Ditchcrawler, aka Nick Ardley paid us a visit earlier in the month. This is what he found.
“I paid a visit to The Sea-Change Sailing Trust at the Downs Road Boat Yard – to deliver a letter. Well, I wanted to view the Blue Mermaid too, obviously …” read the rest here.
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Today Blue Mermaid’s main and topsails have been set for the first time together with her bob.
A proud moment both for ourselves and for Maldon Little Ship Club whose logo we carry.
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In another month our new sailing season gets under way. Even then work will continue apace to complete Blue Mermaid.
Looking back on a week of fitting out, here is new Mate Oliver disassembling the skylight by Shaun White prior to varnishing. The gameplan has always been to avoid varnish but we have been overtaken by the quality of the proferred items. Oli, incidentally will work on any vessel with Blue in the name having joined us from Blue Clipper.
Meanwhile there are many more photos on our Facebook page showing some of the work in hand, including
Lee Healey pausing in fitting out the aft cabin to show how he has matched the grain to the curve in the shelf behind the seating area.
Meanwhile, Dave Cooper and Dan Baker are welding the false coaming for stowage space as the rain clouds threaten.
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Blue Mermaid’s topsail is having sponsor Maldon Little Ship Club‘s logo applied at James Lawrence Sailmakers.
That should make her stand out from the crowd.
Course Leader Karl Delaine has sent us this delightful, illustrated report on Clacton Foundation’s most recent trip away with us, with input from the pupils themselves:
‘Last October we had the pleasure of taking ten learners on Sailing Barge Reminder for a five day residential with the Sea-Change Sailing Trust.
Our courses cater for learners with a multitude of learning difficulties so consequently the group who took part in the sailing residential have a wide range of individual barriers to learning, in a social capacity, as well as academically. With this in mind, the sailing trip really is a great challenge for each individual.
Learners were quickly initiated into life on-board as they were required to work in teams to sail the barge, under the watchful eye and careful tuition of …’ Read the whole report here.