“This is very much about trying to raise awareness of how much better we need to be doing. Obviously, I’m inspired by previous Arctic sailing expeditions, but it will be bittersweet to pull this off.”  A headache for Ella when we spoke was not marine-related at all – securing permission to dock in Russia is not easy. If all goes to plan, she will return to the Solent in October. The boat will be sold, and its proceeds donated to the charities Polar Bears International and Ocean Conservancy.   So, does anything keep her awake in the small hours? Only that ‘to-do’ list. “What keeps me motivated, though, is the thought of the day when the boat’s ready and the feeling of slipping lines.”  The climate needs more people like Ella. We all do. Follow Ella’s progress and make a donation to the charities mentioned.   

Source: Survival Of The Arctic

“Fog was a major consideration and within that lay icebergs, ice and large fragments of ice”  Vaughan says he spent considerable effort understanding how to use radar better. “We had reasonable visibility most of the time because it was daylight but there was ice everywhere, so when it was foggy, we used radar to find a route and had spotters out permanently. We had a course to steer but were often picking through ice floes. Without radar it would have been difficult.”   He recommends adjusting the length of watches according to outdoor temperature on passage – the colder it gets, the shorter they are – and investing in a one-piece suit “effectively with your socks sewn in” to stay dry and warm. He adds: “One tip was getting boots that people who work in refrigerated environments wear. People who bought those instead of standard sailing boots said they were a really good investment.”  While anchoring was no more taxing “than a nice day in the Solent” in the light winds he encountered, he advocates anchor watches, nevertheless. On-watch crew had extra-long boat hooks to fend off small ice, plus a dinghy ready to push away approaching ice fragments.   Above all, he says, prepare. “Beforehand we realised our standard drills to return to someone falling overboard were pretty slick but there had to be less faffing around getting them out of the water. The amount of time someone can survive is significantly reduced in water that’s zero degrees. When I put a timer on it, that concentrated the mind.”    Think ahead. Minimise risk. Know the drill. All central to a Yachtmaster Instructor’s mindset. It reminds me of a quote by Roald Amundsen when asked about the adventure of his polar expeditions: “Adventure is just bad planning.”  Solo challenge  Of course, Ella won’t have the luxury of crew. For her there’s just a UK shore team: her dad, a former British Army helicopter pilot, handling weather-routing and her mum, managing social media.   She estimates between five and six months to complete the clockwise trip – a start point west of Norway then Iceland, Greenland, the Northwest Passage, Alaska, Russia, northern Norway – and return to Gosport. “I’m hoping it won’t be quite that long. In areas of open water I can push the boat to six, seven knots. In pack ice we could be as slow as half a knot.”  She adds: “I’m sure there will be moments where I get frightened and think ‘Why did I put myself through this?’ but part of the challenge – being out there by myself – is what I’m most excited about. I’m looking forward to putting myself through those challenges and coming out the other side.”  Perhaps that’s why Ella has reached out to Kirsten Neuschäfer, winner of the 2022 Golden Globe solo circumnavigation race, and has been picking the brains of Arctic specialists such as Bob Shepton and YouTuber Eric Aanderaa. “They think it’s slightly insane”, she admits.   “Everyone has been supportive but there’s the knowledge this hasn’t been done before.”  Ella points out her attempt is only possible because of the climate emergency. “Some scientists are estimating the Arctic could be ice-free in summer as early as 2045, which means before I’m 50 we could sail from Scotland to China across the top of the world. The more accessible it becomes; the more traffic moves into the area and the more the problem escalates.”  For her the adventure – even the record – is beside the point. “I don’t feel people are getting the knowledge about how intricately linked we are to the survival of the Arctic. If we let the ice continue to deplete at the current rate, not only will it be devastating for the Arctic environment and wildlife and inhabitants, but for us too. 

