Tag Archives: isle of wight

Interesting Hull Shape on the Pilot Boat

I don’t know the proper term for it, but it is very common these days for large ships to have a bulbous extension to the bow just below the waterline. The first time I ever saw one was when, as a small kid, I had a kit of the QEII, but they are everywhere at this point. However, I haven’t really thought of them as a thing for small boats. While heading across the Solent, a pilot boat came zipping past us. Not only did it have such a hull shape, this one looked a little different to the average. I wonder how significant the benefits are and whether they are worth it for a vessel like this.

Sunset on the Windmill

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Bembridge Windmill has made it into the blog recently, but it is back again. We had been to dinner at the Propellor Inn, and it has a view back towards the hill on which the windmill sits. The evening light was making the windmill look particularly attractive, so I annoyed Nancy and Mum by suggesting a quick trip by the windmill on the way back after dinner. They are very patient with me for some reason.

While they stayed in the car and chatted – presumably about how predictable I can be – I zipped around the windmill and got some shots. The warmth of the evening light really made the stonework look great. It was phone photos only and I suspect I shall try doing something there in a more planned way with my main cameras, but this would certainly do for now.

Another Caterpillar Web

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When Nancy and I were in Nanaimo, I took some photos of a web of caterpillars that were on a bush alongside the path we were on. More recently, we were up near Bembridge windmill on the Isle of Wight so I could take some photos of the windmill as the evening sun was lighting it up. As I walked back to the car, I could see something in the hedges and went to take a look. Tuns out it was the same thing. Seeing such a dense cluster of caterpillars is a touch surprising and I would have spent longer checking them out but the others were waiting for me, so I made it quick.

Jackdaws After the Scraps

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There is a nice café and bar at the Marina over on the Duver in St Helens. When visiting, we have been known to stop over there for a snack or some refreshments. The local jackdaw population also really likes it. I don’t know whether they would consider buying their own stuff, but they do like to see what is left by any of the other patrons. They are definitely wary of the humans but, if you don’t move too much, they get progressively closer.

I find them fun to watch. Crows and ravens appeal to me anyway but the grey feathers around the head of the jackdaws make them look a little different. I got some wider views of them including some video. I did also go for some closer shots of the birds when they would be near enough for me to do so. The details in the feathers when you look close at them is really interesting to me.

Bembridge Post Lunch Departures

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While visiting the Island, we had gone to our hotel to check in. Earlier in the day, we had seen a few planes climbing out of the airport at Bembridge off in the distance. As Nancy was getting settled in, I made the short trip across to the airport to see if anything was still around. There were a few planes taxiing out. My guess is that people fly into Bembridge, walk across to The Propeller Inn for a spot of lunch and then head home again. Given the time, I suspect I was at the back end of the post lunch crews. Nothing seemed to be arriving. The wind meant the runway in use wasn’t so favourable for photos but some of them had gradual climb outs, so it wasn’t so bad. A few light aircraft shots before returning to the hotel!

Walk the Wight (A Bit Anyway)

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Walk to Wight is a charity fundraising event on the Isle of Wight that, if you do the whole thing, involves a 26 mile walk from Bembridge to the Needles. My mum has done the walk at various times in the past and this year she was interested in just doing the final five miles which takes you from Freshwater Bay, up the climb on to Tennyson Down and then on to the Needles. I asked if she would like some company, so I went along.

The climb up out of Freshwater Bay is initially quite steep and then gradually eases out until you are up at the Tennyson monument. Then it is a lovely stroll along the spine of the Island until you get to the Needles. The weather was lovely, and the wind was from the east so pushing us along our way. Freshwater Bay is a pretty spot on its own but the whole walk is lovely. We started pretty early in the day so it wasn’t too busy yet. As the majority of the walkers got to the final part of the crossing or those doing our section started later, the climb would have been very busy. We were back home for lunch! I might have more shots to share soon.

Out at Sea with Your Horses

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Every once in a while, when I am going through images to review what I have, I come across something I didn’t expect. While making the crossing back from the Isle of Wight, I was up on deck taking some shots and one of the catamarans that makes the crossing to Ryde was coming off Ryde Pier Head, so I took a few shots. When I go through the shots, I zoom in to check which images are sharp and which are not. In this case, I noticed that some people were out in the water with some horses. There are sand flats out a long way at Ryde so, the water can be close to the shore while it is shallow a long way out. These guys were obviously enjoying being out some distance from the shore. For reference, the pier is about half a mile long.

Changing Continents but Still Chasing Cormorants!

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Mum and I were walking across the wall that crosses the harbour in St Helens. There were a few birds in the vicinity, but I wasn’t anticipating getting anything. Then a bird took off from the water and flew around me providing a few good opportunities to photograph it. What type of bird was it? (Unless you haven’t read the title of this post, you already know.) A cormorant. My favourite bird is just as available to me here as it was in Washington. The colours do seem slightly different but that is just a bonus.

Photographing Ferries – Is It the Pandemic Again??

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During the pandemic, I did spend a bit of time checking out the various ferry services in Washington. Now I am back in the UK and taking a trip to the Isle of Wight, I did get some sunny conditions on one of the Wightlink ferries, Victoria of Wight. We took this ferry across to the Island but came back on a different boat. We were on an earlier ferry than planned so this would have been our ride if we had stuck to our schedule. Anyway, some nice sun on this ferry as it made its regular crossing from Portsmouth to Fishbourne.

Bembridge Windmill

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Sunday morning in Bembridge and the sun was out so, after a stop at a great local café – great job Lagom – it was time to stretch the legs (and try and offset that rather large toasted sandwich I had for breakfast). We wandered up to the windmill. It is owned by the National Trust, and we are members so we could have gone inside. They had only just opened for the season, but it was a possibility. However, we were more interested in the walk, so we didn’t go in.

That didn’t mean we didn’t have a look around outside. The evening before, as we had been driving out to dinner, the evening sun had been on the front of the windmill, and it would have made a lovely shot. I missed that opportunity, sadly. Even so, the morning light wasn’t a bad second best and the only remaining windmill on the Island looked very nice. It is only a few years since they replaced the sweeps (which is the right term for the sails apparently) so it is good that they are investing in keeping this icon of the village going.