The Pennant
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SPRING 2004
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| The Pennant Click here to return to NUSC home page | ||||||||
SPRING 2004 | |||||||||
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The Pennant | ||||
CLUB MATTERS | |||||
The AGM.
The AGM was held on Wednesday the 25th of February and was attended by 86 members. The club fees were increased to £130.00 per annum plus the £2.00 donation to RNLI and only one new rule was made: Rule 1.7 Club fees, once paid, can only be refunded at the committees discretion. The retiring Commodore thanked members for their support. Mooring Meeting.
The mooring meeting was held on Wednesday 11th of February and was the usual lively affair. It was over very quickly this year leaving just a few new members to pick up the few vacant moorings.
The Christmas Crossword
We had a few correct entries so I wrote each name on a piece of paper, rolled each one into a ball and put them on the floor. The winner was the first one the dog picked up. It was Idris Lewis.
The Caption Competition
Winner was Carolyne Welch of "Fizgig" for:
"If you organise a cruise to Innstow I'll throttle you"
Social Programme 2004, notes for your diary
Eve of season 20th March 2004 Cruiser rally 8th - 9th May 2004 Club Regatta 4th - 5th September 2004 Trafalgar night 23rd October 2004 Laying up supper 13th November 2004 Carole service 18th December 2004 Children's party 19th December 2004 The launchThe main launch took place on the weekend of the 27-28th March as the tides throughout April were unhelpful. Strangely, not many boats went in.
New windows
The new windows have been fitted in the clubhouse and the decoration is just about complete. | |||||
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Ladies night.
Ladies night was held on the evening of Saturday the 21st February and organised by Brian Robinson, Glyn Sutton and John Parker who stepped into the breach after Derek Robinson was taken poorly over Christmas. The function was well supported with about 80 members sitting down to be immediately faced with a photo quiz, as is fairly normal with NUSC quizzes it became quite competitive and the normal banter and sarcasm got off to an early start. The evenings entertainment then became more lively with the lovely and very talented Rhian Grundy whose beautiful voice lent itself to a very wide repertoire of music | |||||||||
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From left to right: Brian Robinson, John Parker and Glyn Sutton. Who laid a great evening for Ladies night | |||||||||
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from 1930's Billy Holiday jazz classics to Tina Turner style dance hits. I don't believe I have ever seen so many members up and dancing before the food and wine had flowed since I became a member. The music was followed by a very nice three course meal and then a general knowledge quiz, again the competitive spirit of all our members was apparent by the enthusiasm with which all took part. More singing from Rhian with nearly everyone there up on the floor dancing to the wonderful choice of old and new favourites. All in all an excellent evening, well organised with good food and entertainment. We engaged Rhian again for the eve of season supper on the 20th March 2004. Very well done Brian, Glyn and John for a well organised and excellent evening. | |||||||||
A few of the members enjoying Ladies Night. | |||||||||
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CLUB NEWSObituary
It is with great sadness we report the passing of Mac Wood, a member since 1979 and owner of "Supermac" who left us suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday 19th December 2003. Just a few days after being Santa Claus at the childrens Christmas party.
Here are a few memories from his friends; Firstly Adrian Booth.
My first encounter with Mac was back in 1980 whilst sailing with Malcolm on Lylebet. We were sailing back up the channel when a leisure 23 came along side us, and the helmsman on the Leisure cadged a cigarette off me, it was the first of many, Mac never bought any cigarettes, he always smoked OP's, but later in life when more and more people had given up smoking he had to resort to buying his own.
My second encounter was again whilst I was sailing with Malcolm on Lylebet, on a Club cruise to the opening of Swansea Marina. Margaret White was cruiser Captain and after an early start from Barry Harbour it was decided to anchor off Southern down just inside Nash Passage for breakfast. Malcolm was down below cooking and Mac must have smelt the bacon cooking, because he came charging across the white water breaking over the sands, to join us, I will never forget the look of horror on Gus's face as he was hanging on to the forestay for dear life whilst Supermac crashed through the breaking surf.
Navigation was never Mac's strongest point.
Bob Jones had a nerve racking experience once, whilst sitting on the toilet in Ilfracombe Harbour, suddenly a hand appeared from under the next cubicle next to him, gripped with fear or anticipation he jumped up and yelled, it was Mac after some toilet paper. Bob Jones retold this story on many occasions whilst reminiscing at different bars, after this episode Mac was often referred as " Mac, the phantom knacker snatcher"
Mac had no fear, whilst sailing on a Day race back in the early 80's Derek Robinson had set the course for a day race, and throughout the day conditions gradually deteriorated, it was the day when the Jerwood's boat, Rocket, lost its rudder and had to be towed in by the lifeboat and I believe that Malcolm in Lylebet also had a problem off Steep Holm, as I said conditions deteriorated and the winds gradually increased to a force 8 + gale and we had far too much sail up, with just the two of us on board Mac started to crawl his way up on the deck to reduce sail without a harness, it was far too dangerous and I managed to drag him back into the cockpit by the scruff of his collar, at which point a huge wave came over and swamped us and we fell about in the cockpit laughing like kids, but it was a nervous reaction and a release of our tension and fear, we continued the course, still with too much sail up, but with the main free spilling the wind, looking for the West 1 fathom buoy which Derek had put in as a mark, we couldn't find it, so to make sure that we would complete the course we went around North 1 fathom twice. When we returned to the club it was found that the West I fathom buoy had been removed by Trinity House and the club's chart hadn't been altered. | |||||
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MAC
1928 - 2003 | |||||||||
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Mac would never give up, irrespective of adverse conditions, this was my first experience of his extreme competitiveness, and he always had to be first, whether it was sailing, motoring, jogging or swimming. I'm sure Robin has inherited his competitive spirit from his Dad.
