RMweb Gold Donw Posted May 24, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 24, 2017 When a young boy we lived by the Thames one of our neighbours had a small dingy and I went for some trips with him. Trouble was if there was not much wind you ended up rowing against the current. I did dream of sailing a yacht one day. However while still working as a project manager for BT. The company decided it needed to show its sponsorship of some international racing yachts was part of the business and that a days sailing would be good training for managers. As one of my colleagues was a member of a yacht club he was given the job of arranging the events for the south west. So all our team got days out. So it was all paid for hire car to drive from the Forest of Dean to Torquay Breakfast at the Royal Torbay Yacht club then the morning spent on some basic training in the boats. Back to the Club house for lunch then a sailing session in the afternoon. These were 26ft International racing Yachts stripped down to the bare essentials and fast. We were expected to stay within the bay but Torbay is large enough. Naturally we had to give feedback at our next team meeting. Our Manager was most taken with his day out and Kate let slip that she and her husband had a 36ft yacht moored at Lymington where they lived. Oddly enough our next team meeting was at Lymington if you were prepared to get up early you were invited to join in a morning sailing session. It was a great morning we sailed from Lymington across to Yarmouth (IOW) and out past the needles before returning I spent a good part of the time at the helm being shown how to read the currents by the drift from a bearing quite necessary in the Solent. Lunch at the Royal Lymington Yacht club where we had hired a room for the meeting. We finally did talk a bit about work in the afternoon. Sadly I couldn't really afford to keep a yacht especially as Marion wasn't keen. Don 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted May 24, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 24, 2017 When a young boy we lived by the Thames one of our neighbours had a small dingy and I went for some trips with him. Trouble was if there was not much wind you ended up rowing against the current. I did dream of sailing a yacht one day. However while still working as a project manager for BT. The company decided it needed to show its sponsorship of some international racing yachts was part of the business and that a days sailing would be good training for managers. As one of my colleagues was a member of a yacht club he was given the job of arranging the events for the south west. So all our team got days out. So it was all paid for hire car to drive from the Forest of Dean to Torquay Breakfast at the Royal Torbay Yacht club then the morning spent on some basic training in the boats. Back to the Club house for lunch then a sailing session in the afternoon. These were 26ft International racing Yachts stripped down to the bare essentials and fast. We were expected to stay within the bay but Torbay is large enough. Naturally we had to give feedback at our next team meeting. Our Manager was most taken with his day out and Kate let slip that she and her husband had a 36ft yacht moored at Lymington where they lived. Oddly enough our next team meeting was at Lymington if you were prepared to get up early you were invited to join in a morning sailing session. It was a great morning we sailed from Lymington across to Yarmouth (IOW) and out past the needles before returning I spent a good part of the time at the helm being shown how to read the currents by the drift from a bearing quite necessary in the Solent. Lunch at the Royal Lymington Yacht club where we had hired a room for the meeting. We finally did talk a bit about work in the afternoon. Sadly I couldn't really afford to keep a yacht especially as Marion wasn't keen. Don It's always better to sail on someone else's Don! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 The only vaguely nautical picture that exists of me isn't going to appear here: I'm sans culottes, and sans pretty much everything else, after falling out of my cousin's dinghy. Another no life jackets job - seems to me that only boys on scout trips wore them. My mothers family have salt water in their veins, and I did toy with the idea of marine, rather than railway, engineering, but the appeal wasn't so strong. You might have done both - my paternal grandfather was a ships engineer and when he came ashore became a tramways engineer..... As for lifejackets, we always wore them when thrashing around in dingheys, but the only time I really needed one (and naturally wasn't wearing one), was when I stepped onto the end of a landing stage that immediately gave way and precipitated me feet first into the rather murky depths of the Shropshire Union Canal. Just thinking about it, nowadays I could have sued BWB for their lousy infrastructure, but then, we didn't have a clue. And anyway it was something only an American would have done.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted May 25, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 25, 2017 I've spent about 15 years sailing other peoples boats, Mostly Yeoman, I got to helm at least 50% of the time. We won quite a few trophies and generally came in the top 5 in the nationals. I still sail in the winter in a Yeoman belonging to someone else. However there are just a few times when you wish that your commitment to a race series to the owners could be relaxed. I am restoring my own sailing keelboat which is a single hander, hopefully it'll sail next year. I've been in the water many many times over the last 40 years, at the sailing club the kids are alway going in by choice or otherwise. It's quiet funny reading some of the comments on the various broads forums whether it's safe or not to go for a swim. Some people are so anti it's unbelievable... 