Lands End Hard

Down past the Jolly Sailor pub is Lands End Hard, I don't visit often as it's a dead end  lane, but on an early Sunday morning stroll I decided to take a detour.

It's a launching site and good for dinghies, but alas a quite restricted turning circle and no parking, mind you if there was the latter the Fareham local council would be levying  the charges they have recently announced for all waterside parking despite huge  local opposition.

Facing up river towards the Jolly Sailor, the Elephant Boatyard, there are still scrubbing piles on the hard.

Downstream view as the river bends past Bursledon pool, with Brooklands house in the background.

 Another interesting wind vane  on local house, surprising the house not called Cormorant's

Walk ashore

 Cool boat, the Coulam Wheelyboat designed to help disabled folks, primarily wheel chair users get aboard.

The drop down section is to facilitate boarding from a pontoon, but looks like it might make a good beach boat also. Lots of good stories here .

https://www.wheelyboats.org/latest-news

 

Upper Hamble

I've made a few kayak trips on the upper Hamble since the summer, the river is so different above the three bridges (road, rail and motorway), the landscape is so different almost undeveloped, oak trees coming down to  the water's edge.

Our neighbor is also a kayak-er and it's been nice to have some company, these pictures were taken on what was the most perfect day, virtually no wind, we caught the tide up and then back down as it turned.

These scenes are remarkably pastoral, probably as close as you can get to a Constable view in modern England.

At the very top of the river towards Botely, the channel narrows and the river becomes something different again. In the summer the upper reaches were chock a block with paddle boards and kayaks, as Autumn moves to winter the river is much more quiet.

 

I've become something of a Kayak convert, liking the simplicity and light weight compared to rowing, facing forward and almost silent paddling technique means that it's easier to get closer to wildlife.

Spuddles

Peeking out of the autumn hedgerow Spuddles looks rather more cared for that her location might suggest.

 No idea what she is but there's a mast and so presumably sails. 

 

The Tide is High

 As the song goes, with apologies to Debbie Harry, it was certainly a big 'un this week predicted at 4.9M HW with a south westerly blowing for the past few days pushing it up a bit more

 Walkers were either finding an alternate route past the donkey sanctuary or getting wet feet.

Autumn Colours

 Sadly not the golden yellow, orange and red, the past weeks has been windy, grey, overcast and drizzle, time to light the fire and stay home with the occasional walk to get some fresh air.

Derelict dinghies

Another fine display of dingy neglect down at the hard in Lymington.

 That red dinghy looks like it's been sunk in the mud for quite a while either that of it's a tender from a submarine.