This was just the beginning of a sailing partnership that was to last for more than twenty years, in which time we sailed to France, the Channel Islands, Scillies and Southern Ireland on numerous occasions. Last sailing season, after having had his knee operation Mac would still go up to the top on mast, always insist on pulling the anchor up himself, and it was always his job to row ashore. He would never admit to being tired and on more recent occasions, he would found nodding off whilst holding the tiller, insisting he was just resting his eyes. Last September, whilst spending a weekend at Porlock, he walked the cliff walk to Culbourne Church, an arduous two and a half mile up hill trek.
He was always ready to sail, even with very short notice, it just took a phone call and he would be at the boat, bag packed ready to sail within an hour, he truly lived life to the full and was grateful to Hilda for allowing him to do so.
Apart from myself, these are some of the people who have crewed for Mac over the past 25 years. John Davies, Bernard Lambert, Dave Smart, Malcolm Rogers, Ron Donovan, Dave Richards, Tom Harrison, Graham Cox, Pip Masters, John Hughes, Dave Cox, Nik Niklasson, Martin Rogers and more recently Mike & John Croad. I'm sure that they will all agree that their lives have been enriched for having known and sailed with Mac.
God bless him.
Boot | |||||||||
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Also from our Min, a poem in free verse about what Mac meant to her.
Super Mac
I only got to know Mac Wood through NUSC I bumped into him while I followed the regatta's and he sailed to different ports of call He was with his friend nicknamed "Booty" or I served him whisky and a lemonade
But I saw Mac mostly at club functions, nothing pleased me more. than to sit and just watch him dance strike up the band, let the music play. His feet would tap tap you could sense the rythm and know he'd soon need to start. Mac could be spotted a mile off with his mop of silver hair, shining under the disco light glare. Strike a note. Make a beat. Music action. Mac's bowed,crooked knees would lift him up and make his move to dance. The love of music and movement would tease those knees. I'd be in a trance, I loved watching Mac dance. In no time at all. He would whip up a dancing partner and be on the floor. Waltz, twist. But I believe his speciality was to jive, he would lead the way to pull and glide. I shared one dance but others shared many. Forwards, backwards, to the side. Spinning and twirling on tippy toe. Mac was graced with lightness on his feet. He had the energy of a Ninja, eat your heart out Fred and Ginger. This time he gets to sit this dance out, where Mac goes now he will get to see, the great dancers like Gene Kelly. They'll meet for the first time instead of on the telly. I expect Mac will be boogie woogie-ing at those large golden gates. Dance and the beat at his feet. Music to his soul. The great come dancing competition is where he's sure to win a gold. He's super Mac! | |||||
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Cruising programme 2004
April 9th - 12th Gloucester May 1st - 3rd Porlock May 29th - 6th June South Wales June 4th - 6th Portishead docks rally June 19th - 20th Burnham August 1st BBQ Brean August 14th - 15th Watchet August 28th - 5th Sept North Devon September 18th - 19th Bristol
For more detail contact Barry Welch on 01453 763574 or 07801214737"
Moorings and compound again
Sorry to have to keep going on about something as mundane as this. Members are not looking after their moorings or compound space properly and most importantly NOT NUMBERING THEIR BUOYS! Even temporary bouys should have a number on. Please tidy up your compound space, dispose of your rubbish responsibly and ensure that your bouy is clearly numbered. I have already mentioned the incredible fines that can be levied these days for not disposing of certain items correctly and safely. Please be aware, If you are disposing of an item, dispose of it properly, most councils have tips where any item can be legally and safely discarded.
DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE, OR FLY, OR SAIL.
