Author: Nick Mines

Having sailed for most of my adult life, I retired (took a step back) from my company Atom Ltd. which continues in my partial absence, producing really excellent work and run by a gifted team of loyal employees. I now sail my Southerly 135 and crew on various friends yachts, just enjoying being on the water. I continue to 'nudge the tiller' at Atom , probably more often than really necessary or welcome!

Modifications and Improvements

Improvement schedule since purchase 22nd August 2012 Northshore (the original constructor) upgrades Winter 2012/13 Replaced Stainless Steel Water tanks (x2) and Stainless Steel Diesel tanks (x2) with polyethylene TEK tanks. Unfortunately, the diesel tanks were installed with leaking drain plugs, something Northshore tried to blame on others. Drain plugs finally sealed by Tek Tanks during... Continue Reading →

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Southerly 135 Compared

This article featured in the July 2022 Yachting Monthly. It was comparing the Southerly 42RST with the 135. Interesting if superficial. In my humble opinion, the 42 is not a patch on the 135, pandering as it does to the modern fashions in design at the expense of sea keeping and practicality.

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Three Men in a Boat (mostly)

During the depths of the Covid crisis when I was denied access to 'Hejira' while she was inaccessible on the Cote D’Azure, I looked to get my ‘water fix’ with a small dinghy on the British waterways. This was explained in the blog ‘Wind in the Willows’  (which also explains the nomenclature of the 'Dramatis... Continue Reading →

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Dear Brother Hedley

More bad news unfortunately. My brother Hedley passed away in the early hours of Monday 31st January 2022, aged just 73. He was diagnosed with Leukaemia last year and after periods in hospital undergoing treatment, he chose to spend his final weeks at home with his family. I was fortunate to see him very recently... Continue Reading →

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Homer….not Simpson

Reference to Homer’s Iliad might be seen as rather ‘highbrow’ and somewhat incongruous given the usual more ‘earthy’ content of these blogs. So, not surprisingly, I must confess to having been introduced to it by an infinitely more learned and cerebral friend and fellow Southerly 135 sailor, John Goodall. Here is his mail to me... Continue Reading →

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