Thor Heyerdahl and Tim Severin adventure voyages. Just wondered if anyone owns/ uses a boat?

[Manley JP]

Friend down the road, he keeps a small boat in a berth down by the coast.. had a steering fail once and had to call the coastguard.

I was thinking about the Thor Heyerdahl Kon Tiki and Ra Adventures the other day, with the Balsa log and Reed built boats. Read the books many years ago along with the Tim Severin Brendan Voyage and his boat built with leather stretched over the frames. Old school adventurers.

I was looking for threads on boats, as just wondered if any members had ever owned boats and had any sailing experience?

 

[Mav617]

My dad loved these books, have to remind him of them.

 

[Manley JP]

I was reminded as member Mr Roly was mentioning boat building experience. When I looked up Severin recently (next door neighbour gave me one of his books decades back), found that Severin had sailed a Sinbad and Jason voyage too. Jason voyage being about Jason and the Golden Fleece. What adventures.

 

[DaveCL]

Read the Thor Heyerdahl books on the Kon Tiki and Ra1 and Ra2 voyages years ago and loved them. Seem to remember they had to learn how to sail and steer the Kon Tiki balsa raft by trial and error as they went along, by shoving flat timber boards down between the logs to act as a rudimentary rudder and that they only had so long to make the voyage before the huge balsa logs became so waterlogged that they would no longer float…similar story with the reed boats of the Ra voyages, all very exciting stuff

I lent the books to a mate and never got them back…(git)

 

[Manley JP]

Blimey DaveCL, Guess where I was born. Weymouth. My dad was Fleet Air Arm 56 to 72. Part based at Portland for many years.

I have not read Heyerdahl for decades but great reads.

 

[Keith 66]

I have always had a passion for boats, & became a boatbuilder. I read the Thor Heyerdal books as a child & still have them, part of my late Dads collection of marine books.
One book i can thoroughly recomend to anyone is The last Grain race by Eric Newby, he signed on to the 4 masted barque Moshulu just before WW2 & sailed to Australia & back in her, the only Englishman amongst a motley crew of Finns, Norwegians, Swedes & others.
That book paints a picture of what it was like to sail a square rigger like no other. Evocative, Funny & sad.

 

[Manley JP]

I downsize all of my books but had loads of maritime books, esp a few about the Admiral Nelson days and the R.N in those days and a couple about the Tea Clippers. Went to see the Cutty Sark, must be 20 years back, before its fire and rebuild. Was a great visit, as are the Portsmouth Dockyards. The Victory , the Warrior. All sadly things that many people would probably just pass by and not care about... maritime history. Have you ever read Robert Graves, Mr Keith66 ? historical novels such as The Golden Fleece. I have all of his works. Not read for years but am a big fan.

 

[martini1215]

I served my apprenticeship in Grimsby as a shipwright in the late 70's early 80's then fishing died out here. The company I worked for had a fleet of danish anchor seiners, oak frames with 3 inch oak planks.
After fishing stopped here I went to Cornwall building wooden boats a lot of Vivier tank crabbers and trawlers. While I was there I worked on a lot of classic sailing boats (look up Jolie Brise).
Came back to Grimsby and worked on a 3 masted schooer which hit the lock pits in Hull and broke her stem and a lot of planking

 

[Keith 66]

No i cant say i have, will have a look for those. Another book that is worth searching for is Hugh Falkus's book Stolen Years.
Its an account of his early years growing up living on a houseboat in Benfleet creek in the 1920's, wildfowling on the marshes & other misdemeanours. Beautifully written. He roamed & shot the same marshes & fields i later did in the 1970's so i can relate to it.

 

[Jay Butts]

I go sailing every year out in Greece for a couple of months at a time as my brother, after owning several before, now owns a brand new Oceanis 40.1.

I’m wanting my own but Mrs Butts wants a motorhome. She says they’re safer as motorhomes don’t sink or get head butted by Orcas.

Hmmm, we’ll just have to wait and see!

EDIT: Me on the left…looking like a salty old sea dog last summer. Lefkas, Lefkada.