Following an incident in the states, when a British Airways pilot attempted to board an aircraft with the aim of flying it back to the UK after having allegedly visited the airport bar and partaken freely of refreshments the government have decided to act. It has been made a criminal offence for any pilot to fly or attempt to fly an aircraft with more than 30ml of alcohol (Per 100ml) in his blood. More importantly, the legislation has been extended to include the master of any British vessel, wether in British waters or not and the Master of any vessel in British waters. The limit in this case is 80ml the same as for driving legislation. Now for the important part. This legislation is going to include leisure craft, the problem is should it include the skipper and crew, at all times or is it possible to say that as long as the person in control of the vessel is sober and those who are not are below decks etc. The matter is currently out for consultation with the RYA, lawyers, et al. The point is that the legislation is on it's way so please be aware. The fact is if you are caught squify in charge of a leisure craft there is other legislation that can be used to bring you to book. Please be careful because insurance companies can use the fact that you were over the top to wriggle out of settling any claim that arose out of an incident. | ||||||||
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Eve of season
The eve of season supper was organised for Saturday the 20th March and turned out to be another excellent evening. Wonderful and plentiful food organised by the Commodores lady and a full supporting cast of other lady members was enjoyed by about 80 members | |||||||
The lovely and talented Rhian Grundy | |||||||
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and guests who were then treated once again to the fabulous voice of the talented Rhian Grundy. Those who weren't up dancing were singing along to a great collection of favourites old and new. A raffle, an auction for a nice basket of "Fressians" and Carnations and a roll the coin game to win a bottle of Scotch with the profits going to the R.N.L.I. all added fun and interest to the evening. Well done the organisers for putting on a great night.
And on a lighter note
An Arizona police officer on patrol came across what he believed was an aircraft crashed into the side of a cliff in the desert. Calling out the crash investigators and forensic teams the site was carefully examined and the following ascertained. A man, unknown, obtained a JATO unit by unlawful means. JATO's, (Jet assisted take off units) are used by the military to bolt to the wings of transport planes carrying unusual loads to assist during take off from short runways. Our man bolted the unit to his car and duly ignited it on a long straight stretch of desert road. The experts say he would have attained a speed of 350 M.P.H. within 5 seconds of ignition. After about 20 miles at this speed forensics believe he tried to apply his brakes, melting them and exploding his tyres. The last mile of his life was spent airborne at about 300 M.P.H. and culminating in him meeting the cliff face on a bend at 125 FT altitude. The only organic material that was found in the wreckage was a few fragments of Bone, teeth and fingernails. The impact left a three foot deep crater in the side of the cliff. | |||||||
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From the Commodore
As I write this message, the sky is blue, the sun is shining and spring is sprung. Lets hope that this is to be a memorable season enjoyed by all our members.
The BarThere will be few members who are not aware of problems with the club bar license. No purpose is served by going over the events leading up to this situation - it has happened and we are working hard to recover it. We have engaged a specialist licensing solicitor and on his advice we have applied for a late renewal. The hearing has been scheduled by the court for the 27th April and in the meantime we have convened an EGM to make the necessary changes to NUSC rules to comply with the Licensing Act. Success cannot be guaranteed - it is possible that renewal is refused by the magistrates and we have instead to apply for a new certificate.
STOP PRESS! We have now obtained temporary "Occasional" Licenses covering every Tuesday evening, Sunday lunchtime and the EGM with the help of Steve Lord, the landlord of the Waterloo. So the bar is open once again.
CommunicationsFew club members come to the Clubhouse of a Tuesday evening, and this gives us something of a communication problem - notices on the notice boards only work with members who visit the Clubhouse. For those of you who are on the Internet, we have a club web site at www.nusc.co.uk and we will be aiming to put every club notice on this electronic board as well as in the Clubhouse itself. Our webmaster, Chris Harris, will be arranging for a password protected area accessible only to club members so that we can post up more confidential matters such as committee meeting minutes, ticket applications for club functions, membership lists etc. If you want to use this part of the web site, ask Chris for your password. Can I also ask that you let the club know your e mail address if you have one. Simply send a short, hopefully not rude, e mail to a committee member and we will pick up your address from that.
Cardiff Harbour Bye LawsSome members will have heard of the new Bye Laws drafted by ABP Cardiff and signed off by the Secretary of State. Whilst I am sure that ABP went through the minimum legalities of consultation - notices in the Press etc - we were disappointed that they did not make any attempt to talk to us directly, particularly after Graham Cox and I had a meeting with them last year specifically to establish communications. Anyway, Malcolm Staddon of ABP has now visited us to reassure us about the application of these new laws, and a copy of my letter summarising the visit is on the notice board together with a chart of the area covered. A full copy of the bye laws is on the table by the bar. What follows here is a précis. A.B.P. Cardiff bye laws cover the area from Orchard Ledges to Monkstone to Flat Holm to Lavernock to the Dock entrance and inside the dock itself. They do not cover the entrance channel to the barrage nor inside the barrage itself. The key requirements of the bye laws are: 1/ We must monitor ch 69 if we are passing through their area and we must radio in for permission from Vessel Traffic Control if we are to enter the shipping channel which runs | ||||||
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from the Outer Wrach (wherever that is !) to the dock entrance. Outbound from Cardiff Bay, we will not be release from the barrage lock unless the coast is clear so there is no need to radio in. 2/ They ask that we give them one months notice of races and mass cruises which pass through their area, and the club will do this directly. ABP will then give approval as appropriate. 3/ For ad hoc cruises in company, we can either route between the Holms and out of their area, or the lead boat can radio in as they approach the area. Unless there is a large vessel movement planned, there is unlikely to be a problem. 4/ Races should not use any of the buoys in their area as turning marks.
