An interesting and often charming film about this much gentrified East Coast town. I must sail there one day! My thanks to Derek Simpson for posting the link.
Category: History
Australia’s 18-ft skiffs and 14 Footers
A little Australian moment, with links from Michael Storer’s always interesting Storer Boat Plans Facebook page.
First (above), a stunning, award-winning piece of 1970 film about Sydney Harbour’s 18ft skiffs. They have a great history – Joshua Slocum mentions seeing them at Sydney in his solo round the world account Sailing Alone Around the World.
And then there’s this article about the history of Australia’s 14 Footers, a very different development from the Uffa Fox influenced International 14s that developed in the UK.
The Raid on the Medway on the BBC website
‘The whiff of gunsmoke, burning timber, pitch and tar. Warships ablaze, flames shooting through gunports, the smoke visible for miles along the north Kent coastline. This is the scene that would have greeted eyewitnesses following the Dutch raid along the River Medway in June 1667.
‘Carried out over several days, it targeted the English fleet at Chatham, leaving a large section of the Royal Navy either captured or destroyed. There were few casualties, but the loss of the realm’s largest warships brought humiliation to the country and damaged the personal reputation of King Charles II.’
Read all about it! Once again, my thanks to Chris Brady for the tip.