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Careful

Taken many moons ago on the Norfolk Broads, where is she now?

The picture on the left of 'Careful' was taken some time in the 1950's I suspect, with the designer Kenneth M. Gibbs at the helm, Miss K. M. Palmer of Y.M. his crew! A Y.M. test! Picture has just been sent to me from Australia, thanks to Brian Poole.

Pau Amma

This Senior was owned for many years by Martin Lewis, and sailed every creek in the Thames Estuary, and I do mean EVERY creek, if it were too shallow, he got the dinghy out!

Pau Amma I took this pic of Martin off Bradwell many years ago, the young couple on board went on to build one too.

Name not known. Could it be Senior No 1 ?

Sandpiper

Expertly sailed by David Showell and Catherine, here seen on home water, the R. Blackwater.

Mikros This is Geoff's boat, one of our advisors and founder member. He has an excellent web site with more pics, click here to see them!

Mikros, seen here off Cornwall

Mikros - Owner by Geoffrey Hyde-Fynn and seen here at Bradwell marina.

Mikros Here on the beach at Cawsand I believe, a lovely spot just into Cornwall!

Mikros

Heretic, owned by Chris Sinnett. This Senior is constructed in glass fibre hence the name - good eh!

Heretic

Here seen in UK inland waters, now she in in Holland!, Where Chris lives.

Heretic

Seen here at launch, easily raising the mast!

Heretic

Outside his home in Holland, power washing off at the end of the season.

Heretic

'Vagabond'

Was owned by Richard Doherty and lived in Hampshire. This Senior is now sold via this web site, we are waiting for the new owner to be in touch. April 2005, welcome to Paul Moktar the new owner, we hope for more photos later.

'Vagabond' Thanks to the new owner Paul for these pics. As you can see she is in fine fettle. Paul trails her, sailing from Orford and hoping to investigate the Harwich Harbour area next season...

Not sure where she is here.

This looks a bit like... any Essex creek! Paul is also experimenting with a gunter rig for her, like to see the pics of her under sail next season!

See further down the page for an update, May 2006, she has just been sold and Paul has bought 'Compass Rose'

Ready for a new owner... SOLD We hope the new owner, who may have seen her here, will be joining us.....

A Senior at West Mersea, The owner was shy, do we know who it belongs to and a name? Thanks to Colin Jarman, the editor of 'Sailing Today' who saw this, we now the name is 'Asenath Ann'. June 06.

Bit of an odd one that... maybe the owner can enlighten us...

John Stevens has unearthed this snippet for me... According to the Book of Genesis, Asenath (אָסְנַת, Standard Hebrew Asənat, Tiberian Hebrew ʼĀsənạṯ) was an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph son of Jacob to be his wife. Now we know!

I was idly thumbing through one of my books the other night I came across another Kenneth Gibb design. The book was by John Lewis, 'A taste for Sailing' the boat was one that he asked to be built, slightly modified, from this, the 'Matelot' design. Are there any others out there?

The 'Freebooter' May 2006, I was sent a Yachting Yearbook from 1947, in it there were several Kenneth Gibbs designs, so I will add them to this page. At least one got built too, as there is a picture of it sailing!

'Piskie' Owned by John Stevens and back in UK after a spell in the Netherlands! We look forward to more pics of this one! Picture taken on the Haringvleit, south of Rotterdam.

'Piskie' Here she is emigrating from the Netherlands! The quickest way to cruise to The UK from Holland in a Senior?

'Piskie' Happiness is a Weekend on a Senior, somewhere in Holland! Domestic Bliss. Seagull at the ready!

'Piskie' Launching, just arrived at her new home from the Dunkirk/UK ferry

'Piskie' Another pic of launching day, the motley crew, his words not ours, all hands make ready for launch.

'Piskie' Repairs in hand! With a Wooden boat it is always possible!

'Piskie' Showing the other side undergoing repairs too. Rubbing strake removed, top of hull to be replaced. Showing gap where taken back to good timber. Thanks to John Stevens for all these.

