It has been a topsy-turvy year to date. It began full of hopes and dreams of a long and fruitful continuing enjoyment of all the good things in life, far into the future. We began with a sparkling early morning sail in January, together. A happy-go-lucky me taken by The Mate … whilst cooking up…

Nearly two years ago I found I needed a replacement loo seat for the RM69 toilet fitted to Whimbrel. I was offered a wood seat which I purchased. This was fitted in the spring of 2017. The RM range of marine toilets were originally manufactured by a Dutch company, however, this folded a little while…

I have had a couple of Francis B. Cooke’s books for some while, but found his writing somewhat dry and belittling, condescending even, especially in the way he ‘treated’ women… Perchance, for part of her Ruby Wedding Anniversary present to me, my good mate and dear wife presented me with: Small Yacht Cruising, Weekend Yachting…

The annual Finesse Rally which was started by a local group of like-minded souls with me as their ‘appointed’ head has, I am pleased to say, continued to thrive. Last year’s event at Brightlingsea was somewhat marred by inclement weather preceding and during the Saturday of the event. It being, in the main, rather blowy!…

The 2018 Essex Book festival seems a long time ago now, but I’m sure many of you may like to peruse some of the comments from the attendees. The list was quite staggering actually. Generally you get a, ‘Good…’ or, ‘I liked it…’ etc, but these returns were very touching indeed. There was around 65 people at…

From a modern perspective, the momentous voyages by Captain James Cook and his crews detailed in a new exhibition is probably long overdue. The British Library – no not the Maritime Museum as one would expect – has currently an exhibition detailing in an interesting way the famous three voyages of (European) exploration essentially around the Pacific basin.…

Finesse 24, No. 35, Andantino. She was built c.1978/9 and has come onto the market due, sadly, to the unexpected death of her late owner, a long-standing member of the Benfleet YC. I agreed to visit the boat with one of his daughters and give my views on her and advertise her for sale on my site.…

Swans outside my Porthole – a film by Simon North. Simon began this film some years ago now. Whilst other projects have come and gone in the mean time, this film has made it off the cutting table. It is: a wonderful picture of the life of some of the spritsail barges that came out…

Some months ago I ‘accidentally’ sailed across the stern of Dick Durham’s newest vessel, Betty II when she ‘arrived’ home at Leigh-on-Sea. Unknowingly, Dick’s arrival in a faint breeze was being filmed by Bob Aylott who makes classic boat films. His work covers the ‘not so classic’, those ignored by other classicists. Anyway, finally after…

Boat for Sale: I have been sent a few details and a couple of pictures of a Finesse 21 that is reluctantly being placed on the market. She has been owned by an ‘old salt’, Peter Silsbey, since 1988. Serenity is sail number 74. Her build date is said to be 1984. She is gaff cutter rigged,…

One of my favourite authors is Joseph Conrad and being over in Kent with a car rather than by water aboard Whimbrel, I looked up where he was buried after his death in August 1924. I had been given a biography of Conrad’s life written in the context of the age he lived in –…

In September 2016 the Grain power station chimney tumbled in a huge ball of dust and 2018 was the final year for the chimney upriver at Kingsnorth to come down. The ‘tumbling’ was delayed due to a bout of heavy snow some two weeks ago, but even after another lesser dumping, all was ready… So,…

The talk I am giving about my book, Rochester to Richmond: A Thames Estuary Sailor’s View, at Canvey Island Library is fast approaching. Tickets have been selling well this last few weeks but seats are still available… Library display… I visited the venue this afternoon and the organiser is extremely happy with numbers so far…

Some while ago an invitation to attend the preview day of the annual exhibition of paintings by the Wapping Group of Artists. The date was duly put in the diary. It is amazing how these things race up on you – like the approach of our fortieth wedding anniversary which seemed an age away but…

Dick Durham has been around a bit. He learnt the craft of the swatchways in his childhood, dabbled amongst old barges with various friends and even sailed aboard my sailing home, the spritsail barge May Flower, in his early teens. Dick was the last trading sailing barge mate. After signing off of the spritsail barge Cambria…

At the moment I am railing somewhat at the dastardly weather we’re enduring. We’ve not had a huge amount of rain, but there has been enough dampness, surely. What we have had this winter are bucket loads of wind, which have also slotted perfectly into the days when tides have been useful. It has been…

Although we lived on Canvey Island for some 23 years we had never walked ‘out west’. It was until recent times open farm land – grazing in the main – but a few years ago the RSPB got their hands on a section. A scrape or two has been made to create shallow freshwater pools…

Last Friday my Mate and I trundled up to London Town to visit the Tate and take in a play (Lady Windermere’s Fan at the Adelphi – good!). We enjoyed a bit of the illuminated art too. The Tate has, currently, an exhibition about ‘The Impressionists in London’ detailing some of the varied works of…

Ah yes, it’s been a lousy start to the year around the Thames estuary. We’ve enjoyed bucketful’s of wind and Whimbrel has sat in lonely ‘silence’ awaiting her day. Last year we were out on day one! Last year (2017) had been one of the best sailing year’s we can remember. The boat was in…

The 2018 Essex Book Festival brochure is now out on the streets. I have been booked for an event at Canvey Island Library for Tuesday 20th March at 1930. See details on link: https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/nick-ardley/ Love to see some of my ‘readers’ at the event…