Editors notes
Tablets from the Mount - The Chairman's Page
Dances with Waves - An American Trip
Pass the Vodka Vladamir - A Russian Trip
Bored With Boards
Boat Windows
Readers write - The Member’s Bite Back
AGM Report
Chairman: Ken Pack
Treasurer: Thelma Pack
Secretary: Sue Keeler
Editor: John Rolfe
Big issue this one, lots of letters and tales of parts foreign, more stuff on lee-boards and some good photos.
I’ve finally started work on my refit, well I say “I’ve” started… more like I’ve got others to start work. She’s out of the water for the first time in 3-4 years and has a rather dirty bottom on top of 6/7 layers of anti-fouling all to be cleaned off. Various chips and holes in the hull gel coat to be filled in, new control/ steering unit to be designed and moulded, same with lee-boards. Single line reefing + new boom + spray hood, windows total strip and rebuild, new plumbing and electric’s, etc., etc., etc. How I find time to go to work, I just don’t know.
The AGM was very well attended, ‘cause we combined it with our friends at MOCRA -quite a full house! Mr Phillip Corridan’s talk was the highlight of the evening - he’s a star that one, I mean he is not exactly what you would imagine a round the world yachtsman looks like. You know 7ft+, barrel chested, tattoed arms, can live off algae for weeks on end, no! Phillip is.... well, subtlety proportioned.. In fact he looks as though one good puff could blow him over, yet he circumnavigated the globe in a MkI Iroquois, solo, by himself, on his tod, with no one else with him, i.e. he had to make his own mugs of soup! I reckon he started this trip at 15 stone and has discovered the diet of the decade.
I’ve included some information this issue on lee-boards along with a detail drawing produced on a CAD system which should mean that it’s pretty accurate. I will try to produce other detail drawings of Iroquois bits when possible and will publish when and if I can.
You will note on page 24 the minutes of our AGM and buried deep in the small print, the announcement that, as from 1st Jan 95, the membership fees are increased to £10.00 p.a. As this increase is entirely due to the cost of producing the Newsletter, it’s all my fault! What the committee also decided was that these fees should be paid in Jan each year starting in 95, rather than at different times during the year for each Member. Of course if you have just paid this is going to be unfair, so let’s say if you have paid within the last 6 months - don’t pay until 96, similarly if you have paid in advance - pay when due. We think that by 96 all Members should be in line with an annual payment. Thanks for your help with this, only it’s going to make Thelma’s life much easier this way. A very Merry Christmas to you all and a prosperous new year.
John Rolfe
Leaving Portsmouth recently in a new state of the art catamaran, we passed “Antares of Ashton” lying quietly at her moorings under Porchester Castle. She looked lovely, which as your Chairman I was pretty certain to point out to all aboard. Even the boat’s designer was prompt to say... “A design well before her time”. Praise indeed!
Membership of this Association is about owners of Sailcraft boats, now well distributed throughout the world, being kept in touch with one another. Practically it seems to have the core membership in the South of England and that is a severe limitation. The number of Sailcraft boats sailing testifies to the professional job that was done but it would be ridiculous to think it was perfect. There is no specific Iroquois yard for repairs and so if you are wise you will be particular in your repair instructions e.g. there are few cheap lee-boards that do not prove expensive in the long run. Conversely it is desirable to embrace modern navigational technology which calls for electrical requirements not envisaged in the 1970’s. None of us, particularly not me, are experts so the best we can do is spread information on our experiences.
So can I once again, ask you to keep us informed on your experiences to enable us to keep an up to date consenus on our various problems. In this issue we have Phillip’s drawings of his new rig and it is exactly what we need. I have looked at it as carefully as I can from the drawing but will hopefully have a better look in due course. The small sail area and low centre of effort addresses the problem of stability, the balance of each unit will facilitate good control of the “scope of efficiency” of the rig. The base stools will effectively spread the rig’s force, tacking over the top will be interesting, in fact I find it very thought provoking.
Ken Pack
Well here we are, another year gone and we are back exactly in the same place we were last year, Titusville looking at the launch pads of Cape Canaveral. Last year we were stuck here with engine trouble which turned out to be quite serious and necessitated a complete strip down and all new bearings. This turned out to be a manufacturer’s problem and the company supplied all new parts free, so all was well. This year I am pleased to say, we have had no problems (touch wood).
