I have completed six paintings of pond yachts, this being the second one. It’s a subject I enjoy, the challenge of water, reflections, and placing the boat in the water rather than on it.
On a quiet morning, with a breeze whispering across the pond’s surface, a small wooden yacht catches the wind. It begins its graceful journey across the water. No engine hums, no remote controls click—just the silent partnership between wind and sail. This is the charm of pond yachting, a pastime as old as sailing itself, born from the hands of seafarers and craftsmen who shaped miniature vessels for children to treasure.
Why do we make model yachts? It’s in our nature to mimic what we love. For sailors, it’s a way to keep the sea close even when they’re ashore. For children, a pond yacht becomes an explorer, crossing vast imagined oceans. And for everyone in between, it’s the simple joy of watching a handcrafted object come alive on the water.
Pond yachts have taken many forms over the centuries, from handmade treasures to the mass-produced models of the early 20th century. In the 1900s, production took off, and the Star Yachts company led the way, shaping a legacy that lasted more than seventy years. With the rise of lathes and industrial tools, Star Yachts made beautiful boats affordable, putting a slice of nautical joy into the hands of countless people.
Even amid wartime shortages, the passion for model yachts endured, rebounding in the 1950s when production flourished again. For many, a pond yacht became a rite of passage—a birthday or Christmas gift that invited its owner outdoors to test the wind and read the ripples. Some yachts, finely crafted and never sailed, have become collectors’ pieces. But most were sailed, again and again, their wooden hulls nicked and faded with use and memory.
Today, pond yachting remains a quiet rebellion against the screen-glow of modern life. It’s a chance to slow down, to share in a timeless joy passed from parent to child. Watching a yacht sail on a pond is like watching craftsmanship meet nature, and imagination meet the wind.

# 13 Sunday sailors (2011)
Oil on fine portrait linen: 95 x 120 cm; 37.4 x 47.2 in (sold)

#15 Pond Yacht (2011)
Oil on fine portrait linen: 95 x 125 cm; 37.4 x 49.21 in

#51 Shimmer (2015)
Oil on fine portrait linen: 95 x 125 cm; 37.4 x 49.21 in (Sold)

#69 Line honours (2021)
Oil on fine portrait linen: 95 x 180 cm; 37.4 x 70.86 in (Sold)

#74 Sea breeze (2022) Oil on fine portrait linen:
95 x 125 cm; 37.4 x 49.21 in (Sold)

#77 solitude (2023) Oil on fine portrait linen:
95 x 125 cm; 37.4 x 49.21 in (Sold)