up to 3 years with
appropriate payment plans providing considerable flexibility to
suit individual needs.
Reliability
A question which can cross ones mind is “my life raft is
regularly serviced but how reliable will it be in the event of
an emergency” so the following is a good illustration of the
degree of safety built into life rafts
When purchasing Bony Rose in 1996 our boat came with a 6
man Beaufort Dolphin life raft which had been laying around
in the yard for an indeterminate time where the boat was
located. Labelling on the GRP canister indicated that it was
manufactured in 1972 (as was BR) and last serviced in 1984.
The canister was heavy, had no stainless frame to hold it to
the boat, had no hand hold features and consequently was
difficult for 2 people to manhandle, so, with only 2 usually
on board when on the coast and at the most 4, the raft was
somewhat oversized for our needs. We therefore decided it was
not practical to carry, so stored it in the open at the bottom of
the garden where it stayed for another 10 years.
In 2006 I decided to dispose of the raft to the local tip after
disarming it, as I could not believe it would be of any use. My
son arrived to give a hand but before opening it up we decided
to attempt to disarm it by pulling the lanyard and see what
happened, not expecting it to work.
The problem was what to do with it so it was passed to a service
company in Southampton. After inflation and inspection they
advised that there were small signs of material deterioration on
the floor but the tubes were perfectly satisfactory, however, as
both the floor and tubes were made of the same material they
could not service it so it was stripped of all useful equipment
for the “grab bag”, and what remained was scrapped.
Rafts for hire are made for PLS to their specification from a
nylon butyl material which is light but extremely strong and
conforms to all relevant standards. Size of raft starts at 4 man
and can be packed in either a valise or GRP canister. As location
and fitting varies on such a wide range of customer’s boats it’s
not practical to provide fixing frames for the canister versions
so secure storage is the responsibility of the boat owner.
www.broomowners.com
This story in no way condones not having a life raft regularly
serviced but does illustrate the high level of reliability designed
into them. Here was a life raft, manufactured in 1972, serviced
every 3 years until 1984, then left out in the open with no
further attention for 22 years after which,m in 2006 it worked
perfectly and was quite capable of doing what it was designed
to do.
www.broomowners.com
17
TECHNICAL
TECHNICAL
TORQUE
TORQUE
The only problem was, with our boat 500 miles away,
how to get the measurements and make similar screens
for La Strega before our next visit? The solution lay at
UTMYC, our Thames Club where a couple of members
have identical 33’s.
I headed there armed with rolls of brown paper
and masking tape, having discussed the problem with
Marjorie, who would be doing the cutting and sewing.
She advised that it would be much easier to work from
patterns or templates than if we only had dimensions.
As I had hoped, one of the “33” owners was at the
Club and happy to allow me to clamber over her boat
with my tape, paper and scissors. A very useful tip was to
do the measurements and make up the templates on the
outside, much easier than fighting gravity and standing
on a stool to reach the inside of the windows.
“Most important is that they do the job,
acting as an effective sun screen on
summer days and making the whole place
more cosy in the autumn evenings”
It’s ‘Curtains’
for Blinds
| by Don Walker
O
ur Broom 33 has steeply raked front screens to
the main cabin and although they provide a great
view and let in lots of light, they are virtually
impossible to curtain in the conventional way. This means
either being on display when sitting in the main cabin after
dark, or popping out on the deck to fix the external canvas
screen cover.
Many of the more modern Brooms have fitted venetian
style folding blinds running on wire track. They’re attractive
and a number of our friends have had them retro-fitted, but
this is not an inexpensive option!
Frankly during our ownership of La Strega, the absence
of blinds has not worried us much. We don’t use the main
saloon as a sleeping cabin and we remove all the screen
covers as soon as we get to the boat. If people want to look
in on us eating or watching a DVD later in the evening, that
is fine with us.
18
However this summer we came up with a new problem.
Where we currently moor in Central France, the daytime
temperature was hitting 40 degrees during most of July
and August. La Strega was pointing due South and while
this gave us some shade on the aft deck, the main cabin
was uninhabitable. We had to close the side curtains and
re-fix the external front screen in an attempt to reduce the
greenhouse effect.
After three days including a night in an air conditioned
hotel, we got in the car and headed North, deciding to
delay our planned summer cruise until September, when
we hoped the heat wave would have passed.
During August we had a short trip on the Solent in
a friend’s yacht, a Nauticat 42, which has a layout with
central saloon and aft cabin very similar to the Broom
standard design. Their front screen was fitted with internal
covers matching the curtains, attached with press studs –
just the job I thought!
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Back home, we studied the measurements and
worked out the amount of extra material we needed
to order, taking account of the pattern. Marjorie had
recently made new curtains for the saloon side windows
but there was no chance of making the additional screens
out of the surplus material.
Because they are so large, to give them a bit of
“body” as well as screening out the light, a heavy weight
white lining material was used. This has the extra benefit
of reflecting sunlight during the day so much better than
the dark navy canvas cover.
It was all a bit of a rush ordering the material, cutting
and sewing and collecting the other bits of kit needed
for fitting, before heading back to France at the end of
August. In the end we just managed it. Now the moment
of truth – would I be able to fit them? How would they
look?
www.broomowners.com
I armed myself with a big supply of press studs. With
five separate screens, all quite large, they were going
to need quite a few studs to hold them in place. Fitting
the studs to the aluminium frames was simple – just a
matter of starting with four holes in the corners (three in
the triangular side windows) and screwing them in. One
problem was the port front window above the forward
toilet compartment. It is not possible to get access to
drill closer than 200 mm from the bottom of the frame so
I placed the studs as low as I could, adding Velcro to hold
the bottom in place.
Fixing the press stud caps to the curtains proved a bit
trickier. First Marjorie helped me by holding them in place
while I marked the top corners where the first two fixings
should go. Then I punched holes and assembled the two
components of the cap before riveting them together.
This part was harder than I expected. Maybe the
professionals have a special press to do the riveting but
for me it was a case of hammering on a neat little tool
which, if used correctly and hit hard enough, did the job.
Problem was, where on the boat do you find a place to
hammer on? Decks feel firm enough to walk on but I
assure you they have a lot of elasticity when hammering.
In the end, I found that the cill at the top of the steps
down from the aft deck, protected by a metal edging trim,
was rigid enough, and the job was done.
The photo shows the finished curtains – well almost!
I still need to add a few bits of Velcro to take out the
creases, get them draping perfectly. Most important is
that they do the job, acting as an effective sun screen on
summer days and making the whole place more cosy in
the autumn evenings, which were getting quite chilly by
the time we headed for home in late September.
And the cost? I reckon we bought the tools and
materials for less than ten percent of what I understand
the folding venetian style blinds would have cost us.
But this is something of an academic point as, moored
in the middle of rural France, we were unlikely to find a
company able to do the job!
19
Historic documents report that Napoleon and his retinue
were well looked after, allowed to move freely about the ship
and enjoyed a formal dinner each evening.
Setting our sights higher...
And this is where the association
with Brixham occurs . . .
O
A Broom Boat, Waterloo
and Brixham!
| by Gill Oldham
“I know the Broom Company was founded in the late eighteen
hundreds but I didn’t know it was that old and I thought the
factory was in Norfolk!” I hear you say.
Y
ou’re quite right of course. So what is the connection
between our Broom boat, Quantum Leap, the bicentenary of the battle of Waterloo and Brixham? Well.
This year John and I started our Summer cruise by travelling
from the Bealueu River on the Solent where we moor our boat,
to Dartmouth in Devon.
Here we spent nine days avoiding the gales and exploring
the beautiful River Dart and nearby countryside. There is always
so much to see and do at Dartmouth: a trip up to Totnes; a visit
to Greenway House, the holiday home of Agatha Christie; a trip
on the Dartmouth Steam Railway, to name but a few.
We often find it difficult to drag ourselves away but
eventually we moved round the corner of Berry Head to
Brixham. Historically, this has always been a fishing town and
still has a very active fishing fleet and fish market. But the
interest for me lies in a fascinating story that links Brixham
with Napoleon.
20
n 24th July 1815, HMS Bellerophon was anchored in the bay
off the town when Captain Maitland received orders not
to let anyone near the ship or to reveal details of who was on
board. However, there was a great deal of interest among the
locals who were keen to know why the ship was there. As was
the custom, fishermen set sail from the town in small boats to
sell fresh bread and fruit to the crew of the visiting vessel.
It is reported that, as one of these boats neared the
Bellerophone, the sailors saw one of the warship’s crew lowering
a bottle over the side. In it was a message which read “We have
Boney on board”. This news created a sensation back on shore
and soon large numbers of craft filled with sightseers, surrounded
the ship. Captain Maitland refused to allow any contact with
the gathering throng and two days later it was decided that
the Bellerophon would move to the quieter waters of Plymouth
Sound. Unfortunately, news of the ship’s famous passenger had
already spread westward, so when the ship arrived at its next
destination, there were more sightseers than there had been at
Brixham! The Bellerophon spent two weeks in Plymouth Sound
with guard-ships keeping it isolated from the increasing numbers
of sightseers. Finally, at the end of July, the former emperor
was told that he was to be sent, with a small retinue of staff,
to the remote island of St Helena. At the beginning of August
1815, Napoleon was transferred to HMS Northumberland and
started his long South Atlantic voyage into exile. So ended his
association with the south coast of Britain where he had spent
over three weeks without ever landing ashore!
“All this was something to muse
on as John and I cruised out of
Brixham on our way back home . . .”
Following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815,
Napoleon arrived at Rochefort and had hoped to be allowed
to sail to the United States. He was being pressurised by the
French Government to leave French soil: any delay might have
meant that he risked becoming a prisoner of the Bourbons,
Prussians or Austrians.