Well, where to start! Last year we had planned to spend Christmas in the Florida Keys, but because of the engine did not get there until early February. The trip down was quite interesting as we stayed in the Intracoastal Waterway and passed though Miami with all its hustle and bustle of shipping, ferries and sea planes and being surrounded by skyscrapers all the way.
We were glad to get to Key Biscane where everything opens out and we were able to sail in this big expanse of water. On then down to Key Largo where we had to go through an opening bridge, which carries all the traffic onto the Keys. From there the traffic can drive all the way to Key West, which is the furthest south and a distance of 150 miles or so. All the Keys are joined by bridges, some seven miles long and only three places where you could cross by boat, the bridges being 65ft high or opening.
The outside (oceanside) is not as popular as the inside (bayside) because of the numerous reefs and ocean swells. We finally reached Marathon our destination and found lots of our friends there. This is a popular watering hole for boats, the anchorage is totally enclosed and offers all round protection. There must have been 200 boats there, but always room for another one. When we were there and being visited by friends Maurice and Sheila Herbert, we had what the Americans called “the storm of the century”. We did expect about 40 knot winds, but not the 60+ that we got and two days later, we were glad it was all over and no damage.
We expected the Keys to be like the Bahamas but were disappointed to find the water dirty, people unfriendly and very commercialised. We cruised the Keys a bit but by April took the day sail over to the Bahamas for our stamp out. It was a joy to get back to cleanliness and solitude of those islands and enjoy swimming and snorkelling again.
The end of May found us back in the US at West Palm to clear customs. It was our intention this year to visit Maine, so wanting to get north fast we left West Palm, headed straight out to the Gulf Stream and rode it for the next 3 days up to Cape Hattraras clocking up to 10 knots on our newly acquired GPS.
We went inside at Cape Hattraras because this is where the cold south bound current meets the warm Gulf Stream and the weather can get quite nasty. We came out again at Chesapeake Bay and carried on up the outside past Delaware Bay and on up to Sandy Nook, where we had the most beautiful sight of New York with the Empire State Building and the twin giant towers of the World Trade Centre.
After spending the day at Sandy Hook and another on Staten Island, we sailed though the Narrows under the massive Staten Island Bridge, and there was the Statue of Liberty looking straight at us, as much as to say “Welcome to New York”. We sailed right passed her and up the Hudson River and found an anchorage just near Central Park.
The next day being Sunday we decided to get our bicycles off and do the tour, and what a fantastic day it was. We cycled down Fifth Avenue, stopping at Times Square, Empire State, Greenwich Village and then the World Trade Centre and saw the damage that was done some time ago by the bombing. Then on to Battery Point and the old Museum of Ships. The Staten Island ferries also dock here and to our left was the Brooklyn Bridge. On round the end of Manhattan and on up though little Italy and China Town, so Chinese it was hard to believe you were still in America. Then back Broadway to Central Park where we cycled amongst all the joggers, cyclists and skaters, always conscious of the fantastic sights around us. After a long day in the saddle we were glad to get back to the boat and collapse.
Next day we left and anchored right beside the Statue of Liberty to wait for a favourable tide to take us though the East River, the current runs here at up to 5 knots so timing is everything and there’s a particularly nasty spot where the river divides, which is named Hell’s Gate because of the whirlpools and eddies. When the tide was right and with hearts pounding off we went, under the Brooklyn Bridge gathering speed all the time, past the Bronx and the United Nations Build and finally through Hell’s Gate and out into Long Island Sound like a cork out of a bottle.
After New York the sound was quite peaceful with plenty of room to sail and lots of anchorages as you work your way along. Even here we have to wait until the current is with us, unless you have a favourable wind and at the east end of the sound there is The Race, where the current is from 3 to 5 knots and very nasty if against the wind.
We work our way along here and up to Newport, Rhode Island, which is a big yachting centre. It was here that we woke up on the 4th July to be engulfed in fog, this was the first of those that were to become our constant companion in the months to come. We had been told of the fog in this area and this was the main reason we got ourselves a GPS, which was our lifeline on many occasions. When the fog had cleared a bit we took off up Buzzards Bay, past Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket Island and though the Cape Cod Canal, where there is another 5 knot current, which cuts off all of Cape Cod.
On up now past Boston and up to Portland, Maine where we had arranged to meet up with an old friend we last saw in Cyprus about 8 years ago. He had sailed across the Atlantic in 1987 and since married an American girl. He took us to his house in New Hampshire for a week and took us sightseeing all around the area and it was lovely to be up in the mountains, where he skies in the winter.
