Anonymous wrote:
Patrick
In April 2020 I received an e-mail from Robert (Bob) Heeley who once was the owner of China Blue. He sailed over to Stavanger in August 2004 and participated in a JRA-rally there, the first of four. Unfortunately, the boat could not sail with the others due to a damage in the rig (lazy-jacks?), but he participated in person (.. see ‘school picture’ in JRA Newsletter 44 - he stands in a green shirt behind me...)
In this e-mail he tells about a really fast trip back to Southern England. With a little gale from North he covered 640NM in four days - averaging about 6.6kts - and being singlehanded.
As he reported to be 88 in 2020, he must have been 72 when doing that crossing.
Not bad!
As for your weather helm problem: I suggest you contact JRA-member Paul Thompson. He will show you how he built a new and better rudder for his 32’ La Chica.
Good luck!
Arne
Dear Arne,
I have had the luck to get in touch, by email, with Bob Heeley. This was 3 month ago. He told me about China Blue and of some of her adventures.
He wrote about how he discovered and bought China Blue, from the people who built her. She was in Greece at the time, and he sailed her back to England , going through many places (see his comments at the bottom of this page: https://leblanc.pl/china_blue/index.php/les-photos/).
China Blue was built by a father and his son, George and Henry Young. George died shortly after Bob purchased CB, but Bob is still in touch with Henry. It was Henry who sent him that picture of a painting of China Blue, this picture is at the top of the same web page mentioned above (and attached to this message).
I really wish I could hear and record all the memories that Bob said he had with China Blue. But he is now 89, and he seems to be still very active and busy. I would feel embarrassed to hassle him. But I promised I will do my best to sail China Blue to Norway again, it is for the moment my ultimate dream.