Dartmouth Yacht Club (UK) – Canoe Section

A cheerful group enjoyed the warm air and muted sunshine. Kingswear castle in the background.

Bow bridge is where the Harbourne river meets the tidal water of the Dart estuary. The lowest of the many watermills on the river is just visible to the right behind the bridge. On the left is the terrace of the Waterman’s Arms pub and in the foreground is the pair of swans whose nest is just beyond the bridge on the left bank. Behind the camera stretches the three km of Bow Creek, a quiet stretch of water, expansive but shallow, with rocky south shore and a sinuous deep water channel, which discourages keel boats and speedboats and so the creek is rich in aquatic birds.

It is always fun to race sailing boats upwind. At this point I was sheltering from a vicious hailstorm but later the wind eased and I could overtake the sailing boat, tacking up river towards Stoke Gabriel.

It’s rare to see seals sunbathing in the harbour. Usually they lunch in the estuary at high tide, then return to the rocky islands out in the English channel to relax. It was only when I looked closely at the photo at home that I realised the creature was wounded, with blood on its neck – a fight about the ladies I expect. It will surely recover, since it flipped around fast to check on my movements, hence the poor focus.