MOUNT’S
BAY LUGGER ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER
2006
Editorial
Your
association has had another successful year and
many of you have now sailed on “Happy Return”.
However, the committee recognise the need to
keep the wider membership informed of our
activities, particularly as we are gaining an
increasing number of supporters from outside of
Cornwall. For those with access to the Internet,
our website www.mbla.co.uk
is updated with association news but we will in
future attempt to produce a twice yearly
newsletter containing information on our
programme, together with short articles on some
of our activities. This letter contains reports
on some of this year’s sailing trips but we
need a regular supply of material for future
copies. Please forward anything you consider
might be of interest to our membership to Ray
Fordham, either by email to rmwfordham@dsl.pipex.com
or by post to 1,Higher Eglos Cottages, Ludgvan,
Penzance TR20 8HQ
Copy
for the next letter should reach me by the end
of March 2006.
The committee send members
and their families best wishes for Christmas and
the New Year.
Programme
Saturday 20 January.
Annual
Dinner at Yacht Inn, Penzance 7.30 for 8pm
Three
course meal. Main choice of Roast Pork, Roast
Beef or Vegetarian Dish.
Reservations
to John Tellam, Meadow Studio, 3 The Meadow,
Newlyn, Penzance TR18 5JJ (cost £14.50. Cheques
to be made out to Mount’s Bay Lugger
Association)
Wednesday 24 January. 7.30 pm Yacht Inn.. Lugger Skills. Informal
meeting over a drink to discuss the practical
aspects of sailing a lugger. Topics to include
ropes, charts, sails
etc.. Co-ordinated by Mark Mitchell.
Wednesday 21 February.
7.30 pm Yacht Inn. More Lugger Skills.
Wednesday 14 March. Annual General Meeting, The Reading Room,
Queen’s Hotel, Penzance,8.00pm
Nominations
for election to the Executive Committee and any
other business items should be sent in writing
to the secretary Ray Fordham by 1st March.
Members
are reminded that the annual subscription of £15
becomes due at the AGM. However, members who
joined after 1 September this year are covered
through to 2008.
Wednesday 21 March. 7.30 pm. Yacht Inn. (TBC) Yet more Lugger
Skills.
Work Sessions. Weather permitting, work sessions will take place on
Happy Return from about 11am on Saturdays
throughout the winter. Help get the lugger ship
shape in time for the 2007 Sailing Season.
Confirm arrangements with one of the skippers.
Help needed at the Newlyn Fish Festival. Our major fund raising
event of the year is barbecuing pilchards at the
Newlyn Fish Festival. This is conditional on us
having a member on the stand who holds a current
Basic Food Hygiene Certificate. We urgently need
a couple of members willing to attend the day
course at Penwith College to gain the
certificate and help on our stand at Newlyn. The
MBLA are willing to pay the fee if someone is
prepared to volunteer his or her time. Day
courses take place at the college on 18 January,
15 February, 15 March, 5 May and 14 June.
2006 Sailing Season. With a few changes due to weather and crew
availability, the programme took place as
scheduled. 77 members (almost 70 percent of the
total membership) sailed at least once on Happy
Return and many of these returned for more of
the fun. All members are entitled to participate
in the sailing activities but need to contact
the listed skipper beforehand as we are licenced
to carry 12 persons only. Some sailings are
inevitably cancelled due to bad weather.
2007 Sailing Programme. This is being put together over the winter
and a provisional version should be available in
time for the AGM. It will then be sent out to
members and posted on our website. If you have
any particular destinations or events that you
wish us to include, please let us know as soon
as possible. The following accounts give some
flavour of past trips.
Request for information. We are the proud owners of one of the few
remaining luggers built in Mount’s Bay but
where are the others? Please let us know of any
that you may come across in your travels.
Advertisement. Looking for a Christmas or Birthday present for
someone special? MBLA membership lasts a year
and contributes to the upkeep of Happy Return,
part of Cornwall’s maritime heritage.
‘HAPPY
RETURN’ enters P.A.S.A.B. 2006 by Peter May
PASAB,
from Penzance Around Scilly
And Back, is Penzance
Sailing Club’s annual race to the Scillies. It
was originally sailed without a stopover and to
achieve a 100 mile race, ‘a short run in the
wrong direction’ to Mountamopus Buoy was
included. This
original course is shown on the Overall Manzi
Trophy, donated by Mike Manzi, a local
jeweller.
From the original non-stop race, it progressed
to 2 legs comprising ‘to
Scilly’, then back
via Bishop
Rock Lighthouse. It increased to 3 legs thus
giving a ‘recovery’ day in Scilly, which
proved popular and was used for some 20 years.