'Piskie' John Steven's Senior in Mike Hoban's huge back garden, ready for some epoxy work when it gets warmer!

'Only a Monkey'

Is undergoing restoration and has sold to Stuart Keane.

'Only a Monkey'

'Shelduck' Sailing in the Blackwater with the owner, Tony on the helm. Tony is one of our Senior advisors. He had sent in some great pics and we have made a page for him, Click here for more pics

'Tuppence' Nick Vass has sent this pic in, this boat was to be cut up! Nick has rescued it and done a great job of it! Hope to see more pics later!

'Patience' Robert Whiting's new acquisition. She is to be based at Pin Mill, we hope to see more of her out and about.

'Matilda' John Stevens, one of the steering group and the owner of Senior 'Piskie' has aquired an interest in 'Matilda'. Had he not done there is a good chance she might have been firewood by now.

Pictured here on one of John Williams's trailers, about to leave the barn where she had resided for many moons.

'Matilda' almost hidden under the dust and timber, about to see the daylight!

Hoisting her out onto the trailer, not made easier because she was missing a bilge keel...

More than a little work to do here, but it is possible... But wait is that daylight I see up forward?

Oh Yes lots of it!!

'Matilda' A good basis for a restoration? We will let you know.....

At her new home, awaiting her fate..... No Sadly not worth restoring and has been broken up for her parts, which will no doubt appear on our pages!

'Shelduck' out on the Blackwater day after Trafalgar 2005.

'Ida Rose' Seen here in Norfolk on the Broads. She is also on the for Sale page at the moment, Dec 05.

The Senior on the left was owned by Stewart Moxam. He has just sold her. Jan 06

Senior and vintage Seagull!

'Iona' As found in a farm yard. had seemingly been sailed in the Scarborough area for years, anyone know anything about her? We have no sail number, she has a set of Lysander sails and there is no trace of her on any of our records with this name, though she has had it for years.....

'Iona' As she is now, pics taken last Summer. Mike Craddy her owner now has done a fair job of making her look pretty... He asks the perennial question, 'How do you stop the centreboard case leaking?' Any advice for him?? Apart from taking it all to bits and resealing........

'Iona' September 2006 here she is after all that attention, about to get her bottom wet again!

Launched into the briny! She looks very smart Mike!

Mike with 'Iona' just a few more inches to go! sailing pics next we trust!

'Compass Rose' This Senior is now owned by Paul Moktar. He has sold the other Senior he had, 'Vagabond' see towards the top of this page, in preference to this one, I think the rig may have something to do with it! She is Gaff rigged.

Looking a little forlorn after being uncared for for many years, let's see how long it takes Paul to bring her back to her former glory!

'Compass Rose' refitted and under sail again, September 2006! You cannot see the smile on Paul's face, but I can imagine it!

Recently I acquired a small boat It carries the boat builders identification "Kenneth Gibbs, Shepperton, boat number 7". It is in need of a bit of attention and my efforts to trace the boatbuilder have been unsuccessful.

Would you know how I could get hold of a set of plans for this boat to assist me with carrying out the repairs needed please?

Many thanks

Allan Jones
01445 712872

Any one any idea what it is, it is 20 ft long, no sails thus no insignia. Kenneth did design many craft, is this one of his?

Hi guys,
keep up the good work, the site is excellent. Just a thought about the 20' yacht built by Kenneth Gibbs, looks very similar to the plywood version of the Fantasie single chined boat designed by Robert Tucker back in the sixties. I have a set of plans and she looks very similar.

I am still playing with Broads yachts, but I can see sometime I'll get the urge to sail on the Blackwater again and will end up with either an Eventide or Senior.
Best wishes to you all
Mat Gravener

'Minuet' This series of excellent pictures have been sent in my Roger Harriss.

Minuet is currently languishing in a barn but I hope to go sailing again next year. Attached are a few pictures of Minuet. As you can see she is well fitted out, with a fore hatch roller reefing rather nice doors on the cabin and comprehensively fitted out inside. but, have not been keeping up with things lately. Anyway I hope to drag it out of the barn soon and give it a birthday. It probably needs one.

