S.O.I.A. Anglia Group
newsletter – March 2006
Which is how my fisherman son refers to yachtsmen. Wa stands for ‘wind-aided’. No waterborne activity to
report from our end, but quite a lot going on in the shed, as
Here is Bob’s
response to my request for news of the last meeting, which Brian and I missed:
“The meeting
was good, Mike was there, Derek, Howard, Hilary and
ourselves. So much has happened since then that I cant
remember most of what we talked about. Howard and Hilary stayed over and on
Sunday we showed them our little corner of
You would love the mountains (vertigo city), the forest walks and the incredible abundance of tropical plants, fruit and flowers but sadly we dont think you two would cope with the luxurious four star hotel with the balcony overlooking the Atlantic rollers crashing on the rocks below. I'm sure sleeping in a crisp king size double bed with the balcony doors open being lulled to sleep by balmy breezes and the roar of the surf would be sheer purgatory. It might take you a day or two to get there in Sula but the island has one small very basic camp site where you could pitch a pup tent perhaps.”
Hmmm. After recent winter might just be able to get used to that.
Dates for your diary…...
Spring meeting: April 28th – May 1st, somewhere
on the East Coast.
Rutland Water International paints Rally: June 9-11th
Brightlingsea meeting: July 14 – 16th
Boat Jumble:
Here is an expanded version of Ian Arnold’s horrible experience when
trailing his new boat home:
Christeel
and her journey home
I
bought Christeel on e-bay, and arranged to meet the
guy at
Monday night and the forecast was not good. Snow was forecast for later on Tuesday and maybe high winds. I got up early and prepared the trailer etc, weather in Cromer seemed not too bad so decided to let the other guy know I was about to leave for the meet. Started out, and within about 4 miles the snow started to get thicker, and thought I should turn back, but having told the guy I was on the way didn’t want to let him down and couldn’t contact him then. As I got past Fakenham it just got worse with quite a bit of snow laying on the road, but stupidly carried on. At Kings Lynn it started to clear so felt a lot happier, the sun came out and turned into a very pleasant day if a bit cool.
The journey now went well and
stopped for coffee and breakfast at a little chef on the A14. Suitably
refreshed started off again for the M6, all went well and arrived at Chorley
about the right time, but no one to be seen with said boat & trailer. Well,
The transfer went very well. Christeel was lifted at the bows, and a trolley jack put under the stern skeg on the trailer bed, and slowly the trailers where moved in and out respectively a bit at a time,’til my trailer was fully under her and she was let down on my trailer. A small amount of positioning with a turfer and she was in place. Next she was securely lashed down, lighting boards etc fitted, and the scaffolding loaded into the cockpit. Now that was a big mistake as the boat was balanced for sufficient nose weight, and adding the scaffolding and other odds and sods etc in the cockpit put her stern heavy, a fact that just had not occurred to me at the time (not been trailing heavy loads for years). Every thing secured, finances sorted, trailer checked, off I went.
Started off down the M6 all went well, but I did notice if I got up to 51/2 MPH there was a little snaking, but as long as I kept down to 45/50 all seemed ok and we plodded along quite nicely, just a slight snake if a really big lorry passed too close but ok otherwise. Turned onto the A14 and again all seemed reasonable and I must have done at least 100 miles or so with no real problems.
Just after Cambridge where there is a big two lane road joining in from the left just before the Newmarket By-pass the trailer started snaking quite violently for no apparent reason, (I had just come out of a cutting not realising the wind increase). Twice I tried to increase speed to pull her out of it but nothing happened, she just kept violently snaking from side to side and really pulling the back of the car about. Mind goes into overdrive, thoughts (if I keep trying to increase speed to pull her out of it the inevitable is only going to be worse.) Still being thrown all over the place I decided the only course of action was to anchor on everything as hard as I could and hang on. This I did, and all hell let loose, trailer swinging from one side of the car to the other, and eventually jack-knifing and careering into the central barrier, finally ending up with the trailer into the barrier and the car facing into the three lane road.
