Summer visitors

With the yachting season in full swing there are some interesting boats on the river

 

 

Above I think this is an Excalibur 36, I love yachts of this type and era and especially from E.G Van de Stadt, despite their age and lack of accommodation compared to a modern yacht of same size they sail so well and handle the sea

 

Arrow the West Solent One design spotted a few years ago on the hard in Emsworth

From traditional to ultra modern Farr X2 I think, designed as a high-performance, short-handed racer, with a low drag, scow type hull profile and wildly sloping bow.

Above and below the Open 50 Pegasus of Northumberland, presumably when the photo was taken ready for the Around the Island Race

 

Calm after the storm

 For an hour previous to the photograph thunder and lightening had raged, the rain had come down like stair rods.

 Following the passing of the storm the river was flat calm, the Wayfarer dinghy (on the right) didn't even find enough wind to stem the tide, it was slowly moving down river with the ebb.

Perfect transport for summer days

If you're going to have a classic British sports car this has got to be the one, sure an AC Cobra would be faster and an MG would be a whole lot less money, but for super model looks in a car is there anything to beat the Jaguar SS100.

 

 

Blossom

I first sighted this lovely varnished clinker approaching the entrance to the river in the fresh morning conditions, by the time I'd taken pics of a few other interesting boats it had settled into a downwind run up the river past the harbour office in Warsash.

I paddled over to ask a few details but only got that she's a one off

Guessing around 18 feet with a wonderful sheerline.

 

Folk boat

 Really nice example of a Nordic  folk boat looking great in the early morning sun.

At just over 25 feet this would make a really nice day boat for the Solent fun  and rewarding to sail, relatively shallow draft which is good for getting into some of the more interesting places and very capable when the afternoon sea breeze kicks up wind over tide chop.

 I keep thinking that one of these would be a really good part of the upcoming retirement plan, except for that short coach roof which stops aft of the mast and gives a clear, uncluttered fore deck.  But it also speaks of very limited space below deck  the fore peak might be fine for stowing  sails and spinnaker, but not a walk in toilet which Mrs BB demands.
 

Classic Racer

Passed by this classic racer on an early morning kayak up the river, unfortunately the wind was kicking up quite a chop at the river mouth and I hadn't noticed the splashes on the lens, (good jobs it's an underwater camera) 

Long and lean with a towering mast and that dramatic counter stern, like to see it under sail.

 

Firebird

This looks like an 8 meter Firebird catamaran, although the wrap around windows are unusual, very dramatic and striking, but unusual

The Firebirds are a west country class catamaran historically sailing from from Flushing Sailing Club in Falmouth harbour.

The boats are described as a revolutionary design, with carbon and GRP construction making them very light and (before the foiling era!) one of the fastest sailing craft in the Cornish waters and I'm sure an absolute blast to sail

 Seen in a Hamble marina, so maybe an Around the Island entry, certainly a Firebird did the race in a record breaking 4 hours and 27 minutes back in 2012. This fold up transom is an interesting detail, presumably to fit in with trailing regulations

International Canoes

Weston SC recently held an International Canoe meeting recently, on what was a a breezy weekend, so great to see these fast and interesting boats out in strong conditions.

This could easily be the obvious consequence of sailing a narrow bean canoe while balancing out on a plank, but in reality these guys had just come up to the club slipway and were holding the boat in deep water while someone brought the trolley down.

 Close at the start line, after the 1 minute gun, pretty sure the laser was in the second fleet not leading the IC's.

 

Danger Danger - Warning

The writer here at BB may be one of the few people who still remember the warnings broadcast by the robot in the 1960's sci fi series Lost in Space, but in fact the latest dire warning has recently been issued by Eastleigh Council. of the potential for blue green algae

 

The announcement advises to avoid contact with the water in the river over fears it could contain toxic blue-green algae.  The Environment Agency (EA), external has warned that the algae can be fatal to animals if ingested, and people are being urged not to allow their dogs to enter the water.

The BB reporter bravely risked approaching the now toxic lagoon opposite Bunny Meadows to take the above photograph, which looks much like it has in many past warm summers

Flood Tide

 When you know the really big fish are just off the end of the spit and you just have to cast one more tine.

Hopefully he noticed soon, the waves breaking around his feet maybe were a clue.

 

Finesse

Really nice example of what I'm sure is a Finesse 24, cutter rigged shallow draft cruiser.

The 24 was the middle size and most popular of the range of clinker constructed boats built for the shallow waters of the Thames estuary by Alan Platt at his yard in Thundersley, Essex. the others being the original Finesse 21 and later a 27 version.

