It is 12 years ago since we purchased our first family cruising yacht – a trailer sailer Swift 18. We sailed the Swift for 6 years from Bucklers Hard in Hampshire (during which time we met other Swift 18 owners who have since become friends who own Parker yachts), and spent many happy times on her. However, space finally got the better of us (or rather our son started to grow!) and we then moved on to our Hunter Duette (23ft) named ‘Saoirse’.

We sailed ‘Saoirse’ for 5 happy years, this sturdier yacht allowing us to travel further, and experience heavier winds and seas. We sailed to the West Country 3 times, with Portland Bill allowing us to do so safely each time. However, as much as we loved the West Country, the hike across Lyme Bay was becoming less enjoyable, and eventually the worry of this crossing would begin to spoil our time away.

The versatility of trailer sailing was beginning to appeal to us again, and so at the beginning of 2001, we sold ‘Saoirse’ (she can still be seen around Poole Harbour). We knew which yacht we wanted to replace her with – a Parker 21 – which had all the good qualities of a trailer sailer to suit our needs. The Parker 21 was a yacht that we had dreamed of at the time we sold our Swift 18, but at that time a little out of our price range. We eventually found our Parker 21 ‘Little Auk’, and had great pleasure bringing her up to scratch for the 2001 season.

In May 2001, we trailed ‘Little Auk’ for the first time to Plymouth. Prior to our trip we had done lots of research on slipways and launch facilities in the area, and found Queen Anne’s Battery (MDL Marina) to offer the best. We left Poole at 6:30am, arriving at Queen Anne’s Battery at 10:00am – not bad considering some of the steep hills on route!

We were rigged (putting mast and rigging up/down only takes 2 of us 2 hours maximum) and loaded ready to go by 12:00 noon, launching at 3:30pm when the tide was in enough. Queen Anne’s Battery has a good wide double slipway, with a pontoon in the middle so you can literally ‘walk’ your boat in. The sky was blue, the sun was hot and our plan was to spend a couple of days in Newton Ferrers, having only visited there by car before. And so with a light southwesterly breeze we motor-sailed out in to the expanse of Plymouth harbour, for the short 2-hour trip to our destination.

The delightful villages of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo are reached after a short journey through the steep wooded hillsides along the River Yealm. This little harbour provides a safe and sheltered haven for yachts, in idyllic surroundings. The harbour master (Julian Stapley) was extremely friendly and made us very envious of his job!

We tied up on the visitors pontoon at ‘The Pool’, which is just before the junction of the ‘Newton Arm’ and from here we could dinghy ashore to various points. The area around Newton Ferrers offers an extensive range of walks, and despite some being closed due to the Foot and Mouth crisis, we were still able to use some of the paths. After two wonderful days here, relaxing and chilling out, we decided it was time to move on.

The sail back to Plymouth was a bit more exciting – more wind, bigger seas and basking sharks! We had met these beautiful creatures once before in Torquay, but not as close as the one which dived straight under the boat this time! Once in the harbour our plan was to sail up the Tamar, with the intention of sailing under the wonderful Tamar Bridge, and seeing what it looked like from below!

We had met a local who had told us that Calstock (quite a way up river) was a lovely quaint place, and so we decided to head further up river. We passed Cargreen, and Cothele Quay (which looked like somewhere time had forgotten). Unfortunately at Calstock there did not appear to be any free moorings. The tide was beginning to turn and we could not find anywhere to anchor (the channel was not very wide at this point) and so we decided to head back to Cargreen. We picked up a visitors buoy on the river, however Cargreen is quite exposed, and with a strong wind blowing and shallow water, it wasn’t a very comfortable night.

The following morning we awoke to thick fog! Not wanting to stay another night, we decided we had no option but to try and find our way back down river. With chart in hand, and depth sounder on we strained our eyes to find the marker buoys which we had steered by the day before, and feel our way back. We did not even see the legs of the Tamar Bridge until we were under it! Visibility improved the nearer to the harbour we got, and we were glad to arrive back at Queen Anne’s for showers!

Unfortunately the forecast for the next 3 days was fog, so we decided to cut our losses and return to Poole. At least then if the weather improved we could still make the most of our time off.

The rest of 2001 was spent in Poole Harbour, getting used to our new boat. Poole Harbour has lots to offer a lifting keel boat, and we have had lots of good times with her. Later on this year we shall be taking ‘Little Auk’ to Falmouth for our two-week holiday, having visited this area in 1993 with our Swift 18.

For us trailer sailing has opened up a whole new world of sailing again, and has taken away the worry of long distance sailing, and the anxiety that weather unpredictability can cause. Basically for us now, if the weather turns nasty, we just somehow get back to the car and trailer, de-mast and home we go!

Alison, John and Jonathan Palmer – Parker 21 ‘LITTLE AUK’

As this year’s AGM is to be held at Boston, Bill Parker has kindly agreed to open up Parker Lift Keel Yachts to enable members to visit the yard and see boats in production. I asked Bill if he would put together a short article for the Newsletter, and the following is the result.

