Left to the vagaries of chance and having or noticing ‘rare’ symptoms on the pathway to being diagnosed with Prostate Cancer by the NHS, I would now be dead. I wrote about it in my book, ‘Sailing through life…‘ Now, unfortunately out of print, but I do have some copies. The extraordinary decision not to…

I came across John Leather’s 1979 book, ‘The Sailor’s Coast’ in a second hand book shop in Leigh-on-Sea recently. It was published by Barrie & Jenkins (No longer around). The book is described in a forward by the author as a tour of the ‘East Coast’ through the lens of Douglass Went, photographer extraordinaire from…

Soon after the mate and I married we found our first boat to own. Christobel’s experience at this time was a week on a Thames hire motor boat, a weekend on a 28 foot ketch and a rowing boat on the Serpentine… I came home on leave from a ship in 1980 and Christobel said…

The future of wooden boat building and boatbuilding in general has been discussed within the industry press for a some while. There is an ongoing skills shortage. A greater number of young women are apparently training or in yards already – I have met a few – but is this enough to make up a…

While berthed at the Tide Mill Yacht Harbour in Woodbridge this summer, I took the opportunity to have a look at the archaeological replica of the ship found at Sutton Hoo on the cusp of World War Two. The ship is as near as it can be to the original, however, apart from iron rivets…

The barge-yacht Tiny Mite had been put on the market back in 2020 due to the then owner’s age related health issues. The old girl was out of the water a ‘jolly long time’ during a very long refit when she finally went back in. During 2021 Tiny Mite was lifted ashore by the Leigh…

The subject of ‘end of life’ problems associated with pleasure craft has been in the news in recent times. I had an article in an East Coast magazine around fifteen years ago about what I perceived as a growing problem, especially around the dumping of unwanted little ships. During the summer days of sailing, I…

Social Media can be a good medium for sharing information and living history, however, as I have found out, not everyone shares one’s passion for disseminating that information. Jealousy or something akin to it causes people to ridicule those that can be bothered. Well, last week, this happened to me. I received a series of…

During the summer I flatted Whimbrel’s battery after leaving the nav lights on during a passage that began in the dark. The boat runs on only one battery of 85 Amps. It is backed up with a battery booster engine start module which is maintained in a state of charge. The supplier was very helpful…

The Good. Aboard Whimbrel, we have a Whale Flipper manual fresh water pump serving our domestic tap. The first pump fitted in 1983-4 lasted absolutely years. The next less so and so on. Yes, Whimbrel is used more in a year during last two decades than in her first ten years or so (I was…

Wandering around Robertson’s Yard above the Tide Mill Yacht Harbour I met a bevvy of clinker craft that for sure have seen better days. Sadly, I know one of the vessels, a Finesse 24, last seen several years ago in a mud berth in the yard. The yard has undergone some development and modernisation since…

It has been some while since Whimbrel has ventured north beyond the Blackwater estuary apart from a ‘raid visit’ to Harwich with my eldest brother when I’ve in England from Canada last year. Last year we went south and up the R. Thames to St Katherine Docks. We had a fabulous time spinning around the…

My site crashed for a while, well, it wasn’t the hosting but the WordPress element. Probably my fault for not updating as and when I should! Anyway, it is fixed – so I’m back. Although I say our season is well established, those that know us will be aware that we don’t have a sailing…

Every spring for as long as I can remember, I have brought our life jackets home from Whimbrel for a clean and service. We keep two spares for people coming aboard for day sails or for longer. I wipe the outer covers using a scourer and cloth using a spot of lemon surface cleaner and…

How many sailors clean or wash and reproof their boat’s covers? Looking at craft seen around me and on my yearly travels, I have say that it’s likely to be not many, but I may be wrong… Let’s face it, cockpit covers, sail covers, other sundry covers and sun protectors all cost money. Modern washing…

With the fair weather experienced in Essex at least, I was able to begin dealing with repairs to Whimbrel’s varnish work. Repairs were only needed to areas of cabin side beadings. The flat surfaces have stood up to the winter very well and continue to look good. So, overall, I have been happy with my…

We need a new red ensign my mate told me a while ago. The fly had been sewn up and the colour is badly faded. It’s quality is dubious! ‘It looked piddly…’ she said. I had got a small 3/4 yard size last time… So, I looked around the web. Most had no information regarding…

Recently news broke that Fairline Yachts was in trouble again. This was after a fall in sales from around £48M to around £42M. Another group had taken over the concern in between times. The ins and outs of the pain being felt by investors is far above my head, but they know the risks… It…

There are things, as all boaters know, that can be dealt with during the darker and colder time of the year. All that is needed is the ‘will’ and a place to do it. I had no constraints for washboards and the locker door. but for the cockpit locker seat tops, an approaching week of…

I was alerted to the film, ‘The Long Memory’ by a fellow sailor during last autumn. I quickly discovered that it was based on a book by Howard Clewes, author and film script writer. Howard Clewes was born in 1912 and died in 1988. His early life was in York – far from the silty…