Some new photos of the movie Swallow in pursuit of the Nancy Blackett on the Orwell at Woolverstone after our 14th AGM. Thanks to the prevailing weather, Swallow frequently showed a considerable turn of speed. The full album and slideshow may be seen here.
Nancy Blackett's voyage to Vlissingen in Holland, 75 years after Ransome's own trip, was delayed by 36 hours by both weather conditions, and the discovery on Sunday morning that a bolt holding the alternator to the engine had sheared off. Repairs however were quickly achieved on Monday, once Volspec at Woolverstone Marina were open for […]
New photos of the movie Swallow being expertly sailed in the rain at Woolverstone after our 14th AGM, with special guest Sophie Neville. The full album and slideshow are available here.
It was an event to befit the celebration of an 80th birthday – Nancy’s. The Nancy Blackett Trust’s 14th AGM on Saturday seemed to go in for two of everything: two guest boats in attendance – Peter Duck, and Swallow from the 1974 film, and two guest speakers. Surprise guest Sophie Neville, who played Titty […]
An oil painting of Nancy Blackett by Geoff Hunt, Britain’s foremost marine artist, is to be auctioned at the Nancy Blackett Trust’s AGM on 16th July. Geoff Hunt, a past president of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, specialises in interpretations of historic naval vessels; his cover artwork for Patrick O’Brien’s novels is well-known and […]
Julia Jones, author of the acclaimed new post-Ransome children's novel "The Salt-Stained Book" will be at the Nancy Blackett Trust's AGM on 16th July. Copies will be available to buy at a special price. "The Times" called it "quirky…funny and exciting" in a review published on Saturday 25th June. Here's a bit more of what […]
The Nancy Blackett will star in a new BBC radio documentary to be broadcast in August, "Paddling with Peter Duck". Presented by John McCarthy, the programme will also feature some of Arthur Ransome's other former dinghies and yachts, including Coch-y-bonddhu ("Scarab"), Lottie Blossom, Mavis ("Amazon") and of course Peter Duck itself. Last week, Peter Willis, […]
The Nancy Blackett departed from Woodbridge late this morning, on her first trip of the 2011 season to Woolverstone, with Sarah Peay skippering. The weekend had seen her annual fitting-out, culminating in the fitting-out dinner yesterday evening, held this year in Ye Olde Bell and Steelyard.
Yes – the Nancy Blackett is eighty years old this year! Born in 1931 at Hillyards boatyard in Littlehampton, Sussex, she was first registered as a British Ship, under her original name Spindrift, on 30th March. Her actual launch date is lost in the mists of time and Hillyard’s notoriously non-existent record-keeping. After a short […]
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