Ilfracombe
OOPS.... I mean Ilfracombe! (sorry....tired after sailing and you can't amend a photo after posting it) My first rainy interview day since 29 March!
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Georgina Carlo-Paat is an ex Ship's Master and exudes the confidence and capability of someone who has helmed large ships all over the world. She is one year into being HM of Ilfracrombe, famous for its huge sandy bottomed far reaching beach, as well as Damien Hirst's imposing sculpture "Verity". Her assistant Rick Simpson is an old hand, and has worked in the harbour for 14 years.
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I have now entered the Bristol Channel proper. Amazingly it has the 2nd highest tidal range in the world, the Bay of Fundy in Canada being the first! This means very strong tides, unpredictable eddies and low low water when the tide is out as you can see in the photos.
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Since taking up the post in April 2018, the most unusual thing she has experienced is being called out for a dead cow in the harbour and arranging the removal on a Sunday afternoon! Ilfracombe is the first harbour to get a robotic "Waste Shark", sponsored by WWF and SKY Ocean Project.
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Again, you keen geographers, will note that we have skipped the estuary of the rivers Taw and Torridge where the towns of Appledore, Bideford, Instow and Barnstaple lie. Not only was the HM on holiday, but the pilot book warned of a "dangerous entrance over a shallow bar". With a strengthening wind, we were keen to reach the safe marina at Watchet allowing me to back track on foot across beautiful Exmoor to visit Ilfracombe, Watermouth Cove, Porlock Weir and Minehead.
.
Georgina Carlo-Paat is an ex Ship's Master and exudes the confidence and capability of someone who has helmed large ships all over the world. She is one year into being HM of Ilfracrombe, famous for its huge sandy bottomed far reaching beach, as well as Damien Hirst's imposing sculpture "Verity". Her assistant Rick Simpson is an old hand, and has worked in the harbour for 14 years.
.
I have now entered the Bristol Channel proper. Amazingly it has the 2nd highest tidal range in the world, the Bay of Fundy in Canada being the first! This means very strong tides, unpredictable eddies and low low water when the tide is out as you can see in the photos.
.
Since taking up the post in April 2018, the most unusual thing she has experienced is being called out for a dead cow in the harbour and arranging the removal on a Sunday afternoon! Ilfracombe is the first harbour to get a robotic "Waste Shark", sponsored by WWF and SKY Ocean Project.
.
Again, you keen geographers, will note that we have skipped the estuary of the rivers Taw and Torridge where the towns of Appledore, Bideford, Instow and Barnstaple lie. Not only was the HM on holiday, but the pilot book warned of a "dangerous entrance over a shallow bar". With a strengthening wind, we were keen to reach the safe marina at Watchet allowing me to back track on foot across beautiful Exmoor to visit Ilfracombe, Watermouth Cove, Porlock Weir and Minehead.