I absolutely love Tom for his enthusiasm, down to earth demeanour and worldly knowledge, I could listen to this guy for hours, so relaxing

@humanbeing2009

4 жыл бұрын

A salty dog for sure.

We need a “Tom” in other worlds .. other “spheres” like Aviation, Golf and Motorsport . Sadly far too many of the experts in those fields are tinged with arrogance and “one-upmanship”.... it’s a pity ! Tom’s personality, knowledge and his “delivery” .... just so admirable. It’s a privilege to watch the content on “Yachts and Yarns”.

Excellent intro about your new Nav system. B&G is definitely the way to go. Envious and happy for you. Thanks Tom!

Who says you can't teach old dogs new tricks! Lovely.

Thank you sir. You are inspiring.

Hi tom really enjoy your educational videos. Would love to see ros now and again as she is very good with the camera. Have only dreamed of sailing, but who knows. You two make a great team. Thks

I’m not even a sailor (yet) and find this so interesting. Charming delivery too 👍🏻

Well done!

Great video Tom, agree with you completely about your modern electronics - and a nice Admiralty chart - of course! Nice set up. Good camera work. And great to hear your views on things - keep up the excellent work. Many thanks. William.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your support William. No time for more, just off round Landsort.

@contessa3292

5 жыл бұрын

...rounding Landsort! Lovely spot (I was there in flat calm weather many years ago). On your way north through the skerries? Fair winds. William.

Keep these vids coming! You are an inspiration!

@brianback5305

5 жыл бұрын

Inspiring stuff Tom, please keep the videos coming. Now the question we electronic gizmo fiends need your views on! How is Constance generating the power for all this lovely new kit? Are you burnishing your green credentials with solar panels (please, not one of those ugly arches!) or a wind generator, or reverting to cranking up the “iron sail” occasionally? Best regards, Brian Back

Great video, love watching your stuff.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks chum. I do my best

Thanks Tom, a brilliant perspective on the usefulness of modern electronics and the value of a paper chart :) I've got a similar B&G setup and like you I'm amazed at what it can do, especially the amount of information at ones fingertips that would normally require reaching for the almanac such as tidal data and streams, sunrise / set times, port information etc. Seeing the current (predicted) tidal height and stream speed / direction overlayed on the chart is superb.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

How right you are. Just for the record, if a tidal height is really critical, I always rattle off a quick graph in the Almanac - just to be certain the prediction is correct and to keep my hand in for the awful day!

Tom that’s a really neat set up you have at the binnacle and it is a thing of wonder the modern plotter.👍😀

i love the modern electronic ... i love all the data .. one limitation is though seeing the whole picture .. that is where charts come in .. i like them both ..

Your such a pleasure to see and read 👍 Tom for OBE

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Daren. That made me smile. My late father-in-law, an ex Spitfire pilot, always said OBE stood for 'Other Blokes Efforts'! Thanks for the kind words. Tom

Great when the old dogs, ok, old Sea Dogs then, can learn "appropriate" new technologies, to enhance, not to depend on. Thank you for the update.

Great video and I agree whole heartedly with everything you said. Unfortunately, most sailors these days are solely relying on the electronics, have no paper charts (shockingly even on ocean crossings 😪) and are staring at the screens much more than the horizon. Like you, I love the technology but never lose sight of the fact that one lightning strike or software glitch can render it useless....... seamanship means covering all bases, being prepared, having a plan A, B & C and maintaining your skills!

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Glad we're singing from the same shanty sheet and thanks for making the point so well.

I hope you come back around to the West Coast, I’m based just N of Gothenburg, it’d be an honor to meet with you both.! Warren s/y Legend

Great video Tom. I've recently been sailing on Amokura, a 1939 Fred Shepard yawl which has just had a very similar set up fitted. I agree it's absolutely amazing. One tiny tip... the little plastic clip that holds the remote to the rather smart snap hook is a little fragile. We very nearly lost ours over the side. You may want to upgrade to a slightly stouter bit of string...

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip. I hadn't noticed. I'm always amused at the way firms which produce miraculous software sometimes include hardware which doesn't quite hit the mark. Lucky you sailing on Amokura.

Tom, Although I run regular LED's in my navigation lights, I also have strobe lights in them to enhance their visibility. This system has saved me on several solo passages. My masthead anchor light is also equip with a strobe for the same reason. I am an old school navigator like yourself. Although with the refit, I am installing some electronic systems to make life a little easier now that I am getting on in years and the health is not the best. But I will continue to solo passage as long as the health allows.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Fair winds to you mate.

