UP THE CREEK

In 2006, I was laid up for several weeks and wrote a series of articles for the Yateley Offshore Sailing Club newsletter based on my experiences in visiting some of the lesser known anchorages, creeks and harbours around the Solent, Isle of Wight and Poole Harbour plus a few further afield.

This booklet gathers together these articles under one cover and is reproduced for the benefit of YOSC Members. Most of the photographs come from my own portfolio, others supplied YOSC Members and a few culled from the public domain.

The details in the narrative should be tempered with caution due to the passage of time since I wrote the articles. Current almanacs and charts should be consulted if in doubt but the notes should give some useful guidance.

The articles are by no means exhaustive and are indeed ongoing but by being adventurous and more confident as you experience these "Creeks" you will build up memories of your own adventures.

2001 Adat on Shell Beach, Herm, Channel Islands

© Terry Paynter – with thanks to Ken Budd for his help, advice and encouragement in my research for some of the articles.

Updated – 23rd September 2012

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Contents

Article Title Page

Introduction 3

South Coast Newton Bay, Poole 4 Parkstone, Poole 5 Shipstal Point, Poole 6 Wareham Creek, Poole 7 Keyhaven, West Solent 8 Beaulieu River, West Solent 11 Calshot Spit Bay, Southampton Water 13 Power Station Creek, Southampton Water 14 Ashlett Creek, Southampton Water 16 Marchwood, Southampton Water 18 Eling Tide Mill, Southampton Water 22 Hamble River, Southampton Water 24 Hill Head Harbour Bay, Solent 27 Wicormarine, Portsmouth 29 Dell Quay, Chichester Harbour 31

Isle of Wight Wootton Creek 33 Bembridge Beaches 36 Ventnor Harbour 40 Scratchells Bay 43 Alum Bay 45 Yarmouth Beach 47 Newtown River 49 River Medina 52 Newport 55 Osborne Bay 57 Kings Quay Creek 58

Further Afield Braye Harbour, Alderney, Channel Islands 60 Shell Beach, Herm, Channel Islands 63 The Isle of Sheppey 66 Queenborough, River Medway 70

- 2 - Introduction

One day whilst laid up with one arm and a leg in plaster my neighbour Ken Budd, a very early member of YOSC dropped in and suggested I bide my time writing a series of articles titled “Up the Creek” on all those creeks, ditches and rivers I had experienced over my sailing years. Then early one morning at dawn whilst sleeping on the settee downstairs still recovering from an accident most of you will have by now heard about (see YOSC article “Tying Knots – the Adat Way”), I awoke to the usual sound of the birds dawn chorus and my mind wandered. Soon words came flooding through describing my many sailing memories of those times both good and bad and I immediately started writing. Ken had sowed the seed and I only hope I can do it justice.

I suppose it all started as we all did with a Pedallo “at sea” or realistically just off the local beach or maybe even earlier with that model boat in a puddle we “Captained”. My sailing or motoring as it then was started in the late 1980’s with a 27 foot twin engine Fairey Marine Dell Quay Ranger motor boat owned by another club member, Carole Willis. “Sea Ranger” as she was called was berthed on a swinging mooring at Wicormarine in Portsmouth Harbour and it was then that I gained my sea legs. The late Norman Willis and I passage’d many miles in what turned out to be a not too reliable vessel but the experience gained both in and around the Solent and across the Channel was to be treasured. Once bitten, my experience then passed on to sailing vessels large, small, bilge, long, fin, cats, sloops, ketches, not forgetting more power, etc and my sailing areas varied from many areas in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Sardinia, the Balearics, North & West coasts of France, West coast of Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Irish Sea, West & East coasts of England and not forgetting the good old South coast. A nice large deep fin keeled centrally heated and well crewed yacht is definitely ideal for long passages especially from Marina to Marina supplying both electricity and water. With both speed and comfort passages are made in no time but to me they seem on reflection to be somewhat clinical and miss something.

The advantages of having a shoal-draught vessel in and around the Solent are many but most importantly we may visit those moorings that are mostly free, natural, quiet and undisturbed by the likes of Sunsail. One may also observe the local wildlife on both sea & shore and of course some glorious sunsets & sunrises without interruption. Of course this type of experience takes full advantage of the Dinghy and it helps to have a reliable outboard. Have you experienced porpoises or dolphins under the hull in the Solent yet? Shoal-draught cruising is sometimes referred to by the Americans as “Gunkholing” but I prefer to call it “Ditch Crawling”. Many moorings are not accessible by deep fin keeled vessels, some not even by deep bilge vessels but most with some careful navigation are accessible to those who have the patience and confidence to “have a go”. This is where the benefits of having a vessel that “takes the ground” come into their own. Looking at the chart with all those rocks so close to each other is enough to put you off straight away but study carefully and you will see that its not too difficult really. The rewards are well worth it. My experiences on just the East coast on a catamaran sailing past the many marshes, through the Maplin and Goodwin Sands, the river Crouch for Burnham, the rivers Stour and Orwell at Harwich and of course the many treacherous sands at the entrance of the Thames have given me memories that I will never forget. Try reading “The Magic of the Swatchways” by Maurice Griffiths for it was that book that brought back so many memories of just some of the waters on the East coast I had sailed. Most of all are the memories of nature itself, the changing colours of the sky, sunsets & sunrises, the weather, the sea life, the many different birds some even making our vessel “home” for a few days but most of all I found that one can only get really close to nature when near the shore and that’s Ditch Crawling to a fine art.

I’ve sailed bilge & triple keel yachts, shoal draught power craft and not forgetting catamarans all using their draught to maximum advantage. As most of you know my last yacht a Westerly Chieftain named Hector was bilge and the latest (our yacht) Adat is a lifting keel vessel drawing somewhat less than 3 feet with the keel raised (even with the Drinks locker full) so we can take the ground be it mud or shingle and gives me the opportunity to get even closer to nature. Running aground on passage is more than embarrassing but not so when deliberately planned for example an overnight stay or maybe a BBQ beside the vessel (see YOSC website Picture Gallery or my own Web Site under Adat '2001 August Shell Beach, Herm'). Be adventurous and have a go. The rewards are many, the memories last a lifetime and the experience gained gives more pleasure & confidence than any book or course can give.

Over the coming months I plan to write a brief article on many of those I have actually visited. The list is not by all means extensive and some moorings with some careful navigation may be suitable for fin keel vessels or those that cannot take the ground. The Chart extracts are from the latest issue available at that time but may well not be up-to-date in reality. The aim of each article is not to teach you to navigate or as they say “suck eggs” but show a little interest in the mooring or area. The emphasis is not so much the cost of a mooring in the characterless, expensive confines of a Marina but getting back to and observing nature at its best and closest, getting the most out of a shoal draught vessel. You never know, I might see you there some day! My thanks must go to Ken Budd for his help, advice and encouragement in my research for some of the articles.

Terry Paynter

- 3 - Newton Bay, Poole

Enter Poole harbour in your usual way and once past the Ferry turn west. Pass through South Deep and follow round past Goathorn Point south west. Drop anchor east of Hill & Cleavel Points out of the channel. It’s a drying mooring and a dinghy ride ashore but the rewards are worth it as testified by the many vessels moored in the west end of the bay. Obviously a high spring is a must. The west end can be more sheltered but it would have to be pretty rough to get me there and by then I would have preferred E.G. Poole Town Marina. Anchoring here is preferable and is only a short dinghy to shore where you can enjoy swimming, BBQ’s, beach coaming and the best sunsets around. The area is sheltered by the Islands around and another dinghy ride will allow you to explore them also. The area is a haven for wildlife both on shore and off. The ideal spot on the shore is where there is a small cave. Very small indeed but it might take a couple of children. Of course should the weather change then shelter is but a short dinghy away. I have no photographs of this spot but there are the testimonies of many YOSC vessels that have experienced this anchorage.

Extract from Chart GB50224H

- 4 - Parkstone, Poole

Parkstone Yacht Club was established in 1895 and is situated on the North shore of the second largest harbour in the world. The Club has an active membership of 2500 members, comprising equal numbers of dinghy and cruiser owners. Both sailing and racing are actively encouraged for the amateur sailor young and old alike. Their facilities include, large changing rooms with plenty of hot water showers to greet sailors at the end of a day's racing. The Club employs a number of full time Staff to manage the site, including Yard staff to maintain rescue boats and offer a service to members, and in the Clubhouse they have Restaurant & Bar facilities. The recent development of the Yacht Club Haven has provided 200 deep water berths for members and up to 8 temporary berths for members and visitors. Additional visitor berths are available as Haven berth holders vacate their moorings.