 

[Pegasus]

I've been involved with boats for all my life.
Sailing,but I have been involved with motor boats as well.
I worked for 25 years maintaining,and as Mechanic aboard,a couple of twin engined motor boats with their associated equipment.
I've sailed wind surfers,to crewing square rigged vessels,and lots in between in my time.
My passion is Multihulls.
My last yacht was an 8m Trimaran,that I sailed mostly single handed.
This pic was 10 years ago,trying the spinnaker for size.
I've been after a Corsair F28 ever since.

For classic sailing /mountaineering adventure,Bill Tilman's books take some beating.
He lived locally,I've got a couple of signed editions,and some Christmas cards,given to my Parents.
A true British Hero.

 

[martini1215]

On the book subject, Schoonerman by Captain Richard England does take some beating.
Its the story of the life at sea from cabinboy to being owner/skipper of the last sail vessel trading around our coast.

 

[bi6als]

When I was younger my family had a Boat on the broads (Moonraker 44). I was very thirsty on Fuel so more often than not it stayed in its moorings. My brother who was a Navigator in the RAF once took it to Jersey but the cost was astronomic, extra safety stuff, Pilots and fuel with extra tanks. About 20 years ago I had a Seamaster 25 on the Trent. Only ever used it at weekends so it got a bit boring travelling one day out and the next one back. There was only 2 directions so only two places to go. The bost moored next to mine was massive Broom and it was gone for a while. Next time I saw him I asked where had he been and it was Copenhagen....up the Trent, down the Humber and across the sea. The flybridge on this boat must have been 20 feet above the water and he said on the approach to Copenhagen the sea was so rough the waves were higher than the boat and his engines just kept him at a standstill. Must have been scary. A few years ago I toyed with the idea of a Yacht on the broads. It would be silent, relaxing and calming. So I went for lessons, it was exactly the opposite. Never again, put me off sailing completely

 

[Byronic]

Great books, wonderful yarns.

I always fancied the idea of a yacht, partly stimulated by a beautiful boat at the local marina as a lad - looked like something out of a Bond movie to my adolescent eyes.

In my 50s I signed up for a few days RYC "Competent Crew Introduction" on the North Sea.
Amazing experience!

The boat moved as I stepped onto it at Felixstowe marina - hadn't expected that, just shows how ignorant I was.
The Captain was a "Barbara Woodhouse" type lady - quite formidable at first.
Once I explained to her that my knowledge base was less than zero - front end, back end of the boat was about it - she explained everything at in suitably moronic terms and we got along fine.

The way the boat moved under sail was hypnotic and seductive - just enchanting.
Less so under power, it seemed

We had 2 nights aboard IIRC and I slept like a baby with the boat moving gently on the river where we moored.
The considerable amount of alcohol consumed might have helped, maybe?

Wonderful fun, I loved every minute.

Too expensive to be viable as a hobby for me, though - that particular boat had a price tag of nearly double the value of my house.
Something Swedish built, I think.

 

[martini1215]

The company I worked for in about 1984 did a changeover on an anchor seiner called Taarnborg. When finished she was sailed to the Fslklands for investigative work on starting fisheries there.
I was at one point going to sail down with her but we became so busy I couldnt have time off.
The guy from Danbrit fisheries who skippered her took photos, wheelhouse windows just green with air bubbles going upwards.I have sailed on these type of boats in some pretty heavy weather and although never on one when it has done it they do go 360 deg. If caught wrongly.
I have seen coils of rope sat like a hoopla over the main and mizzen masts.
Also seen wheelhouses with no sides in them from bring hit by big waves

 

[Manley JP]

My dad was Royal Navy ,on the carriers 56 to 72 but while the weather was wild I am sure- nothing would compare to smaller vessels I bet. Just a wave or two hitting some of those sailing vessel and game over no doubt. The power of the sea, something you could not imagine unless you have been there I guess.

Great author is Ernle Bradford WW2 naval officer and author of many seafaring documentaries, often regarding the med and the Knights Of St John.

His book about the Knights during the siege of Malta is awesome. The Great Siege 1565- I have two titles by this author and had a few more but downsized. He was allowed to berth his boat in Valetta Harbour, while doing his research. Both titles I lent to someone and suspected I would not get them back, replaced them off ebay for a few pounds each.

