As the lack of progress continued and my frustration mounted, I began visiting the Marina, trying to induce some positive action by cornering those in authority, face to face, to try to unlock the impasse. The abiding excuse was that my âliftâ, to reunite the hull with the keel/grounding plate, apparently required very experienced operators... Continue Reading →
Frustration
I write this in March, with Hejira ashore undergoing a major refit. Having carried out the remedial work and with the keel refurbished at the original foundry in Cornwall, I have been waiting since last December for the first lift of a probable total of at least four to complete the exercise. The awaited âliftâ... Continue Reading →
22/23 New Year update
August the 22nd this year marked the ten-year anniversary of the purchase of my then, 8-year-old Southerly 135 in Holland. Since then, she has been progressively updated and refurbished, building on what was perceived to be, a good solid hull. Unfortunately, my experiences have exposed a good deal of shoddy workmanship carried out by Northshore,... Continue Reading →
Prepare the tar
The first I knew of this 'letter' was a phone call saying "where shall we send the bottle of rum" ! Yachting World must have been struggling for content as they have cut and pasted from my blog 'No Balls!', reconfigured it as a letter and essentially, lost most of the thrust of my piece.... Continue Reading →
Sailing Therapy
I am aware that I may be encroaching on an area that is sensitive, and I am certainly stepping outside of the subject areas and tone normally associated with my blog postings. I apologise for this in advance but please read on as I believe this to be important. By way of background, my support... Continue Reading →
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 →
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.
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 DâAzure, I looked to get my âwater fixâ with a small dinghy on the British waterways. This was explained in the blog âWind in the Willowsâ (which also explains the nomenclature of the 'Dramatis... Continue Reading →
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 →
Homer….not Simpson
Reference to Homerâs Iliad might be seen as rather âhighbrowâ and somewhat incongruous given the usual more âearthyâ 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 →