BRISTOL SAILING ASSOCIATION

Newsletter October 2021

Contacts:Kath Liddiard (Commodore)01443 227928

Jock Playle (Secretary)0117 973 8855

Becky Goddard (Treasurer) 01749 346818

At the meeting on October 11th we welcomed new members Harvey Freer and Reg Morris.

As this meeting included members’ memories of sailing with Alan Howells, who died on September 25th, we were pleased that his sister Cath and partner June joined us.

The meeting was preceded by the AGM which will be reported separately. This also means that subscriptions for 2021/22 fall due on October 31st, and renewal forms will be sent to all members next week.

Future Trips

1.1The remainder of Jerzy Wieczorek’s curtailed week’s cruise from Plymouth on May 17th has been postponed yet again, due to bad weather on October 1st – 4th. Jerzy will arrange for this to be completed next spring.

1.2Phil Steele will skipper a trip on the weekend of November 5th - 7th (so that a ‘Fireworks’ trip could replace his ‘Christmas Lights’ trips of previous years).This is now fully booked and paid, with joining instructions sent to all going..

2. News

Plans for the meeting on December 13th

As conditions for events such as a Christmas restaurant meal are still rather fluid, it was decided that it would be sensible not to try to arrange one for this year, and there was general approval by all at the meeting to have our annual Social Evening, with free buffet and raffle, at our meeting on December 13th instead of January.

There will be an additional attraction (?) this year as Kath announced that she has already prepared the Commodore’s Christmas Quiz

3. In memoriam – Alan Howells, 7th February 1948 – 25th September 2013

As anyone who sailed with Alan to Normandy or Brittany knows, it was standard practice in the morning to repair to a café for ‘Café – Calvados’. Jeff Birkin had suggested that we raise a glass of calvados at the meeting in Alan’s memory, which we did. A bottle of Calvados was given by Angus Wilkinson, the founder of BSA in 1989, who sent his apologies for being unable to come to the meeting.

Many members then recounted their experiences of sailing with Alan, highlights being Alan’s apparent skill in always finding strong winds whatever the forecast and his superb performance as on-board cook (often with pressure cooker). More seriously, there were many memories of Alan’s wide knowledge and experience of sailing and the occasions when he always had the answer to problems which occurred. He was always ready to advise and help the crew, skippering charters for training and as recently as April this year was compiling articles on navigation, pilotage and passage-making for our newsletter when there was no sailing to report during the covid restrictions. Alan will always be remembered for his use of traditional navigation methods, using bearings, sights, transits and depths, with electronic aids kept as a back-up if really necessary. The crew were always told to watch the depth sounder for the Hurd Deep when crossing the Channel from Plymouth.

We concluded with Jeff Birkin reading the poem he had written, which expressed the feelings of us all on this occasion

There’s a crossing to be made, in the dead of night

And winds will be howling, though the forecast is light

Long watches to be done, and the sails need to ease

Get the provisions aboard but please, don’t bring cheese.

Departure bearings with care, as the land slips to black

Lights loom in the night, as we make our first tack

Many times he taught us, in situations adverse

You control them with a question, or action or curse.

The soul of the ancients, resided in him

And he sailed with great certainty, never a whim

By chart and compass, and clock and star

Like mariners for centuries, who sailed afar.

As the watches come up, and the watches take rest

Never sleeping just napping, the skipper knows best

Keen eyed and wakeful, as the ocean slips by

Grappa sipped from his flask, to help focus the eye.

We sharpen our plot, as first lights are sighted

Dawn breaking on France, with an entry to pilot

Long forgotten transits, hidden by nature’s hand

Trust in his knowledge, as we’ll safely make land.

Say Adieu to the sea, as ashore we all roll

For a coffee and Calvados, to reset the soul

There’s so many adventures and stories to tell

We all knew him in some ways, but ne'er so well.

Recounting lavishly of exploits, or customs or law

But not given to prayer, at any time that I saw

With the slightest of reason, he’d be climbing the mast

Harness clipped to the halyard, upward bound to the last.

We’ve all had our times, when prayer seems to matter

As our rigging, like life, starts to shake bang and clatter

We end life’s long journey, our crew left behind

On the shore of their souls, as the memories unwind.

Your crew’s staying land-side, bon voyage my old friend.

Fish soup in your pressure pan, awaits watch’s end

Sail safely and smoothly, storms find you no more

Alan, we’ll see you again, on that far distant shore.

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Alan’s funeral took place on Wednesday October 20th. The large congregation included 18 members of Bristol Sailing Association.

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4.Recent trips

Trip reports A reminder that Chris Wallace has asked for all members who provide trip reports to include the type and name of the boat, and the names of all crew, so that the reports can be completely listed and referenced on the website. Photographs sent to would also be very welcome.

At the September meeting Bob Buchanan gave Becky’s report on a weekend from Plymouth, and Sue Fowle gave the report on the midweek sail skippered by Gordon from Plymouth.

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Trip on Ventis Secundis, skippered by Bob Buchanan

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Trip on Anodyne, skippered by Gordon Ogden

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