We preserve the Nancy Blackett, the favourite yacht of "Swallows and Amazons" author Arthur Ransome, and celebrate Arthur Ransome's East Coast stories.

Latest news

Selina King returns to the U.K.

Arthur Ransome’s Selina King is now back in the United Kingdom, writes Peter Willis. Her owner, Martin Pollard, collected her from Southampton Dock yesterday (9th August) and she was transported by road to storage in West Sussex. Selina King was built for Arthur Ransome by Harry King & Sons of Pin Mill in 1938. She […]

Nancy Blackett is finally home!

The Nancy Blackett Trust’s Sailing Secretary, John Smith, reports… “Had a message from Nancy Blackett at sea this morning off the entrance to the river Deben: “Approaching Bawdsey at 0825. 6.2 knots over ground. ETA Woolverstone 1130. A little wind, hardly enough to fill sails. Flat calm. Occasional light shower.” And an hour later… “More […]

Dispatches from Southwold

The Nancy Blackett Trust’s Sailing Secretary, John Smith, updates us on the last leg Nancy’s homeward voyage… “I checked Nancy Blackett out yesterday after our engineer left and approved that was it now OK to her sail again.  “Since then, with a fresh crew comprising Skipper Neil, Mate Simon and the Trust’s Chairman Roger Sturge, […]

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Arthur Ransome’s East Coast

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    • Welcome

    You can visit and sail the Nancy Blackett, once owned by “Swallows and Amazons” author Arthur Ransome and the star of his novel “We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea”, the seventh book of his “Swallows and Amazons” series, and probably his best sailing novel.

    Nancy Blackett, lightly disguised in the book as the Goblin, was named after the “Amazon” pirate girl character who featured in “Swallows and Amazons”.

    Nancy Blackett was Arthur Ransome’s favourite yacht and is now owned by the Nancy Blackett Trust, preserving her as a living part of the Arthur Ransome heritage. Each year many Ransome fans enjoy the experience of sailing her, and many more visit her at maritime events.

    Explore our website to find out more about Nancy Blackett’s history, how you can sail her, how you can help support her, and the mission and work of the Nancy Blackett Trust.

    You can keep updated with e-mail alerts by clicking here.

    Nancy Blackett passes Pin Mill, June 2017.
    Photo: Bill Wallace-King.