Every picture on this website, with no exception, is taken from one place - our Dartmouth office garden
THE VIEW FROM THE DARTMOUTH OFFICE
The Pick of The View From The Dartmouth Office
There have been some extraordinary events happen in front of our view since we moved to Dartmouth in 2003. This album is a collection of some of the better photographs combined with photos of the more interesting events.
It's only a small selection from all the years, and includes Navy ships, British and foreign. Lots of cruise ships, superyachts and even a couple of megayachts. Everyday life in and around the river. And not so every day life. Some of it very unusual indeed. Masses of aircraft, helicopters in particular.
There's always activity on the river, but plenty 'off the field' too. There's been a rebuilding boom since we arrived that shows no sign of let up.
Fireworks always look great in the valley setting, and the Britannia Royal Navy College (BRNC) has great displays a few times each year. But the best ones are probably the Saturday night during Regatta.
Anyway, full marks to you if you manage to plough through this lot. Or plow thro should you be across the pond.
#Dartmouth #Kingswear #RiverDart #BRNC #DartmouthNavy #DartmouthCruiseShip #TVFTDO #TheViewFromTheDartmouthOffice #ViewsOfDartmouth #ViewsofKingswear

After months (years actually) of renovations Kittery Court house on the riverside in Kingswear was nearly ready. Until a fire started in the roof space (reportedly by a young plumber). Within minutes the house was totally destroyed. #housefire #Kingswear #KitteryCourt

Saw this sight just the once. In our two degree view out to sea, up popped...a submarine. No idea of its name - or even its nationality. Can anyone help?
#Dartmouth #submarine

RAF Chinooks continue to pass through the valley, but they no longer perform aerobatics as they used to during the Dartmouth Regatta air displays. Sometime terrifying to watch
#DartmouthRegattaAirDisplay #Chinookaerobatics

Dartmouth Lower Ferries are a constant plying their trade between our side of the river Dart and Kingswear. but just occasionally they turn in an odd appearance. Two tugs and one barge can only lead to a row (as in an argument. Or maybe as in using the oars)
#DartmouthFerry #DartmouthLowerFerry

Scant detail, which maybe for the best. Dart Harbour crews recover a car which had ended up in the river from the Kingswear quayside.
#Dartmouthcarinriver #carriverDartmouth #Kingswearcarriver

Cruise ship Royal Princess visited. Not every liner brings out its passengers but those that do seem to like the view.
#DartmouthCruiseShip #RoyalPrincess #CruiseShipRoyalPrincess

Tall ship - well more a large barge or barque, the Earl of Pembroke was in Dartmouth port. What a great time to be a kid.
#EarlOfPembroke #TallShipDartmouth #Dartmouth

This may well look like a straightforward photo of a RAF Harrier but the important thing to note is that it is Hovering. Right in front of us. And it is loud beyond belief. In full it is a Harrier GR7A number: ZD376
#HarrierDartmouth #ZD376 #HarrierHovering

Passing out parade at BRNC comes the day before the end of term ball which always culminates in...a firework display.
#BRNCFireworks #DartmouthFireworks

Every Wednesday evening the Royal Dart Yacht Club holds races. Here's a mighty close finish. Helen took this pic, that's me alongside the mast of the second boat, Dogmatist.
#RDYCRaces #YachtRacesCloseFinish #DartmouthYachts

Dartmouth Regatta used to get a Royal Navy "guardship". In 2008 it was HMS Argyll a type 23 frigate who announced their arrival with a bang or two.
#HMSArgyll #DartmouthRegattaGuardship2008 #FrigateFireingGun

In the years before the Shoreham airshow crash, Dartmouth Regatta had its own displays/ Here's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Hurricane number LF393 showing its prowess.
#BBMFHurricane #DartmouthRegattaAirDisplayHurricane

One of the RAF's Eurofighter Typhoons in action during one of Dartmouth Regatta's air displays. Seagull got a bit of a shock too.
#DartmouthRegattaAirDisplay #RAFTyphoonDartmouth

Brixham trawler BM45 Pilgrim built in 1895. Recovered in 1999 from Gilleleje, Denmark. Seen arriving in Dartmouth for restoration.
#BrixhamTrawlerPilgrim #RestoredBargePilgrim

`this tree at the end of Waterhead Creek delighted us for years. I intend devoting one complete album to "The Tree". It doesn't end well.
#TheKingswearTree

Superyacht Mayan Queen was the first I ever saw with underwater lights. It does look impressive. Owned by Alberto Bailleres.
#SuperyachtMayanQueenDartmouth

It looked like the perfect day to start a bonfire. No wind at all. Well except that gale at 100 feet. Someone above will be upset.
#KingswearBonfire #BonefireSmokeMistake

The best combination for a striking pic - mist and sun. Can't beat it. Here the sun is rising over the Daymark in Kingswear. The village itself, has all but disappeared.
#KingswearInTheMist #KingswearMist #SunriseMist