An alternative was for him to surrender to the British and
request political asylum. Discussion took place about allowing
Napoleon to travel to the United States but Frederick Lewis
Maitland, Captain of HMS Bellerophon, was under orders
to prevent this. Instead he offered to take Napoleon and
his retinue on board his ship and transport them to Britain.
Eventually, Napoleon agreed to surrender to the British. This
act took place on the Bellerophon and with the former Emperor
in custody on board a British warship, the Napoleonic wars
were finally over.
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T
he summer had past smoothly for the three of
us, the Boss; Stan (our talking dog) and me. We
had now bonded fully with the new member of
the family, our Broom 9/70 Dizzy - real name Aquadisiac,
although we didn’t name her.
Hanging branches swayed and kissed the cool water,
theirs leaves turning a vivid red to orange as a carpet
of fallen foliage slowly swirled in the light current. The
occasional silver flash from the underside of small fish
fighting for the crumbs fallen from the empty plate of my
now eaten buttered scone, added to the peace. The final sign
of insect life danced in the fading warm sunlight.
Stan and I were sat on the command bridge.
I sipped the last drops of luke warm tea from a large
Bone-china mug that had come from the Pound Shop.
Well, they said it was Bone-china when we bought it.
Stan’s opinion on the subject was a little different and our
subsequent expulsion from the said establishment oozed
their displeasure, but that’s another story. I was tinkering
meaninglessly with a brass thing that had dropped off the
upper steering station and Stan was reading the Sunday
paper, sat legs crossed in a light blue collapsible directors
chair. Yes, all was well with world.
“Do you have to play with that”?, said Stan in a rather
robust manner. “I’m not really even sure what it is, but I
guess it must do something. Shouldn’t you be taking a look
at Penelope and Stella”?
“Ah! good point”. Penelope and Stella are Dizzies two trusty
diesel engines.
22
I don’t have that much to do with the girls apart from
sticking in a bit of green liquid stuff from time to time and
the odd wipe with an oily rag. Stan knows more of these
things than I, and he does get some sense out of them after
learning to speak their language, when he did the RYA diesel
course. I only get the occasional hiss of displeasure when
I open up the throttles a little further than I should, know
what I mean fellas?
The Boss was down in the galley mastering the stoves
gimbals whilst producing a rather interesting smell, not the
boss the stove!!
“I’ve decided to put my name down for the Mars trip”,
announced Stan whilst flicking his way through the last part
of the paper.
“Wow that really is a big deal, you never come back”.
“Well it can’t be that bad, everything provided, sleep for
months with nothing to do but eat” said Stan. “
“Do you realise their are no lamp posts, and I’m not aware
of any other dogs going, so you will be the only one Stan,
but if that’s what you really want. Oh! And what about the
confinement, that’s going to be hard to get used to? Yes,
the universe is a harsh environment for a dog like you, being
off world in a space ship for months. I’m really surprised at
you Stan, and think of the danger”.
“I don’t know what you are banging on about Pete”
replied Stan “ The way I understand it is, I’m going to visit a
chocolate factory!”
Dogs who’d have ‘em?
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23
THE IJSSELMEER
| by Peter and Gill Pitcher
A holiday destination in itself, this area of Holland is perfect for
power boats or as the Dutch call them, sports boats.
I
f your time is limited you could spend a fortnight in the
Ijsselmeer alone visiting some of the most interesting
harbours, many of them from the old Dutch East India
Company with your berth right in the middle of town at
reasonable prices and access to all facilities.
The ideal base is Enkhuizen. It is an old town right in the
middle of the Ijsselmeer with superb boating facilities, and a
big marina, the “Compagnies haven”, which has all facilities,
a superb restaurant at the marina and some of the most
competitively priced diesel in the region, a very suitable place to
leave your boat if you want to travel back to the UK.
Enkhuizen also has two other harbours, the Buys haven and
the one we like best, the Buiten Haven which also connects into
the Oude haven.
The advantage of the Buiten haven and the Oude haven
is that they are right in the middle of town and very near the
railway station, and access to Amsterdam Schipol airport from
here is easy and cheap.
Enkhuizen also has several other great attractions apart
from good shopping, a supermarket in the middle of town, it has
the museum of the Zuiderzee, which is a great place to spend the
day, very interesting and lots for youngsters.
Also a pleasant walk from town an indoor swimming pool
complex with slides etc for the youngsters and opposite a
“Disney type” attraction.
24
From Enkhuizen you can travel many ways but I will circle
the Ijsselmeer leaving Enkhuizen, travel southeast and you come
to Lelystad.
If you are adventurous before arriving at Lelystad, you can
pull into the Trintel haven which is in the middle of the damn
called the Houtribdijk, there is not much there but a café, but if
you are exploring, a nice place perhaps to have lunch.
In Lelystad itself you have a choice of several marinas. North
of the lock you have the Hourtrib haven and the Deco marina
both of which have good visiting facilities and reasonable access.
In our opinion the best place for a visit is the Batavia haven,
which is a new complex, very good facilities, right next door to
the Batavia complex which again is well worth a visit, it is how
they made the boats in the old days and lots of activities that
youngsters can participate in, it is also right next door to the
huge “Batavia Stad fashion outlet” ie a huge shopping complex
at so called factory prices.
Two other points to be made in Lelystads favour: The most comprehensive swimming pool complex with
everything for the youngsters that I have ever seen.
Again easy access to Schipol airport, the train goes straight from
Lelystadt to Schipol with no changes.
As a point of note you also have a big marina complex, the
Lelystad haven south of the dam but here you are a good walk
away from the town.
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Moving north east you come to the entrance to the
Ketelmeer. We have used the firm of Gicom at Ketelhaven to
winter our boat and found them very competitive price wise and
very conscientious in looking after Seawolf.
If you are interested in fine dining at Ketelhaven you have
the superb restaurant called “Lands End”.
Again moving around the Isselmeer the next port of call
is Urk, this again is one of our favourites, it was an island
before they started reclaiming land, and it maintains a lovely
atmosphere, good shopping, superb boat facilities and our
favourite restaurant in the whole region called the “Achterhuis”
right on the entrance to the pier next to the harbour masters
office and as Urk was the biggest fishing port in Holland in time
past and still is important, they have the best fish that we have
found, the menu of “Three Fishes” is good value and excellent.
Moving northwards you come to Lemmer it is probably the
best entry to the Friesland canals, again a full facility town with
several marinas and habours both inside the lock system and
outside.
Moving westwards the next stopping town is Stavoren again
here you have facilities inside and outside the lock system and
another entry port to the canals of Freisland.
The two main areas are the marina Stavoren which has
facilities inside and outside the lock and also a swimming pool
in the marina or you can go a little bit further north to the
Buitenhaven or the Oude Haven and be in the middle of the old
town.
Next going north comes Hindeloopen, a real quaint small
harbour with a huge marina along side.
The harbour master here is most helpful and you have a small
town with lots of curiosity/ antique shops. If you are interested
in old type articles have a good walk around Hindeloopen.
Just north of Hindeloopen you have Workum, this is where
they make the Atlantic boats and again you have a choice, at the
entrance a huge marina with full facilities including diesel or you
can move further up the canal and either go to Workum itself
through the lock gates or as we decided, to stop in the moorings
just prior to the lock gates and walk into town. I think this is
probably the most sensible thing to do unless you are going on
through into the canal system.
Moving north you come to Makkum. Here again you have
a choice of marinas/harbours with access into the Vanpanhuys
canal.
At Makkum you have also the northern exit through the
Afsluitdijk at Kornwerder Zand, this is the main exit to Vlieland
and Terschelling.
Follow the dyke south and you have the southern exit which
is the main one to Texel or if you are going out to the north sea
at Den Oever.
At Den Oever you have a choice of a yacht haven or you can
go in to the Vissershaven or Noorderhaven which are more near
the centre of town.
Moving south you have the small town of Zug, I am afraid I
have not visited so I will not comment.
Further south again you have the big town of Medemblik
another instance of a huge marina on the outside but again
for visiting, I recommend moving into one of the three inside
harbours where you are right in the middle of town. A pleasant
stopping place with all facilities.
The big advantage of an Isselmeer holiday is that you can,
in most weather conditions, move around at your leisure as it is
all sheltered water, finding different places with lots of interest
to old and young, good restaurants and a welcome to all visiting
boats with, I think, everybody I met, speaking English.
Easy access to Schipol is another advantage, and safe places
to leave your boat if you want to do a two stop holiday. All in all,
this part of Holland makes for an excellent cruising holiday.
Top-left: Entrance to the Oudehaven, Enkhuizens,
Above: The Buitenhaven, Enkhuizens,
Opposite: The Lock at Stavoren. It can get busy!
www.broomowners.com
25
W
hen David Haugh asked me if I would help him get
his Broom 42cl back from Rouen to his winter base in
Bruges, we agreed that in mid October, the shortest
route, down the Seine then north up the coast via Fecamp,
Boulogne, Ostend and inland along the Ostend-Gent canal, was
very weather dependent. The alternative, inland through Northern
France, sounded exciting and was a route I hadn’t done before.
According to PC-Navigo this would take nine days cruising
with a leisurely daily start at 10am but with a full days cruising
until 5pm, covering a distance of 485km (302nm), with 42 locks
and two tunnels. Adding travel time to Rouen, collecting the car
after arrival at Bruges and back to the UK gave a total of 12 days.
I was tempted, and for purely philanthropic reasons. I
couldn’t after all leave David to do the trip single handed! If it
also had to be done using the comforts of a Broom 42cl then so
much the better.
I also thought of a way to save a day. I arranged a one way
hire car from Calais. I would follow David to Bruges, drop his car
off and then drive us to Rouen.