Enter Poole Harbour as if aiming for Poole Marina. Keep in the Middle Ship Channel with the fuel barge to port and head for number 49 Green Hand Buoy. Turn to starboard on course approx 25º through Parkstone Shoal heading for number 35 Green Hand Buoy. This marks the start of the dredged channel to the entrance to Parkstone Yacht Club’s Marina. Visitors pontoons are by arrangement with the Club’s Berth Master (VHF CH 80), are reasonably priced (plus Poole Harbour Dues) and come with electricity & water. They run a Boatwatch scheme during the evening and at night. Fulltime staff and volunteers run the restaurant and provide lunch, dinner and tea. I can also recommend the bar. The views from their terrace overlooking Poole Harbour towards Brownsea Island are excellent. There are a few shops nearby but only just within walking distance. The club is very well established, helpful, friendly, make visitors very welcome and their lounge is well worth experiencing but please try to stay awake (they are so comfortable).

Extract from Chart GB50224H

Sunset at Parkstone

- 5 - Shipstal Point, Poole

Enter Poole harbour in your usual way as if aiming for Poole Marina. Head for the fuel barge just off the Middle Ship Channel and enter the Wych Channel on the port side passing through the many buoyed vessels, following the channel around the north west side of Brownsea Island heading south. Pass Pottery Pier turning north west and enter the Upper Wych Channel. Drop anchor in good holding or pick up a private buoy at Shipstal Point but beware the buoys owner may return at any time. The Harbourmaster may also pass by for advice and help (but rarely does). It’s a drying mooring and best be as close to the west shore as possible. I’ve anchored here in a westerly F7 blowing outside the harbour with not so much as a ripple on the water. Bliss indeed. Ideal for a swim but the best is to come. Dinghy ashore, all of a couple of metres to a shingle bank. Walk a few more metres to the wood entrance and pick up the timber board walk (pathway). It seems very strange to have a timber path some 2 feet wide running through the woods but it does and will lead you on a nature walk to a 2 tier Bird Hide where you can observe at length much of the wildlife in the many rushes and woodlands nearby. On my return from the hide one afternoon I passed right through a herd of deer in the woods. This area attracts many families both young and old. Being so sheltered it’s ideal to ride out bad weather should you be so unfortunate or on a sunny, warm day just relax.

Extract from Chart GB50224H

- 6 - Wareham Creek, Poole

Wareham is approached from the Wareham Channel and on to the River Frome or South River, the other being the River Piddle or Trent which is not something one would discuss after a drink. There are moorings available on route but best is Wareham Town Quay which is available for vessels with up to 1.2M draft (absolute max due to continuous silting). Enter Poole Harbour as if aiming for Poole Marina. Keep on the Middle Ship Channel with the fuel barge to port and head for the Ferry terminals. Passage onwards west entering the Wareham Channel. Continue onwards for several miles past the Ridge Wharf Yacht Centre where you may anchor on the port side. Again continue past Redcfille Yacht Club to Wareham Quay where there is room for 2 vessels at most. Do not use the well marked Ferry Quay as it is in continuous use. The journey is almost 7 miles from Ferry terminals therefore a high spring and shoal draught is advised although the tide range at best is no more than 1 metre. The passage requires some careful navigation and planning especially should you not be able to moor at Wareham. It is advisable to keep to outside of all bends. It seems very strange to view other yachts only by the tops of their masts as they passage through the reed beds and other vessels moored on the shore side some sadly, badly neglected. Eat at the Old Granary, the pub by its side both just a few metres from the River or stroll just a few metres down the high street nearby for a selection of shops, pubs and restaurants. Take a gentle dinghy ride upstream for an after dinner evening jaunt. Should you not be able to moor at the Quay then take advantage of the Sailing clubs on route. They all welcome visitors and may even help with mooring.

Extract from Chart GB50224H – Wareham Quay

Extract from Chart GB50224H – Wareham Channel

- 7 - Keyhaven, Western Solent

The quiet rural charm of the village is heightened by the maritime views across to Hurst Castle and the Isle of Wight. Once an important port particularly for the salt trade, Keyhaven is now a quiet haven for yachting, fishing and bird watching. In the 12 th century some of the land was owned by the Priory of Bath. Someone reputedly called “Nigel” held one virgate (30 acres) of land, six salt pans, a well and half a furlong of land for a rent of two horse loads of salt, three shillings and a pound of cumin a year. Its sheltered position between the Solent, the open sea and the natural facilities for making salt meant that it was much more important than might be expected today. It was a port by 1206. A finger of the creek may have extended towards the junction by the green over the area now occupied by the end of the car park and the field known as 'Baskets' opposite Fishers Mead. Until the early years of the 19th century Keyhaven was part of the prime salt producing centre based around Lymington but there was a rapid decline following competition from Cheshire rock salt combined with rapidly rising coal prices and high duties. Wildfowling was a profitable pursuit for men of all levels of society and 16 th century records note complaints about men setting nets to trap birds. Farmers objected to the activity as it interfered with regular work on the land.

If entering from the west beware of “The Trap”, the possible fast running tide and the steep shore adjacent to Hurst Castle south frontage. Do not enter in strong easterlies since the Bar is not too easy. The entrance is through red & green buoys and with a leading line of 2 small red/white horizontal striped buoys at about 283º although these may now have been changed for beacons. Anchor just inside past North Point well to the east of the green buoys and dinghy to the shore for the wildlife, BBQ and Hurst Castle. The mooring is a very good overnight stay and Hurst Castle is very much worth a visit. The Castle was built in the 1540’s as part of Henry VIII's coastal defence. Much of the stone came from Beaulieu Abbey and during the Civil War Charles 1 st was imprisoned there. In the 19th century extensive rebuilding was undertaken and it maintained its strategic importance through both World Wars. Many buildings have come and gone and today tourists visit it either on foot along the shingle bank or by ferry from Keyhaven. The cannon shells are about 12” diameter and one cannon now installed and originally recovered from Spit Sand Fort fired a shell clean over the Isle of Wight. All the other mooring buoys are private but may be used with the Harbourmaster’s authority and a small charge. Should you feel adventurous then passage onwards past Mount Lake on port and Keyhaven Lake on starboard then onwards right up to Keyhaven Yacht Club being aware of the many dinghy’s. Once there moor alongside the Harbour wall which is very much a drying mooring. You will also find Hurst Castle Sailing Club both clubs welcoming visitors. Of course there are other “establishments” to visit close by. Ensure plenty of water as should the Harbour wall be occupied then you will have to return to the Pool just inside North Point. On a calm day try a mooring by anchor outside Keyhaven in the bay on the hard sand & gravel beach and dinghy ashore. This shore is easier than in the Pool although the birdlife inside is another attraction.

Extract from Chart BA2021F

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Hurst Castle and Keyhaven

Hurst Castle

North side of Hurst Castle showing Ferry Terminal

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Moored in the Evening at Keyhaven

