Last Post to 2023

 Wishing you all a happy new year

Reflections

As we approach the solstice and the very depth of winter, it's always useful to think ahead to next summer and sun on the water.

Meanwhile not a bad idea to get out to the garage and shed to make progress with all those winter jobs so things are ready for the good weather when it arrives.

 

“You become what you give your attention to.” ― Epictetus, The Art of Living:

 

Merry Christmas

The Lobster Pot Christmas Tree on the quay in Emsworth

 And over on the mill pond there's a another tree with an Optimistic outlook.

Christmas on the South Bank

 A few views of London's South Bank in the early evening run up to Christmas,

Actually not the South Bank but Covent Garden, Rules is supposedly the oldest restaurant in London where Charles Dickens author of A Christmas Carol used to dine.

Below the view from Waterloo Bridge with a view of St Paul's cathedral to left of center.

Harbour Launch

I've passed by this harbour launch many times and have probably posted pictures of her before. With the neighboring boat absent it was an opportunity to take a better picture.

 Berthed at the very top of the creek at Dolphin Quay in Emsworth, she's an ideal boat for picnics, fishing and generally pottering around the waters of Chichester harbour and sound enough for longer trips around the Solent.

One for the petrol heads

Apparently this is a exoskeleton car, it wears the tubular chassis on the outside, sort of like a motorbike. The result is a very light, very rigid car which minimises unsprung weight all of which is great for handling and power to weight ratio.

Fortunately the owner was standing nearby and more than happy to chat about his creation, which has getting on for 1000 HP at the wheels, he did tell me what engine but I've forgotten, but definitely not something you can put you foot down hard without a great deal of caution.

As I recall the chassis came form a kit manufacturer but a lot of the detail is custom made.

The sun was very bright so I couldn't get a decent picture which does justice to the enormous air intakes for the inter-cooler and turbos.

 The owner takes it to lots of events and even shopping trips during the summer so you might see it out on the road, but probably only from behind.

Seagull

 I stopped for a chat with the owner of this Seagull pocket cruiser and little sister ship to the Seamew.

The Bell Woodworking Company had been producing DIY kits for the GP14 and asked Ian Proctor to design a small sailing cruiser which would be suitable amateur building and for both coastal and inland waters.

One of the aspects that stood the Seagull apart from the many contemporary  plywood designs was performance, which despite her 18 foot LoA was fast and could stand sail up to 30 knots.

The owner pictured here has had her for many years and has made some remarkable extended voyages, he's considering putting her up for sale but when you have a boat that does things so well it's going to be difficult to find a successor.

Peveril Point

Perched at the end of Peveril Point, on the eastern headland to the south of Swanage bay, Swanage NCI (National Coastwatch Institute) is one of the oldest stations, opening on this site on 15 April 1995,  built by the members in 2001 under the guidance of Ian Surface, the station's first manager, a local builder.

 NCI volunteers keep watch along the coast for small boats and shipping.  The Swanage team  looking out over the dangerous ledge which has caught out a few vessels cutting inside the Peveril Ledge Buoy, have  received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service .

More of Valerie

I posted about Valerie of Shoreham back in the summer, when she was in the water.

Here she is hauled out for some winter maintenance, showing her steep forefoot, deep draft and slack bilges, not an extreme plank on edge shape but certainly of that period.

The long counter stern probably adds several feet to her waterline when heeled.