Some of the crew of German sail training ship Gorch Fock atop the mast beams to unfurl the mainsails as the tall ship departs Dartmouth.
#GorchFock #DartmouthTallShip

Superyacht (Megayacht ?) 93m Mayan Queen is all lit up in the port of Dartmouth. Owned by Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres.
#SuperyachtMayanQueen #MegayachtMayanQueen

The new Dartmouth Higher Ferry arrives in the river Dart. This rep[lac es the old chain ferry which was much smaller. She got a very enthusiastic welcome.
#NewHigherFerry #DartmouthHigherFerry

The super yacht is Le Grand Bleu, once owned by Roman Abromovich, but he gave it Eugen Shivdler apparently. Yes, the helicopter is landing on it.
#SuperyachtLeGrandBleu #DartmouthSuperyacht #EugeneShivdler

Junior sailing days from RDYC can be exhilarating. Although that is probably not the word that the Castle Ferry driver would utter after this close miss.
#DartmouthCastleFerry #RDYCJuniorSailing

Once again it is mist and sun combining to make the striking images through the trees of Kingswear.
#mistysunrise #mistandsun #Kingswearmist

Kingswear's very own firework display. The crowd gather down at Waterhead Creek park and the fireworks detonate from Darthaven. Works very well, even if viewed from Dartmouth.
#KingswearFireworks

A tornado in Dartmouth. And it doesn't belong to the RAF. Probably more accurately descried as a mini waterspout. Fine, but I'm calling it a tornado.
#DartmouthWeather #DartmouthTornado #DartmouthWaterspout

Does he look a shade plump to you? (I can talk). Within a few more days nearly every berry on that cotoneaster in our garden was inside someone's belly. Not wishing to point any fingers, but....
#BigBIrdBelly #CotoneasterBerryEater.

Astonishingly noisy are Harriers. These two RAF chappies sped through. Not many people in the county didn't hear them.
#DartmouthHarrier #RAFHarrier

The river Dart is said to claim a life a year, on average. This is a Coastguard helicopter searching for a person who had slipped off their yacht earlier in the evening. There was not a good outcome.
#DartmouthCoastguardHelicopter #DartmouthMissingPerson #RiverDartFatality

An appalling day for Dartmouth when a fire started in a space between properties causing the destruction of a number of historic buildings. All now restored, but it took years.
#DartmouthFire

Superyacht Northern Star arrived in Dartmouth for a party - the Canadian billionaire owner's daughter had wed a local chap. Time for a party!
#SuperyachtNorthernStar

It's not difficult to get a decent snap of the Red Arrows and as they performed every year at Regatta until just after the Shoreham Air Crash, I have loads of reasonable snaps. Here's one.
#DartmouthRedArrows

Wing Commander J D Milne is at the controls of the RAF Typhoon as it slowly (relatively speaking) flies upriver past us in Dartmouth's Above Town.
#DartmouthRAFTyphoon #DartmouthRegattaAirDisplay

Oh dear, that sinking feeling. One of Dartmouth Regatta's entries takes on a bit of water.
#DartmouthRegattaYachtSinking

A royal visitor. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal aboard the Fairmile before it's later restoration back to proper wartime colours (grey, very grey).
#DartmouthFairmile

We get stacks of rainbows over the Dart, It should be called "The Rainbow River". Here's one decent double rainbow. But there have been hundreds.
#DoubleRainbowDartmouth

"The Tree" as we called it (past tense) at the end of Waterhead Creek. I snapped it in every season. No matter what, it looked magnificent. Until the end.
#TheKingswearTree

There's a feeling of abandonment for this buoy jumper from HMS Cattistock (visiting Dartmouth). He's the crew member who attaches the mooring lines to the main buoy. Usually they are not left like this. Unless he's upset the captain.
#HMSCattistockDartmouth

Our 2 degree gap out to sea produces some unusual sights. This is our former aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious with an Apache helicopter on training mission.
#AircraftCarrierDartmouth #HMSIllustriousDartmouth

Looks like one of the sail hauls has got stuck close to the top of the mast. Enter the youngest or smallest or most foolish member of the crew. And get the Bosun's Chair.
#SailStuckUpMast #BosunsChairDartmouth

Same guy. Quite rightly feeling abandoned. Stuck 3/4 up the mast as they enter the port of Dartmouth.
#BosunsChairDartmouth #DartmouthRegattaSailor

Ferries, ferries, ferries. Dartmouth ferries. Count 'em.
I found thirteen.
#HowManyFerriesInDartmouth #DartmouthFerries

One of Dartmouth's most welcome visitors - the SuperYacht EoS. The largest private yacht in the world, its owned by Barry Diller.
#SuperyachtEos #BarryDillerYacht

Superyacht Eos sitting pretty at night in the port of Dartmouth, Devon. I like taking nightspots. There's lots here on TVFTDO.
#SuperyachtEosAtNight #SuperyachtEosDartmouth

Not a normal Devon Air Ambulance mission.
Skilled flying from the pilot of G-DVAA above the rocks near Kingswear Castle.
#DevonAirAmbulanceKingswear #AirAmbulanceSkill