After leaving our friends we carried on “down east” as they say, but by now were getting hit by fog most days and with no wind to sail, progress was slow. We got to Bar Harbour On Mount Desert and got fed up trying to get any further. We had hoped to get to Canada only 70 miles away, so we hired a car with some friends and drove there. We went to Campobello which is an island just at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, which is noted for its tidal range of 60ft in places.
It was a beautiful day and we found the Canadian Customs and Visitors Centre very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed a picnic lunch looking across the bay (no fog today) and in the evening drove back to our boats. One thing we did do in Maine was to sample the local delicacy which is lobster, the whole place is crawling with them and trying to avoid lobster pots with your boat is like going through a mine field. Anyway back to the story. We purchased 4 lobsters with our friends and planned to cook them on his boat; for those who don’t know, you have to put them alive into boiling water.
Well he had read somewhere that if you hypnotise them before the plunge, it’s kinder and they taste better. So we duly started to hypnotise four lobsters! This is done by standing them on their heads and rubbing their backs, and it worked. (This is exactly the same with me - Ed). In the end we had four lobsters standing on their heads with their tails curled under, as quite as church mice, they tasted good too.
The summer here is quite short and it was time now to slowly work our way back south again, it was now mid August and winter comes in September. So back now to Portland to say goodbye to our friends and off south to visit places we missed on the way up. One of these places was Plymouth where they have a replica of the Mayflower, which was built in Appledore, Devon, England and sailed across. The tour guides dress up as Pilgrims and they have the stone where the Pilgrims first set foot.
Next it was over to Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod, this is a beautiful little town with an holiday atmosphere and everything very clean. It is also the home of every Gay person in America, when they come out of the closet, they come straight here! Back down through the Cape Cod Canal down Long Island Sound through Hell’s Gate, (old hands at this now, no problem), past the Statue of Liberty, once more to anchor in Great Kills Harbour, Staten Island where Frankie got in touch with a cousin of hers who lives in New Jersey, and who we hadn’t seen since her wedding to her American husband some 30 years ago.
We had a grand reunion and they kindly took us to their house for a few days and drove us around to see some of the local colour. Oft’ south again but this time up the Delaware Bay to the top and across the C&D Canal to meet up with some old sailing friends near Baltimore and to pick up two young ladies! (no, we did know them), one the daughter of some dear friends of ours from England, Ken and Joan Nunn. The girls were going a whistle stop tour of the States and Canada and I think they were glad to be able to dump their luggage on the boat for a while and just relax. We sailed them round the Chesapeake Bay for a while and it seemed like they had just arrived when they were gone again.
We then visited our friends in the boatyard and decided to have the boat out for a bottom paint job and a clean up, as the last time we were out of the water was Trinidad, two years ago. So after a week of hard work the boat looks very smart again and goes a lot better without all that “farmyard” on the bottom, which I was getting fed up scraping.
Well, we soon joined the hundreds of boats all heading south for the winter (they call us “the snowbirds”). Mostly Canadians who can’t stand their winters but also a lot of Americans who every year go north for the hurricane season and then south again for the winter. The trip south again was as varied as ever, changing scenery and weather, from fog and ice to brilliant sunshine and the wildlife is always a joy, all sorts of birds, dolphins and the colours are beautiful and all in the Intracoastal.
So here we are back in Florida with the temperatures in the 80’s today, which is too damn hot! It would be nice to have some cool weather at times. We enjoyed America very much, people were so friendly and helpful. Well that brings us back to the present, and we do hope that you have enjoyed our brief account of our travels with and through the waves.
Future plans are Florida, Bahamas, Jamaica, Panama Canal, Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Indian Ocean and back to the Med. Thereby completing a circumnavigation of the World.
Fred and Frankie Boyd
Comanche BUSTER of BURNHAM
We had left our Comanche TWO BEARS in Denmark over the winter, in a first class community harbour on the Island of Funan called Bogense. We left Harwich on a Danish seaways ferry in April bound for Esbejerg, our poor little Escort car was loaded down to the gunnells, as we had purchased a new inflatable tender and two folding bikes and lots of canned food.
We had spent the winter time 1993/94 planning our voyage of the Baltic, and east to St Petersburge Russia. We had read a year or so back in a yachting magazine of service offered to travellers for invitations and visas by the yacht club of Mariehamn, Aland, Finland, the service was prompt and all seemed in order when sent off.
