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Yes Iolaire is for sale A spectacular deal for the right person. No boat has ever been offered for sale on such favourable and unique conditions - the reason is that I have owned her for 48 years. As each year
IOLAIRE FOR SALE
Despite the fact that she is 98 years old she is in as good shape as boats that are only 4 or 5 years old.
She needs a new home with someone who will take good care of her, sail her and has enough money to keep her in good shape.
A history of the Caribbean and a sailing guide
A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles-1965
"Nostalgia, humour and fact" The Guide that opened the Eastern Caribbean to the cruising yachtsmanb and made bare boat chartering possible.
Detailed Sailors cruising guide to the Virgins and Puerto Rico
Street's Cruising Guide to the Eastern Caribbean: Puerto Rico, Spanish, U.S. & British Virgin Islands
"In the beginning was the word and the word came from Street.... Since 1964 all other guide authors have followed in Street's and Iolaire's wake, avoiding the rocks and shoals Street and Iolaire discovered" —Patience Wales, former Editor Sail magazine.
DVD's dvd
DVD's
Donald Street's DVDs
Know how from an experienced ocean sailor of half a century
Ocean Sailing Yacht Volumes 1 and 2
Ocean Sailing Yacht Volumes 1 and 2 is being updated having been first published in the mid1970s, there is a tremendous amount of information on boats and equipment, gear and rigging tricks of the trade.
Street's Guides are for Real Sailors. The only cruising guide with detailed inter island sailing directions
Street's Cruising Guide to the Eastern Caribbean: Anguilla to Dominica
If you are looking to get away from it all then this is the guide for you - find quiet and even deserted anchorages in the most beautiful sailing area of the world.
The Only guide to cover Martinique to Trinidad including Tobago and Barbados in one volume
Street's Cruising Guide to the Eastern Caribbean: Martinique to Trinidad
As Dick Johnson, Editor, Yachting World said: "To find a quiet anchorage buy the other guides and circle in red all the anchorages Street describes that are not described in the other guides."
The Venezuelan guide for sailors wishing to explore along the northern coast of Venezuela and the ABC islands.
Street's Cruising Guide to the Eastern Caribbean: Venezuela and the ABC Islands
This guide is out of print. But rocks don't move, so the navigational information is still as valid today as it was when the guide was written in 1989.
With Don's Streets half a century of experience this book gives you the benefit of his practical know how at sea
Seawise-2004
Seawise is a collection of ideas and uses for the equipment available to the yachtsman in the 1970s. It has been updated in the light of the new equipment available today and the experience I have gained in my life time. Now in 2004, up-dated and back in print.
Work is in hand to get this guide updated in the hope to have it back in print by next season.
Transatlantic Crossing Guide
Guide to the Atlantic islands, Transatlantic Crossings, Getting to and leaving the Caribbean from the east coast of the U.S. and an Introduction to the Caribbean
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Don Street has owned Iolaire for 53 years. Note that articles on her have appeared in Yachting Monthly, Classic Boat Nov 05’, Sail Feb 06’and Cruising World March 06’ Iolaire now has a diesel electric engine installation.
She is on the market, but only the right person.
Reason she is on the market is age is catching up with the owner (age 78) but not with Iolaire.
After sailing her for 37 years without the aid of an engine he has broken down and installed small desiel electric power.
Desiel generator in focsale where the chain locker was, (chain locker moved forward where over the years a lot of unnecessary spares had accumulated), the electric motor under the navigators seat,result, accomodations remain unchanged.
With the generator in the focsale, on deck when it is running it can not be heard, and barely heard in the skippers after cabin.
The famous Dragon Fafner is for sale For more information please Click Here
D. M. Street Jr., a lifetime sailor, has spent over fifty years cruising, charting and writing about the Caribbean. Forty of those years were spent in his 46ft. engineless yawl, Iolaire, built in 1905, and 6 years on the 28ft engineless yawl L'll Iolaire,( L'll Iolaire was unfortunately lost during hurricane Ivan when a TTM catamaran dragged down on her) in the caribbean.