Source: Survival Of The Arctic

Ella Hibbert is running through the to-do list to ready her Bruce Roberts 38, Yeva, for the season. There’s a new stern gland and propeller shaft to fit. The running and standing rigging needs to be replaced and the steel hull requires shot-blasting and anti-fouling. All that before we get to the interior.  As a new boating season begins, I expect many of us have similar lists. There’s a major difference, however. Yeva’s refit took place in January. While we were daydreaming about summer cruising, 27-year-old Ella was bashing into a frigid Solent alone. Notching up sea miles before an April shakedown cruise, chasing storms “to make sure anything we haven’t thought about, that’s not quite right, gets tweaked and sorted”. At the time of writing, if all has gone well Ella will slip lines at Haslar Marina, Gosport, in mid-to-late June and sail to Norway. Then she will attempt the first solo circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle.  Two world-firsts – going around non-stop and going around single-handed – weren’t her original plan. In fact, you can describe this as a Northwest Passage cruise that got out of hand. Ella explains: “The more I looked into the ice-routing and weather-routing, I realised the decline of the ice meant it would be feasible to do an entire circumnavigation. I started to think, ‘Why stop there?’. A circumnav’ of the Arctic by myself non-stop is a testament to how rapidly the climate is changing. That’s what we’re going to prove.” This, then, isn’t a record attempt. It’s a wake-up call.  To end up as a climate campaigner is quite a journey for someone who worked as deckhand on motor superyachts. No fan of the lifestyle, Ella returned to sailing after four years. As a child, she sailed Optimist dinghies on a Suffolk reservoir and aboard her father’s Moody in the Mediterranean. She qualified as an RYA Cruising Instructor before becoming the second-youngest female Yachtmaster Instructor, aged 25. Her Arctic expedition represents a sabbatical from her day job freelancing at sailing schools.  The Yachtmaster mindset Navigational savvy instilled by her RYA training will be “fundamental to making it safely around the Arctic”, she says. There’s more to the qualification than that, though: “I haven’t got masses of offshore miles by myself yet, but my skill set from being an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor has given me the confidence to know I can look after myself out there.”    She’ll need to. Even with a steel ketch (chosen and bought by Ella for its go-anywhere hull and a flexible sat plan which is manageable alone), despite new foam insulation and “at least two or three of almost everything – sails and spares”, Ella has a lot to contend with.   Apart from stops roughly every fortnight (without disembarking) to resupply food and fuel, she’ll be on her own. Solar and wind power will top up batteries alongside the engine. No marina mechanic will make repairs. Not that being alone unduly concerns her.   “Probably the top two challenges will be the weather – storms, fog, lack of wind – and fatigue”   “As well as ice, areas like the north coast of Alaska are renowned for high seas and storms of up to 40-50 knots while the Northwest Passage is known for being foggy and having no wind,” she says. “Also, I’m not going to be able to sleep for six to eight hours a day.” On the plus side, constant daylight in an Arctic summer will ease watch-keeping.   The Arctic experience  Vaughan Marsh, RYA Chief Instructor for sail and motor cruising, notes how the Arctic places unique demands on sailor and boat alike. “There is that need to be absolutely self-sufficient,” he says. Before joining the RYA, he led expedition sail-training for the Armed Forces at the Joint Services Sail Training Centre, including trips from Iceland to Arctic Greenland.   There, he ran onboard heating near-continuously aboard a Challenge 67 yacht. With the watermaker working harder in cold water, he discovered there were greater demands on power. Alongside upcoming weather, passage plans were made after studying years of ice charts: “The Denmark Meteorology Institute provide a really good resource, with percentages of water to ice (actual and historic) by area.” 

Source: Survival Of The Arctic

Seawork is Europe’s largest on-water commercial marine and workboat exhibition which boasts an international audience of visitors providing a proven platform to build business networks and contacts. Marine Civils is co-located with Seawork. Seawork provides 12,000 m2 of fully ventilated undercover halls, over 500 exhibitors and over 70 vessels, floating plant and equipment on the quayside and pontoons. On-water demonstrations take place daily and the exhibition hosts a highly regarded Conference programme, chaired by industry experts.

Source: MSE International – News

The 10th anniversary edition of the Boat Builder Awards for Business Achievement, jointly run by IBI and METSTRADE, will be celebrated this year at Amsterdam’s National Maritime Museum on Wednesday 20th November 2024.The awards recognise the significant contributions of individuals, teams and supply chain partners within boat building companies globally. This prestigious and widely recognised programme has been supported since inception by the headline sponsor, Raymarine.The critical influence of boat and superyacht production and refit activity across the whole industry cannot be under-estimated. The 2024 10th anniversary edition of the Boat Builder Awards will cast a spotlight on another year of remarkable industry advances across 11 categories spanning design, innovation, collaborative working, environmental responsibility, marketing and personal achievement.Entry is now open – nominate yourself, your business or another person or organisation.

