On January 16th, 1980 the barometer dropped 4 points and things got hairy.
 Their single sideband radio would receive Radio Moscow in English but all they could receive from Australia was snatches of cricket commentary no weather forecasts.

When one of these massive, shiny, floating apartment blocks is made out of (mostly) timber then its worth reading about, and taking on board the possibilities.

A completely intuitive designer, Uffa Fox, trusted his gut feelings about what made a boat fast, seaworthy, fun to sail and safe.

A film about a rough, old school sawmill that produces some of the world’s finest timber, including the uniquely Tasmanian Huon Pine.

Ed is tough but considered, practical but romantic, exacting but inclusive. If more people were like him, sailing would be a better sport.

There are an estimated six million boats in the EU alone, 95% of which are made of GRP. Every year, around 1-2% (60,000-120,000) of these boats reach the end of their useful life. Of these, only 2,000 are recycled, while 6,000-9,000 are abandoned.

If Pete’s home was on AirBnB – which it is not – but if it was, his balcony would get a 5 star rating – the view is spectacular and it was from here, I first spotted Chris Naden’s family owned, Broome built, pearling lugger STREETER.

“In our next anchorage-the fjord-like Puerto Eugenia, a sheep farmer rowed out and made us a gift of a lamb. “I bring you fresh meet” he said in perfect English. At first we tethered it to the mast but that proved to be awkward while sailing so finally we lashed it to the stern pulpit. We did not know how to feed it and none of us had killed a sheep before.”

“All is well on the mighty Pacific. My first few weeks were cold and wet and rough. I’m now into my fourth week and conditions are calm and peaceful.”

MAFALDA was first Launched in 1926, so I guess she wasn’t named after the character in Harry Potter or the famous Argentinian comic series of the 1960’s.

Olivier Barreau and his twin brother, Jacques, are part of a small but growing number of entrepreneurs who are grappling with the problem of how to transport goods across the globe at a scale that makes economic sense, without further damaging the planet.

While these timber yachts sail majestically on, most of the hot new fibreglass boats in the class of ‘72 have disappeared off the radar.

The collective archives of our nation are suffering slow strangulation by lack of commitment and funding. The National Library of Australia, the National Museum, the National Film & Sound Archive, the ABC and various State Maritime Museums are struggling. Collections are deteriorating and large parts remain undigitised. Archivists, researchers and librarians have been sacked and if retained have been ironically rebranded as Knowledge Keepers or Navigators.

The Abrolhos are phenomenal! Clusters of islands and reefs hover just a few metres above sea level and are interspersed with fishermen’s dwellings that are occupied during the high season.

The young colonial town of Auckland, built on the isthmus between the Waitemata and Manukau harbours, for centuries traversed by Maori waka, was completely dependent on sea transport.

FLIGHT was used as a Patrol Boat on the Tamar River in the last years of the War. Thereafter , she was used as a pleasure craft, the Flag Vessel for the Derwent Sailing Squadron and hosted the Queen and Prince Phillip during the Royal Tour of 1954

Lewis was born in England, of a Welsh-Irish family, and brought up in New Zealand and Rarotonga, where his unconventional father sent him to the Polynesian school - for ever after he was really a Polynesian under the skin. He always called himself a New Zealander.

Driving south on a family holiday, our road rounded a point to open a view over Kahana Bay - a shallow open bay protected from the south-east winds which were currently blowing at 25 knots. Working its way back and forth across the bay was a small craft with what appeared to be a lateen sail.

Sure, the videos still have a slightly annoying millennial sensibility, but by combining some authentic James Wharram footage she makes me think that she would have fitted in well aboard TANGAROA in 1955.

“I don’t think I will ever forget the hours at the helm, three on -six off. All woollen clothes soaking wet under oilskins and seaboots; safety belt hooked into the eye of the cockpit; and end of the main sheet around the waist, made up on one of the jib cleats It was bitterly cold but I didn’t feel it.”