Tuesday 27 July 2010

Stella Toucan


Great excitement last weekend, as Stella number 62, Toucan, made the long journey to Mersea from Dundee.

Stellas were originally designed and built on the Essex coast, 50-odd years ago, but as their popularity increased, some were built further afield. Toucan herself was built in Scotland, so while this isn't exactly a 'homecoming' for her, she will surely enjoy the company of so many other Stellas in her new location.

Toucan is shortly to be the star of her very own blog, which will recount her history, her 13-hour road-trip south and, with any luck, her slow - but steady and loving - restoration and eventual (fingers crossed) re-launch.

Meanwhile, here are some pics of her journey and the condition she's in. Quite a project. Probably a mad one, but . . . . well, we'll see what happens.









And the Toucan/Guinness connection is certainly going to be a source of entertainment on various levels. Incidentally, on a literary note,  it's a little-known fact (and one I had forgotten until recently researching toucanalia on the internet) that the original advertising slogan for Guinness which employed the toucan was none other than Dorothy L Sayers:

“If he can say as you can
Guinness is good for you
How grand to be a Toucan
Just think what Toucan do”



To find out more about Stella Class yachts, click here.

5 comments:

geraldgee said...

Nice to see you back with West Mersea news...

Sherry O'Keefe said...

i'm loving this. i live in a land-locked state. trade you some vast land for some of the water in your shots.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful boat. Wishing her a very happy restoration

WOL said...

Oh, the irony. Where I live, we have great weather and way more than our share of wind, but we're 600 miles inland and there hasn't been a body of water worth speaking of here in 450 million years. . . . The closest I'll ever get to sailing in real life is roller skates and an umbrella. But thanks for sharing all these beautiful boats.

I think that fellow in the blue jersey is going to need the phrase "but she has great bones. . ." -- at least until others can see in her what he has seen with his heart's eye. Ain't love grand?!

Juliet said...

Thanks for the comments, everyone. WOL, the 'fellow in the blue jersey' was the one who wanted to get rid of her! 'tis the fellow in the striped jersey atop her in her new home, who fell in love. And I can see his point. Despite the recent surveyor's report . . .

Hoping Toucan's own blog will be up soon, so those who are interested can follow her progress.