Keyhaven Jetty Keyhaven Beach

- 10 - Beaulieu River, Solent

The Beaulieu River are the New Forest Heritage and the South Hampshire Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Beaulieu has a wealth of listed buildings including nine Grade 1 or 2 and the Abbey is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The Cistercian monastery of Bellus Locus (Norman French), Beau Lieu a “fair place”, was founded by King John in 1204. The linear village grew up as a settlement for hired labourers on the opposite side of the river from the Abbey along the road to Lymington. Following the dissolution of the Abbey in 1538 much of the stone was removed and used at places such as Hurst and Calshot Castles. Only three Abbey buildings remain intact, each with new uses. The first tourists visited the picturesque Abbey ruins in the 18 th century and large scale tourism has become one of the most significant features of present day Beaulieu. The village becomes very congested during the summer even for yachtsmen. The listed telephone kiosk on the east side of the High Street is one of the K6 type designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935. In 1722 John, 2nd Duke of Montagu organised and financed an expedition to the West Indies with the intention of establishing sugar plantations on the islands of St Vincent and St Lucia. To support this he planned to build a major port greater than Lymington or Southampton called Montagu Town. Acres of forest were cleared and land was offered at a nominal rent for 99 years with three loads of timber used to build a house. The expedition was a failure and by 1740 only six houses had been built. Then war with France brought about the need for a great many ships and Buckler's Hard was established. With its gravel hard and sheltered position it was in an ideal position to benefit and several ships of Nelson's fleet were built there. The 19th century saw the decline of shipbuilding here due to competition with iron ship construction and the new cheap railway transport system. In 1894 the Gosport Steam Launch Company began running day trips to Buckler's Hard and the age of tourism had begun. The Master Builders House, now converted to an hotel, dominates the north end of the West Terrace. But by far the grandest house here, is the home of Henry Adams who came to the shipyard in 1744 as resident overseer for the navy and took over running the yard in 1749. The bay window on the north side looks down towards the river and gave Henry a clear view of all that was happening. Buckler's Hard is about two miles from Beaulieu and is one of the few places where you can approach the banks of the River Beaulieu. Little more than two rows of cottages, Buckler's Hard is basically an 18th century village that has not developed. Drop anchor either side from the Solent entrance to Need Ore Point but preferably on the South side with good holding. There could be a small charge but only should the Harbourmaster feel inclined. This is the place for bird watching either on the muddy spit or the mainland in the North. The Royal Southampton Yacht Club at Gins Farm which is just 2 miles from the River entrance is also well worth a visit. Buckler’s Hard is about 3½ miles from the River entrance and is a very expensive mooring in the Marina. Just a hundred metres further are some piles at half that price. Better still passage just a little further around the corner, drop anchor and dinghy back. All the river mooring buoys are let to berth holders but can be picked up at the owners discretion. This river is navigable at low water up to and just beyond Buckler’s Hard but at high water all the way to Beaulieu Bridge. Its about another 2 miles from Buckler’s Hard to Beaulieu Bridge drying most of the way and is a very interesting passage with wildlife on both sides of the river. There is a “deeper” rivulet in the centre of the river and many piles and buoys to pick up and also several small landing stages.

Extract from Chart GB40242B, Beaulieu River Entrance to Buckler’s Hard

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Extract from Chart GB40242B, Buckler’s Hard to the Bridge

Buckler’s Hard

Upper Reaches of Beaulieu River

- 12 - Calshot Spit Bay, Southampton Water

Calshot Activities Centre in Hampshire is one of the largest Outdoor Adventure Centres in Britain and is run by Hampshire County Council. They have a reputation for excellence and professionalism and operate to the highest standards. Calshot offers residential and non-residential courses in an unrivalled number of exciting water and land based activities. Situated in a unique position on the shores of the Solent, its magnificent setting gives immediate access to the country’s most popular Water sports location. Ashore, historic Hangars accommodate a state of the art climbing complex, the only indoor Velodrome in Southern England and a dry Ski Slope. Well, that’s not what you thought Calshot Spit was all about but its true. From the south amble past the Castle and jetty and immediately turn to the west. Slowly passage inland in very shallow waters and then south. You will have to be very aware of what could be many small dinghies possibly with young skippers most of which would be under training. After about 200 metres you will see several small vessels moored in the bay. Drop anchor for a drying mooring for the evening and enjoy the many small dinghies or just take in the sheer tranquillity, peace and solitude of this out of the way, off he beaten track mooring. Dinghy ashore for a BBQ on the shingle or even take a swim in the surprisingly warm waters.

Extract from Chart GB40242B

Calshot Spit Bay

- 13 - Power Station Creek, Southampton Water

Fawley Power Station is a large oil-fired power station, built on the south western shore of Southampton Water in 1964 and 1965. The excavations for this provided valuable information on the geology of the Eocene strata which underlies the area, on the sheets of Pleistocene gravel here below sea-level and on the Holocene mud and peat. A tunnel beneath Southampton Water from the power station to Chilling on the opposite bank provided much geological data. Numerous boreholes were associated with both the power station site and with the tunnel so that it was possible to obtain much detail on strata that are poorly exposed at the surface in the area. It was built on the marshes on the up-estuary side of Calshot Spit. Another photograph shows the position of the old red-brick officers' mess of the former RAF camp at Calshot Spit. Further back and just in front of the power station is the white-roofed, dome-like, control building. When the photograph was taken the tide was very low; the level of the Neolithic peat bog would have been a metre or so lower than this. The normal south eastern shoreline of the spit at that time would have been out where the photograph was taken or even further south. The spit is known from boreholes to have been present in Neolithic times. The photograph of Power Station Creek as it is locally known today shows the south western end of the Power Station where the objects, that seemed to be bodies, were found. Here a dredged dock now exists on the site of the landward part of Ower Lake.

Enter the marked channel on a high spring from Southampton Water just north of Calshot Spit and either drop anchor or pick up a buoy. The Creek was once was a favourite with Sailing instructors but is now silting very quickly and only realistically entered by shoal draught vessels. Occasionally there can be an obnoxious smell emanating from the Power Station itself. Should this not put you off then observe the wild foul that seem to frequent this area sometimes in their thousands. It is a very quiet haven and a few vessels still make it for an overnight stay. There are still some buoys laid originally for Power Station personnel but now used by visitors.

Power Station Creek as it is Today

Red-brick Officers' Mess of the former RAF Camp

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Power Station Creek at Low Water

Extract from Chart GB40242B

- 15 - Ashlett Creek, Southampton Water

Ashlett Creek is accessible from the Southern end of the Esso Marine Terminal on the West side of Southampton Water to vessels with no more than 4 feet draught and only on a high tide. Once into the tortuous muddy channel marked by buoys & perches consisting of several dogs-legs make your way to the Ashlett Sailing Club’s Slip Quay on the Port side where there is usually a vacant drying mooring alongside or should you be lucky head for the Victoria Quay (Mill Quay) for free. There may well be a small charge for an overnight stay at the discretion on the Harbour Master (if he is about). Head for Ashlett Sailing Club or the grade 2 listed 19 th century Ashlett Creek Tide Mill (private club) premises (the old Mill building) where you will be assured of excellent company, a good drink and light snacks. Should you wish for a meal then try the Jolly Sailor pub next door (see photo) which was originally a beer house in the days when anyone who paid the poor rate and the two pound excise fee could sell beer. Just a ¼ mile West on route to the village is the Falcon Hotel where good ales are served.

The name ‘Ashlett’ may be derived from the Viking custom of planting an ash stave in the ground where their ships first landed and ‘flete’ from a creek or stretch of salt water. Victoria Quay was built in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee and the hard provided a good spot for launching small boats and in days when road transport was difficult this was a good place for landing and loading supplies, grain and salt to and from Southampton and other towns. Salt production was important here from Saxon times until the 19 th century when corn milling became Ashlett’s principal industry. Flat bottomed sailing barges working the tides handled by perhaps only two men and a boy could negotiate the creek with relative ease; the last one came in 1932. The Hollies, now a private house, was at one time the coastguard house. “TB” on the date stone of Ashlett Creek Tide Mill probably refers to Thomas Barney of Beaulieu who owned the mill at the beginning of the 19 th century.

Enjoy the peace, have a BBQ, picnic on the benches supplied (see photo), go for a walk in the oasis of rural charm that ignores Calshot and Fawley either side or just stroll along the beach. This area is more for the naturist with the extensive shoreline and shore based wildlife both by day and night.

Extract from Chart BA2022D

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Ashlett Creek Tide Mill Jolly Sailor pub