I sat there shaking like I have never shaken before, and gradually people started to appear around the car asking if I was all right. A lovely girl started checking I was ok, taking pulse etc., telling me not to move and that police and ambulance were on their way. She whispered in my ear she was an off duty nurse and told me to sit there and not move till the services arrived, and she was going to get off as she didn’t want to get involved as she was due on duty. My only concern was had I hit anything else? I had no idea, as with the throwing about I wouldn’t have known if I had hit anything, but was told nothing else was involved. What a relief that was.
At this stage cars were passing in front of me, all staring at me and getting into each others way as they were not concentrating on the road, nearly causing other accidents, but then a paramedic arrived shortly followed by police. I was checked over in the car, then taken to the paramedics car, very dizzy on my feet, but two of them got me to his vehicle and checked me over.
When the ambulance arrived, I was put in there to be checked over properly. When they were checking my neck, as they touched a certain part of my spine I was violently sick. This happened about three times, so I was told not to move my neck, and put on a board and neck support. (At this point the ambulance crew where talking about how they had been buffeted by the wind on their journey to me.) I was then taken to Addenbrooks hospital about 15 mins., away I think. I was taken straight into A&E, examined, and taken for x-rays of chest and neck.
After about five
hours I was told I only had soft tissue damage and I could go home. Tricia was
contacted at home to pick me up but without a car she couldn’t, and my mother
at 82 wouldn’t turn out as she said there was several
inches of snow now in Cromer .So the doctors said I could go home by train.
This was 2000hrs so I might have to get a taxi from
Next day rang the insurance and they said they would arrange for the car to be taken for repair, and would send out a courtesy car, BUT the trailer was only covered third party and I would have to pay for the recovery myself, and no repairs would be paid by insurance on the trailer. (Oh dear I said) or something like it. Next I had to get on to the recovery people, and they said the recovery was £300 something (boat and trailer), and each day it was with them it would cost £15 a day. Cutting my losses, I got them to bring the trailer and boat home - total cost about £680 pounds - (think about your insurance cover on trailer as well as car/boat) and the trailer was delivered that afternoon with boat sort of still in place, and not any damage on the boat, only a few scratches.
At this stage may I add that the trailer was brand new and very solidly constructed with box section steel. It was in quite a state, bowed down in the middle across the trailer, and the draw bar like a banana, (I have photos if needed). The bow support post was twisted well over to one side - a complete right off as far as I’m concerned. The forces that were put on the trailer during the accident were incredible. (PLEASE think very hard how your trailer would survive such an accident, and accidents don’t have to be your fault) I can honestly state some of the trailers I have seen would not have survived at all, let alone the drivers. I am convinced the strong trailer saved my life .I am going to rebuild with four wheels this time as it would be less prone to snaking, and more tolerant of loading weight distribution.
It is now two weeks ago and I still have a sore neck, and am still very nervous about driving, but the shock has just about passed.
If this saves anybody else having something similar happen I will be very happy.
F. Ian Arnold
Dear Silhouetters,
My son Patrick, who some of you will have met at various rallies and functions,
is running the London Marathon on 23rd April. He is running to raise funds for the
charity ' Vitalise ' who provide over 6000 week long
breaks for disabled adults, children and their carers
every year.( more information at www.vitalise.org.uk)
He is looking to raise around £2000 and is therefore seeking sponsorships;
hence this appeal.
Patrick has been following a well organised training
regime, and will definitely finish. (no pressure there
then !) Last time, which was his first marathon, he ran in a steady
4:27:00. This year he is aiming for between 3:45 and 4 hours.
In a bid to get you to part with your cash, he has secured a case of Winter
Reds from Averys wine merchants in
To sponsor Patrick is very easy :-
a) Online by credit or debit card
All donations are secure and sent electronically to 'Vitalise'.
If you are a
b) you can email him or phone him with your pledge and guess at his finishing
time.
Thank you for taking the trouble to read through this, and in anticipation of
your support for 'Vitalise'.
Best wishes, Mike and Pat Dacey
The next meeting will be 8pm at the Orwell Yacht Club on Saturday April 8th.
Elizabeth Letzer March/April 2006