Thanks to Topaz from Oceanz1

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At Elements Watersports we have been using the Topaz Uno and Omega dinghies from Topper for the last 6 years. With support and encouragement from Hugh at Oceanz1 we run sailing session for school groups, yacht clubs as well as adults that missed the opportunity when they were growing up.

6 years on and the boats are still going strong, when Topper say they are virtually maintenance free they are not kidding, all we do is waterblast the hulls clean every few months (no need to be gentle with soap and water), a few shackles, rivets and bits of rope have been changed. After 5 years we chose to replace the Topaz mains, that’s 5 tough years of daily use through the summer months!

We focus on minimal shore tuition to maximise on water time, this leads to plenty of knocks, bangs and running aground. not one centreboard or rudder has needed to be changed. From time to time the boats t-bone or crash into each other, they just keep on taking it, a glass fibre hull would just puncture and need constant repairs, each repair making the boat look more and more knocked about - not the topaz.

They say you can fire a 12 bore shotgun at the hull from 10m and no holes, we havn't done that but have had a boat blow off the top of our trailer (3.5m up in the air), land on a trailer handle and bounce of, there was a scuff mark but no scratch!

This summer we only had to cancel a few sessions due to too much wind, the boats reef down so that 2 kids can still sail happily in 20-25kts of wind. The high boom makes moving in the open transomed boat safe and easy. In addition having two in the Topaz means that teamwork makes learning easier and more enjoyable.

The Omega dinghies are powerful and spacious, groups of upto 5 can head out with an instructor and all have something to do. The boat is so stable and predictable that trying the trapeze or flying the asymmetric can all be covered in taster session.

We either store the hulls on their side so 3 boats can fit in same floor space as 1 on a trailer or we store them in a rack 1 above the other, we store upto 6 hulls and trailers taking up the space of just 1 boat. Being plastic the hulls can live in or outdoors, with the New Zealand UV it's good to put a sun shade over the top boat.

I first used the Topaz in 1996, there were minor changes in the 1st few years. Since then the range of boats has been used as an obvious choice for watersports centres, clubs and recreational sailors who simply want a fun, simple and tough boat.

I cannot recommend these boats enough for tuition or family users. They are a true multipurpose adaptable boat that exceeds the needs of many users around New Zealand and the world.

Happy Sailing
Pete
Elementswatersports.co.nz

5 minute briefing on med style briefing

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http://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/enewsletters/Sportsboatsandribs/may12/Pages/FiveminutebriefingMedmooringsternto.aspx?utm_source=UpToSpeed&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=may12-uptospeed

You'll need to click on the link above to see all the pictures.

Five minute briefing - Med mooring stern-to

Top tips on stern-to mooring

Mediterranean mooring is usually stern-to and occasionally bows-to the quay. Boats usually moor stern-to the quay or pontoon for ease of access ashore; however when unsure of the depth, going bows-to will keep your drives in deeper water. Alongside berthing is normally only available at fuel or waiting pontoons.

Stern lines are used to stay close to the quay or pontoon, whilst either the anchor or a line from the bow holds the boat away. A passerelle or wooden plank, carried by the boat, is used to go ashore.

Lazy lines

Lazy lines are used in busy harbours and marinas where multiple anchors would become fouled. Instead of the anchor holding the bow away, the bow is connected to a heavy bow line, which is pre-attached to a concrete block on the seabed. The bow line is also attached to a lighter ‘lazy line’, which is led to the quayside/pontoon. The lazy line is retrieved from the wall and led to the bow and the heavier line hauled in and tied off.

The approach:

Rig up fenders on either side and at the stern.
Rig two stern lines - they should be long enough to go ashore and come back to the boat.
Reverse towards the quay/pontoon.
Connect windward stern line to quay/pontoon first (i).
Pick up the lazy line, lead it to the bow and tie off.
Connect second stern line.
Adjust bow and stern lines (ii).

(i) To hold the boat in position once the windward stern-line is attached use small nudges ahead on the leeward engine. If you have a single engine boat, turn the wheel to windward and use ‘ahead’ to keep the bow up to wind.

