Fans of The Riddle of the Sands may not realise how closely the sailing aspects of that story are based on Childers’ own sailing experiences. A recent book* edited by Hugh and Robin Popham brings together the sailing logs, letters and published articles of Childers and his friends. The ‘Riddle’ story is hardly more than a fictionalised version of his 1897 voyage to the Baltic in Vixen, a 30 ft CB cutter. The cruise started from Dover in August and finished in December at Terschelling.

For the two years before buying the Vixen, Childers had owned an 18’ half-decked, lug sailed sloop, the Marguerite, more affectionately known as Mad Agnes. He was then a true dinghy cruising man as his own account in the Cruising Club Journal shows:

“The Marguerite is a small half-decked sailing boat, 18 feet in length overall and 6 feet beam. Her draught, without plate, is 2 feet 6 inches aft and 2 feet 1 inch forward. The centreplate is 5 feet 6 inches long, and, when down increases the draught to 4 feet 6 inches. The boat is clinker-built and varnished, and her canvas consists of a balance lug and jib. As to deck, she has a foredeck from stem to mast and 18 inch waterways, with a 3 inch coaming all round.

She has one 20 pound anchor, with 20 fathoms of chain, a pair of sweeps, one of Norie & Wilson's spirit compasses (50s.) in one of their most convenient guinea binnacles. As for sleeping accommodation, I have a specially designed bell-tent of oiled canvas, laced (when in use) round the coaming and bent to a halyard or runner by an eyebolt at the apex and hauled taut. The bedroom under apex is 4 feet 6 inches. Our couches consist of two reindeer hair mattresses, which make most efficient life preserving gear.

Comfort was not, naturally, at the highest pitch; its chief foe was bad weather, of which I had relatively little, for rain complicated everything. However, management and practice did much. The tent was waterproof, and my kit could be kept perfectly dry. I spread waterproof sheets on the floor after a wet day, and I may say I never slept better on a big yacht, or even on shore. For cooking I used two simple spirit stoves. In disregard of ancient precedent I have excluded meals from my log altogether as of less than no interest to anybody but the consumer at the moment of consumption; but I may say in general that it was easy to provide oneself with all the usual amenities of cruising life. Nevertheless, I must admit that in practice, lack of space and the absence of a permanent roof tended to make one content with great simplicity.”

Within a week of his first sail in Marguerite, Childers set off on a cruise from Greenhithe to Boulogne and back to Folkestone.

Perhaps the most valuable item of Marguerite's equipment was the mop. On three occasions it had to serve as the tiller when the proper article broke or was lost overboard, and on groping into East Coast creeks the mop served for sounding the banks. At Cowes, with Marguerite, Childers watched the German Kaiser land at the Royal Yacht Squadron steps. All these impressions were to find expression in The Riddle. Later Childers took Marguerite to Cherbourg and, through gale, to Le Havre. In writing up these cruises, Childers developed the incisive style that helped to make The Riddle an instant and permanent success.

A Thirst For The Sea, publisher Stanford Marine 1979. Numerous photos of Childers’ craft and adventures.