Cormorant - old geezer boat

Early 1980's advert from Practical Boat Owner magazine for the Cornish Cormorant which is described as "....safe, simple and eminently sensible  ...Swallows and Amazon boat"

And sensible they are, our very own Tosh is sitting in the driveway, slightly neglected but nothing that a good clean and tidy won't put right. 

I spent much of 2025 learning or rather re-learning how to sail a Laser, not having been on one for 30 years or so, and while they are fast and fun at times I came to the conclusion that I just don't really like them. I want a boat that's steady, easy to handle, will heave-to while I pour a cup of tea or unwrap a sandwich, the Cormorant has all that and more.

 

I'm pretty similar with motor cycling, I rarely go much over 60 mph, just enjoy pottering around the famously bendy English country lanes - definitely an old geezer thing.

Hamble Village past time

The current waterfront in Hamble is still recognisable from this picture taken it looks like some time in the early 20th century.

The building center is a currently closed restaurant/bar, in fact it's had so many  openings and closures over the past 20 years it could probably have done with revolving signs like James Bond' car in Gold Finger, it's also looking a little the worse for wear these days.

 To the right is the Royal Southern YC which now extends well out into the river on a reclaimed waterfront.

To the left is now a gallery selling nautical  artwork and paraphernalia.

 The photo was taken from the town quay, below the more or less same view today

 

Keep Off

Could be a new and very unusual lifeboat?

 

Misty Islands

A fantastic account of a voyage by Miles and Beryl Smeeton sailing the length of Japan, then across to Alaska, running down the US Pacific seaboard, through the Panama Canal, then up around the top of Iceland, and to the Faroe islands on the way back to England, in fact Stornoway in Scotland..

The story is all told in a matter of fact, calm and common sense manner, that's so different to the many sailing you-tuber's, and reminiscent of a mostly by-gone world where unshakeable self-assurance is rooted in deep experience rather than loud validation.

 There's a passage in the book where Miles mindful of sharks inwardly lost his temper when Beryl decided she would go over the side to cut free a line which was tangling the propeller. "No you're bloody well not, give me that knife" was his reply, and then spend an uncomfortable time in the water cutting free the prop, imagining circling sharks anxious to feed and exasperated that "she never bloody well thinks of sharks".

It made me re-live a  similar experience, hove to some where off Africa, dangling head down over the transom to repair the damaged wind vane and being dunked from head up to waste by the passing swell. When eventually finished Mrs BB's reaction was very much the same as Beryl's, in my case a quick well done and made breakfast.

If you can find a copy buy it, a great read. 

Half boat - half track

Spotted by friend Greg on the Hamble hard recently, this could be the perfect tender when all you can do is crawl ashore after a hard day's sailing.

 Called the ⁠Iguana X100 which is a "luxury 10-meter amphibious adventure boat capable of driving directly onto the shore using fully integrated, motorized tracks." There are a few on Yachtworld.com for circa £300k for anyone who feels this is an indispensable way to get afloat.

Can't make out the power of the outboards but they look like a lot, the specifications say up to 600HP so probably quite a lot. Motorboat magazine described it prosaically as half boat, half tank.

Certainly useful getting into and out of Benbridge and the other drying harbours around the Solent.

 

Driftwood

It's amazing what washes up after a gale even in the shelter of Southampton water.

 

Ruby

 I've always had a soft spot for Nigel Irens Roxanne and Romilly designs, this one looks to the the smaller of the two the 22 foot Romilly.

The classic hull shape is simply lovely and easily driven with the inevitable restriction on interior space, but as a day sailer and weekender big enough - think lightweight camping.

 We were fortunate to sail and race on a Roxanne some years ago which was great fun, although dropping and taming that huge mainsail was quite a task in the conditions.