SOUTH-WEST
Ken duxbury r.i.p
The founder of the boatbuilding business which was later to become Cornish Crabbers has died at the age of 92. Ken Duxbury, whose long career also embraced naval service, sailing instruction, sailing journalism and the writing of a number of books on small boat sailing and navigation, passed away on 10 August. Ken was the author of the three-volume Lugworm series in the early 1970s, more recently reissued by Lodestar Books, to his great delight, as The Lugworm Chronicles. On retiring from sailing, Ken took up painting and was a well-known figure in the Cornish art community for many years. His wife ‘B’ was his crew in the Lugworm tales. arSon attacK
A restored classic yacht which was a feature boat at London Boat Show 2016 has been repaired for a second time by Mylor Yacht Harbour’s marine team after suffering fire damage. The immaculate 50-year-old McGruer 8m cruiser-racer Altricia was showcased at the London show in January following a painstaking three-year restoration by the master shipwrights. After the show, her owner Peter Methven OBE placed her in storage near his home in Gloucestershire – but the adjacent hay barn was set alight in an arson attack, and the boat consequently suffered serious heat damage and blistering to her starboard side.
Altricia is now back in the water having completed a successful sea trial, following work to remove all the varnish from her starboard side, coachroof and trunking, plus repair work to her topside planking.