Snow Go

As blizzards rage across the eastern United States I'm reminded on a mild and wet Saturday, that only a couple of weeks ago we were snowed in.

Admittedly we didn't have to deal with two feet of snow fall, but it was enough to bring the area to a grinding halt and of course it was great fun for small children.

The sound advice is to to stay at home and keep warm, pay heed, in our busy lives there are all too few weekends when you can't actually go anywhere and do all the things that we can't get to do during the week.

So take the opportunity to do something indulgent, catch up on old movies, write to a friend, work your way through back copies of old sailing magazines, savour the smells of something cooking slowly and perhaps a glass or two of something special.

Bursledon Challenge

While clearly not in the Tillerman challenge league, here's a conundrum to while away these long winter evenings.

What 8 letter nautical words can you construct using any of the following letters?

Q E T U O A D G J L Z C B M

and with these as mandatory

 I S

Budding word smiths should have no trouble with that, so bonus question.

Which creek is this not and why?

And finally why, and very specifically why would I be interested in the aforesaid 8 letter words?

Have fun.

At the dinghy dock

That's one way of avoiding marina fees!!

Motor Sailor

I've always had a soft spot for these small motor sailors, I think this one is a Colvic Watson which has perhaps become something of a miss used generic name for the type, The IP24 is similar and of course there is the Fisher range, all in their way seaworthy little craft.

Sailing performance is going to be competent at best, although reading some of the forum comments, it may well be better than expected. The forte might be pushing a foul tide, hard on the wind with a heavy duty diesel pushing you along in relative comfort in the wheelhouse, giving a friendly wave to the yacht crew sitting on the wet rail as you pass.

The hull shape is like a whaleboat, heavy displacement and voluminous, plenty of room even in the 23 foot version which I guess this is (apologies if it's a 26 footer), great views from the wheel house - saloon. With a nice heater you can wear your regular clothes in all but the worst condition. All in all a nice weekend retreat.

Classic Yawl

This lovely classic yawl is Giselle of Iken, a John Alden design, number 949KK, built in 1962 by Halmatic - GRP hull and wooden coach roof.

LOA is 38 feet, beam 11 feet and draft with the center board up a mere 4 feet. The Alden web site says that the name was changed to "Virtuous and Evil" so presumably a later owner has changed her back to the original name.

One fine day

While we're in the grip of Arctic conditions with warnings of more snow and ice to come, lets not forget  what it's like when the sun breaks through on a clear crisp winter's day. The sort of day when you need to grab your coat, get out and make the most of it, blow away the cobwebs, a day which lifts the spirits.

Even late morning the sun is low in the sky casting a warm light over the low tide  mud.

Down in the marina a couple of gaffers which looked to have come in for the winter. The black one is a Colin Archer type, double ended, broad of beam, a serious, go anywhere cruising boat.

Oh well, back to shovelling snow, got to get the drive clear or we can't get the car out.

What a difference a year makes

A year ago we were down at Keyhaven in the western Solent having a great time sliding along on the frozen puddles and enjoying the unusual winter seascape.

Temperatures had dropped severely overnight leaving the saltings with a thick coating of ice.

Fast forward to this year which in the brief intervals between the rain has been mild and very pleasant.

With temperatures over 10 degrees Celsius some of the local wildlife were behaving as if Spring had arrived.

That of course was before the present cold spell started!!