I am still not sure whether I will have to remove it’s lovely vitreous enamelled cooker/grill to obtain a boat safety certificate as I don’t have enough freeboard to stow the 10lb gas bottle in a draining locker above the waterline (to be replaced by a portable camping appliance that will be half as good and twice as dangerous). I did hear there were some concessions negotiated for low freeboard yachts on the broads

Roger looks forward to meeting some of the members in due course.

We hope Roger does get out again soon and we look forward to seeing more of Minuet!

'A Senior With No Name' Charles in Canada has sent these pics of his Senior in.

My boat doesn't have a name because when I bought her, she didn't have a
name. This allows a strong possibility that during her approximately 20
years of existence the boat was actually given a name but I don't know it.
If I was to assign a name, I would thus be changing a boat's name wihich is,
as you know, bad luck. Why? Any sailboat (like mine) that has character
and a decent amount of tractability is given the female gender. This has
always been the case. Have you ever been so unlucky as to call a girl or
woman by a wrong name? Did you detect her anger? That is why you don't
change a boat's name. When using the VHF, I call the boat 'EVENTIDES',
which is sort of her surname and is thus allowable.

We like that!

Charles says, I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This Senior was built
somewhere in Canada.

Certainly a smart vessel.

(the aluminium mast and boom came from Mississauga
Ontario, Canada), probably in the mid-1980's by someone I don't know. I'm
at least the third owner - maybe one of more - maybe a lot more. I have had
to do a great deal of work on the boat and she is now cosmetically a bit
rough but perfectly sound structurally, with a good rig. She is a fine boat
in every way but one. The performance in slop with light winds leaves a lot
to be desired. She is a great sailer in every other way and particularly
likes a good breeze.

Also (not pictured) I reconditioned mechanically, but
not cosmetically, a Seagull 2 (? - their smallest model) from the early
1980's that starts on the first pull and is good for calm days. (That I approve of, but feel a larger Seagull would help if it were a bit breezy, but then Charles would be sailing! John.)

'Dabbler' This little craft joined us at West Mersea, launching at Tollesbury. On the Bank Holiday Sunday we escorted them out into the Blackwater in blustery conditions, F4/5 . Nigel and Heidi made it look so simple in the conditions, tacking right across the Blackwater and dropping a reef in as they went. St Peter's Chapel can be seen just off her bow!

Here Nigel is shoehorning their dinghy back on board and into it's bag, before scuttling out of Besom Fleet Mersea, to intercept us at the Nass.

Reefing the main. She is a cutter with a gunter rigged main. Nigel was worried he had rigged it incorrectly, but it looks OK to us!

Sensibly dressed for a craft like 'Dabbler', especially when there is a call to put a reef in, Nigel attends to the main.

U/K Senior, for sale at Brundall, in Norfolk, seen on the net. Which one is she?

Senior 'Nancy Blackett' soon to be renamed by her new owner, Stephen Philips. Could be 'Yuletide' or 'Windfall', will amend when we know.

Stephen has her in New Zealand and used to work for Yachting Monthly and Classic Boat, so no stranger to wooden craft like the Senior I suspect.

Nice shot of her bow, looks a clean and neat boat.

Nancy Blackett again, February 2007. Steve still tells me the name will change, I think he just wants to be 'Ruthless' (Get it?) What, never read Swallows and Amazon's, shame on you!

Nice varnish work, though Steve tells me it is going to have to be redone next winter, N.Z. winter!

Apparently having got hold of garages, to hopefully store her in, she only just goes into the largest one, because of the overhangs on the trailer and spars....

'Taro' Senior built by Roger and Rita Jones, seen here on Osea beach in the Blackwater about 1973. Roger and Rita went on to build the experimental Eventide 26 in Ferro, that was such a success. 'Contaro' She has a page to herself in the builders section!