(ii) Often the stern lines are eased and the bow line is re-tightened, then the stern lines are hauled in taught. A tight bow line reduces the chance of the stern bashing the quay or pontoon. Springs which are diagonal lines from either quarter to the quay can stop the stern moving sideways.

Anchoring - stern-to

The approach:

Rig up fenders on both sides and a large fender on the stern.
Rig a stern line from both quarters.
Prepare the anchor to drop.
About four boat lengths away from the quay drop the anchor and ease out chain.
One boat length from the quay, stop easing the chain so that the anchor digs in. Be ready to ease out more chain if required.
Connect the windward stern line to shore, followed by the leeward stern line.
Once positioned the correct distance from the quay, take the strain up on the chain. To ensure the stern stays away from the quay/pontoon - often the stern lines are eased and the chain tightened, then the stern lines made taught again.

Crosswinds
In a crosswind it may be necessary to reverse into wind initially to get steerageway. When slightly upwind of the gap, drop the anchor and reverse into the space. Ensure the leeward side is well fendered in case you drift onto the downwind boat.

Onshore wind
If the wind is on the bow, treat the stern-to mooring as a normal anchoring exercise. Drop the anchor four-boat lengths out and gently reverse into the gap with the stern lines ready. One boat length away from the quay, snub the anchor so that it digs in, then connect the stern lines.

Written by: Simon Jinks on behalf of the RYA
Pictures: Courtesy of Sarah Selman

What the hell is DSC anyway?

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What the hell is DSC anyway?
1/05/12 1:42 PM
DSC is probably the least understood yet widely available safety tool in marine electronics . The term DSC is an acronym of“Digital Selective Calling” and can apply to both SSB or VHF radios. To make matters more confusing, VHF DSC is split into 2 classes, Type A is for offshore ships and requires a bit more hardware, while type D is for regular boaties, which is what we are interested in. DSC can be used for a wide variety of things, however the most important job is that of the distress button, which is normally located under a little plastic flap. So what exactly happens when you push this little red button? We decided to find out.
Our test radio was a Nautilus Lifeline– a diving VHF which has an integrated GPS and DSC function. Its an amazing little package and is waterproof to 120m! It was set up with an MMSI number which is an essential step if you want to use your DSC radio for emergency purposes. MMSI numbers are issued when requested with VHF callsigns, which you should have by law. For more information see this page. For receiving we used a standard, unregistered Uniden UM380 radio, which was located inside our showroom and did not have a GPS input.
When the emergency button was pushed, the DSC radio in the shop started to make an alarming sound, and switched itself to channel 16. The noise was quite impressive coming out of the UM380 until we shut it up by pushing the cancel button. The coordinates of the distress radio were shown on the screen, as well as a flashing “distress”. The important part of this is the other radios changing to channel 16. Any mayday call then made will be recieved by a larger group of boaties.
Probably the most interesting part of our test was the reaction from other users. Firstly no authorities monitor VHF DSC (Maritime Radio do officially monitor SSB DSC). I also checked with the Coastguard after the test, and they confirmed they had not received any alarms at their station. This isn't a major however as Maritime Radio keep a constant watch on 16, and you should also put out a mayday anyway. The second user I had contact with was a commercial fisherman who asked me to get rid of the flashing message symbol on his VHF radio a couple of days later. This turned out to be the emergency messages from our test. To him, the alarms were no more than an annoying noise coming from the bridge.
So, is DSC worth the hastle of getting an MMSI number and the cost of a GPS input? Given that about half of the radios we sell have DSC I would say, yes it is. The button function by itself is not going to do you any good, and Maritime Radio does not officially monitor this, however it does is change DSC radios within range to channel 16, so any subsequent mayday calls will be received by a larger number of boaties, which is always a good thing when you're in trouble. However it is not a silver bullet, and should not be used without putting out some other source of mayday or distress call.

this info is forwarded on from http://baymarineelectronics.co.nz/latest_news/dsc/