The glorious Easter weekend saw Arthur Ransome’s Nancy Blackett sailing down to Secret Water on a mini-adventure.

Ably crewed by volunteer members of the Nancy Blackett Trust, author Marc Grimston was also on board, fulfilling a long-held childhood dream.

Marc has kindly posted the following photos from the weekend:

(click on the Facebook icon [f] to go to the originals)

Andy Morley also posted some of his own photos:

(click on the Facebook icon [f] to go to the originals)

When the adventure was over, Marc wrote:

“Memories are wonderful. When I was a boy I had a chart of Secret Water on my wall in my bedroom and I was determined that one day I would sail into the magical haven. I never dreamed that it would be on Nancy Blackett – Ransome’s own boat! A huge thank you to John, Ian and Andy Morley for making it happen. It truly was a dream come true. I will be back.”

Would you also like a chance to sail Arthur Ransome’s Nancy Blackett in some of the locations featured in his books “We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea” and “Secret Water”, or even be her mate or skipper if you have suitable experience or qualifications?

You’ll need to join the Nancy Blackett Trust and enquire about available sailing dates and locations.