If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us
1 John 1:8-10
In my day job I’m a teacher. As I sit and write this I’m currently on holiday (yes, again…), but when I return to school next week it will be the beginning of a very busy time as I prepare my Year 8 pupils for their Common Entrance exam. Whilst I sit in Costa writing his, I hope that they are at home busily completing the homework that I set them. As always, I asked them to complete some past paper questions, which they are to mark themselves. I hope that the process of assessing their own work will help them to gain a better understanding of what the examiner will be looking for when their final scripts are marked. There’s always the temptation for pupils to mark their answers over generously, but as I always tell them, if they do this they are lying to themselves, since in order to improve they need to first admit that they’ve made mistakes and use this insight to improve their work next time.
John speaks today of the need to admit the mistakes that we make in our own lives. We need to own up to the sin that we commit. He tells us that “if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves.” God promises us that our sins will be forgiven if we confess our sins, but before we can confess our sins we need to first accept that we have sinned. Anyone who has acknowledged Jesus in their life but still believes that they live a good life and therefore is free of sin is lying to themselves. Indeed, John goes so far as to say that “the truth,” a true understanding of God, is “not in us.” We have misunderstood what it means to follow Christ.
John expands on this in verse 10. If we believe that our lives our free of sin, we make Jesus “out to be a liar.” He told us that we are sinners and called on us to repent our sins to find peace with God. If we say that we do not sin, then we are contradicting God, who has made it plain that in his eyes we are sinners. If we contradict God, then John tells us that “his word is not in us,” since it is God’s word – the words of Jesus, the Spirit-inspired words of scripture – that affirm that we are sinners. If we know and understand God’s word then it will be clear to use that we are sinners. If we still claim that we are not, then we do not know God’s word sufficiently well, or we have seriously misunderstood what God’s word says.
On the other hand, once we have accepted that we are sinners, we are able to confess our sins to God, to admit to our mistakes and to ask for God’s forgiveness. If we do this, then he will “forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” He will put our sinfulness out of his mind, and we will find our citizenship in his Kingdom. We can be assured of this because God is “faithful and just.”
How do you stand with this passage? Do you know and understand that you are a sinner? In which case, have you repented your sin and asked God for forgiveness? Be assured that if you have, God will forgive you your sin and purify you from all unrighteousness.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7
My two year old son has a very interesting way of talking about sunrise and sunset. Rather than talking about the sun rising or setting or talking he talks about the dark coming in or going. He used to associate the dark coming in with bedtime but since the clocks changed and he has been going to bed in the daylight, it has become increasingly tricky to persuade him that it is bedtime! He often objects saying that the dark hasn’t come in yet. Thankfully in the last few days he’s been a little happier and has managed to explain to me that it’s still light because “the clocks change.” Funny boy!
The verses in today’s reading say much of the light and the dark and how we live our lives. Having introduced his fellowship with Jesus in the preceding verses, John here begins to unpack some of the message that he and Jesus’ other disciples heard from Jesus. His first point is that “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” John associates God’s goodness with light. Since there is no darkness at all in God, John is stating that God is completely good; there is nothing at all within him that is anything either than good. The darkness that we see in the world, therefore, all the bad and unpleasant things are not of God; they do not come from God. How could they if there is nothing bad or unpleasant in God’s character?
If we “walk in the darkness,” therefore, if live our lives in a way in which our character is tinged by darkness, by badness, by unpleasantness, we are not living a life that reflects God’s character. If we say that we are Christians, that we follow God and follow Jesus’ example and yet choose to do things that would displease God, then we are liars; we are lying to ourselves, to those around us, and to God. We do not “live out the truth.” These are strong words for all those who think of themselves as Christians, since most, if not all of us, sometimes opt to do things that we know are not pleasing to God, but do them anyway. John tells us that if this is true of us, then we are liars.
In contrast, if we “walk in the light,” if we follow the example of Christ, then we can be included in God’s fellowship, we can be his sons and daughters, the brothers and sisters of Christ. And if we are the children of God, then we will be purified from all our sin, and forgiven all that we have done, through the blood of Jesus, God’s son. When Jesus died on the cross, free of sin, blameless and perfect in the eyes of God the Father, he paid the penalty for the sin of all people. Jesus wiped clean our lives and made us perfect in God’s eyes, so that we might join his kingdom, and share in Jesus’ inheritance. eternal life with his Father in heaven.