An invitation from the mayor of the Russian naval island of Kroningstat, safe and secure so we thought. After a frantic couple of weeks polishing and anti fouling we were ready to go. We left Denmark on May 1. During those first few weeks sailing north up the east coast of Sweden it was cold and windy and it was so early in the season none of the harbours were yet open. It was quite lonely, as there were no other boats about!
However on several occasions the kindness of the Swedes was heart-warming as we were welcomed into their homes, to use washing machines and fed delicious meals. They also took us about in their cars showing us all the local things of interest, which included a number of Viking burial sights, there was no language problem as they all spoke excellent English, which is what we found in all the countries we visited.
We went to Aland, Finland, which has its own flag. We had rather an unfortunate entanglement five miles out with a five mile long drift-net, the wind was 5/6 and we were probably doing 8 knots speed, the net got caught round the prop of our 9.9 Yamaha outboard engine, the water was icy cold and the nylon net cut into Terry’s fingers, but he freed us in the end after the fisherman had shouted and waved his fists at us angrily. We were told when we reached Mariehamn that these nets were illegal and that there has been a lot of trouble with the fishermen over these nets, they are for catching salmon.
We found the Finns very friendly and helpful. We were one chart short as it was being revised and would not be on sale for a couple of weeks, the young assistant harbour master offered the loan of his chart and we could return it to him on our way back! This was just the beginning of the kindness we were to experience through the whole of Finland!
We stayed for about two weeks in Helsinki as our son was flying in to join us for the trip to St Petersburge, so we had to be there at a certain date, always difficult sailing when there is a possibility of being held up by bad weather, which in fact we were, fog bound for three days in Hango Hanko! Incidentally all Finnish places have a Finnish and Swedish name. The harbour we chose out of a choice of fifteen, was H.S.S. which had electricity and a launderette, it turned out to be an excellent choice as we were made really welcome, we found that nothing was to much trouble.
We needed an extra bike when our son arrived and one was kindly loaned to us by a club member. When we left we were presented with a club burgee and a fluffy toy bear in a Finnish tee shirt! The club house which is a restaurant is 100yrs old, has a magnificent stained glass window of “The Santa Maria”, it is a round room with a gallery, you are surrounded on three sides by water, highly recommended.
Hasspari is the island where we cleared customs for Finland. After just one hour into Russian waters, a dirty old gun boat belching black smoke and firing signal rockets for us to stop boarded us and wanted to see our passports, visas and ships papers. We wasted about an hour! It took us about 15 hours to get to Kroningstat, the port for our Russian visas, it was about 20.00hrs, so we were pleased to be at our destination before dark. However our way was barred by a big Russian gun boat, and boarded, the Russian guard indicated on a chart that we were to proceed to St Petersburge, and could not enter Kroningstat, our visas were useless. He spoke no English and was being shouted at by megaphone by his commander.
We were very cross and rather worried as we proceeded in the direction he had indicated. The channel buoys were so rusty that it was hard to tell red from green, also a lot were missing. By the time we got into the huge busy main docks of St Petersburge it was getting dark and we had no idea where we were supposed to clear customs, in the end we found a small harbour and moored on a rather broken down jetty. We left our red duster flying so we could be recognised by any officials that might be looking for us. At 05.00hrs a loud knocking on the boat awoke us, it was the night watchman who spotted our flag and said “English, London”, but that was his total English vocabulary, which was two more words than our Russian.
However all was not lost as by an incredibly lucky coincidence a head popped up from the forward hatch of the boat moored on the other side of the jetty and said “Don’t worry your okay here” the lady and her husband were English, there boat was called “Brillo”, they were going into the lakes with some Norwegians, the first foreigners to be given permission to do this. In fact after clearing customs, which was just around the corner, but without any signs of identification, all turned out well. A kind professional skipper on a companies yacht introduced us to the Russian naval commander in charge of the club, (it was the navy club) and we stayed there for the week we spent in Russia.
We have very mixed feeling about our visit to Russia, the authorities don’t seem very welcoming, the people in the streets ignore one, the streets and buildings are very neglected, the trains and buses are in a terrible state. The part in the middle designed by Czar Peter the Great is very beautiful, the winter and summer places which are now museums are being restored to their former glory and they are magnificent. Our visit to Russia was an experience we shall never forget but one which we will not repeat!