Launch and MooringsWe have already had one launch and 15 boats have gone down the slip. A second launch has been organised for the Easter week end, including a big boat launch using our as new trolley. Thanks are due to Jim and his helpers for a truly splendid job of refurbishment - the trolley looks good for another 20 years. Our launch is a communal effort and most members will make an appearance. But now we have the Wise, there are usually more members present than Jim needs to handle the boats, so again this year there will be working parties to remove the discarded timber, old sanding disks etc from the compound. Everyone whose boat is being launched and who is not needed as one of Jim's crew is asked to join in a working party. Can we remind members that it is their responsibility to check their moorings before launch and to ensure that their anchors are buried well below the surface of the mud. Quite a few are sticking up like tombstones. If your anchor is sticking out of the mud, you could be liable for any damage it does to another members boat and you could even be refused a launch!
Work programme.Members who have recently used the clubhouse will be aware of the much warmer atmosphere following the installation of the new windows (thanks to Ron Paraman), and I have already referred to the renovation of the trolley. The Committee intends that the slip will be resurfaced this summer, just as soon as we can get a contractor who is reasonably priced, technically competent, and available. So far, our efforts have failed on one or more counts. Recommendations welcomed by Jim or myself. The Committee has agreed in principle to the refurbishment of the toilet areas, subject to cost and available cash. This club was built by members freely giving their skills and in line with this ethos, we are looking for volunteers who can plumb, tile, paint, lay brick on brick and join wires. This is a chance to get your work hours in doing something really worthwhile. Tony Gatt has agreed to manage the project, starting in October - please let him or me know if you can help.
Work Hours.Some members quietly do jobs for the club, never record their hours, and then feel agrieved that they are charged for hours not done because nobody can remember. So can we emphasise that only recorded signed for work hours can be credited. There are cards to record your work hours in the bar entrance.
Club RulesOur current club rules do not address some current legal liability issues, and with ad hoc additions over many years they now need a rewrite. So the committee has decided to convene a small working party of ex Commodores which will continue the excellent work started last season by the Membership Secretary and will produce a redraft. This will be | |||||
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based on the RYA's model club rules adapted to reflect the local decisions that NUSC members have voted for over the years. The changes will be primarily legal / technical, with some changes to committee structure, and if the programme goes to plan we will need to convene an EGM when members will have the choice either to ratify or refuse the changes proposed.
Forthcoming Social eventsEach event is being organised by one person who will be very grateful for any offers of help: May 1 Cruise to Porlock. Support Barry Welch and see if we can fill Porlock! An ideal opportunity for newcomers to get to know the channel on a short cruise.
May 8-9 Cruiser Rally Band booked, hog roast likely. A long weekend party with a bit of sailing thrown in. Organiser - Dave Howells.
May 29 Cruise to SW Wales. Barry goes sail-about amongst the Celts, look you! If you enjoyed Porlock, and even if you didnt, try this one.
June 19 Cruise to Burnham. A visit to the foreigners across the water. Bring your Dragon flag.
August 1 BBQ at Brean Down. 20 boats last year, an excellent do.
August 14 Cruise to Watchet. Also the Commodore's Birthday!
August 28 Cruise to Combe, Appledore and Lundy. For those that got back from Watchet.
And again on a lighter note. The following, from the book "Enormous Boobs", are those famous "insurance claim" quotes.
"I Collided with a stationary truck coming the other way."
"A pedestrian hit me and went under my car."
"The guy was all over the road, I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him"
"I had been driving my car for forty years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident."
"To avoid hitting the car in front I struck the pedestrian."
"My car was legally parked as it backed into another vehicle."
"An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished."
"The pedestrian had no idea where to go, so I ran him over."
"The telephone pole was approaching fast. I was attempting to move out of it's path when it struck my car."
`I was just waving to the man I hit last week and ran in to the car in front' | ||||||
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from Penarth, out past Barry to Porlock and on to Illfracombe. Then back, calling at Minehead on the way to Newport. I have to say it was the excellent company we had that made the holiday so enjoyable, we are looking forward to going a little further this year with the fleet. With so many parties going on it's a bit like a floating canteen. | ||||||||||
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Odd things happen to people who dare step aboard Symphony. | ||||||||||
EDITORS NOTE.
I feel I have to comment about the strange power that seems to overtake people who
step on this boat, wether it's the vessel or the owners who are infectious it is difficult
to say.
And one more from `Enormous Boobs'.
In a South African hospital an observant nurse noticed a number of intensive care patients who had died had one thing in common. They had nearly all been in the same room. This was monitored and after two more patients died in the same room they took action. The room was fumigated, sterilised and all the equipment was replaced or thoroughly serviced. The furniture was replaced in case a rare and unknown virus existed in it. In spite of all this the very next patient in that ward died during the night. Doctors now suspected some sort of criminal activity and had the room `bugged' with sound and video. That very night a cleaner came into the ward, unplugged the life saving equipment from the most conveniently placed power point in the room, plugged in her cleaner and proceeded to polish the floor. Doctors apparently got there in good time. | ||||||||||
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Whale watching
As you are probably aware from previous article on these pages I am a bit of a conservationist and very anti the "if it moves kill it" brigade. An organisation called "Sea Watch" is a registered charity that is asking sailors to keep an eye on the waters around the U.K., report any sightings and movements of the cetaceans common to our coastal waters. With the news again this month that pair trawlers are killing as many as three or four dolphins a day I decided to print this article advising how to observe and record these creatures properly.
