The River Book 2018

The Captain’s Choice T he best way to enjoy the river is to take a trip on one of the United Service’s vintage motor ferry boats that are based at Tuckton Tea Gardens, and are operated from Easter until the end of October each year, by Bournemouth Boating Services. The ferries were built at the local Christchurch Yard of E F Elkins and Sons, dating back to 1934, and apart from wartime duty between 1939 and 1945 have sailed up and down the harbour ever since. Birdlife One of the delights of a cruise in the harbour is the opportunity to watch the abundance of birdlife. From the numerous regal swans serenely swimming, occasionally flying, and frequently seen protecting their brood from interlopers, to the small coots and moorhens that busy themselves paddling furiously, seemingly making little progress despite the effort, there is so much to watch and marvel at nature’s ways. As the outgoing tide reveals the mudbanks we see oystercatchers and terns dig for their next meal, and marvel as the swan flock line up across the harbour and dive down to scavenge from the vegetation on the waterbed. A relatively newcomer to the harbour are the egrets that resemble small storks and strut around the water’s edge, and a careful lookout should see one or two of the majestic herons lurking on the harbour edge using the reeds to camouflage their presence. Strangely however it is the relatively ugly large cormorants that attract the most questions as they tend to rest and dry their plumage on the harbour marker buoys. For me however it is the truly amazing sight of the flocks of turnstones that fly in perfect unison just a few feet above the weed covered rock foreshore by the Black House that never fails to delight. Longtime ferry driver Chris Wood chooses his top points of interest on a trip down the river from Tuckton to Mudeford. Passengers are able to start their cruise at Tuckton, Wick (by The Captains Club Hotel), Christchurch Quay, or Mudeford Beach. There is also the opportunity to break the journey with a trip ashore to explore at any of the stops. I was asked to highlight some of the points of interest that can be seen on a round trip; what follows is The Captain’s Choice... Photo: Dean Mason The United ferries vintage boat HEADLAND MAID, launched in 1935, set sail from Tuckton Tea Gardens on a cruise down the river with happy visitors on board. For details of the sailings please refer to the back cover.