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…

On the last day of my radio therapy for prostate cancer, I enjoyed a fabulous sail… See: https://www.facebook.com/nick.ardley/videos/pcb.1089499444593655/1089457137931219/?type=3&theater It was just the tonic needed! See earlier posts: Ditch-crawler moves smoothly into second half of radio therapy…  

Yes, I have reached half way, well, I have gone over the line now by a couple of days! It feels good, I feel good and most of all, Christobel is so, so, pleased. Bless her cotton socks (or should I say, many coloured legs, which she favours! But, bless her, she is feeling as…

Finesse 24, Snowgoose I have learnt that Snowgoose has not yet been sold yet. There was interest from a chap who contacted for advice, but he decided against. She’s a nice looking boat. She’s out of the water … her owner lives in Guernsey and is listed with the Finesse Group but with no contact…

Our maintenance of Whimbrel has continued whilst I have been ‘popping off’ to Southend Hospital for daily sessions of radiation for my prostate cancer treatment. I finished getting the bad areas around the cabin sides and rubbing band coated a sufficient number of times then on Good Friday afternoon (after doing a Walk of Witness…

Prostate Cancer update four… I began my radiotherapy sessions on Wednesday just gone. I have been a little  worried about this due to the ‘dire’ warnings, but I did get through the ‘bracky’ without a hitch, so … but the why and wherefores do not always meet with sense and sensibility… The day before this,…

For some while now I have been stripping back areas of varnish that have succumbed to damp. Some were ‘attacked’ back in the warm days enjoyed in February – a dodgy exercise – which I got away with. All other areas have now been sanded back and a gradual build up of coatings applied. More…

The first three weeks of March were exceedingly windy and there was no opportunity to get afloat for any sailing, however, on the Monday before my appointment with my oncology experts the wind dropped and I headed down to the creek a little after 0700 … by just before 0800, I was sailing out of…

Part 3 of my prostate cancer tale… To see earlier posts: Ditch-crawler asks of his male fellow sailors ‘…have you been tested yet?’ Prostate cancer up-date… I learnt last week about another chap who’d read my story and eventually summoned the courage to go to his GP surgery and ask for a prostate test (PSA).…

Cor, blimey, it has been a windy old week in the eastern quarter, and elsewhere, I believe too … so with a bit of time on our hands we hightailed to Maldon to complete a few jobs: Christobel has been on the look out for some new cushion inserts. Everywhere one looks, there are cushions…

The owner of Tarantella told me of his decision to sell his Finesse 24 which he purchased as a project some time ago – see below. Finesse 24 Tarantella comes onto the market… The vessel has now been placed on Appoloduck at a very reasonable price – she just needs finishing. See: https://m.apolloduck.com/boat/finesse-24/597309?fbclid=IwAR0rMb6EtHSsR8cfH6xlFBTETPuzHm7OTCW-p-FSSaXkzBir7M9DUncTWys If you decide…

It is a little after mid-February and in our neighbours garden a flowering cherry is coated in budding green leaves. All around, daffodils are breaking open in glorious yellow sun bursts, whilst the snowdrops continue to delight. Down my creek the level of activity among the many laid up craft has risen markedly: the weather…

In the autumn we took Whimbrel’s ‘new’ sails over to Faversham for Wilkinson Sailmakers to carry out some servicing – a guarantee refit. They’d looked at my Genoa last summer and did a little bit of work … I was ‘chastised’ for not bringing the sails in after the completion of the first year. ‘Sorry…’ I…

The seemingly prolonged ‘saga’ of the bits and bobs, such as spars, rudder, floorboards and tiller, that needed attention during this winter has eventually come to an end. There will some varnishing of the dinghy’s gunnels and seats to do – preparatory work was begun on that back in October – in the spring. See…

During 2017 I was awakened to an advert purporting to advertise our Whimbrel for sale … it turned out that a seller had utilised a picture of our boat to sell theirs! The then owner made contact to apologise for using Whimbrel’s mug shot … however, the adverts wording showed knowing people all wasn’t so…

Outside it is cold and bitter, although not freezing. A strong north-westerly has hit bring cold air down from the north. We had snow last week, but it didn’t feel cold and before that fell I’d enjoyed two lovely sails in bright (warm even) conditions – it was zero degrees on one day – and…

It came to pass when I was afloat with my youngest sibling in mid December that Whimbrel took on board some water into her bilge … a rare event. I thought it was the stern gland, but on other hand seemed to be way too much for that alone. See: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-enjoys-a-december-sail-with-a-sibling/ Sibling in silhouette… On my…