Widget

 One of my favorite boats Widget III on her mooring at Birdham pool. I wonder what Widget I and II were like?

Cafe Culture - Mermaids are back

A new mobile cafe has popped up on the river path at the area which used to be called Crableke, to the south of Premier Universal Marina.

It's a good spot for a rest between Swanwick and Warsash, plus a separate path breaks off toward Holly Hill past the donkey sanctuary .

 Previously the team ran the Mermaids cafe and then restaurant at Universal, the new service is open only on Monday's but will hopefully expand.

Seen here local Councillor Sean Woodward was one of the first customers. 

Stop by next Monday and give it a try.

Not a motorboat

 But with a name like that it could well be

Britannia replica

 During last year we sailed past the hull of the replica of  the racing cutter Britannia famously sailed by the "Sailor King - King George V".

Back in the mid 90's a wealthy industrialist gain permission to build a replica to the original plans. Sadly the intervening years have not been kind to the project and for may years the hull has languished on a mooring at Hythe.

 There are various accounts of poor construction, certainly on the starboard side there are large patches where the fairing filler has fallen off.

It's a shame that such an ambitious project has come to such a sad end, the costs must have been phenomenal for what is now no more than an interesting hulk.

Bench Wishes

Pass by a bench at a local beauty spot or view point and you will almost certainly see a dedication plaque remembering a person who had a long love or affinity to the spot.

This bench at the edge of Lyndhurst has a nice variation inviting passers by to "Sit here if you don't mind someone stopping by and saying hi." It was a cold day with rain and drizzle so I didn't give it a try, but will go back for a rest when the weather improves in the spring.

 Dedicated to Katherine this bench in Holly Hill woodland park was decorated in the summer and is a poignant reminder of a short life and one well loved.
 

Customer Service

Joseph and Mrs BB were at Grandma's and looking at a very old dilapidated copy of Great Grandma's 1956 copy of the Be.Ro baking recipes.
 

Inside it says that if the book becomes soiled damaged the manufacturers would send a new one. So Joseph sent them and email and a few days later this brand new copy arrived.

 That black and white picture is the actual one Grandma has. 

Thanks Be.Ro this new copy is going to be well used as was the old one.

Be.Ro are are northern flour miller from Newcastle, Mrs BB is also a fan she still has her copy of their recipes which she took all the way to the Caribbean and back aboard Blue Clipper.

Lean, mean, not so clean machine

 I'd spotted this sorely neglected boat a couple of days before the picture was taken.

A couple of guys had turned up to give it a clean and clearly had their work cut out

 They didn't know if the engines were still fitted, the z-drives clearly aren't. 

Looks like a lot of fun once it's restored.

Perfect winter sunset

 Not much more to say except all too rare, taking a late afternoon walk was right place right time.

Days like that lift the soul.

Odd Mods

 One of the good things about old boats is making modifications and improvements, in fact I sometimes think there are a more than a few folk who like working on boats more than they do sailing them.

 Local boat builder Greg sent some pics recently showing some curious modifications to this1970's cruiser.

Having a transom mounted outboard that can be used for maneuvering in the event of engine failure can be very handy, but why two in addition to the boat's main engine. Seems to be taking the precautionary principle a little too far. And we have no idea what those dots all across the transom are for.

 Then there is the keel and rudder modifications, the keel appears to be part GRP, part wooden planks and part iron. As for the ridder as Greg commented "To add to the strangeness the rudder cut out serves no apparent purpose apart from diverting the prop wash through the hole on full lock rendering the rudder useless for tight maneuvers"