A tip here is to avoid a pick-up and drop-off in different
countries.
In this case we were fortunate because Calais was en-route
– when I tried initially to hire from Bruges the price quoted was
treble what I actually paid.
Day one started for David at 7am and ended for us both,
via his favourite Rouen curry house, on board and investigating
his whisky stash, safe from the heavy rain outside. It was still
raining when we awoke next morning. There was a lot to do
before setting out, so on came the waterproofs and we got stuck
in. The water tank and then the fuel tanks were filled. St Gervais
marina has self service pumps which deliver a maximum of €200
at a time and at €1.43 (about £1.08) a litre for white diesel, David
put €200-worth in each tank without too much teeth gritting. The
promised fuel barge at Conflans, allegedly the cheapest on the
Seine, would be available to fill the tanks at a better price.
He settled the very reasonable mooring charges and we were
almost ready to go. Although short on time, we used the car to
stock up at the local supermarket. This later turned out to be a
very good decision. Then, car returned, we headed back to the
marina.
The rain had turned to intermittent showers and we were
feeling pretty optimistic by 12.30 when we finally cast off.
OctoberFest
David Haugh asked me if I would help him get his Broom
42cl back from Rouen to his winter base in Bruges . . .
| by Don Walker
(with David Haugh)
We should have left before 8am to catch the tide, so we would be
punching the the ebb all the way to the first lock at Poses-Amfreville, 45
kilometres up stream. However, with a 20kph speed limit and two good
350hp Yanmars, we made good time, arriving at 3.45.
We had the vast lock to ourselves and stayed near the back, avoiding
excessive turbulence which, 16 months before, had caused Marjorie
and myself stress. Using a line from mid-ships and either a bow or a
stern line depending on whether we were going up- or down-stream
worked well in all the locks we used, and soon we emerged into the late
afternoon sunlight – and with a rise of almost eight metres from low
water it does feel like escaping from a huge dark cavern and we now
found ourselves in more peaceful waters and beautiful surroundings.
On both sides there were attractive and expensive looking houses, with
gardens coming down to the waters’ edge; steep tree lined banks and,
occasionally, dramatic rocky outcrops in the background and soon we
passed Les Andelys, with dramatic views of Castle Gaillard high on the
cliffs above.
Our aim was to get through the next Lock, Garenne, before it closed
at 7pm and make Vernon our overnight stop. Moorings are few and far
between, and some of the older ones have not been maintained, so
are risky to enter. As it turned out, we got to the lock before 7pm to
discover that locks below Paris operate 24/7.
With darkness approaching and the possibility that there might
not be a space at Vernon, David decided to investigate a fully serviced
mooring, shown on his aged Fluviacarte as being behind one of the
islands just above the lock. This one had seen better days and was a sad
scene of dereliction, so we carried on for the last 7k to Vernon as night
closed in.
There are two moorings at Vernon. For longer stays the Yacht Club
just below the bridge on the right bank has two visitor spaces. David had
stayed there a few months ago and was concerned about the shallow
water so opted against this, and we could see that the moorings were in
any case full of club day boats. The quay above the bridge on the town
side, although without services, is fine for an overnight stop, but as we
passed under the bridge we saw two cruise ships, one rafted outside the
other, already there.
We slowly crept along the riverside looking for a suitable spot but
found none. I’d seen a small boat space just ahead of the cruise ships,
and David turned around to try it and was able to slip Sinemora in
under their bows. He was concerned about being so close to two such
large craft – at least 300 ft long we estimated – but eventually he was
satisfied that we were securely tied up and nothing was going to move
in the night. Having stocked up that morning we ate on board, pleased
that we had achieved our first day’s objective, covering 95 kilometres
and two locks, then off to bed, but not before a well earned glass of
Lagavulin.
There was some disturbance during the night and in the morning
we were surprised to find two completely different, much larger cruise
ships moored up. At least 400ft long, their bows were now overlapping
our stern and it was a little disconcerting to think of them manoeuvring
so close alongside, while we slept.
The cruise ships were a little too close for comfort
26
www.broomowners.com
Vernon is the jumping off point for visiting Monet’s home with its
famous water lilies, just 3 kilometres up river. Clearly this is such a
popular feature of the Seine cruises that, even in October, they have to
“double shift” and double moor to get all the visitors in!
Day two’s plan was to get to Conflan, 78 kilometres and two locks
away, turn into the Oise, refuel and overnight in Cergy just 9 kms further.
The marina was given good reports by Vic Hodgson when he stayed
there, (Ed: As told in SS. Winter 2014 p22), and we were keen to visit.
We had a leisurely start at 9.45, after a walk around Vernon and two
hours later we arrived at Mericourt where we were told there would be
a half hour wait for the lock. The only mooring was on some steel piles
designed for 600 ton barges so David decided not to risk damage to the
gel coat and hovered near the lock for what in the end turned out to be
50 minutes.
The wait was for two large barges which we followed into the lock
which had sheet piled walls making fendering difficult, and a five metre
lift. Additionally, lines could only be attached to one small recessed
hook at a time, having to shift the moorings with every 6 feet or so of
lift. We started, as before, working with mid- and fore-lines., but the
turbulence created by both barges keeping their props turning to stay
alongside proved too strong and David returned to the helm and used
his engines to keep the boat in position.
We were glad to get back on the river, now about an hour behind
schedule. We enjoyed 48 kilometres of easy cruising with an interesting
mixture of attractive towns, like Mantes la Jolie, interspersed with
holiday homes, sailing clubs, water ski areas and large industrial sites.
While moorings are not obvious from the main river, there are a decent
number of opportunities behind the many islands, or in lakes formed
from old gravel workings.
The last Seine lock at Andressy was passed without problem and
we turned into the Oise at Conflans shortly after 4pm, looking eagerly
for the promised fuel barge. We eventually spotted a fuel barge just
securing alongside a large commercial barge to fill it up. When David
heard the price, €1.55 a litre, 12 cents more than he had paid at Rouen,
he decided we could last another day or two.
Cergy and the marina, an attractive harbour off the river, surrounded
by apartments, shops and bar/restaurants, was everything we had hoped
for but it was chock full! We moored at one of the two visitor berths on
the riverside which at just €20 per night including water and electricity,
and only a short train journey from Paris, is a lovely alternative to Paris
Arsenal, and well worth a visit.
Cergy - the outer moorings
It was too early for dinner so we decided to explore an impressive
looking monument on a hill a couple of kilometres back. It’s a lovely
walk on a beautiful evening but when we got there, the monument itself
was something of an anti climax. Organised by President Mitterand to
mark the Millennium, at the top of a steep flight of steps there were
a few concrete columns and some fine words saying nothing very
profound!
www.broomowners.com
27
The view from the top had better be worth it!
The walk gave us a good thirst, and after a beer in a
waterfront bar we went back to the boat for dinner, as there
would be plenty of opportunity to eat out when we had used the
fresh food on board. After a healthy pasta with salad on the side
and cheese to follow, we relaxed over what was now becoming
our customary night cap of a warming glass of Lagavulin.
Friday, day three, started bright and sunny and, feeling in no
great rush, David decided to wash off the grime accumulated on
Sinemora during its two months lying in Rouen, and I explored
more of Cergy.
Whilst out I met a group of cyclists from a hotel barge which
was stuck below Pontoise by a lock keepers’ strike. Concerned
about how this would affect our plans, I nipped back to talk with
David. He spoke to the Capitainerie who confirmed that there
was indeed a lock-keepers strike but was unsure of the duration
or extent, so we decided that the best plan was to get to Pontoise
without further delay.
It was only 5km upstream and as we approached the double
lock, the evidence of the stoppage was unmistakeable.
More barges than we had seen in two days were tied to
every available mooring, some rafted out two or three deep.
We spotted a large Dutch barge moored by the lock entrance
at the front of the queue and we went alongside to ask what
was happening. Explaining the situation, the skipper invited us
to tie alongside his well maintained barge, with a car on the aft
cabin roof and two young children playing in a play-pen on deck
overseen by their mother.
The friendly young couple operated the boat as a family
business and home combined, and they told us that they hoped
the strike would be lifted at 1pm, just under an hour from our
arrival. In the meantime the skipper told us about life and
business as a privateer barge master. He was the third generation
of watermen in his family and his wife had a similar background.
They had a regular contract for transporting rolled steel – 750
tons at a time – from near Amsterdam to somewhere South of
Paris. Without a return load they had to pump 400 tons of water
into the hold to ballast the craft and clear the bridges. Their
present cargo, for which they seemed to have a regular contract,
was a hold full of barley destined for the brewing industry in
Belgium.
They made a very comfortable living on 12 return trips a year.
When on the move they worked long hours – as many as 16 per
day, but they were working from home with no commuting and
with their family around them. The children would go to school
on land when six years old, being picked up and brought back
to the boat for weekends and school holidays. For their summer
holidays they would borrow a boat and go cruising in Friesland.
It sounded an idyllic life and their cheerful story kept us
entertained until 1pm, when everything started working again. 28
Despite being the last to arrive we were allowed to squeeze
into the smaller lock with two Freycinet sized craft. On our way
by 1.30pm we followed the one unladen barge, moving faster
than the rest, and were entering our second lock of the day, 15
kms upstream, just one hour later.
Having been on strike for half a day, it seemed as if the lock
keepers were now trying to make up for it by working with great
enthusiasm and efficiency. It did not seem to make sense and
no one had any idea what the strike had been about, but with
a clear river ahead, it seemed possible that we might still make
Compiegne that day.
Everything was looking good until, just as we were about to
exit our fourth lock of the day, Ecluse Criel, we were told that the
strike was back on. The next lock 20km ahead, at a place called
Pont Ste Maxence, would be closed until 6am tomorrow so we
would have to find a place to moor up for the night.
