Contributions to the NRSC Newsletter are welcome: please send them to collinsmark@gmail.com

MESSAGE FROM THE COMMODORE

Dear NRSC Members

With most of our boats out of the water or safely moored against storms

Ciara and Dennis some people may wonder what we get up to at this time

of year. The Committee and helpers have had no slack period. With

subscriptions now gathered in, the Red Book is well under way towards

publication and checks are being made at the Anchorage.

A shout-out for the Fitting Out Lunch on Saturday 28th March has already

gone. Many thanks to all those helping with the catering! All members -

please do get back to Judy Jarvey asap with your ticket requests.

Do remember that the Fitting out Lunch also includes a boat jumble that sees

50% of sales to the Club and the rest back to you, so do sort out your surplus

boat stuff from the bottoms of lockers, the back of sheds and garages and

bring it along. Someone else will make good use of it. We also need your

unwanted books and boating magazines, and some nice raffle prizes please!

For the brave there is no let-up. I received a report from Brian Gray about a

great outing on Tallulah in January when he “had the best sail ever today,

three reefs and still making 6.8mph with 30 degrees of heel”. Exciting stuff!

The sailing programme is all in place and the eating venues booked for the

regatta events. There has however been one change to the Summer

Regatta as Black Horse Broad is not available for the Sunday, so we will

organise a passage race back to the Anchorage on that day.

It is great to see more members making contributions to the Newsletters.

Jeff Harteveldt’s article in this edition gives us some guidance on those

maintenance jobs that are always waiting for attention….

Do keep the Newsletter articles coming. Before long, the ‘Message from the

Commodore’ could just be “Please find attached”!

Michael Sparrow Commodore

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 29th February Ropes and Rules 2nd Session Acle: contact Tom Parkinson

14th March Ropes and Rules 3rd Session Acle: contact Tom Parkinson

21st March Ropes and Rules 4th Session Acle: contact Tom Parkinson

28th March Fitting-out Lunch Hoveton Village Hall

11th April RNLI Collection, Wroxham

15th April Work Party Anchorage

25th – 26th April Spring Trophy Barton Broad

NORTHERN RIVERS

SAILING CLUB

NEWSLETTER No. 348 February 2020

www.nrscsailingclub.com

Commodore Michael Sparrow

showing the way on previous

winter duties at the

Anchorage.

NRSC PIX

Contributions to the NRSC Newsletter are welcome: please send them to collinsmark@gmail.com

ROPES AND RULES: Introduction to River Racing

Sailing Secretary Tom Parkinson kicked off the first of our four-part training sessions on Saturday 1st February with a morning devoted to setting a course and managing a race safely and successfully. Aimed principally at budding Officers of the Day and Timekeepers, the material also proved extremely useful to racing helms.

More than twenty members convened at Weavers Way Barn, where the friendly and discursive atmosphere quickly put everyone at their ease and in good shape to pay attention to Tom’s slideshow. Starting with responsibilities of race management, Tom went on to cover interactions between yachts, how to set a course, starting positions on rivers and broads, timekeeping, managing the finish and a few words about handicaps.

It’s not easy to understand all the bells, whistles and flags involved in a race if you are a newcomer or a bit rusty but Tom patiently and clearly worked through all the basics. The information is all there but you have to know the flags in particular. He emphasised that NRSC members need to be good boat-handlers to tackle the narrow confines of the river, with little room for manoeuvre. On broads there is more space and Tom ran through the special race instructions concerning Committee boats, triangles, sausages and where to go when.

Particularly interesting were Tom’s explanations of how the boats themselves disturb the wind and affect competitors in different positions.

Don’t miss the second session Sat 29th February below – register with Tom.

NRSC PIX

Contributions to the NRSC Newsletter are welcome: please send them to collinsmark@gmail.com

PREPARING FOR THE NEW SEASON - by Jeff Harteveldt

There are some jobs you can only do whilst the boat is out of the water.

Here are some ideas to create your own list, but bear in mind that they can

take longer than you originally thought!

