Fluff

Great name for a day boat, sadly it was covered upFluff looks like an interesting boat.

 

Update on the New classic dayboat?

Since posting I've found out that the new classic was devised by none other than our local classic boat builder Greg Dalrymple,  based on the hull moulds of the Orwell Corinthian.

 

There's a nice video of Orwell Corinthian number 1 on Dylan Winter's Keep turning left blog .

I clearly didn't pay enough attention when I was taking the photo's, but the mast looks like the new boat has a modern Bermudian rig. 

 Look forward to seeing  the new boat out on the water

Eling

 Eling creek runs off the River Test on the western side of Southampton water, hidden behind huge stacks of containers the creek is bisected by a toll bridge and a dam holding back what is presumably a freshwater mill pond..

On the seaward side the creek is filled with drying moorings, mostly small boats which take the ground for most of the time.

Contrast the still water above the bridge, the bridge keeper (who collects the £1 a car toll and 70pfor motorbikes) pointed out a kingfisher.

Eling Sailing Club occupies the historic tide mill which is good enough reason to visit.

The club has moorings and a dingy compound and some interesting shore based facilities like this derek.

 

On the south side of the creek are a few very des res homes with moorings alongside.

Below looking down the creek to the entrance The .sailing directions read: To reach us navigate to the Eastern Cardinal buoy ‘Eling’ grid reference 50° 54.475’ N 1° 27.844’ W. From the Cardinal, on a bearing of 111° and a distance of 0.2NM is the entrance to the Eling Channel. The channel entrance is marked with two posts, red can and green cone. As you approach the bend in Creek turn to Port and stay about 3 meters from quay wall (beside containers).

 

Keyhaven Fife - Armorel

 I've passed by this open Fife many times and wrote about it briefly last year. From a distance it might be easy to mistake as a Drascombe derivative, but closer up it's clearly not, so it was great to meet and chat with the owner and builder who was drying the boat out alongside the wall at Keyhaven.

 

It's a fascinating story, visiting Johnshaven in Aberdeen-shire for many years an old neglected fishing boat the locals had named "Richies" was purchased . Apart from some deck rot and split planks the boat which was typical of the area was in pretty good shape. 

 

While pondering what to do, the lines were taken off using a laser scanner and a CAD model developed which allowed modifications, and tweaks to be made including provision for a diesel engine and from which a new boat was built.

I should point out that the builder is highly experienced making wind turbine blades and epoxy infused composites rather than larch on oak frame construction, so the new boat took shape using CNC  to cut stem, keel, frames and plywood planks at local company Designcraft.

A modern shiny red diesel now powers along with the push of a button, which must make for an extremely nice day boat.

Images from the building process, starting with the original Richies, the CAD and lines drawing kindly provided by the owner.

New classic dayboat?

Interesting day boat spotted on an early Sunday morning stroll, alas that and lock-down meant there was no one around to ask details.

Very classic lines with a lofting bulb keel should be fun to sail and quite fast.

Some nice details on deck.

And I'm guessing these are the moulds.

 

Old Motor Boats

We had a tiny little wooden cruiser like this on the Thames when I was very young, about 21 feet as I recall so even smaller. The decks and cabin roof used to leek in heavy rain and it had an engine than started on petrol but then switched to paraffin (kerosene), but it got us out on the water and some very  fondly remembered family holidays.

The romantic in me says it would be a lovely boat for pottering around Chichester harbour, but the reality is that it's more likely to be an ongoing shore based woodwork project for many years.
 

I guess the outboard conversion might be more reliable than the
 original engine but aesthetic is not.

 

Up the creek

I haven't been up to the Chandlery barge at Foukes boatyard for over 20 years, despite it being just down the road. But on a quiet Sunday morning Mrs BB amd I walked along the river path up to Manor Farm country park (another first).

Leaving the boatyard past a quirky residence, location, location, location.

At the top of Ho Moor Creek things can get a little sticky.

Further upriver from this raised vantage point gives a good view of the old mud berths where working boats would be laid up safely away from winter storms. It was a practice still in use after WW2.

The remains of an old  riverside building in the firm grip of a a substantial tree.

Another creek up coming off the main river on the Botley side, it only runs for about 200 yards until it becomes a small stream.

 Great name for a small dinghy
 

Swanee River

Actually the well known song was about the Suwannee River that runs down through south Georgia into Florida, that kind of detail didn't bother this local group of swans - which google says could be collectively either a wedge, a bevy, a bank, a whiteness, an eyrar or even a gargle.

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I'd perhaps propose a smartness of swans, as I imagine this group have found that there's good eating to be had especially with the two close by cafes doing take away a source of leftovers and more and more folk out in the better weather.

 

Signs of Spring

Early March at St Mary the Virgin church  in the parish of Hound with daffodils coming into full bloom as they probably have for the past 1000 years.

The church was attached to Netley Abbey which was founded around 1239 but the church predates that. It's a always a  wonder  and a privilege to be so close to history.

Hill Head Shallows

The tide goes out a long way at Hill Head, or that's to say even at high water it's still pretty shallow.

r a

We went for a stroll without checking tide times and arrived just about at low water.

I'm sure there has been a few wet feet over the years, but walking out on the uncovered sand spits is just too tempting.

My favorite beach hut, what a great place to spend the afternoon or early evening.