Views of Ashlett Creek with Tide Out

- 17 - Marchwood, Southampton Water

To ensure that a country is well defended, its arms and munitions must be safely and securely stored. As long ago as the early Middle Ages, when England had no standing army or navy, the king's stock of arms was kept under the surveillance of the Keeper of the King's Wardrobe in the Tower of London. As the art of gun design and the production of arms became more skilled, the status of the office was raised and from 1414 onwards there was a succession of 'Masters of our Works, Engines, Cannons and Other Kinds of Ordnance'. Towards the end of the sixteenth century, allegations of corruption together with the deteriorating quality of weaponry led to the appointment of a Commission of Investigation and the re-shaping of the Office of Ordnance. In 1598 the department was put into the charge of The Great Master who controlled the disposition and storage of military and naval armaments and for the following 250 years, this administrative arrangement changed very little. In about 1667, an ordnance depot was established in Portsmouth which immediately became one of the country's most important arms stores outside the Tower of London. Explosives were kept in the Square Tower at the south-west end of Portsmouth High Street, but during the next century, fears grew over the proximity of the magazine to the heavily Populated town and in the 1760s this culminated in a successful public petition for its removal. Weapons and hardware continued to be stored in the Square Tower, but during the 1770s, all the explosives were moved across the harbour for storage in the massive gunpowder magazine at Priddy's Hard - the oldest of the four depots making up the complex of R.N.A.D. Gosport. Priddy's Hard was built in 1771, and although six thousand barrels of gunpowder could be stored there, it was necessary to disperse the ammunition and gunpowder in case the depot ever came under attack. Satellite magazine stores were built to serve this purpose and one of these was the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Marchwood. R.N.A.D. Marchwood was built some 40 years after Priddy's Hard came into use and was opened in 1815. Historically this date was significant as it was not only a time when Britain was undergoing industrialization and consequent social changes, but it was also in this year that Britain defeated France at Waterloo, making her one of the strongest nations in Europe. Priority was naturally given to maintaining this superiority and ensuring that the country remained well protected. The building of this small depot at Marchwood may have appeared insignificant in the grand scale of things but its role was to prove important during its 146 year life. Plans to build a satellite magazine on the west side of the River Test were initiated in 1812 under the instruction of the Inspector General of Ordnance. The site at Marchwood was purchased by the Ordnance Office from Sir Charles Mills for £1,200 and three years later, staffed by a storekeeper named R.B. Ady, a Foreman and two Watchmen, a three magazine depot capable of storing 21,000 barrels of gunpowder, was opened. Being highly dangerous it was imperative that the gunpowder was securely stored, both to minimize the risk of accident and to keep it out of the reach of would-be thieves. Consequently each magazine had to be solidly constructed with 21 inch thick brick walls which were double skinned and had ventilation ports. The massive roofs were of half inch thick slates laid on top of clay tiles, with the soffits finished in one inch thick elm boarding. To avoid the obvious hazard from sparks, all metal work was non-ferrous and even the one and a half inch thick coffered floors were constructed using wooden pegs instead of nails. Copper was used for other metal surfaces. Outside, the magazines were surrounded by brick wails 11 feet high and 15 inches thick. They were also separated by traverses of brick walls and blast banks of earth 21 feet high. In addition to the three magazines, the Depot consisted of an examining laboratory with two rooms, a shifting house, a cooperage, two store rooms, a boathouse, a powder pier and a hard. There were also barracks and offices. It was necessary for security at Marchwood to be strict and in 1819 military sentries were introduced to the site. During the next 72 years, while Marchwood was under the jurisdiction of the Board of Ordnance and, later, the War Office, the depot was under a 24 hour guard. This was carried out by four military sentries and two watchmen who were laborers at the depot. The exclusive duty of one of these watchmen would be to patrol the river bank behind the magazines. The strength of the military presence varied over the years. The first detachment of the Royal Artillery to be deployed at Marchwood in 1819 consisted of one sergeant with 12 N.C.0s. and men. The detachment in 1846 had one sergeant and fourteen gunners and in 1891, there were two officers, a company of the Rifle Brigade and a surgeon with army medical staff. The number of men posted to the depot at any particular time is probably an indication of the volume of gunpowder being stored there. By the start of the 1850s, activity at Marchwood appears to have diminished, as between October 1850 and March 1854, the magazines were empty and depot houses were let to coast-guards and civilians. However, Britain's entry into the Crimean War (March 1854 - February 1856) immediately led to the re-commissioning of the magazines and in 1856 four new magazines were built. These were handed over to the War Office, which replaced the now abolished Ordnance Office, by the Royal Engineer on July 1 st l857. The establishment site now covered 7 acres and became triangular in shape. Like the residents of Portsmouth a hundred years earlier, the people of Southampton were concerned about an armaments depot being so close to their homes. In January 1876, when Marchwood was well stocked and fears were at their worst, the Committee for the Transport and Storage of Powder was petitioned and the removal of the depot was demanded. The Committee's president, Colonel C.M. Younghusband reassured the people of Southampton that they were in no danger and maintained there was nothing to justify the removal of the establishment from the neighbourhood. The Secretary of state for War agreed that under no circumstances could he consent to the removal of the armaments depot. At about this time, the stock at Marchwood ceased to be exclusively gunpowder, and in 1877 one magazine was allocated for

- 18 - small arms. In 1892 a second magazine was set aside for Q.F. ammunition. Naval vessels brought the consignments of gunpowder along Southampton Water to Marchwood where they were delivered at the pier head. The barrels were then, three at a time, transported on magazine barrows along the pier to the rolling stage for inspection by the cooper. The barrels were then transferred to flat bottomed barges and ferried along the canal to the magazines. Casual labour was sometimes employed to help convey the barrels to and from the magazines. Throughout the depot's life, few changes were made to the unloading and storage procedures. Every effort was made to avoid accidents and spillages and over the years strict regulations were enforced. For example, no barrels were ever opened in the magazines but were taken to the Examining Rooms for investigation. The barrels were constantly examined for faults such as slackness in the hooping and if any defective barrels were discovered, they were immediately taken to the cooper to be repaired. The magazine floors were swept after every arrival and dispatch of gunpowder and any areas that the gunpowder had been carried over were sprinkled with water. There were also strict rules concerning the men who worked in the depot. The cooper and labourers for instance were frequently assembled in the shifting room where their clothing was searched for pipes and matches. Before they were allowed to enter the magazines they had to change into jerseys and woolen drawers which they wore under 'duck' frocks and trousers. Working parties employed from 1925 onwards were also carefully searched for anything of a dangerous nature. They too wore prescribed clothing and special magazine shoes. Two officers, 40 N.C.0s. and men of the Royal Marines Light Infantry were detached to Marchwood under the authority of Captain W.S. Cox. Life for these men appears to have been relatively congenial compared to the rigors of normal marine life. The officers, for example, were granted a special allowance of 1s 6d a day in lieu of provisions, fuel and mess expenses. It was during the time of the Marines' residence that a windmill to supply fresh water was constructed at the depot. The machine, 16 feet and supported on a 70 foot high square steel trellis, was purchased from John Wallis Titt's Iron Works in Warminster in 1873 for the sum of £155. It was in operation by the following year. For the next four years the windmill was in use continuously but it appears to have been the cause of grievance on more than one occasion. In a letter dated 9th November 1898, Captain Cox complained to the Naval Officer at Portsmouth that for some considerable time the water has not accumulated in the tank to the slightest degree. Only three months later Captain Cox reported, It has been found almost impossible and extremely dangerous to attempt to stop the windmill from working during a storm or in a gale of wind. At the turn of the century, the magazines were full to capacity, acting as a reserve unit for Portsmouth. Security was now undertaken by the Dockyard Division of the Metropolitan Police. At the outbreak of war in 1914, ammunition and the bulk of the Navy's gunpowder were stored at Marchwood, but between 1916 and 1918, all the magazines were emptied so that cordite could be stored there instead. This period saw a huge increase in the number of staff, from 21 at the beginning of the war to 103 in 1918. During the 1920s, due to the reorganization of the Metropolitan Police there was yet another change in security arrangements when it was decided that they should discontinue their service at Marchwood. Because the reorganization was so extensive, it was introduced piecemeal, beginning with the country's arms depots then moving onto the dockyards. Since the Royal Marines had often undertaken a security role at depots and dockyards in the past, they were a natural choice to replace the Metropolitan Police. In 1923, the Royal Marine Police returned to Marchwood, staying there until they were absorbed into the Admiralty Civil Police Force in 1949. During the Second World War, Marchwood again acted as a reserve unit but this time for Priddy's Hard at Gosport and was the main depot for explosives for the reserve fleet. On the night of 19th June 1940, however, the depot suffered an air attack and 200 incendiary bombs caused the destruction of four of Marchwood's magazines and a full storehouse. About 229,000 rounds of Oerlikon ammunition together with 127,000 lbs of cordite were detonated and the huge explosions seriously damaged cottages a hundred yards away. Nine thousand empty crates in the storehouse were also lost. A second attack in December of that year destroyed yet another magazine but by January 1942 all of the buildings destroyed in the air raids had been rebuilt. During the post war period Marchwood continued to provide storage space for the overflow of ammunition from Priddy's Hard. It also housed shells and small arms for coastal minesweepers and anti-aircraft fire. In the late 1950s the Navy began to cut down on the size of the Fleet, weaponry had become refined and the location of Marchwood was now considered to be geographically unsuitable and in 1964 Marchwood Sailing Club was formed.