On leaving Russia the customs kept us waiting for 3.5 hrs despite the fact that we had made an appointment for 8am, and with no weather forecast available, the gentle easterly breeze soon turned into a westerly gale 8 on the nose. It took us 36hrs beating, once clearing customs you must not stop in Russian waters. Hassparrari in Finland looked even more beautiful on our return. To make things worse I had my worst seasickness attack ever, as the sea was so rough.
We had really hot Mediterranean type weather for about 6 weeks, we spent about a month altogether in Finland, cruising through narrow gaps between rocky tree clad Islands, never ever crowded. Then back to Sweden, spending a week in Stockholm, a visit to the Old Vasa ship museum is a must. Then through the Swedish Archipelago islands covered in trees and wild flowers. To the Gotta canal. It costs £200, which includes all the lock fees and harbour dues. Most places have free showers, good toilet facilities and some even have free electricity. There are 98 locks, the locals call it divorce canal. I must say that I was very worried at first, but the staff who are mainly young students on vacation, a lot of whom are girls, are so nice and really helpful.
The whole trip is very rural, you could spend the whole summer gently cruising through lakes, mountains and meadows. We only met one other “Brit” in Sweden!
When we arrived back in Kattergatt the weather began to change with gales forecast from the west, however we did get good weather for the local Danish multihull BBQ where we renewed our friendships with some of the Danish folk we had met at the I.M.M. at Copenhagen in 1993, which made a perfect ending to a fantastic summer.
We find that there is a special friendship with other multihull sailors.
Next year it’s into the European canal system, we think in at Luebeck and a visit to Berlin, the lakes then down into France. So we are now looking for charts and pilots for France and Germany. The winters are fun when you are planning next summers adventure, although work comes a bit hard!
Wishing you all a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR, good sailing 1995.
Angela & Terry.
I’ve reproduced the original drawing of the Iroquois lee-board with the orientation changed to what seems a better way of illustrating the dimensions. The drawing is unchecked and not complete, (details of the pivot boss and top shackle missing) but may be of some help. The second drawing shows the effect of the amount of movement required at deck level and the resultant drop and exposed area below the water line. I hope it means something to someone out there, perhaps you could advise.
I have been investigating the prospect of having these properly moulded and have found a suitable trade moulder who will work with me to finalise the design. The problem has been to date, that the original spec. called for a type of ply which is no longer available, i.e 1 1/8” - 9 ply, and the modem equivalent, 28 mm - 21 ply, is substantially stronger than before, for the way we now sail our boats, with the weather board down and the potential problem of hull breakout always present! Also the present arrangement of manufacture does make it hard to get a very smooth surface on the under water portion of the boards, without a lot of hard work.
What I am proposing is to take sample sections of the existing board and determine the “correct” deflection and breaking load and then try with a variety of composite core materials and GRP case outer to reproduce the exact strength which we had with the original boards and then to produce a mould from which we can take “standard” mouldings with all the inherent advantages of a uniform lee-board with a very much improved under water profile.
I will report on this matter in the next issue, but have some provisional costings for you to consider now. The mould will cost approx. £1200 with the mouldings produced from them at about £200 - £250 each. This compares favourably with the reported £350 to £900 each for simple sheathed ply versions.
We would need to have sufficient numbers of members willing to share part or all of the mould costs and then a good first run of say 6 boards, with a subsequent unit cost to non-contributing members which would include an element of mould tool cost recovery until the original group had had their outlay back whereupon the mould could revert to the ownership of the Association!
If anyone is interested please write and let me know, also if you have any thoughts on the proposed method of achieving the correct design parameters again please write. When the drawings are completed I will issue them as a loose A3 or A4 sheet.
John Rolfe
Do you have leaking windows - I did and I’ve found a cure, his name is Terry Bond and he will take out your windows, completely strip and refurbish them, re-anodise at AA15, pressure inject to reseat the glass and refit them for about £400 - and then guarantee them. His company Eagle Boat Windows have the contract for all of the Lifeboats in the UK so their work must be pretty good. Anyway I will report when he’s finished i.e. in the next issue. Address is,
EAGLE BOAT WINDOWS
28 ARTHUR STREET
BARNOLDSWICK
Nr. COLNE
LANCASHIRE
BB8 5JZ
ENGLAND
Tel 0282 814411
From Ron W Bijl
Dear Thelma
All the mail seems to go to the editor or chairman. I’m addressing you. I’ve learned in life that all final decisions are dependent on finance approval, which makes you the most important of the officers. Please find enclosed a Eurocheque for this and next year’s subscription. This will make sure I’m at least not late next year.
