Vigo only made four films. This story, which follows a young couple's life aboard a canal barge, is about love, separation, and reconciliation and the way it’s presented demands that you are in the right frame of mind before settling down to watch it. It’s the antithesis of today’s Tiktok driven world.; slow paced, languid and thoughtful.

The film explores where Bob’s drive to go on expeditions comes from, why he has been willing to forego a stable home life and financial security in order to pursue difficult and often unattainable objectives.

MATILDA’s shakedown passage from Le Lavandou to Corsica in 20-30 knots. Loving and learning along the way.

Just as interesting were the men, studied at leisure, compelling admiring wonder at the monastic trade of their choice. Principal Keeper George Williams, filling out his log with an old-fashioned dip-pen and inkwell, listening to ‘pop’ in bed. Assistant Keeper Roger Simmons, a romantic, still thrilled at tending a light seen by generations of mariners, and listening to changing voices in the sea

As always with these things, the story that needs to be told is primarily about the people who worked and maintained these craft, and then the appreciation and admiration for the boats will follow. With that in mind here are three beautiful short archival films from around the world, that evocatively remind us that the roots of our passion are labour not leisure.

“Twenty miles an hour under sail, which is by far the greatest speed ever attained with canvas and a hull drawn through water, has been made by a catamaran…A sail on the new craft, which carries a modern canvas rig, is said to be not easily forgotten, particularly in a fresh breeze.”

The story of mosquito nets in Lake Mai Ndombe shows how solutions created thousands of miles away can have unexpected consequences, and why local communities must lead conservation efforts. 

Two very different but equally interesting films have landed on the desk (laptop) at SWS this week. One from The heart of East Coast US wooden boat land, Maine. The other from Pacific North West.

In May 2021 a boat from Mauritania full of dead men was found adrift off the coast of the Caribbean Island of Tobago. Forensic investigation by local police discovered that the boat came from Mauritania, a West African nation on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Who were these men and why have they been found so far from home?

Five times that great white whale of a mountain tried to kill the first team that sought to reach its summit. Yet in 1964, back they sailed, through the worst seas in the world, to try again, this time with legendary explorer Bill Tilman as their skipper. 

In 1953 the first marine plywood trailable yacht designed for home construction, the Silhouette, emerged in the UK. The idea took off and by 1960 there were over a thousand sailing throughout the world. The concept was adopted by Richard Hartley in New Zealand who designed the Hartley TS16, and her big sisters the TS18 and TS21: a range of trailable multi-chined plywood yachts.

Which part of Warner’s custodianship these films cover is unclear. However the word ‘Aloha” hints that it might be about the Trans Pac Race? So what we are hoping to find is an SWS reader with the expertise and technology to transfer these reels into a digital format so that we can share them with our community!

From a utilitarian 17th century Dutch tradition, to the Hudson Valley Roosevelts and the storied races of the late 1800s, to the present day.

Wangany Mala follows the journey of young Muslim woman Nirmala as she works on the construction of a traditional pinisi boat and learns to sail, all while navigating her faith and family expectations.

The latest edition of “Sailing La Vagabond” had 340,000 views in the first 24 hours, earning its creators around $7000 USD in addition to the income from blatant product spruiking, which make Lou Richards’ Bertocchi Ham promos look genuine. But they have 1.9 million subscribers… so my cynicism is rightly trampled under the feet of the madding crowd.

Regular readers may have noticed that here at SWS our interest in Wharram Catamarans has morphed into a minor obsession over the last year or so. Well how could we not sit up and notice this surfing adventure film released today in the UK.

“What matters is action. Not to think about writing, but to write. Not to think about sailing, but to sail. Not to think about loving, but to love.”

The oceans are typically and correctly viewed as a marine habitat. But they are much more than that. They are a workplace, a metaphor, an escape, a prison, a grocery store, a trash can, a cemetery, a bonanza, a tinderbox, an organ, a highway, a depot, a window, an emergency, and, above all, an opportunity

So where did things go wrong? The first race, held in an era of rudimentary safety, genuine Corinthian (amateur) values, and no rewards apart from a deep inner satisfaction, had 19 entries ranging from 80 to 32 feet

Presented as if a charming blend of a 1960 American documentary and a contemporary Wes Anderson Film, “Camel Finds Water” reminds us that boat ownership should be about achievement, adventure and friendship rather than Yacht Club Memberships, 15 coats of varnish and “mine is older/longer/prettier/faster than yours”.