A few years ago it struck me that the Gulls were in danger of extinction. There was no website and effectively no class association and apart from contacting the makers, there was no real way of contacting other Gull sailors. I had been to a couple of Gull open meetings. At that time there were 2 a year, a Nationals and the Inlands at Horning and through going to these events I met a few other Gullists. Back in the Autumn of 2004 a few of us decided to meet at Ullswater to do some simple cruising. After a breezy sail to Howtown where we cobbled together a simple lunch whilst sitting on the rocky shore under an angry sky, we set sail again back to Watermillock in some very strong winds. Despite our potential watery demise I became totally taken with the Gull and realised that I would have to do my best to promote the boat.
I started by posting a simple website that was, in my own opinion, poor. There was a photo gallery, a for sale page and a link to the forum that we still use now. But other than that it was not really up to much and I removed it after about a year. I wasn't aware of the concept of the 'blog' at the time but eventually I decided that a blog would be a good (and free) way of providing a Gull presence on the internet. The blog has gone from being a simple way for me to post some action pictures to becoming a rallying point for Gull sailors everywhere. Through the blog we have amassed a large following of sailors who we now even see on the water and at last it seems as if the Gull is a boat that will survive well into the 21st century and beyond! There are also a few other Gull blogs springing up which is great news for our online presence (you can visit these blogs by clicking on the links to the right of this page). I can recommend keeping a blog as it is a great way of storing your pics and memories online where they can't be accidentally erased from your own computer. But for those of you that would like to post pictures and articles without the effort of designing a blog we always welcome them here at Gull Dinghy Sailing. You can send any pictures or articles to me at chrisabela(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk.
We have had a particularly good season in 2011 with several visits to Rutland including a long weekend of camping there and a great trip to Ullswater. Rutland seems to be the perfect venue as it is in a good inland and central location, free from the challenge of tides but not free from wind. But there are lots of other locations that we need to explore. Perfect Gull sailing locations include - South Coast; Poole harbour, Langstone Harbour, Chichester harbour. Inland locations (other than Rutland) include; The Broads, Derwent Water, Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston and Lake Bala in Wales. East coast rivers such as the Deben and Blackwater. And there are countless other places to sail. I would like very much to explore new locations in 2012 and it would be great if you could join me. So please suggest some locations and potential dates so that we can promote them on this blog. Also, Santa brought me a new GPS unit that I need to try so let's go somewhere new! It would also be great to have another camping weekend so please let us know what dates would suit you best. Another suggestion would be joining the DCA for their Holy Island cruise. It's certainly one that I would like to do if I can fit it in - http://dinghycruising.org.uk/holy-island-rally-2011 - The date of this event for 2012 is yet to be announced.
So, please get involved. Send us your pictures or even start your own blog. Let us know where you would like to sail and maybe we can get a group (or flock) of Gulls on the water. Get in touch with us here or visit the forum.
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