Mighty good flying skills on show here. Someone had fallen on the rocks.
#DevonAirAmbulanceKingswear #AirAmbulanceSkill

This is Danny again. He has an entire album to himself, and it'll be coming back soon to TVFTDO.
#DannyTheDartmouthDolphin

It's that man again. No, not Jack (nice chap in white shirt) but Danny, the Dartmouth Dolphin.
#DannyTheDartmouthDolphin

Fancy a spot of golf ? The Lower Ferry tee shot at the first hole is one of the hardest found on a links course. One slip and you're in the drink.
#DartmouthLowerFerry #LowerFerryGolfShot

This is terrible - because I am not certain and need to check. This SHOULD be The Blades aerobatic team.
¢DartmouthAirDisplay #BladesAerobatics

This display team was usually known as "The Lynx Pair". They were certainly joined at the hip.
#RNLynxHelicopterDisplay #LynxPairDartmouth

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and their three main showpieces. Hurricane LF363 (Mk IIc), Spitfire AB910 (Mk Vb) and Lancaster PA474 City of Lincoln.
#BBMFDartmouth #HurricaneLancasterSpitfire

Paul & Rachel Chandler were held for 388 days by Somali pirates. This is them aboard yacht Lynn Rival as their resume their voyage from Dartmouth following their release.
#ChandlersSomaliPirates #SomaliHostages

Most of the cruise ships visiting Dartmouth turn around up by Sandquay dockyard. Guests at the Dart Marina Hotel can find passengers rather close to their balconies.This is French cruise ship Le Diamant.
#CruiseShipLeDiamantDartmouth

That Danny the Dartmouth Dolphin does get around. And he does like to have fun. He kept these guys amused for nearly an hour.
#DannyTheDartmouthDolphin

Back in 2013 the Lower Ferry slipways were replaced. Fascinating to watch, well it was for me. This shows the sheet piling being removed. Wet work.
#SlipwayConstructionDartmouth

Glistening in the evening sun - aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious just off Dartmouth.
#HMSIllustriousDartmouth #AircraftCarrierDartmouth

Sail cruise ship Wind Surf passes the end of the river Dart as it arrives for a visit to Dartmouth, Devon. Too large to enter the port she was moored out in the 'range'.
#CruisShipWindSurfDartmouth #WindSurfDartmouth

The BRNC Summer Ball firework display - complete with projected background.
#BRNCFireworks #DartmouthFireworks

This is Danny the Dartmouth Dolphin. For six years he delighted us with a visit every year. He spent one entire summer in the harbour possibly recovering from this very visible injury.
#DannyTheDartmouthDolphin #DolphinInDartmouth

Try as I might, The best name for this sort of cloud clinging to the hillside over Kingswear is orographic. We see it once or twice a year. It makes us Dartmouth based people rather smug.
#Cloud #unusualclouds #Kingswear #OrographicCloud

Not often seen in the same room together - all three Dartmouth Lower Ferry tugs.
#DartmouthLowerFerry

The Blades aerobatic team display at Dartmouth Regatta 2013. A very low speed stall (0 mph).
#BladesAerobaticTeam #DartmouthAirDisplay

A low, low, low flypast from a Hercules C130 for Dartmouth Regatta.
#DartmouthHercules #DartmouthLowFlypast

Left turn Clyde. Royal Navy Sea King HU5 (ZA167) takes part in the search and Rescue display at Dartmouth Regatta.
#RNSeaKingDartmouth #DartmouthAirDisplay

City of Lincoln Lancaster bomber, part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Note face in bomb aimer's window.
#BBMFLancaster #RAFLancasterCityOfLincoln

The river Dart has been known to get busy after a hectic Dartmouth Regatta day.
#DartmouthRegatta2013 #RiverDartbusy

Local resident and TV presenter Monty Halls is joined by Rachel Cole for a training session. They aimed to reach and return the Eddystone Lighthouse.
#MontyHallsDartmouth #RachelColeDartmouth #EddystoneRowing

Britain's LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 loco departing Kingswear in one exceptional cloud of steam. Completed in 2008, it was the first loco built since 1960.
#A1TornadoKingswear #KingswearSteamLoco

~Thanks to a TVFTDO viewer, I now know about The Photographer's Ephemeris app. Tells me when a where there will be a moonrise. Without it, this shot would never have happened.
#ThePhotographersEphemeris #DaymarkMoonrise #MoonriseKingswear

Danny The Dartmouth Dolphin has his very own special page. He spent an entire summer here creating a great deal of fun.
#DannyTheDartmouthDolphin

Kingswear Castle getting clobbered in a storm. That wave is just about as high as the ramparts.
#KingswearCastleWave #BigWaveKingswear

A sad sight indeed. Historic fishing vessel the African Queen went up in smoke in Dartmouth harbour. Irreparable.
#DartmouthAfricanQueen #DartmouthBoatFire

