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 largely given over to craft under owner repairs and winter layup.

It is a little while since I’ve had ‘this’ wander about. Within the layup area were a number of old friends which came out of the water, in some cases, years ago. I’m certain I did a blog way back, so it can be found by scrolling back…

I dropped into the yard first of all, smiling broadly at a man that looked my way and waving. I walked round a few vessels that have, quite frankly, been out for some years. There is a clinker cutter, shapely, of 23 to 24 feet with a well raked transom. Not sure of her class, if there is one, but she is deteriorating. Her cockpit cover has given up and rain water will be pooled in her bilges. Sad. Anyway, I cam in to find a little barge yacht, Come at Last, which was rescued by a member of the little boat club just east of this yard.

The Come at Last well wrapped for the winter…

Close by this fine old barge yacht sits another. She’s now been fully covered over: I understand she’s due for a rebuild. She’s the Heron Lee, a barge yacht dating to 1913 and built by Robertson’s of Woodbridge on the River Deben. She has pedigree and it would be good to see her afloat again.

A friend had told me that a Finesse 21 was out here too. I soon found her. She’s Cumulus, a gunter rigged sloop, which is unusual. The owner has had problems with leakage around the cabin sides for some while and has decided to renew the ‘top hamper’ completely. The task is being helped along by a previous owner (Now with a nice little Seaking). Both belong to the little boat club I mentioned … they’re a caring helpful band.

My contact said that if Alan (Platt) the builder of these craft were deceased, he’d be turning in his grave … why, I thought: surely he’d be absolutely delighted that effort was being made to keep another of ‘his’ boats alive. And this is the thing, usually anything is fixable on a wooden boat if done before too much damage is done. If one has the skills, costs can be kept well below those form a yard…

The bow of Cumulus

Looking into the main cabin – I peeped under the cover…

Looking forward into main cabin – access to focsle is the ‘dark’ area beyond centre plate case and table assembly.

Leaving the yard I wandered towards the little club hut of the boat club. I spotted the barge yacht Calluna resting on her laurels, shut down for the winter. She’s owned by a sailing acquaintance who once owned the little Nancy Grey, a lovely wooden barge yacht now based in Faversham, Kent.

Calluna, a fine little ship…

The owner of Calluna took her down to Bristol this last summer. Amazingly, he bumped into my sister whilst passing though Devizes. It took him just a few moments to connect us by a ‘barge’ comment from my sister. I met the chap in the club hut and we had a little chuckle about it! For his trip, the mast was left ashore and she came home on a lorry … but the owner and his wife had a fabulous time.

Laying off the beach are two other Finesse 21s – Penny, out on the flats beyond the creek ditch and Seamew, closest in the picture below.

Seamew and Penny (beyond) awaiting the tide…

I didn’t go any further along the front: I got chatting, as like-minded sailors do and time flew.

It was time to high-tail it home to get the soup on for lunch: the Mate would be back from meeting old pals over coffee, feeling hungry!

Yes, its good to get out and look around like this, although I often feel saddened by what I see, there is often a happiness too in seeing a loved craft being rejuvenated…