The Oise is an attractive river but it’s not possible to just
tie up anywhere. Failing to find any mooring places in the
Fluviacarte, I turned to Hugh McKnight’s guide and found one
on the bank side in Pont Ste Maxence which he described as
“possible but difficult”!
When we got there at 6.15, we saw what he meant. There
were bollards set in a concrete ledge just 6 inches above water
level at the foot of a 45 degree slope leading to the road 5 metres
above. It was a difficult and not very attractive mooring and at
one stage David had to jump on to the ledge to fend the boat off
as the fenders were not low enough to do their job. Finally, with
bow, stern and springs in place, and with the fenders as low as
they could go, we were able to set off to explore the bright lights
of Pont Ste Maxence. We had covered 62 kms, just 30 kms short
of our target for the day, so provided the strike was not continued
we should be able to recover the lost time.
The town had little to offer other than burger bars and kebab
shops, so after the obligatory beer, we climbed back down the
precipitous bank to eat on board yet again.
This decision was influenced by my feeling that, whilst David
had demonstrated it held no fear for him, I preferred to tackle
the 45 degree slope whilst sober!
The slippery slope
A large number of barges had arrived in the meantime,
basically all the traffic which had been waiting for the lock
to open at Pontoise, so we decided have an early start in the
morning in the hope of avoiding big lock queues, and after the
obligatory but soothing Lagavulin, which had an added hint of
justification to its character, we hit the sack.
www.broomowners.com
Looking out at 6.45 am, we found not just the expected
darkness but a heavy mist, dense enough so that we could not
see the far river bank. Hoping it might clear with sunrise, we put
the kettle on and waited anxiously as a few of the barges passed
us on their way into the lock ahead.
An hour later the mist was still there, but with daylight
creeping in, and giving in to my continued encouragement to
go, David decided, if somewhat reluctantly, to give it a try. The
visibility had by now seemingly improved, but we were mis-led
by the light given off by the street lamps and from the lock flood
lights.
As we left the lock and lost the visibility provided by these
sources we entered a world of total gloom and zero visibility.
Visibility was awful
It was cold and wet, and worse was to come
Waiting until the barges ahead had left, and the turbulence
their props caused had subsided, they had disappeared into the
mist as we exited the lock. Whilst David could see the barges
on his chart-plotter through AIS (an absolute boon to navigation
even in normal situations) so he knew we weren’t going to run
into them, he couldn’t judge where we where in relation to either
bank.
Rather than be stranded in mid-river with the possibility of
not being able to get out of the way of barges coming from either
direction, David made the decision to get into the side and moor
until visibility returned.
I was positioned on the fore deck, boat hook in hand,
peering into the murk, but all I was able to do was confirm what
we had learned yesterday – that there were no suitable mooring
places between locks. It was perishingly cold, but to be able to
see anything, we had to stay in the open with the hood down.
Condensation was forming inside and out, faster than it could be
wiped clear.
We kept near to the river edge maintaining our position for
fully 30 minutes whilst downstream barges transited the lock
and until upstream barges could take their turn, David watching
keenly on his chart-plotter in the meantime.
At last two barges, going our way, showed up on the plotter
and David swung out to follow the second, full to the gunwales
and creeping along at just 5 kph. By staying closer than was
comfortable, it was possible to keep the barge in sight and at
such a slow speed could react to his movements quickly enough
to avoid collision.
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After an hour visibility improved a little, but it was another
30 minutes before we could see well enough to pass the barge
and press on. With great relief we eventually saw the sun break
through and burn off the mist, providing us with a beautiful,
sunny autumn day.
We reached Compiegne just before noon and pulled in to the
well-signed fuel barge on our port side. Not knowing where we
might end up that night, I went shopping whilst David refuelled
with white diesel costing Just €1.23 per litre, or about 94p .
My expedition was longer than anticipated. With no bakers
nearby I walked a mile to a supermarket. Arriving back at the fuel
barge, I found an unfamiliar boat alongside. David had moved to
allow a barge in for fuelling and was now cruising up and down
mid-stream. Jumping around, waving my arms and shouting till
he spotted me over the tops of all the moored boats took a little
time, but David managed to find a place to tie on, then I hauled
the shopping across a few decks, clambered on board and we
were off again on our journey to the Canal du Nord.
Ecluse Janville came just after 1pm, and before leaving the
lock we put the arch down for the first time since our zero-visibility
experience earlier that day. This time it was due to air-draft as
we were entering 3.5m low bridge territory and a 10kph speed
limit canal, so progress was going to be a lot slower. By now
the sun was shining, and the water was calm, only broken by
our bow wave which, amazingly, seemed to attract a kingfisher
which hovered and flew ahead of us for a couple of hundred
meters before finally darting away in a flash of colour.
After 20 kilometres and two more locks we arrived at Pont
l’Eveque and the junction with the Canal du Nord. This modern
canal, completed in 1965 as an alternative to the St Quentin
canal, is capable of taking 650 ton barges, and the most common
rig we saw was two standard peniches tied together and worked
as a single unit. The locks are well spaced and to a standard
design, 92 meters long, 6 meters wide and with a 7 meter rise
and fall with guillotine bottom gates.
The canal crosses two watersheds with summit tunnels, and
our original plan was to reach Peronne at the end of the first
section by Friday evening. It was now 3pm and we clearly had no
chance of achieving this before nightfall, but we decided to press
on and hope that we could find a reasonable stopping place. One
thing we were warned about was not to expect any facilities for
leisure craft, and indeed they were few and far between, and
often very make-shift affairs.
29
A standard Canal du Nord Lock,
with guillotine gates
Next morning, Saturday, we were about by 7.30, with barges
already passing, shrouded in mist and David decided to wait to
let conditions improve. An hour later things were no better so we
tagged on behind a barge laden with scrap metal, called Yo-Fred.
David was happy that, in the well defined channel of the canal,
we could easily follow it.
As we approached the lock, the barge skipper waved us
to go ahead, so with little alternative, Sinemora took the lead.
Visibility was just good enough for David to be pleased he was
not following Yo-Fred but progress was slow because traffic
was heavy in both directions. We later found that the skipper
was in fact well intentioned, letting us go first and giving us the
opportunity to get into the next lock with an earlier barge before
Yo-Fred arrived.
After 5k we passed the point where the new canal uses
the same line as the Canal de la Somme. At once we noticed a
difference – signs of human habitation emerging from the mist.
There was another difference, less welcome. The next two locks
taking us down to Peronne, had sheet piled sides, the result I
guess of their being modified and extended Somme locks rather
than built from scratch in 1965.
Reaching the first lock we had another stroke of luck. There
were two barges waiting but the first in the queue was a single
peniche and as the double length barge in second place could not
share the lock, we were called forward. Inside was the familiar
arrangement of recessed hooks necessitating switching lines
every 6ft, but the smooth concrete walls and sophisticated water
saving mechanisms – half of each locking flows into side ponds
- made for fast, turbulence free filling.
There is a long summit pound at the North end of the tunnel
and at 7.15 pm, as we approached the first lock of the descent,
we pulled in for the night. David had spotted a mooring marked
on the Fluviacarte, and although there were no facilities, it looked
as if there was a village called Breuil nearby. We tied up a short
distance from a long line of moored barges which stretched up
to the entrance to the lock, with the though of a welcoming beer
in a bar full of bargees being our first priority. However, a longish
walk round in the gathering dusk failed to find any habitation,
far less a convenient bar, so we retired to the boat for our beer
and another dinner on board, glad that we had taken the chance
to do some shopping that morning, however stressful it had felt
at the time, whilst the strikes, fog, slow barges and locks allowed
us a well earned glass of Lagavulin to end the day.
30
With injunctions to “be quick” ringing in my ears, I set off at
a pace, only to find the bakers closed until 4pm. Not wishing to
waste time, I asked a local where to find the grocers. This was
closed too, but as it was now past 4pm I hammered on the door.
That worked, but once inside I was disappointed by what
was available. There was little fresh food but the shopkeeper was
able to find me frozen meat and vegetables which I supplemented
with a couple of packs of cheese, cold meat and even two bottles
of red wine.
We were tired, having been on the go for more than 12 hours
once again, and it was getting very cold, but all boat movements
would stop in 15 minutes so we headed below decks to warm up.
The next day, Sunday, the locks would not open until 9am so we
had reasonable prospects of a quiet night and a lie in.
Picking up two baguettes and a rustic loaf from the bakers
I was back at the boat by 4.25, finding David trying to look
relaxed, but clearly fretting about being overtaken by Yo-Fred,
the barge we had left behind in the mist, early that morning.
We had covered 65 kilometres and 10 locks, so we settled
down to our supper, content that we had completed the most
difficult part of the trip. We were well past half way and had
worked through the majority of the locks in just five days, so
were on course to reach Bruges by Wednesday, as originally
planned. That night’s glass of Lagavulin, with its hints of caramel
and success, tasted particularly good.
The passing point in the Ruyaulcourt tunnel. Don
is standing on the footpath which extends along the
length of the tunnel - for maintenance, not Ramblers!
It was just 12 noon and the mist was finally clearing as we
passed Peronne . David was disinclined to stop, fearing we would
suffer a long delay if we lost our place in the queue of barges.
We had enough water on board to see us through another day or
two, so we pressed on to the next lock, the first of five taking us
to the second summit.
www.broomowners.com
Sunday dawned cold and misty, but, used to it by now, we
slipped our lines and followed the first barge appearing out of
the murk into Lock Five. With so many vessels caught out by
the strike we endured delays all the way down to Lock One and
Arleux, and although it was only 15 kms away it took us over
three hours. Here several things happened. The sun came out to
give us another beautiful, warm autumn day; most of the barges
we had been jostling with for the past three days moored up for
their Sunday break, and we turned to port and entered the Grand
Gabarit.
