Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Monday, 25 August 2014

The floating mooring pontoon

Lies around four hundred metres off shore. It would be bettered described as a garden decking platform resting on a galvanised steel frame supported by two enormous inflatable tubes. 

It is the meeting point for families, for bathing beauties, daughters and mums, who lie on their paddle boards floating in its vicinity and for the various kids clubs who have kayaked out. The pontoon is surrounded by splashes and laughter. 

But to those who know, just beyond but in its shadow, is another world, a submarine world of crystal clear turquoise waters, small shoals of shimmering small fish, greater launce and garfish. Black spiny sea urchins lumber across the rippling sands below and flatfish wriggle their way into the sandy patches between beds of eelgrass. 

To enter this world requires snorkel and mask, a watchful eye for dinghies, ribs, SUP's and falling bodies. But it is there, hidden away, another submarine world! 

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