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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Although Nancy Blackett is a bit older than 90, she wasn’t always known by that name – and it was on this day 90 years ago that Arthur Ransome was introduced to this Hillyard 7-tonner which he would describe as his “best little boat”. He changed her name and ended up immortalising her in what […]
It’s fairly well-known that Nancy Blackett was launched in 1931 – but she wasn’t called Nancy Blackett then. She was built at David Hillyard’s yard in Littlehampton to one of his standard designs, as a ‘seven-ton’ 28ft 6in yacht for Seymour Tuely, a Wimbledon solicitor, who called her Spindrift – we even had an embroidered […]
John Sergeant, respected news broadcaster and President of the Arthur Ransome Society, recently enjoyed a sail on Ransome’s own Nancy Blackett, now restored and sailing on the River Orwell. He described it as “an unforgettable experience”, and was delighted to helm her on a passage which, accompanied by NBT President Peter Wills, Chairman-elect Robin Sadler […]
Nancy Blackett is now afloat and back in her berth at Woolverstone Marina – these photos were taken on Tuesday, shortly before the working party began bending on sails and loading equipment aboard. By lunchtime most of her equipment was back aboard, and she’s now ready to get stuck into her summer sailing programme. If […]
Gleaming paintwork, immaculate varnish and fresh antifouling – after a long winter of restoration work, here is Nancy Blackett standing in Harry King’s boatyard in Pin Mill last Friday (May 9th) ready to begin the process of relaunching. Over the next few days, following a period of immersion to ensure the planking has ‘taken up’ […]
As Nancy Blackett’s still in the shed we thought you’d like to see one of her friends, Peter Duck, being launched at the Woodbridge Boatyard last Thursday (3rd April). Photos by Peter Willis.
Traditional boatbuilding is by its nature a slow process, much reliant on craft skills and hand tools, so checking in on Nancy Blackett’s restoration work after our last report reveals real progress. The main task – replacing the cockpit coaming and cabin side with a single 20-foot length of Brazilian mahogany – has been completed […]
Nancy Blackett is currently having extensive restoration work carried out for the second year in succession at King’s boatyard in Pin Mill. It’s part of a phased programme which started during last year’s winter lay-up with work on the port-side cockpit coaming and cabin side, plus adjacent areas. This required sourcing of Brazilian Mahogany (rare […]
As the 50th Anniversary year of the original Swallows and Amazons film draws to a close, Sophie Neville looks back at the making of the film and forward to what still might be half-a-century on… “The smell is just the same.” Suzanna Hamilton began rowing me across Coniston Water from Bank Ground Farm, taking us […]
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