Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast
Keith Johnston’s been in touch to ask whether anyone has construction drawings of an old-fashioned steam similar to SL Wisp on the Thames that he could work from in building a new boat? If so, please contact me at gmatkin@gmail.com, and I’ll put you in touch with him.
SL Wisp is currently up for sale according to the Peter Freebody website – click on the link for photos and details.
Film-maker James Price is making a film to chart the history of the Thames Estuary and its surrounding landscape – and here’s a short trailer. Thanks to regular reader Paul Mullings for pointing it out.
It was made with the director of Southend’s Shorelines Literature Festival of the Sea, Rachel Lichtenstein.
What fun these literary types have! But have a look – does it reflect how you see this stretch of water? Have then done it well? I can’t help comparing this stuff with Dylan Winter’s much more vigorous and salty stuff, or with Richard Fleury’s campaigning work on The Quay.
Phil Latham on sailing the Cambria from Richard Fleury on Vimeo.
Richard is the chap who runs the The Quay website, which campaigns for the maritime future of Faversham Creek.
On the day of the Cambria’s relaunch earlier this week he was lucky enough to be able to meet Phil Latham, who was Bob’s mate aboard the sailing barge from 1964-68, and and to film an interview. I think it’s of great interest to anyone fascinated by sailing barges and Bob Roberts, but also to sailors who know or plan to visit the East Coast.