Nancy Blackett

'Nancy Blackett', a Hillyard 7 ton cutter, built in 1931 is famous for being owned by author Arthur Ransome, who purchased her in September 1935. Ransome wrote his book We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea in 1936 (published 1937) about an unintended voyage of his "Swallows" characters from Pin Mill on the River Orwell to Flushing (Vlissingen) on the Goblin, a renamed for the book 'Nancy Blackett', Ransome undertook a similar voyage 90 years ago at the start of June 1936, arriving at Vlissingen on the afternoon of the 2nd, and used it and other experiences from sailing Nancy in the book.

'Nancy Blackett' is now owned by the Nancy Blackett Trust, whose aim is to sail and preserve her as much as possible as Ransome would have known her.