Well done sir, do I see a twinkle in your eye? According to me ...B&G is one of the best sail plotters on the market. Enjoy and stay safe. .. thanks for sharing!

Great video Tom

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks. You'll be getting stuck into Growler by now. Hope the sun shines on you efforts. Say Hi to your crew.

Amazing Tom. I wouldn't have guest you being into these newfangled marvels! Nice setup indeed.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

S/V Adma If we can move with the times and not forget where we have come from, we are all the richer. Fair winds Adma.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

If we can move with the times without forgetting where we have come from we are all the richer. Fair winds Adma

Hi Tom, Here in Scandinavia a plotter in the cockpit is a must. This is a minefield of rocks. You miss your bearings for half a minute and the next thing you hear is that awful sound in the rigging, the sound of hitting granite rock the hole Scandinavian peninsula is made of.... Thanks for sharing, and fair winds, Carlos, SY Hannah

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Carlos. I certainly hear what you are saying. Right now I'm anchored 15M south of Arkosund and am very glad of the additional security supplied by my iPad charts in the cockpit. These days of plotters I find it hard to believe that I sailed a 35ton pilot cutter drawing 8ft all the way up through the islands, across Aland and through the Finnish archipelagos to Leningrad in 1988 with only the paper charts. We used to stick a red paper arrow in the chart when we were at a known position so we didn't lose ourselves in what you rightly describe as a minefield of rocks. I'm with you all the way about the horrible bump when one gets things wrong, but with caution it was amazing what we used to achieve before GPS made the plotter possible. Having said that, the iPad is on charge right now and I'm glad of it. Outside the Baltic of course, it's a different world and a different story.

Brilliant video!! Learnt to sail last year and the boats had all B&G equipment so it feels very familiar. Love how you've got it set up. Great to see a chart right there too, love using the paper charts though, something more "real" about it no matter how well coordinated the electronics are: There's still a fuse that might blow somewhere in the dead of night!

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ruaraidh. You're absolutely right. Got to have the paper chart too, but I'm loving my B&G setup.

I love the portrait of Nelson over your shoulder at the chart table! There's got to be a story there somewhere.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

There is - and it's a long one involving my daughter when aged 8 and Nelson's great maxim to lose not a moment!! It's always good to know one's betters are keeping a weather eye on one's efforts.

@westcountry_sailing

5 жыл бұрын

@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns I'm just reading the Patrick O'Brian Napoleonic stories. At least now I know where the 'lose not a moment' quote comes from. All the best Tom.

I'm just wondering why should you not be awarded a Knighthood. Seriously. You have and still are contributing such a lot to the sailing community. Anyway i hold you in high regard. It's a pity i missed talking to you quite some years ago....as you passed by me, entering the Buleau boat jumble 7 or 8 years ago. Hope our paths cross some time again...may be intentionally next time. God willing.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

You're far too kind and of course, as with most apparently desirable outcomes there is a questionable side effect. My wife would become, by default, Lady C, a title which anybody who remembers the 1960s will realise is one that might raise eyebrows in the more straight-laced clubs! Please do say hello next time our paths cross.

@maxflight777

3 жыл бұрын

A good oberseevation Sai.

Brilliant as usual Tom. Quite right keeping the paper chart out, not many do that these days. I remember watching one of the top youtube sailing channels recently. His instruments went down and he said 'I don't know where the wind is coming from' I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Hey Ho Buster! Good to hear from you. Shame your man never learned to read the water.

@saltybuster946

5 жыл бұрын

Or step out from the fully enclosed cockpit and feel the wind on his face

Thanks for that. Your enthusiasm makes the kit seem less daunting for a wannabe with limited knowledge like me. Fair winds

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks. The great thing about sailing is that every time you go out there you learn, so the older you get the more you can know. Welcome to the best school in the world, the sea.

“You can play tunes on it”. Ba ha ha ha ha. Well done.

I've never heard it called Brookes & Gatehouse in all the sailing vids I've watched just B&G... learn something everyday!

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

When I was a nipper, they got their full title. I never met Mr Brookes, but Major Richard Gatehouse, 1918-1982 was a real sailor as well as an innovator. I visited his home in Lymington.

