Shelterbox Boat visits UTSC

 ​​​One man in a ShelterBox boat - navigating the Thames from Henley to Shepperton, 20 July 2024 Paul Weatherill, a Rotary Club member in Norfolk, built a tiny dinghy around the iconic green aid box that gives ShelterBox its name and logo. Visits UTSC - SATURDAY 20 JULY Henley (Thames Traditional Boat Festival): 13.00 Marlow (Higginson Park): 17.00 SUNDAY 21 JULY Bourne End (Upper Thames Sailing Club): 11.30 Bourne End (The Bounty): 12.00 Maidenhead (Boulters Lock): 13.45 Windsor (Alexandra Gardens): 17.30 Windsor (The Boatman): 18.15 MONDAY 22 JULY Datchet (Parish Wharf): 11.15 Staines (Last Hop): 13.00 Shepperton Lock: 17.00 https://www.justgiving.com/page/shelterboat2

A Quick Pit Stop

The local Rotary club came to visit UTSC to support Paul on his brave ( I think he was very brave looking at the boat) journey navigating the Thames from Henley to Shepperton, 20 July 2024

​ShelterBoat had its maiden voyage in 2021, sailing up the Norfolk Broads to Norwich and raising nearly £2000 for ShelterBox. In 2023 ShelterBoat navigated the River Avon from Shakespeare's Stratford to the River Severn at Tewkesbury, raising over £3500 with the help of Rotary partners and boat clubs, up and down the river. Now the river calls again, and in July 2024 ShelterBoat will be taking to the River Thames, navigating the 36 miles from Henley to Shepperton Lock over three days - with just the Captain on board. Come back to this page for information and details as the planning unfolds. ShelterBox is a great cause. Their aim is to ensure that after disaster no-one is left without shelter. They believe that having the essentials - tools, cooking equipment, shelter, warm bedding and so on - is vital for rebuilding hope and keeping communities together. They're currently active in every disaster zone of recent years, from floods in Pakistan to earthquakes in Türkiye, Syria and Morocco - and even in conflict zones such as Ukraine and now Gaza. 
Please sponsor ShelterBoat 24 and help us make a difference for some of the world's most desperate and often most forgotten people. https://www.justgiving.com/page/shelterboat2

Our First overtake | Summer Series on Thames

We managed our first overtake, but it was short-lived from https://pmrsailing.uk as I try to learn to sail.

Start Sail Training session | Instructor giving one to one tuition on bo...

Sail training in the RS Toura. The sail had to be reefed because of the strong winds and rain at the Upper Thames Sailing Club.

First Rescue

 

Our first Whaly rescue at Upper Thames Sailing Club by the camera boat. My son and I went out in the Whaly to photograph and video the dinghies. In the mids't of this, a boat capsized and being the nearest boat, we hurried over to the capsized dinghy, stowing away the camera gear in the Whaly's storage boxes and helped right the capsized boat. We dropped down the front to allow the sailor into the Whaly as he couldn't climb into the boat, then we towed the boat and very wet sailor to the shore where the boat was recovered.

No Wind Sprint Race

 The Day was divided up with either no wind or very squally showers and some thunder. When that happened, the wind came up, and some sailing could take place.

Whaly Coyote - Camera Boat

Boat on the Thames

Here are a few pictures of putting the boat onto the River Thames for the first time. An all-electric Ocean Green Whaly 455 is undergoing trials on the River Thames, England ready to be equipped as a Camera Boat. The boat is virtually silent, apart from the noise of the prop pushing the water. Powered by an Epropulsion Navy 3.0 Evo Motor and hydraulic Steering all provided by Lindon Lewis Marine. Whereas many members want speed we want slow speeds and nearly silent, which makes this boat ideal.

Start Sail

Commencing Start Sail

Learning to Sail - the Start Sail Course
Sailing the boat on the Land. The Land drill learning which way to face and how to move in the boat.

• Start Sail commencing with the Land Drill.

• First Rig the boat, put up the mast, put in the boom and sort out the sail on one of the Clubs five Zests.
• How to move around the boat and how to turn as the Helm.
• Look
• Turn the Rudder away as the Boom moves stand and move to the other side.
• Keep hold of the tiller
• Sit down then sort out the swapping of hands holding at all times to the tiller.

Mark, our instructor, demonstrated how to do this with Paul, moving the boat through the wind so that the boom would move. As he did this his son mirrored the operation with the younger students.

My first Helm

That was the theory now to put it into practice​

Learning to Capsize and Recover the Boat

It's June as I write this, and the River isn't probably going to get any warmer than this, so let's have a go. My wife had a go near the pontoon, and the crew just had to roll into the boat. My job as helm was to swim around the stern of the boat (less ropes and wires) and grab hold of the centreboard. Eventually, using my chin on the board and my legs wrapped around it, the boat came up.