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The boat was built in 1931 - it's a Hillyard seven tonne, 28 feet long sailing boat with a cutter rig. Arthur Ransome moved to Levington from the Lake District in 1932.

Eastern Angles is the touring theatre company which is based at the Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich and visits village halls across the region. It's marketing manager Karen Goddard said: "Arthur Ransome rented what was then called Broke Farm in Levington. It is now called Broke House."

Peter Willis, who's the Chairman of the Nancy Blackett Trust (NBT), said: "Arthur Ransome wanted to learn to sail on the sea as he had only previously sailed on lakes.

"He randomly picked the Orwell estuary because it is close to open water."

Susan, Roger and John

The book is about sailing on the sea as opposed to sailing on the Cumbrian lakes which he wrote about in previous books in the Swallows and Amazons series.

Mr Willis said the main differences are that the Orwell is tidal and the sea is much rougher than The Lakes: "Ransome found Nancy in the harbour in Poole, Dorset and sailed her back to the Orwell.

"He had a rough voyage and was surprised at how unprepared he was for sailing on the sea."

Ransome used his own experiences in the book especially where the Flushing to Harwich steamer narrowly missed him. Ransome then sailed in Nancy Blackett up and down the estuary, plotting and writing the book during 1936. It was published in 1937.

Swallows And Amazons

Arthur Ransome named Nancy after the leader of the Amazons in the Swallows and Amazons series. She is identical to the way he described the fictitious sailing boat Goblin, the ship the Swallows accidently sailed out to sea in.

It is a story about four children's voyage starting out at Pin Mill on the River Orwell.

The children helped Jim by securing the Goblin to a buoy with a bowline knot and this is the name of the first chapter in the book. Ransome wrote in depth about how to sail and even included sketches of how to tie knots.

The children John, Susan, Kitty and Roger make friends with the sailor and he invites them to go sailing and stay out overnight. The children's mother agrees in letting the children go, but on the condition that they don't go out to sea.

They ended up going out to sea and the voyage became a daunting experience for all and particularly for the stand-in captain John. The chief swallow has hallucinations of his father while he is left alone to steer the boat during the stormy night at sea.

Eastern Angles' Karen Goddard said Nick Wood has tried to adapt the children's book for an adult audience:"Most of the adults that are coming to the play were children in the 1950's when the book was very popular.

"So it is about the nostalgia of reliving their childhood. They are bringing along their children, which we hope will inspire a new generation to read the Ransome books."

The Nancy Blackett Trust

The Nancy Blackett Trust now own the Nancy Blackett after quite a stormy life experience for the boat herself. She was discovered in 1988 almost bereft in a harbour in Scarborough and returned to the Orwell with Michael Rimes where he had her restored.

Nancy Blackett, Nancy Blackett Trust

The Trust bought her in 1996 after they manage to raise Β£25,000 in five weeks. The NBT was set up to promote sailing among young people, whilst maintaining awareness of Ransome's literary works.

Peter Willis said: "The idea is to keep the book alive and keep the boat alive too."

World record breaking sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur is patron to the Trust and was inspired to sail after reading the books Swallows and Amazons.

The NBT sailed Nancy to Falmouth in May 2008 where she was on show in the National Maritime Museum.Μύ She's due to return home to the Orwell's Woolverstone Marina in July 2008 in time for the Trust's AGM.

Theatre dates

Eastern Angles' production of We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea is at 12 venues across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex Weds 9 July-Sat 2 August 2008. Visit the Eastern Angles website using the link on the right or ring the box office on 01473 211498.