Here is their information. If you want more you can find tons and tonnes on the internet including an official "sighting report".
General Guide
When a live cetacean is seen, you may only have a very brief time to note any distinctive features. For this reason it is very important to know exactly what to look for. First, obtain some idea of the animal's length. Where possible, compare it to some object of known length in the neighbourhood such as a boat. Otherwise, be prepared for the estimate to be only very approximate, but try to place the animal within a size range, for example 4-8, 6-10, 8-12, 10-20, 15-30, 25-50, 40-60, greater than 60 feet. This should take a matter of seconds (though be prepared to have to estimate on the basis of only a dorsal fin and part of the back).
On the first look, see if there is a dorsal fin at all (right whales do not have one, and the sperm whale has only a series of ridges along the back). If one exists, note its position (either halfway or two-thirds along the back), its relative size and its shape. The harbour porpoise can readily be distinguished from the various dolphin species not only by its smaller size (c. 4 ft total length compared with 6-12 ft in the case of dolphins), but also by its small triangular dorsal fin. Most dolphins have recurved fins, somewhat sickle-shaped.
Of the whales, most species have a small fin two-thirds of the way along the back. The two exceptions with centrally placed dorsal fins which are likely to be seen in Northern European waters, are the long-finned pilot whale, with a taller curved fin that in adults is more rounded and flag-shaped, and the killer whale, with a conspicuous fin that in the adult male, reaches a height of six feet. The shape of the dorsal fin in both species varies with age and between the sexes, being more curved in females and immatures. In the male killer whale, the fin is actually triangular, sometimes even swept slightly forward.
Most other whales have small, curved fins. In the blue, fin, sei and minke whales, the relative size of the fin increases as the total length of the whale diminishes. It also tends to be more curved, a trait most pronounced in the sei. Observers may confuse the minke whale with the northern bottlenose whale. The head shape is very different, but often the sighting is based primarily on a back and a fin. Both are of similar size, and in both the fin is two-thirds along the back. The best way to distinguish them is to look for a more upright and deeply curved fin in the bottlenose whale, and if one is close, a conspicuous white patch on the outer surface of the minke whale's flippers. Other beaked whales such as Cuvier's beaked and Sowerby's beaked whale are very difficult Most other whales have small, curved fins. In the blue, fin, sei and minke whales, the relative size of the fin increases as | |||||
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the total length of the whale diminishes. It also tends to be more curved, a trait most pronounced in the sei. Observers may confuse the minke whale with the northern bottlenose whale. The head shape is very different, but often the sighting is based primarily on a back and a fin. Both are of similar size, and in both the fin is two-thirds along the back. The best way to distinguish them is to look for a more upright and deeply curved fin in the bottlenose whale, and if one is close, a conspicuous white patch on the outer surface of the minke whale's flippers. Other beaked whales such as Cuvier's beaked and Sowerby's beaked whale are very difficult to identify at sea. In very calm conditions, they may lie at the surface allowing one to see the rounded head, prominent beak, and in males, single pair of teeth in the jaw. They have a small but distinct curved dorsal fin two-thirds along the back.
The larger species are best separated either by their characteristic head shapes or the size and shape of their blows (only the sperm whale has a pronounced forward blow, and the right whale has a double blow) and by their surfacing and diving characteristics.
Many of the whales are rather uniform in coloration: dark on the back and flanks, pale on the belly (often concealed). For the smaller dolphins, however, the markings on their flanks, used in combination with the length of the beak, can confirm identification according to species. The only long-beaked species in our waters are the common and striped dolphins, and the latter only occasionally come into the region, from the south. The common dolphin has a characteristic hourglass pattern of white on the flanks, extending to the back only on the tail stock; the striped dolphin has a dark blaze on its flanks, sweeping forward from the dorsal fin, and three distinct dark lines of variable length extending back from the eye.
The white-beaked dolphin, the commonest dolphin in northern Britain, is often misidentified as white-sided because it has white patches on the sides. But, unlike the species of that name, the white area almost invariably extends over the back behind the dorsal fin, and in some individuals, the white is not very distinct. The Atlantic white-sided dolphin, on the other hand, has a very conspicuous long, white, oval patch on the flanks behind the dorsal fin, from which rises a yellow ochre blaze. From a distance, the large curved dorsal fin of the white-beaked dolphin is sometimes confused with that of a female and immature killer whale. The same goes for that of the Risso's dolphin (locally termed Grampus), though it is usually readily distinguished by its frequent pencil-like markings on the uniform grey flanks, which whiten with age. (It is possible that some sightings of white whales are of old Risso's dolphins.)
