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In September, we traditionally begin to think about putting our classic craft to bed for the winter and drawing up the inevitable list of maintenance tasks, wants, and needs. Yet, year after year, I find that this month is anything but quiet. In fact, for me, September is often the busiest period of all and this year is no exception.
On 13th September, we proudly took part in the Dunkirk Little Ships Veterans’ Cruise at Penton Hook - a poignant and memorable event that never fails to remind us of the history and heritage at the very heart of what we do. To be on the water with these vessels and their veterans is always both a privilege and a highlight of the season.
Many Dunkirk Little Ships made their way to the Thames Traditional Boat Festival back in July as well. The turnout for the show was fantastic, and the music and the Illuminated Parade made the evenings ashore almost as much fun as ogling at fabulous boats during the day.
There were in fact a few drops of much-needed rain during the TTBF, but not enough to put people off purchasing their first boat, with the happy result that HSC sold more boats, directly as a result of being present, than in previous years.
We were also able to visit and list for brokerage one of the stars of the film Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan and released in 2017. 'Hilfranor' and other Dunkirk Little Ships took part in the film with their owners at the helm in most cases.
Following these events, 'Chinese Georgie' has made her way to the Southampton Boat Show, where she is proudly featured for sale on the increasingly popular Wooden Boat Arena. Amidst a sea of fibreglass, it is always the wooden classics that draw the eye – a reminder of the craftsmanship, romantic charm, and sheer individuality that no mould can ever replicate. Built in 1936 by Chris-Craft, 'Chinese Georgie' is standing out as one of the stars of the show.
But to rewind a little – September began in style with the Classic Boat Festival at St Katharine Docks, London, part of the ever-expanding Totally Thames Festival. This annual gathering has grown in strength and stature year on year, bringing together not only exhibitors and friendly restaurateurs, but also a truly diverse fleet of traditional craft.
On display, the Dunkirk Little Ships make up a large proportion of the festival, but they are joined by an eclectic flotilla of Starcrafts, Ramparts, Silvers, Thames barges, and tugs. The result is a spectacular sea of varnish, signal flags, and fairy lights – a living celebration of our maritime heritage.
With vessels open to the public, this unique event allows those who may never have set foot on a traditional craft, or indeed any boat at all, to get up close and even step aboard. It is a festival that has earned a permanent place in my diary and one that I will not miss.
It has certainly been a slower season across the boating world, and there is no doubt it is a buyers’ market right now. But that also means it is a wonderful time to find the right boat if you have been dreaming of ownership.
Over the past couple of months, we have seen some very special vessels move on to new custodians. Slipper launch 'Windflower' has found her forever home and has already been spotted by slipper enthusiasts enjoying the river this summer.
We still have a fine selection of slipper launches available, including a fabulous Freebody-built 'Laughter', an original Andrews 'Blue Ripple', and two Woottens – 'One Lucky Girl' and 'Drusilla'. If you have always hankered after one of these icons of the Thames, now is the time to buy.
We are also delighted that 'Samanda', a cabin launch with such personal history, has moved on to her next chapter – a wonderful outcome knowing she will continue to cruise the waterways.
For those who prefer canal cruising, 'Plover B' is a new listing on our books, perfect for adventures along the canals.
On a more personal note, with my long-standing dedication to the Dunkirk Little Ships, I am absolutely thrilled to share that 'Janthea' has now been sold.
After over 40 years in the same family, she will soon move on to new horizons with a collector who truly values the Little Ships and is deeply passionate about their preservation. As these vessels become scarcer with every passing year, their significance and collectability only continue to grow.
While I have been busy at the helm of HSC and holidaying with my family at weekends on our very own beloved 'Gay Venture', Gillian finally had time to leave the Thames and explore further afield with her family. Here are some highlights from her travel journal.
At the end of July, it was time for a break from the Thames and to enjoy some sea air with the younger members of the family. And so we headed for the Island of Anglesey, which I had not revisited for more than 50 years!
The sea views from our rented house were just fantastic and included sightings of the local Moelfre lifeboat going about its business (no one drowned 😊). Our daily routine included keeping an eye on the tides so that we could be on the rocks, ready for some crabbing at exactly the right moment each day.
In search of ice cream (also a daily requirement), we happened upon a guy rowing into shore with two large lobster cages teaming with life. Of course I had to go and find out more about his operation.