'Tavi' This Senior is in South Africa and Pete the owner thought it was the only one! however it is different, she has a fin keel, working through a lead keel bolted to the underside of the hull. He thinks she may have been a centreboard version that was converted. She is also built in GRP, one of only 2 we know of, see 'Heretic' above.

Pete has sent these classic before and .......

......after pictures. Looks good Peter!

'Tarka' Owned by Danny. No sooner had I entered 'Tavi' than her sister ship comes along! 'Tarka' was built in GRP from the same mould and is also in South Africa! She was built with a fin keel as well but later converted to centreboard for easier trailing.

Here she is sailing on a dammed lake about a mile from Danny's home, very convenient! It was a bluster F4-5. with 2 reefs in the main and a jib set he is making 4.5 knots

Danny says the tiller control was copied from an idea seen on the web and works like a charm. It enables him to go forward whilst sailing.. Hope you trail an emergency release line Danny! You can see the advantage of the centreboard version, very shallow draft. however many fit internal ballast so as not to have to 'sit out'!

'Cydaq' Aeen here being launched in New Zealand. Welcome to Dwayne. Sept 2008, he has just joined us. Another boat we have never come a cross before.

Sailing well in the beautiful waters of Nelson Bays N.Z.

Gibbs 14ft dinghy, owned by Chris King. Design number 142 and boat number 82. We look forward to seeing her rigged and sailing!

Chris has been in touch with the yard at Shepperton, but although they were helpful, stated the records had been destroyed by fire years ago and they had no information on the design, wonder if anyone else has...

Just a quick e-mail to say that I believe I have identified my Kenneth Gibbs design. I sent an e-mail to the membership Secretary of the sailing club local to Shepperton who passed it on. By chance, one of the readers had become friends with a John Emmerson, whose father was a founder member of the Club. I spoke with John and he says it was his father who approached KG with some drawings, KG designed the boat and the Halcyon Class was born! I got loads of information from John and it was a pleasure to talk to him.

It was featured in the January 1950 edition of Yachting Monthly, a copy of which I have borrowed from my boss, and I am sure it is the same boat.

I have asked him to check out your pictures and also sent him some close-ups of mine to see if we can get a visual confirmation of their identity.

Watch this space!

'Nolly' This Beautiful looking Senior is owned be Alex up on the Wirral. She is rather unusual in that she has an inboard. A 4 hp Stuart Turner. Gunter rigged.

Alex has contacted us to sell her, details of her are on the For Sale Page.

She has a trailer too.

'Wagtail' renovated by Ron Hockey some years ago and now owned by new member Colin Heaviside.

Seen here sailing on the Blackwater. A fine looking Senior. Pleased to have you aboard Colin. Hope to see more of her in future.

'Lapwing', pictured her as she was in about 1999, she is in need of love and attention now though and for Sale of the 'For Sale' pages.

'Lapwing' is a fin Keel Senior, and she has been based on the Norfolk Broads for a while.

U/K Senior at Woodbridge July 2009, snapped by Nigel from the Eventide 'Otteau'. She is obviously loved, any one know who owns her?

'Wagtail' Richard Crockatt's lovely Senior. She was rebuilt by Ron Hockey some years ago, after being recovered from the back of Osea Island. A beautiful job he made of her too!

Wagtail is moored at Pin Mill and I suspect we will see her at meets next year.

Sadly August 2010 we hear she is for sale, see our pages... Step forward the new owner Bryan mott.

I've just enrolled, having been unaware that the somewhat sorry looking craft which I found abandoned under a tree, on a farm in Hertfordshire has turned out to be yachting monthly Senior.

I had no prior knowledge of boats prior to purchasing this, however was looking for a project during a lean spell of business 4 years ago.

The boat is now ready to go except for the mast which is too far gone to be usable and will be replaced.

The craft had no docs, marks or plates, however I am told that the previous name was "Benny The Ball" !!

Spencer Perry

		Careful Taken many moons ago on the Norfolk Broads, where is she now?