Brenda Harvey

Parker 275 ‘Zest’

Thank you for inviting me to write an article on our boat building activities. On other occasions when I have been invited to give a verbal report at the AG.M, my theme has been the difficult trading conditions. In spite of optimism at the beginning of last year, 2001 has been worse than previous years, especially in our larger models, the 285 and the 335.

After many years without introducing a new model (apart from building the Squib, and the new Bull 7000), we are pleased to announce that we have introduced a new starter model, the Parker 235, which brings our Lift Keel Yacht range back to it’s original three models.

Since we withdrew the Parker 21 from production in 1998, due to R.D.C. regulations and other economic restrictions, there has been a constant demand for second hand Parker 21’s and potential clients inquiring about a slightly larger model with better accommodation. From the product-marketing point of view, it is a fact that the small Parker 21 had been our starter model, which ultimately led our clients to trade up to our larger craft and brand name.

Whilst many British sail boat builders have cut out their small to medium boats, and concentrated on larger and larger yachts, we believe there will be an increasing demand for good quality designed trailer-sailers. There are few of these models now being built in the U.K and although there are numerous imported boats available, most of them, in our opinion, are only estuary day sailers and do not have the full trailer-sailer qualities.

With this in mind, the design criteria which we set for our new model was for a slightly longer yacht, with increased water line length, minimum increase in beam, so as to stay within the maximum trailer width regulations and a relatively light kerb-side weight which could easily be towed by a medium sized 2 litre+ vehicle. To achieve more interior cabin space, and height, without making the yacht look like a floating caravan, we chose a head height of approximately 5’6" in the saloon. It had to have proper facilities for privacy in the toilet, and lots of storage space. It goes without saying that it had to be attractive to the eye; sporty, and most important of all it had to have a proper lift keel system that would give a high sailing performance and stability at sea. It had to have a rig and sail system without the need for a large headsail wardrobe.

It is important to have a considerable amount of buoyancy features sufficient to support the gross loaded weight of the yacht. Some of this had to be placed in the mid section of the hull topside. This list is quite a large criterion, and like all small boats, there had to be compromises here and there.

The planning and tooling work for the 235 started in October 2000, but due to stops and starts for other production, the first 235 was not completed until the end of September last year. We believe the end result is a most attractive looking yacht, with numerous innovative features, coupled with interior space and layout that bears no comparison to the P.21. It sails and feels like it, but is obviously faster and easier to handle, especially the keel hoisting system. We are delighted with the new model, and the acclaim and interest received from people who have seen it and sailed it. In today’s market the major selling factor is its price.

We are offering the 235 at a very attractive price for a very comprehensive standard specification, for a practical and living-aboard trailer sailer. We now have the new 235 in full production, and already have several on our order book. We confidently hope that the 235 will have a long production run.

If you would like further information about it, please give me a call at the factory or come and see it for yourself. It will be on display at our works at the S.S.A.-A.G.M. on 23-24 March 2002. Details are also available on our web site at http://www.parkeryachts.co.uk/

Bruce, the staff, and myself look forward to welcoming you to our factory, and hope we shall have the pleasure of meeting many of you there.

Bill Parker

Twentyfive Years Old and Never Been Sailed

By Anne and Andy Chinneck, Seal 22, Annie

From the 2002/01 SSA Newsletter
Posted 23 Feb 2002

Our second boat, years ago, when the children were smallies, was a Seal 22. It was great. We then had a Seal 26, followed by a Westerly Fulmar 32. The latter we have just sold as we want to return to trailer sailing, the simpler aspects of sailing and the ability to sail new waters. Hence the search for a second-hand Seal 22.

The Association kindly sent us details of members’ boats for sale. One advert read "Brand new Seal 22 for sale - built in 1977". Well it had to tickle one’s imagination didn’t it? The owner phoned, and "no" she was not the other end of the country, but lived only six miles away, and knew us from our childrens’ school days. Her husband, an aeronautical engineer, had bought the boat in 1977 finished about three-quarters of the home completion to a very high standard, lost interest and unfortunately died last year. To walk into his workshop was like walking into an Aladdin’s cave. To call it a garage just doesn’t do it justice. There were lathes, milling machines, band saws and tools of every description, all beautifully oiled as if they had been used yesterday and there in the middle was Annie, for that is our new name for her.

Underneath the layer of dust, her blue and white gel coat is just as good as the day she left John Bakers at Star Cross. The teak work hasn’t even faded, and her pulpit and pushpit stand above her hull, shiny and proud. She lightly rests on the bilge supports to her pulpose built trolley, with no delamination to the hull. On the rafters are all the spars; even the ends to her mast are protected from the elements, as they protrude through the gable ends. The Watermola petrol engine sits on its jig with its stem tube and phosphorus bronze reversible propeller, just as it must have been delivered from the manufacturer. The winches remain wrapped in their polythene bags, as if delivered yesterday. The interior cushions are all present in bright blue woven fabric, looking as good as new. A full set of new sails are present, again as delivered from Bruce Bank Sails. I wonder what effect of being folded and rolled in one position for 24 years will have on them? The boat is truly all there, except for the canopy and the steel rudder blade. Outside is the purpose built road trailer under a carport (more on that later), carefully stored under canvas, but of course with the tyres having long ago perished.