I find these words incredibly challenging, since I know that there are times when my words and actions dishonour God. Maybe you find this a challenge too. I am so grateful to Jesus for paying the price of my sin, however, and will resolve to do my utmost to walk in Christ’s light rather than in the darkness of the world. Will you join me?
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may also have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.
1 John 1:1-4
As I approach my forties, I’ve begun to realise that friendships come, and friendships go. For much of my life I have tried to cling to every friendship I have made but I have come to realise that this is not possible, even in the days of social media like Facebook. There are only so many friendships a person can keep up, and losing touch with friends is part of normal life. Despite this, one group of friendships has remained constant in my life; the friends I spent my school days with remain my closest friends to this day, even twenty years after leaving school. I suppose that one of the reason that these friendships in particular have endured is because of what we have in common; we’re all similar ages, with a similar outlook on life, and with shared interests. Perhaps most importantly, though, we have a shared history that holds us together. That might be why so much of our time when we meet up, much to the consternation of our significant others, is spent reminiscing about things we got up to at school.
At the beginning of his first letter, John, the writer of this letter, and also the Gospel that bears his name, speaks of a relationship that will endure, a relationship that he has and that he hopes others will find for themselves. He begins by stressing his desire that his readers “may also have fellowship” with him. He wants all those who read his letter to be united in friendship with him. Indeed, he says that this would make his “joy complete.” As he approaches the end of his life, he desires nothing more than for all of his readers to join together with him in fellowship.
The friendship that John refers though is more than simply an earthly relationship. He says this his fellowship is “with the Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ,” and those who enter into the fellowship that John writes about will also enter into this eternal fellowship. John doesn’t just want us to be united with him, he wants to show us how it is possible for us to be united with Jesus Christ, God himself. The bond that John envisages will endure because it is built around shared interests, namely a belief in God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ. More importantly, though, this fellowship will endure because it is not simply a bond during this lifetime, but an eternal bond. Fellowship with Jesus is not something that starts and ends with our birth and death. John affirms, as he did famously at the beginning of his Gospel, that Jesus has existed “from the beginning,” before the creation of the universe, the earth, and of humanity. Similarly, this fellowship has no end point, since it brings eternal life.
How can John be so sure about this? He sets out his case here. He says that he has seen Jesus with his own, eyes, he has touched him. As one of Jesus’ closest disciples, one of the fishermen whom Jesus called right at the start of his ministry, he was privileged enough to spend a great deal of time with Jesus. He saw him, and he heard him. He marvelled at Jesus’ miracles, he listened to Jesus incredible teachings. He saw him die on the cross, and he saw him raised to life. At the same time he understands the eternal nature of Jesus and that when he touched his hands, he was touching the hands that quite literally created the earth, which gave life to all people, and now want to restore the life originally envisaged to all those who enter into his fellowship. It’s not surprising that John feels such excitement regarding his fellowship with Jesus, and not surprising that he wants to share his experiences with us now in the hope that we too will come to know Jesus, and desire to enter into his fellowship.
John was a witness to Christ’s ministry, and he testifies the truth of all that he saw to us. He wants us to share in his joy. Do we accept all that John tells us? Do we believe that he speaks the truth? Will we join him in fellowship with Jesus? Will we make John’s joy complete by joining in an eternal fellowship with God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ?
Yesterday my parents-in-law came to visit. My father-in-law, Chris, has been desperate to see Goshawk of Møn, and he’s also very practical, so he came at just the right time.
A couple of weeks ago when we last took Goshawk out, I started her engine on the mooring, and all went very well. Later on, though, when I tried to start the engine to head back to the mooring, there was no power there at all. This was despite the fact that the batteries were fully charged and there was power running to the domestic circuit with no issue at all.
Our time on Goshawk yesterday, therefore, was spent with the various engine covers off trying to work out what the problem was.
The back of Goshawk’s engine
We quickly discovered, as many on the Westerly Owners’ Association Facebook page had suggested, that the 15 amp fuse for the engine circuit had blown. Never fear, Goshawk’s previous owner had left a bag of 15 amp fuses in the tool box (perhaps this should have aroused my suspicions)! We changed the fuse, and, hurrah, the instrument panel lit up! What’s more, the starter motor started and the engine did its best to start. It didn’t start first time, so we tried again; no lights on the panel. Guess what? The fuse had blown again!
