It might seem strange to put fishing boats and motorbikes together, but for me they have one important thing in common - they both give you freedom to roam, albeit at rather different speeds.
My fishing boat was built in the Appledore yard in Devon about 30 years ago. She is very solid for her 22ft overall length, with 1" pitched pine planks carvel-built on oak ribs with three heavy sawn frames keeping the boat in very good shape, a combination which weighs in at just under 2½ tons. An 18hp Lister diesel pushes us along at a respectable 6 knots, (for an open fishing boat), and I know from experience what an excellent sea boat Sea Bird is because the weather has turned foul on us more than once causing us to run for home through breaking seas always to arrive back in port safe and sound. An elderly neighbour of mine, now sadly passed away, who was a master boat builder in Porthleven when boats were built here used to say to me "A wooden boat has got a soul, Peter. It's made from the living wood which never dies" and I believe he was right; I feel a lot safer in Sea Bird in rough weather than I have done in any of my previous GRP/fibre glass boats.
I just use my boat for hobby fishing, and to work a few lobster pots for fun, (if you want chapter and verse on recreational shell fishing click here). I don't have a shellfish licence though, so I am strictly limited as to what shellfish I can land and I can't sell any of my catch. I don't break these rules firstly because I don't fancy being bankrupted by the fine and losing my boat if I get caught, and because it is just a hobby for me. My enjoyment comes from just being out on the water and at peace with the world and this is especially true when the dolphins are around in summer. The dolphins will play in the bow wave just an arm's length from the boat or if you stop they will usually linger around the boat slowly rolling around and playing with each other but always, it seems, with an eye to you; they seem almost to be playing for you, their audience. We know nothing do we!
These few pictures show the difference between winter and summer out in the boat. Wooly hat and thick jumper in December, top, and working the boat in the July sun, above, with a specimen trigger fish, (which was returned to the sea), a nice 10lb pollack and a lobster in the pots, (which were returned to the kitchen!). Family and friends don't go short of fresh fish during the year and from May to August a steady supply of fresh crabs and lobsters makes the summer pass very pleasantly. (If you are interested the best crab recipe in the world, and what not to do with a fresh lobster click here)
The bike demands a totally different mind set from the boat because unlike the boat, where other traffic is not really a problem, on the bike you are seemingly invisible to the majority of other road users, so it's 100% concentration from the moment you get on to the moment you get off.
The highlight of any UK biker's year, or European biker's year for that matter, is the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy fortnight. The IOM TT is a biker's paradise with around 10,000 bikes on the island during the last week when all the road racing takes place - the picture below left shows the bikes parked at just one of the dozens of race viewing points around the 37 mile road race circuit. The IOM is an 800 mile round trip for me with a ferry crossing to the island, of course, but well worth the effort and I have been several times. Below right two bikes in the senior race nip and tuck at Creg-ny-Baa corner.
The island police are very strict on obeying signed speed limits and most bikers stick to them, but up on the derestricted mountain roads, above centre, the police seem to accept that bikers are going to be bikers and they tend to leave you alone. The only time I heard my bike hit the rev limiter in 6th gear was on the Veranda - a long, straight stretch of road up in the IOM mountains - I say 'heard' because I didn't have time to look down at the instruments so I have no idea what the speed was. I just heard the bike say 'I can't go any faster' - definitely red line and brown shorts country up there!!
(PS........After a long hard think about it I decided to part company with my beautiful 'Umph because I just don't go touring any more. I'm on the lookout for something with knobbly tyres now so that I can join the local off-road club and have a bit of fun that way................Watch this space!!)
I also make rustic garden chairs out of green hazel but that's a hobby too far here so I'll just include the picture.