Originally I’d thought that this was the name of a specific
waterway but I have since learned that the words mean ”Large
Gauge” . In this case it is the River Deule section of a water
route from Dunkirk to Montagne. The locks are 145m long by
11m beam and are fitted with floating bollards. These marvellous
devices allow you to tie up and relax, while the water does its
work. With no traffic and good visibility we flew along, three of
the huge locks empty but for us, and reached Douai before 2pm.
Yo-Fred waved us through
Ironically, we found ourselves facing a long delay anyway
because we caught up with other traffic at the next lock. Warned
that it would take up to an hour, I set out to walk back to the
town for some supplies but fairly quickly decided it would take
too long, and turned back. I did not want to repeat my Compiegne
experience of missing the boat! David did though practise his
French on a passing dog walker who very kindly promised to take
his mail - two birthday cards - and post them in her local post
box.
The next Lock was straightforward, but then we caught up
with traffic which had held us up as we left Peronne. Lock 6 took
us almost an hour so, now in total darkness we started to look
for a place to tie up.
The situation was not good. The moorings at the locks were
very much in use, and the banks between were sloping concrete
or rough stone. Finally we found a steel decked platform at a
canal side factory and some places to attach ropes. Our main
concern was that the edge of the decking was only about six
inches deep, very difficult to protect adequately with fenders
against passing barge wash.
Quickly setting off, we reached the entrance to the 4.4k
Ruyaulcourt tunnel just 35 minutes later. Here we found Yo-Fred,
waiting at a red light. Traffic through the tunnel is single track but
with a two way passing section in the middle and traffic lights
controlling access. We had only 10 minutes to wait for the green
light and once again the obliging skipper of Yo-Fred waved us on
ahead.
This meant that even if you missed a line switch-over – and
it happened a couple of times because hooks were missing –
there was no crisis. The boat moved gently and could be simply
fended off. There were four locks to the first summit and we were
through them and approaching the 1.1 kilometre Panneterie
tunnel by 6.15pm.
David wisely chose to let the barge we were following get a
little ahead, as he did not want its prop wash pushing Sinemora
into the sides of the tunnel. Headroom was good with lighting in
the roof which would have been fine except for several sections
where bulbs were broken. The sudden plunge into darkness made
it difficult to follow the line but we took it slowly emerging at the
other end 17 minutes later, having touched the side a couple of
times with the fenders on the way through.
When we did finally get through, with clear skies and
nothing in front of us, we made good progress, covering 16 kms
and reaching the summit lock at 3.45pm. Here, a village called
Moislains has free public mooring and shops. With a decent
distance under our belt and the following day being Sunday,
David granted me “shore leave” to search for bread, milk and
whatever I could find for dinner.
We passed Courcelles and its attractive marina with all
facilities, but now David was “on a roll”. He calculated that
we might get past Lille today, and be within reach of two other
marinas. So we carried on, passing through a landscape of
complete industrial desolation, scrap yards, slag heaps, deserted
coal mines and abandoned factories. Never mind – we were
making such good time that they were gone before they could
spoil our mood of optimism.
This tunnel is wider, better lit and a more pleasant experience
than our first. We made good progress but had to tie up in the
centre to allow boats coming the other way to pass. Despite this
slight delay we were out of the tunnel and into a deep cutting
within 40 minutes, an average speed of 7kph.
The series of seven descent locks were open until 8.30, giving
us a glimmer of hope that we might reach Arleux, it’s marina and
the junction with the Grand Gabarit that evening. That wasn’t to
be, so a search of the Pilot showed a small mooring at Lock 3.
www.broomowners.com
At 4pm we turned right off the Grand Gabarit, still on the
Deule heading for Lille, with 22 kms and two locks to transit
before reaching our overnight destination. With locks closing at
6pm on Sunday’s it was going to be tight.
Having had the waterway to ourselves we had to share the
first lock, amusingly called Ecluse Don with another boat – and it
was very large!
31
This made the locking process slower, and after leaving the
lock it took a good while before we could safely overtake the
heavily laden and slow moving barge.
It was going to be touch and go to make it, being further
slowed by Lille docks with its much lower speed limit, but it
was just 5.45 as we came in sight of Lille lock. Imagine our
disappointment when the lock keeper responded to David’s VHF
request to say we were too late! I was inclined to argue but
David took a more mature view and, as a barge was also asking
to come through from the downstream side, we realised that the
double locking time would take the lock keeper well past his 6pm
curfew.
Another night in the middle of nowhere, with no facilities!
But as I calmed down I realised it was a rather nice mooring on an
island dominated by Vauban’s 17th century Citadel, surrounded
by wooded parkland. It clearly was not “the middle of nowhere”
as there were a lot of people about, some jogging others just
strolling gently in the evening sun. So we joined them and set off
to find Lille town centre.
We were slightly disconcerted at the lock to see two armed
Belgian police making their way towards us. I’ve had the
experience of being stopped, boarded, questioned, and boat
searched, by Dutch and Belgian police and Customs Officials
several times, but it was new to David.
I could tell he thought it must be something to do with me
being on board. They asked to examine the ships papers and
check David had the appropriate licences. Strangely, they did
not seem to know what they were looking for, allowing David
to show what he had to hand, including the warrant for his blue
ensign which bemused them somewhat. They didn’t want to see
our passports or check for any contraband stowed below, and
they were not at all concerned about whether we were using red
diesel, so it was hard to see the point of the exercise. They noted
everything assiduously, were very polite and assured us that now
we had been checked it wouldn’t happen again. Wishing us a
pleasant stay in Belgium they were soon on their way and we
exited the lock without further ado.
A courtesy documents check!
We did not get quite that far but soon came across a bar.
There we were able to watch France lose to Ireland in the Rugby
World Cup, while we enjoyed a beer and snack before heading
back to the boat.
Despite our disappointment with the lock, David was
confident that, barring accidents or strikes, we could reach
Bruges by Tuesday night, a full day ahead of schedule.
Looking forward to a relaxed start the next day, we enjoyed
our customary Lagavulin night cap which now had the added
flavour of anticipation.
It was a sunny morning, the first since Cergy. Spared several
hours of bone chilling mist we were in good spirits as we passed
our planned Sunday night mooring just half an hour on from Lille
so we would have got there easily. It seemed to be full of boats,
all closed up for the winter and we decided that in any event, it
was not as attractive as where we had been forced to spend the
night!
After four days on the crowded waterways of the fast route
to Dunkirk, we now enjoyed a peaceful cruise. There was one
more Deule lock at Quesnoy, then we turned into the Lys with 30
minutes run to reach Comines lock marking the Belgian border,
just on 1pm.
Just 8 kms after the border we pulled in for diesel at the
Neptunia Barge, permanently moored near kp18 on the River Leie
(Lys in French) about 6 km from the lock at Commines. There is
also a very well stocked chandlery which is worth a visit in itself.
As David had expected, the price was better than anywhere in
France at €1.13 per litre, (about 86p) for white diesel, so he took
the opportunity to fill the tanks for the winter. We did consider
filling up with water too, but the hose connections are designed
for barges and at best it would have been a fiddly job. Although
we had not been able to get water since Cergy, with only men on
board consumption had been modest, and David was confident
that we could fill up that evening.
We had three more locks to pass before reaching our
overnight stop at Deinze Yacht Club and our progress was slightly
delayed by a one way system due to major construction work
through Kortrijk with a 5 kph speed limit.
We had a slow start in the morning and we both enjoyed
a shower in the Club facilities, not my first since Cergy, but still
welcome after our days of dawn to dusk motoring and water
conservation.
We also ran into some traffic as we neared our destination,
so that despite it feeling like a relaxed easy day, it was 7.15pm
and getting dark as we approached the mooring. Before that
though we were treated to an amazing sunset, beautifully
reflected on the calm waters in front of us, and to the site of
flocks of migratory birds looking for over-night resting places on
the flat fields on either side. Soon enough though we arrived at
the yacht club and were relieved to find, and reverse into, the one
empty space available.
We left at 10.45 under a clear blue sky, pausing mid-stream
to photograph the storks parading through the long grass of
a field opposite. From the Leie we joined the connecting canal
which would take us, after just 14 kms, onto the Ghent - Ostend
Canal which we entered just before noon, and we had worked
our way through the Bruges bridges and moored in Sinemora’s
winter berth in the Coupure by 3pm. After the continuous
pressure of the previous eight days, the last day almost felt
like an anti-climax, but it was a happy one, completed in bright
sunshine.
(Left-below) The River Leie approaching Deinze.
It wasn’t all fog and strikes
On shore a prominent notice board advised us to ring the
harbour master, who appeared within 10 minutes to help us fill
with water, connect to shore power, show us round the shower
block and provide the gate codes. It was a very nice reception
after so many nights in the wilderness, and great value for only
€15.
The friendly Harbourmaster is the owner of a Broom 35
European, one of two moored at the Club and his is called Blue
Moon. David quickly dug out a copy of Sweeping Statements
and a couple of membership applications for him, then we were
off into town, and a fine selection of restaurants for a relaxed
meal, our first since leaving Rouen. On return, feeling pleased
to be on the final leg, we had a night-cap, Lagavulin of course,
and this time the complex flavours seemed to contain a hint of
finality, and maybe a note of conclusion.
The trip was great fun and if we had known just how fast
and problem free it was going to be after we reached Arleux we
could have had a more relaxed time. However, stopping for a
few nights in remote places on such a well equipped boat as
the Broom 42cl was not a hardship, and it suited us both to be
getting home a day early.