Good show Tom! Liveaboard cruising now for 3 years, and we've still not gotten around to an autopilot, but I do feel the urge to splash out after 12 hrs on the helm! Cheers for demonstrating the gear, when one knows what's available, only then can you decide what you do and don't want on your own vessel. But start from the bottom up, paper first, every time :-) We had a 36hr period of no electricity/engine/electronics on our last Biscay crossing. Oh, how the paper chart kept me sane... Thanks again...

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Blimey - you should be in the Guinness Book of Records! If you can't afford an autopilot, how about a wind vane? I don't know what your boat is, but The Hebridean comes in kit form, so is quite affordable.

@LeonardSkinnerOfficial

5 жыл бұрын

@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns She's an old American boat, a Yorktown. Believe it or not, we sold the Aries wind vane off of her because she balances and holds her course better without it. We might catch you in Southampton, doing some signings 😀

BZ Tom! Love your vids, mate, and your enthusiasm for entertaining instruction. Long may it continue ! Yours, Aye ;)

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

bert macdonald Thanks Bert. A little encouragement helps us all.

Tom, I find all the fun in sailing to be old time navigating. I don’t even fire off the engine unless legally required. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got electronics on board for foul weather times.) Call me Magellan 🤠

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

3 жыл бұрын

Good for you. In many ways electronics have taken the satisfaction out of navigating - especially when making a landfall. Tom

What tunes are you playing on your B&G? Just love your asides. In this time of COVID you are saving my life here.

Wow! You were here just now?! Sad to have missed you!

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Likewise. Give me a shout next time and we're have a beer.

LOL Tom I was just lamenting that they turned off the radio-beacons, my favorite nav-toy used to be the handheld radio compass... good stuff for navigating your way when making landfall.. obviously when it works the GPS blows it away.. but.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, I remember the Seafix. Hanging on with one hand, searching for a null while bouncing from wave top to wave top in a Contessa 32. Those were the days and we didn't need GPS because we always had a logbook and a paper chart, which I do to this day.

Tom, Keep the videos coming! Your joy of the sailing experience always makes me smile and you have a great way with words. Also encourage the viewers to give the videos a like and subscribe as it gets them viewed by a wider audience. And take over the camera once in a while to give Ros some screen time. We all know she is the mastermind of the Cunliffe operation. Maybe mount a go pro to get some views of your dual handed sailing, docking and anchoring.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the sound advice. You're right about Ros. Trouble is, she's always been camera shy although I've never understood why.

@thesailingrode1817

5 жыл бұрын

Tom Cunliffe - yachts and yarns My wife and I started a sailing podcast years ago and at first my wife was fairly quiet. Now I can barely fit in a word on the show! Maybe start with you interviewing her about what she loves about sailing /cruising. She is obviously entertaining after hearing that men reading manuals in bed comment!

Looks like a terrific bit of kit. Keep your fingers crossed it is reliable. Just as an aside for the last three weeks I have been replacing all the wiring for my instruments. They seem to be working a lot better now and hopefully I won’t be doing that again soon!

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

4 жыл бұрын

End of the summer now and after 4 months solid cruising, it hasn't missed a beat. You're a hero for replacing the wiring yourself. Tom

Nice B&G equipment! I'm sure there is a personal dedication of Nelson to you on the picture :-)

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

No there isn't Kim. It's a dedication from the husband of Nelson's mistress, Emma Hamilton. The old boy knew what was going on, but was so captivated by Nelson's magnetism that when he left Nelson's favourite portrait of Emma to him in his will, he remarked of Nelson, 'God Bless Him and shame fall on those who do not say Amen.'

Glad your enjoying your new B&G. If we may, a couple of observations. The B&G works with vector charts not rasta and we know this is a subject you and we have a strong opinion on. Paper charts, a hand bearing compass and the MK1 eyeball, out perform electronics every time. However, AIS and modern digital radar are when set up properly are so good one wonders how one ever made passage with decca and dead reckoning. Setting the plotter to heads up rather than north up gives a better view of whats ahead and behind. Like map reading (when taught properly) one orentates the map to compass or heading to give direction. We have seen some sticky situations where the chart plotter is set to north up and the boat skipper has completely miss read the plot or course and the AIS overlay of other vessels. Thinking they were in a different course and not a potential risk. Course up not north up when using a plotter. Refer to paper charts and plot position on paper and enter on the log every hour. If God forbid the power fails or something happens your just an hour of dead reckoning from your true position. Modern autopilots are great. The move to hydraulic or electromechanical rams to the rudder quadrant make a better and more reliable connection to helm than than those silly belt driven add ons that bolt to the wheel that cannot steer down wind and suck electrical power. The systems can be damped or altered to suit a boat and even have a learning algorithm that adapts to the boat and the conditions.... Sometimes just sometimes we hanker for the days we sailed with canvas, a tiller and a bucket and chucket :-) Sail safe you guys. Ant, Cid and the pooch crew, anchored in Porta Sant Migeuel (Ibiza) while a bit of a blow comes throw tomorrow.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