Thank you and all the other officers for the work that you do for the association. Special thanks to our editor assuming that he is responsible for the improvements in the quality of our newsletter. Readability has improved so much, especially if English is not one’s native language. I must confess that I was about to cancel membership several times because of this. I realise the content to be our common responsibility, but believe editors have a major influence on this as well. Thanks again.
There’s not much to report on boat improvements or sailing trips from our side. We sail mainly on the Waddenzee, very nice waters, but not many life threatening adventures. With the new motor (Yamaha 9.9), new sails and continuous maintenance we seem to follow the trend as discussed in the back issues of the newsletter, that I keep carefully.
Sailing Aquacat (No. 260) for the 11th season, I notice maintenance is increasing. I have made new lee boards, have strengthened the lee board-through-hull area, had to fix delamination in the rudder-helm connection area (often sifting on the bar with my 100kg might have contributed), have partly or completely renewed hatches, all in the past few years. To be done this winter: new floor in one bull, new window rubbers and a series of small repairs. However the main structure is very strong and the boat is worth all efforts and costs to keep her in good condition. Because of stupidity (on a bank next to the harbour entrance in force 9) I lost half of one of the new lee boards this winter, but no damage to the hull. I’m afraid I’m getting too much experience in making new lee boards this way.
My wife and me consider two of last years changes to be big improvements. I made a transparent main cabin sliding hatch. Leaving the hatch flat simplified the making considerably. The shape of the boat however remained the same by means of a nicely curved teak profile at the cockpit side of the hatch. The transparent hatch in addition to the rear window makes the interior very light, also in late evenings. And I also installed the gear to do all the sail handling, including (slab) reefing and jib lowering, out of the cockpit. I considered the new roller reefing systems for the mainsail too expensive. This years experience is that slab reefing with one continuous line does work. My tendency to postpone reefing is completely gone (for how long).
For performance as well as cost reasons we have no roller-Genoa, and this requires still some good judgement before choosing the right sail when taking off. For lowering the frontsail in any situation however we can assure you that the simple old fashioned downhaul still does the job perfectly.
Well, as you see not much news, just a sign of life. Happy sailing to you all.
Ron W Bijl
From Mike and Nancy French
Dear Sir
We have enclosed a picture of LE CHAT (a modified MkI Iroquois, No 58) as we started a race to Cuba. It probably doesn’t sound like much to you all but it caused a national uproar from the politicians in Washington as well as in the state of Florida. As I’m sure you are aware we have a sizable population of Cuban Exiles in many parts of our state including Tampa, which is 40 miles north of Bradenton. Of course the main concentration is in the Miami area where they have militias training in the hopes of invading Cuba at some time in the near future.
They view any activity by anyone aimed at any kind of relationship with Cuba as “trading with the Enemy” and get very vocal and threatening. The US Government felt that they had to warn the sailors not to break US law by spending any money in Cuba spent upwards of $20,000 of the taxpayers money sending one man down from the State Department, together with another from Customs, all the way from Washington to address the Skippers Meeting held at our Sailing Squadron in Sarasota, Florida.
The Sarasota Sailing Squadron in conjunction with Club Naval de Cuba based at Marina Hemingway, (located at Barloventa about 8 miles west of Havana) sponsored the race. The theme of the race had a humanitarian slant in that each boat was to carry $250 worth of supplies for distribution to the Cuban people. LE CHAT carried some 4000 pencils for the school children, a bale of tee shirts and some food.
The Cuban Exiles were so noisy and threatening that the US Coast Guard provided a large Cutter - the Immigration Dept. had a black helicopter gun ship - the Sarasota Sheriff’s Dept. had their helicopter up - the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) had a muscle boat called SCARAB - most of the national as well as the local media had more helicopters up than I could count and every nearby village managed to have some kind of official watercraft on the scene.
Mix this all with 81 monohulls and 5 multihulls all trying to get across a quarter mile start line set up close to the beach for the benefit of the spectators and you have the worst Chinese Fire Drill imaginable. Strangely enough not one collision, but several new languages invented to declare each contestant's right of way.
