The weather has been to put it mildly pretty dire since the New Year. Although in south Essex we haven’t had the wet rainy conditions ‘enjoyed’ by many across these fair isles, the wind at times has been ferocious. And there is more on its way with storm Ciara hitting the Thames area on Sunday!…

It is the time of the year when boat’s already out of the water begin to be aware of the loving caress of their owners as they muster themselves with energetic thoughts. This year there have been too many dismal days during January with more than a bucketful of wind thrown in, but now the…

A little while before the end of last year I was contacted by a chap from Lower Halstow in Kent about his desire for a copy of one of my books. In conversation I discovered he ran a firm which ‘built’ proper tenders, rather than the rubber tube types so often seen flapping astern in…

This time last year I was in a very different place, worried sick about what the future held and of the approaching hospital operations and radiation treatment visits that are now done and dusted. Looking back it was ‘easy’ for I was in good hands and all I had to do was lie back and…

This august and historic yacht insurance group has ground to a halt and, as I understand from local sailing friends, it is being wound up and therefore consigned to history. See: http://mutualyachtinsurance.com/ There is currently no information about the demise on the web site. The organisation was a little different to the ‘bog-standard’ insurance company…

Long ago, at the beginning of 1994, we decided that Whimbrel needed a new dinghy. After looking around we plumped for a neat looking 9′ 6″ glass fibre simulated clinker moulded dinghy with a lug sail rig. She was built by Alan Staley of Chambers Wharf, Faversham. See: http://www.alanstaleyboatbuilders.co.uk/ She was launched in the autumn…

Link to my story so far: Ditch-crawler muses on prostate results whilst enjoying a windy day within the Walton Backwaters … During last month I had a three monthly blood test and a visit to my oncologist … I can honestly say I was a little daunted by the hospital visit: I have little or…

In my happy place… Hi All, some of you out there may have followed ‘stuff’ on my facebook account as well as on here – I know of at least a few! Anyway, due to a suspicious activity, I have suspended my account. Sorry! To compensate … here are a few pictures from an early morning…

I’ve been meaning to pop down to Old Leigh for a wander around the yard that was once Johnson & Jago. It is now styled as, Lower Thames Marina. There are mud berths to ‘floating’ pontoons and berths used by live-a-boards. The big shed is used for boat repairs whilst the yard’s eastern hard-standing is…

Well over two years ago I sent Yachting Monthly an article discussing what goes on in a salt marsh creek yacht club’s work party: very often the yachting press covers the good deeds of ‘club officers’, but it is rare, if unknown, for the guys (boys and girls) who do what is needed to make…

‘No boats…’ my mate said, when we booked a holiday in East Kent – an area briefly looked into many years ago on a flying visit to Sandwich. With the Isle of Thanet, the eastern part of Kent is oft forgotten as a place of interest. We had a thoroughly good time and saw some…

I have become aware of another Finesse 24 up for sale. She is a lovely gaffer called Mariette. The lovely lady was owned by a friend for a number of years before he sold her to the current owner. The vessel had her centre plate removed some years ago, but, being a gaffer, it doesn’t…

I was reminded recently soon after the latest RYA magazine fluttered through the letter box about seeing an autonomous vessel in Harwich Harbour. The Autumn 2019 RYA magazine carries an article about an autonomous vessel crossing the North Sea this summer. The one in question sailed from West Mersea to Oostende in 22 hours with…

I was busy working among the merry band of members at my yacht club yesterday (Saturday) at the weekend work party when I saw a boat in slings coming into a new section of yard we’ve taken over from a boat yard. We’re busy ripping out decrepit rickety finger jetties and rebuilding new sound ones…

After the trials and tribulations of last summer and my subsequent treatment for prostate cancer, I decided during the spring of this year (with my good Mate’s agreement) to go wandering this summer. The boat’s travels ranged from North Kent up to Iken Cliff on the River Alde, covering a few miles short of 700…

My continuing ‘Prostate Story’… See for earlier blogs: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-sails-onward-radio-therapy-done-with-freshly-antifouled-we-chased-barges-on-the-medway-2019-match/ Time ran on nicely as we pottered around the rivers Blackwater, Colne and subsidiary creeks, but in the back of my mind was my looming appointment for the first post radio therapy check up. We had a few days at home – a 20/20 cricket match at…

This time last year was an extremely hard time for me, Christobel, ‘the boy’, as well as for my family and friends. That is all history now… I was reminded of it all (as if one needed to be) upon meeting a boat at Brightlingsea with a nice couple aboard. They’d once ‘stopped me’ whilst…

Earlier this year Christobel and I received an invitation to attend the official launch of the Sea-change Sailing Trust’s new Thames spritsail barge, Blue Mermaid. The barge is a ‘faithful’ replica of the original sunk by a magnetic mine during WW2. Her remains sit somewhere near the old position of the West Hook Middle Buoy…

How many of you walk past moored craft in a harbour and DON’T look around at the craft around you? I suspect, not many and like me you pass an eye over them, quizzically or otherwise. The point I would like to make is that one sees an awful lot of craft, traditional especially, where…

My previous post had a little film clip of me sailing on the morning of my last radio therapy session – the hospital staff were very impressed! Link: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-sails-into-last-radio-therapy-session/ On the morning my end session was due, I wasn’t sure whether to be excited or thankful. I think every emotion would fit: it’s been a testing…