All that remained was a few hours tidying up – David will be
back to do the really hard stuff – and then a celebratory meal at
another of his favourite restaurants. I will spare you the details
but will say that the hangover next morning did slightly delay
our departure for the Tunnel crossing home. But we had made it
and could look back on the trip with a great deal of satisfaction,
having covered over 300 nautical miles in some pretty tough
conditions without any mishap - and we enjoyed it too.
(Above) Journey’s end, The Coupure in Bruges
It rained overnight but we were comfortable in the
knowledge that we were less than a day’s cruising from Bruges
with just a few swing bridges to negotiate, and we could do it all
with the arch and hood up if necessary.
32
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33
| by David and Pamela Harrison
Anniversary Weekend
W
hen Kelston announced he was organising
a BOC cruise to attend the 75th anniversary
commemorative return to Dunkirk, and that it
could possibly be the last one, as surviving veterans would
now be in their 90’s, we felt that this could be our only chance
to participate due to it only happening every 5 years and we
being in our mid 70s. Having booked up, we realised Bonny
Rose was hardly in a condition to participate. The aft loo was
not finished (see Spring addition of SS ); the starboard aft
stanchions and hand rail were missing as Wilks Dek-king
was being fitted to the aft cabin side decks, and to facilitate
access approx 1/3rd of the head lining in the aft cabin was
hanging down. However by staying on board for several days,
installation was completed in time (just) but left no time for
a shakedown cruise.
As departure date approached forecasts were not looking
too promising, but we loaded up on the Friday and departed
Itchen Marine on Saturday 16th as planned, well aware that
F7 winds were predicted for Sunday evening and into Monday.
In order to keep ahead of this deteriorating situation the first
leg of the trip was 78 miles to Eastbourne and the second on
Sunday 42 miles to Dover, quite long legs at 10 knots but a
good test that all systems were OK. The only blip was failure
of the autopilot to hold a set course necessitating manual
steering from off Portsmouth for the remainder of our time
away.
Approaching Dover the wind picked up to F4/5 from
the southwest giving the usual wild ride into the western
entrance, aggravated by having to slow down for a couple of
yachts which were making an entrance ahead of us, but the
marina responded immediately when called, and allocated
a berth in Granville dock which has half tide gates and is
completely sheltered.
True to forecast it blew on Sunday night and into Monday
but conditions were expected to improve during the week with
the best day forecast for Thursday 21st, the official crossing
day. However whilst Wednesday’s Met Office forecast was W
or SW F4 or F5, Windfinder and XC Weather were forecasting
F3 all day from the NW (and so it turned out) so we decided
34
to cross a day early thus avoiding any conflict with the ADLS
fleet as, being in Dover, we were on the “wrong side” of their
intended course.
Harbour control handled our departure through the
Eastern entrance (the busy one used by the ferries) with
their usual efficiency, initially with instructions to proceed
around the harbour and call when off the Knuckle Light. After
reporting in that we were holding off the light, they asked for
our maximum speed (I gave a conservative reply) and then
gave permission to proceed through the entrance against the
red lights which were set for an approaching cross channel
ferry, but they also called the ferry to ensure it had heard the
conversation and was aware of our departure.
The crossing was uneventful with perfect timing (luck) for
access into Trystram Lock, the lights changing to green as we
arrived. Subsequent passage through the inner docks was as
described in Reeds, and on arrival in the Bassin du Commerce
we found the marina visitor’s berth vacant, so no mooring
against the harbour wall for the first night.
The following day, Thursday, although fully booked, the
marina staff managed to find a berth for Bonny Rose for the
remainder of our stay. I’m not sure how it happened but I
suspect David, our editor who had relocated Sinemora to the
marina a couple of weeks earlier, had a hand in it, so with
power, water and a stable pontoon to ease Pamela’s problems
getting on and off the boat we were well set up. Later in the
day we could hear the BOC fleet on VHF making progress and
subsequently were able to assist with their mooring against
the harbour wall which, in the event,turned out not to be the
problem anticipated several weeks earlier.
(Above:) Some of the ADLS fleet
Unfortunately due to Pamela’s limited mobility we were
unable to attend the commemorative functions. We did
however manage to see the ADLS fleet rafted up alongside
the town quay and later I spent some time on the Massey
Shaw, the fire float which, in addition to 3 return trips to
Dunkirk bringing home over 500 troops, saw action on the
Thames throughout the blitz. This 80 year old vessel is now
fully restored and immaculate with all systems in full working
order and can still deliver more water at higher pressures
than anything available on the Thames today (progress?).
(Below-left:) The Massy Shaw’s immaculate twin
Gleniffer 8 cylinder engines
Sunday 24th dawned bright and sunny with Windfinder
forecasting F2 increasing to F3 and veering from S to SW in
the afternoon so we decided to leave a day early, catching
the second lock of the day as did 4 others. We soon lost the
sunshine but the crossing was uneventful except that the SW
wind became wind against tide creating a short choppy sea
on the beam whilst crossing the shipping lanes which was
uncomfortable and a bit tedious.
Monday 25th saw us having a lazy day in Dover where
in the afternoon we were entertained with a spectacular
aerobatic display by a lone Spitfire for probably 10 to 15
minutes.
On Tuesday we departed Dover heading for Shoreham,
but 3 miles off Beachy Head the port engine stopped abruptly
with absolutely no signs of life when attempting to restart, so
we diverted into Eastbourne.
Due to the abrupt nature of the failure, and no signs of life
using the starter, it was thought unlikely to be filter blockage
but for good measure both the primary and secondary filters
were changed to no avail. The next logical failure could be the
lift pump so the injector pressure pump bleed screws were
slackened and the lift pump operated both manually and by
using the starter resulting in a good visual flow of fuel. Could
it be the injector pressure pump, unlikely, but by slackening
off a feed pipe to one of the injectors and operating the
starter, fuel should squirt out. We did and it didn’t, we had a
fuel pump failure!!
Arrival in Trystram Lock.
A little larger than those on the Thames
www.broomowners.com
Thanks to David and Alison who had their car available we
were able to attend the BOC dinner, arranged by David, on
the Saturday evening where 24 were in attendance.
www.broomowners.com
35
This should not have been a problem as we carry a fully
serviced and sealed spare pump, or so I thought, but when
fitted, the engine would run up to 900rpm OK but above that
speed the revs would violently hunt up and down. Running
in gear made no difference and to run in this condition was
to risk damaging the engine. Contact with the company who
supplied the pump, albeit 4 years ago, was not helpful and
there was no response from service organisations located in
Eastbourne Marina.
We therefore had a comfortable run from Eastbourne to
Cowes and returned to Itchen Marine on the Friday.
Contact with the diesel pump service company in Reading
resulted in a couple of suggestions to try but as there was no
improvement the only option was to remove the pump, pack
bags, catch the train to Southampton and then drive back to
Reading
The annoying issue was that having acquired a fully
serviced pump as a spare (at least that is what I paid for)
it failed to operate correctly when needed, due to incorrect
components being fitted. Perhaps the moral of this story
is that if one carries spares, they should be fitted when
purchased to ensure they work satisfactorily and keep the
removed item as the spare as it’s known to work OK.
Both pumps plus a third I had in the garage were
delivered to the service company, Thames Valley Electro
Diesel, next morning (Friday). The original failed pump was
beyond repair having seized internally and broken its drive
shaft, but after explaining the situation regarding the boat
stuck in Eastbourne, I have to record that TVED pulled out all
the stops, obtained the necessary components and had the
two remaining pumps fully serviced and available by Monday
pm.
Tuesday saw us back in Southampton and then on the
train to Eastbourne. A pump was fitted on Wednesday and we
were up and running. Just as well as Thursday was the only
decent day for motor boating with a F2 wind off the land,
whilst on days either side it was SW F4, wind against tide.
Looking back on events, all went to plan until the pump
failure but we were lucky that if it had to fail it happened
when and where it did. The workshop manager at TVED said
that in 35 years of servicing diesel equipment he had never
seen a DPA pump fail in a similar manner, so we were just
unlucky.
In spite of the engine failure
we thoroughly enjoyed the trip
and will certainly go again if
circumstances allow.
(Below) The offending fuel pump
We Remembered
What a fabulous time we had with the other
members of the Broom Owners Club
d
uring our recent cruise to celebrate the 75th
anniversary of operation Dynamo, when no less than
334,266 men were rescued by a fleet of little ships
requisitioned by the government, to bring back the British
Expeditionary Task Force from the beaches of Dunkirk.
I had a lump in my throat more than once that day.
Once when I awoke to see the crowds of well-wishers lining
the walls and every other viewing position in and around
Ramsgate Harbour, which was the original port of departure
all those years ago, and again when they proudly set off in
bright sunshine accompanied by a Spitfire and Hurricane
zooming above at fairly low level. What a spectacle!
The welcome the Little ships received on entering the
Marina after cruising gently across 43 nautical miles of the
English Channel accompanied by, not one, but two British
Naval war ships, was amazing, with cheering and clapping
from the crowds lining the marina for every single vessel, and
to see them all tied up together as if hugging each other after
all those years was a wonderful sight.
36
www.broomowners.com
| by Christopher Cole
The whole weekend was brilliantly organised and hats
off to all those concerned especially Kelston Tobin, Andrew
Bernstein, David Haugh and David Broad who took over the
cruise management from Ramsgate because Kelston was
unfortunately absent looking after his father.
It was a once in a lifetime experience made all the more
moving by attending the various ceremonies in Ramsgate,
and on the actual beaches of Dunkirk, and then meeting
some of the survivors who typically stood proudly before us
in memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The front of the Church in Dunkirk is still scarred with
the remnants of that terrible time in history, and serves as a
constant reminder of the sacrifice so many made to give us
the freedom we all enjoy to this day.