The aforementioned gentleman earned a living catching live lobsters for 30 years along this coastline, and apparently 2025 has been a bumper year. He was waiting for the local pick-up van to collect his catch, which we observed being weighed prior to being loaded into this white van, which was headed for a rendezvous in a motorway service station car park, where the lobsters would be loaded into seawater tanks in a much bigger air-conditioned lorry bound for Spain.
There is apparently no call for Scottish or Welsh seafood here in the UK. Yet if you head down to Lloret de Mar, or indeed any other Spanish resort this summer, you may well find yourself picking out of the live lobster tank some sad creature of Scottish or Welsh descent.
I did manage to find a restaurant on the other side of Anglesey, in Rhosneigr, where I could indulge my love of lobster and chips.
What was so special about this restaurant, which resembled an apres-ski style chalet in the Alps rather than a cute tea room, was that the business belongs to the Timpson Foundation. Not only do the Timpson family do your key cutting and shoe repairs, but they also have a hospitality training facility for ex-prisoners in the North West.
Interesting and inspiring, and frankly quite delicious.
A couple of weeks later, I headed south to France (sadly no lobster there either, as they had all gone to Spain) to visit French friends whom we had met on our last Ponant Odyssey, which I wrote about in November 2023. It was 20 degrees warmer than Wales and devoid of crabbing opportunities, but brilliant for relaxation and exploring the area around Toulon.
Toulon has an interesting naval history, being the erstwhile capital of French maritime construction. As we were travelling on the ferry from La Seyne-sur-Mer to Toulon itself, huge grey warships were in evidence, presumably awaiting maintenance, since the dockyards no longer build new ships, concentrating instead on submarine construction.
At the other end of the scale we admired the small wooden double enders which are winged up out of the sea on ingenious winched slips built of wooden tracks. Whether used for genuine fishing or simply as an alternative to a RIB, they certainly add to the appeal of the small coastal villages we visited on our evening strolls once the thermometer had dropped (!) to 30 degrees Celsius.
One of the joys of this particular holiday was sharing a road trip with our 16-year-old granddaughter Heidi. After Toulon we travelled west via Arles, where we spent two days engrossed in more cultural pursuits, such as visiting the impressive Roman remains and Hoffman foundations art museum known as Luma.
The final stop on our itinerary was the Feria in Béziers.
Why Béziers, you ask: well, believe it or not, Béziers has the misfortune to be twinned with the town where I grew up in the North West. I have no idea who decided that twinning Béziers with Stockport was a good idea, and I have no idea whether the twinning is still current. According to the internet there may be two reasons for a cessation of the previous 'entente cordiale'. One being the age-old tradition of bull fighting, and the other more political.
The Spanish influence is indeed very strong in Béziers, as witnessed by the four-day festive jamboree we happened upon, known as la Feria de Béziers. There was flamenco dancing, guitar playing and probably some bull baiting, which we didn’t witness. The streets were thronging despite the oppressive heat until about 3 am.
Possibly the highlight for us was the musical fountains with the backdrop of the Gypsy Kings singing the inevitable 'Bamboléo' as the colours changed on the refreshing fountain display.
We couldn’t leave Béziers without visiting the famous Fonseranes lock flight on the Canal du Midi. There are eight oval-shaped chambers with nine gates rising, or falling, a total of 21.5 meters over a distance of 300 meters. It is quite a sight.
I am totally in awe of the Canal du Midi generally, built so long ago, having been designed by Pierre-Paul Riquet, a native of Béziers. In designing the canal, Monsieur Riquet was aiming to link the Atlantic with the Mediterranean. It took 14 years to build in the mid-1600s and was opened in 1681. Sadly Riquet died in 1680, one year before the canal was opened.
While I was gone, the houseboat left its mooring in Henley for maintenance and to be sold at Bates Wharf in Chertsey.
In place of houseboat guests, we now appear to have a visiting mink!
Having sought advice, I'm afraid that if anybody else living near the river has spotted mink, we need to eradicate them as they are keen consumers of water voles.
Since I returned home, I have been enjoying river outings locally on board 'Spirit X', which is proving to be the perfect boat for entertaining.
If you are already starting to feel nostalgic about the summer, then do take a look at the amazing array of beautiful boats we have for sale currently on the HSC website, including 'Viola', a fabulously elegant Edwardian electric launch.