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwardian Posted May 25, 2017 Author Share Posted May 25, 2017 When a young boy we lived by the Thames one of our neighbours had a small dingy and I went for some trips with him. Trouble was if there was not much wind you ended up rowing against the current. I did dream of sailing a yacht one day. However while still working as a project manager for BT. The company decided it needed to show its sponsorship of some international racing yachts was part of the business and that a days sailing would be good training for managers. As one of my colleagues was a member of a yacht club he was given the job of arranging the events for the south west. So all our team got days out. So it was all paid for hire car to drive from the Forest of Dean to Torquay Breakfast at the Royal Torbay Yacht club then the morning spent on some basic training in the boats. Back to the Club house for lunch then a sailing session in the afternoon. These were 26ft International racing Yachts stripped down to the bare essentials and fast. We were expected to stay within the bay but Torbay is large enough. Naturally we had to give feedback at our next team meeting. Our Manager was most taken with his day out and Kate let slip that she and her husband had a 36ft yacht moored at Lymington where they lived. Oddly enough our next team meeting was at Lymington if you were prepared to get up early you were invited to join in a morning sailing session. It was a great morning we sailed from Lymington across to Yarmouth (IOW) and out past the needles before returning I spent a good part of the time at the helm being shown how to read the currents by the drift from a bearing quite necessary in the Solent. Lunch at the Royal Lymington Yacht club where we had hired a room for the meeting. We finally did talk a bit about work in the afternoon. Sadly I couldn't really afford to keep a yacht especially as Marion wasn't keen. Don Yacht ownership is for people who really hate money, and wish to get rid of as much of it as possible as quickly as possible! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Yacht ownership is for people who really hate money, and wish to get rid of as much of it as possible as quickly as possible! Definition. Yacht (n): A hole in the water into which large quantities of money can be thrown. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drmditch Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Look, this is all very upsetting. I had to sell my beloved sailing dinghy three years ago - and haven't been on the water for two years now. (And it's not just the fine weather that makes one nostalgic; if you have the sailing bug then sailing is the thing even if it's grey and blowing. I do miss the tidewater though.........) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandc_au Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Definition. Yacht (n): A hole in the water into which large quantities of money can be thrown. You could use the same analogy for racehorse...except for the hole in the water bit! Khris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted May 25, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 25, 2017 Definition. Yacht (n): A hole in the water into which large quantities of money can be thrown. While standing under a cold shower. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) I forget who, but one of the leading lights in off-shore power boat racing did indeed liken it to standing under a cold shower tearing up £50 notes... On the subject of other people's yachts, an old and alas now departed friend of mine used to keep a 36 footer in the marina at Gosport. He invited us down for a weekend sail round the Isle of Wight, but the weather was against us. We hit a massive fog bank neat Hurst Castle, spent the night at anchor in Yarmouth harbour and limped back home the next morning. We did make use of the harbour taxi to go ashore for a very nice dinner. No trace of the FY&NR station though (blatant attempt to get back on to some sort of rail topic...) Richard Edited May 25, 2017 by wagonman 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted May 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 25, 2017 Yacht ownership is for people who really hate money, and wish to get rid of as much of it as possible as quickly as possible! Marrying one might be the answer to getting a boat Don 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted May 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 25, 2017 I forget who, but one of the leading lights in off-shore power boat racing did indeed liken it to standing under a cold shower tearing up £50 notes... On the subject of other people's yachts, an old and alas now departed friend of mine used to keep a 36 footer in the marina at Gosport. He invited us down for a weekend sail round the Isle of Wight, but the weather was against us. We hit a massive fog bank neat Hurst Castle, spent the night at anchor in Yarmouth harbour and limped back home the next morning. We did make use of the harbour taxi to go ashore for a very nice dinner. No trace of the FY&NR station though (b;atant attempt to get back some sort of rail topic...) Richard The Line from Yarmouth to Freshwater is a cycle track/footpath nice walk. Freshwater station has been replaced by a Garden centre and cafe. Don 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) Wouldnt that bring the danger that your spouse would dispose of all of the collective wealth on boats, until you are living in a barely-watertight hulk in a long-forgotten harbour in the lee of a power station? I'm thinking here of someone I knew who bought a "truly wonderful" wooden thing (actually, it did look wonderful, in photos taken in the 1930s) to restore ....... it ate all of his money, until he and his, by this time long suffering, wife really were ........ see above. (almost sea above, really) Kevin Edited May 25, 2017 by Nearholmer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwardian Posted May 25, 2017 Author Share Posted May 25, 2017 Wouldnt that bring the danger that your spouse would dispose of all of the collective wealth on boats, until you are living in a barely-watertight hulk in a long-forgotten harbour in the lee of a power station? Or she might do so on horses, until you are living in a barely weather-proof stable! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 I remember one family holiday years ago walking along the harbour in Weymouth and looking at the sailing boats. One of them, a wooden sailing dinghy, was for sale for an eye-wateringly low price, about £100 as I recall. Why was it so cheap? Because most of the harbour was inside the boat.... I'd still like one, one day. But I've got a classic car to keep running you see, which is another example of a hole you throw your money into. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenceb Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 I forget who, but one of the leading lights in off-shore power boat racing did indeed liken it to standing under a cold shower tearing up £50 notes... Richard Max Aitken son of Lord Beaverbrook Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted May 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 25, 2017 If you have £30K to tear up and throw into Newhaven Marina, you might get the green yacht to the left of this photo. It has a large banner along its railings offering it for sale My only sailing experience was sailing RNSAs on the Thames, from Raven's Ait, whilst in the school naval cadets. One spent for ever tacking a couple of hundred yards up river, to get swept down in no time at all! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwardian Posted May 25, 2017 Author Share Posted May 25, 2017 If you have £30K to tear up and throw into Newhaven Marina, you might get the green yacht to the left of this photo. It has a large banner along its railings offering it for sale My only sailing experience was sailing RNSAs on the Thames, from Raven's Ait, whilst in the school naval cadets. One spent for ever tacking a couple of hundred yards up river, to get swept down in no time at all! Newhaven Marina 25 5 2017.jpg If I could afford a yacht, I'd be back in the Caribbean with it! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les le Breton Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) If I could afford a yacht, I'd be back in the Caribbean with it! Folklore has it that boats make their owners happy twice, the first joy arrives when the boat is purchased and the second, when it is sold! I write as someone whose wife was keen for me to purchase a boat for my 50th birthday. It's a Blaze, single handed dinghy, not as exotic as the boat for sale above but more fun IMHO. When asked by non boaters to describe it I usually say that it is the dinghy equivalent of a lotus seven, only wetter. The picture isn't me by the way. Edited May 25, 2017 by Les le Breton 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted May 25, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 25, 2017 It's getting very close to you-know-who time again... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwardian Posted May 25, 2017 Author Share Posted May 25, 2017 It's getting very close to you-know-who time again... Mornington Crescent(!): 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium nick_bastable Posted May 25, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 25, 2017 oh my the thread descends again taking the eye of the ball and any progress on the railway still nice picture Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 (edited) Something that unites nautical and railway interests is signalling, and I don't think we've heard anything like enough about how the WNR safely regulates the movement of trains. As a 'starter for ten', the ecclesiastically- inspired contraption shown below is a telegraph instrument from the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway. It clearly isn't a typical block instrument, but I bet it has a 'vox humana' stop! Kevin PS: this unpleasant tale suggests that it was used to send 'train orders', rather than as a block instrument. http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk/blog/2014/09/the-thorpe-railway-disaster-1874/ Full report here, which I will read when I get a minute http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BoT_Norwich1874.pdf Edited May 25, 2017 by Nearholmer 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Something that unites nautical and railway interests is signalling, and I don't think we've heard anything like enough about how the WNR safely regulates the movement of trains. As a 'starter for ten', the ecclesiastically- inspired contraption shown below is a telegraph instrument from the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway. It clearly isn't a typical block instrument, but I bet it has a 'vox humana' stop! Kevin Very ecclesiastical! Industrial design has gone backward since those times! I suppose the gong is in that natty little cupola on top, and the cupboard beneath contains a supply of hassocks and cassocks and a surplus of surplices. It looks pretty High........ Les: We used to say that sort of thing about Lasers. And as for Jenny, according to the filename, she's holding a rifle, 'snot, its a 12 bore double-barrelled shotgun with hammer action, and unless there's extreme forshortening, its been sawn off... Rifle or not, it would still make a comprehensive mess of anyone in front of it. Phil: Isn't that green tub a motor-sailer? Thats CHEATING!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted May 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 25, 2017 Phil: Isn't that green tub a motor-sailer? Thats CHEATING!!! I did say that my experience of sailing only extended to RNSAs on the Thames, near Kingston. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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