So much for its long history. The club itself is situated some 7½ miles up Southampton Water to King George 5 th Dry Dock on the south west side and just before the Southampton Container Terminals start. The club’s moorings for smaller vessels are on the same side opposite the Mayflower Cruise Terminal and for deep fin and larger vessels opposite the Southampton Container Terminals themselves, farther upstream. At this end of Southampton Water very large commercial vessels turn and can get frighteningly close so beware. Today the club have an envious clubhouse and premises for around 200 vessel owning members. Their pontoons will moor about 30 vessels rafted and the outer pontoons are all tide moorings. Electricity and water are available. As the moorings are so far up Southampton water they are somewhat shielded from adverse weather although there can be a fetch from a north westerly. The pontoons have shore access through a security gate but to return you will have to obtain a key from the clubs bar (returnable) after paying your mooring fee currently £8 for an overnight stay (any length vessel). The club’s premises cant fail to impress. One building is now the bar and restaurant and the other the Committee rooms. The slip caters for no less than 2 boat hoists taking vessels into

- 19 - their own secure compound storing around 140 vessels and storage for dinghy’s in a separate area. Masts are stepped from a mast hoist adjacent to the slip. There is a small car park on the headland and a larger car park within the club’s premises. The shore facilities are accessible using the same security gate key and are excellent. The bar speaks for itself and the food once excellent, but the caterers have been taken over recently and to my surprise are now even better being quick, cheap and home made. They serve a very wide menu at the sort of quality one would expect in a good restaurant, not a yacht club. The new dining area is now open and caters for around 30 persons with breakfasts by arrangement. The caterers will also open on bank holidays for larger numbers (club visits) by arrangement. Should you have an interest in shipping then this is the place to observe and get really close to all the famous ships plying their trade from Southampton. With so much commercial activity on the north side of the waters it seems strange that there should be so much wildlife on the south side especially with Bury Marsh so close. The club is a very friendly club welcoming visitors and is well worth the passage and at least an overnight stay

Extract from Chart GB50242J

Pontoon Mooring Slipway and Starting Hut

View of Pontoons from Small Craft Moorings

- 20 -

Large Container Ships pass close by

The Club Room Building

The Club Room

- 21 - Eling Tide Mill, Southampton Water

The only surviving tide water mill that harnesses the power of the tide to grind wheat into wholemeal flour in the United Kingdom still working and in production. Situated on the edge of Southampton Water beside the renowned New Forest, there has been a mill on the site for over 900 years, although it has had to be rebuilt several times, with the current building being some 220 years old. It is not known when the Mill was first built, but the earliest surviving reference to it is in the Doomsday Book - a survey of all England - in 1086 AD. It is possible that it may even go back to Roman times (c.200-400 AD), but any evidence of this will be underneath the Mill which of course is now a dam. The Mill was always owned by the Lord of the Manor of Eling, and originally this was the King of England as Eling was a royal manor. In the early 1200s, however, the manor and Mill were sold off by King John. They went through various hands until 1382 AD, when the title, and with it the Mill - was purchased by the Bishop of Winchester and given to a school he was founding (along with many other properties) to be a source of income. This school - Winchester College, the famous public school - owned the Mill from 1382 to 1975 AD, though they did not run it directly, but rather leased it out on long leases. Although a very small operation by today's standards, in the past it was not just a small local business. While some of the grain for milling was from local farms, more used to be brought several hundred miles round the coast in barges from the Eastern side of England; when the tide was in, the barges could be sailed up Southampton Water, into Eling Creek, and right up to the Mill. Maximum possible output, running both waterwheels and all four sets of stones at full speed for both tides, would have been about 4 tonnes of flour per day. The Mill has had to be rebuilt many times over the centuries, the last time being in the 1770s when it (and the dam) were completely rebuilt after a bad series of storms and floods. The current building is therefore some 220 years old, although it has been on the same site and always a tidal powered flour mill for at least 920 years. The milling machinery was last replaced in 1892 AD, when the old wooden undershot wheels and main gearing were replaced by cast iron Poncelet-type wheels (which increased the efficiency) and cast iron axles and gears. Basically, though, it still has the same parts working the same way as it always did. The market for all of the small, millstone-using mills (whether tidal, wind or river powered) was destroyed in this country about a hundred years ago by the large, steam-powered roller mills built at the docks to mill imported grain from Canada, and in England all of these small mills failed and closed in the first half of the century. Eling struggled on just doing animal feed, as did many other millstone-using flour mills, but by 1936 all of the tidal powered machinery had broken down and there was no money left to fix it. For ten years the last miller carried on with a small diesel engine running the animal feed machinery, but the mill was abandoned in 1946 and just left to rot until 1975. In 1975 the Mill was bought by New Forest District Council (the local government body) who began work to save it from collapse, and to restore it as a site of some industrial archaeological importance. Eling Tide Mill Trust was then set up to oversee the final phase of the restoration, and to administer the Mill as a working mill/museum after the Mill reopened in 1980 as both a working mill, and a museum. It is, in fact, one of only two productive tide mills known in the entire world, and the only one producing what it was built to produce. The mill originally had two waterwheels, each driving two sets of millstones. One wheel with one set of millstones has been restored and the other side left un- restored so that people can see the machinery without modern safety screens around it. To get there, passage to the very top of Southampton Water past the Container terminals then over to the West side (approaching Eling Great Marsh) following through the Port & Starboard piles up the Eling Channel. Should you wish you may drop anchor before entering the Eling Basin but be adventurous and enter the Basin. Moor either alongside at the Eling Sailing Club’s pontoon by the Mill itself (room only for about one vessel), pick up an unattended buoy or drop anchor. Dinghy ashore of course. Apart from the Tide Mill itself which is the main reason for the visit, try the Anchor pub for the best meals and beers in the area. There’s not much of interest in the village itself apart from the old cottages but the surrounding area is well worth a stroll. Cross the Toll Bridge (still in use) to view the upper reaches of Southampton Waters. The wildlife by the water is second to none especially with the Great Marsh so near. There’s a Board and a Stone Plaque either side of the Tide Mill Car Park giving details of interests in the area. Try Eling Sailing Club next to the Mill where visitors are very welcome for a real ale and light lunches.

Eling Tide Mill and Toll Bridge

- 22 -

Extract from Chart GB50242J

Eling Tide Mill & The Anchor Pub

- 23 - Hamble River, Southampton Water

The River Hamble is one of the largest leisure harbours in the United Kingdom and Hampshire County Council has been Harbour Authority for the River Hamble since 1969. The harbour area includes the whole of the tidal river, from outside the river mouth (just south of No 1 pile) to Botley Mill. The Harbour Authority has an overall duty to protect the use of the harbour for the shipping of goods and passengers and to ensure navigational safety. These responsibilities cover all manner of craft and activities from commercial vessels and fishing vessels, through to canoes and windsurfers. The Harbour Authority also has statutory responsibility for many designated environmental sites within the River which must be protected and maintained. Users should read and understand the River Hamble Harbour Authority Bylaws and also Notices to River Users.

First of all I will not bore you with all of those expensive, characterless marinas all the way up the Hamble river on both sides nor how to get there. Suffice to say make your way to Swanwick Marina end, lately taken over by Premier, and either drop anchor, pick up a buoy in one of the many out-of-the-way moorings or an unused pontoon but ensure it’s a safe mooring. Beware of the Harbourmaster and the possibility of Harbour Dues or the return of the mooring holder. Make full use of the dinghy this time with outboard and oars (just in case). There are many Sailing Clubs on route and all welcome visitors but you may well find it more convenient to moor in one of the marinas in their locality or should you be lucky one of the public pontoons. There’s allot to see and visit this end of the Hamble. Try the Jolly Sailor pub opposite Swanwick Marina, mooring the dinghy on the shore side of their jetty, not the sea side as this is used by the Ferry and larger vessels as a drop off point. Made famous by Howard's Way the Jolly Sailor also deserves to be famous as a genuinely excellent pub. This is a world famous venue and mariners are advised to study the tide tables before arranging a long stay with the publican for mooring. This pub has it all. Decent beer, very good food (but don't expect usual pub prices), great outdoor seating area by the river for warm summer evenings, great fireplace for cold winters and friendly staff. Also a great combination of modernity (comedy tapes playing in the loos) and history (timber beams, uneven floor etc). Pass by Elephant Boatyard, again made famous by Howard's Way, then Deacons Boatyard with Aladdins Cave Chandlery HQ on the banks. Follow under the 2 bridges and onwards for an interesting ride of about 2 miles in open waters taking about ¾ hour. Pass a Sailing Club up a small rivulet on port after which the river narrows. Bear right to the Horse & Jockey pub at Curbridge, mooring on their landing stage at the bottom of the garden. Make sure you get the tide right for your return passage as I couldn’t think of a worse place to get marooned in? Seriously though, they serve good ales and food. Beware the outboard propeller getting caught in the weeds and reeds either side of the river on this stage and the wash of the occasional motor boat remembering that larger vessels usually have a Depth Sounder to find the middle of the river, and dinghy’s don’t. Also on this stretch are more ducks, swans and geese rather than smaller birds. Should you not wish to passage far in the dinghy then walk the short distance to the first road bridge (A27) where you will find a choice of pubs some worthy of a meal and ale. “The Doghouse” inside Swanwick Marina itself is a bar with meals that one would only go to should you not wish to travel anywhere else. The Spinnaker on Bridge Road (opposite side to marina) will do a full monty breakfast that is by all accounts the best in the area. They also serve good meals and ale. There is another pub worth mentioning just a few metres east of the marina on the same side called “The Old Ship Inn-“ which is better now than it was a few years ago but not as good as it was many years ago. There, work that one out then.

