DIY cockpit
tent
In response to Ann Berry’s
article ‘DIY Sprayhood and
Bimini’ PBO August 2019:
We too made our own
cockpit canopy tent having
bought a heavy industrial
sewing machine and taught
ourselves to use it! I am so
proud of it that I wanted to
show you!
We bought our dream
yacht in Barcelona and
sailed it back to sunny
Tayport, so we knew we had
to be prepared for the
Scottish weather. We already
had a bimini but felt the price
of a bespoke cockpit tent
was rather high! So my
partner Colin decided to bite
the bullet and design our
own around the bimini.
Initially we found a local
seamstress, but it soon
became apparent that to get
the correct sewing lines andReaders share their thoughts and opinions
Letters
Email [email protected]
or write to us at the address on page 5.
Photos are appreciated, letters may be edited.Great to read John
Scott’s account (PBO
Summer 2019) on
crossing the Thames
Estuary. As this is a well
travelled route of mine
may I share two potential
shortcuts that would
shave a couple of hours
of the passage: First is to
use Foulger’s Gatt rather
than Fisherman’s Gatt –
it’s a shorter route, and
has the fun of sailing right
through the middle of a
wind farm. The second is
to avoid the dog-leg of
Black Deep by sailing a
direct course over Sunk
Sands above Foulger’s
Gatt. Indeed Jon does
mentions this option
however does not give the
draught of his yacht. I do my
own survey at the start of eachovercome any sudden issues
we needed to sew it ourselves.
We purchased a fairly heavy
industrial sewing machine and
off we went!
It has taken about six
months to get our cockpit tentfinished around a fairly busy
work schedule and some
minor adjustments along
the way, but I am now able
to sit comfortably inside
listening to the rain and
wind outside, feeling warm
and cosy! It did take a while
to do, but we now have our
own bespoke cockpit tent
and are ready to face the
whatever the Scottish
Summer throws at us!
Heather Shrimpton
Dollaryear to find out exactly the
best place to cross, and have
always found at least 2.5m atCrossing the bar
I hope this will be an
inspiration to other readers
tired of keeping their dinghies
afloat and in possession of a
circular saw...
AnonymousThames
Estuary
shortcutMaster
Under God
Following
your request
for info on
the yacht
Cliperau in
your last two
editions, I
wonder if
you were
aware of the book written
about Cliperau and the
Scimitar Sailing School?
Master Under God was written
by the owner of the school,
Anthony W Harris. It includes a
lot of info and pictures.
Keith PrykeOysters
overboard!
In the article on SEA-KIT, the
autonomous vessel (PBO
June 2019) that delivered
oysters to Belgium, one
wonders why, with no
personnel on board, there is a
need for a liferaft!
Bob GrayWhy the liferaft for robo-boat?Thames
EstuaryNorth
SeaKENTSISHLEE^ OF
PPEYFOULNESS
ISLANDMISERSEA
LANDESSEXDoverFolkestoneFisherman’s
Gatt
10301330Arrive: 1500South
CorkCork
SandsPye
EndSouth
ForelandHarwichWalton-
on-the-
NazeTitmarsh
MarinaGranville DockColchesterBurnham
on CrouchNnautical mile010Black
D
ee
pSunk
SandEast
Margate
North
Foreland0700Start: 05400930any state of the tide. I’m
usually always crossing it
right on low water but for
us East Coast sailors
having a spare metre
under the keel is massive!
Happy Sailing.
Bob Darby
LondonJohn Scott replies:
I always used to go
through Foulger’s Gatt
until they built the wind
farm. Although I accept it
is slightly shorter, I dislike
being in a forest of
windmills! As far as the
shortcut across the sands
is concerned, I always use
this route whenever
possible but on my
outward route, leaving at
just after high water
Walton, it means crossing
the sands on a falling tide
about 3 hours after HW;
Although I only draw 1.6m, I’m
a cautious fellow!Prepared for Scottish
summer sailing!