My mother died recently and I now know why ships are called shes. I suddenly feel as though I’ve been left to swim for it, even though I’ve been old enough…
Cruising life
Jonty Pearce: The Penguin AGM
Maybe I should explain further in case by any chance readers of these pages think that I have finally been ejected from the confines of my mind. I am not…
Jonty Pearce: Just mooning around
The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might: He did his very best to make The billows smooth and bright– And this was odd, because it…
Jonty Pearce: And Still the Rain Came down
Floods, rain and boat damp, Jonty Pearce takes stock of the wild British weather.
Jonty Pearce: Marina Life
At this time of year, especially on a rare warm winter fine day, I like to sit in Aurial’s cockpit and let my eye and mind wander over the marina…
Jonty Pearce: Seduction of the sea
The physical aspect of on board romance is a subject rarely covered by the yachting press. We know many sailors do participate in a bit of nookie afloat, but few…
Jonty Pearce: The shortest day
Christmas is coming and the geese are getting fat. The turkeys are looking worried and getting twitchy when cranberry sauce is mentioned. It seems improbable, but in the middle of…
Jonty Pearce: An Ex Purt
As our experience and sailing skills grow, sailors may become at risk of considering themselves experts. Indeed, those of us foolhardy enough to dare to put pen to paper are…
Jonty Pearce: Secret Water
No, not that one – this Secret Water is our very own. And although Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons never visited, this is the very type of waterway where they…
Jonty Pearce: The Ultimate Sacrifice
The humble sacrificial strip is prepared to perform self-immolative Hari-Kari in order to preserve the integrity of our precious genoa sailcloth that lies underneath its protective wrapping. Often gaily coloured,…