Not your typical business travel

"Hello, you're going home already?"  The stewardess recognised me as we'd chatted and she had let me move seats when I'd flown out on a fairly empty transatlantic flight the day before. Having spent just over 24 hours in the US, I was flying home again, not your typical holiday maker on the London to Orlando route.

The air crew had a stop over, done some shopping, chilled by the pool. By contrast I'd had a business dinner when I arrived, a bunch of meetings all day and caught up on email in the departure lounge before boarding. The flight was jam packed with returning holiday makers and around 60 excited teenagers on a school trip (sure beats the geography field trip to Dorset that I remember from school).

Orlando isn't a bad place for business meetings while it's a cold and wet February back home, I managed to get an upgrade for which I was hugely grateful and I wanted to say thank you to the flight crew for making my "flying visit" a bit better.

Winter mooring

With the winds we've had of late it's all to easy for an open boat to fill and sink, or in this case capsize on an exposed mooring out in the harbour.

I'm curious to know what kind of boat this is, it looks like a canoe but I can't imagine why someone would leave a canoe out on a mooring. Maybe someone with local knowledge like fellow blogger Steve might know more?

There were quite a few boats in need of a bail out on Sunday

For some reason Missy reminds me of the 1960's Amphicar remember them? They had about the same amount of free board.

Nore Rithe Broad Reach

It's likely that someone with better local knowledge will pull me up on this. Sunday's brisk winds saw a few windsurfers heading out, down the channel from the end of Beach Road in Emsworth.

I think the channel is called Nore Rithe, it was definitely a reach and looked a whole lot of fun.

Portland Bill

While we were visiting Weymouth recently, we decided to make the short drive down to Portland Bill and the infamous race and over falls to the south of the peninsular. When sailing we always make a course well to the south to avoid the turbulent waters. Looking out from land even on a relatively settled day I’m in no doubt it’s been a wise decision

There’s been a lighthouse on Portland Bill to warn shipping since 1716, the present one dating from 1906.

All around the island the remnants of quarrying can be seen, where Portland stone was extracted for the construction of many of the fine buildings in London.

The view from the top of the island looking north, in fact it’s not an island as it’s joined by permanent causeway and road. To the left is Chesil beach which runs away north west to West Bay and Lyme Regis and provides protection for the Fleet the protected stretch of water which loks like a river and is now a nature reserve. At top right is Weymouth and to the centre right, Portland harbour once home to the navy and now redeveloped as the UK National Sailing Academy.

The bright side

With all the rain we've had over the past few weeks there's still been the occasional bright spot.

I headed off for a run on what seemed to be a bright morning, got soaked by a sudden and unexpected rain shower and then finished the run with the most amazing rainbow in view.

As the Scandinavians say "There's no such thing as bad weather, only wrong clothes". Not sure I entirely agree.

Stokes Bay surfing

Joseph was at a birthday party over in Gosport, so while we waited for him we dropped in at Stokes Bay, not having been there for ages. The wind had dropped overnight, but it was still enough to kick up some breaking waves against the sea wall.

With high water and such great conditions there were a couple of kite boarders out having a great time,

Although it did look a little chilly.

Greg's tent

While we were down in Hamble watching the affects of the latest storm, we bumped into our friend and local boat builder Greg, He's building a new gaffer up at the Elephant and was a bit worried about the tent in which the boat's housed.

A bit later I was walking back from he fish mongers behind Bursledon bridge, so  I thought I'd take a look. Even at the top of the river which is pretty sheltered there were cresting waves as the ebb tide was running.

But as expected the tent was still there safe and if a little windswept, sound. But I couldn't help thinking that I wouldn't want to have my boat in or near the dry stack on the other side of the river, that's a lot of windage perched up top.