We had been getting on with the spring maintenance for several weeks, interspersed with sailing on the tide and our over joy, walking. But this year we decided the top sides needed a little attention – mainly because a number of fastening heads had ‘popped’ spoiling the finish!

So, booking a lift out at my club, the good little ship wandered ashore in a pair of slings. A check was made on the centre plate wire bond before settling onto chocks. That achieved my good Mate was let loose with a pressure washer, a new tool which she’d had a go with on our drive, thoroughly enjoying the experience. Strange girl!

Whimbrel in the slings.

Centre plate wire bond…

Ah yes, my Mate gets to play with her new toy…

Another Finesse 24 was lifted the same day, Gypsy, my mooring neighbour. We joined another, Calluna of Dorset, which came out for the winter: her owner has been hard at it bringing his boat back up to a good standard. It is a long time since the Island Yacht Club had two or more Finesse class vessels in the club, let alone two sitting beside each other!

Gypsy and Whimbrel out of their natural element…

Calluna’s owner hard at it applying varnish to his sheer strake.

I had been informed by my insurer that the Lloyds syndicate had asked for a survey to be carried out prior to any renewal in 2017. As the boat was coming out, I booked Alan Staley of Faversham to come over and deal with the need. His final comment made as Gypsy’s owner pulled his cutlass bearing out, was exceedingly nice. ‘A very fine vessel you have…’ Referring to Whimbrel, of course!

Over four glorious days which would have been grand for sailing we knuckled down to some ‘good’ grafting. The Mate has, almost single handedly, dealt with the underwater paintwork, whilst I prepared the topsides and checked rudder fastenings etc.

A game ol’ gel getting down to business…

Topsides prepared ready for stripe coating then a final all over coat…

While all of this has been going on, on our own vessel, another, a big Seaking  32 has been stripped of her paintwork. On Sunday a ‘family’ of two youngish ladies and their menfolk sanded her clean. It was ‘exciting’ to see what were, compared to most around the yard, essentially the future of boating getting down to pure graft.

The Seaking 32 stripped bare.

Up the creek at the Dauntless Boatyard, Mariette has been buffed up and returned to the water under the care of two ex Finesse owners who are ‘borrowing’ Mariette while her owner concentrates on another project (A sailing pallet!). The owner will be using his beloved Finesse during the season too!

Mariette has had a kiss and a cuddle. She’s now back afloat and has been seen sailing by…

Oh yes, those rudder strap fastenings. I check these on a rotational basis.

The one sat below has been replaced for it was suffering from crevice corrosion.

We’re having a day off tomorrow: I’ve and interview to do over in Maldon and also, the final pdf copy (Galley Copy) of Swinging the Lamp landed on my ‘desk’ and it needs dealing with, yesterday!

At last a publication date looms ever closer.

I received this email from a Finesse group member living ‘up north’ who has, for personal reasons, got to sell his beloved craft. This is always a sad event and we will all have to at some point (as my family keep telling me!) in our lives. I can only wish them well…

Hi nick,
Find attached details of finesse 21 that we spoke about recently. Any help would be appreciated. Needs a good home!!!

FOR SALE
Finesse 21 Sail boat, No.79. Believed to be one of the last 21’s built by Alan Platt in Benfleet, Essex in 1995!

(There is a number 80 in this class)

She is currently lying on Ullswater in the Lake District. She is in excellent condition with an inboard Diesel engine. Full electrics, good battery.

All rigging in good order with Tan sails. Main sail slab reefing, roller furling jib. Bilge pump, compass,sounder, auto helm. Manual windlass. 2 ring gas cooker and grill. Fitted with sea toilet. All bunk/seating upholstery in excellent condition.

Included in the price is strong, four wheeled, purpose built trailer. £5500 ONO

For further info e-mail: graham.sowden53@gmail.com or call 07785550322.

A view looking into fo’c’s’le.

A port view inside cabin.

View across top of centre plate box/table top.

The foredeck area.

Boat on trailer – she looks like a baby Whimbrel with her colour scheme. Lovely!

She looks gorgeous and ready to begin a new life ditch-crawling. Can’t you feel the soft summer breeze wafting across the cockpit, sailing serenely round the sweet Swale…

Blog updated Tuesday 7th June with news from a reader, Leigh man Norman, owner of Shearwater, the SK23 pictured within…

I’d not been well over the weekend, spending most of Saturday prone… So, feeling a little better on Sunday, but not ready for a ‘long’ country walk, the mate and I drove down to Old Leigh for a walk along the waterfront. There’s a good little car park alongside the sea wall past the station parking lot.

