What Next?

Blog posts are all about upbeat news; stuff designed to make readers envious. At least that's what I feel when I read some of my favourites, not least a new one called Marginalia. http://www.eyeinhand.com/Marginalia/

It's often the stateside blogs which make me most envious and this one is no exception. Here he is swanning his melonseed around a big pond in the lee of Assateague island, a sandy barrier north of the Chesapeake which looks so exotic. It's probably disappointing when you get there, but that's the joy of the internet, and the magic of Google Earth in particular which allows you to swoop down into other people's back yards.

I shouldn't say this, but when I get an enquiry for a boat I will often Google Earth to see where the fellow lives, from which you can tell a great deal about his or her serious intentions. Dare I say it, but a caravan site off the M6 is less likely to yield an order than a detached house in West Sussex. That's the pity, as the guy in the caravan's need to escape would be far greater, but for the lack of dosh. If I were a millionaire boat builder (is there such?) I would build for free for those whose needs are greatest and that would rule out the very, very rich. But I'm not...

Not a lot on the horizon for Viking Boats at the moment, but we have been shortlisted for a Classic Boat prize, I am told, and before you say "bribery and corruption" or "nepotism", the fact that I write a monthly page of nonsense for the magazine or that I bought the editor a pint of London Pride the other day has nothing to do with it.