Age will have taken a toll on some of the components no doubt, and there will be more modern equivalents available today, like roller furling headsails and fully battened mains. BUT what a fortunate find, and what delightful people to be acquiring Annie from. She will be staying in her present location until next March, for I have promised the Anne of Annie that I will finish refurbishing the outside of our house before starting the completion job. You’ve never seen a house painted so fast in your life!

We were hoping to move Annie to her new home this summer, but as I say the house takes precedence until it is finished. However there are some interesting things to ponder. We used to trail our old Seal 22 from Hertfordshire to the river Helford each summer holiday, and the family always moaned about the return journey, for one never knew when it might end. If it wasn’t bearings going, then it would be tyres blowing out, or a burned out clutch on the car. One time it took over a fortnight to get the boat home. So—no more of that! A visit to RM Trailers near Southampton gave us what I hope will be the final solution to towing and launching boats. They still had their trailer designs for the Seal 22, and they have built for us a purpose designed combination trailer, consisting of a three wheel launching trolley with Bow post, riding on a four wheel road trailer, all galvanized. I know the arguments of two against four-wheel trailers, but chose four wheels, as overall I feel it is the safer option, when covering long distances on motorways.

The next challenge will be to get Annie to her new home, and for that the planning has already started. In front of her present home is a large carport, the roof of which is lower than the height needed for Annie. However this carport was constructed by an aeronautical engineer, and sure enough, its designed to be lifted vertically by the SO cms needed to extricate Annie, but "How" exactly is still to be puzzled out. Then too we have to transfer Annie from her old to her new trolley. Not quite so desperate, as the old trolley will fit on to the new road trailer (I think/calculate).

I thought I might write an occasional article to share the project with other members. I am sure that I am going to need other members’ help in finding solutions to the problems I am bound to come across. The obvious one is what shape and size of rudder should I have, and where is there a template?

Enough of that for now, I am being pulled by the ear, back to the outside of the house, but not before we both thank those in the Association who have already so willingly helped us.

From two new members, with gratitude (and half a Seal)

Kekova's Passage to the Med - Part 1

This article records the passage to the med, via the French Canals, of Parker 275 no 17 "Kekova" owned by Anna Johns and John Barber

(Posted 11 march 2002)

In preparing for the trip I read just about everything that remotely mentioned the subject to make sure we knew what to expect. There were a number of books available and a considerable amount of information on the Internet. When should we go? What route to take into France? What sort of licences would we need? Take the mast with us or arrange to leave it somewhere? Holding tank toilet or not? What protection – tyres or fenders? How many warps and how long should they be? How to negotiate the locks? The more I read the more options and opinions there were, and the route in was only finally decided on two weeks before we were due to go!

A couple of months into our planning we found Kekova, a Parker 275, ideal as she was a lift keel. Being able to vary our draft we felt was an important feature for the canal trip and it proved to be so, especially through the very shallow Canal de Bourgogne. We did, of course, also want a boat that was fast and fun when sailing. She has proved to be exactly right, looking after us well and we don’t think we could not have chosen better.

We set off 04.30 on Monday 3^rd September and after nights in Newhaven and Rye, and two nights in Boulogne we arrived in Calais had our mast stepped and put onto the wooden crutches that John had made before we left.

Once the decision of Calais as an entry point was made, our route was in part decided for us as there were various engineering closures. Canal de Calais, part of the Liaisons au Grand Gabarit, Canal du Nord, Canal Lateral a L’Oise et L’Oise, L’Oise, Seine, Yonne and finally the Canal de Bourgogne. We planned to finish at St Jean de Losne, at the end of the Bourgogne where it joined the Soane, before any major winter closures towards the end of October.

We took just under five weeks to complete the inland journey, which was reasonably straightforward and as you would expect full of characters. The north was pretty industrial and there were many working boats, "peniche", to contend with. The upside of this was very smooth locks and fast progress so we were able to get into our stride pretty quickly. The second part from Paris onwards was much more rural and we needed to be quite self-sufficient as shops were few and far between in many areas.

Apart from one slightly grumpy lockkeeper, everyone we encountered was very helpful and valued the sight of a privately owned boat making a long journey. The sense of achievement was fantastic, a definite highlight being motoring up the Seine into Paris and locking into the marina at the Bastille.

For us the journey is not over yet and will be continued in late April, early May when we return to travel down the Soane and the Rhone to the Mediterranean. The hardest decision will then be taken, do we turn left or right!

Anna Johns