February 2003

COMMENT This is the sort of day when I wish myself elsewhere, I would like some sun and warmth, spectacular sunsets and a very large moon. Not much chance of that! There are however some who may wish they were here. Cedric Loughran has just gone through the Suez Canal and is in some unknown part of the Gulf expecting who knows what. Good luck Cedric.
Activity continues in the yard in spite of the weather. There is only one mast left up and one newly erected. Now that the Fitting Out Dinner has passed the message is that it is time to get on with it. By all accounts it was a very enjoyable and successful evening as was the Ladies evening in the Hightown Hotel, there is some talk of a repeat performance for some of the ladies.
It occurred to me that it is some time since anyone used the newsletter as a For Sale Notice. If you have anything to sell why not advertise it here? The last date for publishing is the second Tuesday of each month and advertising is free. That is also the date for any contribution you would like to make to the newsletter. All is gratefully received and once again I am indebted to Ian Cowell for more advice on selling boats. I have had one promise of an explanation of a boat name. I look forward to getting it and more than one would be a boon!
It was pleasing to hear that Les Martin is out and about again after his hip replacement and I have just heard that Arthur Mount is recovering at home after his operation. David Warren tells me that Arthur is feeling quite cheerful and optimistic. Best wishes to both of them.

The new committees are now well into their stride and there follows some notes from the reports to the General Committee.

THE COMMODORE told the committee that he had represented BSC at the Dee Sailing Club and at West Lancs. Mike thanked Stan Warren for organising an excellent fitting out dinner, which he did with great charm. The food was good and the speeches were too. He had received a letter of praise for the excellent evening, which was full of wit and humour.
Mike said that the advertisement for the owner of the yacht Cathy to get in touch was in the local papers two weeks ago. There is still no contact and in another two weeks a decision will have to made about the yacht.

THE VICE COMMODORE reported that the sailing committee had met and the racing calendar is now set. There is the possibility of a new race proposed by Phil Wright.
The following moorings have been allocated. N11 to the Commodore. S2 to Kari Gillard and S6 to Cyril Porter.
It is proposed to buy stone for the yard, to fill in the hollow ground by the old winch and some will be used for the road to the clubhouse.
Dave Rowles has now got the parts required to repair the electric winch at a cost of £322.
The new dinghy slip will be filled in with panels and the main slip will consist of two panels butted together. All materials will be ready for the end of February so clearing will start soon.
Steve McCloud has given a new trophy to the club. It is a lovely model of a red buoy that has been mounted by Theo Smith. The committee saw and admired it but it was decided that the sailing committee should decide on how to award it. Any ideas? If you have any suggestions give them to members of the sailing committee.. Many thanks are due to Steve for donating one of his mementoes of his father.

THE REAR COMMODORE Carole had held a meeting of the House Committee where it was decided to try to get the safe lock fixed. The changes to the bar are not yet completed. David Warren is looking for a bricklayer who would volunteer to do some reinforcing work before further repairs can be carried out. Stan Warren is also trying to locate someone.
The lighting situation outside the clubhouse is desperate. This was discussed last October but work was never carried out. It is very urgent, both for security (it needs to be vandal proof) and for safety. David Warren and David Rowles will look into it. Our Rear Commodore believes in summary justice for vandals but her proposals are better left unprinted.

THE BUILDING. Bob Chamberlain told the committee that it would come as no surprise when his inspection revealed that the clubhouse needs a new roof, new toilets and a new side wall. All this will be costly and very disruptive. However it is necessary. Bob was given permission to approach an architect for advice, drawings and information about building regulations.

THE HON SECRETARY. Mark has received three letters of thanks from visitors to the Fitting Out Dinner
On the notice board you will find notice of the live firing on the rifle range for March. There is also the RYA Newsletter and Liverpool Yacht Magazine. Mark has received an introductory letter from C Brown offering to survey boats. This too is on the notice board.. There is an information pack circulating in the clubhouse concerning the proposed wind farm on the North Hoyle.

200 CLUB. The winners in the January Draw:
1st prize £30 Arthur Mount.
2nd prize £20 John Needham.
3rd prize £15 Peter Grocott

This is a very good fundraiser for the club and Mark would welcome more members into the draw. The next draw will take place on the 28th February.

