Slopen

I guess we would call them whaleboats, but the Dutch seem to have an affinity for these double ended, mostly open boats called collectively Slopen.

In length they seemed to range from around 20 feet right up to this monster which was getting on for 40 feet yet was completely open, the family had erected the full length cover to provide cosy and private overnight accommodation. the welded steel hull looked as if this one might have been a former working boat or even a ship's lifeboat.

This was more typical a modern grp version, many of which were fitted with a low cabin forward. Typical for almost all the boats we saw was the wheel steering, presumably the cost and complication compared to a tiller are thought worthwhile.

A displacement boat ideal for the canals and rivers yet sea worthy and tough enough to take out on the open Ijsselmeer, compared to a modern high speed, deep vee hull form, these boats slip along with hardly any wash and presumably with reasonable fuel economy.

Nifty

Sure is, what a great name.

Has the look of a Kim Holman design, that transom and stern hung rudder remind me of a Stella or Rustler 31, but I could well be wrong, sadly no one around to ask.

Bus Stop

It was a year ago that we found a new breakfast cafe, in fact it's been there for ages but only opens weekdays and Saturday mornings. Having taken a Friday off work we were passing on our way to Netley.

The breakfast was great and we bumped into a sailing couple we last saw after a very nasty, night crossing of Lyme Bay some years ago, during which they lost their fore stay.

Seems like time just runs away with itself these day.

Tall Ship

A tall ship making way up Southampton Water on Saturday afternoon, she looks like the STAVROS S NIARCHOS which according to Southampton Port arrivals web site, was due in a couple of days earlier.

I liked the juxtaposition of sailing ship and junior training dinghy, wonder if any of the junior sailors in the foreground will be inspired to sail in tall ships?

Harbour Launches

The Cowes harbour team over at Sheppards Wharf are a friendly bunch despite having to manage a crowd of boats all trying to get moorings over a busy summer weekend. This latest addition to the harbour rib then is just the job for keeping one's cool on a hot day.

The other rib is pretty distinctive, I'm not sure of the exact story but it was something like the builder rang up saying he had some off cuts and did they mind different colours as he could do a discount - it's locally called the "Playmobil Rib"

If you went down to the woods..

well -  last weekend, you could have had one of Erica's chocolate cakes.

They were all gobbled up in short order at the Fun Time PreSchool fund raiser Teddy Bear's Picnic.

I fortunately managed to grab one before they left the kitchen.

West Solent Scows

A small fleet were out down at Keyhaven recently, there are fleets at Keyhaven Yacht Club and the neighbouring Hurst Castle Sailing Club. Number 55 is a wooden clinker built, the yellow burgee is the give away it's a Keyhaven YC boat.

As declared by the KS on the sale, number 171 is very much a local boat - Keyhaven Scow. Although it has a clinker effect hull, it's a GRP built boat which have been made locally by West Solent Boat Builders since 1980.

This is one of the Cowes Scows, actually it's history is unknown but we spotted it just outside east Cowes marina and the name illiterates nicely.

Work on the Bursledon Scow restoration has been proceeding slowly of late, but I bought some nice pale cream paint for the interior and am trying to get it finished for late November if work, holidays and all the other things don't get in the way.