Even more wooden boats of Hout Bay,the Cornish Lugger named Guide Me

In 1988,Judy Brickhill and Jon stayed over on the Hout Bay Marina some while with Guide Me, while Judy had another child,we knew them quite well at the time,I remember Jean and I having an invite for tea one day,Jean and I went below,its just and empty space inside! no toilet,thats a bucket and chuck it job.This boat did (Rio?) South America to Hout Bay,South Africa, in just 27 days with no engine,we did the same trip in 32 days in an Endurance 37 and we used the motor when ever it was calm,makes you think hey.


Guide Me,on the mud at Gweek,Cornwall,England,a recent (september 19th 2007) picture taken by Martin Halley.


GUIDE ME
FH 233

One of the last winners of those turn-of-the-century sailing races in Looe Bay, the Guide Me has sailed extensively across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and the East Coast of the States – despite having no engine. Built by Peter Ferris at Looe in 1911 for W Pengelly, she is 40-ft overall with a Cornish Dipping Lug rig and is now owned by Jon and Judy Brickhill.

They found her in the spring of 1977, rotting quietly away up Fareham Creek.

‘We knew she was a proper Looe lugger by her shapely hull but it was only after we’d bought her and motored her down to the Helford to start rebuilding her, that we discovered a little more of her history,’ recalls Judy.

A pilchard driver and long-liner, she fished out of various

South East Cornwall harbours until being sold on to the Solent in 1966.

In 1988, the Brickhills sailed south, via the Douarnenez Festival, to Spain, Portugal, Tenerife, La Palma and a two-week hop to Brazil for Christmas. They returned, via Cape Town, and later headed back to the Americas’ coastline.

Now based at Gweek in West Cornwall, the Guide Me remains a very swift sailing lugger.