We changed the fuse, and the same pattern repeated itself.
Eventually we managed to get the engine started and went for a quick motor up the river just to ensure that all was well. Thankfully, once the engine was running it went like a dream.
Father-in-law Chris at the helm, wife Claire enjoying the ride
We attempted to work out why the fuse keeps blowing and Chris suggested that the switch might be slightly dodgy. Although it looks okay to the naked eye it’s possible that there might be some corrosion somewhere that we can’t see. He’s suggested blasting it with a can of air, so next time I’m up I’ll try that. Chris’ diagnosis of a dodgy switch is supported by a poster on the Westerly Owners’ Association Facebook page, so I suspect this is the cause.
Motoring on the Stour
Otherwise we had a nice time just pottering around on the boat, doing a couple of other tasks. I refastened the halyards, replaced the carpet that got wet last time we were aboard, restocked our galley essentials (tinned meatballs, coffee!), checked all the seacocks, and just enjoyed looking at the shore from the boat, rather than looking at the boats from the shore.
As I noted before, and as a famous rodent once said,
There is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.
Goshawk didn’t leave her mooring today but, as we’re heading home today, I spent some time pootling, tidying and sorting.
The first task was to take a multimeter to the batteries to establish whether the problem we had starting the engine was due to lack of power in the batteries. Thankfully both of the batteries registered as fully charged. This is good news, because I had thought they should have plenty of power and was really confused if this wasn’t the case. It does mean that the mystery surrounding the engine remains. It seems really odd that there was power at one point, but then an hour later, nothing. I’ve asked about this on the Westerly Owners’ Association Facebook page and the consensus seems to be that there’s a dodgy connection or wiring somewhere between the batteries and the engine panel, so this will be my first investigation when I return to the boat.
For now I’m relieved that I don’t have to lug the batteries off the boat to charge them!
Next up, having established that Goshawk is now on the correct mooring, I checked over the ropes to ensure that she is adequately secured. The last thing I want is for her to break free! I can now relax knowing that she is properly secured to a decent, well-maintained mooring.
My next task was to try to establish why there was so much frapping around the mast. I managed to tighten all the ropes I could find, and turned the main halyard around the mast a couple of times before tightening it on the cleat. This, I think, has reduced the frapping a little but I think there’s something in the mast (probably the electrical cables I guess) that are still moving around. Hopefully this won’t irritate people on the shore too much. (Personally I really like the sound of halyards frapping – it always reminds me that I am by the water!)
I then moved onto the jib sheets. I wanted to tighten them a little, but this was also a great opportunity to play around with the self-tailing winches. I think I’m getting closer to understanding how they work, but I’ll have another good look and a bit of a play before I take Goshawk out again.
Finally, I did a quick check of the seacocks and gas, packed up anything perishable, and did a quick clean and tidy so that the next time we head out, the boat isn’t a complete mess.
And that was about it!
It really was lovely pootling around on the boat today. It was relatively warm and very sunny, with just a gentle breeze. Goshawk looked great, the river beautiful, and sitting in the cockpit listening to 5Live whilst carrying out trivial tasks was just wonderful.
I have told Claire that I won’t make her a boat widow by constantly sitting on the boat undertaking trivialities, but I have no doubt that I will be able to while away many an hour this summer aboard Goshawk!
The day after Goshawk’s maiden voyage, when I had sailed her from Titchmarsh Marina to Wrabness with a great deal of assistance from my cousin James, I was desperate to take my whole family for a short sail around the Stour.
We started a little later than planned (we had, of course, to drive to Costa in Harwich to take advantage of their ‘any hot drink for 50p’ promotion), but we rowed out to Goshawk around 13.00. Claire got to work making lunch (beans on toast with cheese on top), whilst I checked the engine was operational (it was) and attempted to work out how to hoist the sails. In the cabin it was discovered that Goshawk has a very efficient grill. Up on deck it was discovered that hoisting the sails looked easy enough.
After lunch, we raised the sails, and I discovered my first difficulty; how on earth does a self-tailing winch work? I seemed to end up with masses of rope from the main halyard around the winch, which I’m pretty sure isn’t supposed to happen. Nevertheless, the sail went up, and the jib pulled out nicely. I dropped the mooring and off we went!
