Celebrating Uffa Fox sailing boats 50 years after his death.
Uffa Fox 2022 – Boats and Receptions in Cowes
Celebrating Uffa Fox sailing boats 50 years after his death.
10Sep/21
2021 Southampton Boatshow
Southampton Boatshow
29Aug/21
2021 East Coast Cruise
Join the AOA for the 2020 East Coast Race – a brief good natured race and some suitably distanced socialising. 21st August 2020.
30Jul/21
Cockpit comfort – orientation and curves
Since the mid-1990 I have owned a number of small boats including a Devon Yawl, Cornish Shrimper, Cornish Crabber (Mk 1), Kingfisher 22+ (jink rig), Anderson 26 (lifting keeI), Golden Hind andRead More…
24Jul/21
The times they are a changing, dear Maurice
To escape the worst of the expected heatwave I thought I would visit what has quickly become my favourite anchorage, and do some relaxed mud listening. After a beat down the StourRead More…
Website Updates July ’21
Triggered by some recent (unsuccessful) attacks on the site we have updated the way people can request an account. It is now more manual than before. This does not affect existing usersRead More…
07Jul/21
Fairey Marine Pixie Tender For Sale
Very rare Fairey Marine Pixie Tender for sale. Open to reasonable offers. The tender has a deck over one half and has been stored in a garage for forty years. It willRead More…
02Jul/21
Repairing the Split in the Topsides
As reported in Bluster’s last blog post, there was a worrying split in the topsides at the starboard aft end of the cockpit where the aft deck moulding is joined to theRead More…
30Jun/21
2021 Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta
A89 Colchide attended the 2021 Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta over the weekend 25-27 June. This Regatta encourages both motor and sail boats and this year was graced by half a dozenRead More…
25Jun/21
2021 Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classic Regatta
Suffolk Yacht Harbour are planning to hold their Classic Regatta at the end of June, after the current ‘milestone date’ for removal of Covid-19 restrictions. The event is an opportunity to rubRead More…
12Jun/21
Repairs around the rubbing strake
The hot sunny weather we are having in Scotland at the moment is ideal for wood repairs as the exposed laminates are nice and dry before being sealed in with epoxy. WaterRead More…
10Jun/21
A184, Aquilo II, £5,500
Aquilo II is in a barn on her trailer near Bridport in Dorset. She is possibly the last ever 26ft Atalanta to be launched, which she was in 1969. She has beenRead More…
31May/21
A Dozen at The Two Keels
The AOA ‘Beer & Natter’ at ‘The Two Keels’ on Saturday 22 May 2021 at 6 PM was a great success and 12 members attended: Mike Dixon (Commodore A1), Jane Stearn (Vice-Commodore), Read More…
22May/21
Beer & Natter at the ‘The Two Keels’
The proposed AOA gathering in Scotland on 22-23 May 2021 has been postponed until further notice. However we will be meeting up for an AOA “Beer & Natter” at our local “TheRead More…
2021 Scotland Meet Up – Location tbc
We plan to hold an informal meet in Southern Scotland in 2021, subject to the limitations imposed by Covid-19. We will publish details of the event nearer the time but it wouldRead More…
Website Spring Clean
While most of our thorough Spring Clean was about keeping the site working smoothly there have been some functional improvements too. The ‘Images’ page now includes the Boat sail number in theRead More…
A165 Sloeberry was Mavista pre 1996
My father Dr.Peter Ewart Burden re-named this boat. We nearly lost her and our lives once-sailing from Ramsgate on a halcyon day ,force 3 forecast to be caught in squall. My husbandRead More…
11May/21
Bluster Progress – Removing Rusty Iron and Making Good
Work on Bluster has continued in April and early May. Much of April was spent removing rusty bolts from the engine bay area and rudder skeg. The keel stops were removed withoutRead More…
02May/21
Keel bolt covers: “Sikaflex – Ugh!”
This will be my last post on Helene’s Boat Blog as owner. In fact although started before the sale it is being published after handover to Jim, the new owner. Due toRead More…
A passenger ride in an Atalanta aged 9 started me sailing
I was spring cleaning A89 Colchide yesterday, when I was approached by a gentleman. “Is that an Atalanta” “Oh, I had a passenger ride in an Atalanta, aged 9, in the earlyRead More…
05Apr/21
Stem capping strip repair- rot in forward part of keel
A179 Quinteffence has been laid up on her trailer for the last 8 years as life has not allowed time to spend sailing (and maintaining her). She has been stored under aRead More…
31Mar/21
A85 Kicky Wicky in the 1970s
I was delighted to welcome an ex-owner of Kicky Wicky as a website user last month. Having ‘conversations’ with ex-owners and their families is one of the delights of my job asRead More…
25Mar/21
Furlough Work cont
Made a mtg for the python drive from 19mm Ply /Mahogany and 2.5 mm A4 stainless.. A new propshaft from Clements engineering made from Duplex with couplings for conversion from 3/4″to PythonRead More…
22Mar/21
A155 Miranda – Still Alive
A chance contact with the original owners of T10 Calista led to a photo of Calista with A155 Calista in the background which, with thanks to the AOA bloodhound which is ourRead More…
21Mar/21
Well rotted
Occasionally walk past this poor old boat at Newham on the Truro River. I imagine she has been abandoned. Title: IMG_2181-49b2968f Title: IMG_2182-531749c3
19Mar/21
T10 Calista – Memories from her first years
February was a great month for connecting to ex-owners of Fairey yachts. Rodney, son of Titania T10 Calista’s first owner, joined the website and we entered into a conversation by email. RodneyRead More…
14Mar/21
Bluster’s Keels and Steelwork Removed
After much prevaricating, Bluster’s trailer was removed and the keels lowered to the ground. The supporting steelwork was then also removed for inspection. Before removing the trailer, I cut off most ofRead More…
24Feb/21
Steering Gear Wear and Corrosion
With the snow melting and the weather warmed up (relatively), work on Bluster has resumed with the stripping out of the steering mechanism. The whipstaff bearing had a bit of play, butRead More…
09Feb/21
Engine Bearers and Thrust Bearing
The weather continues to be very cold this winter in Aberdeenshire, and now we also have 20 cm of snow. Consequently, not so much work has been done on Bluster. After muchRead More…
08Feb/21
More furlough more progress..
Having purchased the engine from the late Jack of London T4 having stripped down all ancillary items had the alt and starter refurbishment done by Wasp. Started up and runs like aRead More…
26Jan/21
Bluster’s 1GM10 Serviced and painted
Bluster’s engine was winterised, but otherwise in reasonable working order. It was badly rusted in places, the fuel and oil pipes were beginning to rust, and the paint was peeling off muchRead More…
22Jan/21
A90 – AWAY WITH THE TRAILER
After changing A90’s livery, time to go for the keels. But removal of the trailer had to come first. Travis Perkins first had to deliver some railway sleepers up from Newport ,Read More…
17Jan/21
Fairey Marine Pixie Tender For Sale – SOLD
Very rare Fairey Marine Pixie Tender for sale. Open to reasonable offers. Built circa 1950 as a tender to the Fairey Marine Atalanta class yachts using the vacuum hot moulded plywood techniquesRead More…
16Jan/21
Mike Dixon and A1 nominated for Classic Boat Award – Vote Now!
Hello everyone. You may have read the Classic Boat article published in the November edition last year about A1 and her restsoration. The article aimed to bring together the historic place A1Read More…
14Jan/21
A90 – CHANGING COLOURS
Risking the opprobrium of AOA members I changed A90 ‘s traditional Atalanta livery of Blue & White to that of my very first yacht, a Red & White Silhouette Mark II. TheRead More…
08Jan/21
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
On the 8th February 2019 Dominic Dobson brings A90 all the way from Ilkley Moor to North Dorset and a bag full of ‘The Patience of a Saint’ ! Arriving after darkRead More…
03Jan/21
A182 Skimmer – Restoration Project (Virginia Beach, US)
A182 Skimmer has been in storage in Virginia Beach, USA, since 1985 in a tent, and been kept dry. She is now looking for someone to complete her restoration. She is lyingRead More…
28Dec/20
Getting Bluster’s Engine Out
Bluster currently has a Yanmar 1GM10 diesel engine, a replacement for the Volvo Penta that she previously had. It has been fairly reliable, but the paint was peeling off the lower halfRead More…
20Dec/20
Uffa Fox in 2022 – Celebrate Uffa’s legacy 50 years on
Celebrate the designs, work and life of Uffa Fox with sailing, racing, fun and Uffa history in Cowes over a weekend in 2022, the 50th anniversary year of his death
19Dec/20
Fascinating profile of Charles Currey
‘..an incredible sailor, who at the same time was also a clever and insightful innovator‘ Dougal Henshaw, Sail-World 18 December 2020 Dougal Henshaw has just published a fascinating profile of Charles CurreyRead More…
18Dec/20
Diaphony A5 on going work
A few pictures of Deck and a illustration on forming precise curves which are then laminated. This was done a few years ago Picture of mast spreader bracket to Fairey item incorporatingRead More…
15Dec/20
Happy Christmas to all
The AOA Annual Bulletin and Yearbook should be hitting Member doormats this week. Thanks to all the contributors and to Bernard and his team for its production. And a very Happy ChristmasRead More…
27Nov/20
How A105 became ‘Taku Maru’
We were delighted to hear from the son of Taku Maru’s original owner, Philip Booth, about his recollections of her and how she got her name. I am really delighted to seeRead More…
27Nov/20
Atalanta Vendee Globe Sat
Hi fellow sailors and boat maintainers. I think we should get together and discuss the Vendee Globe out of a sense of shared interest. I have created a zoom meeting below forRead More…
21Nov/20
A166 Hullabaloo For Sale – £400 in boatyard on Portland
Through a series of unfortunate experiences A166 is in need of a new home. She is in Clark’s Boatyard on Portland. Contact Tim or Denise at 01305 860265. Although originally covered theseRead More…
21Nov/20
Atalanta 26 For Sale – A161 Amber Ellen
Atalanta 26 for sale – A161 Amber Ellen. Based near Ullapool Amber Ellen is offered with a trailer and some interesting modifications including wheel steering. With varnished hull and decks she now needs some attention and TLC. The exterior needs re-finishing and decks may need some repairs. The hull is in sound condition. Amber Ellen has had some interesting modifications through the years including raised tubular toe rails and wheel steering.
20Nov/20
A140 Kate Thomas – Two Views of Ownership in the 1990s
A recent tidy up by one of the AOA ex Bulletin Editors brought to light a new document written by an owner’s wife offering a different perspective on the ownership, sailing and trailing of an Atalanta.
18Nov/20
Hot Wood – Dougal Henshaw writes on Fairey Marine Hot Moulding
Thanks to Bernard Marshall for bringing to my attention the excellent article on the Yachts and Yachting website about Fairey Marine hotmoulded boats. It majors on the dinghies but the Atalanta doesRead More…
09Nov/20
Repairs to Bluster’s Bow
Work has continued on repairing the bow area of Bluster. The deck area had some rot wherever it had been penetrated by a screw or bolt, allowing water to get into theRead More…