Sad bastard that I am, I really like this: [URL]http://www.sailinglinks.com/a_great_story.htm[/URL]
*lovely* -- Lady Nina Three passions have governed my life: The longings for love, the search for knowledge and unbearable pity for the suffering of humankind. (Bertrand Russell) CG125.
Indeed, an excellent yarn to start the day with -- Dan L (Oldbloke) My Bike 2000 Honda CB500 M'boy's Bike 1990 Suzuki TS50X (Heavily fortified) BOTAFOT #140, DIAABTCOD #26
It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the Some years back I fancied doing the same as the old boy in that. If it was a true story, and not some yachtie magazine fiction, I wonder what became of him, bearing in mind it was supposedly 1932. There wasn't any sex in it - I half expected the old boy and the couple to get up to a bit of rumpypumpy in the harbour. -- Dave GS 850 x2 / SE 6a SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3 FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10
Well, he was over 60 at the time of the story, so he'd be 70ish at the start of WWII. He'd have headed back to Harwich and disappeared into the Broads. Would he have gotten involved in Dunkirk? Probably did - happens all the time - but they wouldn't have published the details.
Oh, yes. Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. If he was up the coast a bit, he might not have been able to get to Dunkirk in time. If he had shown up, his boat would have been commandeered. Most of the Little Ships were crewed by Naval personnel. No way would they have allowed an old geezer to sail off on his own. If the article gave the name of his boat, it would be easy to check if a boat of that name took part.
It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the About 20 years ago I was helping an old geezer paint his old cabin cruiser (a 1920s-built 4berth 25 footer, Gardner-engined) when I came across this little plaque in the wheelhouse. The boat was at Dunkirk, and that was the main reason it had been so well looked after for the decades following, in an effort to preserve a little bit of history. The owner I knew at the time had bought it off the Dunkirk-era owner, but, as you say, it was naval crewed for the evacuation. -- Dave GS 850 x2 / SE 6a SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3 FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10
Thanks for that Took me back to the years I spent sailing around The Stour, Orwell, Colne and Blackwater with my folks in our 27' boat (1). His description of his first crossing to Calais was particularly evocative and brought back the memories of our first crossing ... much the same as his; departing from Harwich, on to Ramsgate and then across to Calais. We felt like great adventurers I may pass this on to my dad, but don't know whether it would make him mournful to recall all those years of sailing with my mum. They had to sell their last boat when mum's back became to bad to get aboard easily. Sadly, she died 4 years ago. (1) From age 5 until about 21. -- Elly - a happy Pixie Uzi - a CBR600F Sport Spike - FZ400 - firing on 3 cylinders MRO#32 ibW#25 BoTAFOT#46 BoTAFOF #46 GP#1 UKRMRM#00 TWA#3 http://www.garagepixies.co.uk "Angel in the kitchen ... " elly at garagepixies dot co dot uk
I take it you've read "We Didn't Mean to go to Sea"? He'll be off buying another boat. Or he'll be thinking that you expect him to...
It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the The 'Cordelia' is almost identical in appearance and the history fits (being near Glasgow), but the engines don't. This one had a single Gardiner diesel, 6pot afair, that necessitated the removal of the cabin roof for engine replacement. -- Dave GS 850 x2 / SE 6a SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3 FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10
Arthur Ransome was required reading We would spend two weeks each summer in and around Pin Mill on the Orwell ... when I wasn't rowing against the tide (1), I was in the chandlery buying their stock of books (mainly Enid Blyton and assorted pony books). I suspect these enforced periods of confinement with one's big sister and parents engendered my love of reading and adventure. <grins> He's so bloomin' busy these days I don't think he'd have time to sail! Mind you, now that he's decided to give up riding the bike (1), who knows? I can just seeing him exploring the waterways in a little clinker built yacht with a bowsprit (1) A BMW K100RT. He says it's too much hassle to get into leathers and whatnot. Besides, he's now finding it difficult getting on and off the bike. -- Elly - a historical Pixie Uzi - a CBR600F Sport Spike - FZ400 - firing on 3 cylinders MRO#32 ibW#25 BoTAFOT#46 BoTAFOF #46 GP#1 UKRMRM#00 TWA#3 http://www.garagepixies.co.uk "Angel in the kitchen ... " elly at garagepixies dot co dot uk
A couple of pictures of my folk's boats for you ... http://www.garagepixies.co.uk/Boats.htm Sharayne was the one upon which I spent my formative years. I still have the callouses from all the rowing I used to do once we moored up somewhere. I got very good at rowing against the tide and would do so until 'slack water', when I'd turn round and let the returning tide carry me back to the boat. It's sad that as a kid I never really appreciated the times we spent on the boat. -- Elly - a happy Pixie Uzi - a CBR600F Sport Spike - FZ400 - firing on 3 cylinders MRO#32 ibW#25 BoTAFOT#46 BoTAFOF #46 GP#1 UKRMRM#00 TWA#3 http://www.garagepixies.co.uk "Angel in the kitchen ... " elly at garagepixies dot co dot uk
http://www.arthur-ransome.org/ar/ I wish I'd discovered AR when I was about 8 or 9, instead of 30 years later. I quite liked sailing then, but it was a time when I was in boats because my parents were sailing, so it was just something grown-ups did. Reading AR would, I now realise, have turned that around completely. I've still got the boat, though, if not the time to sail it. A K100RT is going to be a bit of a handful for anyone of advanced years. I find the Trophy a real monster when I have to push it around (and I'm not all /that/ old) - after a few weeks on it, the Drifter (same dry weight) felt so light and chuckable. Maybe I'm trying to sell the wrong bike. Anyway, he should be thinking of downsizing, not giving up. He should borrow something like a Z200 for a day, and actually do a couple of hundred miles and see what he thinks. He could borrow mine, but I'm a couple of hundred miles away. I don't bother with leathers and stuff unless I'm doing serious miles on it or the weather is crap.
Champ says... I read them at about the same time in my life. I was vaguely interested in boats because my Maltese grandad had a small fishing boat, as so many Maltese men do. I inherited the boat when he died in 1991, it hasn't been in the water since because the hull is so rotten :-(
I read him at.... oh, blimey. First I had them read to me and then I read them voraciously myself. So maybe seven or eight. I utterly loved them.
Laura did exactly the same at that age. I trust you've introduced your brood to them in a similar fashion?