Gazing across the saltings that spread out towards the remaining gut of Leigh Creek I spot two recently abandoned craft. An old fishing vessel has had a number of tides flowing through her hull and she’s no longer lifting when sufficient water fills the mud lagoons. Up against the bottom of the sea wall is ‘the pink elephant’ and was surely someone’s joke!

Old fishing boat and the ‘Pink Elephant’…

Here is some information sent to me by a reader recently…

‘the ‘pink elephant’ was owned by a guy called Gordon and basically he was a homeless individual who lived in the yard for about 26 years in various boats and caravans.

Whenever someone wanted to rid themselves of an old boat, Gordon would acquire it – which is how he came by the vessel. He was surprisingly well spoken and had an extensive vocabulary. Curious about this, since he didn’t seem to fit the normal hobo profile, I questioned him on his past and the reply somewhat staggered me. He was (apparently) a member of the South African secret police and had undertaken various activities for which the new Mandela government was not impressed.

He smuggled himself out of Africa and ‘hid’ in the Leigh Marina. Sadly Gordon died of cancer last autumn and as a memorial to him, the yard set his boat on the marsh rather than burning it.’

Fascinating – so there we are the ‘Pink Elephant’ is a memorial to an extraordinary man.

General view of saltings wrecks… The ‘cockler’ in the distance was once owned and lived on by Jim Sheldrake, a Leigh sailor.

I strode past the open gates of Leigh marina’s  hard standing, intending to dive in later… Reaching the Belton Way Little Boat Club we bumped into a group of Finesse owners – there was John C, Terry C and Paul H. The little club had just enjoyed their AGM!

The ‘Belton’ clubhouse…

Dinghies awaiting the launching of ‘mother’ ships and sunnier days… The white hulled Finesse 21 is the gunter sloop rigged Cumulus.

Two more fine looking clinker vessels were seen too…

The Finesse 21 sloop Penny taking the ground of the Billet pub…

Captured between the ‘rubbered’ piles of a cockler’s wharf sits a pretty Seaking 23.

We eventually popped into the Mayflower pub for a coffee … yes a coffee! Pottering along to Bell Wharf before my good mate decided that I’d had enough of a run out!

Leigh Fishermans Co-op on Victiria Wharf. And below the side of Old Leigh Station – Leigh-on-Sea SC HQ.

On the way back I looked at a set (?) of abandoned spars. There wasn’t any obvious ‘owner’ about. They’ll end up as fire wood, surely!

Those spars … and below racks of neatly stored ground tackle and weiths for moorings out in the Ray – Mike’s Boatyard.

I wasn’t to be done out of my wander around a yard: I knew one or two tasty craft awaited!

Little Ruth … a Dauntless. Note her ‘dinghy-like’ shape. I think her days are over…

Two views of Patrice, an Mapleleaf. Note, no tuck at bottom of transom. This is where the Finesse is King… She’s pretty though. Thanks Terry C for correcting me…

Below are two views of a craft I’ve known for around forty years … however, I don’t know her name or what she is. The name carving has rotted on her stern. She’s clearly a type of barge yacht. Perhaps I should find out…

I did find out. The vessel is the Come at Last a barge-yacht from a hundred years ago. A sailing pal, a fellow Finesse lover, came to my rescue. He wrote:

‘…the barge yacht – She’s called ‘Come at Last’ and was built in c.1908. When the infamous and eccentric Leigh character Jim Sheldrake  was a youngish man (now 67), he found the boat in Heybridge Basin and brought it back to Leigh where he carried out extensive repair work.

For years, ‘Come at Last’ was Jim’s boat and the two were inseparable sailing the East coast with various crews from our club including me on occasions. When Jim’s father died, he found himself homeless and was forced to sell the boat for a larger former cockle boat ‘Navigator’ the last wooden cockle boat afloat at the time, which he could live on.

‘Come at Last’ was taken by the yard in part exchange and then sold to a retired Detective Inspector John Palmer, who through Jim, has become a long time member of our club. Jim taught John how to sail the boat and became crew (captain) on many voyages.  Jim’s cockle boat eventually sank and is now on the marshes (Pictured above). He is living in a caravan in the yard.

Amen to that…

Fascinating, thanks again Norman.

I then wandered over to the Heron Lee. Now she is a barge yacht, built 1912, I believe. She came ashore for a refit … She’s for sale for the princely sum of £750.

Finally I found a boat I’d been looking for. She’s a Seaking 23 called Shearwater owned by a ‘Belton’ man and ex Finesse owner…

This one lifted my spirits somewhat! (Norman’s boat)

Then I was ‘dragged’ home…

All I can add to this is, go wandering, let a yard man know you’re about and essentially harmless, and poke about, investigate and look with wonder at our history oft to be found…

Out on the water one often sees lots of different boat types. Sometimes I look at the way boats are seemingly left, rotting, on their moorings. There are a number of these up my own creek, clogging a berth for someone who might be waiting for a berth, but that’s a different problem, however connected.

I had a wonderful sail on Friday, alone, sadly, in sublime conditions. As a commentator on Facebook said, ‘Looks like summer…’ and surely it had those trappings, but it was just a decent spring afternoon…

Sailing out of Smallgains Creek on a subliminal spring afternoon…

Beyond the creek, over on the Leigh flats, was a four-oared skiff, with an extra crew aboard for rotating around rowers. They were initially resting on their oars, then, at an order from the stern-sheets, began to pull in an ever increasing count… I watched for a little while until I awoke to my course deviating somewhat in the light breeze. I waved and left them speeding on their way, westwards.

Rowers out for a workout…

In the distance was a blob. It seemed to be sitting in the Ray abreast of where, for many years, the Leigh Beacon stood until it lost its will to stay upright as its pole rusted. A long and a short tack brought me up to the ‘blobs’ position. It had ‘become’ a sort of house barge. Or was it? The stern end looked new, the forward, old… Then I noticed a welded stitch line. I wasn’t being deceived.

Two views of the ship…

The bow section looks as if it could have been of a ‘Trent’ type of barge, but I’m uncertain about this… Whether or not she has some form of propulsion is also unclear. The ‘wheelhouse’ design would indicate the possibility: she had the look. The new aft section is joined on at run of aft bulwark.

Then a ‘proper’ motor barge houseboat came puttering by. She’s a Dutch type, I believe, called Beverley. She has moorings in Smallgains Creek. She’s a sweet little thing…

The Beverley motors by…

I soon left the conversion behind and sailed eastwards in the general direction of the Westcliffe shore. Off the Crowstone I sailed back west along the Chalkwell then Leigh shores, generally enjoying the conditions and musing. Whilst I was being bathed in sunshine, west, over the downs, Hadleigh was in a mist!

Off Chalkwell I passed a little cruiser, she looked forlorn. It saddened me somewhat: once she was someone’s pride and joy, maybe, she still is, but they’re unable to deal with her needs any longer – something I’ve mused on before… The little boat is called Tern.

The poor Tern…

I’ve sailed past this little ship on numerous occasions. Maybe, after another winter alone in this exposed spot and it being such a glorious day it awoke my curiosity to its plight. The rigging is already beginning to fail. Her future looks bleak. But for a first boat, a step up from dinghy sailing perhaps, a little weekender to step down to a bit of carefree local sailing… There are possibilities. I’ll continue to watch over her, surely…

Later, sailing into my own creek, I cast my eyes over several boats that have the similarly ‘abandoned’ look of Tern…

A couple of weeks ago I spoke of my belief in the immanent arrival of spring. Well it has definitely arrived.

My Mate and I got out on the tide, after I’d fitted a new oil lamp below – leaving the Mate getting the boat ready!

We’d gone creek-wards laden with a generator, drill and a new slider too – later fitted to our aft moorings after getting back in. As the tide left the boat I also went overboard (on a walking board) to use a newly acquired impact driver to loosen some screws on Whimbrel’s bow fitting. Its got to come off for re-bedding!

Anyway, the important aspect of being down the creek was to go sailing…

We slid out of our mooring a little after two hours before high water – the tide seemed to be sluggish for a 5.8 m (Southend), we thought. Sails were set whilst the boat jogged with the flood, up the creek, before tacking round to run out…

Sailing out of Smallgains Creek on a very spring-like morning…

For a short time I thought some assistance with the diesel was going to be needed as we slowly stemmed the incoming tide, but no, with patience, the game little sloop prevailed. There seemed to be a huge number of Brent honking and jostling around the base of the cord grass beds. The eel grass has long gone and I expect the wheat and barley fields below Hadleigh Castle is being cropped off regularly now! Its still at least two months before they’re due to head off, north.

