Ƒor a 6.5m boat, Anna Lusja II has a very powerful foghorn. It’s electric. It would not disgrace a small coaster. And it is pointing into her own cockpit. When it went off in Baltimore Harbour, I nearly jumped out of my skin – and heads popped out of hatches for half a mile around. … Read more
It was a bit like waking up on Groundhog Day – every morning, the Windy app showed the same forecast: a whole week of north easterlies. Well, that was fine. I could stay in Sixhaven marina right in the centre of Amsterdam. I could go to Haarlem on the train and see the Frans Hals … Read more
By the crew, I don’t mean a row of matching T-shirts on the rail – or complaints from the foredeck that the sun goes behind the sail every time I go about. Singlehanders don’t have that kind of crew. What I mean is the autopilot and the windvane. The one was getting far more attention … Read more
You can tell the age of a tree by counting the rings. It’s the same with boats – except, with boats, you count cable ties. I am well aware that Samsara is an old boat because any time I investigate the wiring, I discover that generations of previous owners have been most fastidious when adding … Read more
When you think about it, aeroplanes don’t go flying about with 50-year-old wings, do they? The question came up while standing beside Tony Jones’s mobile rigging workshop with Samsara’s mast laid out horizontally. Tony was explaining how the sheave assembly at the bottom had dropped out in front of his eyes, the headsail furling gear … Read more
When Nelson took over the Victory, she was already well over 30 years old. He asked the Admiralty for a refit. The bill came to more than the ship cost to build. Well, Samsara is going to be 50 years old this summer, and I got her five years ago as cheaply as you can … Read more
It’s a bit of a beast, the new cooker. This was always going to be a major part of the big refit: A decent cooker. A cooker that wouldn’t break down – and since this is a boat for life, it had to be a cooker for life. If you have been following this … Read more
“All I want for Christmas, “I said when Tamsin asked, “is Shrimpy.” It’s out of print and very much sought-after – the cheapest I’d seen a copy was £70. The story of the young ex-Royal Marine Shane Acton, who sailed around the world in an 18ft Caprice in the 70s, was something I read again … Read more
This is absolutely my favourite video. You might have seen it before – and you must admit, it’s pretty spectacular: The Hampshire Heater spewing out charcoal sparks as a sort of over-blown indoor firework – and one which definitely contravenes the Health and Safety regulations. Not only did it set fire to the … Read more