We crossed the start line at 1400 hours on Friday, and arrived in Cuba late Sunday afternoon. We received very cordial and courteous treatment from the Cuban officials and were given Carte Blanche of the Island with no visible restrictions. All in all a very successful and enjoyable adventure.
In years passed, we had a strong core group of Iroquois in the Tampa area but of late it has been slowly falling apart. Warren Noden sold CYAN MIST and, as far as I know, it has departed the immediate area. Paul Cheney has had ALOHA NUI under repair for a long time and does most of his sailing crewing for others.
I would very much to be able to acquire Phillip Corridan’s book and would welcome any information as to its availability.
Fair winds, flat seas and the best to a great bunch of sailors at your AGM.
MIKE AND NANCY
From Philip Corridan
Dear John
Good to meet you in Southampton. I had an uneventful drive back from the AGM to find that the level had gone down enough for my car to park near Alleda in only 6” of water (the car that is!). I was also delighted to find that while much has changed in the country since I have been away, in transport caffs in the wee small hours, large mugs of tea and big thick greasy bacon sandwiches are still served by tattooed chefs, rolled up fag and all. Thank god for enduring values!
As far as the Journal of the Alleda is concerned, I have just about given up hope of finding a publisher who does not want a significant contribution to costs. So it looks like a minimal self publication exercise or nothing, with the latter more likely!
However, I am managing to get the odd article into magazines and this stretches the pension a bit. And it does need stretching as I have decided to throw the last of my capital at a rather away-from-the-norm sailplan for Alleda. In fact, asymmetrical aerofoils would be a better description than sails. Things are well advanced as almost all of the parts are already made (by Bob Quinton, a boatbuilder in Felixstowe) and I hope to be “sailing” by the end of November. It will be cold of course but this has the advantage that few will witness my doubtless shambolic initial trials.
Bob Quinton designed the rig and holds the necessary patents to make it a practical proposition. He has developed the design on dinghies over the last 4 years but Alleda will be the first vessel of significant size (in fact, the first with a cabin!) to adopt the design. I am getting a good financial deal due to the marketing potential of a successful installation. I shall of course carefully record all with a view to further magazine articles. Incidentally, Bob economically made Alleda a fine new pair of rudder blades in strip iroko to a full NACA section.
The dinghy experience makes Bob feel that asymmetrical aerofoil sail area, as measured by the enclosed flat sketches, can be as little as one third of the normal soft sail area, similarly measured. In reality, it is rather more than one third as the aerofoil is permanently shaped in an efficient curve while soft sails must be pulled across the wind to generate anywhere near the same curve, but both are drawn as flat surfaces. Keel area should be much less also - the dinghies have been sailing with no dagger board down at all unless absolutely hard on the wind when they needed about 40% of what may be regarded as usual.
The desirable effect on Alleda should be much less stress but we will see. Well what else should I be doing in my dotage? I suppose it must be down to the ex-long-distance-voyager-finding-almost-everything-trivial effect when sometimes I seem to have misplaced whatever it is that drives people on for normal life. Anyway enough of this stuff, the next report will include photographs and at least as much hope, I hope.
Any IOA members who fancy a day or two sailing an unusual rig on the Broads in thermal underwear, heavy sweaters and even heavier oilies (remember the MkI is unlined!) should contact me on 0603 810581 or 0374 939490.
Best wishes
Phillip Corridan
From John & Sonja Roes
Dear Sir
Yesterday our tenants at our old address handed us your missive. Please find enclosed my late 93 subscription dues. We are back from our second leg to the Caribbean and the DUTCH YANKEE now is stored in Fajardo Puerto Rico.
We had the delaminated leeboards repaired in Florida. They removed the 10mm outer layers by chiselling through about one thousand boat nails and glued and nailed 1/8 Triplex on the multiplex core. The boards where then covered with a l/16 layer of glass epoxy. The boards gave us zero problems on our trip as did the stainless steel hinges.
The trip took us through the Bahamas, Turks and Caycos and hence to the Dominican Republic then through the Mona Passage to the south west coast of Puerto Rico. We had varied weather including a day without wind and a glass sea off Eleuthra. We were motoring for hours at seven knots and standing on the bow pulpit looking up the various tropical fish, in a guide, twenty feet below. There was no surface reflection, it was as if we were riding a balloon over the sea bottom.