THE HON MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY. Stan told the meeting about the sad death of Ken Scott.
There have been two resignations from membership. David Walker has moved to Crewe and R Wilson has sold his boat. There is one person who applied to join but has not turned up for his interview. A good number of people have paid their subscriptions
The news from Hightown is that the management of the Alt Centre will be changed. There was a meeting to consider its future but nobody from our club was able to attend due to other commitments.

THE SOCIAL COMMITTEE Maggie sent her apologies for absence from the meeting. She is holding a social committee meeting this week to consider the events along with the sailing calendar. A change to the committee is that Margaret Smith will become a member not Paula Carroll who is unable to do so. The Social dates will be announced as soon as possible.

OTHER BUSINESS. Phil Wright had attended a Coastal Forum Meeting. The future plans were discussed and many presentations made but the final draft will not go to DEFRA for at least another two years. The sand hills are constantly changing all the way down to Seaforth Dock leaving ver exposed areas in places. One of the good things Phil told the meeting is that navigation of the Alt is one of their considerations for the future planning. There is a poster on the wall in the clubhouse.
Phil is monitoring our sea wall closely and has many photographs of its changes. Phil says that cracks are inevitable because there are no foundations for the wall. Phil is going to make some experimental wooden groynes in an effort to prevent the sand from washing out from under the wall.

Alan Roe will attend a meeting at the Albert Dock next week. He will give presentation material for the handbook concerning the club. He will give details of the new race proposed by Phil Wright later.

Alan Roe has also proposed that an amendment should be made to rule 7d. The Commodore suggested that the word OFFICERS should be inserted to read Flag Officers, Officers and General Committee members. This will be put on the notice board for ratification at the next A.G.M
The Commodore closed the meeting

Sadly I have to report the death of Ken Scott who was a member of the club since 1964. Ken leaves behind his wife Margaret and three grown children. Ann, Neil and Paula.
Eric Wilkinson remembers that Ken sailed a catamaran off the beach in Mariners Road. He later sold that to John Hall and they became good friends. Ken owned Herald a wooden boat and then Aquarius an Achilles, fin keeled and finally Vivo, a Sonata.
Ken became very keen on racing and cruising and sailed with many club members including Eric White, Ted Hassel and John Hall. John first sailed with Ken in Aquarius in the Altmouth Cup Race in 1977 when they won the second prize. In the 80s Ken bought Vivo, which he fitted out, helped by Theo Smith and John Hall.
In addition to racing Ken enjoyed cruising and liked to visit the Isle of Man. His second name was Douglas. He was a hard worker and was a very good friend to the club. He unfailing gave help with his heavy machinery at working parties or when required.
A large number of members went to Thornton Chapel of Rest to say 'Goodbye' to Ken last Monday and to offer their sympathy to Margaret and her family. I too would like to send condolences on your behalf to Margaret. Ken will be missed by all his friends.

Pat.

Here's a pic of Ken Scott aboard Vivo, his Hunter Sonata. The guy helming is Jimmy Connell and probably John Hall in the hatchway - or so Margaret thinks!

"Some books, once read, are put aside and quickly forgotten, but I can almost guarantee that R.T.Mcmullen's 'Down Channel' will not be one of them. This book first came to my attention many years ago at the outset of my totally undistinguished sailing career and it is the sort of volume that one can delve into from time to time in the certain knowledge that pearls of nautical wisdom will leap from almost any page at which it happens to fall open.

But, written well over a hundred years ago, it is perhaps inevitable that it should contain passages not readily understood by twenty-first century folk and one such example occurs in the chapter headed "Experimental Cruise In the Procyon, 1878". In speaking of "sea prowlers" McMullen claims that they are closely related to the "black doll" that is gibbeted in the back streets. Until I did a little research, I could only hazard a guess as to its meaning; it sounded sinister to me, and conjured up images of murder and mayhem in the more squalid corners of our seaports.

The explanation however, is disappointingly prosaic. In Victorian times, a low class of marine store, often dealing in goods of dubious provenance, was known as a "Dolly Shop", a black doll being hung outside the premises in similar fashion to the three golden balls of a pawnbroker."