The bottlenose dolphin, though probably the most familiar dolphin to many, is ironically one of the more difficult to identify with certainty, having no distinctive pattern of markings. Instead, it is uniformly dark brown or grey above and pale below, the one shade merging inconspicuously into the other halfway down the flanks.
External features are generally more useful for species identification than behaviour patterns because the latter can vary with circumstance. Nevertheless, sometimes these can provide useful support. Porpoises, for example, rarely do more than break the surface, so that leaping animals are much more likely to be dolphins. Humpback and sperm whales frequently throw their tail into the air before making a deep dive. Humpbacks are perhaps the most acrobatic of large whales, not uncommonly propelling themselves right out of the water. They also have large tail flukes and very long white flippers. Some whales, such as minke whale and fin whale, will sometimes lunge through the surface so that their entire heads can be seen, and occasionally also breach. | ||||||
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CONSTRUCTION OF SHIP OF THE LINE THE "DELFT" - 1782
Part II
The story of the Dutch war ship the "Delft" is a story which could have been written for any of the Dutch/British ships of the line and their crews during the 17th and 18th century, where deprivation and courage, passion and battle, the roaring of guns were the order of the day. This was usually motivated by the desire to further develop commercial and trade interests, which frequently resulted in fierce clashes between the Dutch and British fleets. The frigate the "Delft" started her life during the fourth war between these two seafaring nations and this time the Dutch did not do so well.
The story of the "Delft" first started with the ship, then the battle and the wreck, after that the fished-up anchor. Next came the publishing of a monumental book, the result of many years of research by a seasoned seafarer and historian. And now work has started and is progressing to rebuild the new ship of the line the "Delft" on a site along the river the Maas in Rotterdam less than a mile where the original ship was built over 200 years ago.
On 10th September 1781 the "States-General", which was the parliament of the Republic of the United Provinces, granted the Admiralty college of the Maze (Rotterdam) by resolution permission to build 3 war ships, one of 60 guns and two of 50 guns, in order to replace the three war ships which were taken in 1780/81 as prizes by the (British) enemy. The Admiralty's master of shipbuilding and outfitting and the ship's carpenter estimated the cost to build a 50-gun warship at Fl 327,405.00, including rigging which was specified as follows: 50-gun ship: Length 160 x Beam 45 x Draught 20.1/2 Amsterdam feet: The Hull with spars, nails, iron and carving Fl 231,000.- Copper ………….. Fl 8,500.- Rigging Fl 33,605.- Sails Fl 9,500.- Blocks and Tackles Fl 4,800.- Anchors Fl 6,000.- Containers Fl 4,000.- Gun carriages Fl 4,800.- Ballast Fl 11,200.- Longboats Fl 2,000.- Wages and cost of making ready Fl 6,000.- Miscellaneous Fl 6,000.- ========= Total Fl 327,405.-
Cost of armour, guns, cannon balls, gunpowder, gunnery Materials Fl 63,809.- All built in the foot measure of Amsterdam.
The order to build a 50-gun war ship was taken in May 1782 and an order for the value of Fl 210,000 was placed with the shipyard "De Hoog & De Wit" in Delfshaven, near Rotterdam Payment would be made in three instalments: one third on the setting up of the stern and bow, one third on launching the vessel and one third on delivery of the ship. The vessel was | |||||
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The "Delft" under sail. | ||||||||||
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to be completed 10 months after order placement and a reduction was agreed of Fl 500.- per week for early completion and a penalty would be payable of Fl 100,- per week for the first four weeks and Fl 500.- per week thereafter for late delivery. The wood for the ship was ordered from Fredericks & Cie and was shipped by barge from Amsterdam to Delfshaven. The latter was at that time still part of the city of Delft but was later on transferred to Rotterdam. On 20/8-1782 De Hoog & De Wit requested the Admiralty in the Maze for payment of the first instalment as the stern and bow had been properly set up; this was confirmed by the inspector and approved by the Admiralty.
On the V.O.C. yard across the canal in Delfshaven, it was custom to provide the workers with beer when the setting up of the stern and bow was completed and again on the launching of the vessel. This custom was also followed on the yard of De Hoog & De Wit.
Good quality timber for shipbuilding was in those days hard to find and instead of good well-seasoned Norwegian timber, shipyards were often forced to use timber from the Rhineland which was fresh and new. During the years of the fourth war with Britain (1780-1784) ships were built too hastily, so that the interior of the ships could not sufficiently dry out and decay and dry rot would form at an early stage.
