Don’t Get Me Wrong. I love a big, glamorous, highly varnished yacht as much as the next person. However the reality is, most of us are attracted to this corner of the maritime world not because we aspire to have cocktails on the aft deck at Les Voiles de St Tropez, but because somewhere deep down, we have a respect for history, traditional craftsmanship and a quest for adventure.

I’m Thinking, Is This An April Fools Prank From A Mate Or A Genuine Attempt To Return A Significant Piece Of New Zealand’s Wooden Boat Building History To New Zealand? The fantastic story of TANGAROA by Larry Paul

Grace’s Guide to British Industry says that Arthur Beale was established as a rope maker called John Buckinghams circa 1500. Our Sign says “Established 400 years” but the sign is 60 years old!

We memorize the rising and setting points of stars and use those to orient ourselves in our physical space so that we can navigate from place to place. I used to think that we would go to things. But that island out there was always there and all you’re doing in your place is you’re making it come to you.

A second wonderful piece from Tim Phillips aboard the Jane Kerr. Tim is undoubtably one of the last true woodenboat adventurers. An inspiration for those of us looking for more from our time on water than sailing well varnished, museum pieces, around in small triangles!

Quick trivia question : Name three yachts that arrived off Battery Point, at the end of the Sydney-Hobart, believing they were line honours winners, only to be denied by the protest committee?

Peter Warner may have won line honours in three Sydney to Hobart Races and narrowly missed a fourth by less than a minute but perhaps he was better known for his rescue of 6 Shipwrecked,Tongan teenagers.

Salar 40s were designed to be safe, comfortable, and seaworthy, and to travel long distances. ‘A round the world yacht’ was the marketing slogan when the boat was built, and it wasn’t just hot air.

After a tumultuous 2020 and a busy Christmas period we decided on a turnkey cruise! Squally Cove is beautifully set-up and so, so easy to live on. The Kent Group — I just love the place… Fishing, walking, swimming, scenery, it’s got the lot.

The greatest celebration of Wooden Boats and Maritime Culture on the planet*, welcomes you attend the 2021 Maritime Trail.

From the get go, Leo harnessed the power of social media to broadcast his story building not only a boat, but a remarkable community of volunteers and supporters.

The second article in Charlie Salter’s series highlighting the  relationship between architects and wooden  boats.

it was at sea, aboard the wild rose, that golding could escape the demons of class, inferiority and what we might now call post-traumatic stress that haunted him all his life.

The mid 1990’s. Two locals begin rowing round a few of the older boats asking if anyone might be interested to participate in the revival of a Regatta based at Mahurangi. The rest is history.

Can we draw your attention to the smile on the chap, about to christen the bow of his boat with a bottle of beer. Sums it all up. Priceless.

The story is brilliant … However what I found difficult to grasp was the genre. Was what I was reading based on documented research or extrapolations from the imagination of my author?

In many ways the post-war wooden, Southern Australian Cray Fishing boats are ideally suited to become cruising vessels. Listen to a man who has actually lived the dream and dodged the pitfalls.

The Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club held the inaugural Noosa Gaff Rig regatta in 2019 in conjunction with a local charity on the banks of the Noosa River…And now there are plans to do it again.

…Somewhere in this spectrum fits Tim Severin who died three weeks ago in West Cork, Ireland. In my teenage years I read “The Brendan Voyage” a few times, relishing his account of both the research and the execution of his greatest adventure…

The photographs and article come all the way from Hungary.  The images speak for themselves of family bonds, of patient learning, of persistence and of dreams. This is the story of Eight And A Half.