I've featured Miss Ningi before, she's a Cara 16 a nice open gaff rigged day sailer designed by John Shuttleworth, sadly all too few were built.
Seen over at Birdham Pool it's an ideal boat for pottering around the large natural harbour.
Nice example of a wooden, I think Scandinavian Folk Boat waiting on the pontoon at the Royal Lymington YC.
We hadn't really considered Dieppe as a destination, having last been through there from the Newhaven ferry some 40 years ago, but since we were staying just up the coast we thought we'd take a look around the town.
The ferries stopped running in the. early 2000's and the inner port is now a marina surrounded by cafes, bars and restaurants. At the far end of town stood on a high promontory is the Musee Chateau de Dieppe, well worth a visit and with great views over the town and out across the bay.
Nearby we came across this place, it's not clear if it's a shop or a museum or a mixture since a lot of items were for sale, some really interesting stuff.
The old town is given over to a lot of boutique shops catering to tourists with an eye to high fashion items.
Some old buildings dating back right up to the ramparts of the chateau, in the center I think that's the Church of St Jacques, twelfth century gothic which was a stage for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela - the modern day Camino.
Clearly the local classic boat restoration club has it's work cut out with this one.
Interior of St Jacques are these amazing crarved stone screens to many of the side chapels, which are an indication of the wealth of the port in former years.
Not all working boats are waiting restoration, this local lugger was operating day sailing.
For a variety of reasons I've stopped going out early along the river in the past few years, more or less since the dreaded COVID started, but with a fine start to the day and rain in prospect by mid morning I decided to get out relatively early.
The sun was coming up over the trees on the east shore of the river lighting up all the boats, the river was still and reflected the hulls and masts perfectly.
Alas the weather was coming in sooner than forecast as can be seen in the western sky, shortly after getting home the "heavens opened".
Appropriately named "Storm Chaser"
Arriving early for some meetings I took a short stroll along the Thames Path along the river, the Thames at this part is tidal with strong currents on both the ebb and flow.
Docklands as it's name suggest are the old London docks, the ships are long since gone as are many of the wharves and warehouses, replaced by expensive flats and at the huge mega bank towers.
At low tide layers of history are occasionally revealed, here showing the remains of at least 3 previous wharves and who knows what other debris, some of those rocks would be from a recent demolition or left over from the building of the Tower of London who knowes.
A hundred years ago or less this creek would have been full of small lighters and other craft, dried out on the mud, unloading or loading. It's good to see some of the warehouses still preserved alongside the new flats.
I tried to find out some history of Molines Wharf, but other than the price of flats there wasn't much found by google, this stretch of the river has been docks and wharves since the time of Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake so probably some interesting history.
The Grapes, to echo the previous paragraph, has been a pub since 1583.
Finally I took a stroll around Limehouse basin, there's a lock to enter and leave dependent on the tide height out in the main river. Seems like quite a few live-aboard boats and certainly makes for a nice "pad" in London.
This is what you do if you live in a hi-rise but really want a garden with a view of the river, very neat and I imagine very expensive.
Le Treport is seaport with a long history of fishing and more latterly tourism on the "Alabaster coast" of France. The town hosts a biannual event in July August each year to pay tribute to the sailors who have lost their lives at sea.
The fishing fleet turned out dressed overall and decorated for the parade together with a navy vessel, the lifeboat and a few other large local craft out in the bay.
On return the fishing boats took up a water fight, drenching each other with their power hoses at close quarters in what what is clearly a regular and popular part of the festivity.
It wasn't long before the boats came close alongside the harbour wall to wash down the assembled festival goers. There was in all probability alcohol involved
It's clearly a major local event, the town was packed with visitors and locals on what was a perfect summer's day.
The Autumn Equinox is upon us, the nights draw in earlier, the rate of change in the seasons is at it's height.
With the changes come contrasts which bring out some dramatic scenes and fantastic colours. Perhaps with a better camera and more application I could capture photographs which do justice.
The words of Henry Wordsworth Longfellow seem very appropriate
Thus alone can we attain
To those turrets, where the eye
Sees the world as one vast plain,
And one boundless reach of sky
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