The Prince of Oranje had been pressing for some time for more uniformity in the construction of war ships and on 30/9-1782 the States-General accepted a Resolution whereby an agreement was concluded between the Provinces of Holland and West-Friesland and the Councils of the (5) Admiralties to ensure Uniformity of Construction, Rigging and Equipment. The importance of the underwater part of the hull having the same shape was particularly emphasised, so that ships could achieve uniformity in manoeuvring. | ||||||||||
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Construction of the ship meanwhile was progressing well and on 10th. October 1782 a request was made for the payment of a second instalment of Fl 70,000 as the timber structure of the ship was complete, which was approved by the Council of State in The Hague on 19/11-1782. On 10/10-1782 William V, the Prince of Oranje named the following war ships which were then being built in some of the country's shipyards: 50 gun war ship at the yard of De Hoog & De Wit at Delfshaven: "DELFT" 50 gun war ship at the main yards in Rotterdam: "BRAKEL" 50 gun war ship at the main yards in Rotterdam: "WILLEM I" 56 gun war ship at the VOC yard in Delfshaven: "ROTTERDAM"
During that same year of 1782 frequent disturbances all over the country as a result of the controversy between the supporters of the Royal family (Prince of Orange) and the Patriots had caused considerable unrest especially in the main towns Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. Begging, intimidation and looting around the Prince's birthday especially took place everywhere and eventually 24-hour patrolling by companies of civilian volunteers was necessary to calm things down. These patriotic corps or drill companies had been set up all over the country as a result of the unrest. The patriots had achieved a small majority in the States of Holland and they tried to use this to reduce the standing and influence of the Prince of Orange.
According to strong public rumours celebrations on the Prince's birthday, 8/3-1783, by the orange supporters in Rotterdam in particular would be quite extraordinary and it was feared that accidents were going to happen. The Admiralty College at the Maze had therefore issued strict instructions that all the workmen had to stay in their workshops till permission was given to go home. Ship's captains were ordered to hoist flags and pennants and keep their men on board. Armed lieutenants and their halberdiers were to remain at the Admiralty's court all day.
In January 1783 delegates of the (5) Admiralties presented for the second time a proposal to the government to equip for one year a fleet consisting of 129 warships with a total crew of 31000 which was budgeted for a total cost of Fl. 13,956,073.- (abt. £3.8m). It must be remembered that the Navy was a power base for the Royalist supporters.
According to a publication by the States-General dated 14/2/1783, a provisional armistice was agreed on 29/1/1783 between the governments of Holland, France, Britain and Spain, which effectively ended for Holland the so-called "Fourth English War". However the peace with Great Britain would only finally be sealed and signed in Paris on 20/5/1784.
Meanwhile the work-drawings of the stern of the DELFT, BRAKEL, DORDRECHT and ROTTERDAM were submitted to the Admiralty college on the Maze and were approved and signed by the secretary-general on 11/3-1783 with the recommendation that the stern carvings should not be made too heavy. On 14/4-1783 De Hoog & De Wit sent a request to the Admiralty college on the Maze to obtain an extension for the delivery period of the Delft by 3 months. The ship was due for delivery on 22/5-1783. They argued that it was not possible to deliver on time due to the many difficulties with the workers over the past few months for which they should not have to carry the blame. After due consideration this was agreed. Shortly after the builders informed the Admiralty that the ship could be launched on 16/5- | |||||
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The last moments of the Delft, trapped between two Britsh ships, badly outgunned, she fought on till sunk. | ||||||||
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1783 and the States-General could be informed later that the "Delft" was indeed launched on that date. This meant that it had taken 9 months (20/8-1782 till 16/5-1783) to build the ship. On 3/6-1783 the ship of war "Rotterdam" was launched in Delfshaven in the presence of the Prince, his wife and children and on 9/9-1783 the sister ship of the Delft the "Brakel" was launched in Rotterdam. The work on the "Delft" was now progressing very well indeed. According to a report received by the country's main shipyard, the request was made to delay the panelling of the holds of the new ships until after the ships were officially accepted into the fleet. The Admiralty of the Maze told the builders De Hoog & De Wit that this work was to be cancelled and a discount was agreed of Fl 6000.-. It was also agreed that the builders would finish off the main cabin and gallery and fit the necessary windows and doors. According to the ship's inspector Van Zwijndregt the ship could finally be inspected and handed over on 22/10-1783. However it was agreed with the builders that they would take her into port, keep her there during the winter and finish her off completely at their expense and this would then save them from having to pay a fine for late delivery. The ship was taken into the harbour of Delfshaven, where she was inspected by the ship's inspector Van Zwijndregt and subsequently accepted and handed over on 1/3-1784. At the builder's request the final instalment of Fl 70,000.-, reduced by an amount of Fl 5000.- as final security, was then paid by the Admiralty college of the Maze to the builders De Hoog & De Wit.
Dirk Doorduyn
Thanks to Dirk Doorduyn for an incredibly well researched article. The "Delft" was lost at the Battle of Campertown (I think). The Delft had been sent off to look for the Britsh fleet, missed them and came scurrying back to join in the fight, sadly she got caught at the end of the line between two British warships and sunk.
I don't know if Dirk intends to do any more like this and I hope I haven't stolen his thunder by mentioning the Delft's end but I enjoyed the article a lot. | ||||||||
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Message in a Bottle
By Min
2:00pm. 13th March 2004.
I regularly walk the banking along the river by the floating pontoon with my dog Diesel for company. I suppose it's in hope of finding a treasure chest full of gold, or to find a shiny, glistening object that turns out to be a Roman coin; Or anything of interest from times gone by, when perhaps Captain Morgan sailed up on the tide and tied his vessel up in the river. I like to go down the banking and kick with a wellied foot among the reeds and dig around and discover items that have been washed up and hopefully make some use of it.
