“Stress Free”, Hollowshore CC, Oct 19

Duncan Wells.

DUNCAN WELLS, author of the highly-regarded “Stress Free” series of instructional books and DVDs on sailing, motor boating and navigation, will be guest speaker at Hollowshore Cruising Club, Faversham, on Saturday October 19 at 7pm. There is no entry charge, and visitors are welcome. He has a wealth of experience as an RYA instructor and skipper, and as Principal of Westview Sailing School, which produces the Westview Sailing RYA shore-based Day Skipper and Yachtmaster video tutorials used by RYA students. His presentation will include “robust” techniques for casting off and coming alongside from the cockpit. Hollowshore CC’s clubhouse is at Youngboats Yard, Oare Road, Faversham ME13 7TX.

St Ayles Skiff Talk, Faversham, Sat 21 Sept

Alan Thorne has arranged for Alec Jordan to visit Faversham this weekend, to talk about the St Ayles Skiff community boat building project. All are welcome to this talk at the Prifier Building, 2.30pm. Faversham Creek Trust is supporting Alan to develop a Community Boat Building Project for Faversham. After Alec’s talk, Rosemary Devos of Coast for Life will be speaking briefly about her ambitions for developing connections and actions, bringing together people all along our coastline to bring many benefits to our communities.

Lena Reekie

We are sad to announce the death from cancer of Lena Reekie, who founded the Faversham Nautical Festival and was the match secretary of the Kentish Sail Association for over 40 years.

Dick Durham writes, “I know it’s frowned upon these days to describe a person by their physical appearance, but if you were describing Lena Reekie to an alien you would say: ‘She’s slim, blonde and Swedish.’ Had the alien then been blessed with the good fortune to be invited to her birthday bash last August, as I was, he would have bought the wrong greetings card: one which read: ‘Have a Happy 60th Birthday.’ That she was 80 surprised Lena as much as everyone else. ‘I know,’ she said, ‘I know,’ in her husky voice, when I protested, genuinely, that this could not be so. If I can get halfway near to approaching my own demise with the grace, good humour and happiness that Lena displayed, I will die a happy man. RIP Lena

Read more on Kent Online…

Revenge meets her end in Faversham Creek

A sad end to the Revenge. After occupying Sun Pier illegally for months the ill-fated “pirate ship” fetched up in Faversham Creek before being cut adrift, whereupon she went aground with her masts across the channel. Peel Ports cut the masts off to reduce the obstruction and now someone has put a torch to her. From the look of her frames she was a well-built vessel.