We went off at a decent pace, and with the sails set pretty well, even if I do say so myself. We had a decent (but bitterly cold) breeze from the east, so after a quick run to the west, I began taking up to the east. The previous day we tacked three times (I think), and James made it seem incredibly easy. Actually, I found out that it wasn’t quite as straightforward as I thought it was. Again, the problem was my ignorance of self-tailing winches; how do you release the jib sheets to tack? How do you pull the jib in again swiftly? And how, on earth, does a self-tailing winch work anyway?!
Five year old Daniel was desperate to take the helm, so I quickly gave him a go. Another difficulty encountered here – Daniel couldn’t see where he was going! Claire grabbed the bearing compass, though, and Daniel proved surprisingly good at following a bearing! He’s learning about compass directions at school next term, so hopefully this will give him a head start!
Despite the issues with the winches, we had a really lovely sail, at one point hitting 5.7 knots, which I didn’t think was too bad. Claire even managed to do the washing up whilst Goshawk was heeling well (well done, Claire!). Daniel really enjoyed helming, and Lily, 4, just loved being aboard. So all bodes well for the future.
Unfortunately, at the point we decided to head in, things got a little more eventful. I decided to start the engine before dropping the sails, but when I turned the key, absolutely nothing happened. We had no power whatsoever. I still have absolutely no idea why. I had thought that we had charged the batteries fully whilst hooked up at Titchmarsh, and boosted them whilst travelling under engine the day before, but either this didn’t happen, or something else went wrong between me starting the engine successfully on the mooring before our departure, and failing to start the engine at the point we decided to return.
We were left with no option but to return to the mooring under sail. No problem, I thought. A Centaur is just a large Coble (a sixteen foot day sailer I’ve sailed for many years); how hard can it be?
Since unsure about which is my mooring, we headed back to my brother’s, which we completely missed. With a river full of moorings and no other boats, I decided just to head for the next one. Claire managed to hook the mooring buoy, but unfortunately, although the sails had no power, the force of the running tide just made it impossible to hold onto. I tried to grab the boat hook, but there was no saving it, and the boat hook went overboard.
Not ideal.
With no engine and no boat hook we found ourselves in a somewhat tricky position, so I dropped the anchor and we decided what to do next. Claire took the children ashore in the dinghy, whilst I packed the sails away.
When Claire returned, she volunteered to tow Goshawk to a nearby mooring, which she successfully did. (That’s what comes of being on your university’s rowing team!)
Back on shore that afternoon, we established that the mooring we had put Goshawk on was not particularly reliable, so I decided to move the boat. With no engine and a fairly stiff onshore breeze, I wasn’t entirely sure how to do this. I went out in the dinghy, however, and with assistance from shore was finally able to locate the mooring that I had bought. It was some distance from the mooring Goshawk was on, but there was another between the two, that wasn’t far off the mooring Goshawk was currently on.
I went aboard Goshawk and found all the rope that I could. I then rowed out to my mooring and tied a piece of rope to the metal ring. When that rope ended, I tied another to the end. Then another to the end of that. Then another to the end of that. I didn’t quite have enough to reach the mooring between where Goshawk was lying and her proper mooring, but when I removed the dinghy’s painter and attached that, it just about reached. I then tied this to the mooring.
The next step was to tow Goshawk the relatively short distance from the mooring she was on to the next mooring out. I tied Goshawk’s painter to the centre thwart in the dinghy, took a deep breath, and rowed like crazy. Initially I didn’t think anything was happening, and with the tide falling fast actually began to wonder if she was beached. She wasn’t, and very slowly, inch by inch, I managed to tow her to the next mooring. When the reached the mooring, I tied her to the end of the very long rope attached to her mooring. Then, very carefully, inch by inch, and praying that the rope didn’t snap or my knots come undone, I pulled her out to her proper mooring, where I was finally able to tie her up.
This ended up taking far longer that I had anticipated, and was much harder than expected. But I accomplished my crazy mission, and got Goshawk out to her very own mooring!
Not a technique I would recommend though.
I need to establish the battery problem and buy a decent boat hook so that I never have to do this again!
And so the day dawned, after a cold night aboard; time to make our maiden voyage on Goshawk of Møn.
The day began with a warm shower in Titchmarsh Marina’s newly refurbished shower block, followed by breakfast aboard. It was at this point that I realised that I had failed to buy bowls in my hurried trip to Sainsbury’s, so cereal was eaten out of mugs, tumblers and even sauce pans.
