The America’s Cup
Watch this excellent archive footage from the America’s Cup heyday, 1934, entitled “THE AMERICA’S CUP – Rainbow (defender) and Endeavour (challenger) in final trails.” This… Read More »The America’s Cup
Dover, an appreciation, 1912
This extract is from Alan Briscoe’s log which opens on 11 June, 1912. We find out that the skipper is sailing into Admiralty harbour to… Read More »Dover, an appreciation, 1912
Daniel Defoe prefers to take the road to Gloucester
In this post, we find Daniel Defoe on his travels in the Severn Estuary. He describes the power of the ‘violent’ tides, forcing him and… Read More »Daniel Defoe prefers to take the road to Gloucester
Bristol Channel pilotage
The fact that theirs was a tough life can be appreciated by this photo of Pill pilots and ‘Westernmen’ taken around 1880. In the challenging… Read More »Bristol Channel pilotage
The Lambay Race: Howth Sailing Club, 1921
Howth Sailing Club was founded in 1895, and its premier one-design class, the Howth Seventeens designed by club Commodore Herbert Boyd, was established in 1898.… Read More »The Lambay Race: Howth Sailing Club, 1921
Crossing the Channel: history beneath the waves
This short poem, written in 1911 by Charles Robert Leslie Fletcher, reflects on the history of vessels that lie in the depths of the English… Read More »Crossing the Channel: history beneath the waves
Bricks to London by sailing barge
This short clip provides a glimpse of the building boom of Victorian London, with millions of bricks being brought from Kent by barge. The last… Read More »Bricks to London by sailing barge
Leisure sailing on the River Thames: 1960s
East Coast Gaffer, Mike Beckett sails ‘Bonita’, built 1888 at Arnside by the Crossfield yard and owned by his family since 1936. In this post… Read More »Leisure sailing on the River Thames: 1960s
Dordrecht in its heyday
Dordrecht comes from Thuredriht (c 1120), Thuredrecht (c 1200) meaning ‘thoroughfare’, a ship-canal or river through which ships were pulled by rope from one river… Read More »Dordrecht in its heyday