The Club wished to celebrate the
Millennium and introduced a 4th leg
by splitting the round the islands leg into two
- the half including the Bishop Rock
Lighthouse one day and the other half the next
day. This
4-legged format has been used twice, but PASAB
is now back to 3 legs with two nights stopover
in Scilly.
This
year, MBLA entered “Happy Return” in PASAB -
a first for a lugger.
For those of you who understand these
things, a Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) handicap
number of 1100 was allocated.
The start at 2000 BST
Friday 28 July was very convenient as HW at
19.30 enabled us to depart the floating dock
just prior to the start.
Crew on board – Peter May, Mike Halse,
Mark Mitchell, John Tellam, Matt
Ninnis & Dave Keast.
Leg
1 of PASAB started from Penzance with a
South
force 3 wind, a beat to Lowlee Buoy, a
reach to Mountamopus Buoy, thence close hauled
to Scilly, passing south of the Wolf.
As Happy Return does not beat well, by
the time we reached Low Lee, the rest of the
fleet were well ahead.
The reach to Mountamopus saw us gaining a
little back on the fleet.
However, after rounding the buoy, we were
close hauled, and struggled to find the best
course. As all previous entrants know, it always
seems an age before the lights of Penzance
disappear and you get out of Mount’s Bay, and
this year was no exception.
It was gone midnight before we were along
the Southern shore, and heading out of the Bay.
By
the time we were abeam the Runnel Stone buoy, we
should have been miles further south, or should
that be ‘we
were miles further to the north than we should
have been’? At
this point, to further complicate matters, the
wind eased, and the boat slowed, so we had to
bear away to get enough boat speed to arrive at
the Wolf before the tide turned North.
We were not too concerned, as the strong
southerly tide once we were past Lands End would
help. The
wind started to pick up and it looked as though
we would pass south of the Wolf, but alas, it
veered to SSW, heading us again.
What is it you say? “the best laid
plans of mice & men” or “that’s
sailing for you”.
The
result of all this veering etc, the tide was now
against the wind and the sea state roughened,
so, by the time we were level with the Wolf, we
were 0.9 mile North of the Lighthouse.
By now, the sea was very sloppy (see
above - the tide against the wind!), but Happy
Return was coping marvellously despite throwing
a lot of water around. We tried going about and reducing sail by dropping the
forelug as we tacked from port tack to starboard
tack and hoisting the mizzen as a main on
starboard tack.
Happy
Return did not go through the wind, so we
decided to gybe around.
However, there was too much power in the
small mizzen, so we had to drop it to enable us
to gybe. During
this time we lost even more distance to
windward, and were now 1.8 miles from the Wolf.
The tide had now turned and was running
North strongly.
Happy Return could now only steer a
course of 120° magnetic. Add to this the tide
and leeway, we were heading back towards the
Lizard and it would take forever to make enough
South to clear the Wolf.
With many crewmembers now feeling ill
from the sheer effort of the tacking manoeuvres,
we decided to tack (gybe around) and head
directly for Scilly. By passing north of the
Wolf meant we had to officially retire from Leg
1 of PASAB.
Happy Return tramped along at 7 knots
making good time.
But, when we were within 8 miles of St
Mary’s, the wind headed us thus reducing our
speed to 2.5 knots.
We started the engine and motored in
through Crow Sound arriving at St Mary’s at
07.20 BST where we tied up alongside the quay
with other entrants.
Breakfast, some sleep, and then to the
Mermaid to recuperate ready for the next day’s
leg ‘Around the Islands’.
Leg 2 started Sunday
0900 BST. The course was from St Mary’s,
clockwise around all Islands and drying rocks,
back to St Mary’s.
The wind was SW 2-5.
We started on a port tack and held that
tack to within a few yards of Samson shore. A tack here saw us making Stevel and St Mary’s sound.
We
met “Grendel” returning to the harbour with
a damaged bow. Now how did that happen we
wondered? After
we reached Spanish Ledge Buoy we could only
harden up a little.
By this time, most of the fleet was
almost out of sight near Gorregan. Three miles
south of St Agnes, just before we tacked we
passed close to David Thompson who was trawling
with Swan Dancer.
A tack here saw us clearing Pednathise.
The tide now started running against the
wind helping us on our way, but kicking up a
steep sea. As we passed the Gilstone we could
ease the sails and free off for a super sail to
the Bishop Rock Lighthouse.
We passed the Bishop at 12.59 BST. At
13.45 we were north of Tresco and could see
Cromwell’s Castle. The winds lightened in the
lee of the islands and progress slowed. This leg
of the race has a time limit and with the
handicap we had been allocated we had to finish
by 17.48 BST. It became obvious we were not going to meet this time limit
but we sailed until 17.45 when we retired at
Hats Buoy. Again we moored alongside the quay at
St Mary’s.
