We look after Nancy Blackett, the favourite yacht of “Swallows and Amazons” author Arthur Ransome.
Nancy Blackett on the way to her winter lay-up at King's Pin Mill yard, October 24th. 'Rainbow' photo courtesy of Anthony Cullen.
Latest News
Nancy Blackett Supports EAST’s Inspiring VI Cruise Weekend
Nancy Blackett played a proud role in this year’s East Anglian Sailing Trust (EAST) Visually-Impaired Cruise Weekend, which brought together seven yachts, 29 participants, and seven VIPs (visually-impaired participants) for a memorable few days on the water. Ahead of the main event, Nancy Blackett hosted a short preparatory sail for four EAST members. The 2.5-hour […][Read more]
Nancy Blackett’s End of Season Round-Up
Despite a delayed season start due to necessary restoration work, and the cancellation of various planned voyages due to early autumn storms, 2025 proved a successful year for Nancy Blackett, writes Mark Taylor… May and June were mostly dedicated to our annual volunteer crew inductions and training sessions. We were fortunate with the weather, enabling […][Read more]
Pin Mill Sailing Club and Nancy Blackett celebrate 90 years
Pin Mill Sailing Club’s Laying-up Supper on Saturday 18th October was a doubly special occasion: it marked 90 years since the club was founded, and Arthur Ransome (one of its first members) arrived with his newly-acquired yacht Nancy Blackett. Nancy Blackett Trust President Peter Willis presented the club with a memento consisting of Nancy’s cabin […][Read more]
The BBC says it: Nancy Blackett saved Arthur Ransome’s literary career
We all know that Arthur Ransome was complaining of ‘having run out of ideas’ and ‘not knowing where the next book was coming from’ when he was in the process of moving from Low Ludderburn in the Lake District down to Suffolk in order to enjoy some ‘sea-sailing’ again. And it’s true that the purchase […][Read more]
Listen to Peter Willis’ Nancy Blackett Day interview on Radio Suffolk
To mark the first Nancy Blackett Day, the 90th anniversary of Arthur Ransome’s purchase of Nancy Blackett, the Nancy Blackett Trust’s President Peter Willis and Chairman Robin Sadler were interviewed live on Radio Suffolk from onboard Nancy Blackett at Woolverstone Marina. Topic ranged from Nancy Blackett’s origins and restoration to people’s experiences of sailing her […][Read more]
Christmas is coming
The New Nancy Blackett Mug
Claudia Myatt’s classic illustration of Nancy Blackett returns on this sturdy 10oz ceramic mug, delivered in its own robust cardboard box, ready for gift-wrapping or onward postage.
Special offers – don’t miss the latest deals in the shop’s Special Offers section:
Three packs of Nancy Blackett Christmas cards for £12 – saving 20%
And books… Peter Willis’ definitive book Good Little Ship: Arthur Ransome, Nancy Blackett and the Goblin is now £10 (29% off).
Grab the Strong Winds book offer: buy any 3 titles from this superb series by Julia Jones for £25 – saving 16%.
Perfect for early Christmas shopping – and every purchase helps support the Trust’s work keeping Nancy Blackett afloat and available for all.
Arthur Ransome’s
East Coast
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.
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