Articles by Ancient Mariner

AN OUT OF SEQUENCE REFLECTION There were more than 3,000 comments on Part 10 of my story some 22 hours after it was posted and I think that is probably a number that’s fairly typical [more…]

RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON PART 9 and a COVID DIGRESSION Yes FOXOLES I’m afraid you did miss something – perhaps my account was too oblique.   The double in South Africa existed only in the [more…]

I still scan comments on an article recently published because I enjoy the opportunity to have a dynamic exchange with folk of widely varying knowledge of the sea in a much less time-consuming way than [more…]

I’d again like to begin by thanking all those who encouraged me to continue this series in their comments on Part 7. Whilst always welcome there is no longer any need to say so from [more…]

PREFACE I’d like to start this article by explaining I scan the comments as each part is published and decide whether or not to continue the series accordingly. I’m now too old to continue for [more…]

In earlier parts of my story I described in general terms why and how I started educating myself about sailing and the main technical things to look out for in a yacht’s design and specification. [more…]

Unless one is rich enough to have a yacht custom-built to one’s own specification, which I certainly was not, one has to choose a “Production” model in much the same way most people buy motor [more…]

I was able to reach a conclusion on the most suitable hull material and shape for my yacht based mainly on what may be called desk research – reading books and magazines. To some extent [more…]

Jacques (As You Like it, Act 2 Scene 7) describes seven ages of man. In looking back on my own life I can identify with the first four and, being near the early stages of the [more…]