We had booked a table for a meal in the
Scillonian Club where the Sailing Club was
presenting the Venus trophy for Leg 2.
This was won By David Mawer of St
Mary’s in his Hunter Sonata “Mood Dancer”
(formerly “Ludwig”, and renamed “Black
Adder” at Penzance Sailing Club).
Monday
0900 BST was the start of Leg
3 back to Penzance.
Frank Gibson wanted Happy Return to
be close to the end of the quay to take some
photos. Typically, with restricted space in this area, we did not
have a good start. The wind was SW 4-5 and again
we tacked close to Sampson shore to make St
Mary’s sound.
After we passed the Woolpack Beacon, it
was downhill all the way. By 12.50 BST we were at the Wolf. Three miles passed the Wolf
and a Mayday relay came over the radio.
Yacht “Sequester” was dismasted in a
position 49° 59’.044 N, 005° 38’.081 W, 3
½ miles south of Logan Rock. This was 4 miles
ahead of our position so we altered course 080°.
When we reached “Sequester”, her
mast, rigging & sails were all hanging over
the side. The
Penlee Lifeboat was on her way so we stood by
for 20 minutes until the lifeboat arrived. We then hoisted the sails and continued to race.
We crossed the finishing line at 15h 57m
31s BST. cAt least we finished this leg.
On our time slips we claimed redress for
the time we were standing by “Sequester”.
Unfortunately, our race position in this
leg was not calculated, as we were in a class of
our own and not in the running for any prizes,
having retired from two legs, and a protest
meeting would have to consider our claim for
redress.
Dave Keast, master
photographer, filmed during the race and has
produced a video.
This will be shown at a Winter talk or
some other convenient occasion.
Do come along to these evenings.
Shall
we put PASAB into the programme next year? When
we get the dates, see the tides and see what
other events are programmed we will decide. Any
preferences or suggestions please let us know.
St. Ives and Back by Mark Mitchell
Earlier
this year a plot was hatched over in St. Ives to
build some new boats, well replicas of some
rather old boats which are known as Jumbos. The
plan was to encourage the building of these
craft and in doing so revive the maritime
heritage of the town. Thus an invitation was
received to participate in two races in the bay
at St. Ives on Saturday 9th of
September 2006. The event being titled ‘BOATS
IN THE BAY’ celebrating
the launch of the Jumbo Project.
The
weekend of the 9th was programmed for
a day sail with myself as skipper, so when David
Need suggested with some enthusiasm that we must
attend, the ball soon went into motion and David
become the mate.
Finding a crew proved to be very easy,
thus with a week to go we were all sorted.
Skipper
Mark Mitchell.
Mate
David Need
Crew
Alan MacRea, Chris Hughes, Jol Paling,
Davie Keast and Neil Wearne
So
far, so good.
Now what of the weather.? The master plan
was to move the Happy Return from Penzance to
Newlyn on the Friday afternoon, then depart
Newlyn on the Friday night, sailing around Lands
End and up the North Coast, making the best of
the tide. This
plan in principle was a very sound plot but for
one thing, the weather, to say that it was a bit
windy is definitely an under statement.
South Easterly at that, straight into
Mount’s Bay. Not to be put off, at 4pm we
mustered and proceeded to Newlyn.
This little passage was described by one
crewmember as lively, another under statement.
Putting into Newlyn on one of the highest
tides of the year, it was deemed much safer to
be moored next to a big Scottish scalloper,
where after some discussion departure was
delayed until Saturday morning.
At
nine o’clock the intrepid crew mustered aboard
by which time the wind, which was still in the
South East, had reduced
to a force four.
There was still a fair ground swell so we
motored out to a position about a mile south of
St. Clement’s Island prior to hoisting the
large fore lug and the small mizzen sail.
The effect was instant, the boat took off
over the ground at about eight knots.
This weekend having some of the largest
tides of the last twenty years, meant that with
the tide and the boat speed together we were
flying. In
a very short time we came up to the Runnel
Stone, another mile and the lug was dipped,
putting us on a heading to pass one mile to the
West of the Longships.
Taking an offshore route the tide and the
wind stayed in our favour, until we were abeam
of Gurnards Head, where at last the South
Easterly wind which had helped us so much, now
set on a course well to the north of St.Ives.
Tacking up the coast we resolved not to
start the engine, but to sail the complete
passage, thus at five in the afternoon we
arrived just in time to witness the end of the
second race between The Dolly and The Barnabas.
Even
with our late arrival, the reception which we
received was wonderful.