Harry Harrison.

My thanks to Harry for this interesting information and my apologies for the long delay. I wonder if any of
our members are able to come up with more pearls of wisdom which they could drop into our laps or have you read any good books lately?

SOME ADVICE TO NEW MEMBERS ON BUYING & SELLING BOATS

Buying or selling a sailing boat can often be a nerve-racking experience. Is it the right boat for me? Is it suitable for the River Alt? Have I paid the right price for it? Have I sufficient experience to enable me to sail it safely? Will it fit in the Yard? Should I sell it privately or through a broker? And so the questions go on. As with many other things in life it can often be a good idea to start by speaking with people who have gone though the experience of buying and or selling a boat themselves. Club members Joe & Gwyneth Coady, Trefor & Lynne Roberts, John Lorentz, Bill Woods, Ray Downey, Bob Chamberlain, John Needham, Ian Cowell, John Seagrave, Andy McGuirk, John Newton, et al, have all, within the last year or so, been involved in buying and/or selling boats. The boats theses members have bought or sold may have been very different in size and design but their experiences of buying and selling boats are remarkably similar.

The first thing for a new member to appreciate is that if you are in the market for a boat there are often good buys to be found within your own Club. This is particularly so if the seller is retiring from sailing and can afford to be generous with the equipment he/she throws in with the boat. Moreover, if a boat has been in the Club for many years senior members will know the history of the boat, whether it has been subject to any mishaps and how well it has been maintained. In my experience senior members of the Club tend to go out of their way to be helpful and fair in the advice they give to new members. However, if you cannot find a boat that suits you in our Club then you could consider approaching kindred clubs in the Liverpool Bay Association or other clubs in North Wales or North West England. But if you have a specific class or type of boat in mind that cannot be found locally then you will have to extend your search to other parts of the UK. However, you should be warned that buying away from your home area can sometimes be costly.

For example, to transport a boat of up to 27ft from the South Coast to the Club's Yard at Hightown currently costs £350 - £400! You will also need to check whether your boat will be insured in transit. The use of a crane to unstep a mast at one of the South Coast marinas can cost over £70. The cost of labour to undress the rigging and prepare the mast ready for transport will be a further £80. In addition, the cost of lifting a boat out of the water, hosing it off or lifting it from hard standing on to your transport can cost, for a boat up to 15metres, LOA £17.50 a metre! Furthermore, if you have bought the boat from a display area on the hard, once the boat becomes yours you will have to insure it and pay for the cost of storage ashore which can amount to £4 per metre length per week. And so far we have not even discussed the cost of a survey!! In addition you may need to include the cost of travelling and accommodation to search for and inspect a suitable boat. Alternatively, much time and expense can be saved by the judicious use of the internet, e-mail and telephone. The internet, in particular, has transformed the way in which people buy and sell boats these days. Therefore, based on the worst scenario, and as a very, very, rough estimate you should allow an additional cost of £500 to £1000 on top of any budget you have set for buying a boat suitable for the River Alt.

This does not mean boats on the South Coast, East Coast or South West are necessarily more expensive than in the North. Indeed, if you know the sort of boat you are after and have carefully researched the market availability and prices of that class of boat over many months you can often find a bargain. Patience and timing can be very important. For example, a good time to buy a boat is usually during the months of November and December after the flurry of activity at the Southampton Boat Show has subsided and before the London Boat Show in the January. Again, by checking the internet and "Yachting Monthly", "PBO"or "Buy a Boat" you can monitor whether a boat is sticking or the price has been set too high. Perfectly good boats sometimes "stick" for months or years! And remember more than one broker may be handling the sale of a boat with one broker offering it at a lower price! You will also find many of the best boats never hit the market and simply pass between members of the same sailing club. And do not be afraid to haggle. If you have the finance you are often in an advantageous position to strike a good deal. It is also less worrying if you have sold one boat first before seeking to buy another boat. And do not buy "a shed". Boats that are tired and neglected can often cost valuable time and a small fortune can be spent on bringing the boat up to scratch. In many instances you might have been wiser to have paid out a little more than you had budgeted for in order to purchase a decent boat in which you could take pride. Boat yards are full of dreams that never came to fruition. Quite often they are advertised as a "winter project" or "unfinished project due to redundancy/ declining health/etc".