Brent dabbling amongst stalks of cord grass… My mooring neighbour and fellow Finesse owner’s house sits on that yonder hill!

‘Which way?’ I asked the mate. A wave of the arm and a comment about only being aboard for the ride, I headed in the light south-westerly upstream. Off Two Tree Island, and approaching Bird Island a flock of waders lifted aff as the water ran over it. A group of gulls hung on for a little while after our passing… Then I spotted a heron watching the edges with sublime patience…

‘Harold’ the Heron…

The marsh colours today were fantastic with a decent amount of sunshine, at first, giving them a ripened glow. The new season’s growth will be beginning to show itself amongst those dead stalks. Like on land the plant world decided on spring sometime back.

My Mate enjoying her book, interspersed with watching our slowly passing world…

Some tacks were necessary as we went up towards Benfleet’s end of the creek. The Mate, after making another coffee, decided to set her reading aside and help: it helps to keep the cold at bay! We had a series of long and shorts up to the moorings of Benfleet YC. The, strangely the wind went southerly – great!

Our turn was made just beyond the club house and we noticed our mate Dick’s Mariette was still out of the water. There are two other Finesse 24s here, hiding up the Benfleet club’s back channel – I’d love to see them out!

The Island’s other yacht club through the rigging…

We were hailed by an ex-Finesse owner who was aboard his Moody 27 getting it tidy below for putting stuff ‘back in’ he later messaged on Facebook. Nice to see a friendly face!

We also saw Mister Pegotty, a Seaking 31, based at the Benfleet Motor Yacht Club on the north shore. There were several people aboard out for a spin under power… We exchanged cheery salutes…

On the way down the creek, passing Two Tree Island again, the Mate commented upon the chimney looking a little lonely without its boiler and turbine houses spread out beneath: they’ve all gone. And, that chimney will be down soon. It’ll not be there next spring. We both remarked about this with just a little sadness, but, change is continuous. The estuary is not, like the Cutty Sark, preserved in a jar of aspic…

The soon to be demolished chimney on Grain. The ship just happened to be coming up Sea Reach too…

Back down in the open a couple of other sails were spotted as we sailed on past the Island’s point. Then, whilst turning, I dispensed with the mainsail while my good Mate jogged into the creek under jib: it was time to head for home…

Yes, we had a grand sail. It was great to be out, together, enjoying the first of spring…

The Wapping Group’s annual show is about to start … it runs from Monday 29th February to Saturday 4th March 2016. It is at the Mall Galleries, just off Trafalgar Square.

Times are 1000 – 1700 Monday to Friday and 1000 to 1600 on Saturday.

Call Mall Galleries on 020 7930 6844. www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Also see my Facebook page.

The brochure shows some great pieces of art work – we have never been disappointed with this show. Often mentally spending a bag full of dosh!

Ah yes. My good mate was off on a wander across country driving a cousin of mine to see my aunt. It was an errand to help out a cousin of mine, in the main, but the mate has a soft spot for her and my aunt too… Bless her.

So, when the cats away the mice come out to play, and boy did this little mouse have a good time. Shortly after being ‘left home alone’ I closed my files and stopped ‘work’ to put a lunch box together: forecast for the day was grand, in fact its grand for the whole week, and that means only one thing. Let’s go sailing…!

Dropping my bag into the back of the car with two 5L cans of diesel to go to the boat, I dropped the hood back on the little MG – its so spring like now. Reaching the creek I could see the tide caressing the mud edges with little ‘poppling’ wavelets. It was higher than expected – get a move on I urged myself.

Covers are removed and the jib is heaved up on deck, then the all important kettle is put on. It isn’t long before the burgee is shaking itself out and fluttering aloft. The breeze is north-westerly, barely force 3. Forecast said, W bec NW 3-5 … fine & dry. Sunshine 8 deg C…

Brent flying across my bow…

I have time for a wash around the sides of the boat to sweep away a modicum of mud splatters: we’ve had a shower since I was last out, a little over a week ago. Then, as the kettle burst forth into its ‘train’ like song, the boat lifted. I made my drink as a fellow club member called, ‘Going out…?’