As we entered the anchorage our pilots
came aboard in the form of Kirstan Gorvin and
Mike Laity who promptly had us on a mooring in
the Harbour. Legs over the side, a lift to shore
and up the pub for a well earned pasty and a
pint. Later
at the Fisherman’s Rest there were
presentations to racers, winners and the odd
late arrival, followed by one or two more pints
and a late night snack. It would also be very
amiss of me not to thank the Harbour Master,
“Steve Bassett and the St. Ives sailing club
for the welcome which we received.
Next
morning, maybe not so bright, we motored out and
picked up the Westbound tide in very light
winds. The trip down the North Coast was very
pleasant with the large foresail pulling gently
and bit of breakfast as we went.
True to Murphy’s law, life is just not
that simple and just as we were passing Pendeen
Light a fog came up. Just like pea soup it was!
The Radar was switched on with Alan
MacRea taking the watch and lookouts posted.
We did see the Longships as we passed and
the Runnel Stone coupled with a fleeting glimpse
of Porthcurno.
Otherwise the fog hid us all until our
arrival at Penzance Quay.
One again the Happy Return returns.
Carry on up the
Tamar by Ray Fordham
If
the previous two articles have left you
exhausted read on. This trip was as relaxing as
a Saga holiday. Previously scheduled as a cruise
to Ireland or France we settled for a relaxing
sail along the South Cornwall coast. This
wasn’t a case of poor navigation but rather a
problem with weather prospects and crew
availability. Anyway why go abroad when you
already live in God’s own country?
Bob Glanville and Mike Halse were skipper and mate, the crew
consisted of John Tellam, Mike Williams, Craig
Jackson, David Gibbon and Ray Fordham. With
no-one to race and nothing to prove the trip was
a holiday. No night sailing – you can
appreciate the scenery better by day.
We
left Penzance on 13 June and headed round the
Lizard to our first night on a mooring off St
Mawes, What do seven men do on a mooring? They
don life jackets and go ashore in a rubber
dinghy – the first party scouting for a pub.
This became a well-established routine.
Day
2 we were more active and fished for mackerel.
Happy Return is a decommissioned fishing boat
but we assume that catching your lunch is not
prohibited by DEFRA. David proved himself to be
not only a master surgeon but a master chef.
Mackerel have never tasted so good and not a
bone in sight! At Fowey we moored close to the
harbour. A shower at the sailing club and a meal
at the Lugger Restaurant ended a perfect day.
Day
3 – after leaving Fowey at 12.30 we passed
through the ‘bridge’ which is actuallly a
narrow channel west of Drake’s Island, and
into the Tamar Estuary. It soon became clear
that an unwritten rule of the road is that the
British Navy has right of way over a Cornish
lugger, even if she is under sail. By 14.30. we
were motoring under the Tamar Suspension Bridge
and in too much of a hurry to arrive at our
destination in the upper reaches of the river.
By 17.30 we were waiting for the tide at the
north east of Hatton Quay. Once we had water
under our keel we made rapid progress to
Calstock where we moored .Like intrepid
explorers seeking a North passage to the Severn
Estuary, we pushed on further with the local
ferry man, passing the Garlandstone, a 1909
ketch, at Morwelham Quay. Will she ever see the
sea again? Finally no way through so back to
Happy Return and a trip ashore in the dinghy for
dinner and a drink.
Day
4 – left the mooring at 08.10 – early for a
holiday but ‘time and tide wait for no man’
particularly when he is on a boat. We were under
full sail as we passed under Brunel’s Bridge
– he would have taken it for granted but the
Navy were probably a little nonplussed as we
sailed through their dockyard.
From
now on it was homeward bound – first stop the
Fal River and eventually a mooring off Smugglers
Cottage and yes- a short trip ashore for a
drink.
Day
5 – the day started with a
trip up the Truro River to Malpas before
returning to
Carrick Road and sailing in very light
winds. We managed to reach Helford under sail
and spent our final night on a mooring close to
the yacht club.
Day
6 – an early start and back to Penzance just
before bad weather set in.
From the Ship’s Log
Saturday November 18th 1854
Course WSW. Wind ENE
9am. All hands on board, slipped from the mooring and made sail for
Australia.
11am Abreast of the Wolf
Rock, with the storm foresail and jib set
squared.
Noon. A pleasant breeze and cloudy weather.
No,
not Happy Return but an earlier Mount’s Bay
Lugger, the Mystery, en route to
Australia
Saturday
March 10th 1855
Ship
riding to a raft prepared for the purpose to
enable us to stem the briny ocean.
11 pm
made the Australian land between
Cape
Northumberland and
Cape
Bridgewater