		The picture on the left of 'Careful' was taken some time in the 1950's I suspect, with the designer Kenneth M. Gibbs at the helm, Miss K. M. Palmer of Y.M. his crew! A Y.M. test! Picture has just been sent to me from Australia, thanks to Brian Poole.

		Pau Amma This Senior was owned for many years by Martin Lewis, and sailed every creek in the Thames Estuary, and I do mean EVERY creek, if it were too shallow, he got the dinghy out!

		Pau Amma I took this pic of Martin off Bradwell many years ago, the young couple on board went on to build one too.

		Name not known. Could it be Senior No 1 ?

		Sandpiper Expertly sailed by David Showell and Catherine, here seen on home water, the R. Blackwater.

		Mikros This is Geoff's boat, one of our advisors and founder member. He has an excellent web site with more pics, click here to see them!

		Mikros, seen here off Cornwall

		Mikros - Owner by Geoffrey Hyde-Fynn and seen here at Bradwell marina.

		Mikros Here on the beach at Cawsand I believe, a lovely spot just into Cornwall!

		Mikros

		Mikros

		Heretic, owned by Chris Sinnett. This Senior is constructed in glass fibre hence the name - good eh!

		Heretic Here seen in UK inland waters, now she in in Holland!, Where Chris lives.

		Heretic Seen here at launch, easily raising the mast!

		Heretic Outside his home in Holland, power washing off at the end of the season.

		Heretic

		Heretic

		Heretic

		Heretic

		Heretic

		Heretic

		Heretic

		Heretic

		'Vagabond' Was owned by Richard Doherty and lived in Hampshire. This Senior is now sold via this web site, we are waiting for the new owner to be in touch. April 2005, welcome to Paul Moktar the new owner, we hope for more photos later.

		'Vagabond' Thanks to the new owner Paul for these pics. As you can see she is in fine fettle. Paul trails her, sailing from Orford and hoping to investigate the Harwich Harbour area next season...

		Not sure where she is here.

		This looks a bit like... any Essex creek! Paul is also experimenting with a gunter rig for her, like to see the pics of her under sail next season! See further down the page for an update, May 2006, she has just been sold and Paul has bought 'Compass Rose'

		Ready for a new owner... SOLD We hope the new owner, who may have seen her here, will be joining us.....


		A Senior at West Mersea, The owner was shy, do we know who it belongs to and a name? Thanks to Colin Jarman, the editor of 'Sailing Today' who saw this, we now the name is 'Asenath Ann'. June 06. Bit of an odd one that... maybe the owner can enlighten us... John Stevens has unearthed this snippet for me... According to the Book of Genesis, Asenath (אָסְנַת, Standard Hebrew Asənat, Tiberian Hebrew ʼĀsənạṯ) was an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph son of Jacob to be his wife. Now we know!

		I was idly thumbing through one of my books the other night I came across another Kenneth Gibb design. The book was by John Lewis, 'A taste for Sailing' the boat was one that he asked to be built, slightly modified, from this, the 'Matelot' design. Are there any others out there?


		The 'Freebooter' May 2006, I was sent a Yachting Yearbook from 1947, in it there were several Kenneth Gibbs designs, so I will add them to this page. At least one got built too, as there is a picture of it sailing!

		'Piskie' Owned by John Stevens and back in UK after a spell in the Netherlands! We look forward to more pics of this one! Picture taken on the Haringvleit, south of Rotterdam.

		'Piskie' Here she is emigrating from the Netherlands! The quickest way to cruise to The UK from Holland in a Senior?

		'Piskie' Happiness is a Weekend on a Senior, somewhere in Holland! Domestic Bliss. Seagull at the ready!

		'Piskie' Launching, just arrived at her new home from the Dunkirk/UK ferry

		'Piskie' Another pic of launching day, the motley crew, his words not ours, all hands make ready for launch.

		'Piskie' Repairs in hand! With a Wooden boat it is always possible!

		'Piskie' Showing the other side undergoing repairs too. Rubbing strake removed, top of hull to be replaced. Showing gap where taken back to good timber. Thanks to John Stevens for all these.

