Any minute now the sun will come out and you will feel racked with guilt that the tiller is still on the bench in the garage, you haven't planned a weekend to antifoul and you promised that this year you would give those bilges a good going over. Don't worry you're not alone! You might not think of Arthur Beale as a place to buy your paint and varnish but you could be pleasantly surprised! We have just produced a new Paints and Varnish Catalogue that we hope to release on 23rd February. We have...

In the past we have supplied some pretty appalling dross which describes itself as "Emergency Navigation Lights". They remind me of CATNAPs which in certain engineering worlds apparently stands for " C heapest A vailable T echnology to N arrowly A void P rosecution". Pretty much useless items. So when a friend asked me if we could supply some for her yacht I was a bit concerned. She needed to make a daytime passage but if the wind wasn't favourable and she lost the flood then it could end up...

I found this wonderful picture on Google Images - it is credited to Cleo Barnham I do hope she doesn't mind. It was very embarrassing the other day when a French Journalist asked to interview me about the Vendee Globe. I knew the race had started but I had completely forgotten about it so I declined to be interviewed. It is a shame that the UK newspapers give no coverage to this challenging event especially as Alex Thomson is doing so well. I'm gripped by it now! The lead boat Banque Populaire...

Yes our online deliveries are still FREE. Why not take a gentle stroll through our Christmas Gift Section. Who knows, you could solve all your present buying conundrums in one fell swoop and enjoy a completely stress free Christmas! Click here for our online Christmas gift ideas...

With the cold weather persisting don't get chilly. Arthur Beale are the largest London stockists of Devold Norwegian Woollens. If you haven't tried wearing merino thermal base layers then you are in for a treat. We stock the top quality Devold Expedition Merino Long Johns and Tops in various styles and colours. Take a look at the Merino Thermal Zip Top shown above - it is designed for extreme conditions and proven on several Polar Expeditions. The base layer is 100% merino wool and the outer...

There will be some real Mischief Among the Penguins this weekend as I battle to control a large waddle of them in our new Christmas window display. However this will be a mere mini-adventure compared to the antics of our friend H.W. Bill Tilman! H. W. ‘Bill’ Tilman was one of the greatest adventurers of his time, a pioneering climber and sailor who held exploration above all else. He made first ascents throughout the Himalaya, attempted Mount Everest, and sailed into the Arctic Circle. For...

If you get into a bit of a tangle with your hitches then why not come along to Arthur Beale on the Thursday and brush up on some basic seagoing knots. There are still a few places left. Price £5.00 includes some practise ropes etc. Please email talks@arthurbeale.co.uk to reserve your place.

On Thursday evening we had a virtually full house to hear Philip Temple talking about the adventurous expedition that he took part in to land on the remote Antarctic Heard Island and then climb its 9,000ft volcano which happens to be the highest peak in Australian Terriory. The yacht was skippered by none other than H. W. Tilman. The story is also told in full in the newly released book "The Sea and the Snow" which would make a great read for anyone interested in expedition sailing. The...