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!

Ship Inn

One of the compelling qualities of Southerly yachts such as ‘Hejira’ is the ability to access shallow, rarely visited locations and dry out, upright when the tide recedes. It is then possible to escape the ‘hubbub’ of yachting activity and enjoy more natural surroundings. Every time that I have driven across the bridge onto Hayling... Continue Reading →

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Gandalf

So, as I have mentioned in the past, I am blessed to be able to ‘lean on’ the expertise of Phil, a long time employee known, by my son, Ollie, as ‘Gandalf’ for his technical ‘wizardry’. He looks after the Atom IT and does this mostly remotely since moving to mid Wales. When I and... Continue Reading →

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Electrical issues and conundrums

With the main Domestic batteries having been replaced by 3 off 220AH Rolls AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) batteries during the refit, not two years previously, the lack of electrical capacity was both disappointing and confusing. Calling in a specialist, conversant with the Mastervolt system, he discovered several issues. The ‘engineer’ (a loose term in this... Continue Reading →

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It couldn’t last.

Hejira was safe and snug in Hythe Marina, so I took the train back to Sunningdale to catch up with domesticities and other stuff.  My wife, Paula and I then returned to the embrace of Hejira and old friends, John and Birgit who have a house and mooring in Hythe. We go back to when... Continue Reading →

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Sometimes I pinch myself

This is another, only marginally sailing focussed account, but I hope it does, at least, demonstrate some of the other merits of yacht ownership. We are very lucky in that our extended family all get along very well and the young grandchildren, all 4 younger than 6, entertain each other in the most charming manner.... Continue Reading →

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