Early in 2020, before lockdown, I was visited by Paul and Robin to pick my brains before they took the plunge with their Morbic. Their resulting build is well described in Issue 144 of Watercraft Magazine, and they put it together in surprisingly quick time (well quick by my standards!).
Paul was in contact again, and told me he was hatching a cunning plan for a Morbic meet-up, and would I be interested. You bet! After some email ping-pong, the venue was chosen to be Cobnor Activities Centre, where Mike and Sarah are active sailors with Swefn. This was the ‘other’ Chichester Morbic 12 which had been rumoured by Adrian Donovan when I first met him at the boat show. I’ve never sailed from Cobnor, despite having taken the round-peninsula walk many times. With launching at any tide state, it’s an excellent starting point, if a little exclusive.
Mid-October is starting to get a bit brave, but there was a spring tide and a fresh southwesterly awaiting, so a trip up to Chichester Yacht Club was agreed. We would be joined by an intriguing 1/2 length model of a Tancook Whaler, with schooner rig and clipper bow, called Lapwing. Would be nice to get hold of the plans for that.
Mike, Sarah, Ben and Paul ready to launch 
Lapwing with full sail up
After some admiring each other’s handiwork it was time to kit up and launch. Mike opted for a single reef down, and social distancing meant that Proteus would be going as Three Men in a Boat, with full sail. As I still haven’t reeved my reef points on Boudicca, full sail it was.
We needn’t have worried, the rising tide sluiced us up the Itchenor channel in no time, and before long, we were all moored alongside the new pontoon at CYC.
Social distancing was to the fore at CYC, so we sat outside in the sun, and ordered from the menu. The fish and chips is to be recommended!
But today was not about eating, today was about sailing, so we set off with a following wind and ebb, with cameras at the ready. I had a huge advantage being one-up and a full sail, but we managed to get lined up for a few shots
Proteus was well laden with three lunches, but with the wind up her skirts, she looked very impressive!
Boudicca 
Swefn 
Proteus
We all got back in no time, and all in all, it was a very successful first meet of Morbics, and it was a pleasure meeting all involved. Paul is already working on plans for a repeat next year, with the hope we can track down the other boats out there. Alec Jordan has apparently sold 11 kits in the UK, so there must be 8 or 9 others somewhere.
Maybe we should also invite the Bosham International 12s – that would be fun!
Here’s looking forward to the next Morbic Massive Meet!
One last gratuitous photo of Boudicca…..
Photo acknowledgements and copyright to Paul, Robin, Tom and Graham