		'Piskie' John Steven's Senior in Mike Hoban's huge back garden, ready for some epoxy work when it gets warmer!

		'Only a Monkey' Is undergoing restoration and has sold to Stuart Keane.

		'Only a Monkey'

		'Shelduck' Sailing in the Blackwater with the owner, Tony on the helm. Tony is one of our Senior advisors. He had sent in some great pics and we have made a page for him, Click here for more pics

		'Tuppence' Nick Vass has sent this pic in, this boat was to be cut up! Nick has rescued it and done a great job of it! Hope to see more pics later!

		'Patience' Robert Whiting's new acquisition. She is to be based at Pin Mill, we hope to see more of her out and about.

		'Matilda' John Stevens, one of the steering group and the owner of Senior 'Piskie' has aquired an interest in 'Matilda'. Had he not done there is a good chance she might have been firewood by now. Pictured here on one of John Williams's trailers, about to leave the barn where she had resided for many moons.

		'Matilda' almost hidden under the dust and timber, about to see the daylight!

		Hoisting her out onto the trailer, not made easier because she was missing a bilge keel...

		More than a little work to do here, but it is possible... But wait is that daylight I see up forward? Oh Yes lots of it!!

		'Matilda' A good basis for a restoration? We will let you know.....

		At her new home, awaiting her fate..... No Sadly not worth restoring and has been broken up for her parts, which will no doubt appear on our pages!

		'Shelduck' out on the Blackwater day after Trafalgar 2005.


		'Ida Rose' Seen here in Norfolk on the Broads. She is also on the for Sale page at the moment, Dec 05.


		The Senior on the left was owned by Stewart Moxam. He has just sold her. Jan 06

		Senior and vintage Seagull!


		'Iona' As found in a farm yard. had seemingly been sailed in the Scarborough area for years, anyone know anything about her? We have no sail number, she has a set of Lysander sails and there is no trace of her on any of our records with this name, though she has had it for years.....

		'Iona' As she is now, pics taken last Summer. Mike Craddy her owner now has done a fair job of making her look pretty... He asks the perennial question, 'How do you stop the centreboard case leaking?' Any advice for him?? Apart from taking it all to bits and resealing........

		'Iona' September 2006 here she is after all that attention, about to get her bottom wet again!

		Launched into the briny! She looks very smart Mike!

		Mike with 'Iona' just a few more inches to go! sailing pics next we trust!


		'Compass Rose' This Senior is now owned by Paul Moktar. He has sold the other Senior he had, 'Vagabond' see towards the top of this page, in preference to this one, I think the rig may have something to do with it! She is Gaff rigged.

		Looking a little forlorn after being uncared for for many years, let's see how long it takes Paul to bring her back to her former glory!

		'Compass Rose' refitted and under sail again, September 2006! You cannot see the smile on Paul's face, but I can imagine it!

		Recently I acquired a small boat It carries the boat builders identification "Kenneth Gibbs, Shepperton, boat number 7". It is in need of a bit of attention and my efforts to trace the boatbuilder have been unsuccessful. Would you know how I could get hold of a set of plans for this boat to assist me with carrying out the repairs needed please? Many thanks Allan Jones 01445 712872 Any one any idea what it is, it is 20 ft long, no sails thus no insignia. Kenneth did design many craft, is this one of his?
		Hi guys, keep up the good work, the site is excellent. Just a thought about the 20' yacht built by Kenneth Gibbs, looks very similar to the plywood version of the Fantasie single chined boat designed by Robert Tucker back in the sixties. I have a set of plans and she looks very similar. I am still playing with Broads yachts, but I can see sometime I'll get the urge to sail on the Blackwater again and will end up with either an Eventide or Senior. Best wishes to you all Mat Gravener

		'Minuet' This series of excellent pictures have been sent in my Roger Harriss.

