When the last six working Thames sailing barges doused their canvas for the final time in 1963 it was the end of an era, but Jim Lawrence survived. Dan Houston first met him in 1999 and this interview mostly dates from that period. But while Jim had retired as a sailmaker, handing over the famous [...]
All our back issues are now digitised and can be downloaded (for a modest sum) from our online Shop. They were free on issuu for a while but the site became commercial and we couldn't afford to do it that way. See more of these - full contents etc in our ARCHIVE section. Some [...]
Important boat for sale after owner dies Uffa 50 celebrations in Cowes Coweslip returns to the Isle of Wight by Lynne East Phil Thomas on Vigilant As the 37th America’s Cup campaign gains momentum, we are reminded of the legacy of the classic boat designers by August’s celebration of Uffa Fox, a man [...]
Tall Ships, Small Ships, craftsmanship, classic boat sailors – all brought alive in photos and captions that capture the revival of old and vintage boats during the decades since the first Brest Festival in 1992
The famous yacht and dinghy designer and Canadian olympic sailor Bruce Kirby has died, aged 92. Among his many designs he drew the Laser Dinghy in 1969 since 1970 more than 215,000 Lasers have been built worldwide. Kirby began his working life as a newspaper journalist at his home town in Ottawa and then on [...]
Ten incredibly rare chart drawings that show in stages the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, a defining moment in the creation of England’s maritime identity, have been saved from export in January 2021
THREE women based in Brightlingsea are hoping to raise £500,000 to restore the 1891 Thames Sailing Barge May.
Hidden Heroines: the untold stories of the women of the Dockyard celebrates extraordinary women in Chatham Dockyard’s history who campaigned for change, fought against the odds and whose impact left a lasting legacy. Featuring stories from the first ladies of the Spinning Rooms and Sail and Colour Loft to tales of women boarding warships masquerading [...]
Lord Montagu has reopened Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour following the completion of its major £2m redevelopment, 50 years after the marina was first built as a haven for boats on the Beaulieu River. Faces from past and present came together to celebrate the milestone achievement in a special Covid-safe ceremony on board Gipsy Moth IV, [...]
