It is time for me to pass on the ‘bateau’ on to a new owner. Work commitments, blah..de..blah.. But she deserves to be used and should never be neglected. She is aRead More…
02Nov/21
24Oct/21
A49 seems to be in need of rescue
Just saw this on Boat Scrapyards site. The boat is in Cheshire : I confirm that I have rights to the material uploaded above and agree that the AOA may use thisRead More…
19Oct/21
25-26 August 2022 Duckling World Championships – Chichester Harbour
Celebrating Uffa Fox sailing boats 50 years after his death.
19Oct/21
2022 AGM & Lunch – Tamesis Sailing Club
The 2022 AGM & Lunch will once again be held on the River Thames at the Tamesis Sailing Club in West London. We are very hopeful that nothing will get in theRead More…
19Oct/21
2021 Laying Up Social – The Two Keels Inn (in the Zoom bar)
A casual get together in the Zoom bar of the ‘Two Keels Inn’. Bring your own drinks and snacks. The link to the Zoom bar : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5889844235?pwd=YWJEeTBMOXlFSFBOK3A2UzI4amhyQT09 You can do this onRead More…
15Oct/21
A15 Artemis II – Unique and in fine condition – £4000 ono SOLD
Presently afloat and in commission in Chichester harbour. Artemis II is in good condition with a Sabb marine single diesel engine and a new under boom cockpit cover. All fresh painted thisRead More…
14Oct/21
2022 Laying Up Social – The Two Keels Inn (in the Zoom bar)
A casual get together in the Zoom bar of the ‘Two Keels Inn’. Bring your own drinks and snacks. Click on this Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86080090933 You can do this on a desktopRead More…
13Oct/21
Southampton Boatshow Success
Atalantas at a Boatshow? First there was one – the twenty four feet long Atalanta prototype, in 1955. Then, over the next decade, Fairey Marine built one hundred and eighty six AtalantaRead More…
13Oct/21
1966 – We nearly drowned
The AOA caught up with the son of an ex-owner at the Southampton Boastshow in 2021. This was great – it filled in an ownership gap in our records and provided theRead More…
03Oct/21
Cockpit renovation
Having decided that the cockpit seats need replacing . I set about ripping the old ones out the reason for this was cracking either side of frame work . Good thing IRead More…
The Wrabness tender mystery. Part 2
On taking over a boat it is common to inherit a certain number of “special” items. Dredged from the depths of locker or lazarette, damp and probably rusty, their identity andRead More…
23Sep/21
The Wrabness tender mystery. Part 1
The plan was for an overnight to Pin Mill or the Walton Backwaters. We left Manningtree under sail around 1130 anticipating the ebb, without even a cat’s paw of breeze. TheRead More…
09Sep/21
A1 Generating Chatter At Southampton
After a great deal of effort by Mike A1 is moored in the ‘Class Association’ area of the Southampton boatshow, alongside the Old Gaffers Association. She has already generated ‘chatter’ – sheRead More…
22Aug/21
Out of hibernation
I am really glad that I managed to find ‘hibernation’ for Mary over the lock-down. But it is time to get her back in the water enjoy a sail and make sureRead More…
20Aug/21
A117 Turtle project with trailer, free to be restored
Free for restoration. Turtle is currently sitting on a four wheel trailer in Truro. If someone out there will take her please do, just send a lorry we can pull her onRead More…
17Aug/21
Cockpit Corner Reinforcement and Repairs to Aft Bulkhead
Bluster has guard rail stanchions at the aft end of the cockpit. These were bolted through the stringer and the deck with a block beneath and above. Unfortunately, after being pushed aroundRead More…
12Aug/21
Honeymoon – In Bermuda from Boston, next stop Halifax, Nova Scotia
Title: Bermuda-2-67d5bf3d : I confirm that I have rights to the material uploaded above and agree that the AOA may use this material on the website as defined in the website TermsRead More…
11Aug/21
Do you Facebook? New Atalanta Group
There is a new ”Group’ on Facebook – Fairey Atalantas. Whilst not an AOA ‘official’ group we will be posting on it about the Association and the boats. We would really loveRead More…
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…
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…
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…
10May/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…
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
A177 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 Miranda 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 Name: David Lovelock Email address: dglovelock@outlook.com : I confirmRead More…
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…
06Mar/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…
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…