Birdham Gaffers

Spotted at Birdham Pool on a bright spring day, not quite ready for the season, the blue boat below is curiously called Black Lady, perhaps her black transom is a clue to a former colour scheme.

Definitely black in working boat colours, I did read the name but forgot to write it down.

This may or may not be a gaff yawl, but I'm betting that it is when the mast comes back from presumably winter work, very pretty.

Hot diam

No,not a spell check error but one of the one design Diam 24 trimarans spotted down at Hamble Point recently.

the design was prompted in part by the choice of multi hulls for the Americas Cup, and no doubt some of the other extreme racing machines which have emerged in recent years.

High tech, high performance, one design multi hull for a crew of 3 to 4 which disassembles and can be stored in it's own box container between races. Looks like a lot of fun.

Visibility Poor to Very poor

The marine forecast definitions for visibility are:

Very poor - less than 1,000 metres
 Poor - between 1,000 metres and 2 nautical miles

It was probably on the boarder line maybe just over 1000 meters at the entrance to the Hamble, normally there are clear views across Southampton water to Calshot and Cowes on the Isle of Wight beyond.

New hi performance sailing boat using stepped hydroplane technology

The stepped hydroplane concept, normally used on motor boats introduces air below a boat's hull so that less of the hull is in contact with the water and more area is planing

Spotted this on a trailer in a local marina recently with what at first sight looks to be some kind of  new fangled jet drive, but in fact on closer inspection was revealed to be based on the same principle as the stepped hydroplane, namely to introduce air onto the trailing edge to reduce friction and increase speed.

Clearly this latest design is a much more sophisticated method for controlling and intoroducing differentiated air pressures into the water flow.

At the bow the retractable bowsprit combines what look like water pressure sensors as part of the system.

Can't wait to see it in action.

Dumb and dumber

We stopped off in Brockenhurst recently and took the opportunity to see the controversial cycle path.

Quite why anyone thinks that a cycle way which is less than 20 yards long and makes cyclists exit directly onto parked cars has any value, much less the £6,250 that Hampshire County Council actually spent is beyond me.

Closer to home we have the famous A27 disappearing cycle lane, which suddenly stops half way down the hill from Sarisbury Green. You have to wonder what the road planners were thinking, do they expect cyclists to just vanish?

In reality the cycle lanes stops as the busy road narrows, pretty much just when you need the protection of a cycle lane and on a stretch of road notorious for speeding.

Forgive me but what kind of dummies implement this nonsense. Compared to other European countries our provision for safe cycling is laughable. 

Sadly it's not something confined to our area either , NY cycling blogger Eben Weiss  frequently and humorously writes about the badly designed and managed cycling routes in his home town. and don't even get me started on zebra crossings. 

As is demonstrated by many other countries, cycling and especially with development of electric bikes, can become a viable, sustainable and not to mention healthier transport alternative, but only if it's made safe.

We really need to do much, much better.

Excess

Dilbar at 157 meters is apparently the biggest super yacht by volume, estimated to have cost around  US$ 600 million, she can probably accommodate 40 guests and a crew of 80. - details not publicly shared by Alisher Usmanov who is believed to be her owner.

While Dilbar towers around the more regular leisure craft, the super yacht scene is nothing if not about ego. In stunning blue and white, neighbouring Madam Gu perhaps trying to demonstrate that size isn't everything when it comes to sheer style.

Or perhaps not, something which may or may not bring a smile to the face of her owner or designer, Joseph remarked that it looked like the cartoon boat from the Cars 2 movie.

Barcelona Bikes

It's probably because we're relaxed and have more time but I seem to notice interesting motorbikes when we're on holiday.

This Montesa was parked near our apartment in Barcelona. Montesa is better known for off road trail bikes, but this is a commuter bike which I think was called the Impala made in the 1960's amd 70's.

While I was taking the picture a man came up to me and explaied it belongs to his brother who runs the local bakery, deli where we had breakfast most days, sadly he wasn't there when we visited to find out more details.

A BMW R60 in great condition, if I see one of these in the right condition and the right price I'm going to buy it - probably my third or forth mid life crisis.

There  were a lot of these electric mopeds running around, including one which nearly ran me over (can't hear them coming - must look around more). If we had better weather, think less rain I'd be more than happy popping down the shops on one.

Not sure I'm that keen on these, fantastic technology and all that, there were a lot on hire zooming up and down the seafront.