Arthur Ransome’s Nancy Blackett sailed into the Dutch port of Vlissingen (Flushing) on the morning of 7 June, seventy years, almost to the day, after the author himself completed the same voyage in the same boat.

The Nancy Blackett Trust has mounted two previous North Sea crossings in Nancy. The difference between them and this year’s trip was that they set out to commemorate the fictional voyage of theGoblin (based of course on Nancy) in “We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea”. This year’s voyage marked the anniversary of Ransome’s own research voyage for the book in 1936. It also marked Nancy Blackett’s own 75th birthday – she was built in 1931.

A high-point of the crossing was an encounter with dolphins about halfway across – three of them kept company with the boat for about half an hour.

Translation

Vlissingen’s public library marked the voyage, and the anniversaries, with a display in the children’s section. Reports appeared in the local paper, PZC, and in Brussels’ English language magazine. One object of the trip, and the attendant publicity, was to highlight the fact that – though many Ransome books have been translated into many languages – there is no Dutch translation of We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea. As a result of the publicity no fewer than three potential translators have offered their services, and the Nancy Blackett Trust is actively pushing the project forward.

Nancy herself returned to the UK in time to take part in the Old Gaffers Association’s Brightlingsea Festival on the weekend of 18-19th June.