Boat Watching

I’ve had a thing about boats that goes back to boats in the bath when I was tiny; sailing homemade boats down stream under bridges as a child; watching the big ships sail passed our school on the River Boyne up the estuary towards the Irish sea when I was a teenager; sailing to places like Wales, England and France when I got a bit older; cruising on the River Shannon; yachting in Brittany; reading Treasure Island over and over to son, Harry, when he was a youngster; and perhaps, more than anything, walking around harbours and cliff tops just watching boats and listening to all the sounds associated with them, especially the clinking.

The other day when I was out in Dunmore East, the main fishing centre in Co. Waterford, it was so relaxing to watch the comings and goings of colourful boats and wonder where they were going.

When I was high up on the cliffs with no one around, I suddenly saw that I had company as a fishing boat came into view below me:

Sometime later, the Lifeboat came into view, pressing hard against the waves. While it was a lovely sight, it made me think of the dedication and courage of those who volunteer to work to help save lives at sea. Can we ever thank such people enough?

The Light of the Ocean

img_20161110_105228 — Tramore Bay, Co. Waterford

If you don’t send out your boats, they won’t come sailing home.

This was one of my late parents’ fondest sayings and I always think of it when I enter writing competitions.

So, send out a few boats. You may get a lovely surprise long after you’ve forgotten you even did so.

A Waterford City Sunday

Walking along the Quay in Waterford City ~ the oldest city in Ireland ~ is one of my favourite things to do early on a Sunday morning.

The River Suir is nearing its long journey to the sea by the time it reaches Waterford and today I started further down the Estuary on my way to Waterford. The sun was just about getting up and all was still:

The Suir was all agleam when I got to Waterford and, as always, my eyes were drawn to Rice Bridge which holds such significance for me in terms of ‘coming home’ to Tramore, especially from Dublin.

The skyline of the City, taken in the morning light, evokes a real sense of the immensity of the history of Waterford, spanning back the centuries.

When Waterford blood runs through your veins, it’s always glorious to see this blue and white banner!

The names of the boats moored along the Quay are one of my fascinations. Today, it was Agile that got me reflecting.

Clearly, boats need agility to cope with the vagaries of the sea. But, humans need an immense amount of both physical and mental agility to navigate their way through life.

Send out Your Boats!

“If you don’t send out your boats, they won’t come sailing in.”

I was reared on this saying and had been under the impression that it was first uttered by some very important person. I went looking this morning, but can’t find any references to it so am assuming, until I hear differently, that it was a makey-up of my parents.

It’s a saying that I think of every time I enter a writing competition, especially by post. I have no qualms about giving my entry a heartfelt kiss before popping it into the letter box in the Post Office.

It’s all about creating hope, isn’t it? Okay, one has to be prepared for the fact that some of the boats will get washed up along the way but it’s always good to know that one has boats gone out that may well come back to safe harbour with an abundance of hope on board.

I mentioned this to an artist friend a while back and this was his lovely response:

A Boat called 'Hope' — A Boat called ‘Hope’

Safe Harbour ~ Gatherings from Ireland #305

Dummore East, here in Co. Waterford, is a place that has huge significance in my life ~ so significant, in fact, that I chose to have my wedding reception there.

So, I was thrilled when Sinead Boyle submitted a photograph of Dunmore East Harbour for my Festival of Colour, Creativity and Connection. Sinead is a photographer from Tramore and it means the world to me that her decision to enter the world of photography was inspired by seeing exhibitions which my late father held when she was a youngster.

Dunmore East, Co. Waterford Photo: Sinead Boyle — Dunmore East, Co. Waterford
Photo: Sinead Boyle

As a result, this particular photograph is all about connections as well as colour to me. For Sinead, though, the image conjures up thoughts about creativity which I find very interesting:

Dunmore’s reflections lend colour to this image. The water transforms into a natural canvas to create its own landscape. Nature is by far the best creator; here it is definitely a case of: to create a picture, just add water.

To see more of Sinead’s work, be sure to follow her via Tramore Art Craft and Design http://tramoreartcraftdesign.wordpress.com/sinead-boyle-images/

As we move into the second half of November, may I invite you to join the Festival of Colour, Creativity and Connection by sharing prose, poetry, photographs, songs, artwork ….. anything that even whispers Colour, Creativity or Connection to you. Just email me at: jeantubridy@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you!