Sailing
Steve spent a final week making sure ‘Cachalot’ was ready for her passage to Dunkirk with the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships before setting off from the Tidemill Yacht Harbour on Friday 16 May, 2025.
Read more “Depart Woodbridge for ADLS Return”
Sailing
Catch up with what we did on the OGA Summer Cruise, 2024. There are also two posts telling the whole story in words and pictures.
Read more “OGA Summer Cruise, 2024: the movie”
Sailing
Given our late start to the sailing season, it was good news that the Cruise started later this year. We met the Gaffers for a couple of days in the Deben and sailed down to Walton for gin-tasting at the Sailing Club.
Read more “OGA Summer Cruise, 2024: Woodbridge to Walton”
Sailing
Once back in her berth, it was time to bend on the sails and the sun had started to shine at last! With help from Rick, Steve got the mainsail on, checked out the reefing lines and we consulted the weather forecasts and tide tables.
Read more “Out of the Marina at last!”
Sail, oar & paddle
As Steve was restoring ‘Cachalot’, he was already thinking about a tender, so why not build one with similarly elegant lines?
Read more “‘Cachalette’: aka ‘the little boat’”
Sail, oar & paddle
With nine miles of river downstream and another three or four upstream, under Wilford Bridge, the River Deben provides great opportunities at most states of the tide.
Read more “A new sail for ‘Cachalette’”
Sailing
Once again, we were thwarted in attempts to take part in the whole East Coast Cruise!
Read more “OGA60: Jubilee Cruise”
Sailing
The weather doesn’t look promising for the OGA60 Jubilee Party and we have no crew for the trip to Ipswich.
Read more “OGA60 Jubilee: arriving in Ipswich”
Sailing
‘Cachalot’ is 125 years old this year and we’ve invested in some crew kit: t-shirts and caps made by Nathan at ‘Quiller’ in Matlock Bath.
Read more “Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classics, 2023”
Sailing
On Good Friday, 2023 we were all ready to depart the Tidemill once there was enough water over the sill.
Read more “Easter weekend, 2023: out in the Deben”
Sail, oar & paddle
There’s a lively community of river users on the Deben including kayakers, paddle boarders, swimmers and sailors.
Read more “Kayaks & ‘Cachalette’: 2022”
Sailing
June 2022 found Steve with Ben and PJ as crew at the Classics Regatta.
Read more “Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classics, 2022”
Sail, oar & paddle
By 2022 we were quite proficient with paddling the kayaks, enjoying motoring in ‘Cachalette’ with the quiet outboard and her maintenance was much easier now she’s kept permanently at Robertsons Boatyard.
Read more “Messing about on the river”
Sailing
Back to the Tidemill after the Classic Yacht Regatta, it was time to get ready for the OGA East Coast Cruise, July 2022.
Read more “OGA Summer Cruise, 2022”
Sail, oar & paddle
In 2020 we took delivery of a Torqeedo outboard, for use on both ‘Cachalot’ and ‘Cachalette’, then we bought two kayaks!
Read more “Electric outboard & 2 kayaks!”
Sailing
Steve M’s been promising to come up to sail with us to check out the performance of our Ratsey & Lapthorn sails.
Read more “Out with the sailmaker!”
Sailing
‘Tannhauser’ is declared ready for her first trip out of the Marina. Ben and Steve decide to go out together when PJ arrives on Friday, 17 June.
Read more “Sailing in company with ‘Tannhauser’”
Maintenance
In 2018 we decided that maintenance in the back garden was really too challenging and in 2021 we moved ‘Cachalette’ down to Suffolk permanently.
Read more “‘Cachalette’: winter maintenance”
Sailing
With Simon and Ricarda as crew, we looked forward to joining the OGA East Coast Cruise, July 2021.
Read more “OGA Summer Cruise, 2021”
Sailing
Since her launch in August, 2017, ‘Cachalot’ has never actually left the Deben!
Read more “Out of the River Deben at last, 2021”