Upper reaches of River Hamble

- 24 -

Extract from Chart GB40242B

The Sign says it all

Harbourmaster’s Office at Warsash

- 25 -

Moody’s Yard in the Distance The Shoreline Nearby

Moorings on the Hamble River

- 26 - Hill Head Harbour Bay, Solent

Hill Head Sailing Club was founded in 1930 by Colonel J. S. Alston. The club is based at Titchfield Haven which was originally the mouth of the Meon river but was blocked off to form the present tidal harbour at the Western end of Hill Head. The Clubhouse, built by members, was completed and opened in 1975 and their excellent facilities include changing rooms with showers and toilets, facilities for people with disabilities and an attractive lounge with commanding views of the Solent. A bar I can well recommend is operated by members seven days a week whilst volunteers produce light lunches in the “galley” each weekend. There are two dinghy parks with slipways running into the harbour where mud berths are available for larger craft. Car parking arrangements adjacent to each compound make easy access to the club and the shingle beach running along the foreshore. Hill Head Sailing Club is essentially a self-help and family oriented organization with about 900 members who all take an active role in either maintaining the harbour & sailing facilities, organizing both the sailing and social programmes or running the bar and galley.

Although Hill Head Sailing Club welcome visitors as you can see they have little room in the haven for vessels other than their own members and even they are restricted to a maximum LOA of 25 feet however an anchor placed just outside the clubhouse will give good holding. After a short dinghy ashore one can view not only your own vessel but the splendid views of the Solent and not forgetting the sunsets. All photographs courtesy of Hill Head Sailing Club. Should you have one too many or you have a legitimate reason to stay longer than expected and the tide runs out then the ground is hard enough to walk on. Hill Head’s lounge is well worth a visit and cant help but impress. Whilst anchored one can also observe any dinghy racing first hand from your own cockpit and if your anchor is placed out of the way, without interruption. A telephone call to Hill Head Sailing Club would be an advantage. You never know you may bump into Carole Willis who is a long standing member of Hill Head Sailing Club as well as YOSC.

Extract from Chart GB40242B

Extract from Chart BA2022G

- 27 -

Hill Head Sailing Club Sunset from the Club House

Entrance to the Haven

Aerial view of Hill Head

- 28 - Wicormarine, Portsmouth

Wicormarine is our yacht Adat’s home Summer berth and is situated about 3 miles up Fareham Lake. Originally started in 1966 with one pontoon about 3 feet wide and 40 feet long now reaching nearly 1000 feet. It has excellent shower and toilet facilities with 24 hour access and of course all the usual facilities a good Boat Yard could offer even to the extent of a relaxing lounge in the Chandlery for snacks, tea & coffee and light reading and a local Pub, supermarket and a few specialised shops all within walking distance. But this is not to be an advert for Wicormarine although the difference between this mooring and the likes of a Marina is why we settled here. All the moorings are private but may be used with permission. A small charge may be made depending what type of mooring is taken. These are swinging (drying to non drying), piles & pontoon between piles (both non drying) & alongside the Main Jetty (drying) with shore access where electricity and water may be obtained. Access from the Main Jetty to all moorings is at all states of tide (see photo) apart from an hour either side of a very high Spring. Apart from the advantages of being our home port these moorings are definitely natural, quiet and undisturbed by the likes of Sunsail and you get the most splendid sunsets.

One can also really appreciate the wildlife throughout the day and night. The swans “tapping” the vessel’s hull in the morning almost as if the Harbour Master is requesting a fee. In the evening when what seems to be millions of starlings appear from nowhere all at the same time to roost in the trees and then in the morning they fly out of the trees and on to the boats holding on to any surface whether horizontal or vertical. Just before the sun rises the birds wake up but then as if they’d hit the snooze button, it goes quiet again. With the warm receding waters on a falling tide children swim off the end of the Jetty and there are often several fishermen plying their skills overnight & weekends. This is an area where speed and noise are not options and nature come into its own. Of course sometimes there are the odd undesirables (see photo) but they usually retire early (probably of necessity). At night you can enjoy a drink in the cockpit on a still evening when the “chatter” of the birds has ceased and view the lights of the Harbour or those on shore reflecting in the port lights of other vessels or maybe the unspoilt stars in the unpolluted night sky but best is the undisturbed peace. Even the darkness is interesting and somewhat romantic with the distant flapping halyards on the masts, the gentle rocking of the vessels and the odd swan gliding by.

Should you be interested in helicopters then Westland’s base is just across the water where occasionally they test the odd helicopter. This sometimes makes the heart skip a beat when they almost fly upside down. The last photo courtesy of Mike Higgins was taken from Adat of a sunrise on entering Portsmouth Harbour after an aborted passage to Cherbourg late 2005. The sunrise was reward in itself.

Keep well clear of Bedenham Pier where munitions are loaded into barges for transportation to Naval vessels upstream. Anchor on a drying mooring near the Jetty on the South or North side allowing for tidal swing away from swinging moorings or better still on the beach for easier shore access. Should you wish to moor alongside the Main Jetty again drying then moor on the South side for a more relaxing stay where rafting is accepted. The mud by the Main Jetty is soft and deep and thus suitable for Fin keeler’s. Be careful of the many unoccupied unlit swinging mooring buoys especially at night. Take advantage of Wicormarine’s BBQ garden. Just supply your own charcoal, food & wine with ice available in the Chandlery.

Extract from Chart GB50242K

- 29 -

South side of Main Jetty for mooring alongside

Low Tide Access to the Main Jetty No Undesirables here!

What a “Sunrise”

- 30 - Dell Quay, Chichester Harbour

At one time the seventh most important port in England, Dell Quay and nearby Apuldram must still be one of the most beautiful. Adjacent to Birdham lies the parish of Apuldram and the boundary that divides them passes through Chichester Marina. This was excavated in the 1960s from the marshy remains of the Apuldram Salterns and provides berths for over 900 boats in the largest marina on the South Coast. The Salterns on whose site it was dug had been built by James Ayles one of the owners of Birdham Mill. Due largely to government tax policy the salterns cease to work in the 1820s after a lifespan of less then 90 years. The medieval village of 'Apeldreham' clustered about the church and manor but there are, today, no obvious traces of villeins' cottages and feudal field-systems. There remain only one building other than the Parish Church which would have been familiar to the medieval peasants. This is the 15th century tower of Ryman's House. The manor of Apuldram was held by the Abbey of Battle for it had been granted to them by Henry I in exchange for the village of Reading. It seems possible that before relinquishing the property Henry had conferred rights on the citizens of Chichester that concerned a landing place in the parish. This bordered on a field or area of land called Dell and the city had always held the privilege of collecting dues here. Battle Abbey retained the manor of Apuldram until the dissolution of the monasteries and may have had a private quay at the end of Smugglers Lane. The buildings of Dell Quay were built by the Lord Fitzwilliam of Cowdray in the late 1400s or early 1500s. The early prosperity of the harbour continued into Tudor times but the port was not without its problems. In the late 1500s complaint was made not only of its distance from the city but also of the lack of facilities at Dell Quay. Further difficulties were occasionally caused by the silting of the harbour which prevented larger vessels from sailing above Itchenor. Despite such troubles Dell saw a flourishing trade in grain throughout the 1700s and amongst the mills built at that time was Tipper's windmill whose only remnant now forms part of Dell Quay House. The small coastal barges and occasional foreign-going traders that plied the port also bore an interesting variety of other cargoes ranging from bacon, cheese, fish and oysters to canvas, leather, lead, iron and timber. Increasingly the imports to the harbour were of coal from Sunderland carried both by local boats and barges. Latterly the quay was let to merchants dealing in cattle fodder and fertiliser and the last shipments were unloaded here in the 1930s. These days yachtsmen and tourists throng this ancient landing-place and Dell Quay is probably busier than ever it was in the past. Although there is no specific village centre, there are a number of marine related businesses and boatyards. Dell Quay is also home to the Harbour Education Centre which is used throughout the year for educational field trips and also for a variety of activities for the public such as photography and painting.

