Ariel's famous Square Four motorcycle produced between 1931 and 1959, my dad had one for a short time when I was very young. I seem to recall it broke down a lot.
Monday, 7 October 2019
More classics
Not all the classics at the Birdham Pool festival were boats.
Ariel's famous Square Four motorcycle produced between 1931 and 1959, my dad had one for a short time when I was very young. I seem to recall it broke down a lot.
Ariel's famous Square Four motorcycle produced between 1931 and 1959, my dad had one for a short time when I was very young. I seem to recall it broke down a lot.
Friday, 4 October 2019
Inisheen - David Moss Catboat
I received an email from Richard Gregson at specialist broker Woodenships asking if he could use a photo I took some years ago of the very lovely David Moss Catboat Inisheen.
Browsing some of the boats for sale (Richard's site probably gets far too many visitors like me) I noticed that she's sold and hardly surprising, if I didn't already have a catboat I would have been tempted.
The picture was taken on the Beauleau river back in 2003 or 4, I used to organise an Old Gaffers race from Buckler's Hard up to the top of the navigable top of the river for small open boats.
Richard still has plenty of other nice boats for sale, including a very nice Ivan Jefferies built gaff cutter down in Chichester.
Browsing some of the boats for sale (Richard's site probably gets far too many visitors like me) I noticed that she's sold and hardly surprising, if I didn't already have a catboat I would have been tempted.
The picture was taken on the Beauleau river back in 2003 or 4, I used to organise an Old Gaffers race from Buckler's Hard up to the top of the navigable top of the river for small open boats.
Richard still has plenty of other nice boats for sale, including a very nice Ivan Jefferies built gaff cutter down in Chichester.
Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Impasse
Joseph had gone off to his friends so Mrs BB & I decided to walk along the river to the marina cafe for lunch, forgetting that it was midday high water and a strong southerly had been blowing for a few days.
The river path was completely flooded as was the dinghy park at Swanwick hard.
Fortunately we have more than one marina with cafes and this one, although close to flooding was still open(sand bags were at the ready.
Over at Lands End Road water levels were getting very close to spoiling the day. When I was a teenager my mum went mad when I tried to bring a motorbike into the kitchen (it was the middle of freezing cold winter), she would definitely wouldn't have been happy with a steam boat floating around the larder.
The river path was completely flooded as was the dinghy park at Swanwick hard.
Fortunately we have more than one marina with cafes and this one, although close to flooding was still open(sand bags were at the ready.
Over at Lands End Road water levels were getting very close to spoiling the day. When I was a teenager my mum went mad when I tried to bring a motorbike into the kitchen (it was the middle of freezing cold winter), she would definitely wouldn't have been happy with a steam boat floating around the larder.
Monday, 30 September 2019
Kayak Racing
Joseph and I helped out by doing marshaling and safety boat for the Hamble kayak racing in one of the Hamble Sea Scouts boats.
The event was run from Fairthorne Manor on the upper Hamble, it was impossible to count the entries from the boat but I would guess getting on for 200 kayaks
The race pretty much took over the whole stretch of the upper river above the motorway bridge.
Hamble Sea Scouts took four safety boats staged along the river, Joseph and I were stationed at the downstream turning point where the wind was strongest and of course where most of the capsizes occurred.
We managed to get three of the capsized competitors back in their boats and back in the race, but these two sadly retired after capsizing twice. The wind had got up I'm guessing to gusts of 30 knot, they were getting tired and cold so discretion being the better part of valor they agreed to a ride all the way back up river.
The event was run from Fairthorne Manor on the upper Hamble, it was impossible to count the entries from the boat but I would guess getting on for 200 kayaks
The race pretty much took over the whole stretch of the upper river above the motorway bridge.
Hamble Sea Scouts took four safety boats staged along the river, Joseph and I were stationed at the downstream turning point where the wind was strongest and of course where most of the capsizes occurred.
We managed to get three of the capsized competitors back in their boats and back in the race, but these two sadly retired after capsizing twice. The wind had got up I'm guessing to gusts of 30 knot, they were getting tired and cold so discretion being the better part of valor they agreed to a ride all the way back up river.
Friday, 27 September 2019
Surly Todd The Axeman
Craft beers are hugely popular everywhere and more so in the US. Faced with a choice like this the first pint just had to be "Surly Todd the Axeman," which wasn't half bad or is that good.
In solidarity with our German colleague Otto, Bauhaus was next up, maybe under similar naming convention to Axeman it might have been called "Walter Gropius the Bad Ass", but in any event it was very modern and very good.
Over a couple of days we tried most of these except familiar Michelob, Stella and Guinness and the Stiegl Radler Grapefruit which was just going too far.
In solidarity with our German colleague Otto, Bauhaus was next up, maybe under similar naming convention to Axeman it might have been called "Walter Gropius the Bad Ass", but in any event it was very modern and very good.
Over a couple of days we tried most of these except familiar Michelob, Stella and Guinness and the Stiegl Radler Grapefruit which was just going too far.
Monday, 23 September 2019
Birdham Pool Marina Classic Boat Festival
By happy coincidence we cycled along to the cafe a Birdham Pool to find the Classic boat festival in full swing.
There were some lovely boats on show. Below pretty sure this is a Laurent Giles design, same as Eric Hiscock's famous Wanderer III, with that classic LG cover stripe.
One of my favorites, Widgets, I really do have a thing for these classic small day boats and she's one of the best.
There was a good turn out and a mixed fleet of Bermudian rigs, gaffers and motor boats.
More than a few have featured before on these pages.
I keep thinking that something like this would make a great retirement project, but sadly not something that'slikely to happen anytime soon.
A nice looking Memory and the boat alongside, both great smallboats for pottering around Chichester harbour and the Solent.
How about a motorised tender, I'm guessing it was about 8 feet, with a single cylinder inboard engine. and check out the wire wheels on the trailer, fantastic.
More than a few gallons of varnish on display, including this more typical tender.
And an lovely wooden SCOW.
Birdham Pool marina is becoming something of a center for classic wooden boats.
There were some lovely boats on show. Below pretty sure this is a Laurent Giles design, same as Eric Hiscock's famous Wanderer III, with that classic LG cover stripe.
One of my favorites, Widgets, I really do have a thing for these classic small day boats and she's one of the best.
There was a good turn out and a mixed fleet of Bermudian rigs, gaffers and motor boats.
More than a few have featured before on these pages.
I keep thinking that something like this would make a great retirement project, but sadly not something that'slikely to happen anytime soon.
A nice looking Memory and the boat alongside, both great smallboats for pottering around Chichester harbour and the Solent.
How about a motorised tender, I'm guessing it was about 8 feet, with a single cylinder inboard engine. and check out the wire wheels on the trailer, fantastic.
More than a few gallons of varnish on display, including this more typical tender.
And an lovely wooden SCOW.
Birdham Pool marina is becoming something of a center for classic wooden boats.
Friday, 20 September 2019
Reflections
Early morning or late afternoon when the wind has dropped off and the water is still, the saturated colours and contrast bring everything to life.
A time when that extra effort with bright work during winter maintenance really pays off.
Early light creeping over the hills and illuminating the masts.
As the world starts to wake up and the wind ripples the water, the reflections although still strong in colour become broken and hazy.
The waterfront is a source of endless fascination and variety.
A time when that extra effort with bright work during winter maintenance really pays off.
Early light creeping over the hills and illuminating the masts.
As the world starts to wake up and the wind ripples the water, the reflections although still strong in colour become broken and hazy.
The waterfront is a source of endless fascination and variety.
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