Sailing

The land and the sea

Kenny gave up his employment in the Spring of the year after his wife left him and his father died. He was lucky that the divorce was complete before his fathers death, so he got to keep the little wealth his dad had squirrelled away. He only had one brother, and though they’d nothing muchContinueContinue reading “The land and the sea”

Millie joins the race.

Millie, and I, and my dear friend Deaf Gerald got out on Sunday and sailed from our sheltered creek to, near as damn it, the Red Sands Towers in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The race start time was 07.30hrs BST. HW was 06.45 And we snuck out under oars from the jetty, (havingContinueContinue reading “Millie joins the race.”

The wrong beach

I had been sitting on this groyne for over an hour, waiting for the tide to float my boat so that I could escape upwind within the narrow gap between the groynes, and hoping that some friendly soul would happen by and exchange the time of day; none had. I hadn’t intended to come here,ContinueContinue reading “The wrong beach”

A visit to Ardrishaig

The gate opens out of the last lock onto a small pool before the sea lock, A tiny idyll abound with wild flowers and skitting birds. Several startled swallows are rattled from their hidey-holes in the structure of the lock gate. The old canal wall curves around from our right to describe a circle, SlopingContinueContinue reading “A visit to Ardrishaig”

Capsize report

Sailing clubs tend to hold their AGMs in the depth of January when conditions are considered least suitable for sailing. My last club was a dinghy racing club and although they race throughout most of the year including new years day, they accept that there should be a gap between the end of one seasonContinueContinue reading “Capsize report”

Reflections of the Schnark

The beginning The fires this year in Brazil and Australia along with the failure of governments around the world to wipe their own bottoms allow me to conclude briefly and without ambiguity that humanity will self-destruct. Right, got that out of the way. I find pleasure in nature, in escape from crowds, in discoveringContinueContinue reading “Reflections of the Schnark”