The Wight as was

I picked up a copy of this delightful account of the Isle of Wight written based on the authors experiences in the 1950's and very early 1960's.

The reason I was so interested, was my Mum took me to the Isle of Wight in, I guess 1962 or 63.

I actually remember getting off the paddle wheel steamer at Ryde pier looking nervously down at the water, before getting aboard the local train which took us to Sandown, where we were staying. Exactly as the picture above. We had traveled down from London Waterloo on an express steam train, this  local one was so different, slow and stopped at lots of rural halts, as it was in the days before the Beecham closures.

Cowes week 1960's, actually not that much different, these days, certainly more crowds and a lot more lycra.  Still a few black tie outfits and blazers to be seen today, and plenty of folk in jeans and blue jerseys.

Totally disappeared, about the only hint of ship building on the Medina these days is the Hammerhead  crane in West Cowes.
 

Yarmouth harboour looking very familiar, if much less crowded that it is today.

Sailing off the needles, I'm guessing not a race as they are flying their ensign. Lovely boat.

Slipway Saturday

Lovely Vertue on the slipway at Peter Williams yard at Bodinnick.

Hamble - A village history

Had a quick look through this history of Hamble recently, which was in the in the cafe bookcase. It has some really good, old photos of the village,river and local characters from he past 100 years or so.

I shall be on the lookout for a second hand copy.

Beer Grylls

The latest iteration of the restaurant/cafe at the corner of Rope Walk in Hamble made me smile.

Even in Hamble the restaurant business is a fragile trade, I've lost count of the number of name/management changes the place has gone through.

Wonder revisted

I've written about Wonder the Dan Hatcher built Itchen Ferry, one of a very few still in existence. Last heard she had another major restoration including fitting of an engine if I recall correctly and was in the Medway.

So it was a bit of a surprise to her on a mooring in Fowey recently.

I was having a kayak around the harbour on a grey day checking out boats when I saw an interesting day boat, it wasn't until I paddled around the stern that I realised it was Wonder.

It was great to see her in such good condition, if not in her local waters of the Solent.

Apologies for the poor images, I was a bit unprepared and had stuffed the my camera in the sleeve pocket of my new waterproof , clearly getting my wet fingers on the lens.

Fond memories calking her seams and then pumping her out daily for a couple of weeks while she "took up" all those years ago.

My kind of boats

While I love gaffers and day boats, a type of boat that really stirs my soul are classic offshore yachts like these.

I recall being holed up in the Yealm years ago on the next mooring to this sloop while we waited out a gale, that raised doghouse looks a great place to take watch.

Above a relatively modern either a  Crealock or Pacific Seacraft, either way  lovely looking. Shame modern marina's charge so much for that bowsprit.

Is there anything so lovely as a classic yawl, no idea what this is Alden or S&S perhaps. looks like it's American CCA influenced.

Seagull Saturday

We had visiting seagull who had apparently staked out our decking as his territory.

Despite our refusal to feed him, he became quite friendly and completely undisturbed by us sharing his decking.

Eventually though he got a little too confident and was politely asked to leave.

Whereby he sat and sulked for a while.

Joseph nicknamed him Cedric the seagull.