He now cruises the Caribbean on OPB "Other Peoples Boats", and in europe in the Iolaire, taking part in many of the classic regattas.
There follows a list of errors found in British Admiralty charts both Big Ship and their Leisure Charts.
Cross check British Admiralty, US NOAA and Nautical Publication Charts against the relevant Imray-Iolaire Charts.
If there are differences, then the Imray-Iolaire Charts are correct.
We can say this with confidence as twice in the Compass mariners were asked to send in corrections to Imray-Iolaire Charts, and/or the need to improve them.
So far noting has been received, thus we can only conclude Imray-Iolaire Charts are correct.
ERRORS IN BRITISH ADMIRALITY CARIBBEAN CHARTS AS ACERTAIND BY D M STREET JNR., WHO HAS SPENT THE LAST 50 YEARS CRUISING, EXPLORING, CHARTERING AND WRITING ABOUT THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN.
In 2004 the British Admiralty brought out a set of Caribbean leisure charts.
D. M. Street Jnr., went through them carefully and made a list of all the errors he found. He gave the list to a number of Imray Iolaire chart agents.
That list of errors somehow or other ended up back in the Admiralty hands.
They admitted IN PRINT IN NOVEMBER 2004 Yachting Monthly, that there were errors in the British Admiralty Leisure Charts. They said the errors would be corrected using satellite imagery. However, they continued to sell uncorrected harts that THEY KNEW TO BE IN ERROR!!!!!!!!
In 2006 they reissued the charts, the errors had not been corrected.
In contrast to the errors noted in the British Admiralty Charts twice in the winter of 2007 it was announced in The Compass that Imray was completely redrawing the Imray Iolaire Charts electronically as the Head Draughtsman Alan Wilkenson who has been working for Imray for 48 years was coming up for retirement. It was requested in The Compass, the free nautical newspaper that is distributed throughout the Caribbean, that sailors that knew of any errors in Imray Iolaire Charts, would they please contact D M Street Jnr., at streetiolaire@hotmail.com. No corrections or suggestions regarding changes have been received. Thus, it can only be assumed that the Imray Iolaire Charts are correct.
THE US COAST GUARD USES IMRAY IOLAIRE CHARTS WHY DON’T YOU.
MCA Compliant Yachts are required by law to carry on board the British Admiralty Charts relevant to their area. BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF OLD TIME CAPTAINS THAT HAVE A LOT OF TIME IN THE CARRIBBEAN THOUGH THEY CARRY ONBOARD THE BRITISH ADMIRALITY CHARTS, THE CHARTS THEY USE ARE THE IMRAY IOLAIRE CHARTS.
Talk to Brian Harrison of Dione Star, Phil Richards of Chanti al Mar, Mark Fitzgerald of Sojana, Phil Wade of Timoneer 11, Hans Hoff (now retired), John Barden of Creole, Jessica (now Adix) Shenandoah, Steve Carson of Adela, Steve Goss of Adix, they and many others rely on Imray Iolaire Charts rather than the British Admiralty Charts. There follows the list of errors found, and there are probably others.
ERRORS BA LEISURE CHARTS
5641.12 Barbuda area south and southwest of Spanish Point nuts area east of Toucan Rock nuts. Customs is in Codrington not at the small boat harbour, area west of Cocoa Point Nuts. Hotel east of Martello Tower, derelict and overgrown, Martello Tower not shown.
5642.2 No information on River Salee, three bridges not shown, no opening times, river depths, nothing.
5642.6 Saints Shipyard in Marigot Bay, derelict, abandoned ten years ago or more. Guadalope no info River Salee nor is the new harbour Port Louis shown, completed about Oct / Nov 2005.
5642.9 Fort de France inadequate coverage, few soundings
5642.10 Yacht anchorage established by Fort Louis about late 05 not shown and it is important yachts only anchor in yacht anchorage because of ferry traffic. Wreck in Anse Mitane gone for over 20 years, Trois Islet anchorage not shown.