		Minuet is currently languishing in a barn but I hope to go sailing again next year. Attached are a few pictures of Minuet. As you can see she is well fitted out, with a fore hatch roller reefing rather nice doors on the cabin and comprehensively fitted out inside. but, have not been keeping up with things lately. Anyway I hope to drag it out of the barn soon and give it a birthday. It probably needs one.

		I am still not sure whether I will have to remove it’s lovely vitreous enamelled cooker/grill to obtain a boat safety certificate as I don’t have enough freeboard to stow the 10lb gas bottle in a draining locker above the waterline (to be replaced by a portable camping appliance that will be half as good and twice as dangerous). I did hear there were some concessions negotiated for low freeboard yachts on the broads

		Roger looks forward to meeting some of the members in due course.

		We hope Roger does get out again soon and we look forward to seeing more of Minuet!

		'A Senior With No Name' Charles in Canada has sent these pics of his Senior in. My boat doesn't have a name because when I bought her, she didn't have a name. This allows a strong possibility that during her approximately 20 years of existence the boat was actually given a name but I don't know it. If I was to assign a name, I would thus be changing a boat's name wihich is, as you know, bad luck. Why? Any sailboat (like mine) that has character and a decent amount of tractability is given the female gender. This has always been the case. Have you ever been so unlucky as to call a girl or woman by a wrong name? Did you detect her anger? That is why you don't change a boat's name. When using the VHF, I call the boat 'EVENTIDES', which is sort of her surname and is thus allowable. We like that! Charles says, I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This Senior was built somewhere in Canada. Certainly a smart vessel.

		(the aluminium mast and boom came from Mississauga Ontario, Canada), probably in the mid-1980's by someone I don't know. I'm at least the third owner - maybe one of more - maybe a lot more. I have had to do a great deal of work on the boat and she is now cosmetically a bit rough but perfectly sound structurally, with a good rig. She is a fine boat in every way but one. The performance in slop with light winds leaves a lot to be desired. She is a great sailer in every other way and particularly likes a good breeze.

		Also (not pictured) I reconditioned mechanically, but not cosmetically, a Seagull 2 (? - their smallest model) from the early 1980's that starts on the first pull and is good for calm days. (That I approve of, but feel a larger Seagull would help if it were a bit breezy, but then Charles would be sailing! John.)

		'Dabbler' This little craft joined us at West Mersea, launching at Tollesbury. On the Bank Holiday Sunday we escorted them out into the Blackwater in blustery conditions, F4/5 . Nigel and Heidi made it look so simple in the conditions, tacking right across the Blackwater and dropping a reef in as they went. St Peter's Chapel can be seen just off her bow!

		Here Nigel is shoehorning their dinghy back on board and into it's bag, before scuttling out of Besom Fleet Mersea, to intercept us at the Nass.

		Reefing the main. She is a cutter with a gunter rigged main. Nigel was worried he had rigged it incorrectly, but it looks OK to us!

		Sensibly dressed for a craft like 'Dabbler', especially when there is a call to put a reef in, Nigel attends to the main.

		U/K Senior, for sale at Brundall, in Norfolk, seen on the net. Which one is she?

		Senior 'Nancy Blackett' soon to be renamed by her new owner, Stephen Philips. Could be 'Yuletide' or 'Windfall', will amend when we know.

		Stephen has her in New Zealand and used to work for Yachting Monthly and Classic Boat, so no stranger to wooden craft like the Senior I suspect.

		Nice shot of her bow, looks a clean and neat boat.

		Nancy Blackett again, February 2007. Steve still tells me the name will change, I think he just wants to be 'Ruthless' (Get it?) What, never read Swallows and Amazon's, shame on you!

		Nice varnish work, though Steve tells me it is going to have to be redone next winter, N.Z. winter!

		Apparently having got hold of garages, to hopefully store her in, she only just goes into the largest one, because of the overhangs on the trailer and spars....

		'Taro' Senior built by Roger and Rita Jones, seen here on Osea beach in the Blackwater about 1973. Roger and Rita went on to build the experimental Eventide 26 in Ferro, that was such a success. 'Contaro' She has a page to herself in the builders section!