I think I got hooked on the idea of making something useful out of bits and pieces when Archie explained about his own jaunts down the river bank and his collection of planks of wood. It took him some considerable time in collecting the wood, which he would later turn into a beautifuly crafted boundary fence surrounding his home. I haven't been so fortunate. My claim to fame is a glowing ball that shines in the night (not Mike's). The dog plays with it at night as it's easy for him to find in the dark. A good find! I've had the odd washed up Schnowler (stump of wood) on which to plonk one's backside whilst having a breather from doing the gardening.
Today is my lucky day! I have been excited about finding a message in a bottle. I could tell at once that the artist was a child. He or she had used a fairy liquid bottle (Usually the adverts show them as a rocket, or space ship) but this child had flare! Now it's a floating message carrier, in a new designer fairy liquid bottle in all it's painted glory. | |||||||
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A yellow coloured letter A.
A blue, three funnelled ship with windows.
A red heart with a bold green cross, inset with a thin blue cross.
Green, blue and red horizontal lines to "pretty up" the base. | |||||||
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I hurried to the clubhouse, anticipating a royal invite, or a request for help from a strapping, dark haired, blue eyed, six foot Adonis stranded on an island. My luck isn't that good. I told Piper about my find. She sliced open the bottom of the bottle and teased out the contents.
It contained an invite from Lodge Farm Church to join in their celebration of Easter events under the service of "This is love." "Flowers for Easter." "Communion service." and "Morning and evening worship." Also enclosed is a leaflet "A visit to Tombs prison, New York, and the stories of it's men." Readings from the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost family service and last, but by no means least, Exodus 14: 19-31 Moses parting the Red Sea.
Ha, Ha, That sounded familiar to me, of course, it all came flooding back to me. I remembered as a small child watching the film "Moses" at Easter time. It was a mighty film and at that age I truly believed that water could be parted. The nearest I've seen to that feat coming true is the Irish fast track ferry to Rosslaire and the trough that it leaves behind.
I also remember writing home work about Moses whilst at school. I had hoped I would get a good grade but had been pulled up by the teacher, the story was OK, but I had spelt "Moses" wrong and had somehow spelt it as "Mouses". It's a wonder I got any grade at all, so if there are any Mice's or mouses, still swimming about in the Red Sea I'm asking forgiveness from you all!
The last sheet in the bottle was a song sheet. The song you may all know from your days of doing R.E. In school. Though some of you may have to go back many years I'm sure the tune will pop into your head to accompany the words.
How did Moses cross the Red Sea? How did Moses cross the Red Sea? How did Moses cross the Red Sea?
Did he swim/ No! No! Did he row/ No! No! Did he jump/ No! No!
Did he drive/ No! No! Did he fly/ No! No! How did he get across?
God blew with his wind, Puff, puff, puff He blew just enough, nough, nough, nough, And through the sea he made a path That's how he got across.
There were also two addresses on the pamphlets: The Parish of Maindee. The Churches of St. Mary's and St. John's Evangelist. Newport City South Wales UK | ||||||
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Or: Anthony drive, Top of Lodge hill Caerleon Newport City South wales
www.holyspace.org
There was no name of a sender enclosed so I'll do some homework. My quest for Easter is to see if I can track down the person whose bottle and message is now in my care.
I believe that whoever sent the message in the bottle wants us to have a happy Easter, Once all your boats are in the water you will all be happy.
I will let you know how I progress in my search for the letter sender.
The symbols on the bottle.
A Newport transporter ?
A boat on the tide.
Cross your heart and hope to sail in safety.
from boundaries of N.U.S.C (Or perhaps it's Archies fence!).
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Appropriate symbols for any sailing club
By Min. | |||||
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Nice story Min, It brings to mind a tale often told in my family. When my lovely Carole was taking a mock GCE "O" level art exam (many years ago) she was given the subject of "Elijah rising up to heaven in his mighty Chariot" After about an hour of intense painting all Carol had to show was a sheet of paper, very wet and entirly red. The teacher approached and in the manner of teachers in those days asked where was Elijah? Carol, with her usual aplomb replied "Youve just missed him." Needless to say she wasn't entered for the real exam. | |||||
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AND (almost) FINALLY
I was emailed the photograph below, it is apparently two erstwhile members of this illustrious organisation in deep discussion over a very knotty navigation problem on a laptop computer. | ||||||
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So another caption competition is in the wind.
Can you name the two members? and provide a suitable caption?
A Bottle of Vino for the best offer. The victims and their families are not barred from entry, but they are barred from winning..
AND FINALLY
I know a number of you have given me or sent me articles that have not appeared in this issue. I never thought I would say this but I did not have room for everything so your articles will appear over the next few months. One of the articles was ten pages without the photo's so I think that one will have to be serialised.
Please don't stop sending me stuff though, I will use as much as I can.
I was also very pleased to get a congratulatory email from the United States where someone had picked up an article in the Pennant as the result of an internet search. | ||||||
