Thames Valley

Tuesday 23 January 2018

Croatia: probably the best cruising ground in the world

Andrew Osmond

From Troon to the Spanish Rias

Peter Lyle

Sailing in Norway

James Yarrow

Nick Mines started his engineering and prototyping company (ATOM Ltd) 35 years ago and he has used his commercial experience and resources in the preparation of ‘Hejira’, a Southerly 135, for extended cruising in his retirement. He successfully completed a ‘hugely enjoyable’ Atlantic circuit in 2015/16 and the yacht blogs proved to be a popular and bonding process for the crew, winning two awards from World Cruising.

Fitting Out Supper : Tuesday 21 March 2017*

As our Winter program comes to a close and the sailing season beckons, the section marks the occasion with a Fitting Out Supper and Quiz.

Attached is the menu choices for a two course supper including coffee or tea and chocolate mints.

*Please note our printed program shows the wrong date for this event!

Book HERE or you can download a booking form and post with your cheque.

Confessions of a Cruising Correspondent

Dick Durham

In his childhood Dick Durham explored the creeks and rivers of Essex, Kent and Suffolk in a collection of dinghies and dayboats. When he left school he signed on as mate of the Thames sailing barge Cambria, and served on the last working Thames barge before beginning his writing career on Fleet Street, writing for national newspapers and sailing magazines.

The Society Islands: A Pacific Paradise

Paul Brown

Extreme Voyagers

Jeremy Batch

Was the propeller invented in 1836 by an Englishman, in 1776 by an American, in 1490 by an Italian or in 240 BC by a Greek? How did a duck, a cockerel and a sheep come to be test pilots? When was Stratford’s rocket factory set-up? Plus: the story of the steam engine, the first submarine (1776), the first manned flight (1783), some “great ships” (from Brunel and others), a flying machine that was 800ft long, and a chance to revise some of your school physics .

"Is your boat fireproof?"

Clifford Mickleburgh

​Clifford ran his own fire safety company for many years and has been particularly concerned with the special issues that relate to safety aboard yachts and motor cruisers. As a yachtsman himself he has a down to earth and practical approach to what is needed to keep us safe as we cruise.

Place: Upper Thames Sailing Club, Riverside, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5PT

Time: Bar opens 19.15

Talks: Start 20.00

Baltic and Back in a season

Bob and Sue Garrett

Bob and Sue were advised that they couldn’t ‘do” the Baltic justice in a season but decided anyway to see as many countries as possible and sailed 3800 miles mostly day-sailing and visited 9 countries going as far as St.Petersburg on “Intrepid’, a Dufour 365.

They spent 182 days onboard and will talk about why we did it, preparation, the route, the practicalities, the places visited and us and our experience.

Date: Tuesday 11 October 2016