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Insights from the Jester Challenge Symposium 2026
21st February 2026 Reading Time: 6 minutes Nerdiness Quotient: 7/10 We have just returned from the Jester Challenge Symposium in Letchworth. Most of you who follow my blog will have a shrewd idea what this symposium will be about but for those who have stumbled upon this website and think that I may have taken…
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Deal Half Marathon 2026 – It’s Running Season!
12:30 Sunday 15th February 2026 Reading time: Four Minutes Nerdiness Quotient: Not very boaty My trainers always get taken on the boat but to be honest they are rarely used. By the time I moor up I just fancy a beer and a snooze. However, every year I do try to enter three Half Marathons.…
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New Sail Bags or Covers?
12:30 8th February 2026 Reading Time: 8 Minutes Nerdiness Quotient: 7/10 I nonchalantly said to Peter Sanders “Don’t bother with any bags” when I placed my order for my new sails. I was thinking it would be a doddle to knock up a few bags on my Sailrite Sewing Machine. And indeed, it would be…
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The total eclipse in Milneland – a blessing or a curse?
25th January 2026 12:30 Reading Time: Four Minutes For those of you who aren’t familiar with the East Coast of Greenland you might be wondering where on earth is Milneland? Milneland is the third biggest island in Greenland and it is situated in the middle of Scoresby Sund which happens to be the largest fjord…
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The Origin of the Jolly Roger, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and the word “Barbeque”
Sunday 18th January 12:30 Reading Time: Three Minutes I live in Rotherhithe on the borders of Deptford. The place oozes in maritime history. Hidden away between the Thames Path and the main road to Greenwich lies St Nicolas Church. The unusual carvings on the entrance posts to the church are what is believed to be…
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I’ve had a very nasty thought
Sunday 11th January 2026 Reading Time: 5 Minutes I’m not liking this thought that is rising inside my head. I need someone to bash some sense into me. This is what is happening. I have been thinking about setting up my satellite phone ready for my expedition to Greenland. To make it work as a…
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Scoresby Sund 2026
2nd January 2026 Reading Time: 6 minutes Most of my sailing voyages are just for fun and perhaps a lust for a little bit of adventure. Some sections of my trips haven’t ended up being fun, but they have certainly always been an adventure. This year will be my forth, and indeed my last, attempt…
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My Boating Philosophy Summed up in a Little Toothbrush Story
21st December 2025 Reading Time: 3 Minutes Nerdiness Quotient: 2/10 My new toothbrush has arrived. I think it is a Suri 2, well that’s what I ordered. I try to look after my teeth having neglected them for too long. I even get them professionally cleaned twice a year at great expense. My dentist recommended…
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My Keyway Conundrum: 316 SS, Brass, or Bronze for Propeller Shafts?
10th December 2025 Reading time: 4 minutes Nerdiness Quotient – 8.5/10 With Christmas fast approaching, one might assume my thoughts would be dominated by mince pies, port and stilton but instead, I’m deep into a rather puzzling piece of marine engineering: the humble propeller keyway. I’ve just bought a shiny new 316 Stainless Steel (SS)…
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…and may I have a look in your bag Sir?
17th November 2025 Reading time: 10 Minutes I like making lists. If I can’t be bothered to do something at least I can make a list of all the things that I can’t be bothered to do. And there’s nothing more annoying than doing a job and discovering that it never even hit the job…