Messing about in boats
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 [...]
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 [...]
SEA CADETS HIGHLIGHT THEIR LEGAsea Naval Charity publishes My LegaSea report – surveying former cadets on the impact of structured youth activity My LegaSea - launching into life is a ground-breaking multi-generational research study commissioned by the Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC) and delivered by independent researchers. It was was designed and guided by [...]
The boat was a beauty, but she let in a lot of water... By Ian Galletti Having crewed on a Contessa 32 when she was harmlessly ‘pooped’ many times during the 1979 Fastnet storm, I couldn’t understand why a past generation of yachtsman dreaded the experience. However, I was soon to learn why when I [...]
Aidan and his Heard 28 Isabel's legendary British Seagull outboard - a hybrid of several models he has used over the years. Aidan's in depth article on Seagulls can be found: HERE
Excerpts from an interview with highly accomplished Dinghy through to Maxi Yacht sailor and North Sails sailmaker Michael Coxon. Racing tips By Brett Bowden What's the most important sail control and how does that vary from class to class? “The most important sail control for any boat is the sheet tension. Where the sheet tension [...]
An irreverent look at boating life with Dan Houston and Dave Selby
By Brett Bowden from Sailing to Win HOW TO WORK OUT THE FAVOURED END WITHOUT INSTRUMENTS Getting a great start in clear air can be the most important part of your race and knowing the favoured end and determining how much it is favoured will help you settle on your starting strategy. Some of the [...]
‘Anything can happen in the next half-hour’, is how the RNLI puts it. And, with around 26 people being rescued by the institute's volunteers every day, the charity's work is never far away. This video shows the seaborne lifesavers launching their sophisticated craft, at great speed, from the exhilarating height of a slipway. From Cromer [...]
