The Great Meander is a four-day Marathon row, supported by the Port of London Authority – from Lechlade, Gloucestershire, to Gravesend, Kent.

Beginning on 22 June 2019, it’s in aid of Sea-Change, who provide residential opportunities for young people and vulnerable adults to learn and develop in a unique environment. It is a great success and a wonderful way to fundraise, for which we are most grateful. Further donations can be made here.

The aft cabin

Now under way with the charity, SB Blue Mermaid has undergone a transformation both on deck and below to ready her for her clients.

Here is an album showing and describing many recently completed details.

Having started the season with three excellent weeks on our old friend Reminder, while the yard finished laying Blue Mermaid’s decks each end and the 1001 other things on the list, it was great to welcome aboard six young people and two staff from the Stour Blue Water Pass Trust.

This amazing new charity offering activities afloat for young people invited Blue Mermaid to provide the venue for their launch reception on 1st June and this gave us a passage from Maldon to share with some of their clients.

And that is not all! By kind arrangement with the owners of Mistley Quay it was possible to lay alongside. This meant the new Blue Mermaid passed the yard where the original was launched in 1930, in fact also kindly towed in by David Foster who now runs the yard.

The photo shows the group at the end of the five day trip during which we visited Brightlingsea and Pin Mill. More photos here.

Jenna Howe is SHTP2’s Sea-Change Trainee. She studied physics at uni, then had a few jobs as a web developer, before running away to sea in December 2017 and discovering a love for sailing and everything traditional boat-related.

Jenna joined Excelsior as a volunteer deckhand in 2018 and sailed with Polish sail training ship Frederyk Chopin on a voyage in the North Sea.

Read more here about Jenna, her time with us to date, about National Historic Ships UK’s SHTP Project and how to get involved yourself.

Sailing with the Colchester Institute Workprep Group

Chelsea learning to row while the rest of Workprep search for crabs. Where is Reminder?

Sea-Change wins the Colindell Trophy

Richard receives the Colindell Trophy from the Society for Sailing Barge Research on behalf of Sea-Change and all those who have helped bring the Blue Mermaid project to a successful conclusion

Visit from The Maritime Heritage Trust

The Friends of The Maritime Heritage Trust visited Maldon last Saturday to view both Blue Mermaid and steam tug Brent.

More on these stories here

Lexden Springs School is a special, state funded junior & senior school for boys & girls in Colchester. It is an inclusive, vibrant Learning Community offering high quality education and care for all. It aims to create and maximise opportunities and empower individuals to fulfil their potential to be valued and confident members of society.

Regular clients, the school joined us last week for our first sailing residential of the season. Here you see them getting the barge boat up in the davits after a trip to East Mersea Stone in between the showers.