Well done Broom owners and all
those who attended.
www.broomowners.com
(photo by Tony Lord)
37
They Returned
| by Mike Cunningham
T
here were three veterans at the Dunkirk Anniversary
Weekend, all of them over 95 and I saw them at the
Service. Sad to think that this was probably the last
time they could attend.
We were out at the memorial the day before the service.
All three of them were helped to walk down onto the beach
and back, which was obviously a very emotional experience
for them, and then they had various press interviews at the
memorial.
We overheard one interview where one of them was
asked what he remembered about his days at Dunkirk. It
seems that he met up with a French officer on the beach and
somehow they managed to find a very decrepit rowing boat.
They decided that this would be their mode of departure and
so they set out for one of the destroyers parked offshore. He
could remember that the French officer did the rowing and
he found a useful new purpose for his tin helmet as a baler.
Luckily they were picked up by a boat en-route as the baling
was getting frantic - so at least one Dunkirk story had a happy
ending.
We had two guests with us on board Erika, Tony and
Eileen Lord. Tony took the pictures.
The arrival at Dunkirk, and the moorings along the
wall worked well, and it was good the see the two David’s
(Harrison and Haugh) waiting on the wall to help with ropes
and moorings. The dinner in the evening, organised by David
Haugh, was well attended with a good atmosphere and good
French food and wine which seemed to be enjoyed by all.
38
Flying Visit
to Dunkirk
Saturday: I waved ‘Billie’ and
‘Spike’ off from Teddington on a
bright Saturday morning as they
passed the gathered ‘Little Ships’
moored in the lock cut.
S
At the end of the interview a young French jogger came
along and stopped to talk to our veteran. He produced a brass
button, obviously from a military uniform, and said that he had
found it a few years ago buried in the sand on the beach.
He just said to him “I would like you to have it”, and
jogged off without any further word.
Somehow, it’s the small, real, things
that make the most poignant
memories of a trip . . .
www.broomowners.com
ue Harmer and I weren’t able to go with them as the
boat was still being worked on and the crew members
weren’t available until after the weekend.
Monday: the engineers finally signed off ‘Flying
Visit’ after lunch, when ‘Billie’ and ‘Spike’ were already in
Ramsgate. A quick river test and all seemed okay so we
fuelled up and set off for Teddington. En route we confirmed
that Don Walker was okay to join us on Tuesday afternoon for
a planned departure on the high tide. Blustery winds should
have abated by then. We reached Teddington about 19.45
after operating two of the locks ourselves.
Tuesday: We set off a bit after 17.00 with the intention
of reaching Greenwich Yacht Club that evening , just above
the Thames Barrier. What a rush around to get everything
done – sure I had forgotten something, but hopefully not
crucial. The trip was reasonably ‘smooth sailing’. No issues
at Richmond Barrier or Hammersmith Bridge (restricted
headroom). There were still some pleasure craft operating,
especially the clippers, as we motored toward central London.
| by Linda Varney
We had the joy of a heavy hail storm which impeded
visibility and caused a drop in the temperature. We reached
Greenwich about 20.30. The Harbourmaster seemed to
have missed both my call and my email but all was well.
We battened down the hatches, tucked into a hot meal and
prepared for an early start in the morning to catch the tide.
Wednesday: the sun was just rising as we went through
the Thames Barrier around 05.15. We headed down toward
Essex, the QEll Bridge and the Medway. ‘Flying Visit’ seemed
to be behaving well – that is until we decided to try and speed
up. A few minutes at 3500 revs and the temperature rose
on the port engine rather worryingly. So we continued to
chug along; then tried a second ‘blast’. Again overheating on
port side; the red warning light was on. Reduced revs. Then
a mechanical banging/grating/? noise from port side – Don
advised that we should use the engine sparingly in case there
was a real problem. So we ran on starboard with port on tick
over. Slow progress but luckily no conditions that caused any
real problems. At last we reached the buoyed channel into
Ramsgate. Don manoevered her using both engines and we
were told to raft out where we could. Probably easier in the
circumstances.
John Croom, Ray and Dom came to find us and a major
consultation ensued about the cause and resolution of the
port engine problem, ably assisted by Mick from Kohaku who
had come alongside. The conclusion was to try and get her
lifted to see if there was any problem with the shaft and prop.
and worry about another problem if that didn’t work.
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39
Dom and I set off to find the Harbourmaster and several
helpful people later we had a lift booked and paid for at
17.00. Out of the water a loose rope cutter was revealed
– the spacing washers had disappeared allowing the
metal cutters to ‘bang’ together. ‘Take them off’ was the
general conclusion and with allen keys and John Croom’s
old Ramsgate contacts she was back in the water within an
hour. Back on the mooring, Don went off to ‘Lady Martina’
for briefing and to collect the ‘Dunkirk 2015’ burgee. He later
rang to say he was going to eat with friends; Sue and I opted
for fish and chips.
Thursday: We set off at 07.30 in hot pursuit of ‘Spike’ and
‘Billie’ having narrowly avoided a sandbank in the harbour.
Unsure of their route the VHF and mobiles buzzed until we
agreed Mid Falls and Sandette West as the key waypoints.
There was a bit of a swell as we moved from the shelter of the
land, exacerbated by changing depths. Sue magnanimously
offered to make bacon and egg sandwiches and lived to rue
the offer, as the resulting bruises took several days to emerge.
But we were making good time to reach the lock into Dunkirk
by the designated hour (15.30 Eurotime). The final stretch
by the French coast was probably as choppy as any so we
were glad to get into the shelter of the harbour wall. We
finally caught up with ‘Spike’ and ‘Billie’ who had been to
refuel and had a breather to hoist the correct pennants – the
French courtesy one and the Dunkirk 2015 – before I really
upset someone. Locking in was a challenge as we needed to
pick up heavy vertical steel cables to steady the boat whilst
the water level rose.
But we were finally out into the channel, through the
open bridge and to the welcome sight of David Harrison and
David Haugh waiting to help us moor up against the Quai de
Hull. We’d made it!
The Little Ships followed us in an hour or so later. Don
discovered that the flush for the stern loo wasn’t shutting off
so we had a minor flood. Today’s problem! Switch off the
power to reduce the pressure and it would be tomorrow’s
task. We spent the evening renewing old acquaintances and
Don and I had a quick meal while Sue ‘crashed out’.
Friday: At rest in Dunkirk. We could relax a bit. Time
started to disappear rapidly – lunch was 3.00pm. A bit of
shopping, a bit of exploring, drinks on ‘Sinemora and dinner –
really arduous. David Harrison and Don resolved the flooding
problem – a piece of ‘stuff’ had lodged in the value stopping
it closing.
Saturday: The main formal commemoration event on the
beach by the memorial. The moving contemporary account of
what it was like in Dunkirk in June 1940, for the local people
as well as the troops waiting to leave. One of the surviving
veterans laid a wreath – possibly the last time this will
happen? No sea event this year – the tides were wrong and
the cool stiff breeze would have made it unpleasant. Prince
Michael of Kent attended as President of the Association of
Dunkirk Little Ships. The Mayor of Dunkirk stood head and
shoulder taller than anyone else. We visited the museum on
the way back to town – interesting and moving.
The whole war thing was horrendous, only mitigated by
the number saved (British, French and Belgians). People
being totally immoral and inhumane in their treatment of
others.
40
We needed to do a quick shop for gifts in the afternoon
as the shops weren’t open on Sunday. We moved over to the
marina proper as the flooding had depleted our water supply.
Then off for a meal with the ‘Broom Owners’, 24 of us in all.
During the evening we met John and crew on ‘Lady Maurette’
who agreed to accompany us back to Ramsgate on Monday.
Sunday: A much more pleasant day. We set off for the
harbour area after Don had left us to join Marjorie for a
visit to ‘La Strega’. Another interesting museum showing
the development of Dunkirk as a trading port and various
fortifications and economic diversifications.
We had
intended to visit the three masted schooner but missed out
due to ‘passage planning’. Loads more people about. We
visited the ‘Massey Shaw’, a fire boat built at the end of the
19th century. Sue inspected the engines while I took photos
on deck. Back on board we were treated to a ring side view
of the veteran vehicles that lined up on the Quai. We finally
caught up with John and found out his planned route. A
few more bleeps to get the waypoints into the plotter and
hopefully we were set up. A quick cup of tea on ‘Sinemora’
– they were off to Dieppe in the morning. We decided to go
to the local restaurant that appeared to brew its own beer.
Monday: the Little Ships and others took the 08.30 bridge
opening so we had a good view as they all streamed out of the
inner harbour, heading to the sea lock. Knot Arf and Aspasia
followed, the latter planning to head toward Holland. Time
to think about getting ourselves organised for the next bridge
lift. A quick visit to the marina office to pay our bill – the
woman in the office was really kind and even made a point
of coming and waving us off. The hooter went and we cast
off to join the others heading for the sea lock. It was quite a
drop in level. While we waited we heard a message on the
VHF – some of the Little Ships were turning back because of
the sea conditions. What were we letting ourselves in for
? We soon found out. A bit of rocking and rolling, banging
and crashing and an assortment of things we thought were
safely placed rolling around the floor. It took us the rest
of the trip to find all the conkers and tomatoes! A ferry
came out of Dunkirk West, nothing to worry them and soon
disappeared into the distance. Eventually we turned north
and the sea movement became more of a swell. Across the
shipping lane – some of the boats looked huge when they
came close – and into calmer waters up the English Coast.
We reached Ramsgate about 15.30 and this time we had a
proper berth alongside ‘Silver Sceptre’. Just in time to see the
Little Ships that had crossed come into harbour cheered on by
the waiting crowd. Gosh we were tired.
