This morning the only shipping seen so far are both of the Red Funnel Ferries travelling from Cowes to Southampton. The Cruise Liners of various Lines and Sizes tend to pass homeward in the very early hours and leave around 6pm in the dark.
However, those ships produce a wonderful sight in the distance being overhauled in lights from the decks and the staterooms as the occupants will be preparing for their first dinner on board. Such sweet memories. I want to go again.
The P&O Oriana at Night
The combination of my telescope and the Canon snap shot camera placed at the lens produced this fuzzy shot of the Oriana as she passed by on 26th January headin to I know not where.
For over two weeks we had the spectacle of the Hoegh Osaka Car Transporter on Sunday 4th January, lying on her side on the Bramble Shingle Bank, there until she was eventually righted to a 5% list a week of so ago and towed back to Southampton where they have now offloaded some 1400 cars that were on board. The big success with this story is that there was no spillage from her full tank of fuel.
Car Transporter in the Sunday Morning Mist
Almost Upright as the Salvage crew level the Ballast in her Hold on 21st January. These brave men have been swinging on ropes as the coped with and worked on her in the original 52% of list.
We also saw Fred Olsens Boudicca heading off before hearing some days later that she had an Engine Fire off of the coast of Morocco. I am not sure what is happening there now?
However,
This Blog is supposed to be about Sunsets, which, despite have Rainy Days as well as quite a few Stormy Nights have been spectacular.
The Winter Sun is Low in the Sky therefore the sun is setting over the west End of the Isle of Wight where we have a full view of it. Soon there will be a peiod of it dropping into the Solent between the Needles on the Island and Hurst Castle on the Mainland.
During the Summer Months it will be setting more to our West over the New Forest
Here are a selection of those Sunsets so far that I have taken from our home from an upstairs window.
This first set were taken on 30th November
A Couple from 5th December
One without that Lamp Post
On the 6th December we just had a lovely red sky to enjoy.
Again on the 7th when the neighbour had his bonnet up.
Then 10th December was a Misty Evening
Lost in the Mist.
This series taken on 20th December during our Dog Walk along the Beach also features the local Hardy Kite Surfers who seen to enjoy whizzing between the Shingle Banks which are a feature of the low tidal scene here.
By the time I got home the sky had turned a deep red.
On Boxing Day 25th December this early sunset shot is taken through the Yachts in the local Haven. Almost a Black & White image.
During our 29th December Dog Walk this was the scene.
So Calm again today.
The effect on the Marchwood Power Station & Fawley Refinery
People watching from the Meon Shore
One Distracted Fisherman
At Home again, The sun reappears for a while
Finally Gone!
On the 18th January I was driving along the coast road at Stokes Bay coming from Gosport when I just had to stop and take this fast changing sky.
By the time I arrived home it had changed again to this
This week on 26th are the last of my photos. I am sure that there will be many more as every clear sky day brings promise of yet another fine SUN SET.
I hope that that was not too boring but it is good to log these vents here for me to go over again and again later during those stormy evenings to bring hope when a depression seems to have stuck forever.
Frank
