It is not too far-fetched to think that one of the greatest
20th Century adventure writers is Adlard Coles. He wrote books describing
his voyages on the South Coast of England and beyond, noting the simple
pleasures of yachting in a small boat. His voyages were mostly unexciting, but his
detailed writing captures the essence of such sailing in a way unsurpassed by others.
Adlard Coles in later years
His classic book ‘Sailing Days’ evokes carefree days of
exploration in the 1930s.
Illustration from Sailing Days
A follow up book, ‘More Sailing Days,’ was written at
the end of the Second World War.
At the start of the book he describes how he sailed his 22
foot yacht called Zara from Itchenor to Wooton Creek on the day war ceased in Europe.
Zara
His
sense of gratitude is as follows:
‘I had bought the yacht in 1944 when, like multitudes of
others, I was longing for the time when I could get afloat again. And so you will
understand that it was a great moment in my life when a year later these
fancies grew into a reality and I found myself making the journey down to the
sea and to the little ship from which I had been separated.’
Adlard Coles 'on board'
PicoMicroYacht will launch again as soon as it is
possible and of course also my small yacht, Lady Elizabeth.
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