Less than a week later a Bayliner called Blue Storm suffered the same fate (no suspicious circumstances. But due to the location of its mooring, this pushed the firefighters to their limits.
#BoatFireDartmouth

The crew of yacht Jolly Jack Tar were competing in the Dartmouth Regatta when the mast snapped. Luckily no serious injuries. But I bet it was frightening.
#SnappedMast #YachtMastBreakage

Pleased with this one - an RAF Typhoon performing at Dartmouth Regatta, for split seconds - it was enveloped in a mist that wrapped around its fuselage and wing.
#DartmouthRegattaAirDicplay #RAFTyphoonDartmouth

One of many, many double rainbows I have seen and snapped over the riverDart at Dartmouth.
#DoubleRainbowDartmouth #RainbowRiver

Not too certain that I would want to take a whole cruise on it, but I would be very happy with this tender. Quite happy to take a cruise on Hebridean Princess though.
#HebrideanPrincessTender #HebrideanPrincessDartmouth #DartmouthCruiseShip

A supermoon ! Which occurs when the moon is full at its perigee. ie the closest it gets to us (226,000 miles). Later on there was a lunar eclipse. But I went to bed.
#SupermoonOverDartmouth #DartmouthMoon

Pretty much the same routine as when they were in Dartmouth in 2009. The crew of German sail training ship Gorch Fock takes to the skies and ascend the masts.
#GorchFockDartmouth #TallShipCrewUpMast

And here they are, the crew of the Gorch Fock ready to unfurl the mainsails as they depart from Dartmouth.
#GorchFockDartmouth #TallShipCrewUpMast

In the early hours two French trawlers started to leaner whilst moored on the Dartmouth Embankment. By morning St Christophe was on its side and there it stayed.
#StChristopheDartmouth #DartmouthTrawlerSinking
![26 May 2016 - 15-09-39 1.jpg
I just happened to see this Hercules head for college and pass by behind........]
#HercukesLowFlying 26 May 2016 - 15-09-39 1.jpg
I just happened to see this Hercules head for college and pass by behind........]
#HercukesLowFlying](images/the-best-photos-from-dartmouth-devon/864D71197390420D80857F286C2211FB/26 May 2016 - 15-09-39 1_thumb.jpg)
I just happened to see this Hercules head for college and pass by behind........]
#HercukesLowFlying

....and then along came a second one, possible even lower. Imagine being in Old Mill Creek when these two flew over. Low, or what ?
#HerculesBRNCFlyPast

It's a very unusual sight. First and only time I have seen it. A double decker bus aboard the Lower Ferry.
#LowerFerryBus #DartmouthFerryDoubleDecker

Sunbeams maketh picture. The Daymark in Kingswear seems to attract the best light.
#SunbeamsKingswear

Mist and sun, that brilliant combination. The low sun shines into the mouth of the river Dart illuminating the list clinging to the river.
#DartmouthLowSun #EarlyMorningMistDartmouth

Who would have thought being a pilot for an electricity company could be so much fun? The Electricty chopper goes pole planting over Kingswear.
#ElectricityPoleReplacement #ElectrictyHelicopter

Kingswear can be a very shady place. It's all Dartmouth's fault. You could say that Kingswear lives in Dartmouth's shadow. But actually it's simply the topography of the valley.
#DatmouthShadow #KingswearCastle

While many are heading to the bub, the farmers head to the fields for a bit of forage harvesting. This is in the field above the Golf ouse in Kingswear.
#KingswearFarming #ForageharvestingKingswear

That sun and mist again. Oh, and a very early morning indeed. Just before 5am and Kingswear gets a tinge of red through the curtains.
#KingswearSunrise

Devon Air Ambulance (G-DAAN) lands at Darthaven marina at about the same time its sister aircraft (G-DVAA) took off from Coronation Park.
#DevonAirAmbulanceKingswear #DevonAirAmbulanceDartmouth

Yet another super yacht in Dartmouth harbour. The 68m Lady Christine.
#SuperyachtLadyChristine
MVLadyChristineDartmouth

This always looked a bit worrying - was the boiler on the lovely paddle steamer Kingswear Castle about to give out. Apparently it's more simple than that. They have damped down the coal dust. Not pretty though.
#PSKingswearCastle #KingswearCastlesmoke

The best view in the house. Builders at Luttrell House in Kingswear (or Kittery Court cottage as we call it) take a break to watch Dartmouth's Regatta.
#KingswearBuildersTeaBreak

Brixham trawler Pilgrim (BM45) is following the tall ship Kaskalot. Both came into the port of Dartmouth, but by then, of course, those sails were down.
#BrixhamTrawlerPilgrim #TallShipKaskalotDartmouth

The RAF Typhoon display for Dartmouth Regatta. A fearsome looking plane.
#DartmouthRegatta #TyphoonDisplayDartmouth

There's a bit of cheating here - by me. The RAF Typhoon is actually flying upside down, so I have inverted the photo. So sue me.
#DartmouthRegatta #TyphoonDisplayDartmouth