5642.11 NE Marin Nuts St Ann forbidden anchorage not shown.
5643.9 Rodney Bay channel dredged to 12' about 2000 or 2001, Castries yacht centre gone 10 years ago, depths in St. Croix Roads nuts (north side by Pigeon Island and causeway,
5643.7 St. Vincent Blue Lagoon SW channel 2.7m – No 11'
5643.8 Cannouan Hotel and big dock for Mooring Fleet not shown. Bequia Admiralty Bay soundings north side of bay nuts. There has not been a BA chart agent in Bequia for 15 years. Belmont Shoal not correctly shown.
5643.9 Shoal north of Admiralty Bay Petite Martinique does not exist. 1.6m shoal in south east entrance to PSV anchorage does not exist. Shoal west of Palm Island has only 7/8' over it, range/transit to avoid this shoal on Imray Iolaire chart and Streets Guide. No ranges/transits to enter the south entrance for Tobago Bays.
5643.10 Hillsboro works in progress 1994 completed 2003 or 2004, no range transit shown to avoid shoal off Craigston Point, shoal has nabbed a number of boats. Tyrell Bay scale no good, construction in progress north east corner of harbour since 2004 not shown nor Grenadine Yacht Services that has been hauling boats since about 1998.
5643.11 Halifax harbour no overhead wire shown
5643.12 St. David’s harbour has been buoyed since 2004. 8' rock entrance to Port Egmont not shown, nor rock south of Port Saline, no one knows exactly where the rock is but there is a box on the Imray Iolaire chart has a warning, Iolaire, Kim and a number of boats drawing 7'6'' have bounced off it and kept going.
New marinas Spice Island. Boat yard moved 2003, Imray Iolaire chart completely up to date as Mick Jarold of Lilly Maid and Alan Hooper brought it up to date giving GPS positions for all new buoys BUT there is a warning not to trust the buoyage system as it may not be well maintained. No ranges / transit shown on BA Charts to avoid rocks and shoals to enter harbours. Imray Iolaire is loaded with ranges and transits.
5640.3 Entrance to Paraquita Lagoon is listed as depth 06m yet when hurricane approaches the Tortola bare boat fleet uses this as a hurricane hole so draft must be 7' or a little more.
5640.4 St Johns construction dredging south of Moravian Point has been in progress for about 2 years to create new commercial harbour south of Cruz Bay. Mary Creek marked 06m yet there is 6’ at bar more inside, Jersey Bay noted buoyed channel but no depth, depth 6/7'
5640.8 Road Reef Marina marked 03 and 04m yet it has been the home of Tortola Marine Management charter fleet for twenty years. We have sailed Iolaire drawing 7' 6'' in and out of there late 80’s early 90’s.
The British Admiralty stated that they sent a survey crew to Roadtown to survey the harbour for new chart but above error???? land fill about 200' out into harbour between hospital and Government house not noted. Plus construction in progress north side of harbour. Dredging and marina in Sea Cow Bay not shown. 10' channel dredged 2004.
5640.9 Anguilla Pt. shoal across channel shows 2m yet Iolaire and other boats drawing 7/8' have used this channel for over 40 years. Oyster Rock has been buoyed for 10 or more years.
5640.10 Check Imray Iolaire chart A234 does not agree with BA chart.
No space to tell story as to how I developed the C’stead Harbour chart, but Imray Iolaire is correct. Dish antenna excellent landmark eastern end of St. Croix not shown. Reefs on north east coast not quite correct Imray Iolaire from NOAA unpublished survey 1982, BA chart from NOAA 1932 survey!!!!!
5640.10 Overhead cable in Krum Bay was there when I first arrived in St. Thomas November 1956!!!!! not shown on BA chart
5641.2 Falmouth harbour depths off, no plans for any of three marinas, Ordinance bay English Harbour dredged (allegedly) to 18' summer 06.