Whilst faffing (something that I excel at) we were visited by Roy, a fellow member of the Westerly Owners’ Association who I had ‘met’ through the association’s Facebook page. Roy has a Discus at Titchmarsh, and, as well as admiring Goshawk, he was able to give some tips and advice over tea and coffee aboard. I’ve been really impressed with the Westerly Owners’ Association since I bought Goshawk back in September; they really are a kind, friendly, helpful and supportive bunch. Membership is well worth £15 a year!
A little later my cousin, James arrived. James is an experienced yachtsman and yacht racer, and I had managed to persuade him to help me with my maiden voyage. This turned out to be an excellent idea!
James was able to open the water tank cap so we filled it up and added a hefty dose of Milton, which we allowed to work its magic for thirty minutes or so before flushing the tank through a couple of times.
Meanwhile, an engineer from French Marine Motors arrived to check over the engine and to run it in for a a while. Thankfully no issues!
Then it was time to pack away, bid farewell to Claire, my wife, and daughter Lily, who were not accompanying us on this epic voyage (someone had to drive the car around to Wrabness after all), before cranking up the engine and departing.
We managed to leave at 13.15, just fifteen minutes after my planned departure time. This gave us plenty of water to navigate through the narrow channels of the River Twizzle and the Walton Backwaters whilst eating lunch. My mind instinctively went to the adventures of the Swallows and Amazons in Arthur Ransome’s classic, Secret Water, set as it is in the Backwaters. It’s also one of those books that I instinctively turn to when I need something warm, gentle and reassuring in those periods when life gets too stressful. I was also able to point out Stone Point to my son Daniel, where many years before I had camped as a child with some of my friends from Wrabness.
We continued underway by engine until we passed Pye End buoy, where we put the boat head to wind, and raised the sails. Sails up, we cut the engine and began sailing Goshawk. And what a tremendous experience that was! Goshawk’s sails are in excellent condition, and she sailed really well, better than I had expected and could have hoped for. With James to take the lead, to advise and to coach, Daniel and I felt in safe hands and were able to enjoy sailing our new boat without any of the worry that I would have had if I had attempted the trip without him.
As we rounded Harwich, I got a text from Claire to tell me that she and Lily would be waiting for us on the Ha’Penny Pier, so we sailed in as close as we were able (the wind shadow from the Navyard Wharf prevented us from getting too close), and we were able to wave to each other. Claire was also able to take some great action photos of us.
Daniel had been feeling a little unwell since we had put the sails up, but as we entered the Stour he began to feel much better, and was even able to share some of his classic jokes with us (most of which have the punchline ‘poo poo!’ There’s nothing quite like the sense of humour of a five year old boy!
As we approached Shotley Gate, I sent a quick text to my Grandmother, whose back garden rolls down to the estuary, to let her know that we would be passing her house soon. We were able to see her really clearly waving a tea towel at us as we passed, and we waved back. Her next door neighbour was also able to get some excellent photos of us as we passed.
By this point we were well into the Stour Estuary and I was reminded quite how long Parkestone Quay is. It just seems to go on and on and on forever! Eventually, however, we were able to leave it behind us as we pushed on past Erwarton and Harkstead on the north bank.
A good, steady breeze from the south west meant that we were able to sail up the Stour estuary in one tack, and before we knew it we had reached Wrabness. We sailed past a good cluster of boats moored off the east shore before heading to wind, starting the engine and dropping the sails to head for our mooring. James was keen for us to approach under sail, but not having the first idea which was actually my mooring, I thought that this might be unnecessarily difficult. It transpired that we would be the first boat to arrive on the west shore for the summer, which made it even harder to recognise my mooring, In the end we gave up and picked up a random mooring, which turned out to be my brother’s, at about 17.00.
We managed to pack away fairly speedily and Claire dutifully rowed out to pick us all up.
All in all, a really great day’s sailing. I could not have been more happy with how Goshawk performed. I have read mixed reviews of how well Centaurs sail, but based on my experience on this day, I have absolutely no complaints.
As we rowed to the shore, I was able to appreciate Goshawk’s beauty. It is always far better to judge a boat’s appearance when she is on the water rather than on the hard standing, or even alongside a pontoon. And she really is a beauty.
Thanks to James for helping me with the sail, and to all the photographers who took such great pictures as we sailed.
