Dave Thompsen Photography

Category: Boats

  • Safe Harbor in New Castle

    Safe Harbor in New Castle

    A photograph of a lobster boat moored in the harbor near New Castle, NH.
    Safe Harbor in New Castle

    A lobster boat is moored in the quiet waters of Portsmouth Harbor seen from Goat Island in New Castle, NH. There’s a kayak put-in on this small chunk of land that includes a couple of homes and the Kittery Point Yacht Club. The island provides footings for two bridges that connect Portsmouth with New Castle, a charming village of about one-thousand people. It is the only New Hampshire town situated entirely on an island. Several other islands can be seen in this section of the tidal Piscataqua River.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Gundalow Piscataqua

    Gundalow Piscataqua

    A photograph of the Gundalow boat sailing in Portsmouth Harbor, NH.
    Gundalow Piscataqua

    Gundalows were cargo boats unique to New Hampshire and Maine waters. They were used to transport goods along the estuaries and harbors of the region, particularly in tidal areas. Propulsion was a combination of drifting with the tides and using their single lateen sail, which could be quickly lowered to pass under bridges. The Gundalow Company in Portsmouth New Hampshire operates educational cruises aboard the newly constructed replica, Piscataqua, named after the river flowing through Portsmouth Harbor.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Point Lisas Pearl

    Point Lisas Pearl

    A photograph of the Point Lisas Pearl cargo ship unloading salt in Portsmouth, NH.
    Point Lisas Pearl

    The Point Lisas Pearl freighter is unloading its cargo of road salt at the  Granite State Minerals terminal in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. According to Shipspotting.com, it’s a 188 meter long general cargo ship built in 1984 currently sailing under the Bahamas flag. That website also provides the current position of the ship as reported by the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which uses transceivers on ships to transmit their location to base stations.

    I converted this image to black & white and used an artistic filter to enhance the ship’s superstructure.

  • Southend Yacht Club

    Southend Yacht Club

    A photograph of a dory moored in front of the Southend Yacht Club in Portsmouth, NH.
    Southend Yacht Club

    A dory lies still on its mooring in front of the Southend Yacht Club in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Taken from Peirce Island, the brilliant yellow of the building and the vibrant topside of the dory is reflected in the waters of the harbor.

    A dory boat is characterized by its shallow-draft, high sides, flat bottom (often with a slight rocker-shape), and sharp bows. An easy design to build, it’s capable of carrying a heavy load, hence it’s popularity with fishermen.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Portsmouth Tugboats

    Portsmouth Tugboats

    A photograph of three tugboats berthed in Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire.
    Portsmouth Tugboats

    These iconic tugboats are docked in Portsmouth Harbor off Ceres Street and are part of the Moran fleet. Some of these pack over 3,000 horsepower which is needed to handle the large ships that come through this area, known for tricky navigation due to extremely fast tidal currents and tight bridge spans. Learn more about the fleet at Moran’s website. For all things tugboat, be sure to check out the Tugboat Alley shop just around the corner on Bow Street.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses High-Dynamic Range (HDR) technique and an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance. Available from my Etsy shop.

  • Sailing Off Rye

    Sailing Off Rye

    An artistic photograph of two sailboats off the coast of Rye, New Hampshire.
    Sailing off Rye

    Two sailboats race each other off the Rye, New Hampshire coast. Sails taut, hulls heeling in the steady winds found in these waters. Cold ocean spray splashing off the bow.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance. Available from my Etsy shop.

  • Tall Ship Kalmar Nyckel

    Tall Ship Kalmar Nyckel

    Photograph of the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel at the 2022 Portsmouth NH Tall Ships event.
    Tall Ship Kalmar Nyckel

    The Kalmar Nyckel is a full-rigged replica of the vessel that brought the first Swedish colonists to America in 1638. The pinnace design is characterized by a single-deck and a square stern and a full complement of sails including a square sprit-sail forward on the bowsprit.

    Here it is berthed at the 2022 Portsmouth New Hampshire Tall Ships event sponsored by Sail Portsmouth. Its home port is the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware where it provides educational opportunities in port and on voyages along the east coast.

  • Mayflower II

    Mayflower II

    A photograph of the Mayflower II replica tall ship berthed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
    Mayflower II

    The Mayflower II is a full-scale reproduction of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to North America. Built in England in 1956 using traditional methods and tools, this ship is 106 ft long, 25 ft wide, and weighs 236 tons. It’s berthed on the waterfront of Plymouth, Massachusetts, not far from the landing site Plymouth Rock. The ship is a key attraction of Plimouth Plantation, a complex of museums that tell the story of  Plymouth colony and the native American culture of the area. The wharf leading to the ship includes informational displays that describe the ship and voyage it undertook in 1692 with 102 passengers and a crew of 30.

    I captured this photograph from Pilgrim Memorial State Park, a waterfront area that can be accessed from Water Street and includes walking paths, gardens, and scenic views of the harbor. I used an artistic filter to give the image a painterly feel. 

    The Landing of the Pilgrims USPS postage stamp

    This effort was inspired by the Landing of the Pilgrims postage stamp (Scott #1420) issued in 1970 to honor the 350th anniversary of that event.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Lone Dinghy

    Lone Dinghy

    An artistic photograph of a dinghy berthed on a dock at Mystic Seaport, Connecticut.
    Lone Dinghy

    A solitary rowboat is moored on the dock at Mystic Seaport, in Mystic Connecticut. The grayness of the foggy morning is punctuated by the vibrant, creamy yellow of the dinghy’s interior. The waters of the Mystic River lie still.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses High-Dynamic Range (HDR) technique and an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance. Available from my Etsy shop.