Messing About in Boats

I mentioned in a recent post how I would have loved to go to sea and how I would imagine being shipwrecked or living on a remote island, ideas that were inspired by many of the books I read when I was very young.

I think sailing vessels have a unique romantic quality and the thought of being transported, powered by the wind is very tempting for me. Aside from the fact that I do not know how to sail a boat, have never sailed a boat I am absolutely sure I would love the experience.

I have driven/sailed/piloted/skippered (I don't know the correct nautical term) a small cabin cruiser and a friends motor boat and I thoroughly enjoyed that and if I had the money a cabin cruiser would be quite high on my wish list and I would spend time sailing, exploring hidden coves and beaches, maybe fishing for my tea (ha ha) and just getting away from the hustle and bustle of daily  life. I might find myself alone though as my better half does not have sea legs and would prefer to stay on land. Oh well, a little alone time would be fun...
 

Crest of Wave

I have posted images of water many times before, often (like earlier this week) ripples and reflections but on other occasions I want to show water in motion like in the images above.

These were taken on the beach at Trefor on the North Wales coast. The sky was overcast and the water had a dirty green tint so I have processed the images in black and white.

I stood watching the waves roll in and I could feel the power of the tide as each wave receded pulling the pebbles of the beach with it.

I love the shapes that are created as the waves break and the spray forms along the crest, I also really like the way the light comes through the waves and the spray. Each time the wave breaks the pattern is completely random but when you freeze that motion and look closely it is possible to see (or imagine) interesting things, for example in the last image I think it looks very like the tale of a whale starting to break through the surface as the water rushes off it.

Guiding Light

The River Mersey is an incredibly busy shipping lane as ships arrive from all around the world, including oil tankers bound for the refinery at Stanlow and the container port at Seaforth as well as the freight terminal at 12 Quays. The river also hosts some of the worlds biggest cruise liners that call in at Liverpool's Pier Head in the shadow of its Three Graces; a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Some of the bigger ships like this Greek registered tanker need a little help to navigate the channels into port so the river pilot will guide them in. 

In times past the Lighthouse would have also played its part in marking the safe passage into the river from the often stormy Liverpool Bay and the Irish Sea.

 

Care Free

 I had gone out for a few hours at the weekend with the intention to get some shots for a photo quiz I am doing but I got a little distracted at New Brighton because of the stormy sea and the lighthouse. I was also watching some of the massive ships coming into the Mersey from Liverpool Bay (more of that in my next post I think).

I think this lighthouse looks cool whether the tide is in or out but with the waves and the rope blowing out from the balcony you can see how it needs to stand up to the elements.

This is one of my favourite shots from the day because as I was lining everything up the little girl ran across. I pressed the shutter not knowing for sure whether I had timed it right but I think it is spot on. I love the way she is skipping just along the edge of the water, totally care free

Heavy Clouds, Heavy Seas

This shot was taken at Milford on Sea in Hampshire on the border of the New Forest. It was a super windy day and standing looking out to sea was hard work getting battered by the wind and sea spray. At one point a little boy ran up some steps behind me and as he reached the top and no longer had the protection of the sea wall the wind lifted him off his feet and blew him over. It was quite a spectacular moment and could have been quite serious but he seemed to bounce and simply got up and ran off along the shore.

Footprints

This holiday wasn't about beaches and sunbathing but the shores of Lake Superior are dotted with little coves and sandy beaches.

On advice from our friends who have driven the north shore route many times we stopped at Pancake Bay Provincial Park. Pulling in we were greeted by a young man who advised that there is a fee for day visitors to the park that would be refundable if we left within 30 minutes. I explained that I was just stopping to take a few pictures and he very kindly waived the fee.

Walking through the treeline I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a wide sweeping sandy beach and the clear water lapping against the shore. I took a couple of shots and then I couldn't resist paddling briefly. The water was cold, but not as cold as expected and as I walked away I turned to see my footprints slowly washed away by the waves. I took this picture as a reminder that I was there, it wasn't a dream.

Jurassic Coast

The Dorset coast is known as the Jurassic Coast due the the large number of fossils discovered there.  These shots are from Lulworth Cove which is a really popular spot. I didn't find any fossils but I spent some time getting some good photos. 

As you can see the water in the cove was really calm but outside it was a bit more choppy. The tide had turned and was on its way out so i think the waves crashing on the rocks were not as spectacular as they could be when the tide is coming in. 

Messing about in boats

Today I have a few more pictures from Anglesey, these were taken at Red Wharf Bay which as you can see is a peaceful setting in a sheltered bay. On Saturday afternoon there were several people busy at work readying their boats for sea.  They caught my eye and I thought they were good subjects for my blog .

The third picture is a little abstract, the sea was really very calm but a couple of people came into the bay on jet skis, clearly having a blast and kicking up quite a swell. I have tried to capture the motion of the waves, let me know in the comments below if you think it works for you...

At Herne Bay

The three pictures above were taken on the beach at Herne Bay in Kent, The Garden of England.

I took a number of pictures of the breakwaters as they stretched down the beach into the sea, I think the one I have posted today is the best of them.  

I have chosen two other pictures of the waves breaking, one in monochrome and the other in colour.  Again I took several pictures to try to capture the right moment as the wave hit the breakwater, I think that they are  dramatic shots even though the waves weren't particularly big the effect as they broke was quite exciting.

I like water as a subject for photography and in the future I will experiment with different shots and different effects.