SV Impavidus (Ant & Cid Sailing) Thanks for the input Guys. One of these days I might make a full tutorial. That'll be a long one! Actually, my B&G does offer a raster chart option although I'm inclined to run rasters on the pc. We could go on couldn't we, but it's time for breakfast. Hang on when that breeze comes through!

@SVImpavidus

5 жыл бұрын

@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Thanks for the reply. Sail Safe.

and I love my B&G for shorthanded sailing also......well done, good overview. Will have to check some of the deeply buried programs in the system. Can it make me a good cuppa? Thanks, Andrew

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

You never know - but I haven't found that button yet! Let me know if it pops up.

Great navigation equipment Tom. I'm sure raymarine users worldwide would be dreaming of an upgrade! I certainly am however my budget is more akin to the humble paper chart. Fair winds.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

4 жыл бұрын

You won't go far wrong with a paper chart. They served us well for generations and we never felt the need of more. Tom

Fantastic! Good to see a wrinkly getting on with the latest kit! ;) My electronics include an ancient second hand garmin VHF (that'll make a good mud weight when if gives up the ghost), a lead line, burgee atop the mast and a 13 yr old battered garmin GPS60 which has given sterling service plugged into a second hand Yeoman sport. I love it. It gives a position on a paper chart for when the electrics fall over. They stopped making them them a year or so ago due to plotters. Does anybody out there still use a Yeoman?

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a real-life boat you've got there. The Yeoman was a brilliant idea, much used by lifeboats, but, like RDF and, as Kipling once observed, the journalists, they have served their day. I loved the Yeoman, but mine's long gone. I still ship out with a proper leadline though, complete with leather markings and a hollow for the tallow. Grand to hear from you.

@geoffchapman8779

5 жыл бұрын

Ancient Mariner old fart

Should have a compass cover that flips open when needed. Sun disintegrates the alcohol. Surprising the deviation when a compass is swung after a few years.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

4 жыл бұрын

Interesting point. I never knew the sun got at the alcohol. I do have a cover, but it's not a flipover one. The flipover that came with the boat was such rubbish that I binned it. I use a neat canvas cover when not at sea.

Agree with you about not having a plotter in the cockpit. Encourages me to keep my eyes up and looking out.

Great video as always Tom. I’m curious about which B&G radar dome you selected. Did you get the 4G or the Halo-24? The Halo24 looks good to me, but I’m concerned that the 24 inch radome will be a bit large on my Cabo Rico 38.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Interesting point Tom. It's a Halo which was recommended not by B&G or Navico but by a friend who is one of Britain's great professional experts in radar. I too was concerned about the size of the scanner. It's 3in bigger than Raymarine's equivalent and a little heavier, but as soon as the mast went up again on my 44footer it blended in as though it had always been there. It's quite slim from top to bottom and looks just fine. Be aware that the bracket carries it 6in or so clear of the mast so it looks a bit hefty on the trestles until the mast is stepped.

Well, the quoted "three years" (until full proficiency) are now passed - can we have an update?

I have the zues 2 and every season I get to relearn how to use about 14% of what its capable of.

As confident as you are in the autopilot, just in case... do you consider a boom break a good bit of gear?

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Mark. Good question. Just the sort of thing I enjoy for the Q&A sessions over Zoom in my members club www.tomcunliffe.com/membership/. I think I'll answer it this month anyway. Like so many things, the answer will start, ' it all depends...'. and will end, 'I don't have one myself!' Cheers Tom

"Never sail off the paper."

What size is the B&G chart plotter

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

It's 16- inch. It costs quite a bit more than the smaller one but if you can manage to spring for it, it's well worth, especially if your eyes aren't quite as sharp as once they were.

Infomercial, subd anyway.....

I'd like to know what that lot cost

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

When it comes to cost, the old adage about price and value is the crunch point. All things are relative and it's perfectly possible to sail round the world with no electricity at all. Good on you for raising the point.

@SVRoquetta

5 жыл бұрын

@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns better to have it and not need it... I just wish this stuff was more affordable. I ended up with a gx2200 ais receiving vhf, which I love, but very little else. I enjoy the simplicity if I'm honest. Horses for courses and all that. I would get radar if I could afford it.

