Went down to the pontoon the other day and after about 15 minutes of pottering about realised that there was something missing. The Ferry Restaurant was no longer moored in the mud close to the pontoon leaving this empty space behind.
This what the above spot looked like with the Ferry in place.
And this was the view of the pontoon (spot Misty?) from the outside verandah of the restaurant.
It seems that the lease on the mooring expired and the old chain ferry cum restaurant has been moved to another berth inside the adjacent Elephant Boatyard. The Ferry is still open but there isn't much of a view from her new location.
Still on the subject of views this beauty is currently alongside at an Elephant pontoon. Named "Minstrel" I believe she has crossed the Atlantic but know little of her history.
Here's a yacht whose history I do know all about, although I was surprised to see her laid up at the Elephant. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's Suhaili, the very boat in which he won the single-handed Golden Globe race in 1968-69.
It seem that after many more voyages:
"In 1997 Suhaili went to the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich as an exhibit, but the controlled atmosphere began to shrink her planking, and, unwilling to see her die this way, RKJ removed her in 2002 and re-fitted her again. She still belongs to RKJ and is currently being slowly re-fastened by RKJ at the Elephant Boatyard at Burseldon, Near Southampton, UK with the objective of getting her back into commission."
Intrigued, I went round into the Elephant and yes, there was the great man busy with a paintbrush and pot of red lead at work on the re-fastening job.
Sir Robin's website is at: http://www.robinknox-johnston.co.uk/