During the afternoon ‘Medway Queen’ left the harbour,
towed back to the Medway by a tug. Let’s hope she will
soon be under her own steam. As we were in Ramsgate
we needed to visit the Royal Temple Yacht Club and sign the
book! It’s a lovely view from their terrace over the harbour
although the Club was very quiet that evening. We gathered
it had been very busy in Ramsgate over the weekend. We
enjoyed a drink and chatted to two guys delivering a yacht
from the South Coast to Ipswich for brokerage (then returning
to the Hamble to take another boat over to the Channel Isles).
Then round to Ossie’s for Turkish fish and chips.
Wednesday: the day for the home run. The weather
forecast looked good so here’s hoping. We readied for the
trip, stowing everything just in case! Several of the Little
Ships left harbour around 10.00 while we planned to fuel up
and leave around noon. Successfully fuelled but not showing
on the gauges, we radioed for permission to leave the harbour
and, after a short wait received the clearance. We were on
our way. The track proved useful, heading out along the
buoyed channel, turning north-east for NE Goodwin and then
more northerly for Margate East to take us up to the Princes
Channel. The stretch along the Kent Coast was great, hardly
any movement off the North Foreland and round into the
Thames Estuary. We were pushing the last of the tide and
passed a couple of ships anchored waiting for the change of
tide.
As we motored toward the Medway we began to meet a
little choppy water as we encountered wind over tide (westerly
wind over an incoming tide). But the sun was really warm.
Our progress was steady but not as speedy as we might have
wished varying between 8 and 10 knots. We ticked off the
buoys as we worked our way up stream. We finally reached
the QEll bridge. At least it felt we were getting somewhere
nearer home. We decided to try pushing the speed up to
knock off some of the miles through the rather boring Essex
stretch. Upto 3000revs okay (about 11+ kn) but again the
push to 3500 revs resulted in the overheating warning on the
port engine after a few minutes. Rather frustrating. So we
continued at a steady pace, at last passing the barrier and
heading for central London. The rate of progress meant we
were fine for high water Richmond but too late to avoid having
to lower the radar arch for Hammersmith Bridge. Darkness
had fallen by the time we motored through Richmond and
came up to the lock at Teddington. Luckily the lockkeeper
saw our navigation lights and helped us through the lock.
We finally moored up around 22.30. A quick hot drink and
we were ready for our bunks. Clearing up would have to wait
for the mooring.
Postscript: Flying Visit returned to her mooring at Penton
Hook marina on Saturday 30 May. She had completed 303
nautical miles since her chart plotter was switched on for the
river test prior to departure.
Tuesday: we decided to spend an extra day in Ramsgate
while most of the boats headed off. We had hoped to see
Sue’s friend but she wasn’t around so we enjoyed coffee
overlooking the harbour and bought our first English paper
for a week. The remainder of the Little Ships that had turned
back yesterday came into harbour. All back safely although
they were still pumping water out of ‘Lady Gay’. Knot Arf
needed to be lifted to solve a ‘vibration problem’ – luckily
just rope round the prop. We needed to sort our course for
home for the next day, although we did have the track from
the outward trip on the plotter. Still better to know where we
wanted to go and the course to steer sorted.
www.broomowners.com
www.broomowners.com
41
2014 offers include 10% discount on summer season (1st July to 30th September) work and servicing
conducted by Broom Marine Services but not the supply of parts only. Free visitor moorings for up to one
month and reduced visitor Broads licenses when purchased through Broom continue.
New is a 10% discount on any off peak booking of a Broom Boating Holiday direct from Broom between
1st Oct and 31st Mar 2015. When taking advantage of either offer please quote BOC 10
For further information email to enquires@broomboats.com or phone 01603 712 334
10% Policy Discount Free Legal Expenses Cover . Get you Home Cover Free Protected No
Claims Bonus River and Canal Rescue Membership 30 days coastal use for Non-Tidal members
Dedicated Account Management. For a no obligation quotation email details to enquiries@navandgen.
co.uk or call 01273 863 420
Between 10 and 25% discount depending on product from an extensive catalogue of engine
components and ancillary equipment plus a further 2.5% discount applied to all online orders.
For more information look at www.asap-supplies.com or phone 0845 1300 870 quoting reference
no.“106614”
15% discount and free UK delivery on entire on-line range of products when ordered from our on-line shop.
Simply enter the code BROOM12 at the checkout stage for the discount. Product range includes generators,
chargers, inverters, UPS, shore power, distribution panels and more. To order look at www.es-store-co-uk or
for more information look at www.energy-solutions.co.uk or phone 01634 290 772
Free 2nd night’s mooring at Marina Cape Helius in Hellevoetsluis on the Haringvliet in Zeeland
(Holland). A warm welcome and two-nights-for-the-price-of-one is offered by harbour master and former
Broom owner Kees Broere.
Email havenkantoor@marina-capehelius.nl or call 06-13181974
20% off visitors rates at Port Chantereyne in Cherbourg
Show your BOC membership card to secure your discount
GR Pro-clean offer a full and complete range of boat valeting services all year round including
Superstructure, Hull, Cockpit (inc. vinyl seating, Teak Refurbishment etc. A winter offer of 15% discount
is available for a Full Clean, Machine Polish & Wax of hull sides (if out of water) Removal of Scumline and
Limescale, Internal Valet, Canopy Clean and Reproof, and Bilge Clean if booked by 15th Dec 2014. For more
information e-mail grpro-cleanthames@cleanthatboat.com or call 07736 434234 or 01733 572496
10% discount on the hire of life rafts and associated safety equipment. Life rafts can be hired for as short
a period as 4 days or as long as one year and up to 3 year deals are also available. The company has 24
depots covering the UK and the Channel Islands. Email info@liferafts.com or call 0800 243 673 or 01621
784858 and quote your BOC membership number to secure your discount.
10% discount on products and servicing from leading supplier of 406MHz EPIRBs, PLBs and AIS
technology (Est. 1989). MCA approved service station for all makes of EPIRB. For more information see our website www.sartech.com or telephone +44 (0) 1737 372670.
Specialises in the repair and overhaul of the Perkins HT6.354 engines and offer BOC members a
10% discount on engine overhauls for this and other makes.
For more information look at www.awdiesel.co.uk or phone Adam Willis on 01493 662 850
As a Volvo Penta Centre, R K Marine hold extensive stock at their Swanwick yard, can offer an ‘off the shelf’
service to most customers and will dispatch parts to anywhere in the world. Shop online at: www.shop.
rkmarine.co.uk and use the promotion code ‘yassdeal’ for a 10% discount.
A 10% discount is also available on lifting, launching and hard-standing.
For more information look at www.rkmarine.co.uk or phone 01489 583572
10% discount on batteries, chargers, inverters, solar panels and wind powered generators
For more information look at www.barden-uk.com or phone 01489 570 770
25% discount on first year’s membership & joining fees.
Many cruising services including annual almanac and access to first class nautical library.
For more information look at www.cruising.org.uk or phone 0207 573 2828
Clements Marine who design and manufacture propellers, shafts, couplings, shaft support brackets, shaft seals
and stern tube assemblies, rudders, rudder assemblies and ancillary equipment are offering 20% discount
on stern gear repairs during the winter service period.
For more information look at www.clementsmarine.co.uk or phone 01234 378 814 42
www.broomowners.com
10% discount on sailing and motor boat charters. Skippered and bareboat motor boats up to 53ft
available in Croatia and Greek Islands also flotilla sailing holidays and bareboat charter in a range of
worldwide destinations. For more information look at www.seafarercruises.com or phone 0208 324 3117
quoting your BOC membership number when ordering to secure your discount.
Have increased offer to 10% on all Collinite marine wax polish and cleaning products and also to a
comprehensive range of anodes recently added to their product range. For more information look at www.
shipshapenorfolkltd.co.uk or phone Carol Branson on 01353 676007
Discounts available on a wide range of chandlery, home improvement products and tools.
For details of the club code contact Peter Bentley the club’s Irish Co-ordinator.
Email peter.margaret.bentley@gmail.com or call 07802 751 160 or ++353 870 518 235
Wilks offer 15% discount across their entire product range which includes PVC, aluminium and rubber
fendering plus inserts to fit existing aluminium fendering and Dek-King, a U.V. stabilised range of PVC
decking profiles which give a low maintenance alternative to teak.
For more information look at www.wilks.co.uk or www.dek-king.com or phone 01621 869 609
10% discount for all members of BOC on Webasto heating systems, Sidepower bow and stern thruster
systems and Isotherm fridges. For further information e mail Tom Gardiner on tom@jpcdirect.com or call
01603 784 884
www.broomowners.com
43
20% disCount
on your visitor berthing fees
at Port Chantereyne in Cherbourg
sail to Port Chantereyne to experience the french way of life
and benefit from a 20% discount on your visitor mooring fees*
in 2014, Port Chantereyne welcomes you to a totally renovated marina
reception which includes brand new, convenient and high quality
washrooms and showers, as well as a newly remodelled reception
area.
Port Chantereyne also boasts the following fantastic features that are
truly unique along this stretch of french coastline, helping to make
Port Chantereyne one of the most useful and enticing stopovers:
a well protected marina, accessible 24h/24
the closest marina to the solent
specifically designed and equipped to accommodate all the
needs of boaters
Located in a typical french city-centre with its large selection
of boutiques, bars, restaurants, gardens, parks and museums
* The 20% discount will apply on presentation of a personal valid 2013 club/association membership card at the marina reception*. The
discount does not apply to annual berths or seasonal contracts and cannot be combined with any other offers.
Port Chantereyne
50 100 Cherbourg-Octeville
Tél : +33 (0)2 33 87 65 70
Email : portchantereyne@ville-cherbourg.fr
VHF channel 9
www.portchantereyne.fr
Blue Flag
since 2002