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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →