Historic Events – Sailing By: Tales from our coasts and inland waterways

Perilous storms in Plymouth Sound: 1703

In this extract by Daniel Defoe, he reflects on the town of Plymouth, noting its importance as a safe anchorage[…]

In 2013 the Dublin Bay OGA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Association by presenting a new trophy in memory[…]

On 29 May, 1967, Francis Chichester sailed into the record books as he completed his solo circumnavigation of the globe[…]

Four naval ships and over 1300 men were lost on the dangerous rocks and reefs around the Isles of Scilly[…]

This extract is from the Illustrated London News, 8 January 1853 and reports on a horrific shipwreck and explosion with[…]

A dramatic, well-documented rescue takes place on the Farne Islands, off the Northumberland coast, 7 September, 1838. The rescue of[…]

The rocky coastlines of Brittany have witnessed numerous encounters between battleships of the French, Dutch, Spanish and English. This extract[…]

This extract combines an evocative view of Portsmouth from the open sea, painted by Dominic Serres in the 18th century[…]

The ‘Draken Harald Hårfagre’ sets sail in April 2016 on passage from Norway to America, crossing the North Atlantic as[…]

Here’s an interesting tale about Eustace the Monk, a colourful character who worked for both King John of England and[…]