Frantic phone calls were made last week: I had arranged for Goshawk to be anti-fouled, the engine to be reconditioned, sacrificial anode replaced, and for a gas safety check to be undertaken. All phone calls confirmed that, oh yes, of course all the work had been completed. Perhaps I need to be more trusting and less frantic!
Yesterday lunch time, once my wife, Claire, had returned from her night shift and packed not just her stuff, but also the children’s stuff (she really is awesome), we drove from our home in Sussex to Titchmarsh Marina, where we found Goshawk newly launched and waiting for us on the pontoon.
Then we started trying to ascend the steep learning curve!
First things first – locate Goshawk’s electrical input from shore power, and plug her in. Of course, the socket was in, quite literally, the last place I looked; in the stern locker.
Electricity sorted, time to sort the gas. Easy enough to do, but I was a little perplexed that the regulator wasn’t connected to the pipe work. Perhaps my mistake – perhaps it shouldn’t be?
Next, locate the cap for the water tank. Easy enough, but completely seized…
Then the loo, and my first introduction to seacocks. I had to re-read the loo manual to work out how to operate the flush, but couldn’t see any seacocks. A quick question on the Westerly Owners’ Association Facebook page led to a quick answer – under the seats next to the cool box. Oh yes! Process of elimination enabled me to work these out fairly quickly. A working loo – hurrah!
By this time my parents had arrived (the first time we have seen them since October), so time to put the kettle on. This led me to find the cabin gas tap in the cupboard under the stove. Job done.
Next up, try to find somewhere to stash all the food and kit (and books, and toys) that we had brought with us. I didn’t think this would be straightforward on a 26 footer, but it turns out there is masses of storage space on a Centaur – albeit mostly under the cushions on the seating!
And so we were just about sorted. Dinner was cooked and eaten, children were put to bed in the forward cabin, our dinner was eaten, and it was time to relax and enjoy our very first evening aboard our very own boat! And what a lovely place to be; the Walton Backwaters really do have a unique beauty all of their own, enhanced by the chugging of a passing motor vessel.
The boat was actually pretty warm when we boarded, and remained warm throughout the day. In the evening we were very thankful to have the electric hookup as it enabled us to run a small fan heater that I had purchased for the purpose. By the time we went to bed, the boat was warm and toasty.
Sleeping in warm clothes, thick sleeping bags and underneath duvets I wondered if actually we might have overdone it, but by 3am the cabin was rather on the chilly side (-4 outside!), so I was very glad to be able to pull my sleeping bag up to my chin and feel warm and cosy, and sleep for another four and a half hours
As we count down the days to Goshawk’s launch on April 12th, and our maiden voyage on April 13th, I’m pleased to announce that Goshawk of Møn now has her own Instagram account. Find us @goshawkofmon!
Why did I decide to buy a Westerly Centaur? Clearly months of research went into such a significant decision, didn’t it? I’d like to say yes, of course, but actually that couldn’t be much further from the truth!
I’ve wanted a yacht for many years; probably most of my life! I grew up on the banks of the River Stour on the Essex/Suffolk borders, and still spend as much time by the river as I can. My family have always been into boats; my grandfather was a very keen sailor and an astonishingly good amateur boat builder. When I was a babe in arms I went out in his Drascombe Lugger, and subsequently his Cornish Coble.
When I was probably about eight, my grandfather built four Optimists, one of which came to my brother and I. I spent many happy hours in my Oppy, and subsequently progressed to a Topper. By the time I got a Topper of my own, I was spending most of the summer on the water with my my brother and our two best friends, having all kinds of adventures. Our favourite activity was for the four of us to take three Toppers out and switch around, capsizing, jumping off, swimming from boat to boat, and racing. So much fun!
A rare photo of me sailing my Optimist
When I was a little older, my parents also bought a Cornish Coble, which we still have. The Coble is the perfect estuary sailor, and I’ve had hours of fun taking my friends, and subsequently my own family, sailing around the Stour. We’ve ventured to Manningtree for an ice cream, to Stutton Ness for picnics, to Harkstead to walk to the Baker’s Arms, to Shotley to visit my grandparents, to Pin Mill to visit the Butt and Oyster, and the Walton Backwaters to camp on Stone Point.