Passage from Chichester Harbour entrance some 5½ miles past Chichester Harbour Marina up the Fishbourne Channel for a further 1 mile. The stream is very narrow at this end and dries. Drop anchor on the west side of the channel or pick up a buoy either north or south side of the Jetty and dinghy ashore. The wildlife here is excellent especially on the shore. You will be made very welcome at the Dell Quay Sailing Club where you will be able to confirm your mooring. Good ales and an excellent meal may be had in the Crown & Anchor pub which has the best views of the Harbour. You will also find the Boatyard very interesting.

Extract from Chart GB50242A

- 31 -

Dell Quay in the Evening

- 32 - Wootton Creek, IOW

Wootton Creek has a very ancient history. It has been used as a waterway and port for thousands of years. The Romans landed cargo here; King Canute is said to have come ashore here; and the monks from nearby Quarr Abbey who owned the mill, had a fishery at the creek mouth. From the earliest times there was a causeway across the creek and this, together with the presence of a mill, was the reason for the growth of the original settlement of Wootton. The group of houses clustered around the Sloop Inn are the oldest in the village and thought to be over 250 years old. In 1865 works were undertaken to improve the causeway and a new road was built bypassing the mill and the Sloop. Today, the wider settlement of Wootton Bridge has crept slowly up either side of the valley away from its origins on the creek. It has become a very popular haunt for leisure yachtsmen, with several creekside businesses supporting a variety of maritime activities. The village also has a number of local shops, a scattering of pubs, a thriving community centre and is also home to the Island's steam railway. The oldest locomotive was built in 1876 and the oldest carriages date from 1864. The isle of Wight Steam Railway began operating trains in 1971 well after the closure of some 54 miles of track in 1966.

On entry to the dredged channel beware of Wootton Rocks to the West and of coarse the very sticky mud to the East. Although the Chart extract is up to date it does not show Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s Pontoon that has been in existence now for many years now. This mooring is drying, cheap and very convenient with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s premises just at the end of the pontoon and water available too. Good ales and food with excellent shore facilities mostly made available from a Lottery Grant. Should you wish for something more exotic then try the Fishbourne Inn just a short walk to the main road and North about 100 metres. Get there early and book your preference from the chalkboard or it will “run out”. A little further on from the Fishbourne Inn will take you to the Northern beach for some local “coaming”. Whilst you’re moored try a BBQ on the Royal Vic’s splendid greens overlooking the Creek itself or work off that meal with a stroll just around the headland (South) to the Islands Hovercraft manufacturers (currently one in production for Fishbourne’s own Ferry). Just here is another drying, private Marina where you can, with a bit of luck moor overnight for free. Passage on up the Creek to the landing stage at the very South past the local Inn and drop the anchor for a quick one or do some shopping in the local supermarket. Due to the distinct lack of sea water especially at the far end, this trip is best undertaken in the dinghy. Should you not wish to dinghy then walk through the back lanes under the trees admiring the many private dwellings backing on the Creek with their own jettys. Just beyond the landing stage is the Old Mill Pond now almost covered in reeds. A short step before reaching the Fishbourne Inn you will see a footpath on the right called Quarr Lane which can be muddy, that will take you all the way to Ryde (and beyond) passing the modern Quarr Abbey which is actually a Monastery and was built in1901 by Spanish Benedictine Monks who serve there today. Visitors to the Abbey, Gardens, Tea rooms, Ruins, etc are very welcome. A little further and you will pass the original Quarr Abbey ruins dating back to 1132. From here you can also view Portsmouth Harbour on the horizon. This area is ideal for observing the wildlife with all the wetlands, woodlands and the sea shore. Further still and you will reach Ryde where you can quench your now well deserved thirst at the Crown Inn, a large white building with fine local Ales and on Sunday lunchtimes, local entertainment.

Extract from Chart GM50242M

- 33 -

Harbour Entrance

“Fishbourne” side of Wootton Creek

“Adat” on the Royal Vicoria Yacht Club’s Pontoon

- 34 -

The Fishbourne Inn

Hovercraft manufacture Quarr Abbey

“Freshwater” leaves Smallbrook Junction

- 35 - Bembridge Beaches, IOW

There has been reference to a harbour at the mouth of the River Yar going back to at least Roman Times. Throughout its history the area has offered sheltered waters to all types of mariner. In its heyday, during the reign of Charles 1, Brading was the principal port of the Island according to Sir John Oglander. At the time of the construction of the Embankment there had been a decline in its fortunes but substantial ships were still plying their trade up to the Quay at Brading. On entering Bembridge Harbour by boat it is difficult to realise that you are entering a man-made harbour constructed in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Before 1880, boats would have sailed a further two and a half miles upstream along the meandering channel of the Eastern Yar, with its wide expanse of mudflats and creeks to the town of Brading, the major port of the area. At high water the mudflats would be covered in water, the whole area being known as Brading Haven, the name now adopted by the Yacht Club adjacent to Bembridge Marina. In 1874 along came the railway and a small branch line then operated for many years under a number of owners. The Isle of Wight Railway bought the line in July 1898 for £16,500. In January 1923 the Isle of Wight Railway was amalgamated into the Southern Railway who made immediate improvements to the branch. St. Helens Quay, the present location of Bembridge Marina, became the main port on the Island for the movement of goods and freight. North and South Quays were reconstructed, evidence of which can still be seen if you look closely. Today it is hard to think that the area around the marina was until the 1960s, an industrial landscape, with railway sidings, a crane, warehouses, a gas works and an engine shed. After closure many changes took place. Up until the late 1950s carriages were stored and broken up on St. Helens Quay. The quay gradually closed to commercial shipping and the harbour was sold to the newly formed Bembridge Harbour Improvements Company in July 1963. The toll road along the embankment, owned and controlled by the British Railways Board, was taken over and abolished by the Isle of Wight County Council in October 1971. The Bembridge Station was demolished in the early 1970s, as was the Royal Spithead Hotel in 1989.

After navigating your way through the buoyed channel which itself is for ever changing, make your way to the Yellow buoy just North of Bembridge Point. You will notice on the West side Node’s Point, the whitewashed remains of a 13 th century church most of which slid into the sea in 1550. The stones from its ruins were widely used for scouring wooden decks and according to folklore their being known as “holystones”. From there make your way East of the point and drop anchor on the shingle beach outside Bembridge Harbour for free. The standing is good & firm and gives you a chance of cleaning the hull. Chances are that you will be alone in your quest and a row in the dinghy to the shore is short. There you will find a beach café serving drinks and snacks. The wooded shoreline is worth a stroll and guess how many wrecks there are on the beach.

Should you wish to moor on the beach inside (for a small charge) then continue past Bembridge Point over the bar and turn east dropping anchor on the fairly steep beach itself on hard fine sand. There’s usually several other vessels here so beware of the swing. There is water available from a tap on the East side of the inner beach by another café. Children will love this area and it is safe although part is now a car park. A stroll along the beach at low water to Bembridge Lifeboat Station is worth a visit and of course the Crab & Lobster pub just a few hundred metres further on and up the cliff face steps is definitely a must. The lobster is outstanding (and the beers are good too). The view from the picnic tables of Bembridge Ledge itself is not to be missed and demonstrates why the Ledge itself should be given a wide berth. Of course there are many buildings of interest in Bembridge village itself which is just a short walk from the beach, not forgetting the Pilot Boat Inn, the Windmill and the Shipwreck Centre (see photos).