5641.3 St Barts Ile De La Pointe reefs wrong, Gustavia sounding absolutely nuts.
5641.5 Anguilla no light Windward point for 20 years. Anguilla point light out for at least 10 if not more years
5641.6 Depths between Ilet Pinel and Petite Cliff wrong. Iolaire has sailed through here. Rock off Pt Molley Smith that has nailed a lot of boats, rock not shown.
5641.7 St Martin Marigot new breakwater at Ft. Louis marina not shown, basically completed March 06. Depths in harbour nuts channel from the north French side to the south Dutch side in Simson Lagoon not shown. This was dredged at least 25 years ago. Depth of channel into lagoon on French side not shown, nor is bridge width shown. Depths in Oyster Pond nuts, same Groot Baai. Entrance channel depth and bridge width Dutch side not shown.
5641.9 St. Kitts Nevis harrows, no ranges transits shown for clearing shoals in the narrows, nor do shoals match up with Imray Iolaire cross check I would not go through the harrows on BA chart. Old British Admiralty charts had excellent ranges/transits to clear dangers in narrows – why eliminated on modern charts?
5641.10 English Harbour leading lights have been out for years.
5641.11 Crabs Marina and yard have been out of business for at least five years.
ERRORS IN BA BIG SHIP CHARTS
130 Anguilla light north east end of island has been out for years as also Light Road Harbour.
197 St Criox Roadstead north side depths nuts, Rodney Bay Harbour dredged to 12' entrance channel 2002/03, light at Veux Fort has been out for years. Massive new development in Marigot Bay.
254 Barbuda, whole area south of Spanish Point nuts, same Coco Pt Gravenor Bay. R/T in Codrington good landmark not shown shoal area east of Tucon Rock not correct.
371 Martinique Fort de France inadequate works in progress finished years ago new yacht anchorage not shown, wreck in Anse Mitan gone 20 years ago, Trois Ilet depth nuts.
470 Mona passage OK.
474 Chagaramus yacht restricted anchorage not shown. Heavy fines are levied for anchoring outside of restricted are, ruined pier Caranage Bay has been rebuilt to attract mega yachts, done about 2000.
425 OK
478 Puerto Rico, Bahia Jobos, Boca de Inferno, depths nuts
487 Serpents Mouth don’t know
485 St. Croix from US NOAA 1932 charts, Imray Iolaire chart from unpublished NOAA 1982 survey, plus exploration by Iolaire 1990, with information supplied by local yachtsman, plus dredge company survey of C’stead Harbour which was not correct dredging. They did not put the dredging on the north eastern side of harbour on survey turned over to harbour department. D M Street Jnr re-surveying in dinghy found and corrected errors
487 Saba Fort Bay probably correct
489 St Kittis Nevis excellent ranges to avoid shoals that were on the old Admiralty charts have been deleted but they are still on Imray Iolaire charts
491 Marie Galante depths in Grand Borg completed out, does not show breakwater built 2004, or new marinas established 2005
493 OK
494 Martinique Cul de Sac Marin completely out of date, at least 15 years out of date
499 OK
502 Barbados no good information on Port St. Charles they just refer to admiralty sailing directions
505 Tobago, crosscheck with Imray Iolaire chart Imray Iolaire correct
508 Tobago no depths in harbour
583 Sombrero to St. Kitts light eastern end of Anguilla out for years
584 St Barts to Antigua OK
585 Nevis to Guadalopue OK
593 Guadalopue crosscheck with Imray Iolaire, Imray Iolaire correct
594 Guadalopue to Martinique OK
506 Martinique to St. Vincent lights NE and SE ends of St. Vincent either out or should be marked very unreliable. St. Lucia light Moule a Chique/Veu Fort has been out for years.
