William Fife and Son closed in 1939- What happened next? At the beginning of World War II the Fife yard was taken over by the Admiralty as it had been in World War I. This time it was not to build boats for the war effort. The Admiralty’s under water research station at Portland on the […]
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For the want of a keel the yacht was (nearly) lost
When Fred Meyer, the then Chairman of the International Eight Metre Class Association found Severn, a 1929 Eight Metre designed and built by … [Continue reading...]

Bluebottle Crew Stories
The Royal Dragon Bluebottle has caught the attention of author David Goodday, but coming from an unusual angle. Much has already been written … [Continue reading...]

Celebrating Traditional Boats
Brest: the world’s largest maritime festival in photographs by Nigel Pert & Dan Houston with a foreword by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Dan … [Continue reading...]

A 1973 cruise on board OWL
In July of 1973 Marianne Beerman-Kok joined as crew on board the Frederick Shepherd design OWL on a sailing trip from Tobermory to the Hebrides. … [Continue reading...]
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Tally Ho – Ep. 82 – Fitting/Polishing Bronze knees
By Andrew Cully
Leo Sampson is back with Episode 82. A man on a mission to rebuild a 110-year old English sailing yacht called Tally Ho. Designed by Albert Strange in 1909 (and launched in 1910), she is a well-known and important historic vessel – but after many adventures she was left in a remote port in Oregon to […]

Tuiga sails on by
Back in 2017 we were taking in the views on the Bay of Palma. The timing happily coincided with the start of a 15-Metre regatta and we became upfront and personal with Tuiga, who sailed on by. A Fife 15-Metre and owned by the Monaco Yacht Club she is 92’ overall with just 48’ of […]
Words

Atlantic by Simon Winchester
Atlantic, by Simon Winchester (who also wrote Krakatoa – a fantastically engaging tale of the death of a volcano), brings this vast body of water to life in a way that only Simon is really capable of. He has an enviable ability to breathe and vitality into what can often be very drab and banal […]

The Northseamen
This is the story of mariners and their vessels. It studies the past two hundred and fifty years of men and craft that hailed principally from the small communities along the Essex coast of the UK. It tells of fishermen, salvagers, professional yachtsmen, the ship and yacht builders. It is an adventurous, varied and often […]

Old Sea Wings, Ways & Words in the days of Oak & Hemp by Robert C Leslie
Preface – It was in December, 1884, that I received the following kind words of encouragement from Mr. Ruskin, about some sketches and notes upon old ships, boats, sails, and rigging: “My Dear Leslie, I never saw anything half so delightful or useful as these compared sails so easily explained. Do set yourself at […]

Hornblower During the Crisis
Although unfinished at the time of C. S. Forester’s death, Hornblower During the Crisis delivers a full measure of action at sea-the hallmark of this incomparably exciting series of historical adventures. On the threshold of securing his first post as captain, Hornblower finds himself forced by the exigencies of war to fight alongside a man […]

Southern Breeze: the History of Yachting in New Zealand by Harold Kidd
From the early days of settlement through to the hi-tech modern era, yachting has been arguably the quintessential summer leisure activity and sport for a wide cross-section of New Zealand society. It is a story of do-it-yourselfers, master yachtsmen, world-class yacht builders and designers, and many, many magnificent yachts. ‘Southern Breeze’ takes […]

Elements Of Yacht Design by Norman L Skene
This is the original edition of the classic book on yacht design and one of the most famous books on yacht design ever written. This book is a practical and concise presentation of some of the operations involved in designing yachts of all types. At last this book will be available for boatbuilders, aspiring naval […]

Hornblower – Beat To Quarters
June 1808, somewhere west of Nicaragua-a site suitable for spectacular sea battles. The Admiralty has ordered Captain Horatio Hornblower, now in command of the thirty-six-gun HMS Lydia, to form an alliance against the Spanish colonial government with an insane Spanish landowner; to find a water route across the Central American isthmus; and “to take, sink, […]

The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice: Tools and Techniques for Modern and Traditional Rigging
The updates Rigger’s Apprentice meets the changing face of modern materials and technology while remaining true to rigging’s best traditional principles and practices. It’s much more than a knot book, though the knots a sailor needs are all here. It’s a book for sailors who want the satisfaction and hard-cash savings of stepping their own masts, inspecting […]

Mariquita 1911 (Book)
ClassicYacht.info would like to bring your attention to the ‘Yachting Heritage’ book recently published about the unique and awe-inspiring 19-Metre, ‘Mariquita’. Designed by William Fife Junior, she is the only 19-Metre that remains and since her complete restoration at Fairlie Restorations in 2004 she has been racing competitively at numerous regattas in the Mediterranean, and […]

Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea
The most comprehensive and authoritative reference book of its kind, The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea is a completely revised and updated edition of a classic volume that was first published in 1976 to huge acclaim, hailed as ‘a beguiling book’ (Daily Telegraph), ‘marvellous’ (The Times), and ‘totally absorbing’ (Financial Times). It brings […]