Teaching my son to sail the family Coble
Throughout all this I’ve always hankered for a yacht; a boat in which we can venture further afield, make a cup of tea, use the loo, and sleep overnight. Since I’ve got married and had two children, this hankering has only grown.
I’ve had a (rather half-hearted) boat fund for some years, and, despite looking at yachts from time to time, it didn’t ever feel like the right time.
Sadly, in 2020 my grandfather passed away. It was he who gave me my initial sailing experiences, who built me my first boat, and who taught me so much about boats and the skill of sailing. He left me some money, and it seemed only fitting that I should invest this in a yacht. So the search began.
My Grandparents at my wedding
One of my friends at Wrabness managed to buy a Micro for next to nothing. It looked like a great little boat with a good turn of speed, and also potentially the space for my son and I to go off on the occasional overnight trip.
I found a Micro for sale in Manningtree (where else?) and went with my mum, my wife and my son to take a look. It quickly became clear that this wouldn’t be the right boat for us; just not enough space, and too rough and ready. I was a little disappointed.
A Micro 18
I found myself reflecting how much I really wanted a boat. It was clear that if I was to achieve my dream, I would have to commit quite a bit more money to the acquisition of a boat. I decided that yes, I did want a yacht, and that there would never be the right time to make a purchase. Aware that I was not getting any younger, and neither was my family, I decided to take the plunge, find a boat, and make a purchase.
My next thought was to buy a Cape Cutter 19. I have long admired the Cape Cutter, and it seemed like the perfect boat for us; four decent berths, not too large, easy enough to pull out and store on a trailer in a field, and offering decent sailing on an estuary. It quickly became clear that Cape Cutters are not too easy to get hold of! I found a possible boat, but it was in the Lake District – a very long way away from the east coast! I researched how much it would cost to get the boat delivered to Wrabness, and it wasn’t a stupid amount of money. I tried to arrange a viewing – but got precisely nowhere.
A Cape Cutter 19
It seemed to me that Cape Cutters, although not reaching the ridiculous prices of something like a Norfolk Gypsy, are not cheap for what they are. I started shopping around a little more to see what I could get for my money. I quickly found a number of Westerly Centaurs advertised at a reasonable price (less that I had been looking at spending on a Cape Cutter), but offering a lot more boat – 26 foot, as opposed to 19 foot.
In August 2020, we managed to escape the pandemic for a few days in France, and on our return opted to spend a quasi-quarantine period in Sussex rather than heading straight back to Wrabness. Whilst at home in Sussex I found what looked like a Centaur in excellent condition, and advertised at a sensible price. I contacted the broker and arranged to visit the boat at Titchmarsh Marina that same day. We all jumped in the car and drove up to Essex.
Sales particulars for Goshawk
The boat in question was, of course, Goshawk, and I was immediately smitten. From the outside she looked exceptional, especially considering her age (she was launched in 1973). She also looked pretty good in the cabin. Sitting in the cabin looking around me at the space available – four decent berths, one in a separate cabin, a loo in a proper heads compartment, a decent saloon and galley – it occurred to me that a Centaur would be absolutely perfect for my family. It also occurred to me that Goshawk was in superb condition, and that I was unlikely to find a better example of such an elderly boat.
Aboard Goshawk
Keen to avoid a rash decision, I drove home to think about whether I should buy Goshawk. I spoke to my uncle, a keen yacht sailor, who advised that Centaurs are excellent boats, but the asking price was on the high side. He suggested that I make an offer subject to survey, and got a qualified yacht surveyor to take a good look over her.
So that’s what I did! I phoned up the broker and made an offer, which was rejected. He came back with a counter offer, which I accepted, subject to survey.
Goshawk came through the survey with glowing colours, and a short while later I took possession of her.
Subsequently, I’ve done some online research about Westerly Centaurs, and it appears that I made a very good choice. It transpires that the Centaur is one of the most popular British boats ever launched, with 2,444 built between 1969 and 1984. A significant number are still around today, and they have diehard fans. Designed by the very highly regarded Jack Giles of Laurent Giles, they were the first mass-production yacht to be tank-tested in the design stage. Centaurs were designed with state of the art twin keels – which, for an east coast sailor, is absolutely ideal. They have been a popular choice with families as they are well-built, strong, safe and sail well. For my family and I, the Centaur looks like the perfect boat!
Hopefully that will prove to be the case when we get Goshawk in the water in a few weeks time, and spend the coming year getting to know her better.
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