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An occasional look at the ebb and flow of the Thames

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Tag: book review

Books

Guiding lights since the days of King Henry VIII

02/10/201429/05/2015Mort SmithComment(0)

I suppose it’s not surprising that someone like me who loves messing about in boats – either on the river or at sea – has a corresponding interest in the workings of the Corporation of Trinity House.

Exploring the Thames Wilderness
Books Events

Set sail on a new pastime

23/05/201319/01/2014Mort SmithComment(0)

Ashford’s Queen Mary Sailing Club pushes the boat out with dinghy for aspiring disabled sailors

Books

Ties that bind man and boat

04/04/201329/12/2013Mort SmithComment(0)

One of the things I’ve always loved about boating is the fascinating array of skills that it has engendered. That includes everything from basic seamanship to weather prediction, from understanding how a diesel engine works to finding the correct technique for sculling.

Canals of Britain
Books

Time to research Stuart’s guide to our resurgent canals

17/01/201326/02/2013Mort SmithComment(0)

For those of us who love messing about on boats, we normally have favourite stretches of waterway where we love to spend time.

Learn to Sail
Books Local people

Learning how not to sail

10/06/201203/12/2012Mort SmithComment(0)

It’s no secret that I’m a complete sailing addict and have been for most of my life.

Mark Chisnell’s book Sailing Gold
Books Recent developments

Key to unlocking lock dilemma

31/03/201203/12/2012Mort SmithComment(0)

As regular readers of this column will be aware, I’ve often expressed doubts about the Environment Agency’s decision not to replace resident lock keepers on the Thames and to rent out their empty houses to the public.

Books

It’s well worth a little dip into the UK’s waterways

29/01/201203/12/2012Mort SmithComment(0)

Authors have written books about rivers for hundreds of years – and that’s simply because waterways are fascinating subjects, having played a major role in the development of our towns and cities, agriculture, industry, trade and, in more recent decades, leisure and relaxation.

Books

A boat owner’s ABC

20/04/201103/12/2012Mort SmithComment(0)

How many times, as a boat owner, have you stood and puzzled over a technical dilemma?

Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate Change
Books

Book for a rainy day

06/02/201103/12/2012Mort SmithComment(0)

One of the most frustrating things about planning a day out on the river (or the sea for that matter) is that you can arrange everything to your liking with one notable exception – the weather.

Books

Well, wooden it be nice…

16/12/201002/12/2012Mort SmithComment(0)

It’s wintertime. There are icicles hanging from the gunwhales of your boat and even the water in the bilges is frozen solid. Spring seems a long, long way away and you’re wondering how to fill those dark evenings and dreary weekends.

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Get in touch

To contact Mort, email him at mortsmith32@gmail.com or call him on 01787 226974. He’s always pleased to hear from old friends who provided such a wealth of information and great stories for Riverwatch.

These columns appeared in the Surrey Herald.

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