Wordless Wednesday: Megavissey Harbour on a Foggy Day

Wordless Wednesday: Brixham Last July

Wordless Wednesday - Our Quiet Beach

Sciving by the Sea

Today was a gorgeous one for striding out in Hamworthy Park and I stole some time off from the computer. All the beach huts were locked well up, but I noted the usual dog walkers, plus a few mums and tots on the sand. And I found myself envying a woman who had tucked a folding chair into a corner of the wall and was sitting with her head in a book.

From the far end of a groin on the beach, I noticed some dots moving around between the boats far out in Poole harbour. At first I thought they were some brave swimmers, but as they came nearer I realised they were kayakers. We have a lot of them in the harbour and there are classes and clubs.

Reluctantly, after that twenty minute scive, I collected my car, completed my errands and returned to my office. I should be feeling rejuvenated, but actually I’m just wishing I was still out there.

Pic by Les Chatfield

Sandbanks Chain Ferry

pic by peter lloyd from Wikimedia Commons

We crossed on this chain ferry from Studland to Sandbanks today as part of a round trip drive out through the gorgeous Portland countryside and back to Poole. At first waiting in the ferry queue was a pain. Then we moved up near to the slipway and had a first class view of all the sea-going traffic heading in and out of Poole harbour.

Because it's a bank holiday here today, it was really busy. The short crossing is the only entrance to the enormous harbour area from the sea. People were enjoying themselves in craft small and large, slow and fast. There were water scooters zipping along in a shower of spray; cruise boats loaded with passengers; Sunseeker power boats with millionaire owners on board; fishing boats and pleasure boats.

And once we were on board the ferry had to wait as the harbour master's little boat led the way out for a small tanker with half a dozen containers on its deck. That crew had to work, bank holiday notwithstanding.

Wordless Wednesday: Port of Ciutadella, Menorca

Back to Lanzarote

I'm going to be busy, busy, busy for the next couple of weeks. So it's back to the Lanzarote comparisons again.

Here are a couple of pictures of the sophisticated marina near to our holiday apartment.

Lanzarote Again

I'm finding it hard to remember exactly where we saw these boats. But I do know that one day a sandstorm was blowing across from Morocco, East Africa, and maybe that's why there was such a haze in the distance. You can see it was quite windy by the white tops on the waves.

The Holes Bay Hulk

This old hulk sits on the edge of Holes Bay near the footpath I frequently follow on my solitary walks. I took the photo at the end of last summer. Today I walked past it on my way home from the Coop shop, via the scenic route of course. I thought it was riding higher and decided to check my earlier photo to see if I'm right.

I'm sure I am.

You may already know that Holes Bay is in the farthest reaches of Poole harbour. You can't actually see the sea water in Holes Bay in my picture, but the reeds all around the old boat have channels through them that fill with water when the tide comes in. In the picture you can even see some growing in the sand that has been blown into the boat itself. They were not there today. Now the reeds have lost their green pigment and are straw coloured but still stand stiff and proud. I think the recent rains have supplemented the sea water to raise the old boat a bit higher than it was before.

Scenic Sunday: Poole Harbour View

I didn't actually take this picture today, but I could have taken one very similar because we went for a walk on Ham Common behind our little beach and passed very near this spot. We saw boats on the water, although not a nice colour one to put in the middle of the frame like this.