Proposed Seagull Marathon early next summer 2011 May/June

[Charles uk]

Thanks for the offer Robin, but we seem to have that well covered at the moment, can we pencil you in as a reserve?
We're planning on doing the costal section at the top of the tide.

Obviously this will be weather dependant

HA & I are planning a recce in the next few weeks to establish a 26 mile course & an inshore course should this prove neccessary.

Without a few challenges the Marathon would be a waste of time, like going 26 miles around two buoys in the local boating lake, giving nothing to talk about afterwards.

Little boats ride up & down bumps much dryer than big heavy ones.

Here's a copy of the first draft of the motor rules for the 2 classes.

Permissable motor types
Classic Motor Class 102cc 102, Century & Silver Century Models
Models 75, 80, 90 & 110
Including serial numbers starting, OJ, ON, OP, SN, SD, C, D, AC, TC, WC, AD, TD, WD, AHC, THC, WHC, EC, ED, EHC, LLS, W, CP, WP, CPC, WPC, S, WS, WSC, ESC, SP, SPC, WSPC, ESPC, & EFNR.


1) Stock -Stock means stock. no modifications. Motors must comprise of the parts that are listed in the Seagull parts list for that series of motor including props, but these parts must not be modified in any way. (See note 1) Cavitation plates permitted, Props may be cleaned up.

2) Modified - Motors must comprise of the parts that are or have been listed in the British Seagull parts list. Pistons must match cylinders. Parts may be modified in any way provided that the traditional appearance of the power head is not compromised. Cavitation plates permitted. The use of a non-seagull prop. is permitted. Cylinder Bore and Stroke must remain 57mm and 40mm respectively.


Notes
1. Casting imperfections in the ports may be removed, but this does not cover port polishing or changes in port timing.


Does anyone have a large scale chart of Hayling Island including the channel markers & their numbers, that I could borrow to set the course?

[Robin Anderson]

Hi Charles, a grand project - happy to help as required. Pleiades is a long keel yacht so not much use for the shallows but if I am in country on whatever dates you go for I will certainly be on the water and support the fleet. A useful source for Chi info is the Conservancy web site - conservancy.co.uk. Harbour dues £3.50 per vessel. Their staff are very good and would appreciate notice of your master plan once it is firmed up. I have the Stanfords Chi and Langstone chart on board. If you pm me an address I will post it to you. I am not sure if the passage between the harbours is viable for the fleet - will let you know.
Cheers

Robin

Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

[Jan]

If I can find a suitable boat trailer and the ferry rates are acceptable I’ll take my ‘Schippersvlet’ to the ‘Hayling Island Marathon’.

It’s a traditional steel with rivets build dinghy used as an auxiliary dinghy for Dutch Barges from the 1930’s to the 1970’s.

During the Essex Flocking of Seagulls Martin and I had to bring inflatable dinghies for the river Crouch trip because I couldn’t find a reliable boat trailer.

Jan

[Charles uk]

Your water looks soooo cool!

[Horsley-Anarak]

Jan it looks a good boat.

How heavy is it ?

Could you tow it with your Land Rover?

H-A

P.S. Charles moaned about about a little ice in his test tank.
Is a steel barge cold in the winter.

[Jan]

Hi H-A,

I don't complain about a frozen test tank like Charles.
I've to deal with a frozen starter cord, fuel tap, filler cap and carburator. I can't even turn the flywheel.

As long I keep my WWII explosion proof cast iron heater (removed from a German bunker of the Atlantic Wall in 1945) filled with coal the temperature aboard can reach 26 degrees celsius.

It's very important to keep my collection of outboards in the living room and close to the heater during the Winter!

Jan

[Charles uk]

Here's a list of the penciled in entrants on the 6th of January.

Jan & Martin (the Dutchmen)
RBT (Cornwall)
Patrick (Fowey)
Charles uk (Berkshire)
Peter 40tpi (Northampton)
HA Allan (Horsley)
Mark hld (Portsmouth)

[Robin Anderson]

A few disjointed ramblings on pilotage:-
The passage between the two harbours dries 2m so has to be done towards the top of the tide - clearance under the road bridge used to be 1.7 m approx at MHWS, so no masts! I think the fleet should flock at Hayling Ferry at low water slack and leave as soon as all flywheels can be turned- you won't get out of Langstone against the main flood unless you have racing seagulls! I would hold south until at least parallel with Langstone Fairway buoy as the East Winner is quite suitable for cricket matches at low water.You would then have favourable angle and tide along the foreshore of Hayling Bay and favourable tide for entering Chi. Breakers close on shore to be avoided. Fleet will need favourable tide to enter Chi otherwise will be stationary at Eastoke red buoy. Locals use a notional insore passage which is a biscuit toss off the point as you gain Chi Harbour - but viability depends entirely on conditions on the day. Favourable tide will then help fleet North up to Emsworth Channel/Sweare deep and the rising tide will float the the boats towards the West Cuts and Langstone. May have to heave to for a bun and a beer depending on progress to await enough water. Run down Langstone Channel and Sinah lake can easily be done against any tide. Sea conditions along 3 1/2 miles of Hayling Bay can really only be determined on the day of the race. Having sailed here for 20 years it still can surprise me. I think Dame Ellen would indeed describe the rolling breakers which appear from nowhere as "awesome". Such are the seas that surfers often congregate at Eastoke point and if the surf was up on the day then the Gulls would have to flock elsewhere.

