Spectating a Lock

Posted on 17/02/201617/02/2016 by Alastair

Swansea Marina has two locks to allow boats access to both the River Tawe and the harbour entrance at the river mouth. Walking from one end to the other provides many opportunities to stop and gaze at the movement of lock gates, water, people and boats.

There is (must be) a patience in the people living here and using the the marina. Whether a walker or a sailor, if you are waiting to cross or go through the lock gates, the mechanism being heavy and slow to operate, means that time slows down and there is no option but to accept it.

The gulls in the last photograph below look as though they have mastered this patient outlook on life as they appear to spectate the relative inactivity in the marina on this day where the sheltered aspect of their position means the greatest movement is in the rhythmical ripples in the water.

A Range of Activities

Posted on 16/02/201616/02/2016 by Alastair

The weather may not have been great for my walk through Swansea Marina but there was still plenty of activity in the place. I enjoyed standing a while leaning against the railings and listening to the banter of those on the fishing boats, watching the rowing practice and looking at the jewels and beads of water on the bundled fishing nets as they spilled out of their harbour side containers.

rowers

Marina Activity

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Rust and Restoration

Posted on 01/12/201501/12/2015 by Alastair

About ten years ago we had a studio in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter. We first moved into it just before the area started being developed. The old dock next to the studio building was empty and a number of the buildings were derelict – it wasn’t the best area in town. How things change!

Walking round what is now the marina was . . . interesting – now it is very pleasant. The dock has boats in it again and housing, other buildings and art around it. The National Waterfront Museum holds a significant space there as do other architectural developments.

On this walk there was still a taste of the past, not so much in the brightly painted and well maintained Helwick Lightship but in the old rust bucket resting next to it. It looks a fascinating vessel and I am sure there must be good reason for it being there – perhaps it is awaiting restoration. Why ever it’s there, they make for quite a contrast sitting next to each other.

My Walk this Week 10 – Maritime Observations

Posted on 30/11/201530/11/2015 by Alastair

It seems I am observing the observers at the start of this walk around the marina in Swansea. My walk this week spans both daytime and evening and a couple of the shots I am using I have previously posted on Instagram.

It looks like bath time for sea gulls is the order of the day for this sunny afternoon amongst the boats. You would think the birds on the floats were lining up to take their turn!

Strange Eggs, Public Art or Floats

Posted on 09/10/201409/10/2014 by Alastair

These strange egg like objects are of course dockland floats. It looks as though it is some time since they were used and they look almost like pieces of abstract public art as they lie there between the marina and the docks. If they were eggs, I wonder what their mother would look like?

Collected Jetsam

Posted on 06/10/201406/10/2014 by Alastair

I assume that the piles of rusty and discarded objects we found collected together in Swansea Marina / Docks on a recent Walk and Draw (see previous post), were there deliberately and that their ultimate destination will be a scrap yard.

I have no idea what these objects are but it can be fascinating fun looking through all the strange forms and wondering.

Watching Over the Winds

Posted on 01/08/201301/08/2013 by Alastair

Visit the StillWalks website

The statue atop the Marina Towers Observatory on Swansea Seafront looks out over Swansea Bay and was no doubt keeping an eye on those land wind surfers I posted about yesterday.

The statue was made by Swansea artists Rob Conybear and Uta Molling and has the title “Ecliptica”. You can see many more examples of public art in Swansea here. The architect Robin Campbell was responsible for much of the architectural art work in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter where we used to have a studio – it was a great place to work!

Maritime Quarter, Swansea – Different Scales

Posted on 02/04/201302/04/2013 by Alastair

I have managed, in the last photo of this series, to bring the scale of the Meridian Tower down to that of the Helwick Lightship sitting in Swansea’s marina.

The sounds of the marina can be a fascinating orchestra of rigging when the wind is up. On this day there was just the lapping of water under the floating booms, passing voices and high heeled shoes. They would not have been there if the marina wind orchestra had been playing!

Swansea Marina sound sample

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