History of the Yacht.

1977

The yacht has been designed and built by Camper and Nicholsons at Gosportunder building number 50 in 1977.
A small number of these 31's has been imported by Peek Yachting and first used as demo boats.

1978

End of 1978 it has been bought by the first owner and commissioned in March 1979.

1991

The present owner bought her at the end of 1991 and put her a shore. During winter time some work has been done to the boat such as:

• New Perspex windows in the escape hatches.
• The electrical equipment renewed and improved with automatic safety switches and LED indicator lights.
• A so called Watt engine has been bought and fitted on a rail to the stern. This Watt engine was recently disconnected and removed, although is still available for the new owner.
• New handles and heavy foot blocks has been fitted.
• The fuel oil tank has been cleaned and a fuel gauze fitted.
• A foot pump fitted in the washroom
• A salt water foot pump fitted at the galley.
• Watertight sockets been placed where necessary.
• Windows provided with new special tape so the windows would be watertight again.

Furthermore some extra work was done to make her more suitable for longer trips.

1992, 1993

In 1992 and 1993 trips were made to the West coast of Scotland and the Hebrides, the South coast of the UK and the Isles of Scilly.
End of 1992 and 1993 she was placed a shore again.

• A Suzuki outboard engine had been acquired.

1993

• During the winter of 1993 a wind vane type Bouwvaan with steering lines fitted at the stern.
• A Philips Mk8 GPS has been acquired.  In 2015 the Philips GPS has been replaced by a new Furuno GPS GP32.
• A Raytheon radar has been bought and installed.
• Also a Navtex Lokata with paper printer has been fitted so at any time the weather forecast and safety information would be possible to receive anywhere.
• The life raft replaced by a container type and fitted on the cabin deck.
• The charcoal heater been replaced by a Taylor drip feed type with the tank on deck to prevent oil spillage.
• Also several other work was done to make her ready for the next trip in 1994.

1994

Together with some other yachts we sailed North along the coast of Norway, rounded the North Cape and sailed to Archangelsk in Russia.
In that year Russia celebrated 300 year of the Russian fleet in which the Dutch had quite a great influence during the Tsar Peter the Great period.
Also the Dutch commemorated the Willem Barentsz year.
The trip brought us into the White Sea and the Solovetsky isles, a former island for prisoners of the Stalin regime. A very impressive monastery at this island called the Kreml dating from around 1200 is presently under restoration. Monks are living again there now.
The mostly political prisoners had to work on the Belo Morsk  Baltiskaya canal. The numbers of those who died during these very harsh period are unknown. A small plaque has been erected in later years.
Through this canal with several old fashioned locks one can sail through the great lakes Onega en Ladoga and reach St.Petersburg.
We visited the beautiful city of Petrosavodsk and the open air museum on the island of Kishi.
During night time between 02.00 and 04.00 hour all the bridges are opened and ships can pass St.Petersburg to the Finnish Gulf.
A really very interesting trip indeed.
After visiting Finland  and the beautiful town of Tallinn in Estonia I leave single handed back to Holland.

1995

During 1995 Tarka stays a shore. I have been asked to join the crossing to Basil.

• Stoppers are fitted to the mast and boom, 
• Reliable mast steppes are fitted, so one can go up to the top of the mast without outside help.
• The VHF is equipped with the required ATIS and the possibility to use full power on all channels.
• A SWR meter installed.
• The yard equipped the boat with a teak rubbing stroke.
• The funnel of the heater needed some adjustments,
• Two folding bikes are bought and placed in the PS pilot berth and of course the usual maintenance work.

1996

This year we sail again with a group of sailors to Russia.
This time I sail via Lerwick on the Shetlands and from there round the North Cape to Murmansk.
We are proud to be the first foreign yachts to visit Murmansk under our own flag but alas in an icy weather.
Again we sail via Archangelsk, the Solovetsky, Onega and Ladoga lake to St.Petersburg.
In the far north of the Ladoga lake we have visited the isles of Valaam with the beautiful
and impressive monastery and cathedral with the copper dome.
This time the trip took place because it was the Tsar Peter the Great Year with several cultural exchanges between Holland and Russia.
On the Newa we were invited for a fleet review in front of our crown prince Willem Alexander and with a small group we visited the reception in the Little Hermitage attended by our crown prince and Dutch and Russian ambassadors and other dignitaries.
From there the Usual single handed sailing return trip via Tallinn and Gdansk back to Holland.

1997, 1998

In 1997 and 1998 the boat was preventive Osmosis treated due to her age. 
Several layers of Coppercoat had been applied as Osmosis preventer and long year Anti Fouling.

• The standing rigging was renewed with heavier SS rigging and oversized new Hasselfors turnbuckles.
• A spare forestay was fitted as a safety purpose and to use for the clew of the halfwinder.
  In case of real heavy weather this spare fore stay can be fitted by means of a strong pelican hook aft of the fore stay to accept
  jib1 or the storm jib.

• Both jibs are for that reason provided with hanks.
• The flexible engine supports are renewed together with the reduction gear coupling plates and seals.
• New mainsail and genoa be bought,
• Also a new spray hood fitted.
• 4 Cheek blocks with stoppers are fitted in the cockpit.
• Two extra ST winches fitted.
• A new cockpit tent bought and
• Cockpit cushions renewed.

1999

In 1999 we have made a trip via Helsinki and pass near Vyborg in Russia through the Finnish/Russian canal to the beautiful Finnish Saimaa lakes. We sailed to the opera city Savonlinna and Kuopio and admired the impressive Imatra weir. A really fantastic quiet area with a beautiful surrounding and friendly people.
From Helsinki the return trip via Tallinn, Gdansk and Peenemünde etc. Back to Holland.
The boat is placed a shore during the whole of 2000 for extensive survey and work due to the intended trip for 2001.

2001

That year we sailed partly through the Norwegian Indreleia to the Lofoten and leave from Andenes to Spitsbergen or Svalbard, some 600' North.  There we have spent many weeks and visited the main capital Longyearbyen, the former Dutch but now owned Russian Barentsburg, Ny Ċlesund, the settlement London, Trinityhamn and the Dutch whaling station Smeerenburg in the far North. A fascinating trip I had on my list for many years.
After the crossing from Svalbard to Norway the well know return trip along the Norwegian coast back to Holland. All together some 4.500'  

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

The boat is a shore during 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

• The hull repainted.
• A new propeller and shaft fitted.

Since 2005 I sail mainly single handed. She is very well equipped to do so.
Single handed trips have been made to Denmark and Sweden. Of course all the German islands are visited included the coastal harbours. The Greifswalder Bodden, Peenemünde and Poland. Norway and the Limfjord and St.Katharines in London. Many trips to the English East- and South coast with her beautiful rivers.

2009

This year again single handed to the East coast and St.Katharine Dock in London.

2015

• A new genua acquired.
• New Furlex drum and fore stay are fitted. 

2017

In 2017 the hull has been repainted with two component paint.
And the usual work done to keep Tarka up to date.

2018

In 2018, after attending the Boatsmarket at Hoorn, I crossed again the North Sea, single handed, to visit the UK

and on the returntrip France, Belgium and Zeeland.

I am very curious of the procedure in 2019 entering the UK due to the Brexit.

The well known “Yellow flag” is still on board of Tarka of course.

In summary: