Orkney 09

[BruceB]

Originally Posted by The Beard

I asked earlier if your boat was rated B or C, and which category the areas you were sailing through came under. If you could enlighten me that would be great.

Absolutely no idea, have a look on Humbers website.

[alystra]

Great pics and vid Bruce. The boat look really good. Is it as good as you hoped? The side by side console looks a better idea than my single seater.

Re. the Category. I think mine is B. Not sure why the question was asked.

ATB Tony

[The Beard]

Originally Posted by alystra

Great pics and vid Bruce. The boat look really good. Is it as good as you hoped? The side by side console looks a better idea than my single seater.

Re. the Category. I think mine is B. Not sure why the question was asked.

ATB Tony

I don't have a boat yet and before I commit myself I'm trying to find out as much as I can. I've been reading magazines and browsing the 'net in the hope of gaining enough information to gain an insight into what various kinds of boats can do.

The only way I think I can do this is to ask questions as and when subjects come into my mind. Some of them will be banal or irrelevant to those with plenty of experience, but to me they may be unfathomable (sic). The amount of information available in road tests of cars is vast in comparison with what's presented in a boat test.

With the exception of something like a G-Whizz, any car I buy in this country is capable of doing almost anything I want it to do. If I buy a boat and want to sail across Biscay, it's a bit late the day before I set off to find out I can only stray a couple of miles offshore.

I don't plan to cross the Atlantic or break any Round the World records, but I wouldn't mind in the future doing what Bruce has done and sail round the Scottish Islands or to the Channel Islands. In light of this I think it might be an idea to know what kind of boat I'll need.

[Bern Hanreck]

Beardie , you are doing many of the right things by coming on here and asking lots of questions ( but don't forget to try the search facility as well , because so many of the questions that you will want to ask have already been asked before , several times in different ways ) .


Another very practical approach is watch cruises being arranged , and ask if you might come along , try a few boats as a passenger , maybe do a bit of helming if you are up to it and get a real feel for what you want . These might be formal or informal RIBnet cruises , or ( as I did ) , check out the BIBOA cruise programme .

Also do a search on appropriate training . If you are serious about become a ribber , unless you have a wealth of boating experience behind you , you will probably want to consider an RYA PB2 and VHF courses as a minimum .

[Jon.esp]

Looks like you all had a great time Bruce (Dog included)

Did you take the Humber over on a ferry?
Where did you stay?
Were you based in one place and make day trips?

All that sort of stuff needs planning

Jon

[The Beard]

Originally Posted by Bern Hanreck

Beardie , you are doing many of the right things by coming on here and asking lots of questions ( but don't forget to try the search facility as well , because so many of the questions that you will want to ask have already been asked before , several times in different ways ) .


Another very practical approach is watch cruises being arranged , and ask if you might come along , try a few boats as a passenger , maybe do a bit of helming if you are up to it and get a real feel for what you want . These might be formal or informal RIBnet cruises , or ( as I did ) , check out the BIBOA cruise programme .

Also do a search on appropriate training . If you are serious about become a ribber , unless you have a wealth of boating experience behind you , you will probably want to consider an RYA PB2 and VHF courses as a minimum .

Thanks very much for the advice Bern, there are some good ideas there. Search facilities on Forums are a bit of a mystery to me (I am to all things computer-related what the Titanic was to the promotion of Trans-Atlantic passenger shipping) but I'll give it a go.

As for going along on a cruise that would be great, if I can find anyone who wants some ballast.

I got very close to booking a Level 2 Power Boat Course a few weeks ago; until I found out I'd been slated for some overtime that weekend. I've only driven one once when I bumped into one of the regulars on here in Caernarfon who took me out for half an hour. It was very calm, but just re-inforced in my mind that I really wanted to give it a go.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by The Beard

The only way I think I can do this is to ask questions as and when subjects come into my mind.

I don't want to take this any further "off topic" than necessary - so suggest you search for something like RCD Category on here for more discussion - but the general consensus is not to place too much reliance on the rating. It costs more money to get a boat through RCD cat B than RCD cat C and so some supplier choose to just list boats as cat C rather than go through the extra hoops and expense. Accordingly a good cat C boat may be much more capable than a borderline cat B boat that scraped through at the minimum requirements.

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Accordingly a good cat C boat may be much more capable than a borderline cat B boat that scraped through at the minimum requirements.

Indeed .. cats are no degree of build strength in my opinion (well researched) , dont place too much weight on it Beard .. if you have a decent boat, and youve done your homework for your passage plan and watched your weather,.. that is far more important IMHO


And to the OP,.. Bruce .. how the feck to you get so much time off to do these cruises

[BruceB]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

And to the OP,.. Bruce .. how the feck to you get so much time off to do these cruises

I've only had two weeks off in the last 12 months and have spent both on cruises, I have an understanding missus who likes going cruising which is at least some compensation for being a nagging, moaning b***h the rest of the time

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by BruceB

I've only had two weeks off in the last 12 months and have spent both on cruises, I have an understanding missus who likes going cruising which is at least some compensation for being a nagging, moaning b***h the rest of the time

..... shopping .. shopping .. shopping ..always remember you didnt let her ashore enough then .. no wait .. I know there wasnt an M&S within a hundred yards of your destinations on Orkney

Sorry Mrs BB

[BruceB]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

..... shopping .. shopping .. shopping ..always remember you didnt let her ashore enough then .. no wait .. I know there wasnt an M&S within a hundred yards of your destinations on Orkney

Sorry Mrs BB

There isn't an M&S on Orkney at all, the nearest is Inverness. however there is a Sheila Fleet and Ortak

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by BruceB

There isn't an M&S on Orkney at all, the nearest is Inverness. however there is a Sheila Fleet and Ortak

yes I know that ..... I think your are becoming hen pecked !! ..and I'm getting worried about you now,.. I think you need some 'man' cruising time

[The Beard]

Thanks to both Polwart and Bigmuz7. This is just the sort of information I was looking for when I came on here in the first place.

Right, I'll bog off now and leave this post the way I found it.

[BruceB]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

I think you need some 'man' cruising time

Now I am worried, the least that can happen is we end up in the bilges and the worst is that we join George Michael in the cells

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by BruceB

Now I am worried, the least that can happen is we end up in the bilges and the worst is that we join George Michael in the cells

Dont worry about that .. others are hard at it like hammer and tongs here