		'Tavi' This Senior is in South Africa and Pete the owner thought it was the only one! however it is different, she has a fin keel, working through a lead keel bolted to the underside of the hull. He thinks she may have been a centreboard version that was converted. She is also built in GRP, one of only 2 we know of, see 'Heretic' above.

		Pete has sent these classic before and .......

		......after pictures. Looks good Peter!

		'Tarka' Owned by Danny. No sooner had I entered 'Tavi' than her sister ship comes along! 'Tarka' was built in GRP from the same mould and is also in South Africa! She was built with a fin keel as well but later converted to centreboard for easier trailing.

		Here she is sailing on a dammed lake about a mile from Danny's home, very convenient! It was a bluster F4-5. with 2 reefs in the main and a jib set he is making 4.5 knots

		Danny says the tiller control was copied from an idea seen on the web and works like a charm. It enables him to go forward whilst sailing.. Hope you trail an emergency release line Danny! You can see the advantage of the centreboard version, very shallow draft. however many fit internal ballast so as not to have to 'sit out'!

		'Cydaq' Aeen here being launched in New Zealand. Welcome to Dwayne. Sept 2008, he has just joined us. Another boat we have never come a cross before.

		Sailing well in the beautiful waters of Nelson Bays N.Z.

		Gibbs 14ft dinghy, owned by Chris King. Design number 142 and boat number 82. We look forward to seeing her rigged and sailing!

		Chris has been in touch with the yard at Shepperton, but although they were helpful, stated the records had been destroyed by fire years ago and they had no information on the design, wonder if anyone else has... Just a quick e-mail to say that I believe I have identified my Kenneth Gibbs design. I sent an e-mail to the membership Secretary of the sailing club local to Shepperton who passed it on. By chance, one of the readers had become friends with a John Emmerson, whose father was a founder member of the Club. I spoke with John and he says it was his father who approached KG with some drawings, KG designed the boat and the Halcyon Class was born! I got loads of information from John and it was a pleasure to talk to him. It was featured in the January 1950 edition of Yachting Monthly, a copy of which I have borrowed from my boss, and I am sure it is the same boat. I have asked him to check out your pictures and also sent him some close-ups of mine to see if we can get a visual confirmation of their identity. Watch this space!

		'Nolly' This Beautiful looking Senior is owned be Alex up on the Wirral. She is rather unusual in that she has an inboard. A 4 hp Stuart Turner. Gunter rigged.

		Alex has contacted us to sell her, details of her are on the For Sale Page. She has a trailer too.

		'Wagtail' renovated by Ron Hockey some years ago and now owned by new member Colin Heaviside.

		Seen here sailing on the Blackwater. A fine looking Senior. Pleased to have you aboard Colin. Hope to see more of her in future.

		'Lapwing', pictured her as she was in about 1999, she is in need of love and attention now though and for Sale of the 'For Sale' pages.

		'Lapwing' is a fin Keel Senior, and she has been based on the Norfolk Broads for a while.

		U/K Senior at Woodbridge July 2009, snapped by Nigel from the Eventide 'Otteau'. She is obviously loved, any one know who owns her?

		'Wagtail' Richard Crockatt's lovely Senior. She was rebuilt by Ron Hockey some years ago, after being recovered from the back of Osea Island. A beautiful job he made of her too!

		Wagtail is moored at Pin Mill and I suspect we will see her at meets next year. Sadly August 2010 we hear she is for sale, see our pages... Step forward the new owner Bryan mott.

		I've just enrolled, having been unaware that the somewhat sorry looking craft which I found abandoned under a tree, on a farm in Hertfordshire has turned out to be yachting monthly Senior. I had no prior knowledge of boats prior to purchasing this, however was looking for a project during a lean spell of business 4 years ago. The boat is now ready to go except for the mast which is too far gone to be usable and will be replaced. The craft had no docs, marks or plates, however I am told that the previous name was "Benny The Ball" !! Spencer Perry