Calendar subject to change at short notice.
Please click on an event in the calendar for full details.
Weekly meetings take place on Thursday evenings and are normally held in the ‘MBA Lounge’, formerly known as the ‘Times Square Hall’, at the VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, Surrey unless stated otherwise under Venue in the programme.
If no specific event is listed it will usually be a social evening.
Meetings start at 20.00. – Talks start at 20.15 unless stated otherwise in the event.
Laying Up Supper
Final details have now been confirmed as follows: Venue: Ristorante Il Capriccio, 43-47 High Street, Ewell Village KT17 1RX Time: 19.30 - 22.30 Price: £28 per head. To include 3 courses, coffee and gratuities. Payment to the club account as soon as possible please. Drinks: Not included. Order and pay for your own drinks on the night. Menu Choices: You may choose on the night. Parking: There is a large carpark in the service road directly behind the restaurant. Access from the carpark to the restaurant is through a small passageway which is signed il Capriccio and leads directly to the rear entrance of the restaurant. Parking is now 50p for the whole evening. Please Note - There will be no meeting at the VBS Stadium this evening
The Beacon Story
Detailing the history of this ancient communication device and the story in pictures of the three year campaign to raise a replica Armada Beacon in Banstead after an absence of approximately 300 years
Joshua Slocum DVD
Joshua Slocum was the first person to sail single-handedly around the world. He was a Nova Scotian-born, naturalised American seaman and adventurer, and a noted writer. In 1900 he wrote a book about his journey, Sailing Alone Around the World, which became an international best-seller
Annual General Meeting
MBA Lounge VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SurreyThe Annual General Meeting will take place this evening. Full details will be sent to the membership and will be available on the Members page.
Swan presentation
Dave Smith Lounge VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SurreyThe members of Sutton Mariners that took part in the cruise to Norway aboard The Swan, tell us about their experiences. All visitors welcome
Solent Old Gaffers
MBA Lounge VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SurreyGuest speaker Sue Pennison from the Old Gaffers based in the Solent.
Photographic Competition
MBA Lounge VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SurreyOur annual photographic competition, ably organised by Derek Fowler, takes place this evening. The judge this year is Paul Waller, Associate of the Royal Photographic Society. Paul is Chairman of Kingston Camera Club and produces some excellent photographic work, including amazing 360-degree panoramas of ornate ceilings. Paul has kindly agreed to show us examples of his work in the second half of the evening
Guest speaker Di Murrell returning to Sutton Mariners
Dave Smith Lounge VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SurreyThis Thursday we are delighted to be welcoming back, unfortunately for one last time, Di Murrell. Those members who were present at her talk 5 years ago will know this will be an excellent evening. Di says her talk will give us the ‘backstory’ to her award winning book - ‘A Foodie Afloat’. Her culinary journey tells us much about the joys (and realities) of barging across the French landscape. Slow boat and slow food - what better combination is there?’ Di Murrell and her husband Tam have lived and worked on barges and canal boats transporting goods eventually owning ships, barges, tugs and a boatyard. With the decline of freight on our inland waters Di and Tam took their converted barge across to France enjoying the food and running barge handling courses. Di has written two books - The first, Bread & Barges, about the history of the development of the Thames, barges and the grain industry and A Foodie Afloat, which describes "the story of a cook’s journey through France on a barge.", and was the 2020 UK winner of World Gourmand Cookbook Awards for Food Tourism Boating, history and food - promises to be a fascinating evening. One to bring your friends along to, even if they're not sailors! For background information see About Us (foodieafloat.com)
Cape Horn illustrated talk and Sea Shanties
MBA Lounge VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SurreyGuest speaker Chris Roche (in the yellow jacket) has shantied across the seven seas for much of the last 40 years just like his mentor the late Stan Hugill and was inspired by Stan to go to sea in traditional square rigged ships to find out how the shanty might have been used at sea in a modern age this was not as easy as one might think. Chris hopes to encourage others with his tale of adventure. Way back in 1991 Chris joined the square rigger Søren Larsen known to any who have seen the Onedin Line, currently being rerun on Talking Pictures TV, for her voyage across the great Southern Ocean Sydney to Montevideo being driven engineless by the wind alone. This then is the story in an illustrated talk of that voyage across the vast 7000 mile expanse Auckland to the Falkland Islands. A shanty here and there and the odd salty story add the flavour of the sea.
Visitors are welcome on any Thursday club night held at the VBS Community Stadium