I recently added to my collection of ‘east coast’ literature in the form of Frances B. Cooke’s, London to Lowestoft published in 1906 by Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson, Ltd. It was a book I had little knowledge of until spotted in a book sellers listing and although I have yet to read it, it seems…

Two things came up together this year, however one, the symposium, was booked months ago so that was that really. The other was the AGM of the Society for Sailing Barge Research (SSBR) which was being held in Gravesend on Saturday… I went alone to the last event two years ago. My good mate had booked…

Calluna is Nick Hann’s ‘new’ barge yacht… See: http://nickardley.com/barges-in-ditch-crawlers-patch/ Well, Nick has been hard at work over the autumn and winter. Whilst catching a sail on the best of the bank holiday days yesterday I came across Nick testing his autopilot. Passing, we chatted for a bit … he’s not tested the shower yet, but…

My publisher, well one of them, has recently brought out The Jottings of a Thames Estuary Ditch-crawler as an ebook. See: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nick-Ardley/e/B0034NL7IY Also see: https://www.amberley-books.com/community-nick-ardley That means all three titles with Amberley Publishing are now available as electronic books. My ‘books’ page will be amended!

Yes, wishing one was actually out on the water and not merely sitting upon it are two different things. Both can be pleasurable for two reasons … sailing – puttering along if a motty boat – or sitting back with a pot of tea… neither of those were ours today: it was time to get…

For a little while I have been hard at work on a long running project, tidying up in readiness and in expectation of great progress … so, some excellent news: at the end of last week a contract for this next book was signed with Fonthill Media. The book is due to be published in time…

Before our little clinker sloop even went over to Faversham for  keel bolt renewals her cockpit floor boards were in need of some attention, by the time she sailed into her mooring at the Island Yacht Club they could be ignored no longer … but first I did the cabin floor boards – the easier…

With a new central heating boiler taking up time last week, never mind the tides being down towards neaps, I took the opportinty to fetch our cockpit floor boards home for dishing up. They’re back on the boat now (more on this later…) So, sailing wasn’t on the agenda at all, however we fully intended…

The Medway & Swale Boating Association (MSBA) is the organisation which took over the roles largely held by the Medway Yachting Assciation, which operated for some years. The organisation has a very reliable and well informed web site offering all sorts of advice and general news. Look them up… http://msba.org.uk/ Two years ago they held…

The last Finesse 24 to be completed (not last number: that is No.70) is seriously for sale. She is boat No. 69 and has been owned in Northumberland for a number of years based at the RNYC in Blyth. Peter, her current owner, is moving abroad permanently so needs to achieve this. His asking price of…

After the sadness of our first leaving of Faversham the second going was a happy affair, other than the mate not being aboard to enjoy a fabulous twenty-four hour window of opportunity… Unfortunately she had a pre-booked pre-paid trip with her U3A group on Thursday last. Alan Staley and his young shipwright had stripped out the…

A few days ago another ‘blast from the past’ hit me. An email winged its way into my post box from a chap who had read something about my meeting John Prime’s cousin aboard the Edith May last February. John owned the spritsail barge Gipping during my childhood and I’d met him when May Flower was…

My good mate has been on a post retirement (it being a short while since, now…) exercise in looking at things stowed away in the loft… Working on the general theory that stuff that gravitates to that section of one’s abode, hasn’t any real further use, that is, except for boating stuff that is in…

Last week I went went over to Faversham  with the good mate to board our good ship and bring her home. Our ‘boy’ kindly delivered us on the Sunday afternoon. After the boat’s launch there had been a leak, but it had ‘gone’ the yard told us, and that appeared to be the case… We spent the…

During the week our good little ship was gently lowered down the slipway at Alan Staley’s yard in Faversham. The mast was up with just her shrouds needing to be tensioned. We had been over to take the final bits needed for our passage back home, when the weather permitted! I must say, it was…

Copied from The Sea-change Trust Site… Contract awarded to build new sailing barge The Sea-Change Sailing Trust works with young people with learning difficulties, vulnerable adults, those suffering social exclusion as well as young people interested in learning traditional sailing skills. We are a RYA Training and Sailability Foundation Centre and an Approved Activity Provider…

Well, wonders will never cease: my kid sister, a pleasing young lady of good disposition, called and asked if I was gong to the London Boat Show… She was going up with friend Steph for a chat with two flotilla organisations, in readiness for September and next year when my little sister hits 60 too!…

In my last post I raised some keel bolt thoughts: Whimbrel is currently out of the water at Alan Staley’s yard in Faversham, Kent, undergoing some planned maintenance. http://nickardley.com/keel-bolts-sobering-thoughts/ The boat’s centre plate box casing and plate are now in… Starboard side of new casing… Port side of new casing… We spent last weekend cleaning,…

Keel bolts whether there to hold a boat’s structure together, as with a traditionally constructed vessel, or in the fashion that most now think about as for many modern yachts are an area of our craft that must always sit in the foregraound of our thoughts: at some point they need to be inspected. Keel bolts…

The year has ticked round to its last day and foremost in many peoples minds is the upcoming London Boat Show. The ‘great and the good’ will be talking sales speak, spouting off the virtues of ordering a shining new craft with smiling sales personnel lurking ready to clutch at any interest a punter might…