We love to hear tales of adventures and fascinating boat histories and this summer, East Cowes Marina welcomed a visit from Rob Donald all the way from Sydney on his boat Misha.
Having left Sydney almost 2 years ago, Misha is on her second circumnavigation with Rob and his daughter onboard, with the final destination in Holland in the Feadship Yard where she was built in the 1930's, to meet the grandson of the builder. Since departing Australia, she has stopped over at a number of incredible destinations including Easter Island, Madagascar, Inacha Island off the coast of Mozambique, Richards Bay, Knysna Lagoon and Mossel Bay, Luderitz, the Azores, Penzance and two visits in the Premier Marinas network - Weymouth and East Cowes. An incredible journey!
From Bear-ly a sailor to Yachtmaster ready - the return of Big Bear Voyage
In August, Universal Marina welcomed the return of Big Bear Voyage back from their circumnavigation around the UK in support of BBC Children in Need. Universal berth holders, Jonathan and Jackie Brewin, visited 37 destinations around the UK as part of their 2,100m voyage, hosting 79 local engagement events featuring Pudsey Bear, in aid of raising funds and driving their initiative to spark conversations about children’s mental wellbeing and demonstrate the power of community to make a lasting difference for young people.
We are incredibly honoured to have supported Big Bear Voyage with sponsorship and welcome them to six Premier/Boatfolk locations including Weymouth, Dartmouth, Falmouth, Conwy, Brighton and Universal. Amazing news - their target of £70,000 has been raised and you can still donate towards this great cause online here.
At Deacons, Horizon has set off on her summer cruise, exploring the beautiful coastline of Brittany and the Channel Islands. Meanwhile, Rival Mischief is preparing for an exciting Baltic crossing later this year. We wish her crew fair winds and following seas for their adventure.
If you have a recent cruising story, favourite anchorage, or an interesting boat restoration project you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you for a future newsletter.
Letting nature take the lead
Duty Manager James Montgomery has been observing the remarkable environmental changes and benefits happening around Universal Marina: "Behind the busy day to day operations, a field once cut back each year has been allowed to grow naturally, transforming into a thriving habitat for local wildlife, attracting an increasing number of fox cubs, deer, grey herons, buzzards and even adders, reflecting a healthier and more diverse ecosystem around the marina.
"Connected to the neighbouring Holly Hill Woods, the grassland now forms part of an important wildlife corridor, supporting species as they feed, breed and move through the landscape. The initiative demonstrates how a busy working marina can successfully balance commercial operations with environmental stewardship, proving that giving nature the space to recover can have a lasting positive impact on local biodiversity."
