I blame my father

[Wansworth]

Since he bought a sailing boat back in the mid 1950 and dragged us down to Twickenham to go sailing in his14 foot lugger with cast iron bowsprit or later he re rigged it as a bermudian sloop and moved to Littlehampton I was gradually envíe Galen into sailing.My brother escaped as he got sea sick and took up stamp collecting.I f it wasn’t for my father I would probably be happy caravaning

 

[Blueboatman]

According to my mum, the conversation went something like this : “Here's your new son for you to see “
And came the reply .. “Excellent , “Here’s a photo of the boat I’ve just bought with three chums …toast for both ? “
So one way or another I’ve been sailing for almost as long as you too! ( with breaks )

Musta been a generational thing, post ww2, easing out of austerity, personal wealth freedom and explosion of yachting across the country ..and diy plywood everywhere too.

 

[LittleSister]

Yikes. Since you put it like that, I now realise I've no one to blame but myself!

My brother escaped as he got sea sick and took up stamp collecting.

And to think of all the hilarious tales of stamp-collecting fun, adventure and derring-do that you'd now have, if only you'd followed in your brothers footsteps.

 

[Wansworth]

Yikes. Since you put it like that, I now realise I've no one to blame but myself!




And to think of all the hilarious tales of stamp-collecting fun, adventure and derring-do that you'd now have, if only you'd followed in your brothers footsteps.

You have a way with words

 

[neil_s]

My Dad stumped up for the plywood for the 10 foot sailing dinghy I built myself - but he only came out in it with me once!

 

[Daydream believer]

.I f it wasn’t for my father I would probably be happy caravaning

But you are not happy boating cos you ain't gotta boat
So you might as well get a caravan. At least SWMBO cannot complain about the side decks, can she?

 

[Wansworth]

But you are not happy boating cos you ain't gotta boat
So you might as well get a caravan. At least SWMBO cannot complain about the side decks, can she?

 

[DownWest]

My past is similar. Dragged out as a 4 yr(might have been 3) old from Gravesend around the Thames Estuary on his ally 12 fter. He then desighned several ply dinghys and cruisers (not to mention the floating caravan) that were popular.. So my youth was a pressed crew. Not too many scars and about to launch my third boat.
Actually, very happy days.

 

[Wansworth]

My past is similar. Dragged out as a 4 yr(might have been 3) old from Gravesend around the Thames Estuary on his ally 12 fter. He then desighned several ply dinghys and cruisers (not to mention the floating caravan) that were popular.. So my youth was a pressed crew. Not too many scars and about to launch my third boat.
Actually, very happy days.

Yes my post was just in jest

 

[Blueboatman]

Yes my post was just in jest

But , jest in case , time passes, tick tick tick
As we are all too aware!
Send the wife out to buy a boat .
While you convert the Hillside residence to a B n B rustico, and pack the car , job done

( I got a barrel full more of ideas like that one )

 

[DownWest]

Yes my post was just in jest

Maybe, but the odd time when one wanted to do something else at the time...
We got on on very well in the tech area, but the personal bit had a few glitches. Still miss him after 30 yrs and constantly think of how good he was at so many things. His Spitfire 20ft was a real flyer, we won most of the races in Falmouth Week one year, even after they cut our handicap. And one won the Cinque Ports Cross Channel race outright, planed most of the way, arriving ahead of all the class one racers.
DW

 

[Wansworth]

Maybe, but the odd time when one wanted to do something else at the time...
We got on on very well in the tech area, but the personal bit had a few glitches. Still miss him after 30 yrs and constantly think of how good he was at so many things. His Spitfire 20ft was a real flyer, we won most of the races in Falmouth Week one year, even after they cut our handicap. And one won the Cinque Ports Cross Channel race outright, planed most of the way, arriving ahead of all the class one racers.
DW

Yes never really got on although shared the same interest he had a problem expressing his emotions

 

[The Q]

I doubt my parents ever went on a sailing boat
You can blame my sailing purely on Arthur Ransome, also where I live and sail on " The Coot Club" and " The Big Six"

 

[LittleSister]

Yes never really got on although shared the same interest he had a problem expressing his emotions

Fathers expressing emotions? What kind of new-age woke madness is this?

Whatever next?

 

[Wansworth]

Fathers expressing emotions? What kind of new-age woke madness is this?

Whatever next?

 

[shan]

But you are not happy boating cos you ain't gotta boat
So you might as well get a caravan. At least SWMBO cannot complain about the side decks, can she?

No one sane dreams about caravans.

 

[johnalison]

Boats and water were always part of our holidays, whether it was messing about in tiny craft on Cornish beaches, going out in toshers, or weeks spent on the Broads. My father had always enjoyed sailing, but although he ordered a boat from Mitchell’s yard at Portmellon before the war, never got to own a boat other than a dinghy on the Thames which I never went in. Thus, the five of us were all introduced to sailing but I was the only one that took it up, helped by a Firefly that my father bought when I was about fifteen. I don’t think my siblings were put off, and it is clear that they enjoyed what they did, but they don’t seem to have developed a compulsion or emotional relationship with water that we all have.

 

[Stemar]

No one sane dreams about caravans.

Nightmares?

TBF, we spent 3 months living in one while between houses. It was fine, and I would have kept it for inland explorations, but good sense (Madame) prevailed.

 

[Supertramp]

If you learnt in a Firefly everything afterwards will be straightforward! I used to sail them on Edgware reservoir and to one used to keelboats they were like a computer game today - everything unrealistically fast.

Well put about the emotional relationship with the sea - I never tire of just watching the waves and seascape.

 

[johnalison]

If you learnt in a Firefly everything afterwards will be straightforward! I used to sail them on Edgware reservoir and to one used to keelboats they were like a computer game today - everything unrealistically fast.

Well put about the emotional relationship with the sea - I never tire of just watching the waves and seascape.

You also learn to keep your head down.