Category: Sailing in General
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South Dock Marina Boat Yard Update
Southwark Council held their “consultation” meeting on the 7th and 8th of October. In their wisdom they decided to have a maximum of twenty people in each 30 minute session. The first day sold out quickly so they introduced another day. It was all pretty pointless as by the time the officials had said their…
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The End of the Sailing Season for Sumara
I’d arranged to have Sumara hauled out at the end of September. Of course it was sod’s law that the first few weekends in October have been warm and sunny with a gentle sailing breeze. At least the sails were packed away nice and dry. She will winter in Harry Kings Yard at Pin Mill.…
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South Dock Marina Boat Yard Under Threat
2nd September 2015 It seems that something fishy is going on. It looks like it will threaten the operation of the Boat Yard at South Dock Marina. Southwark Council held a “consultation” meeting at Canada Water Library at the end of July. The problem was that they omitted to tell us about the “consultation” meeting. They…
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Notes from the East Coast – Wrabness to Woodbridge
We left Wrabness to join up with Torsten on Folia in Titchmarsh Marina. It is a while since I’ve sailed in the Walton Backwaters and I’ve always had fond memories of anchoring at Stone Point. Torsten was due to arrive with a couple of friends late on the Friday evening so while we waited we walked…
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Notes from the East Coast – London to Wrabness
After a hectic year it was with some relief that we were able to slip out of South Dock on a late Sunday afternoon tide with two weeks of sailing ahead. There were no exciting voyages planned just a bit of gentle sailing around the muddy waters of the Thames Estuary. The tide kicked in…
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Sumara gets some TLC
I seem to be more pushed for time than ever, not helped by the fact that we have entered the very hilly Stroud Marathon on 10th May. Nevertheless, Sumara needs looking after and anything to save time is going to be a big help this year. I can actually varnish the hull up to the…
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St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival
13th and 14th September 2014 I’m rather ashamed to admit that I have never been to this event before. I can only assume that any weekend that I had free I would whizz off to the coast to sail the Good Ship Sumara. This year the Arthur Beale Yacht Chandler project has rather taken over…
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Brightlingsea isn’t in Norway
3rd August 2014 Brightlingsea Best laid plans and all that. Eventually I had to pull out of the sail to Lofoten in Norway because of the time I needed to devote to the Arthur Beale Project. Beale’s is hard work. With so much going on it involves working long hours for six days a week.…
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Teak Decks
20th July 2014 South Dock, London Sumara’s teak decks are, like the good ship, 24 years old. In general I would say they are doing pretty well but they were beginning to look a little sad and dried out. Each year I replace quite a few plugs with new ones held in with resorcinol glue.…
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Arthur Beale Yacht Chandler Shaftesbury Avenue
194 Shaftesbury Avenue, London 11th May 2014 I haven’t updated the Sumara blog for a while because I have been rather busy. Well it is always busy getting Sumara ready to go back in the water but this year something has made it double busy. Gerry and I seem to have bought Arthur Beale Ltd,…