Beating round the ‘cut’ – the deep water channel round Bargander Sand. A friend’s house is on the hill…

‘Want to come…’ I offered. He declined saying it was too cold. ‘Get away … feels like spring…’ I say, grinning at him. He heads for home. A burst of astern and we’re out into the creek … forward I go and its, up mainsail … back to correct the helm, and up jib. Back aft the engine ceases to rumble beneath my feet and I’m in tranquillity… There’s no one around, except upon the ‘heights’ of Canvey, astern to the west.

Oh, but I’m not alone: all around are Brent. Waders skitter on the remaining mud edges within the creek. Above gulls are in flight. A pair of deep black crows wheel about too and across the saltings the unmistakeable calls of pewits are heard. A small group lifts, their wide wings beating the air in that seemingly lazy fashion. I’m in bliss and I’m sure they are too…

Downs colours…

‘Where to…’ I ask myself as the boat creeps out of the creek. Letting loose a shiver in the breeze, I say, ‘Benfleet…’ for it’ll give me a workout with a little tacking. I settle to the task. The tide is running fast. I hear the radio mention something about 0.3m above prediction … not sure where: Bird Island is still uncovered liberally coated by bird life.

Over on the downs I see a multitude of colour. The sky has deep blues and cloud with whites to grey s to almost black within them. Those hills though have new life in them, soon it’ll spring forth in shades of green. Yes spring is nigh.

I head for home!

Reaching the Benfleet Yacht Club, once or twice needing judicious use of the engine, I bring the boat right round for a broad reach with the wind abaft the beam, down towards the open estuary… a friend calls out, I wave and  salute the club…

Dunlin and knot cavort over the flooded Two Tree’s saltings while others wheeled in drifts around me…

Coming past the eastern end of Two Tree Island I round up, drop and stow the mainsail, before running off for my home creek. Its a down wind berthing, not advisable in the breeze blowing, so I start the engine and drop the jib.

I’m grinning from ear to ear as I walk away from my good little ship, yes, I’ve a feeling spring is in the air, even if we’re likely to get a bit colder first…

Hi All,

So very sorry … Swinging the Lamp is going to be late off the press.

I’m disappointed, yes, but since, as I said to someone recently, I’ve been working on this project for a considerable number of years and after having to wait upon my other main publisher for qualification of a ‘verbal yes, don’t worry’ becoming a sustained period of silence culminating in my removing the book from them, I’m not phased!

In the meantime, I have been taking advantage of the weather to move my next project along its contracted course into the hands of my publisher: it’s due to drop through their postbox in January 2017.

The Book Inn, Leigh-on-Sea have agreed to do a launch for Swinging the Lamp – watch this space, my facebook page or local press for details. Hopefully this will be during March…

I’d forewarned a friend of mine that today looked good for a sail … I’d got out on Tuesday this week rather unexpectedly, which made it all the nicer!

My friend popped ’round’ after my return having been hard at it, up the road from me, digging his allotment… We had a pot a pot of tea and a scone with some rather delicious strawberry jam, home made, of course… It was funny for the next day, both wives met at a U3A event … my friend was treated to scones that evening. Apparently it was a struggle and he’d finally admitted to already having one…!

Anyway, although he’s afloat in a ‘new’ vessel, it isn’t local currently so the chance of a sail in his own waters was gladly grabbed… The forecast was SW 1-4 becoming 0-3! Arriving at the creek we found absolutely no breeze blowing. A remarkable change from Monday when it was 60 knots from the west… Sails were readied and hoisted and they hung, limply, whilst we sipped some soup. The boat lifted and we were away, puttering out of the creek over a glassy flood whilst munching on home cooked ham sandwiches – bliss!

Puttering out over a glassy flood…

Out in the creek’s entrance I saw a little grebe diving for its lunch. We motored on for a little while then tried sailing whenever there seemed to be any air movement … after gently motoring further eastwards for a little while longer the unmistakeable ripples of the tiniest nature from an easterly zephyr were seen caressing the waters surface. The engine was switched off … it stayed off too.

My friend was grinning from ear to ear as the wind rose and a chuckle could be heard along the clinkered waterline.We watched for ages as a seal, with its head swivelling back and forth, watched us. It stayed in view for quite a little while – once we were followed across the flats here by an inquisitive critter!

All of a sudden Leigh beach arrived off the bow and a tack was prudently made, not wanting to go ashore for an ice cream! The breeze settled into an East South-easterly and we settled into a comfortable sail whilst sipping tea and enjoying a ‘Danish’…

My crew enjoying a cuppa…

Over towards the Leigh marshes at the eastern end of Two Tree Island, Brent were dabbling along the edges chomping on the rich food that abounds here – until they’ve decimated it.

Out in the Thames, a stream of shipping was on the move. A huge container ship, not one of the biggest though, was met by two tugs. ‘Into London Gateway,’ I said! Another sail was seen too – through my ‘glasses’ I spotted  ‘Old Jack’ – he’s nearly 90 and still sailing. It’ll be me in time too, I hope!

The sun glinted upon the river in a mass of dancing diamonds…

Looking towards the Kent shore the sun glinted upon the river in a mass of dancing diamonds. It was fabulous. Then for a short while a single cloud sat between us and the sun … boy did the temperature seem to drop. It felt positively icy. We kept on, hoping to clear it! Eventually, as we were heading out past Canvey’s marshy point which was covered by the tide, we were once again bathed in the suns warming rays.

‘We’ll tack eastwards a bit,’ I said, ‘then drop the main and run for home.’ My crew nodded and tacked.

Out towards Leigh, in the Ray, two power craft were weaving and dancing over each others wash waves, clearly enjoying themselves. My friend said, grinning, ‘probably using more fuel than you use in a year…’ I laughed. I do use fuel…

I dropped and stowed the main as my pal steered for home. Fenders were readied and I dropped the jib halyard onto the deck ready for a quick let go… It was tranquil sailing in. Two men at peace with the world, happy being little boys, again!

My crew ready to let the jib run…

We crept into the creek against the ebb while geese dabbled in the saltings and several flocks of waders swung through the air high above, waiting for the first fresh drying patch to appear and begin a feeding frenzy…

I’m helming again and my pal goes forward, halyard in his hands, waiting. Closing my mooring, I call, ‘Okay…’ and down it runs and we slip alongside.

‘That was great…’ my friend said. Tonight he’ll have a rosy glow … I have too!

Favourite ships, well, perhaps not in the complete sense: one, the dear old Cutty Sark, isn’t actually a ship any more.

The other is an imprint within my childhood memories of life on the River Medway, the Arethusa, or as she is known now, the Peking, a German built nitrates carrier, before she became TS Arethusa owned by Shaftesbury Homes.

The May Flower and Arethusa along the Upnor waterfront in 1951. (Ardley family collection)

The 1911 built Peking ended her trading days in 1933 when purchased and refitted for her school ship duties. Thereafter her only sailings were to a dry dock, usually in Chatham Dockyard, every now and then. In 1975, the charity deemed the ship unfit for further use … however, she was bought by the South St Seaport Museum. They ‘dished’ her up and re-rigged her as she would have been in her trading days.

From the ‘Lovely Old Ships’ web site – probably a skyphotos print – when the ship was at Upnor.

Unfortunately the museum’s base is to be redeveloped and the vessel hold has been sold or moved elsewhere. The Peking is one of the vessels to go. Her future has looked bleak, but a saviour has appeared. The ship is to be taken back to Germany and refurbished in a regeneration of the Hamburg (old) waterfront where the ship was built.

It isn’t likely that she will sail again, but at least she’ll be afloat and be maintained as a ship…

Unlike my ‘old’ friend the Cutty Sark. I walked past this building recently, in the midst of the Greenwich waterfront, and all I saw was a glass bubble with a set of towering sticks and string poking from the top. It looked like something, a ship, probably, that had partially escaped its bottle!

Now, recently I heard of some interesting news: there is a group wanting to build a sailing replica of the Cutty Sark, this is the Cutty Sark 2Sail Foundation.

I have copied off their mission statement…

Mission

• To create interest and educate the public in the traditional skills of composite/wooden shipbuilding. And preserve our maritime heritage for future generations by building a replica of the clipper “Cutty Sark” as a sea going vessel.
• To promote education in the art of operating and maintaining ships under sail by providing training in seamanship to young people of all nations.
• To promote sail-powered shipping as an environmentally friendly alternative form of transport.

It all sounds something for the good.

The cost, currently, Between 19 to 24 million GBP, now that is less than the pounds sterling spent on that old building, which will need redoing in the future…

Image from Cutty Sark 2Sail Foundation…

You can look at their web site for more information.

http://cutty-sark.org/

One can only wish them well. The ‘leader’ has already had built two replicas currently sailing the seas, these are the schooner Peter and the frigate Shtandart.