Dartmouth Regatta Fireworks 2017.
The Ice Cream cone display.
#DartmouthRegattaFireworks

Paddle steamer Kingswear Castle in the foreground of course. In the background is Grayhound (with an a) which is an 108ft replica of a 1776 revenue lugger built in 2012.
#GrayhoundLugger #PSKingswearCastle

Spitfire SM520 of the Boultbee Flight Academy. You can pay and take a flight in this. Built in 1944 as a single seater and restoration/conversion to two-seater started in 2002. And here she is over Dartmouth
#BoultbeeSpitfire #SpitfireDartmouth

Vivid beyond vivid rainbow over Hillhead.
#VividRainbow #RainbowHillhead

The strangely named storm Brian whips up a er, storm inside Dartmouth harbour.
€DartmouthWindGust #StormBrianDartmouth

Kingswear put on a special hat for the first full moon of 2018. See, it isn't always sun and mist that makes a decent snap, you can alter the ingredients. Moon and mist can work just as well.
#KingswearFullMoon #MoonAndMistKingswear

Yep, another of them. Can you ever have too many double rainbows ?
#DoubleRainbowDartmouth #DartmouthDoubleRainbow

A private Eurocopter EC.155-B (M-XHEC) about to land at BRNC.
#BRNCHelicopterLanding #MXHECEurocopterDartmouth

There's a little control when photos are edited on a computer called 'saturation' which makes colours look stronger (and unrealistic). I try very hard to never use it. And I certainly didn't with this shot. This is how this sunrise was.
#UnusualSunrise #DartmouthColourfulSunrise

Sometimes the seawall takes on the characteristics of the Forth Bridge. ie always needing maintenance. This is another part just below Kittery Court, Kingswear.
#SeaWallRepairs #KingswearRiverWall

A seal in the river Dart between Dartmouth and Kingswear. No name yet.
#RiverDartSeal #DartmouthSeal

Some people call these jet-skis, some call them PWC's. I call them unnecessaries. So here are 19 unnecessaries entering the river Dart. Few of them can read (the speed limit signs).
#JetSkiInvasion #DartmouthJetSkis

An 'Eric and Ernie' morning.
"Alright Sunbeam ?"
It's the view out to sea from Above Town in Dartmouth.
#DartmouthSunbeams #SunbeamSunrise

And then the snow came. Very unusual in Dartmouth. But still Mark the postman delivers.
#PostmanSnow #DartmouthSnow

With the benefit of hindsight I reckon that looks like snow's coming.
#DartmouthDarkSky #DartmouthImminentSnow

And so the snow did come. Extremely rare on this coast. Here's Hoodown Woods, Kingswear showing the benefit.
#KingswearSnow #DartmouthSnow

Kingswear looking striking in the snow (this is a mighty rare occasion when I used the saturation button)
#KingswearSnow #DartmouthSnow

Everyone knows Tracie and Noodles. But they really should wear something fluorescent or we'll lose them in this white stuff.
#KingswearSnow #DartmouthSnow #TracieAndNoodles

Sunrise Super Strength. Only available in Dartmouth and Kingswear. Probably.
#DartmouthSunrise #KingswearSunrise

Three beautiful 'barges' if I might refer to them all that way. Left to right: Grayhound, Pegasus and Leader. In truth, a lugger, a cutter and a trawler. In that order.
#ClassicCraftDartmouth #ClassicTrawlerLeader

This what happens when you let the riffraff on jet skis in. They simply can't help themselves, nor read the speed limit. Still they make good pix I 'suppose. That's one in the foreground stopping dead.
#JetSkiAntics #DartmouthJetSkis

~Two crew members atop the extremely tall mast of superyacht Splip get a bit too close a look at a passing RN Merlin helicopter (ZH835).
#HelicopterYachtMastDartmouth #DartmouthYachtMast

Paddle steamer Kingswear Castle blow its top. 'm guessing but I assume they are checking the ability of the boiler to take the necessary pressure. It's a very noisy process.
#PSKinngswearCastleDartmouth #SteamBoilerPressureCheck

The nonchalant crew of the Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter (G-MCGY)
#HMCoastguardSAR #CoastguardG-MCGY

Definitely an eye in the sky. Devon and Cornwall Police helicopter G-MPSB
#Devon&CornwallPoliceHelicopter #HelicopterPolice helicopter G-MPSB

Great idea to improve your balance on a paddle board. Try balancing on a round buoy. This chap was pretty good - but that didn't make a picture. This did.
#PaddleboardBalancePractice #FallingInRiverDart

After the Electricity helicopter has helped plant the poles along come the team to attached the power lines.
#ElectricityPylonsKingswear

Look very carefully- bottom right hand corner - the duck family are crossing the river trying to avoid everyone else.
#DuckFamilyDartmouth #MumDadDucklingsRiverDart

The duck family, with their ducklings take to the water and try and avoid all obstacles in their way.
#DuckFamilyDartmouth #MumDadDucklingsRiverDart

