In the Hurst Narrows, the kilometre-wide gap between Hurst Spit and the Isle of Wight, the tide squeezes through at speeds of 5 knots and beyond. A number of tide races form, the race nearest to Hurst Spit being known as ‘The Trap’. On the ebb flow, ‘The Trap’ can be an entertaining roller coaster propelling paddlers out towards the [...]
Archive for the ‘Isle of Wight’ Category
The Trap 3 comments
Night Watch Leave a comment
On a warm summer night last year, John Gilmour and I made the crossing of Bournemouth Bay from Swanage to the Needles Lighthouse on the Isle of Wight, about 18 miles. It was too dark to read our compasses (we only found this out after setting off, oops) but some guesstimated navigation saw us through [...]
Wireless Leave a comment
Through the wonder of modern technology (and the carelessness of whichever yachtie this unsecured wireless network belongs to) this blog post is brought to you live from Yarmouth Harbour on the Isle of Wight. Andy Levick and I crossed to The Island from Keyhaven last night, which wasn’t very pleasant. Stiff winds pushed against the [...]
Frogger Leave a comment
Things that I have learned this morning… In the central Solent, the west flowing ebb stream begins about 1 hour before HW Portsmouth. Around Cowes, a west flowing eddy forms an hour earlier, which is often utilised by racing yachts. Things that I already knew… Cowes is pretty much the World Capital of Sailing. On any [...]
Pepperpot 3 comments
Saint Catherine’s Point is the southernmost point of the Isle of Wight. It has two lighthouses. The current lighthouse is close to the water’s edge. The lighthouse is an oddly stumpy affair, as the original building was later shortened by 13 metres to avoid fog. It was opened in 1838 after an 1836 hurricane that obliterated the 345 [...]
Half a League Onwards 2 comments
Freshwater Bay is a lovely little cove on the south coast of the Isle of Wight. If you fancy a short paddle, there are a number of small stacks and caves within sight of the ice cream seller and tea shop. This is part of the Tennyson Heritage Coast and the hill behind is Ballard [...]
East is East Leave a comment
I’ve been working on the Isle of Wight sections of the book recently. Although I’ve paddled around the Island several times, there are plenty of places that I’ve just whizzed past on the tide. Hopefully I will be able get over there in the first week of my Easter hols to check out a few [...]
Lot’s Wife 2 comments
Another chapter draughted tonight. If you squint closely at the photo above, you can just about make out me, obscured behind a wave. Anyway, I was writing about this very spot, the Needles. They are to be found at the western point of the Isle of Wight and they are a ridge of knife-edge chalk [...]
Heritage Industry 1 comment
Exciting chap that I am, I have spent a significant part of this evening pondering the significance of the words ‘Heritage Coast’. I was aware that they exist and also that they are administered by the Countryside Agency. I also knew that there are 20 stretches of Heritage Coast here in the south west, out of [...]
