secures a three-foot fin keel and a spoon shaped steel plate bestows absolute though heavy rudder control. Her hull form, renowned for its seaworthiness, is fairly flat and boasts a surprisingly modern profile with a 6 1/2 foot beam and a long run off aft. The mast is held in a tabernacle for easy lowering under the Dutch dyke bridges. Although primarily a lake boat, BM 16’s sometimes venture into the North Sea for races. The mainsail is 140 sq. ft. and the jib is about 50 sq. ft. Sadly, the years had taken their toll
on this lovely lady. Repairs had been rough and ready. The mast really was a pine pole. Assorted galvanized fittings were clearly not original, her wood- cheeked blocks rattled alarmingly, the tabernacle had been rebuilt with chunks of plywood and the gaff had developed a severe warp that scooped wind on a starboard tack and spilled it on a port. However my prodding penknife had not discovered rot and enough varnished refinement and classic design remained to demand homage from anyone who call themselves sailor. That first summer holiday was
spent just messing around and learning her ropes. Light winds prevailed, obviously arranged by Gretha to keep me out of trouble. That is until the last Saturday. Jeffrey and I were cruising near the Channel Islands. A westerly wind was building and soon a glorious summer blow swept over our beam. Gretha picked up her skirts to show how fast she could sail. With the mainsail spilling wind, Jeffrey and I sat out holding on for dear life, merely going along for the ride. Gretha lurched onto a plane. Spray was flying, our bow wave was enormous, her speed fantastic. Gretha was strutting her stuff. We surfed by Hudson Island,
planed past Secret Island, rushed on to Welbury Bay and were almost home. “Over four miles in under thirty minutes! Wait till I tell Kathie,” I crowed. But Jeffrey’s eyes were transfixed, wide in disbelief. “ Is that right, Dad?” came his questioning cry. I looked and saw the port chain plate at the end of the shroud dangling in mid air above the deck.
The next second was observed by
half the homes on Welbury Bay. The mast levered itself against the tabernacle which saw no point in resisting. Mast,
gaff, boom, sails and stays were over the side in an instant. Never has a boat stopped so quickly. The sail pattern was perfectly reproduced on the water as if laid out for measurement but nothing was lost. Chastened but exhilarated, we collected the boat parts and ourselves and motored slowly to our mooring. Clearly Gretha was trying to tell me
something. How could such majesty be neglected? I heard her loud and clear. Her wish was my command. During the months of rebuilding and the years of priceless sailing that followed, I
gradually mastered her language and like the loyal subject I am, learned always to obey.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Roger Kibble is a member of Saltspring
Island Sailing Club, and skipper of “Electra,“ an Aphrodite 101, and still obeying “Gretha” after 35 years.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
When the wind goes light, just turn on UK-Halsey’s
Downwind Diesel and
Go Green… or any color you want.
A UK-Halsey Flasher can eliminate boring and painfully slow offwind cruising without your resorting to “iron wind” and a cockpit filled with exhaust. The Flasher is an asymmetric pole-less cruising spinnaker that’s simple to fly, painless to gybe, and easy to set and douse thanks to the dousing sock. It’s not an expensive addition! The Flasher is just one of many cruising products you’ll want to discuss with a UK-Halsey loft.
UK HALSEY SAILMAKERS NORTHWEST
#3-2062 Henry Ave. Sidney, BC V8L 5Y1 CANADA Tel: 800-563-7245
northwest@ukhalsey.com
1202 Seventh St Anacortes, WA 98221 USA Tel: 360-293-8223
anacortes@ukhalsey.com
126 Pirates Lane Nanaimo, BC V(R 6R1 CANADA Tel: 250-753-2672
wcsail@telus.net
www.ukhalsey.com -
northwest@ukhalsey.ca 48° NORTH, SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 51
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A new Flasher for recycling your old spinnaker
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