If you wanted to see just what water on a duck's back looked like, this is Harold. Or Hilda. We never knew which was which.
#DartmouthDuck #DuckTakesToWater

Every so often the morning starts with a cloud / mist bank over Kingswear. And then the sun arrives.A magnificent view. Provided you're looking at it, not in it.
#KingswearInTheMist #MistAndSunDartmouth

When the sun and mist is this good, it's difficult to stop shooting. I take hundreds. Luckily I used to be a Picture Editor.
#KingswearInTheMist #DartmouthMistAndSun

Dartmouth no longer gets its own air display but we do get the planes rehearsing for Torbay's. This is Spitfire City of Exter RR2323

Oh Despicable Me!. Do they look like Minions to you too ? It's the protective gear needed for training on one of the Navy's high speed ribs. #DartmouthBRNCTRaining #

Not too many people actually swim in the river. So it was good to see this lady and her four legged friend down in Warfleet.
#DartmouthSwimming #RiverDartSwimming

It's my guess that the cabin boy on the barge Pilgrim upset the captain in some way. "Crawl the bowsprit!" does sound like a punishment.
#PilgrimBowspritCrawl

The third Dartmouth lifeboat shout of the day. A medical evacuation from a vessel. The patient was brought to the Embankment pontoons for initial treatment.
#DartRNLIMedivac #DartmouthLifeboat

Buzzards, many of them, nest in the trees of Dyers Wood and Gallants Bower. They can look mighty fearsome flying up or down the valley hunting prey.

Paddleboarding is now quite a business on the riverDart. Sensibly, the paying customers only paddle with the tide.
#DartmouthPaddleboarding

There's been a hoopoe house builder at the top of Kingswear. This was one of a number of concrete pours using the concrete crane pump.
#KingswearConstruction #ConcreteCranePump

Follow my leader for the swan family. Most of the cygnets keeping close. There's always one straggler.
#SwanFamilyDartmouth #SwanAndCygnetsDartmouth

Farmers are artisans. And, in some cases artists too. Great corn rows pattern above Waterhead Creek, Kingswear
#KingswearFarmPattern

A light night train streaks across the level crossing at Britannia Halt on Bridge Road, Kingswear. (a thirty second exposure)
#KingswearTrainNight

The crew of Trinity House Vessel Mair had a bit of trouble maintaining this buoy in Warfleet. X did not mark the spot. It fell off.
#TrinityHouseMair #DartmouthTrinityHouseMaintenance

Junior sailing at Royal Dart Yacht Club (RDYC). It seems obvious, but I had better state...they are being towed.
#RDYCJuniorSailing

Eek. No name, clearly it's from the Costco Shipping line. I'll see if I can work it out. And I have, via ShipAIS History. It's Costco Universe, heading for Suez.
#DartmouthMerchantShipping #CostcoUniverseDartmouth

Spot the brave soul. Royal Navy Merlin helicopter ZJ992 on low flyby past Kingswear.
#RNMerlinZJ992

So close I could almost read the altimeter. This is an Evektor EV-97 Eurostar (G-CBVM).
#DartmouthPleasureFlight #EvektorDartmouthFlypast

BRNC LeadershipTraining. Or Bangity-Bang week as others know it. Lots of firing at each other. Hopefully they are using blanks.
#BRNCTraining #BRNCGuns

Coastguard helicopter G-MCGZ had dropped a crewman aboard a fishing boat KCJ Rose joining two Dartmouth Lifeboat crew already aboard to assist an injured fisherman.
#CoastguardHelicopterGMCGZ #DartRNLIRescue

Two RAF Short Tucano T1's conduct a BRNC flypast, at speed. Top is ZF317 and below ZF142. Look, some people are interested in these numbers.
#RAFTucano

That's Murray in the centre holding court with his band of paddleboarders.
#DartmouthPaddleboarders

Bit of an 'ooops' about this. Cruise ship Saga Pearl II was coming into Dartmouth when the back end swung against a number of moored yacht including the classic Matawa (blue and cream yacht). Thankfully there was little damage.
#CruiseShipCollisionDartmouth ¢DartmouthSagaPearlII

This is called a tiki bar. There aren't too many floating ones, certainly not in the UK. This one motored round from Exmouth can you believe. Doubles all round, I say.
#DartmouthFloatingTikiBar #TikeBarAfloatDartmouth

Two thirty in the morning. You would expect Darthaven to be still. And it is.
#DarthavenMarina #StillWatersDartrmouth

Tall ships Tenacious & TS Royalist acting as Guardships for Dartmouth Regatta 2018.
#DartmouthRegattaGuardships
#TallShipsDartmouth

The amazing display from James Prestwood on his powerful Flyboard. The daylight show was great, but.........
#DartmouthRegattaFlyboarding #JamesPrestwoodFlyboarding

....James Prestwood's night-time display was even better. If that was possible.
#DartmouthRegattaFlyboarding #JamesPrestwoodFlyboarding

Spitfire T.IX PV202 5-RH over Dartmouth.
Built in 1944 as a single seater this is yet another aircraft that was converted to a two seater during restoration.

