Invite to Drink Beer! (music to your ears)
Sunday, 6th December 2020 – 1pm til 3pm – Bar Cellar launch
We have a number of pints of Carlsberg and Southwold bitter left over and we would like to show you what we have done in the Beer store.
So you are cordially invited to come along to the club and have a socially distanced beer outside and have a look at the beer cellar!
The plan is that we shall set up the beer outside for you to drink. We ask you to make a CASH only donation to Riverside or the RNLI and at the same time you can see the refurbished beer cellar.
There are approx. 60 pints available and it will be a first come first served basis.
Because of the COVID restrictions we are sorry that you can not come into the clubhouse and ask that you keep to social distancing at all times.
Anyone who wants to bring their own container is also welcome and we will fill it for them.
Please bring your face mask.
All welcome.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
Virtual Racing is back!
For more information just click below:
Christmas Card Initiative
If you would like to wish your fellow club members a Safe and Happy Christmas we will once again be offering our Christmas Card initiative, in lieu of purchasing and delivering Christmas Cards, to benefit Riverside Fundraising.
I will be outside the club on Sunday, 6th December from 1pm to 3pm, where you will be able to add your £10 donation to the Riverside fund jar, and I will be able to add you to the Christmas Card list. If this time is not convenient for you, please reply to me via this email so that we can make alternative arrangements. (If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact me).
The list will appear in the Newsletter on the 9th,16th and 23rd of December. Please ensure all requests are received by noon on the 16th December to ensure they are included in the Newsletter.
Jane White
Cruising News
Hi everyone, with Christmas fast approaching, how are you all coping with this strange and difficult year?
The cruising group managed some jolly good local cruises despite a delayed start to the season, and some of you spent plenty of time afloat with lovely weather, the ideal way to socially distance!
I’ve really missed our club social nights and gatherings, and for us, Christmas is going to be very quiet, with no social events and family staying away to be safe.
Fingers crossed that the promised vaccine enables us to emerge from our necessary hibernation early enough in 2021 to enjoy a fantastic year of cruising.
Planning for it starts now, and I need your help please as we need a collaborative effort for the most fun and inspiration..
Where would you like or aspire to go, and when?
Last year we missed out on London, a must for 2021, maybe via Chatham (dockyard), the south coast perhaps crossing the channel, perhaps a trip to Holland (covid and brexit permitting.)
More locally, Heybridge calls if open, plus Orford/Aldeburgh and maybe further north? Plus of course all the usual familiar marinas.
How about a Zoom meeting to dream and make some initial plans?
I suggest Monday 7th December, say 8pm? It could be a good opportunity to catch up with each other and what’s happening with the club from the safety of home!
Do let me know if interested in taking part.
We could also orchestrate a ferry boatyard socially distanced chat with small groups of 6…or somewhere at your suggestion…
If there are any new or existing members who enjoy cruising on a yacht or motorboat, or who are interested in doing so would like to join the club cruising WhatsApp group, to contact me via phone/message. It’s a great way to keep in touch with other cruisers, see interesting articles and useful information about yachting and sailing.
Lynda, Yacht Captain.
Tel: 07881 813599
Nautical Etymology by Noel Buoy
Recently I met up with an old ship mate and we got to reminissing about the good old days at sea and the language that was used in a nautical enviroment. You have probably never realised just how many of the words and expressions used in everyday English do in fact have a fascinating origin. Here are a few that I have researched.
Windfall.
Some English and American landowners were prevented by a clause in the title of their estates to either fell or sell timber as this was reserved for building ships for the Navy. However, this did not include trees which were blown down and so a windfall came to mean a financial blessing, an unexpected gift of money.
Wallop.
After the French fleet had raised and burnt Brighton on the Sussex coast in the reign of Henery VII Sir John Wallop was ordered by the King to carry out a reprisal raid. Sir John sailed with his fleet to Normandy where he is reported to have burnt twenty one towns and villages and to have demolished several harbours. Ever since the name Wallop has been the name synonymous with a beating or good hiding.
Take down a peg.
It is belived to date from the 17th century when flags began to play an important part in indicating command or rank. Admirals already had their own flag (hence Flag Officer) but from this time it became the general practice for an Admiral of the Fleet to fly a Union flag on the main mast or the highest mast and lesser admirals to fly their flags from the foremast or mizzen. Flag halyards were secured to pegs and if a senior admiral handed over his command to a junior then the flag would have to be flown in a subordinate position or taken down a peg. Thus the phrase has come to mean to blunt somebody’s pride.
Union Jack,Jackstaff
In 1603 James VI of Scotland became James 1 of England, Wales and Scotland,uniting the three countries.The English St George flag was combined with the Scottish St Andrews flag to make the Union Flag. James instructed it to be flown on all his ships. A small new mast was added to the bowsprit of all ships of the Royal Navy in 1606 to fly the new Union Flag. King James used the Latin version of his name when signing orders and offical letters, Jacobus Rex, but used Jac for personal letters. Thus the new mast became known as the Jackstaff.
Modern warships no longer have bowsprits but a jackstaff is still used to fly the Union Flag at the bows. Only when it is flown from a ship in this way should it be called Union Jack. At all other times when flown from buildings or flagpoles it is the Union Flag never the Union Jack.
Naval ships did not have to pay port taxes and harbour dues in Britain as the ports were owned by the Crown. Thus Merchant men began to add jackstaff to fly the union Jack to save money. Therefore in 1634 a law was passed whereby only Royal Navy ships can fly the Union Jack,only on the jackstaff and ony when stationary in port.
Only the monarch’s vessel can fly the Union Jack while sailing.
Making a Rod for Your Own Back.
A self-imposed difficulty. Literally to fashion an instrument of punishment. The cat o’ nine tails for example was always made by men awaiting flogging. They would be given a length of rope and ordered to strand it and then plait it into nine ends projecting from a rope handle. If on inspection the work was found to be less than satifactory they would be given extra lashes.
Out of the Blue.
The totally unexpected. Short for “out of a clear blue sky” and is an analogy to a sudden change in the weather when from a good breeze under a cloud dappled blue sky a deamon squall can appear and wreak havoc on the ship. Probably the best documented example of this in the spring of 1878 HMS Eurydice was on the last few miles of her jounney home to Portsmouth from Bermuda.The day was calm, the weather was sunny, all sails were set, all ports and windows were open and all men on duty were relaxing on deck. Then without warning a dark cloud appeared,a squall struck and Eurydice went down with 368 men. Within half an hour the weather was perfect again.
Dutch Courage
Dates from the time of Charles II when the Anglo-Dutch Wars were at their peak and the lie was circulated that the Dutch were so cowardly that they had to be primed with Genever (Dutch Gin) before they would come out and fight. It took some believing! At the time Dutch raids in the Thames estuary were a regular event. Van Ruyter once managed to sink practically every British ship at anchor in Chatham. While in the English Channel Van Tromp inflicted a devestating defeat on his emeny that he is said to have hoisted a broom to the masthead to show he had swept the English from the seas.
NB
Christmas Present Ideas
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Stay safe and well
Jane B & Jane W
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