My last post, where I talked about the numbers of local yachting folk ignoring the requirement to return to main residence after a day (or a period) on the water, exercising, caused some ‘anger’ to surface out there. My use of ‘gets angry’ in particular, seemed to be a problem, but I did say quite…

Since the first easing of our Government’s Covid-19 restrictions, us sailors, boater, canoeists, paddle boarders, dinghy sailors and motor boaters etc, have been able to fulfil a long desired dream of time out on the water, in England – the devolved administrations are acting a little differently, as are some English regions. However, the requirement…

A fellow owner of a Finesse contacted to say that, reluctantly, he had decided to put his Finesse 21, Ivy May, up for sale. He has owned her for a dozen years or so. SORRY SHE’S SOLD! When the chap bought Ivy May, he wasn’t even married, but now, with two growing boys who take…

I have known Nancy Grey and her sister Dione for most of my life from around 11 years old. Both are barge-yachts, built by Shuttlewood of Paglesham on the River Roach. The build shed still exists, but little takes place there these days. The yard was being used to build/fit out house barges for the…

One of the first things I did when ‘locked down’ was to collect the cockpit floor boards for repainting. I also fitted a new lifting latch to one of them. If I was not going to be allowed to go sailing, I needed something other than the comforts of good wife, home, and walking to…

Yes, it is hard to accept that sailing is a feature of my life that is on hold currently. Even Christobel has a hankering to just get out there and feel the soft breeze caressing her cheeks. We know that along the tide lines, the saltings will be awash with an early greening. The first…

Following on from my last post: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-and-mate-prepare-for-whimbrels-lift-out/ The plan to lift Whimbrel was put into operation some days before the Corona Virus (Covid 19) restrictions began to be applied. We had, however, been carrying out our own ‘isolating’ procedures for quite some time as certain people were deemed more vulnerable, however it transpired that my…

Notwithstanding the onset of the serious health problems associated with the Corvid 19 (Corona virus) that has spread from China to virtually every country around the world since being ‘admitted to’ during December 2019, the weather has conspired to limit the opportunities for sailing too. Our Government (British) is systematically closing down ‘life’ as we…

We couldn’t make the last exhibition due to circumstances beyond our control, but this year when the invitation arrived it was ‘fixed’ into out diary! The Wapping Group of maritime artists is a small select band of around thirty artists who are elected into the group as and when places become available – this has…

The winter this year seems to have dragged on and on with incessant winds that have reduced my ability to get afloat to just two occasions so far! Statistically, this is very unusual. Running my fingers back over the pages of Whimbrel’s logs I see that usually I get out at least four to six…

A friend made a post on Facebook and alerted me to the immanent launch of this new Falmouth Pilot Cutter which has been under construction for the past two years at the Rhoda Mary Shipyard in Truro. The project has been led by shipwright Luke Powell, who has an amazing team working around him. I…

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…