The success of Foy’s plan was instant and has maintained its relevance to 18ft Skiff racing over the following 130 years with spectator ferries still following the Australian 18 Footers League’s ‘modern boat’ racing each Sunday during each Australian summer season.

Founder of Seacraft, Sheila takes us on an adventure - “We hardly turned in our horsehair bunks after a wonderful dinner of fish caught by nearby lads spearfishing off the rocks. The wind increased and became a full westerly stinker. The Tum was leaping like a fretful mare. We could have stayed on two anchors but the thought of my darling going up on the beach was too much.”

“I have always been a bit eccentric and done my own thing. My mother thought it would ruin my skin and make me unladylike, which it did, and I wasn’t encouraged. So that for me was a great challenge, I did it in spite of everybody.” From teaching sailing during WW2, to commissioning her own boats and founding a magazine - Sheila’s story remains an inspiration.

So a Knot is a Nautical Mile per hour, but it is much more than that! It links us humans to our Planet in a very unique way, plus of course it is the original decimal system.

The Yachting World Keelboat #1 ZEST was presented ‘on the pool’ at Earls Court Boat Show in 1961 and in an article by Yachting World as A-BUILD-HER-YOURSELF DESIGN BY JACK HOLT. In 1967 the boat was renamed the YW Diamond. Here’s Jack sporting hair a la Cosmo Kramer, writes Charlie Salter.

THE SHANK RETURNS for anyone who wishes to turn the pages of adventure on the high seas, or plans to visit Tasmania's wild South West Coast for themselves to write adventures of their own. 
If however the latter is your preference, make sure you heed Ian's warning, "Are you ready for this?”

Just by looking at him, one would hardly guess that once upon a time, Paul Johnson was a famous boat designer: an old man, he is now living on a diet of beer and vodka, his body giving out just like his vessel.

In the words of custodian Juha Sironen - “My original plans are not feasible anymore and I am tired. I have brought KALUA home and there she will stay. I will auction her as soon as I get import approval.” The fate of KALUA awaits.

It is clear that Tom is finding it challenging to make his way south to the latitude of Hiva Oa. In spite of the strong westerly-flowing current, the force of the south easterly trade winds is making it difficult to hold a course south of west.

My friend Justine grew up on Big Rat. She remembers tiger sharks ramming the hull of her dad’s fishing boat and watching a whirlpool of fins, waiting for a bucket of guts to be tipped over the side. This was all I knew of the Abrolhos. Islands have always attracted writers and readers as rich fictional microcosms. Here’s a review of three books perfect for a Christmas on deck read.

The great irony of Thamas Tangvald’s life was that he could never see nor comprehend how negative his father's influence really was. What he never grasped was that his father was in fact an agent of tragedy.

‘Women Should Own Boats. Women are very enthusiastic about sailing, but comparatively few of them own and sail their own boats. If a few more women owned boats they would be placed on the same footing as men in yacht clubs, as are the women in England and the United States’. So wrote the inspirational Shelia Patrick and first female member of CYCA - Charlie Salter takes us inside her story.

The sheets were inch thick manilla or sisal rope and there were no winches or cleats, just solid belaying pins. The enormous tiller was controlled by a rope bridle. There was no shelter for the helmsman from heavy weather although luggers built in following years had a small wheelhouse.

“It’s not an arms race. You can sail affordably in a high end competition.” SWS has done several stories about the Sharpie in Australia. This week watch ‘FROM THE GROUND UP’ and hear from those who are leading the resurgence and fresh enthusiasm for the class.

In March 1886 the now Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania conducted a race to Port Esperance for 28 footers with a sweepstake prize of 10s. per boat. Entries included F Turner’s SUNBEAM, Mr Calder’s MAGIC, Mr Knight’s TERRA LINNA, Mr Lewis’s MILLY, Mr Cheverton’s MABEL, and Mr Maddock’s MYRINE.

Day 49: Ecuadorian tuna fishing ship sighted. They lowered speedboat, two men approached, ‘no English‘, pirates? Silence. They smiled, phew. I rubbed my belly. They nodded. Bully beef? Onions? Rice? I wish. Potato chips, Powerade and cigarettes instead!

The race for both vessels was fraught . TE RAPUNGA had to beach their yacht in the Bay of Islands, due to extensive leaks. They recaulked as necessary, floated off and continued the race. They won the race from NGATAKI , who arrived nearly two days later, after weathering a horrendous storm passing through Bass Strait.

The video really does have one of the most annoyingly saccharine voice overs ever recorded, but once you get past that, you will hear about an amazing Marlborough family that have owned the 1912 built – BALAENA for 62 years.

One of her fastest voyages in what was generally called the “Grain Races”, was a passage of 93 days, departing Williamstown on 4th March and arriving Queenstown in Ireland on 5th June, 1929 with 3840 tons of wheat.

''I am not in a position to to carry out the necessary renovations myself, either physically or financially, so unless someone steps forward in the next couple of weeks, I’ll have to start scrapping her.”