Perhaps the drought will end today.

The Mayflower Marina, at Mount Wise, on the River Tamar.

 

Two properties with extensive river views.

Admiralty House, on the high ground of Mount Wise was completed 1793,

from whence the Military Commander could monitor all shipping movements 

in and out of the River Tamar, en route to and from the Naval Dockyard at Devonport.

The Ocean Court apartment complex was built nearly two hundred years later, at water level, 

 so that boat owners could keep a careful eye on their craft and be ready to set sail within minutes.

Ancient and Modern on the Waterfront

Looking across the Tamar, from Cremyll, towards the Stonehouse section of Plymouth's Waterfront.

On the left is an upmarket marina development, created on what was once a quayside industrial industrial complex manufacturing agricultural fertiliser. a dusty and sulphurous process. 

Whilst on the right is the former victualling facility for the Royal Navy, built between 1826 and 1835.
Since its closure in the 1900s, major redevelopment has been ongoing.
Within its walls now there is a mix of very expensive apartments, a wide range of restaurants, wine bars, boutiques and galleries. These are to be joined in the next two months by a complex of 32 studios with exhibition space, aimed providing "affordable"  facilities for local artists and craftspeople.

The two developments face each other across the mouth of Stonehouse creek.

An early spring morning on the River Tamar.

These two riverside communities face one another across the river,

This is the hamlet of Cremyll on the Cornish side of the river.

This is the Mayflower Marina at Stonehouse, on the Plymouth Bank of the river.

"If winter comes,

can spring be far behind?"

                                                                                   Ode to the West Wind

                                                                                  Percy Bysshe Shelley

Two Different Worlds

It is only about a 200 metre walk, through the Mount Wise Lido,
from the location of yesterday's post to The Mayflower Marina.

Although the two anchorages are so close in distance they are widely different in character.
(Take a look back at yesterday)

Traditional Boats

It is good to see that the lovely lines of traditional sailing boats can still be seen in Plymouth's marinas.

Here are a group of them at the Mayflower Marina in Stonehouse last week.

The Bounty and the Biker

Against the wind

We were runnin' against the wind

We were young and strong, we were runnin'

Against the wind

                                                  Bob Seger

The Bounty

The Bounty

The Bounty

The Bounty Replica

The ship that was built for the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" arrived in Plymouth a few days ago. She was built from the original ship's drawings, on file in Admiralty archives. She was constructed in the traditional manner but all the dimensions were scaled up by approximately one third.

Plymouth's link with the Bounty is that Captain Bligh was born here in September 1754, although the residents of the lovely Cornish village of St Tudy will give you a pretty convincing argument that he is one of theirs. For the full story of the ship, the events of the mutiny, etc. Follow this Link

I'll post some more pictures of her tomorrow.

The Artist

The wonderful weather continues and everybody seems to be making the most of it.

However, the local water company say that the main city resevoir is only 74% full when normally, at this time of year, it is at 100% and can easily cope with peak summer time demands.

The Mayflower Marina

A day or two ago we looked around  inside the Royal William Yard, but when you look out from there across the river, this is what you see.

The blue building on the right is the home of Princess Yachts International. They make a range of very large and very expensive boats which are seen in just about every fashionable marina in the world.

 In a little creek behind the blue building is a group of their small ones getting ready for sea trials.