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

[Charles uk]

Thanks for the scare story Robin, but the viewpoint from a boat that requires 2 meters of water is not the same as the one from a 3.5 to 6 meter dingy that laughs at 500mm of water.
I'm told that the whole trip is possible at any point of the tide to a 1 meter draft boat, if the tides too fast in mid channel, move out to the side, if you don't like rolling breakers transit further offshore.

Blue the small safety boat skipper, has more experience of these conditions than the rest of us added together, hence us doing the coastal section first, the 2 Sheppard’s will have a much tidier flock at this point.

All will become clear once HA & I have done the recce!

A circumnavigation of Hayling Island is always going to be less dramatic than one around Bermuda or 88 miles down the Waikato, unless we try it in stupid weather conditions.

The point of the whole thing is to try and organize an annual event in the UK, where the fast ones can go fast, the not so competitive ones can just complete the Marathon, but all can take the chance of cutting a few corners & having to get out & push.

Safely! but with some stories to tell,

I've just found the speed limits for the inshore sections of the circumnavigation, with a very large fine for exceeding it.

8 Knots.

So the young hooligan HA, had better bring his credit card.

[outboard]

It must be said, Robin's post makes Hayling Island sound like the Bermuda Triangle, many dangers ahead.
I was miffed at first when I saw the classes, no 40+ engines, but now with this knowledge it appears clear to me a bit more power is required for this course. I must admit my intentions are not to be entering a vessel but to attend possibly for the gathering, so I'm not here complaining. I'm sure the organisers will keep safety at the forefront of all decisions, as Charles has said in numerous posts, he and H A are doing a recce, and I'm sure all advice from locals will be considered too.
I think it's a great idea, who knows, we might grow and expand to another one further north some day. I'm scanning the lochs/lakes in search of somewhere.

Good luck Charles and H A, I hope you get good support.

Gerard

[blue]

hi charles----i have got an admiralty tidal stream atlas for the area ---do you want to borrow it?----if so pm me with an address----i bought it as i want to do a round the isle of wight this year 60+ miles----regards blue----ps---a course further out to sea might give you those extra miles you need for a proper 26 mile marathon---i used to fish that area and have been in and out of langstone many times but i was generally a mile off hayling island so not much help with conditions inshore

[Robin Anderson]

Would there not be time for the fleet to hone up on beach assault skills by mounting a daring invasion of East Head?
It gets taken over at weekends by aliens speaking a foreign language - 4strokejapenese I think it is called. They are quite docile normally but perhaps Fleetmaster at Arms HA could dispense some beads or similar trinkets to distract them if they come too close to the Gulls. They and their young would certainly approach through curiosity to marvel at so many Seagulls but if the beads fail I think they do understand Anglo Saxon sign language and strangely enough they seem to swear at their engines in English when they can't get em started.
I would propose the beach invasion by stealth and guile (apart from the noise bit of stealth) as shock and awe is overrated these days.
There are often a few native Gulls beached amongst the aliens so if our advance guard started their Gulls in unison the main fleet could be in amongst them before the forces of darkness noticed. The day and the beach could be ours or at least a bit of it until the tide obliged.......


Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

[Horsley-Anarak]

I've just found the speed limits for the inshore sections of the circumnavigation, with a very large fine for exceeding it.

8 Knots.

So the young hooligan HA, had better bring his credit card.

Langstone harbour has a 10 Knot speed limit.

Not sure I can handle being told off again.

I have also read that they would like to be informed if there is going to be an event.

It could also be cheaper for the harbour dues if we speak to them.

Two lots of harbour dues to pay should not be more than £6.

I have been out of Chichester harbour in my yellow boat with the tide coming in with no problems. I was able to stay clear of the deep channel.

I am quite looking forward to the recce. Do I use a seagull or a Merc ?


H-A

[Robin Anderson]

Had a look at the Hayling/Chi cut today at low water, two days after springs. About 2 inches deep under the road bridge and either dry or damp from there west 1/4 mile to the defunct railway bridge dolphin which leads out to Langstone. Hope the boats are lightweight
Will post the chart Monday Charles.
Robin

[Charles uk]

Oh ye of little faith Robin.

If all goes to plan, we will be going past there, between 1 & 1/2 & 2 1/2 hours after high tide.
Don't worry about the chart I bought a 3418 which I'm told is the largest scale of the area & Blue has posted me his book of the tide flows, so by mid week, we should have all the info.

We are going to have to set a minimum speed requirement of 5 mph, so with tidal assistance on the southbound leg in Langstone Harbour even the slowest craft should beat 5 hours.

It has been suggested that we should get a Hayling Island Seagull Marathon 2011, T or polo shirt manufactured, If anyone has contacts in the t shirt printing area please contact me, as up to now embroidered is coming out way cheaper (less than £10 for a maximum of 6 colours, graphics about 4" diameter, Haynes or Fruit of the Loom shirts) silk screen printed, almost twice that, the screen for each colour costs £60.

But this would entail payment in advance with size details.
As we might have to pay harbour dues a none refundable entry fee might be necessary & could include the shirt, & perhaps a free shirt as a thank you for the safety boats, as they don't even want a fuel contribution.

Shirts, only for the entrants.

If you want a shirt bring a boat!

Comments please gentlemen, T or Polo's, colour?