The sailing you intend to do will also dictate the boat that you choose. For most of us the River Alt is the limiting factor. Because, the River Alt dries and our boats are on swinging moorings most of us tend to go for twin keelers, bilge keelers or drop keelers. Twin or bilge keelers may not be as comfortable, may not sail quite as well, or be as close-winded as fin or long keelers but they do tend to sit in the river better and can be launched, recovered and maintained more easily. The are only certain parts of the River Alt where you can moor a fin keeler without too many worries or sleepless nights. Again, if your time is limited, go for a GRP boat rather than a wooden boat. But at the end of the day the type of boat you buy, particularly if you are sailing from the River Alt, will usually be a compromise.

If by choice or through absence of crew you are going to sail a boat single-handed then it may be better to limit the size of a boat to what you feel you can safely or comfortably handle. Speaking for myself - and as a single-hander - I prefer a stiff, light displacement, high aspect ratio Bermudan rigged boat with all the lines led back to the cockpit and not exceeding 25ft Length Over All (LOA). Other more experienced Club members than myself appear to be able to handle longer and larger boats with great skill. Some look for sailing performance while others prefer a boat with a good engine that will motor or motor-sail for hours on end. Other look for a large and comfortable boat with full-standing headroom. However, whatever the size of the boat, it should always - in the event of inexperience of sickness amongst the crew - be so set up that it can be sailed single-handed. Finally, your physical limitations and whether you have a competent crew may well influence the type of boat you can handle. The sheer physical effort in picking up strange moorings, anchoring, sail handling, dealing with an uncooperative diesel or outboard engine or coping with rough weather and exhaustion should not be underestimated. And it does not get any easier the older you get. So choose a boat that will not burden you physically or financially. One very good solution adopted by a number of experienced members is to own a small boat to sail about the River Mersey and then crew for and with other members who have larger boats (and, perhaps, deeper pockets).

And what about selling your boat? If you are selling it within the Club be absolutely honest about the condition of your boat and agree with the prospective purchaser a fair market price. Remember it is sometimes possible for you to put a higher value on your boat than it may be worth. That fact that you have spent more on the boat than the price at which you are proposing to sell is not the issue. You may have installed a new diesel engine or outboard engine but that is not going to make your boat significantly more valuable though it might make it more saleable. Most of us tend to lavish too much time and money on boating. Even in this Club boats have sat in the Yard for years deteriorating in value and condition because the owner could not bear to part with the boat or was unwilling to sell the boat for a realistic price that would allow for it to be restored. So research the market trends, prepare your boat properly and set a realistic price. Prices for boats can vary greatly according to age, fashion, condition, sailing area and demand. Hopefully, you are selling a well equipped and seaworthy boat urgently sought after by a willing buyer somewhere in the market. An advertisement, not cheap, in the "Yachting Monthly" or "PBO" may result in an early sale. For most of us, however, putting our boat on brokerage somewhere like Preston Marina usually results in a sale. Brokerage fees vary but are normally about 8% plus VAT. In other words if you sell a boat for, say, £10,000 you will come away with just over £9,000. And out of this latter sum will have to be deducted the cost of transport and, maybe, the use of a crane.

Boating can be an expensive business and it is only through self-help clubs' like the Blundellsands Sailing Club that many of us can participate in the sport. Remember that, as a general rule-of-thumb, the annual cost of keeping a boat at a typical marina will be about 10% of its value and that bigger boats tend to be more expensive to maintain than smaller boats. One authority has estimated that for every additional five feet length of boat the annual maintenance cost of a boat is doubled. By contrast, the longer you own and properly maintain a boat, particularly if you are willing to do much of the maintenance work yourself, then these costs can be much reduced. In addition Club members possess a collective wealth of knowledge, experience and skill which can be invaluable to new and established members alike. So if you are a new member of the Blundellsands Sailing Club you are fortunate indeed!

Ian Cowell

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