Radios? VHF-FM? HF-SSB? Garmin InReach satellite texting?

Tom, why aren’t your subscription numbers shown?

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

No idea mate, but thanks if you've subscribed. You've got thousands of shipmates out there.

Would be great to have a radar and map composite, but they do not make one. They should. Commercial shipping have had them for decades.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Not clear what you mean by this. All modern MFDs have offered simultaneous split screen radar/chart display for years. Radar overlay on the chart is also universally available. Do we need more?

@machoneboard

5 жыл бұрын

Tom Cunliffe - yachts and yarns Hi Tom, If there is an overlay now then I stand corrected. My information is a few months out of date. Certainly the B&G Zeus didn’t have an overlay, just a side by side display. Not saying they aren’t marvels, I was just surprised a few months ago that a true overlay was not available and I had seen one on a commercial vessel over 30 years ago. You can put a composite on a laptop but the off the shelf didn’t offer it. Maybe they do now. I only saw a radar display with AIS on your video or the split screen.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

I'm fascinated by this. My Raymarine C and E series MFDs had been offering radar overlay for 10 years, or more. It's hard to think that B&G have only just caught up, but maybe they have. The main thing is that it works very well now. I didn't put it up on the vid because I prefer the split-screen personally, although I do use the overlay from time to time, often to confirm what I'm seeing on the radar screen. Anyway, onward and upward. All the best Tom

Great video and so informative, it looks very high resolution and clear, what type of camera do you use ?

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

It's a Canon Eos entry-level SLR, but the secret is the good sound equipment.

You have probably worked this out, but you can overlay the radar over the chart and do away with the split screen.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Simon. Yes, I had worked that out. With respect, while overlaying on the chart is extremely useful, it doesn't really do away with a straight radar page. The clarity of the radar on a dark background unencumbered by the chart works better for me, so while I often do as you suggest, sometimes a split screen seems to offer more.

@ThePorkypete51

3 жыл бұрын

@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns I agree Tom, chart overlays on a radar screen drive me mad. You could quite possibly miss a small, intermittent echo using the overlay.

I'm mostly a single handed sailor and have to agree a tillerpilot was the single most important upgrade I've ever purchased. Especially so when going forward to hoist the main.

How Tom has less than 100k subscribers is completely beyond me.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

3 жыл бұрын

Beyond me too Ben. Somebody said it was because I didn't wear a bikini! That's something we can be grateful for anyway. Tom

True motion is but a plus not really necessary: you see all things relative to your vessel. True motion does not represent what you see.

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

It may not do literally, but if you are on relative motion -- vital for identifying dangerous targets - you can't always tell whether a target is steaming towards you or is merely converging. True motion helps with this and so, in its proper place, can be very useful. Thanks for raising the point. It's a tricky one that needs to be understood in depth. I wasn't offering a radar tutorial, merely delivering an overview.

@nessuno1948

5 жыл бұрын

@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Thanks for your answer. Fact is we perceive true motion only if we have no motion at all. Relative motion mode only gives the real situation, in every case, walking, driving, flying........

Electronics and technology can not and will not beat good seamanship , it is a aide when set up correctly. The stars and sun might get cloud cover they wont get a power cut

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

How right you are Thanks for making the point. It's one which I stress in my books on navigation and in my lectures.

Great if youve got 4 Grand to waste on Tech! Most of us struggle with the cost of keeping the bottom clean! Come on Tom, come back to the real world!

@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns

5 жыл бұрын

I can sympathise with your view. My early life was spent scratching around boatyard skips and sharing 5 gallon drums of the cheapest antifouling Bogey Knights could supply. In my job these days I have to keep up-to-date and sometimes your luck changes. Just to remind myself where I've come from, half an hour after shooting this vid., I went out on deck and ran off a forenoon sight that came in within 2 miles of my GPS position.

@humanbeing2009

4 жыл бұрын

Now now, if there's anybody who deserves these electric updates and luxuries it's Tom and Roz. Well, maybe me too someday :-)

I was wondering why you didn’t want the chart plotter on deck. Now I understand. You make your wife stand night watches, especially when crossing shipping lanes. (-; and presumably also when picking your way through local fleets of small fishing boats. And I don't buy the ipad excuse either. It may be possible to take evasive action in a motor boat wiht an Ipad in one hand, but I think it's not a good idea while under sail.