597 St. Vincent to Grenada. La Felicadad shoal not 5 meters but 15' if 58 La Felicadad probably would not have hit. Depths between Peteit Martinique and Petit St. Vincent nuts
618 Southern Grenadines to the Saints scale such that you cant pick out errors.
697 Dominica light on Scotts Head re-established about 2004 plus very distinctive strobe lights established about the same time not shown
797 Grenada warning on 7' rock south of Pt Saline, hit by Iolaire , Kim and a few other boats not shown, nor warning given. Grenville no range (was on old chart, deleted on new chart, no progress, going backwards) no ranges, no new fishing pier , built 2003
793 Cannouan Moorings base dock hotel not shown, La Felicadad shoal shown 58 whilst in actuality it is 15'.
794 Union Island Frigate Island is shown as an island but it was connected to the mainland Union Island by a causeway about 1994.
795 Carriacou to Grenada Hillsbore noted works in progress 1995, things go slow in Caribbean but the 95 works in progress were completed about 1998, no warning on semi-active volcano off Isle de Ronde. That warning should have gone one about 2003 or before. Shoal north of Petite Martinique between Petite Martinique and Petite St. Vincent nuts check Imray Iolaire chart, PSV anchorage nuts, shoal water south east entrance to PSV anchorage nuts. No range to clear shoal east of Craigstone Point Carriacou, shoal periodically nails boats. No detailed plan Tyrall Bay. Wreck shown in Tyrell Bay gone by 1995, combination worms and hurricane.
799 Grenada St. Georges harbour GYS derelict since 95. St. Vincent Blue Lagoon SW entrance is 11’ but warning should be given about obtaining a free pilot from Barefoot, TTM TTM of Sunsail. Admiralty Bay depths north side of harbour nuts.
804 Guadalopue Pointe a Pitre depths at entrance north side of river Salee dubious, all three bridges not shown, no warning about being stuck between the bridges, Carenage depths nuts. New harbour at Fort Louis, not shown, built 2005.
1025 Guadalopue to Anguilla, Anguilla lights out for years.
1042 Monserrat to St. Lucia OK.
1043 St. Lucia to Barbadoes, St. Lucia and St. Vincent lights out or should be marked very unreliable.
1480 Tobago to Tortuga probably OK no detail.
1963 Venezuela same.
2005 BVI Road Harbour, nuts across check against Imray Iolaire, Brenner Bay buoyed channel no depths Enghen Pond dredged and 12' buoyed channel 2006 Sea Cow Bay 10' buoyed channel dredged 2004 Cruz Bay no depths, Mary Creek 04 6' over bar 8' inside West End, no marina shown marina there since 1990.
2006 All US and BVI one chart scale such that no detail so can not pick our any errors.
2020 Road Town, Road Reef marina marked 04. That was dredged out 8/9' about 1980 to 83. Buoyed 8' channel not shown Sea Cow Bay dredged to 10' about 2004, Nanny Bay shown as 24 dredged to 12' 2005 but one 11.6' rock still in channel. Paraquita Lagoon entrance marked 04 but there is 6' plus a bit. Maya Cove depths nuts. Virgin Gorda area between Anguilla Pt. and Mosquito Island marked 18 yet Iolaire, Te Hongi and Poseiden all drawing 7' plus a bit have used this entrance since back in the 60’s see Streets Guide Puerto Rico co Spanish US and BVI page 204/06/ for directions. Oyster Rock has been buoyed since about 2000. Passage south of Saba Rock has 9' not 24m.
2047 Lights Road Harbour and at eastern end of Anguilla have been out for years.
2064 Antigua Ordinance Bay dredged supposedly to 18' summer of 06. Buoys Falmouth Harbour not correct, no warning about unreliable buoys. Falmouth Harbour range lights can not be seen too low and too much back lighting, English Harbour range lights have been out since about 2003. Crabbs Marina gone since about 2000.
2065 Crabbs as noted above.
2079 Anguilla Road Bay light gone, Oyster Pond depths west side nuts marigot southern breakwater on marina built 2006 not shown, depths Marigot Bay way out, no controlling depth in channel into lagoon nor bridge width given, nor 7' channel connecting north and south parts of Simson Lagoon shown despite it being dredged back in the late 80’s Philipsburgh depths nuts, Breakwater north of Pelican pt Simpson Bay not shown built back in late 80’s no controlling depth of channel into Simson Lagoon, nor bridge widths, depths in lagoon not shown nor are marina show that were built in 95 to 2000.