The 24 apparently had very generous accommodation both below decks and in the cockpit for her overall size and while not a racing machine had power and weight to make reasonable passage speeds. 

The owners of this example have been very busy with sandpaper, varnish and paint, to keep her looking absolutely fabulous.

New seats for the SCOW

 I finally got around to fitting the rear side seats to the SCOW, originally I was thinking of making slatted seats, but having sailed on a couple of other SCOWs I decided to reuse the original flat teak seats.

 Given that the SCOW was built in 1951, there's a good chance that the new seats and indeed all the interior wood work is 100+ years old.

The old dirty, grey boards which have been lying around in the garage for the past 15 years cleaned up amazingly with just a good coating of oxalic acid, followed by a light sanding and 6 coats of Epifanes varnish. In fact they look much better than the thwart and forward seats.

Hamble Village in the moment

When you've been somewhere so often and for so long it's easy to ignore or take for granted the surroundings. On a cold and bleak day I took the opportunity to slow down and as the modern parlance goes "be in the moment" walking through Hamble le Rice village

At the bottom of the High Street or the start of The Quay is the Maritime Art Gallery complete with what seems to be an expanding array of nautical paraphernalia.

Long before it became a B&B, Compass point was a chandlers and cafe. It also featured in the 1980's TV series Howard's Way as a Greek taverna. A couple of the characters were supposed to be on holiday or honeymoon in Greece, the scene was filmed with tables set out out on that low wall and lit by some strong arc lights to  look like bright sunshine.

Nice spot for alfresco dining at the King and Queen

Of if you fancy something more traditional and hearty could do worse than go along to the Victory

Cute cottages, and a cobbled street leading down to the Pirate Pasties hideaway

 

And all around the village there are little reminders of the nautical heritage.
 

Oysters

Nice crop of oysters waiting collection on the quay in Lymington

 Something you see very often in French ports especially Brittany, so good to see oysters making a comeback in the Solent which used to be a significant oyster fishery 100 years and more ago going right back to Roman times.
 

Shilling about

Nice example of a Willow Bay Boats Shilling on her mooring for the summer, really nice boat for pottering around Chichester harbour or drying out on the sand down at East Head. 

 

Below, Featured this day boat ashore previously but nice to see her afloat.

 

Flying fox

Maybe he just didn't get the memo - bird table

 

Wagtail for Sale

Friend Greg has recently put this delightful and immaculate Wagtail dinghy up for sale. Full disclosure Greg was the former builder of these dinghies as Salterns Boat Builders based on the Hamble

12 feet 6 inches in length, with a steel center-plate, the Wagtail is easy to sail, stable, and forgiving, making it a good choice  for picnics, training or for us elderly sailors who aren't as nimble as we used to be (actually I've been sailing a Laser recently and although it's fun it's not relaxing).

The quality of woodwork is lovely, richly finished and spot the bronze crutches which speak of the overall quality and attention to detail.

Knowing my affinity for small traditionally rigged dinghies some may ask why I'm not making an offer, and the truth is between Tosh and my SCOW I'm already over boated.

 There's some really useful advice from a Wagtail owner here  . If you are interested drop me an email and I'll pass it on

Smooth ride

 Interesting motor boat heading up the Hamble.

 Looks like a high speed hull with those fine bows, possibly wave piercing(?), with very functional topsides and cabin arrangement.

Great to see people investing time and money into new designs.

Rain stops play

 Or rather heavy winds, rain and the prospect of heavy sea conditions building up with the strong winds over the next couple of days have led to the cancellation of Hurst Castle SC "Thread the Needle" cruise.

I was due to crew aboard Equiox a lovely Berthon built wooden SCOW, built in the 1930's and restored by the current owner

The plan was to sail out from Keyhaven, crossing the Solent and then along the north coast of the Isle of Wight westward to the famous Needles, passing between the 30 odd meter chalk stacks and the island. 

 Above the fleet of dinghies from Hurst Castle SC and Keyhaven YC "threading the needle"last year in fine and settled weather.

Pointing southwest into the English channel the Needles are exposed to the prevailing weather as these pictures from a 2013 post show, taken form the comfort of a cafe they don't really do justice to the conditions between the needles and the Shingles Bank.

Low water calm

 A perfectly calm low water revealing some of the sculptural landscape of the riverbed

Below the lagoon looking across to Bunny Meadows, where the tide has scoured out a deep sink hole in the mid.

This side creek is so well developed running parallel to the main river, it wouldn't be a surprise if it eventually creates a low water island completely disconnected from the pathway.