HULL: Clean limescale from the waterline with acid; then wash the hull

down with GRP cleaner and mask off for anti-fouling. Use T-cut for any

stubborn scuffs and marks. Wash’n’wax the hull and finally apply a wax

polish for good looks all season. Check the prop for dings (most can be

gently knocked out) and make sure the log and sounder are clean. Check

rudder bearings, anode and keel, including inside bolts.

RIGGING: Check all running rigging and either replace or remove to clean.

Check standing rigging, bottle screws, guard rails, mast lowering system.

Remove pulleys and halyard for cleaning.

MAST: Wipe down mast and spreaders, wind indicator, lights & radio

fittings.

DECK: Check deck fittings and winches - re-bed where necessary. Clean drain holes. Use GRP cleaner, wash ‘n’ wax and a wax polish as for hull. INTERIOR: Wipe down all surfaces using a suitable cleaner and damp cloth, then dry. Clean cabin floor and carpet. Check and replace all items removed; cutlery, charts, winch handles, pennants, kettle, cushions etc.

ELECTRICS AND WATER: Charge and securely replace batteries. Reconnect all taps/water containers. Once in the water again de-winterise the engine cooling system and replace filters, impeller and engine oil as needed. Return the mudweight, fenders, warps and safety equipment. Good luck with your jobs and happy sailing! For expert advice and great products call in at Hugh Crane on South Walsham Rd just outside Acle. They have an excellent range of cleaning products and offer discounts to NRSC members. Always carefully follow instructions on cleaning and anti-fouling products.

NRSC PIX

Contributions to the NRSC Newsletter are welcome: please send them to collinsmark@gmail.com

NRSC QUIZ (Answers below)

1. The running lights of a boat tell you what three things about the vessel? 2. How many compass points are there? 3. What are the abbreviations for fixed and flashing lights? 4. A dog watch lasts for how many hours? 5. A seaman’s name for a reef knot tied upside down is called what? 6. What is the origin of boat’s “head”? 7. What is the name for the line painted on a ship’s hull just above the waterline to delineate the topside from the bottom paint? 8. A tide that has two equal daily high waters and two equal daily low waters is known as what? 9. What does the U flag signify? 10. A boat on starboard tack gives way to a boat on port tack. True or false?

TALES FROM THE RIVERBANK by “Ratty”

In winter or early spring visit Barton Broad either by boat or on foot along the boardwalk from Neatishead and you will be rewarded with the wonderful sight of courting Goldeneye. These superb diving ducks enjoy the deeper water on Barton, where they feed on insects, crustaceans and molluscs. At this time of year, the males rear up in the water and show off their iridescent green-black heads with a white spot near the bill and lustrous golden-yellow eye. The females are impressed but they will migrate back to Scandinavia, the Baltic states and Russia before laying their eggs in tree-hole nests.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE WINS THROUGH ….. by John Bain

Commodore’s Cup Weekend – long ago - start at the Anchorage, finish at Reg Chambers’ property in Horning. On one part of the course, opposite Ranworth Dyke, to avoid going aground, I hollered “Water please” a number of times and then started to tack. Just as I was completing this manoeuvre, a “willy wa” came funnelling down Ranworth Dyke, hit my sails and blew me back on course. At the finish I discovered that there was a protest against me, but after the protest meeting I was told that I should not have been protested when having an advantage from a “willy wa”.

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ

1. The direction the vessel is travelling, the size and what the vessel is doing; 2. 32; 3. F. and Fl; 4. Two; 5. Rogue knot; 6. The toilet was placed at the fore of the ship, aft the bowsprit and leeward!; 7. Boot-top; 8. Semidiurnal tide; 9. You are running into danger; 10. False.

Eastwood Whelpton

01493 750430Barnwell Print

01263 732767

Boulter Marine

01692 630498

The White Horse Upton

01493 750696

EWS Engineers

01493 394024

Acle Bridge Inn

01493 750288

Norfolk Marine Chandlers

01603 783150

Hugh Crane Cleaning

01493 688250

Tim Waters Boat Safety

01692 670725

Ludham Bridge Boatyard

01692 631011

The Old Rectory Hotel

01603 738513

Brian Ward Chandlery

01603 712213

Jeckells Sails

01603 782223

Roy Wilkerson Hardware

01493 750262

NRSC PARTNERS