Gustavia depths completely wrong. Depths on inner harbour are at least forty years out of date. West side baulkhead for yachts 2003 shoal water west of Ile de La Pointe, shoal does not exist.
2452 Tortola to Culebra scale such that errors cannot be pin pointed.
2485 Barbados OK.
3408 Puerto Rico general scale such that errors cannot be checked.
2183 St Thomas passage between Hassel Island and St. Thomas 48 nuts, boats drawing 10' have to proceed at dead slow. Krum Bay obstructed by cable since early 50’s, no buoy on Packet Rock, that was buoyed when I first arrived in VI in 1956. Yacht Haven rebuilt 2006.
This site will hopefully not be boring. I will be advertising my books, Imray-Iolaire Charts and my services as an Insurance Broker, design consultant for yachts of new construction and altering existing boats, to make them more habitable, more easily handled and in many cases faster and more seaworthy.
But this is not all. Every month there will be a news letter, both interesting and humorous. These bulletins will go into the aspects of what is wrong in modern yacht design and how to fix it— basically articles that no yachting magazine will publish as they are afraid of hurting their advertisers .
Because of electronic publishing all of the books I have written will be back in print, updated guides and the books on boats and seamanship updated in relation to what I have learned since the books originally went into print. Plus the way things have changed vis a vis new equipment that has come on the market.
Street's Guides are available at most good marine bookstores and Imray-Iolaire Chart Agents in the Caribbean. In the States they can be ordered directly from: Armchair Sailor, Thames St., Newport, RI08240 Fax: 401 847 1219 Email: armchair@seabooks.com and in Europe from: Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Wych House, The Broadway, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire PE27 5BT England. Telephone:
(01480) 462114 Fax: (01480) 496109 E-mail: inlw@imray.com For books out of print check Amazon.com/Internet.
Streets' Guides may not be the cheapest
but
they are the best.
For last months Article: Towboat Hitches go to Article page at the top of this page. Piloting Stories
Last months Piloting StoryThis story was reported by Bill Robinson, long time editor of Yachting back in the early 1960s.
In the early 1960s when cruising to the Bahamas, visiting yachts always hired a local pilot as the charts were famous for their in accuracies and the only guide available Harry Ethridge's was in it's infancy, and did nto cover in detail many areas. The Bahamian sloops were all shoal draft, finding a pilot that conprehended the draft of a modern yacht was difficult. Thus an owner of a boat drawing 7-ft. Hired a local Bahamian Pilot. Knowing the Bahamian sloops were much shoaler than his boat that drew 7-ft. He took out the boat hook, stood it on end, put a piece of tape on the boat hook at 7-ft. and pointed out to the Pilot that that was the draft. The Pilot said, "Yeah Boss, Dat fine. No problem."
Then cruised for a month, in and out of all the nooks and crannies in the Bahamas, and never once touched the bottom. The owner was extremely pleased with his Pilot. A day or so before the end of the cruise they were coming in to a harbour, where the water looked rather shoal, proceeding very slowly under power. The Skipper called to the Pilot, who was up forward, "Pilot, how's the water". The Pilot reported back "Ten". The Skipper put the engine ahead and they promptly ran aground!
Much confusion, recrimination and anchors went out. Finally they managed to back her off and anchored safely. The owner chastised the Pilot. "Pilot, you have been sailing with us almost a month and have done a magnificent job. You have never run us aground, and you know the boat draws 7-ft. When I asked you how much water you said 'ten'! We only draw seven and still we ran aground. How could we run aground in ten feet of water?" The Pilot looked at him and said, "No Skip. I didn't say ten feet. I said 'tin'('thin'), the water getting t'in (thin)Skipper, means there ain't enough water."
There is a sequel to this story where Iolaire got parked where the water was getting "t'in" will be reported next month on this web site.
