Letters
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http://www.twitter.com/p_b_o http://www.facebook.com/practicalboatownermagIn all honesty
■ I visited Eilean Mòr recently after
seeing it in your ‘Free anchorage’
feature (PBO September). I’ve
visited the island regularly over the
years as my Macwester Rowan 22,
La Mia, is moored in Loch Sween.
I tried to recreate the photo in
John Simpson’s article, but the
wind had changed since his visit.
Although the anchorage is
technically free, the trust for the
island does ask for a donation in
their honesty box to help with
upkeep of the jetty, visitor centre
and the island itself.
Robin Gosman, by emailThe wrong long
■ I have just got around to reading
Claudia Myatt’s fascinating article
‘Castles, crab pots and a man
called Chaos’ (PBO August). One
thing puzzled me, though: Claudia
reported seeing the Longships
lighthouse to port when sailing
inshore of the Farne Islands. As I
live in south-west Cornwall I am
used to observing the very same
lighthouse a mile or so off Land’s
End! Could she be mistaken for
the more picturesque but shorter
Longstone lighthouse, perhaps?
Charlie Hood
SY Santiana, NewlynClaudia Myatt replies:
Oops! That would be seriously
bad navigation, wouldn’t it?
Defi nitely a slip of the fi ngers: well
spotted, Charlie. I do spend plentySole purpose
■ The fi rst time I wore my DuBarry
sailing boots I was racing in a
Force 8, and from that day
onwards I was a fan. They weren’t
cheap, but having warm, dry feet
in those conditions is priceless.
Since then I have crossed oceans,
sailed in a dozen countries and
taught hundreds of students – and
recommended these boots to
most of them.
Recently the soles have worn
down and no longer grip:
nevertheless, the leather is still
almost as new, so I contacted
the company to have the boots
resoled, only to be told that
changes to the design mean
they can no longer be repaired,
and I was advised to ‘buy a new
pair’. This sits very poorly with me
for so many reasons: DuBarry
used to make boots which could
be resoled, so why was this
change made?
Richard Keeling, by email
Laura Egan of DuBarry replies:
DuBarry changed over to
direct-inject moulded technology
in the early 2000s to provide a far
superior sole bond. Prior to this
our soles were ‘stuck and stitched’
to the leather uppers. With the
direct-injection moulded process
the sole is effectively fused onto
the upper, resulting in a signifi cant
reduction in sole bond failure.
However, as there is no longer a
defi ned separation of sole and
Robin Gosman’s Macwester Rowan 22, La Mia, in Eilean MòrWhat does an area marked by this dashed
line and symbols denote on a chart?
A. Tidal fl ow station
B. Minelaying (and countermeasure)
practice area
C. Firing practice area
D. Wave farm
■ Find the solution at the bottom of page 988LI/M[MTVST *IEXLIVMRK 4VSTIPPIV
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TUBJOMFTTTUFFMCPTTrBEKVTUBCMFQJUDIr[FSPCMBEFDPSSPTJPO
,mCMBEF,JXJQSPQrUPIQFOHJOFTr"MMTJ[FTb 7"
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7&$5"."3*/&r5FM
rXXXWFDUBNBSJOFDPNrTBMFT!WFDUBNBSJOFDPNupper, we cannot replace the sole.
It is our experience that sole wear
is quite rare given the high density
of the rubber outsole, especially if
worn primarily on the deck of a
boat as opposed to everyday-wear
on hard stone and concrete
surfaces. Replacement of the sole
is possible in some circumstances,
but we cannot always stand over
the integrity of the Gore-Tex lining
which can become compromised
when attempting to separate sole
and upper. In Richard’s case we
would be happy to carry out this
evaluation if he wishes to get in
touch with me.of time in Cornwall looking at
Longships light and sketching it
from the shore, so it was obviously
on my mind! Many apologies.Raft up or put up?
■ For many years now, it has been
commonplace for sailors to raft up
with other boats in harbours and
marinas. We no longer question
whether it is fair that full dues are
charged for each of the craft using
the same berth. I recently visited
one such place where the authority
had made more residential berths,
thus reducing the visitor capacity.
I can understand why this was
done, as the residents bring in a
steady income while summer trade
is spasmodic. I’d be dreaming if
I thought any marina or harbour
would be so benevolent as to
give a discount to all involved.
Nevertheless, surely that should be
the case? I realise that this may not
be practical as friends would raft up
deliberately, and it would be openlyabused with rallies. Obviously the
answer is to refuse to be rafted up,
but that is often the only option.
Sometimes rafting can be horrible,
with people thumping across your
deck or wanting to leave at
unearthly hours: but it can also be
amicable, and I have made many
new friends in such a situation.
Jim Mottram, by email■ This is our border collie Isla,
pictured at the age of 13 weeks
on her fi rst sail from Oban. She
loves being on Alteena, our
MG30, and is an amazing little
seadog: but she’s not keen on
her lifejacket just yet!
Laura Stewart