Warrior

Although I go to Portsmouth quite often, many of you will recognise the daughter/taxi driver relationship, I don't normally get the opportunity to wander around and have a look about. So when I had to catch the ferry over to the Isle of Wight recently I grabbed my camera and arrived at the old Harbour Station with a bit of time to spare.

I've seen HMS Warrior many times and have even been on board for a wine tasting, but she never fails to move me. Back in 1861 and for a very few years she was the largest warship in the world and the ultimate deterrent. As with most technological advances although revolutionary in design by 1864 there were faster, larger and more powerful ships with better armour and more guns.
Despite a short career, she was saved from the breakers yard by a slump in the value of scrap metal and thankfully survived as a refuelling barge for many years before being restored.

When you stand on the open bridge above the citadel looking forwards, astern and then aloft you still get the sense of the dominant power she once held.

Back in the Day

Clearing out the loft I found some old 1976 vintage copies of Practical Boat Owner, it was claimed to be Britain's best selling boating magazine.

In complete contrast to modern journals most of the magazine was printed in black and white with some very grainy monochrome photography. There were exceptions, some very nice line drawings and occasionally as the example below a few delightful watercolour illustrations, this one of a Norfolk One design dinghy as part of a series on dinghy sailing.

Back in the switched on 70's there were sideboards, flared trousers and some really dodgy barnets (translate that Google), not quite sure where Helly Hanson were going with this one, why is she draped uncomfortably across the foredeck and why are they wearing oilskins on a flat calm day?

Rockall Sails had their finger on the pulse, or at least an advert designed to raise the pulse rate of some of the magazine's readership.

There was a much broader focus to the magazine with coverage of canal and river boats, dinghies and cruising yachts.

As you might expect from the title there was a a great deal of "do it yourself" coverage and advice, everything from building in the briefly popular ferro cement, to wet suits, sails and especially building from kits or a hull moulding which were available from a wide variety of manufacturers.



The British Seagull outboard was if not in its hey day still selling strongly, but then again so was the Austin Allegro the only car ever to have been built with a square steering wheel - I kid you not. Quite why Seagull chose to advertise in full colour is a mystery since their engines are entirely monochrome.

As an aside the boat top left below looks like a plywood Silhouette designed by Robert Tucker which has featured in these pages a few time.

There were some exciting newcomers, like this Streaker dinghy (probably not the first choice of name today) designed by Jack Holt, presumably in response to the Laser and for some reason promoted via a commercial tie up with Tate & Lyle.

And finally there was this advert featuring Robin Knox-Johnson modelling state of the art wet weather gear, it seems that the intervening years have been relatively kind to Mr RKJ.

In the long hot summer of 1976, thirty five years ago that was the state of our boating scene, the same year that Star Wars came to our screens, the Sex Pistols changed popular music forever and the UK economy was crumbling - hmmm.

Lymington River SCOW

Spotted at the Bucklers Hard Festival weekend a Lymington River SCOW (LR).

It was slowing making its way through the moorings so maybe the creased mainsail can be excused.

Outboard Cover

Spotted at the dinghy dock recently, I'm advised that it's an Asda"Shopping Bag for Life" just the job for keeping the UV away from a new outboard.

Red White and Blue

This interesting and colourful day boat was out on the Beaulieu River, it appeared to have a blue mainsail from an Enterprise, a red jib, maybe a Mirror dinghy and a white mizzen.

No idea what the design is although the hard chine hull was built over frames and stringers and has the character of many American boats.

Steam Boat Society 40th

The Steam Boat Association were celebrating their 40th anniversary at Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River, much to the delight of steam boat fans and small children alike.

Boats out on the river ranged from the quirky (above) to elegant (below).

But for many it's as much about looking at boats and chatting about boats as it is getting out onto the water.

With fine weather and light breeze it was a perfect day for steaming along this delightful wooded river.



Ashore the Master Builder's hotel were holding a food festival and food market, while members of the Solent Old Gaffers Association were also attending the weekend's events.



The events diary on the Steam Boat Association site shows a packed summer itinerary at events all over the country, so it was a real privilege to see so many steaming in our home waters.

St Ekaterina

In Canary Wharf, London's financial centre for an early meeting I spotted this motor yacht moored alongside. Originally one of the old commercial ship docks it has been transformed as the area was developed to become the heart of our financial district. In the background the Millennium Dome.

I didn't see a national flag, nor port of registry so a quick look on Google found details of a charter yacht of the same name which is described as a 60 meter Benetti luxury motor yacht on charter for $325,000 per week. She looks right at home among the Canary Wharf towers.