I generated the first draft of this article some years ago, as a ‘gap filler’, when I thought it might come in useful if there was ever a shortage of NewsBuoy articles. Fortunately, it has never been needed, such has been the enthusiasm with which members have been willing to put ‘pen to paper’! However, it has now come in handy for this issue, in order to bring the total number of pages up to a whole factor of four, thereby avoiding blank pages in the printed copy. I have also taken the opportunity to bring it up to date…

As time goes by, and one accrues ever more years under one’s belt, the temptation (and in some instances necessity) to make one’s sailing as easy and as effortless as possible can become increasingly attractive. Mark and I are now in our mid-70s. We bought our boat Shameless, a Bavaria 37 Cruiser, back in 2009 when she was just 2 years old, and we were in our early 60s and just retired. We were then both still reasonably agile and energetic! However, the effect of the inevitable passage of time has also, inevitably, made itself apparent. Over the years, and with this progression in mind, we have introduced various modifications to Shameless to make sailing her as easy as possible. I thought, therefore, some of the younger club members (that’s anyone under 60) might be interested to read of the various changes that we have made to Shameless over the years to make our sailing life on board just that little bit easier and more comfortable… and food for thought as one’s birthdays mount up!

Guard Rail Gates

The very first things were gates in the port and starboard guardrails. Our previous boat, Puffin, had very low freeboard, making it easy to step on and off. With Shameless we had to heave ourselves up using the shrouds and then attempt to get a leg over – not so easy with increasing age (and I do have short legs – well, that’s my excuse). I will admit that the two gates proved remarkably expensive for what is after all just a bit of welded stainless steel (quelle surprise), but they have proved a godsend over the years, as ‘leaping ashore’ has become just a vague memory – I now prefer to step gracefully! And little fold-away pontoon steps were quick to follow.

Auto Pilot

Shortly after the gates were installed came the autopilot, capable of keeping Shameless on course whatever the weather, and especially in those hurricane-force winds that we felt we’d be bound to encounter at some time on our adventures. Perhaps we were being just a touch over-cautious, but it’s good to know that the power is there should it ever be needed. And nowadays, as concentration becomes increasingly intermittent, it is so useful to know that ‘George’, as he is affectionately known, will keep focused on the course and take us confidently to our intended destination, even if I have forgotten, ha ha ha. We recently serviced the autopilot on the kitchen table, by the toaster, and I couldn’t resist including a few pics here.

A Folding Prop

Based initially on the east coast in Chatham Marina, with locked access, the ability to stop smartishly soon became apparent. The performance of the existing two-bladed prop was not over-impressive in that respect. And so, on the advice of fellow club members Colin and Colin on CoCo, we invested in a Bruntons Autoprop. What an amazing difference. Shameless now stops on a sixpence (the size of a 1p coin in today’s money). This is of course a gross exaggeration, but there was a very marked improvement in the match between engine power and prop thrust. An investment never regretted.

Mainsail Runners

The original mainsail had sail cars only at the battens, with plastic runners making up the rest of the mainsail runners. That’s a lot of friction! Not only when pulling the sail up (phew, what an effort), but also when dropping the sail, invariably needing one of us to go to the mast to pull down the final few feet. So out with the old and in with the new – an all-car mainsail. Almost frictionless hoisting – well, okay, okay, it is much easier, but it does now drop impressively under gravity in just seconds, like the proverbial ‘s*** off a shovel’, almost zipping up the sail cover for a finale!

Larger Winches

Being a Bavaria, most items, such as winches, lie at the lower end of the recommended design specification. Whilst we have never had any issue with the winches, as we’ve got older it has become harder work to winch the genoa sheets in tightly in a strong wind. Neither were there winches aft, suitable for spinnaker control (not that we have one, but you never know). Shameless had been supplied with Lewmar 40 winches, but the Hallberg Rassy 37 berthed next to us (the same overall length) was fitted with Lewmar 48s. So, a bit of quick thinking: why not move the existing winches aft to the spinnaker position (there was already a location provided), and buy new winches for the genoa sheets. Another good move; not only is it easier to winch in the genny, but we now have a winch aft which we can use to assist in furling.

Winches with Power

Over the years, despite the all-car mainsail, ‘getting it up’ that last few feet became increasingly hard work, especially first thing in the morning after breakfast! So to the rescue came the amazing Winchrite powered winch handle, spotted and bought on impulse at a Southampton Boat Show. This is a wonderful device that has proved its worth over the years, especially for effortless furling of the genoa in all winds.

A Third Reef

It was New Year’s Eve, December 2023, and we had been persuaded by Simon of Endeavour fame that, despite the forecast for Force 7s and 8s, if we kept to the north side of the island (Isle of Wight) we would be sheltered from the worst of the wind. Well, that may well have been so, but it was still blowing a good F7 when we made our way from our marina in Gosport to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Cowes. I have to admit that it was a jolly lively, and, in hindsight, a very enjoyable reach down the Solent, with 2 reefs in the main and a well-furled jib… and it didn’t last long, as we were at maximum hull speed all the way! We had Andrew and Riki on board, which was also a great help. Whilst recovering over a cup of tea and cake, safely tucked up in Cowes Haven marina, Andrew mentioned that he felt the boat was just on the edge of needing a 3rd reef in the main to make the journey a touch more comfortable. Whilst the mainsail itself had the necessary eyelets for a third reef, there were no reefing lines. This was a point well made, but how to introduce a 3rd single reefing line from the cockpit – nowadays we prefer to avoid going on deck in lumpy seas. Unfortunately a third traveller in the boom to reduce was not a possibility, and so we settled on a single rope which runs to the 3rd reefing eyelets in the luff and the leech. Yes, it is a lot of rope, but it does the job, and we’ve only used it on a couple of occasions. And it is good to know that it’s there if we were ever to need it in earnest.

I hope this has been of some interest to those rapidly accruing those unavoidable years, but who are wishing to continue their sailing until… well… Red Sails in the Sunset! (Song revived by Nat King Cole in 1951 – I had older sisters, which is my excuse)!