For last months Article: Towboat Hitches go to Article page at the top of this page Street Tips
Last months Article: Towboat Hitches.
Hatches
As reported in the discussion on Dorades, yachting magazines regularly have articles on sea sickness, it's prevention and cure. But, they never mention what many sailors feel is the best way to prevent sickness - Make sure the boat is well ventilated, both in port and at sea.
The ventilation on the vast majority of modern yachts is hopeless, as per our discussion on Dorade ventilators. The vast majority of them are water scoops. They put little or no air below decks.
Hatches are in most cases the same, as —although they are water tight— the modern aluminium hatch is also air tight. The vast majority of boat builders install single hinged hatches. I.e. They will only open in one direction. Those hatches that open facing forward are great in port if it isn't raining. The minute it starts raining (or at sea) the hatches must be closed. In northern climates below decks just gets stuffy. In the southern climates - Mediterranean and Caribbean, the boat rapidly becomes a sweat box.
Some boat builders hinge the hatches on the forward end. At sea, if spray is not flying, they can be left open and a good amount of air gets down below decks. But, the minute the spray starts flying, the hatches must be closed. Again causing a stuffy boat or sweat box. Plus the aft opening hatches are fine in the northern climate in port, but in a tropical climate facing aft they gather no air.
The athwartship opening hatches are absolutely useless except on a beam reach, or lying in a marina beam to the wind.
Properly designed hatches can be water tight, and yet suck in plenty of air.
First of all Double Opening Hatches are the solution. They open facing forward in port, facing aft at sea. Fit a good dodger over the hatch, and they can be left open facing aft under the dodger at sea in all but very extreme conditions. There are a few manufacturers of aluminium hatches that are double hinged. But, the vast majority of them you must go on deck to pull the pins and reverse the opening.
Needless to say, with intermittent squalls it is a real nuisance. If the hatch opening forward, a rain squall comes in you must run up on deck close the hatch, change the pins, and opening it aft. All is well. Next minute the rain squall passes and you have to go back up on deck close the hatch, change the pins, and opening it facing forward again.
This is not necessary as I reported in Ocean Sailing Yacht, Volume 2, page 329, illustration 27. A Goiot hatch is a double opening hatch that can be reversed from below decks without having to go on deck. Why all boat builders do not install this hatch is beyond me. They make the excuse that this hatch is too expensive. But, the cost of installing a proper Goiot Hatch, is probably 1/ 10 of 1% of the coast of the boat. The excuse of expense is not good enough.
One point to remember about the Gigot hatch, there is one point when you are switching the direction of the opening of the hatch, when the hatch is attached to nothing. It could conceivably at this point, blow over board. Thus you should tie to the centre of the hatch a light wire lanyard going down to a pad eye in the cabin head, and so prevent it going adrift. A Gigot hatch with a dodger over it, is a real step forward.
A problem with hatches and water on the modern fibreglass boats is the hatches are either absolutely flush with the deck. The least bit of water running across the deck goes straight below the open hatch. If opened under a dodger, in heavy weather inevitably some water drives under the dodger and comes down below. Just where you don't want it.
The solution to this problem is to mount the hatch on a two inch high coaming. This will minimise the amount of water finding it's way down below.
Of course there is nothing new in yachting. Back in the 1930s, the late Maurice Griffith designed the Griffith hatch. This was a wooden hatch with an inside coaming. See the sketch in Ocean Sailing Yacht Volume 1, page 281, sketch 112. A Griffith hatch, even without a dodger can be left partially open, gathering air and no water coming down below decks. Equipped with a dodger —as per sketch in OSY V.1, page 280, sketch 111— even in extremely heavy weather it can be left open. Then in storm conditions if you have to close the Griffith hatch, as there is an inner and outer coaming, it drains like a properly designed Dorade. Even if there is leaking gasket water will not come below decks.
Besides hinging the Griffith hatch, so it can be opened forward or aft, the ultimate Griffith hatch has hinges on all four sides. When making a Trade Wind passage, on a beam reach and light airs, it can be opened facing to windward, and really suck in air, and if it blows up it can be facing to leeward, under a dodger, and still suck in plenty of air and no water.