The story of Grandmaster Valetta at age about 70, after a lifetime as a knight and once as Galley Slave and how he inspired the Knights of St John during the great siege, facing thousands of invading troops is truly epic. One of the Knights was captured by the Turks and under torture "told" them to attack the frontal Fort Of St Elmo, misleading them into losing weeks and hundreds of invading soldiers against the toughest part of the Knights defences.

-------------

In 1565 the Ottoman Empire was at its peak. Under their sultan, Solyman the Magnificent, the Turks had conquered most of Eastern Europe. The rulers of Christian Europe were at their wits' end to stem the tide of disaster. The Knights of St John, the fighting religious order drawn from most of the nations of Christendom had been driven from their island fortress of Rhodes 40 years earlier. From their new base of Malta their galleys had been so successful in their raids on Turkish shipping that the Sultan realised that only they stood between him and total mastery of the Mediterranean. He determined to obliterate the Knights of Malta. This reconstruction of the Siege of Malta brings history alive, and carries the reader through many battles, the heroism and the hunger to the relief which came, nearly too late, and the final victory.

 

[Gavlar1]

As a kid I used to crew for my dad in dingy races in the Thames estuary.Truth is, I never really liked racing with my dad (he took it too seriously) but had always had an ambition to take part in an off shore race. As I had at least some sailing experience and a background in marine electronics, in 1993 I was invited to join the crew of a yacht taking part in the Fastnet race. I think you normally have to qualify but our crew was given dispensation to race without qualifying due to our occupation. We had a few weekends on the yacht before the race. The skipper was experienced, at least compared to the rest of the crew, who were also mostly former dingy sailors. What none of us were expecting were gale force winds and the worst weather since the 1979 race where 15 participants died. We worked the boat in 4 hour stints, 4 on, 4 off. When not on, you would grab something to eat and dive into a bunk and try and sleep, which was exhausting, but when the storm hit, even if you did go to bed, you couldn't sleep through fear of the boat being knocked over. At it's worst, force 7 and 8 winds were blowing. For about 48 hours the storm persisted, I resigned myself to the fact that we would almost certainly end up in the water at some point and I would possibly die. It got so bad that at one point, the skipper wouldn't allow anyone below deck due to the likelihood of a squall knocking us over. Then, in the middle of the night, with waves so high you could be forgiven for thinking you were on the set of The Perfect Storm, we were hit by a gust. The yacht went over to starboard as the rest of the crew scrambled on to the port side, water was flooding over the starboard gunwale. I can remember thinking ***** this and jumping back into the water now flooding over the side and releasing the mainsheet, allowing the boat to ping back upright and preventing all of us having to go for a swim. I have never been so scared for so long, and hope I never am again. We got back in one piece and were then becalmed in sight of the Isle of White for another full day. Being wet for a week, not eating or sleeping properly and being petrified are not usually my idea of fun, I wont be doing it again.

 

[Manley JP]

Oh my days Mr Gavlar1 sounds like a total nightmare. Those modern racing boats too.. I bet they all can "go peter tong" /wrong, in a moment, if inclement weather and one or two factors come into play.. but if the weather is against you, one is totally up against it I guess. Sounds like you had a VERY lucky escape.

 

[Byronic]

I am not very brave on the water, preferring dry land to be near by.

Many years ago, * my then girlfriend and I were stranded on a Greek Island - Patmos IIRC - and need to get back to Piraeus (ultimately) for our flight home.

There were too many people waiting on the Quay so the ferry used a lifeboat to land their passengers but took nobody on board.

We and some other young hippy types hired one of the small local boats to get to Samos from where there were more ferries per day.

All seemed calm until we got out of the harbour at which point the boat was pitching up and down very dramatically.
Of the 20 ish people aboard, only the Captain and I were not seasick.
(By sheer dumb luck, I do not get motion sick at all.)

That was quite dramatic enough for me, to be honest.

Ferry crossings to the Isle of Man could be quite uncomfortable - the North Sea can be lively, even in June.
One time there was vomit slopping up and down the corridors outside the cabins!

There was a D Day veteran in a local pub where I used to drink.
He said the Landing Craft made him so seasick that he decided he would rather stay in France than get on
"another ****ing boat"
even to go home.
(Later on, he was wounded and flown home.)



*1978, I think.

 

[Manley JP]

Presume you may have been going to watch the Isle of Man TT races, when you were on the ferry, ok to ask, Mr Byronic ?