Speaking of waterside loafers, land sharks and small cruising yachts

Cooke

Writing shortly after the Great War, F B Cooke has every bit of the bluff, blokey do-exactly-as-I-say-and-everything-will-be-all-right style that was popular in his era, but today seems bossy and a little odd.

For Cooke the popular yachting harbours may have been full of good chaps but they were also home to waterside loafers and land sharks who would find a dozen ways to rob the poor innocent yachtsman. Rather like a sheriff in a Wild-West movie, Cooke could distinguish between them in a moment, knew exactly how to handle both types and briskly tells us how to [ad name=”intheboatshed-post”] Continue reading “Speaking of waterside loafers, land sharks and small cruising yachts”

Jim’s canoe gets new sails

Jim’s canoe gets new sails

Jim’s canoe gets new sails Jim’s canoe gets new sails Jim’s canoe gets new sails

Jim’s canoe gets new sails Jim’s canoe gets new sails
Zanzibar sailing with her new sails on Saturday afternoon

My pal Jim Van Den Bos and I spent Saturday afternoon near our homes at Bewl Water in Kent, England, trying out some new sails kindly sewn up by Jim’s mum for his canoe Zanzibar.

The little boat attracted a lot of attention from fellow small-boat sailors who kept Jim busy for quite a time while I swooped across the water.

We were both pleased with Continue reading “Jim’s canoe gets new sails”

A feast of photos from the Oostende voor Anker festival of sail

Oostende voor Anker

Oostende voor Anker Oostende voor Anker Oostende voor Anker

Oostende voor Anker Oostende voor Anker

Boeier at the Oostende voor Anker festival; photos by Wim Netens
Wim Netens kindly got in touch this morning to alert me to the Oostende voor Anker festival of sail held at the Belgian port of Ostend recently, and to let me have a link to his splendid photogallery of the event. I picked out the ornate old boeier above as one of the most striking boats I could see, although I guess it’s decorations and distinctive shape will only seem remarkable to those of us who don’t live in Belgium or The Netherlands.

This link takes you to Wim’s photogallery Continue reading “A feast of photos from the Oostende voor Anker festival of sail”