Cruise ship Hebridean Sky on a visit to Dartmouth and departs after nightfall. This is a 10minute exposure capturing the vessel's streak of light.
#DartmouthCruiseShipStreak

The final farewell the Royal Navy's Sea King helicopters. Two from RNAS Culdrose toured over Dartmouth (ZA126 and ZL420). The RN Merlin is acting as a camera platform.
#RNSeaKingFarewell #BaggiesGoodbye

The new RNLI Inshore LifeBoat for Dartmouth the B Class Joan Bate is put through her paces.
#DartRNLIJoanBate #DartRNLIBClass

In the bosuns chair checking the navionics atop the mast of classic yacht Matawa following the collision with Saga Pearl II.
#DartmouthBosunsChair #MatawaDartmouth

It's not often the clouds stay away on the few days when this photo opportunity is available. It's the sunrise....atop the Daymark.

Russian owned superyacht Cloudbreak, gets a proper decent Dartmouth sunset.
#SuperyachtCloudbreakDartmouth

Superyacht Cloudbreak, the $100m vessel owned by Russian billionaire Alexander Svetakov has all the necessary lights with which to show off.
#SuperyachtCloudbreakDartmouth

Somewhere in amongst the mist on the river Dart in Dartmouth sits the $100m superyacht Cloudbreak of Russian billionaire Alexander Svetakov.
#SuperyachtCloudbreakDartmouth

Still in the harbour (technically) and already getting a bit of a pounding. On of the Navy's picket boats used for training.
#BRNCPicketBoat

The mist clings to the river and the low sun gives it a touch of backlight. The result is slightly magical. Oh, alright then, ethereal.
#DartmouthMist

A bit of a surprise - two days after Guy Fawkes night. BRNC had a rather amazing fireworks display on the Wednesday. ‘twas a bit windy, mind you.
#BRNCFireworks

Sunrise over the sea (as viewed from our spot in Above Town) happens for about four days, twice a year. So grab it while you can.
#DartmouthSunriseOverSea

More demolition in Kingswear. Mayflower Waters is coming down. To be replaced by....Mayflower Waters II. Probably with a flat roof, stone-facing and lots of glass. There's a current style you see.
#KingswearConstruction #KingswearDemolition

Here's another example with the build further advanced. It's on Castle Road in Dartmouth. All of these rebuilds look very nice. But very similar.
#DartmouthConstruction

The absolutely superb Train of Lights made its first appearance this year. Destined to be a major crowd-puller. Between Paignton and Kingswear you get a winter wonderland light show.
#TrainOfLights #PaigntonKingswearRailway

MultiAgency search for a missing boatman, The helicopter crew spent more than two hours hovering searching through the moored boats and open water. Tragic news some weeks later when Jason Wickenden's body was found.

Go on, spot the helicopter. It's the Electricity chopper checking lines.

There's nothing like waking up to a misty morning in the valley. Especially if you work from home.

Big thanks to David Bown for the alert re these Airbus Beluga flights that daily travel over Dartmouth. Cheeky devil, this Beluga eh ?

Apollo’, an autonomous mine warfare operations vessel (read 'unmanned') came into Dartmouth. Operated by Thales it's a vision of the future.

Three Chinooks in one flypast. Brilliant, if only I had got them all in one pic. Here's two of them.

I should have said "if only I had got all three in one decent pic'. Here's proof there were three. But a decent pic it ain't

The dreadful sight of these heritage railway carriages arriving at Kingswear. The previous night they had been attacked whilst in a siding in London. Heck, I hate graffiti.

The builders are down on the Castle Road side of Warfleet with a view and a half upstream. They were probably looking at the superyacht Bristolian.

A sun halo. No. I didn‘t know they existed either. Thisis looking over the trees of Dyers Wood behind us.

I may well be six miles away from Torquay, but this is not a bad snap of the 'arrers displaying at the Torbay Air Show.
#RedArrowsTorbay #TorbayAirShowRedArrows

Windo the Dartmouth Seal is about to lose his lodgings. For all of a few minutes. The not-Brain of Britain in the boat failed to think things through.
#DartmouthSealAttack #ManHitsSeal

One of the Dart Harbour Patrols checked on their lodger. Windo was not in agreement about paying any fees.

