We have had some delays over the summer months with getting trailers tested, however we are hoping that the situation improves in September.

We travelled up to Woodbridge over the weekend and visited the Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company, who are actively celebrating  Anglo Saxon craftmanship with a full scale 88ft long rowing ship,  these images are of the  scale model. We became familiar with Sutton Hoo after seeing the 2021 film The Dig staring Ralph Fiennes;   standing beside the actual work in progress vessel  really gives a sense of its enormity, it was really worth the visit!

We have been with the same Galvanisers for over thirty years, but sadly they are no longer prepared to collect from sunny Hendon, so we have had to find an alternative.

We are struggling with the new company called Acrow Galvanizing  they are polite, there galvanizing is very good, they are efficient, the prices are good and therefore nothing like the last lot!

We are just not used to this sort of  service!

                                                                                  This is Thursday morning  at Parkstone Yacht club unloading and assembling Flying Fifteen trolleys.

           As I say not exactly living the dream.

This is the third year  of the Dinghy Show at Farnborough , and I think we are used to this modern format.  I really enjoyed my visit, and not working on a stand  is a bit like eating  supper  it’s always more enjoyable when you haven’t had to prepare it. Loved the interactive Cadet and  the  beautiful  artwork on the Synergy Europe, best of show was an easy decision it was the The Great Fish and Chip Bus. I always feel  it’s  jolly  important to keep a sense of proportion!

I know we are hardly in spring, but we need the space so we hired a skip, and threw out all of our old showroom clothing models.

All good,  except one tried to climb  out!

Alan Warren has just been nominated Seahorse Magazine’s Sailor of the Month for February.  Our first Merlin Nationals was in 1970 and was held at Pwllheli, there were 220 competitors  (yes 220). Alan Warren sailing with Barry Dunning won the event, that was the third  time he had won the Nationals and he did again in 1973. Which was utterly  amazing.  We wanted to be in the first 100, and finished 99^th,  it was  horrendously windy, we capsized 7 times in one race and finished  two minutes within the time limit. I have never been as cold as I got in that race, and I think I ended up with PTSD,  not because of the sailing, it was the stay at Butlins Holiday camp in Pwllheli!

These two photos were taken at King George Sailing Club  after Storm Ishia had passed through.

Its a very simple message “Don’t forget to make sure your boat and the boats around  you are secure in the dinghy park”

Thank you to Rodger White and to Bob Ladell for letting us share this message.

As soon as Christmas is behind us it’s all hands to the pumps and at the moment you can’t move in the yard!