Hannah Tall (Solent) recalls being an OGA kid

Growing up with my sister on our beloved Gipsy III always felt like an adventure. From turning the cockpit footwell into a shallow paddling pool, to being wary of the ultra-short safety line as our ‘naughty step’ our childhoods naturally adapted to gaffer life.

I vividly remember feeling great pride as I collected small padlocks for the lockers when helping to put the boat to bed; we all had a duty no matter the age. The Yarmouth Regatta (formerly known as the Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival ‘YOGAF’) was always an event to look forwards to. Endless crabbing and messing around in dinghies with fellow boat kids was the agenda of the day. I also have the festival to thank for my love of sea shanties and my, back then, unwavering dream of being a pirate. In fact, I was convinced that any man with long hair was a pirate so I would follow them in earnest, hoping to join their crew.

You’ll be pleased to hear that, at the age of 26, I have grown out of this; however the sailing adventures continue. Last year I gathered up my savings and bought Miss Ningi, a beautiful shiny red Carra 16 day sailer. I can’t wait to see where she takes me and what better boat to mess around in whilst I work on transitioning from crew to skipper.

First published in the December 2024 Gaffers Log