If you were wondering how a big seal climbs on top of a boat, here's your answer courtesy of Windo the Dartmouth Seal. He swims up fast and then, somewhat ungainly clambers the last bit.
#SealOnBoat #WindoTheDartmouthSeal

I think I need an album for all the Superyachts at Night shots I have. Here's the Russian owned Cloudbreaker in DartmouthHarbour.
#SuperyachtAtNight #SuperyachtCloudbreakerDartmouth

It took a lot of effort, and kit, to get that huge steel girder (the red one) down to the waterfront property.
#RiversideGirder #

A wedding reception at RDYC, so the bride and some guests took to the slipway for a few rounds of friendly Ducks and Drakes. Not competitive at all, you understand.
#DucksAndDrakesKingswear

A party at Paradise Point. All very colourful.
#DartmouthParty #ParadisePointDartmouth

Not quite all 399.9m of container ship Cosco Shipping Nebula is visible as she passes the end of the river Dart heading to Suez from Rotterdam.
#CoscoShippingNebula #CoscoNebula

The Torbay Express: Steam loco “Union of South Africa” comes into Kingswear. In the background is newly arrived loco 4110 awaiting restoration.
#UnionOfSouthAfricaKingswear #Loco4110Kingswear

Royal Navy Merlin helicopter (ZH826) creating a bit of warmth at the back end to toast the Daymark above Kingswear.
#RNMerlinZH826 #DaymarkKingswear

Lots of changes in construction techniques in recent years. This is how they now build walls. With insulation panels as forms. It is working well at Mayflower Waters in Kingswear.
#ConcreteWallInsulation #MayflowerWatersConstruction

Now that Dartmouth Regatta no longer has air displays (of the aircraft kind) we get our flying kicks in other ways. Here's The Housemartins (formerly a pop group) showing off their aviation prowess under our neighbour's roof.
#DartmouthAirDisplay #HaousemartinsNestBuilding

No cloud expert, but I am hoping these are Roll Clouds over Kingswear. Can anyone enlighten me ?
#KingswearClouds #RollCloudsKingswear €UnusualCloudsKingswear

French cruise ship Le Dumont Durville, (131m long) came in twice in a week. This is her first departure. Good to see the passengers enjoying the views of Dartmouth and Kingswear.
#LeDumontDurvilleCruiseShip #LeDumontDurvilleDartmouth

French cruise ship Le Dumont Durville, (131m long) on her second departure of the week. Totally spectacular with all illumination, including the underwater lights left on.
#LeDumontDurvilleCruiseShip #LeDumontDurvilleAllLItUp

French cruise ship Le Dumont Durville, (131m long)passes Kingswear on her second departure of the week. Fantastic sight with every light switched on.
#LeDumontDurvilleCruiseShip #LeDumontDurvilleAllLItUp

Army Apache helicopter are becoming quite commonplace on the run through the Dart Valley between Dartmouth and Kingswear. Exciting to watch. Terrifying machines though.
#ApacheHelicopter DartmouthHelicopterFlypast

There's some boring work going on over in Kingswear. And it's piling up.
#MayflowerWatersConstruction #Piledriving

There appears to have been a weak spot on the Kittery Court landing wall. Storm and tide have done their bit and now series repairs are needed for the hole in the wall in Kingswear.
#RiverDartTides #KitteryCourtKingswear

Just mist, no sun. So not as good as it could have been. But the Lower Ferry continues to operate under the low cloud surrounding Kingswear.
#KingswearLowCloud #DartmouthLowerFerry

Credit to the crew of Wylde Swan. From their centre mooringthey went north of the Higher Ferry and then back down with sails already set. Others take note please.
#SailsSetForDeparture #LeavingDartmouthCorrectly

Strange and unusual. Sunrise looked more like a volcanic eruption mixed with an electrical storm. Weird chemistry.
#DartmouthSunrise #UnusualSunriseDartmouth

Piracy at the top of the mast. No other word for it - they're stealing the Mayflower weather vane from the top of the mast at BRNC.
#MayflowerBRNC #MayflowerWeatherVane

The plan, and the digger has fallen off the tracks. Looking slightly forlorn, work was delayed at the Kittery Court landing stage demolition until everything was back on track.
#DiggerTrackBroken

Yes, I know, there's a fair few double rainbows slotted around this site. The reason...because the river Dart ought to be renamed....the rainbow river. We do get a lot.
#DoubleRainbowDartmouth

Fireworks at BRNC, Dartmouth, apparently a private function. For everyone to enjoy. Well, except for those with pets. It was a rather good display - by Firestorm Pyrotechnics.

HMS The Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy's latest aircraft carrier is on sea trials off the south coast of Devon. Amazing what we get to see through our two degree wide gap between the headlands.
#AircraftCarrierPrinceOfWales #HMSPrinceOfWalesDartrmouth

Out of view tugs Kamarina and Carlo Martello towing offshore drilling rig Byford Dolphin from Norway to Turkey. Where it is to be 'recycled' (scrapped).
#RigByfordDolphin #ByfordDoilphinScrap

Time and tide wait for no digger. The repairs to the Kittery Court landing stage continue. When the height of the river allows.
#RiverDartTides #KitteryCourtKingswear

The return of the magnificent Train Of Lights. Running from Paignton to Kingswear this is the second Xmas the train has been running. A great sight.
#TrainOfLightsKingswear #TrainOfLightsPaignton

Some sunrises don't look at all promising. And then for just a few minutes, magic happens. In this case the sun popped up briefly over the sea under some very dense clouds.
#SunriseDartmouth #RedSunBlackClouds

Mist over Gallants Bower backlit by the early sun. See, mist and sun, never let you down.
#MistAndSunDartmouth #GallantsBowerDartmouth