The all tide landing is up and running again … this will be good news for many people. On my last visit we resorted to using the concrete hard … a return to life as it used to be. Exciting…! See earlier post of 6th May 2014. Well done to all concerned. See: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Queenborough-Harbour-Trust/113577585430643 The…

One of the joys of sailing is the chance of meeting living history out on the water. Last Friday I had the absolute pleasure of meeting the little Cygnet, a farm barge originally built in 1881 by Curel of Strood. She’s a 16 nrt vessel of around 41 feet. I love her… Des, her skipper, was…

The Sea-change trust made it into the Braintree Times a few days ago, see: http://www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk/news/north_essex_news/11152153.Mayland_charity_plans_to_build_first_new_Thames_sailing_barge_in_84_years/ This is exciting because at last the ‘daily’ press are beginning to get intereated, perhaps, next it will be The Times… Also on the trust web site is a sprinkling of other exciting news, one especially is the moving on…

For once the early May bank holiday weekend came with the finest weather for many years. We had the boat ready for Friday, but went instead on the Saturday afternoon, when the conditions were idyllic, with a wish for a little more breeze: diesel had to be consumed on our trip across the Thames, however,…

Last year in the early part of January (2013) I was approached by the Island Yacht Club commodore, Valerie Dean, with a request for a PhD student from Kingston University, Surrey, regarding the availability of a platform for a film. The student, Mitch Panayis, had two projects on the go – one to be completed…

Ah yes… Even in deepest ‘land locked’ Paris boats are a feature of city life as they are in London. There are odd collections of live-aboards right in the middle of the city, most have an aura of ‘in use’ and I doubt if the city ‘fathers’ would want it to be any different. I…

My home is surrounded by much woodland to the north, east and west. To the south we have the expanse of Hadleigh and Benfleet downs with Hadleigh marsh (arable and grazing) below. Within the woodland are numerous patches of the old bluebell. The woods are largely owned and maintained by the Essex Wildlife Trust and…

One of the never ceasing amazements that we, as sailors, have the honour to feast upon is our diverse wildlife. In winter as I sail off the eastern end of Canvey Island a seal will often as not pop up to say, ‘Hello … ‘ and follow lazily in Whimbrel’s wake, until, I believe, I’ve…

There is a whole myriad of ways of enjoying boating and with it comes a responsibility of some sort or other. Seen out recently was a sweet little clinker motor boat based at my own yacht club at the eastern end of Canvey Island. She is a John Leather design and as comely as she…

A good friend of mine called me up to asked if I’d read the Telegraph … that was a couple of days ago. Anyway, it was to tell me that Jack Holmes’ obituary had appeared. Sorry to say, I hadn’t known that he had died. He and I were both Leigh – on – Sea…

The Finesse Class which my Whimbrel belongs has enjoyed fifty odd years of sailing. My book, The Jottings of a Thames Estuary Ditch-crawler tells the tale of Finesse Yachts and builder Alan Platt, in chapter 2. I’ve enjoyed my little sloop for 31 years now and aim to continue along that path for many more…

My ‘man’ in New Zealand sent me this link to a YouTube film he made whilst aboard Whimbrel back in 2012 – I’ve seen it before but not been able to post a link, so here it is. It was taken during a gentle sail up Benfleet Creek on a sluggish afternoon tide with a…

My friends in New Zealand sent me a few views of the abandoned hulk of a coastal scow. These craft were once a common sight around the coasts of New Zealand – especially the North Island. I was sent a long time ago a picture of, I believe, one of the last scows. The above…

One of the joys of being part of the ‘great unemployed’ is the ability to use facilities that are there for all of us. The Mate and I have been regular participants at a series of monthly lectures/talks at the Essex Records Office in Chelmsford since the dear girl’s retirement from gainful employment at the…

There is a welcome piece of news on the web site of the Medway & Swale Boating Association: See: http://msba.org.uk/?p=1423#comment-8032 Work is being carried out to put it back into operation. A new pontoon has arrived and the link span is being reinstated. Berthing of spritsail barges and other pleasure craft to embark/disembark passengers will…

The future of the Queenborough All Tide Landing appears to have been secured. While in Queenborough last week doing a talk at the yacht club the commodore told me that there were still a few issues to iron out, but that broadly an agreement had been entered into with the Queenborough Harbour Trust. It is…

Last year Hoo Marina was bought out by the Port Werberg (Swann Marine) Group and the marina was made out of bounds to visiting yachts. For me this was a blow: the mate and I have been going into the basin most summers for several decades. I knew the area as a boy too and…

While aboard the Gransden’s Edith May last weekend the mate and I sat at a table which already had several people, a lady and two gentlemen, seated enjoying their luncheon. Jane Gransden, when taking our order, asked if we’d been introduced … we soon were. http://www.edithmaybargecharter.co.uk/ Ed at work… The lady, Linda Moffat, had a…

The last ‘Brick’ Barge… I was in Kent to do a talk for the Queenborough Yacht Club … on my barging childhood and sailing life. It was silly not to pay a visit to old friends Geoff and Jane Gransden – we saw Ed too, which was nice, scraping and priming Edith May’s decks –…

I had a thoroughly enjoyable trip to London with the good mate on Sunday. We had been invited to the official opening of the annual exhibition of the Wapping Group of Artists… It was grand. The exhibition at the Mall Galleries is open from 1000 to 1700 until Saturday 1st March (last day closes at 1600). If you…