Can you guess where we've been ?

This is one of those fascinating  places where you could loose yourself for hours. Where else could you find a choice of propellers ?
Do you know where it is ? Why not take a guess!

Talking about squalking !

The publisher of the web site Sailingonline, Dawn Smith, is both an accomplished sailor and raconteur, with whom it's always a pleasure to spend time, especially at sea.
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Over the last few months she has been building content for the website and kindly asked me if there was anything I would like to contribute. It so happened I had recently upgraded my VHF radio installation, so the outcome was my article on modern VHF radio.
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Go on, follow the link !
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Dawn has now schooled me more fully on the meaning of 'max 1500 words', so future contributions will come in a single installment. I hope it's of use ot you, or a least food for thought.

Comments please !

Wow we're getting more and more hits and their coming from all around the world. 
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 We'd love to hear from you - so from today any one with a Google account can post a comment - and we promise to moderate it within the day (unless we're at sea...)

Arthur Beale

Its very hard to pass through central London without spending some time at Arthur Beale's yacht chandlers on  Shaftsbury Avenue.

I was introduced to AB''s over 20 years ago when I worked nearby, and its refreshing to still find an independent shop in Covent Garden that hasn't been forced out by global trainer outlet or coffee chain.
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(Quite) a few years ago I innocently asked the chap behind the counter how they managed to find enough trade, being so far from the coast. He gave me a kind of look and pointed out that they may be quite far from the coast, but they were right in the middle of about 5 million people, some of whom must have boats.
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 You can usually rely on AB's having top quality gear and as usual I spent more than I meant-to, but it's balm for the soul as well as good for the boat. Long may they prosper
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You don't usually look in chandlerys for metaphors, but the significance of the life belt in the window just dawned on me !

Its the end of the season!

Just one more sailable weekend before Annabella comes out of the water !

Thorpeness - in Suffolk.

This last week or so saw the weather turn really wintery - and I woke up in the forepeak last Sunday morning  really quite cold.  We had a few days off in Suffolk (without the boat). Look at those cloud formations - brrrgh.
It has been a long summer and a good season. In some ways not all our objectives have been met - but we're reacxhing the end better sailors and with a better boat, and we've had some good times, so well satisfied.
We've reached some conclusions about how to improve the boat - so watch out for our posts over the winter!