2013 DESTINATIONS
THE YACHTING YEAR 2018 | 65
‘Yachtsman of the Year’ – and it’s hard to pick your winner.
Last year we teamed up with the Gstaad Yacht Club to
form a new award, for Centenarian of the Year, for any
100-year-old boat that has done something remarkable
that year.
What I love about the Awards is that all manner of boats
win. ose coming to the podium to collect their trophies
are not all professional shipwrights. Far from it, some are
amateur woodworkers who have completed amazing jobs
in their back gardens. e public vote ensures that these
people get the recognition they deserve. We publish the
shortlist of boats you can vote for in our February issue
and you can also see it online at our website classicboat.
co.uk. I’d be delighted if you had a look at felt inclined to
cast a vote – there is a sawdust-covered shipwright out
there now who deserves your support!GOING, GOING...
ere are few things more exciting than an auction,
particularly a marine auction, and in November I was on
the edge of my seat as I watched one of Charles Miller Ltd’s
twice-yearly marine sales – and I just about managed to
keep my hands in my pockets.
e brochure had whetted my apetite. On the day, with
Charles Miller himself holding the gavel, the atmosphere
was taut, e cient and entertaining in equal measure.
A builder’s half model for the Camper & Nicholson
schooner Moonstone, carved in 1879? It sold for £2,280- out of my budget alas. en there was the Admiralty
sheer draught pro le plan for the 74-gun ‘Armada’ class
ship Barham from 1806. How I would have explained that
to my wife, I don’t know. Equally tough to ignore was the
12-volume set of John Marshall’s naval biography from
- I had the perfect place for this on a shelf at home.
Next came a sextant probably used on Cook’s second
voyage. en a malacca walking stick presented to a naval
o cer on HMS Terrible in 1902. But I managed to keep
my arm in the safe position – down, not up.
If you’re into boats and fascinating boaty stu , a
morning at Charles Miller should be in your diary. Sales
take place each spring and autumn. See you there.
TRADING UNDER SAIL AGAIN
It was the summer of 1941 and in the ames estuary, a
steel sailing barge was making her way to London. She was
Blue Mermaid, the last ames sailing barge ever built,
with the only people aboard her skipper, Percy Bird, who
was looking forward to getting home to his wife and
family, and his 18-year-old mate George Lucas. eir
hazardous duty was to continue the distribution around
the coast of essential wartime supplies.
e bargemen were unaware of the six-foot long
magnetic mine, charged with 1,000lbs of high explosive
which, dropped from one of Goering’s Heinkel bombers
several nights before, had swayed down on a green
parachute and plopped gently into the West Swin. As the
11-year-old steel hull of Blue Mermaid approached, the
mine was unleashed from its sea-bed anchor.
Today, the names of Percy and George are cast in bronze
on a memorial to Merchant Seamen lost in two World
Wars, which stands on London’s Tower Hill.
Seventy- ve years a er their death, Percy’s grandsons
Russell Bird, 67, from Saxmundham, Su olk, and BarryINGRID ABERYDICK DURHAMT R A D I N G
U N D E R S A I L
A G A I NJ - C L A S S
A C T I O NG O I N G
G O I N G G O I N G
G O N E... G O N E... G O N E... G O N E...ABOVE J-Class
yachts racing under
Newport Bridge
RIGHT Blue Mermaid
is launchedTYY4 Year ahead Classic Boat.indd 65 04/12/2017 15:25