Source: MSE International – News

UK Bill Banning Live Animal Export Ready for Royal Assent May 15, 2024 The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill had its third reading in UK Parliament on May 14 and now awaits Royal Assent to become law. The bill seeks to end the export of cattle, horses, sheep, goats and pigs for fattening and slaughter from and through England, Wales and Scotland. A speech made by UK King Charles on November 7, 2023, set out the government’s agenda for the coming political year which included the bill. The legislation follows a 2020 consultation on ending live animal exports in which 87% of respondents agreed that livestock should not be exported for slaughter and fattening. For decades, millions of animals have endured transit for days or weeks, potentially suffering extreme temperatures and poor access to food and water. Many then end up in conditions that are illegal in the UK, such as veal crates where very young calves are kept in complete isolation and unable to even turn around.   The Bill will make the UK the first European country to ban live animal exports, following in the footsteps of New Zealand, Australia and Brazil which have all made commitments to ending or phasing out the trade. The EU is currently the largest exporter of live animals, but the UK ban may influence attitudes ahead of upcoming EU elections. Compassion for World Farming says its ban live exports campaign received unyielding support from celebrities including Patron, Dame Joanna Lumley, who exclaimed: “Finally, finally, finally, we can celebrate the news that live farm animals will never again be exported on long, horrendous journeys from our shores only to be fattened or slaughtered. For decades, we at Compassion in World Farming have worked tirelessly to bring this campaign to everyone’s attention. “We are deeply thankful to the Government for taking action at long last and to our supporters for never giving up the fight – I’m so proud to say that, together, we have banned live exports!” Yvonne Birchall, from Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE), said: “For 29 years, KAALE and their supporters have demonstrated outside UK ports as live export shipments have been loaded on vessels bound for Europe. It has been truly heartbreaking to witness these animals crammed into trucks.” Iain Green, Director of Animal Aid, said: “We’re hopeful that this Bill will be enshrined into law quickly, ahead of the general election, in order to prevent the suffering of millions of animals.” He recalled the dedication of animal rights promoter, Jill Phipps, who died after being hit by a lorry whilst protesting against the export of live veal calves from Coventry in 1995, saying this victory undoubtedly belongs to Jill and to the countless supporters who never gave up.  

Source: UK Bill Banning Live Animal Export Ready For Royal

Cruise Ship Arrives in New York with 44-foot Whale Carcass on Its BowBy Steve Gorman May 12, 2024Screenshot from a video circulating on social media that shows a whale carcass on the bow of cruise ship MSC Meraviglia in New York’s Port of Brooklyn.Marine conservationists and government scientists are seeking clues to the mystery of how a 44-foot whale carcass ended up on the bow of a cruise liner, where it was discovered as the ship approached New York City’s Port of Brooklyn over the weekend.A necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy, identified the deceased marine mammal as a mature female sei whale, an endangered species typically found in deep waters far from land, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said on Wednesday.One key question is whether the whale’s death came before or after its contact with the vessel, according to the non-profit organization, based in Hampton Bays, New York.An online statement posted by the society, whose team conducted the necropsy on Tuesday, said the exam revealed evidence of tissue trauma along whale’s right shoulder blade region, and a right flipper fracture. The creature’s gastrointestinal tract was full of food, it said.Most of the whale’s organs were sampled, along with tissue and bone, for toxicology and pathology analysis, according to the society.”The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine if the vessel interaction occurred pre or post mortem,” the group said in its statement.(Photo: Atlantic Marine Conservation Society)It said the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s law enforcement office was also investigating the incident.The whale’s corpse was carried into port on Saturday.The conservation society said the whale was then towed to shore at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to conduct the necropsy.Sei whales, members of the baleen branch of cetaceans that filter-feed on plankton and krill, take their name from the Norwegian word for pollock, a fish they often run with at sea. They are known as exceptionally fast swimmers, capable of reaching speeds of more than 34 miles per hour (55kph), according to NOAA.They dwell mostly in subtropical, temperate and subpolar seas around the world, primarily the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. In summer, they are commonly found in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank and Stellwagen Bank in the western North Atlantic.