Hinges with removable pins are available from Jamestown Distributors
Jamestown Distributors,
500 Wood Street,
No. 15 Bristol Industrial Park,
Jamestown,
Rhode Island 02809.
Phone: 001 401 423 2520
Fax: 001 402 423 0542
Catalogue No. PBI 1192
Needless to say when putting hinges on all four sides of the hatch it is very difficult to get them lined up perfectly, so the pins will fit easily. The way to ease this situation is to drill out the male portion of the hatch, from 5/16ths to 3/8ths fore you fasten the hinges in place. Thus even if there is a little misalignment, the pins can still be inserted.
The ultimate four way opening hatch was designed by Jay Parris for the yacht Lonestar. This hatch appeared in Sail magazine in their June 200 issue. The information on the hatch can be obtained from J. Paris
J. Paris
P. O. Box 459
Brunswick
Maine 04011
U.S.A.
Presently this is a custom made item and costs a God awful fortune. But if you have a boat worth $1million, the cost of the ultimate four way hatch is very small in proportion to the cost of the yacht. Also, if a boat builder such as Swan, Rassey, Baltic, were to order those hatches in quantity the price would certainly come down to where the yachtsman could afford a J Paris or four way opening hatch.
The proper hatch should suck large quantities of air below decks, both in port and at sea. It should be protected with a good dodger either snapped around a 1-inch high coaming, or on a flush deck boat, made with a bolt rope fed into a aluminium or wooden bolt rope. See Ocean Sailing Yacht Volume 1, page 245. That will allow air get down below and minimise the chances of water going below, even in heavy weather.
You can sort out ventilation with good Dorade ventilators and proper hatches, and you will minimise sea sickness among the crew.
Remember was Dr. Samuel Johnson—the author of the first English dictionary stated — A sure cure for sea sickness is to find yourself a big oak tree and rap your arms around it.
I often discuss the fact that the vast majority of modern yachts are uninhabitable at sea. Many of us feel the reason for this is that the present generation of designers, builders and salesmen were not sailing in the hey day of overnight/off shore racing. The hey day of this type of racing was done in the middle 1950s to the middle 1970s. In those days the cruiser racer practically never raced around the buoys. All the races were overnight or longer. The short races would start off at the yacht club on a Friday evening, have supper/dinner served up underway, 95% of the time on a gimballed table. Cooked on a properly gimballed stove. The off watch went in to sleep in bunks properly fitted with bunk boards or lee canvases. Below deck was properly ventilated. The Off Watch never went on deck unless they were called. If they stuck their noses up on deck without being called the On Watch would feel very insulted and would make comments such as "What the hell's the matter? Don't you think we know how to run our watch?"
The races took were over night, or two nights. Then of course there were the longer ones such as the Bermuda Race and Transatlantic Races, etc. Often at the end of a race one boat would gloat on how they won, but other boats would be putting them down saying "what the hell, you may have won the race but we ate a hell of a lot better than you did."
A good skipper spent as much time and energy recruiting a good cook as he did in recruiting a good Foredeck boss.
In contrast today the cruiser racer spends a vast majority of its racing with the entire crew perched on the weather rail. No one goes below decks. Even on over night races, or longer races like the Fastnet, the entire crew perches on the weather rail for the entire race. Below decks the habitability has been completely forgotten about.
This is not pointed out in yachting magazines Sail Tests articles—a subject I will come back to in some future date on this web site.
Every month we will put out our version of any of several complaints yachtsmen have with all sorts of gear, rules, publications and theories that have been put out to the public and make suggestions as to why the yachtsmen don't like them, and how to fix the problems with them.
Watch this space for:
better yacht design
better chart accuracy
innovative ideas on cruising comfort
better safety gear
and lots more.....
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Beken - Fastnet Race 1975
Iolaire at a quiet anchorage - Los Rogues
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