|
| |
|
|---|
Editor: Kris Steyn 082 619 5511 krissteyn@gmail.com At the Helm At last! Winter in Cape Town and with it the exhilarating North West storms. Our speaker last month Captain Nick Sloane was very appropriate for this time of year, with his great talk and slide display of salvage operations that his company has been involved in. Some great photos have been included by our editor later in the newsletter. We would like to thank Nick for his most informative presentation and the contribution that he and his fellow salvors, pirates or whatever, made to what turned out to be a most enjoyable evening. I believe the die-hards left at about 0230 Friday morning. (Your Commodore left at time appropriate to his standing and managed to get home and to bed by 0215) Over some drinks, after the formalities were concluded, it turned out that Nick is a traditional boat enthusiast himself. He is currently involved and part owner in a project constructing a 100% traditional wooden vessel in Indonesia. There are no formal construction plans and everything is tackled on an ad lib basis guided by experience, common sense and an incredible amount of courage. The original thinking was to build a vessel of about approx 50' overall. Nick has recently been informed by his project manager that it now looks as though they may end up at with a vessel closer to the 100' mark! This is as a result of the length of the suitable trees that were available. So as not to waste any timber, modifications were made accordingly. I suppose in these traditional circumstances one must be prepared to give or take a couple of feet. We certainly look forward to having Nick back as a speaker and fellow TBA member for an update on this incredible project. The good news is that a firm date has been set for the combined TBA/RCYC "Classic and Wooden Boat Regatta" The event will start with a skippers brief and cocktail reception on Friday 26th September ending with a prize giving on the afternoon of Sunday 28th September 2008. Diarise these dates now! With a little bit of luck we can look forward to beautiful Cape spring weather with the South Easter not having quite set in yet. Together with RCYC we have launched an all out effort to make this the mother of all Classic and Wooden boat events in SA to date. The emphasis will be on a fun-filled social gathering of like-minded people. Sailing events are planned for both Saturday and Sunday with a lot of partying and fun in between. No matter what boat you own, new or old, I am sure we will have a category under which you can enter. If not, one will be developed. If you wish to take part, but do not have a boat to sail on, contact Neil Lavin and we will find you a berth. Watch this space for more details. With the construction of the new football stadium in Green Point moving along steadily, we once again have to give consideration to finding a new home. The premises we currently utilize, at the Atlantic Underwater Club is to be demolished to make way for construction of the new golf course. Site clearing is due to start soon. We are currently exploring various options and will keep you informed once a decision has been made. Our speaker this month is old friend and long standing TBA member Josh Spence. Josh has taken time off from his square rig escapades for a visit to SA. Josh will be speaking to us about traditional rigging and I look forward to seeing you all there. As always, curry and rice will be on sale with a roaring fire and plenty of red wine in accompaniment. Just what the doctor ordered for a chilly Cape winters evening.
Take care
Shore Leave (Social Calendar) Classic and Wooden Boat Regatta NEXT MEETING - Last Thursday of the month 26 June 7pm
He has been a crew-member of Phoenix , a 2 masted brigantine, for many years now and was the person responsible for re-rigging every line on her. His account of this will be told in his usual quiet un-assuming way that belies his incredible Olde Worlde knowledge.
Wikipedia gives us the following….
Last Month's talk was on Salvage by Captain Nick Sloane Captain Sloane gave a hard-hitting and graphic presentation and certainly gave us a lot to think about and consider. His visuals say it all ! Rather than para-phrase his eloquence - herewith a sample of his projects and for those that didn't brave the standard winter weather, Ya Wusses !, You missed an excellent evening.
Our esteemed brain-teazer has the following to keep us mulling over our fireside beverage...
From the Crow's Nest Well , my in and out trays are unbalanced! I don't have any of you to thank for scintillating input (although your praise was well received) and my out-tray is brimming with all the thank-you's which need to be delivered to deserving persons (currently unknown). So - as before , keep me informed please of all scuttlebutt, skinner, outright lies (suitably annotated) and particularly funny stories. I have some friends who have recently bought a boat and are proceeding with some money and lotsa energy to re-equip her for there own pleasure - I will include a few of the gems for you to giggle at... From Meps (Margaret) on the good boat Flutterby in USA (see www.mepsnbarry.com)
Smalls (or - Too Good To Throw Away) FOR SALE - Full set of Foulies - From New Zealand , Line 7 , with built-in harness and luminous hood in the jacket, full trousers with braces, fleecy long-johns with braces, all to fit a 5'10" to 6' 3" person. Call Kris 082 619 5511 or krissteyn@gmail.com WANTED - Garmin 12v power cord for my GPS. Call Kris 082 619 5511 or krissteyn@gmail.com See you all at the next meeting ............... Scuttlebutt The Europa is still in dry-dock and I am still planning to organize a TBA visit. Josh Spencer has insider knowledge ! Pete Hill on a "freedom" mono was seen in and around Royal Cape and has disappeared. All efforts by the editor to track him down have failed. (would love to catch up with him if somebody tracks him down) Our esteemed "father-of-the-TBA" Brian Bradfield has availed himself of an EMAIL ADDRESS bradfieldbrian@gmail.com Lets all welcome him to the land of E. I am compiling a report on SHE, Please forward any little stories or photo's you think will enhance our famous sloop. I already have a brief history from Brian.
MORE ANCHOR CHAT - I chose this one because I thought it had the most "Interesting" name. If I was propping up the bar I would be proud to tell of the daring exploits of my BULWAGGA ! Having dragged in weed more than required, this one has a positive aspect.
The bulky shanks on other anchors cause resistance that prevents deep sets.
The geometry of the Bull allows it to straddle a weedy bottom on its edges rather than "bed down" on weeds, only to snag them for a false "set". When a load is applied, the Bull immediately rotates up onto its points and quickly penetrates the weeds to begin its deep setting action. Due to the trefoil configuration, the Bull always has a vertical "stabilizer" fin that keeps the anchor from tipping or sliding as it buries in a set. The vertical fluke keeps the anchor digging down evenly and on a level plane for maximum engagement on the two holding flukes. TBA Committee
|
|
|
|---|
Josh Spencer is a man who needs no introduction to the TBA - he has been a valued supporter and an avid seaman at many levels for many years. Matters non-nautical bring him to Cape Town and we are blessed to have him back. Seldom are we given the chance to rub shoulders with a genuine "old salt".
Why Bulwagga Anchors out perform every other anchor…
The symmetrical three fluke configuration insures the anchor lands in perfect deployment position every time it reaches the bottom. Once on the bottom (1), a pull on the rope shifts the anchor onto the leading edges of two flukes (2).
The full weight of the anchor then pitches forward onto the points, which begin to penetrate immediately (3).
The Bull's balanced, deep burrowing action secures your boat within a few feet on just about any type of bottom.
On rock bottoms, the points quickly engage crevices. 
The Bull's slender super strength alloy shaft reduces resistance, allowing flukes to dig deep immediately. Wind shifts that dislodge other anchors just cause The Bull to dig deeper.In the unlikely event it dislodges, The Bull will rotate onto an adjacent fluke and quickly reset itself. Despite the deep secure set, the Bulwagga Anchor breaks out easily when the boat is positioned directly above for retrieval.
The Weed Buster