NavList:

Well, we didn’t stop sailing boatless for long.  Having sold 27’ TIKI, because the maintenance and driving distance was beginning to become a chore, and deciding to give more time to our river cruiser Zephyr, we’ve ended up buying 17’ Doranne.  Built in the 1970s, she came with mainly 1970s nav gear, which shouldn’t worry us, because I can’t see us travelling far out of the Humber.  Amongst the gear to be investigated was a Plastimo 325 SN hand-bearing compass whose main features are three 0-359 degree rings around the outside and a giant bubble.  So, rings first; I welcome comments.  I assume they must be to save taking pencil and paper on deck.  They would be useful when taking a 3PL visual fix.  They would also be useful crossing a busy estuary like the Maas when keeping an eye on up to three vessels on near constant bearings at the same time. 

Bubble next, you can’t see bearings through the magnifying prism when the bubble’s under it, so the compass needs refilling.  Any help would be appreciated.  There are three possibilities for a way in.  There’s a tiny grub screw near the lubber line, which is probably to lock the compass chamber in line with the lubber line. Then there’s a slot on the centre of the base to take a coin (1/2p or 10c), which allows you to get at the light source, and two small holes either side of this.  I’ve yet to work out how the light works, so any help would be appreciated.  The two holes either side of the bottom plug might be to locate a receiver aerial, but I doubt it.

Turning to Doranne; she’s a Buckler Islander 17 (not an Islands 17, which is an American sailing dinghy) and hardly appears on the www.  The best photos are at https://boats-from.co.uk/not-specified/islander-17-sailing-boat-55913 .  I assume this is either because these vessels never sailed very well; they looked a bit odd; or they were so well made that the builders were unable to make money in the 1970s ‘cut-throat’ early days of small glass fibre yachts.  I hope it was for the last reason.  Can anyone tell me any more about the Buckler Islander 17?  DaveP

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