There are no rough water warnings on the charts in the vicinity of Selsey Bill at the eastern end of the Solent, but I expected the shallow water off its tip would probably kick up a chop. What i wasn't expecting though was the horrible sea just south and west of this over the Looe. The waves were about 3m high and breaking. Fortunately, I was able to skirt around the edge,rather than go through the middle.
The Nab tower marks the entrance to the solent from the east.Paul Heiney explains that it is a left over from the 2nd World War.As part of the defence against submarines a floating barrier of wires was strung across the Dover Straights, but in order to make a more permanent defence it was decided that a chain of concrete structures would be laid across the Chanel.. When the war came to an end none of the 24m high structures had been put in place. In order to find a use for one of them it was used to replace the nab light ship. The tower was constructed so that it would fill with water until it stood on the seabed. This one filled too quickly and settled at 1.5 degrees to the vertical, which is the angel it has retained ever since.
On the approach to Bembridge there is a nicely designed new lifeboat station.
It is just south of St Helen's Fort, which was built be Palmerston in 1860 to guard against another French attack,which did not happen.
It's Cowes week i believe, which means it wouldn't be worth trying to get into anywhere near Cowes. there were some very fine racing machines out on the water.
The long pontoon sits in a pool of water in an area, which dries. there is an old causeway, which connects one side to the other.
I stayed in Bembridge a couple of years ago, when I went to a friends birthday bash,which coincided with the Bestival festival. I never got down the harbour, though so this seemed like a new place to me.It used to be a busy Roman Port, but it has long since silted up. The town was sacked by French and it was only the Mary Rose, which set out to intercept them, and we all know what happened to her.
This is boat house country again, but its not like the shanty town in the Medway.Its more up market.
As house like as the accommodation is likely to be, the best ones are those that still look like boats. A couple of them are for sale, but what are you buying? Who owns the bit of land with the decking and the pedestrian access?
nearby there is a block of flats, which is getting a face lift by having timber cladding and new windows. Its amazing how the most dull of buildings can be transformed in this way. i saw a semi in Maldon, which had been similarly transformed.
I have started leaving things around again. This time it was my mobile phone. i left it in a coffee shop and it was closed by the time I realised. Fortunately the hairdresser was still open who knew of of the girls who worked there. She confirmed they'd got it and she starts at 7.30, so it shouldn't interrupt the day.
The series of short hops i have been making recently look like this on the map.
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