Source: Cruise Ship Arrives In New York With 44-Foot Whale

Olympic Flame Sails into Marseille Aboard 128-year-old Tall Ship By Clotaire Achi and Julien Pretot May 8, 2024 © catherinelprod / Adobe Stock The Olympic flame landed on French soil amid tight security on Wednesday, firing the starting gun on a summer extravaganza of sport that President Emmanuel Macron hopes will showcase the splendours of France and burnish his legacy. The flame arrived in Marseille, a port city in southern France founded by Greek merchants, after a 12-day trip from Greece onboard the Belem, a 128-year-old three-masted tall ship that once transported sugar from France’s colonies in the West Indies to the metropole. The torch was brought to land by Florent Manaudou, France’s 2012 Olympic men’s 50 meters freestyle swimming champion, who handed it to Paralympic athlete Nantenin Keita, a 400 meters gold medalist at the Rio Games in 2016. She then passed it on to Marseille-born rapper Jul, who lit the cauldron in front of an ecstatic crowd estimated at 150,000. Earlier a flotilla of pleasure boats had welcomed the Belem to French shores. “It marks the end of preparations, the Games arrive in the life of the French people. The flame is here, we can be proud,” Macron said. Some 7,000 law enforcement officers including snipers and dog units secured Marseille’s Old Port, a stress test for the Paris 2024 organisers with France on its highest state of security alert against a complex geopolitical backdrop. “There’s a huge security issue at stake. We will be ready. We will be on alert until the last second,” Macron said. “It’s an unprecedented level of security,” Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said. “Life goes on in Marseille but under great security.” From Marseille, the torch will continue on an 11-week odyssey that will see it criss-cross France and visit French overseas territories in the Caribbean as well as the Indian and Pacific oceans. In all it will be carried by some 10,000 torchbearers before reaching Paris on July 26 for the Games’ opening ceremony. Instead of a traditional opening ceremony, held in a stadium, France has planned a ritzy river parade along a six-kilometer stretch of the Seine, ending at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Southern charm Sun-baked Marseille, France’s second city, provides a different spectacle to the formal elegance of Paris and large crowds gathered around the Old Port to watch. “It was the obvious choice,” Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, said of Marseille, which was founded around 600 BC by Greek settlers from Phocea. Despite a history of gang crime and poverty, its turquoise creeks and Mediterranean accents encapsulate the French southern charms that have beguiled artists and movie stars for generations. Sports competitions have long offered nations the opportunity to exert soft power and advance their geopolitical goals. This week Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced support for Macron’s call for a global truce during the Paris 2024 Games. Suspending armed conflicts under an “Olympic truce” is a longstanding tradition. French officials hope Xi’s endorsement is a sign that he could use his influence to persuade Russia to honour a truce in Ukraine when President Vladimir Putin travels to China later this month. Paris itself has come to take an increasingly important role in France’s diplomatic and commercial strategies. Last year, Pharrell Williams staged his debut menswear collection for Louis Vuitton along Paris’ Pont Neuf bridge, with large crowds gathered along the banks of the Seine for a glimpse of his celebrity audience.

Source: Olympic Flame Sails Into Marseille Aboard 128-Year-Old

Seawork, 11th-13th June 2024, Southampton Posted 2024-02-12 11:09:38 by Seawork is Europe’s largest on-water commercial marine and workboat exhibition which boasts an international audience of visitors providing a proven platform to build business networks and contacts. Marine Civils is co-located with Seawork. Seawork provides 12,000 m2 of fully ventilated undercover halls, over 500 exhibitors and over 70 vessels, floating plant and equipment on the quayside and pontoons. On-water demonstrations take place daily and the exhibition hosts a highly regarded Conference programme, chaired by industry experts.

Source: MSE International – News

Gosport Marine Festival 18th May 2024, Gosport Posted 2024-04-19 09:55:37 by Gosport festival taking place Saturday 18th May 2024 offers free water sports activities and a fun day out for all. This annual event iefree to attend thanks to support from key partners that include: Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire County Council and Haslar Marina (Boatfolk Marinas). This one-day festival aims to make the most out of the town’s marine location, heritage and culture by providing a fun day of activities, entertainment, market and exhibitors. Watersports Free have-a-go sessions for sailing, kayaking and paddleboarding (SUP) with professional instructors and all equipment provided (5 years and up). Centred around the Cockle Pond boating lake in Walpole Park. These activities are thanks to support of the GoSport Activity Centre, Stokes Bay Sailing Club and notably the Andrew Simpson Foundation. Having a go extends onto dry land with additional activities such as climbing walls, axe-throwing, archery and bouncy castles. This is thanks to the support of local organisations including the Sea Cadets, Gosport Scouts and a multitude of others. Entertainment Live music, food and drink is centred around the Millennium Timespace performance area, just metres from the Gosport ferry with views over Portsmouth Harbour to the Spinnaker. Weather permitting, the festivities will extend into the evening to allow all participants to celebrate in the success of the day. Haslar Marina Open Day A range of vessels moored at the marina will be open to the public on static display. This represents a unique opportunity to get down onto the pontoons or view from the Gosport Millenium Pier which extends out into Portsmouth Harbour to the Lightship, an iconic landmark on the Solent. Exhibitors, Market Stalls and Art Show Within Trinity Church and on the surrounding green community stalls, traders and an exhibition by local artists link us to our marine heritage and culture. The idea opportunity to learn about what the coming season will bring and support local entrepreneurship and crafts. For more information and to sign up to activities visit gosportmarinefestival.uk

Source: MSE International – News