'Cachalot': the story of a Kentish smack yacht

We visited les Sables d’Olonne in January 2025, watched two participants in the Vendee Globe finish and then crossed the Gironde Estuary from Royan to le Verdon-sur-Mer by ferry, retracing part of the passage of ‘Cachalot’ in 1955.

Steve had been doing some research, talking with James and Jim, about how to fix the engine. He returned to Suffolk in the Freelander on 13 September, then drove down to join Peter at the Southampton Boat Show.

Catch up with what we did on the OGA Summer Cruise, 2024. There are also two posts telling the whole story in words and pictures.

The second part of the Summer Cruise involved a couple of days exploring Walton-on-the Naze followed by a night at Stone Point, the Pennyhole Bay Race and a couple of days in the River Orwell. Find out what we did in the first part of the week here.

Given our late start to the sailing season, it was good news that the Cruise started later this year. We met the Gaffers for a couple of days in the Deben and sailed down to Walton for gin-tasting at the Sailing Club.