Gulls soar above the saltings, gliding on 35 knots of South West breeze. A wan sun, emboldened by the passing of the solstice, drives away the grey cloak of winter.
Geese hunker down in the lee of the reed beds. They preen and warm themselves - sensing, in the lengthening of the day, that the seasons' long march towards Spring has begun.
Steeplechase white horses, whipped on by a wind rolling down from the Purbecks, canter up the beach.
A switchblade windsurfer clatters over the corrugated sea in a welter of sun spangled spume.
On this eve before Christmas Eve, Poole Quay is still, save for the swirl of the ebb; and deserted.....
....save for Sunseeker's shipwrights preparing exhibits for the London Boat Show.
Poole Bridge stays down. Yachts, Stargazer included, remain snug on their berths. November and December have been stormy months.
One dare gale fisherman ventures out.
The fish dock is filled with boats and the parking bays are empty of cars.
A lone Westerly 22 butts her way up harbour, against wind and tide. At the helm Bill Churchouse. Man and boat revel in a boisterous winter sail. Veterans of the Jester Challenge, Bill and Belgean have passages to America and the Azores behind them. An inspiration for 2016.
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Location:Poole Harbour
