Oh boy, you’re really pushing my memory buttons. First Salcombe and now Calstock. Back in the early seventies my dad kept his Seadog ketch at Calstock. My Aunt had bought one of the houses you show, mum and dad visited her there and, at the end of the season, moved “Mutiny” (because of the surname) to Calstock. We had our best ever cruise from there. I was a University student at the time and was Skipper for an 8 week cruise down to Biscay, with a succession of crews coming over for a couple of weeks at a time. We started with a five day passage down to the Morbihan, during which I practised my newly acquired celestial nav skills (I’d just done my Yachtmaster’s Offshore, a prerequisite dad insisted on). We had a blast. Being registered we were able to take on duty free and I remember Gordon’s gin was 44p a bottle and Johnnie Walker was, I think, 67p. It’s amazing how much fish and lobster you could get from a French fishing boat for a bottle of Johnnie W. I emigrated here to NZ in 1978 and for many years had a little Hartley 16 (the ORIGINAL Trailer Sailer). Moving north in ‘89 I was able to get a 30 ft Wharram cat, but had to sell her later on when my wife became ill. Now, in my mid seventies, my sailing is entirely vicarious so I really appreciate your videos.👍
hello Mick, now that sounds like a whole load of adventures, what an interesting sailing career :) Glad you are enjoying the videos. they are my visual diary for my future 80 year old self, to remind myself when I can no longer sail , that I did have some little microadventures on a boat that I built myself. thanks for the comments and stay in touch
plymouthwelshboy I hope you have many more adventures and I’m looking forward to seeing them all. I met John Wellsford about 15 years ago, when I was considering setting up a youth adventure camp using his Whaler design. I first started sailing in 1951 at the age of 7, on a reservoir just outside Sheffield. Dad had got the bug in Suez during the war and he and a couple of other guys set up the SYSC (South Yorkshire) with a Merlin Rocket and GP14 (no 25 “Kestrel”). When I was nine he saw an advert for a Cadet (no 806, “Tilikum”) for £5 which he bought for my older brother and me. When I was 21, Dad and I fitted out an Invicta 27 from a bare hull. We sailed her originally in North Wales (Abersoch) then took her up to Scotland where we kept her variously at Tighnabruich, Ardfern, Oban and Mallaig over about 4 years. She needed a refit so we took her through the Caledonian canal and brought her down the east coast and up the Trent. After a refit Dad sold her and bought the Seadog. She was based on the Hamble, but with retirement Mum and Dad decided to move to Dartmouth so she went there. After visiting my aunt in Calstock they decided to lay her up there as it was much cheaper than Dartmouth. We then had a couple of seasons from there before dad decided to cut back to day sailing. “Mutiny” was sold and he bought a Seal 22. This was only a year before I emigrated here with my young family.
Some truly beautiful scenery
james finn yep every time up he Tamar....stunning 😃
Oh boy, you’re really pushing my memory buttons. First Salcombe and now Calstock. Back in the early seventies my dad kept his Seadog ketch at Calstock. My Aunt had bought one of the houses you show, mum and dad visited her there and, at the end of the season, moved “Mutiny” (because of the surname) to Calstock. We had our best ever cruise from there. I was a University student at the time and was Skipper for an 8 week cruise down to Biscay, with a succession of crews coming over for a couple of weeks at a time. We started with a five day passage down to the Morbihan, during which I practised my newly acquired celestial nav skills (I’d just done my Yachtmaster’s Offshore, a prerequisite dad insisted on). We had a blast. Being registered we were able to take on duty free and I remember Gordon’s gin was 44p a bottle and Johnnie Walker was, I think, 67p. It’s amazing how much fish and lobster you could get from a French fishing boat for a bottle of Johnnie W.
I emigrated here to NZ in 1978 and for many years had a little Hartley 16 (the ORIGINAL Trailer Sailer). Moving north in ‘89 I was able to get a 30 ft Wharram cat, but had to sell her later on when my wife became ill. Now, in my mid seventies, my sailing is entirely vicarious so I really appreciate your videos.👍
hello Mick, now that sounds like a whole load of adventures, what an interesting sailing career :) Glad you are enjoying the videos. they are my visual diary for my future 80 year old self, to remind myself when I can no longer sail , that I did have some little microadventures on a boat that I built myself. thanks for the comments and stay in touch
plymouthwelshboy
I hope you have many more adventures and I’m looking forward to seeing them all. I met John Wellsford about 15 years ago, when I was considering setting up a youth adventure camp using his Whaler design.
I first started sailing in 1951 at the age of 7, on a reservoir just outside Sheffield. Dad had got the bug in Suez during the war and he and a couple of other guys set up the SYSC (South Yorkshire) with a Merlin Rocket and GP14 (no 25 “Kestrel”). When I was nine he saw an advert for a Cadet (no 806, “Tilikum”) for £5 which he bought for my older brother and me. When I was 21, Dad and I fitted out an Invicta 27 from a bare hull. We sailed her originally in North Wales (Abersoch) then took her up to Scotland where we kept her variously at Tighnabruich, Ardfern, Oban and Mallaig over about 4 years. She needed a refit so we took her through the Caledonian canal and brought her down the east coast and up the Trent. After a refit Dad sold her and bought the Seadog. She was based on the Hamble, but with retirement Mum and Dad decided to move to Dartmouth so she went there. After visiting my aunt in Calstock they decided to lay her up there as it was much cheaper than Dartmouth. We then had a couple of seasons from there before dad decided to cut back to day sailing. “Mutiny” was sold and he bought a Seal 22. This was only a year before I emigrated here with my young family.