Pumpkin power

Yesterday, a London artist, Dmitri Galitzine, crossed the Solent, from Stokes Bay to Wootton Creek, in a giant pumpkin, complete with two outboard motors. The journey went so well that he sailed it back. I think that if I hadn't been stuck at work I'd have gone down to Wootton Creek to watch him sail in. Given the costs of and also the cutbacks to the Solent ferry services it would be tempting to rush out, get a giant pumpkin (or any other oversized vegetable), hollow it out and fix a couple of outboard engines to it...

Here's a link to a video of Dmitri's pumpkin Solent crossing.

Bang goes that one

According to the Isle of Wight County Press, an attempt by the makers of the TV show Bang Goes The Theory to sail a boat made of ice from Gosport to Cowes failed when it didn't make it out of Portsmouth Harbour because the engine became submerged. A pity really, as I'd loved to have seen how far it got before it melted! Sadly, I have not yet found any pictures.

Southampton VTS had the Methania, which had been laid up in Southampton since last December, down to leave Southampton for the Nab Anchorage at 0900 this morning.She did go, according to this item on Solent Shipping News.
I took the photo of Methania, below, at Southampton in December last year, it was the same day I went to see Saga Rose on her final visit.

Methania at Southampton, December 2009

While browsing the net, I came across the contender for - and surely the winner of - the Award for the Most Hideous Paint Job In Maritime History. The unfortunate recipient of this dubious honour is....*drum roll*...Tallink's Superstar which is painted in a 'delightful' scheme of pea green and orange. For pictures, click here, but put your sunglasses on first. Sorry Tallink but that is truly vile.