The flats of the Caycos have an abundance of marine life with a lobster under every rock. The Mona passage was to windward and gave us a boisterous ride though an enjoyable sail, at least for half the crew. The Vetus vents could not handle the heavy spray and thus occasionally a shower was available in the galley.
The smoke coloured Lexan windows, which we reported on several years ago, have started to develop a dull surface that impairs clarity somewhat. Plexiglass, as used on aircraft, may be a better and less expensive choice. None of the windows leaked however and that makes the boat a lot more livable.
Thank you for the winter newsletter and register.
Best regards
John & Sonja, USA
From Les Moss
Dear Sir
Enclosing £6.50 to cover the 1994 membership to the Iroquois Owners Association. In the coming year I will be doing the annual bottom work and the possibility of dropping the lee boards is being considered to check the pivots. The problems associated with dropping the leeboards, or procedures to make it relatively easy task, are not something I know much about. If there is any information available in regards to leeboard work, I would certainly appreciate being able to find out how to do the job.
Also is there anyone who has tried to reshape leeboards in a symmetrical fashion, i.e. flat on one side and shaped on the other, to make each board act as a foil to possibly aid in getting better leeway control and if so, how successful it was for the time spent on modification. Other than the above idea just what can be done to reduce drag on leeboards other than a very smooth surface or possibly has anyone had experience with gaskets on the leeboard slots.
The modification, by the former owner, to extend the mast by eight feet and the challenge to get the boat operating well and into quality condition is still being pursued. Possibly then I can pass along some comments on how well things work out or otherwise if there is any interest.
Thank you and good sailing.
Les Moss, Canada
Dear Les
Thank you for your letter and membership cheque.
The leeboards are a great facility but nothings for nothing and they do require attention. Withdrawing the pivot pin is not usually a great problem unless it has been bent. The lee-boards drop straight out if you are ashore, if not a block and tackle is necessary on the spinnaker pole and reinstatement is very difficult.
I am not aware of anyone having shaped the leeboards but there is a lot of information in the AYRS pamphlets on the undesirability of the asymmetric hulls on cats and would think this was a similar theory. The leeboards need mainly to be strong and their thickness is a bit suspect. Your 8' mast extension will exacerbate the loading on the boards and should be taken into consideration together with the shrouds.
It will be interesting to hear the outcome of your overhaul and we wish you more strength to your elbow!
Good wishes for 1994.
Ken Pack
The Chairman opened the Meeting and welcomed all members and guests with a particular one for Phillip Corridan, our first circumnavigator and to several members of MOCRA who had joined us for the evening. A special welcome was also extended to Bill Bailey, Rear Commodore and RYA Liaison Officer of MOCRA who was responsible for the committee which produced the Safety Recommendations.
Thanks were given to John Rolfe who had made life so much easier in presenting the new look Newsletter which has been very much appreciated. He cannot of course dream up material and we are getting fed up with Ken Packs input, so can I please ask you to back John up with information on your experiences.
This years South Coast meet in Newtown Creek was largely reduced by bad weather conditions immediately prior to the weekend. Three stalwarts managed it though Double Vision, Antares of Ashton and Ocean Habicat and we understand that although a very reduced gathering the select company had a good time.
We are not blessed with a secretary but Thelma and I see to it that no letters go unanswered for long There were no nominations for any of the posts, for the good of the association this is disappointing the present officers agreed to continue.
The Treasurer reported that subscriptions were not readily forthcoming and it was decided that because members were never really sure when they were due to make January 1st the time to remember. The state of finances was discussed and the Bank situation was as follows:
John explained his future intentions for the Newsletter and it was decided that in view of the production costs subscriptions should be raised. Patrick Boyd proposed a figure of £10.00 and this was seconded by David Asdell as from 1995.
The Minutes of the Meeting held in 1993 were read and approved.
Questions were asked about the Sovereign Trophy Race and we were told that this was won by Tom Hart in Pussy who now holds the Trophy.
David Asdell proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman and Committee. Supper was taken followed by Phillip Corridan presenting a film show talk on his circumnavigation It became quickly evident that this was not a journey to be taken lightly. Phillip made the whole thing sound a very great adventure but the care and condition needed also became very evident. Phillip has written a journal of the whole trip in detail and is having a limited publication produced. Any interested members should write to Phillip Corridan, Hatherley Farmhouse, Mill Road, Little Melton, Norwich NR9 3NZ.
Thanks were given to Phillip and the meeting was closed.
