We have a wooden clinker sailing boat. Sounds awful grand except for the fact she is 10ft long and tippy.  When afloat with my son there is a definite tendency towards feelings of impending doom as we orchestrate our movements about the boat. Our problem is my son. Don’t get me wrong I love him but I’ve fed him every day and he’s grown. So ultimately, it’s my fault the little boat has to go.  (Or my son? But no, I’ve grown attached.)

We went sailing the other day, as we hoisted the little red mainsail with its attached pirate flag, I realised we would need to make a move to a larger boat.  We arrived at a little sandy bay and decoratively draped ourselves over rocks as we ate our picnic and looked at the sea.

A man and young boy aged about 5 came over and told us we had the prettiest little pirate ship. They told us about their problem. They have a little creek where they want to row a little boat but their boat was too big.  That afternoon we went to have a look at their Drascombe.

Our new little boat has a pirate flag, three reddish-brown sails and more room for the boy. A yawl rig with a main and mizzen mast, she looks like a perfect pirate launch. I used to have a Drascombe years ago and fell in love with her forgiving and stable ways. They are my kind of boat; less about speed and more about the potential for adventure.

As we sailed up the loch, we passed the creek and our new friends wave to us from their little wooden clinker boat. It looks the creek has been taken by pirates. We are heading for deeper waters. A great day to start a new adventure.