Although even the latest admiralty chart shows anchorages in many areas of the Harbour the areas belong to the many Sailing Clubs and therefore are private although a telephone call the relevant club may invite one to stay. Should you wish to stay afloat then contact Bembridge Sailing Club, if you feel lucky. Bembridge Marina of course is now solely for residential vessels and visitors are now relegated to Duver Marina Pontoon berths with shore access and rafting out to 6 and even worse, extortionate fees. It has the usual facilities ashore with a small shop and the possibility in 2006 of an alcohol licensed premises. Beware, in spite of periodic dredging (few) the harbour is once again silting up. Visitors may soon be able to moor on the South side of the channel on fore & aft public moorings. The walk from these moorings to Bembridge itself especially for the young and old is no longer just a short stroll so a dinghy is the norm for access to the beach or water taxi at £1 one way. Fresh fish are available (most times) off Fisherman’s Quay, again no visitor mooring. One interesting feature is the annual walk for several hundred people with children and animals from outside the harbour to St Helens Fort. It’s rather along way at some ¾ mile and is no mean fete. The fort was built by Palmerston in 1860 to guard against a French invasion which never materialised. Also at very low tide there is still much to see of the original railway track bed that once crossed the seabed inside the Harbour. Although there is allot to see and explore in Bembridge it seems they are intent on building in restrictions, and then charging for the privilege so consider mooring outside the Harbour worthwhile and free.

- 36 -

Extract from Chart GB40242C

Bembridge Beach (on a busy day) Bembridge Beach (on a not so busy day)

“Missing the Tide” Approaching the “Bar”

- 37 -

St Helen’s Fort Walk

Pilot Boat Inn The Shipwreck Centre

Bembridge Windmill

- 38 -

Whitecliff Bay Foot Path Notice

Whitecliff Bay, between Bembridge Ledge and Sandown Bay is protected by a headland of Chalk cliffs in the south, but is notable as probably the best exposure in southern England for Tertiary, Palaeogene, strata. The cliffs of soft sands and clays provide one of the most important sections of Europe. Locally, they form a key, reference section for the younger strata of the Hampshire Basin. Most of the beds are vertical or steeply dipping and thus a large stratigraphical sequence is seen in a short geographical distance. In little more than a kilometre of coastline, about 500m of late Palaeocene to late Eocene clays and sands are well-exposed. Very fossiliferous sediments are present, particularly in the marine London Clay, the marine Bracklesham Group and the lacustrine and lagoonal Solent Group, which includes the Headon Hill Formation and the Bembridge Limestone and Bembridge Marls. Not that I understand much of that just above but suffice to say that this bay is the bay to go to on the Isle of Wight should you wish to pick up the odd pre-historic item (or two) and the bay is just a stroll farther round from The Crab & Lobster pub. A beach crawl followed by a pub lunch (and ales) to follow maybe?

- 39 - Ventnor Harbour, IOW

The area that Ventnor town now occupies back then in the 18 th century comprised around 330 acres of farmland, accessible from the rest of the Island only by a couple of rough cart tracks. Down in Ventnor Bay, then as now, crab and lobster were the main focus of activity. An early document from 1813 praises the Bay as "the most picturesque spot along the coast" and describes thatched fisherman shacks along the shore with an old corn & grist mill high above (on the site now occupied by the Winter Gardens), fed by a stream which today still flows gracefully down to the sea below (its current form, the beautiful floral Cascade, was originally landscaped in 1903). Ventnor's fortunes were transformed in the 1830's when a report by eminent physician Sir James Clark extolled the beneficial healing qualities of the climate and waters. Almost overnight, Ventnor became a very fashionable destination and health resort - Hygeia, goddess of health, still decorates the Welcome signs as you enter the town. Building work soon flourished, and the population ballooned from under a hundred in 1810 to nearly one thousand by 1840. This figure had tripled by 1851 and reached almost six thousand by 1900. Ventnor's heyday peaked in Edwardian times but continued through the twenties and thirties with more and more visitors eager to enjoy the area's long summers, fine beach, promenade, Pier and the new Winter Gardens opened in 1937. The war brought carefree holidays to an abrupt halt, the early radar station on St. Boniface Down to the East, making Ventnor a choice target on a number of Luftwaffe bombing raids. When the railway reached the town in 1866, Ventnor cemented its place as one of the country's most popular holiday destinations, with more people than ever coming down to discover the delights of the scenery and the evolving town. Ventnor's main station continued to be the main gateway to the town until its closure nearly a century later in 1966. It is now a busy industrial estate and focus for local business. A smaller station “Ventnor West” opened in 1900 but cutbacks forced its closure in 1952, and it is now a private residence. The Royal Victoria pier survived two world wars (apart from being cut in two to prevent invading forces using it during 1939-45) and the peaks and dips in popularity of the British seaside holiday, right up until 1981 when its deteriorating condition prompted safety fears. Only the entrance amusement arcade was kept open, but this burned down in 1985. Despite surviving southern England's notorious hurricane in 1987, the structure had gone beyond economic repair and, in 1993, the Royal Victoria Pier was finally demolished. Then the Council teamed up with a utility company and, by the late 1990s, construction work had commenced on a new facility on the site of the old Pier. The result is another attractive landmark building with circular 'bandstand' covered seating, panoramic views and seaward walkway, all concealing a new pumping station hidden beneath. Upon completion, the new Ventnor Haven harbour was constructed alongside the 'bandstand' for berthing smaller craft. Officially opened in 2003, the Haven is currently being expanded into a New England style working port and marina for all sizes of vessel and, south of Cowes and Yarmouth, the only stop-off point for round-Island sailing.

The chart extract is up-to-date but does not show the Harbour as yet, but the Lat Long just outside the Harbour entrance is 50º 35.50’N & 001º 12.30’W. It is advisable to enter the Harbour from the South rather than either side to ensure you miss any of the many rocks. ADAT was the first ever yacht to enter the Harbour in 2003 and the pictures show her on buoys however as we were slipping after our last visit they were erecting a pontoon with shore access for visiting vessels during the Summer season reverting to fishing and local vessels over the Winter. The fee for mooring on buoys is cheap although for the pontoon is as yet unknown. Shore access from the buoys is via your dinghy to a slip but the Harbourmaster (one of several) will transport you both ways for free in his rib. This also applies should you be Fin keeled and are moored on one of their outside buoys. The facilities are minimal to say the least but the area is very inviting with at least 3 top pubs and an extremely good beach within metres of the Harbour. One serving very good meals overlooks the beach itself which comes with its own attractions. It’s a drying Harbour and with a fetch in a Southerly. Due to the design it is silting up with sand and although somewhat new they have already had several attempts at dredging (see photo of the Harbour at Low Tide). The Harbour staff are very keen and helpful especially in picking up a mooring buoy. Talking to the locals one wonders why they didn’t build the Harbour somewhat bigger and with a “through” tide to keep the silting clear. It’s not as if they didn’t have the room. Should you wish to be a little more adventurous then try St Catherine’s Lighthouse and Blackgang Chine both just a little West.

There are also Dinosaurs on the Isle of Wight, or there were. 120 million years ago, there was no Isle of Wight, it was landlocked, part of a large continent which is why it is one of Europe's finest sites for dinosaur remains. Some species of dinosaurs exceeded 30 metres in length and weighed many tonnes, whilst others were minute, the size of a small house pet. The Isle of Wight is a British Holiday Island Palaeontology Hot Spot. You can examine the footprint casts of an Iguanodon and many others on the south shore just West of Ventnor. The casts fall from the nearby cliffs as they're eroded by the weather so should you be interested then maybe again go west.

- 40 -

Extract from Chart BA2045

The Royal Victoria Pier The Beach Harbour Entrance looking East

Ventnor Harbour Mooring showing the Slip

Ventnor Harbour Mooring and Walls

- 41 -

Harbour at Low Tide

- 42 - Scratchell's Bay, IOW

To the South of the Needles on the Isle of Wight is Scratchell’s Bay which can be seen from the cliff top and is only accessible by sea. Its crumbling chalk cliffs were reputedly a favorite training area for some of the more celebrated sections of our armed services. The Bay serves as a very private sunbathing shingle beach with limited mooring just offshore and only in calm seas. Between 1955 and 1971 a top secret Space rocket and missile development centre was built on the site of the old Needles Battery, the new battery being built on the cliff top. The launching of the rockets was carried out in Woomera Rocket Test Ranges in Australia. There were over 2,000 sq ft of control rooms with up to 240 people working there at any one time. They developed the space rockets called 'Black Night' and 'Black Arrow’. The Black Knight rocket was very successful with 22 test missions launched. Originally, the rocket was purely a test rocket but in the early 1960s it was used to carry research modules into the upper atmosphere and in 1971 the only all British satellite was launched into orbit, where it should remain until about 22AD.

Anchor off the beach on a drying mooring but beware of Saint Anthony Rock on approach and the possibility of large swells. Also beware of the Varvassi wreck south west of the Needles Lighthouse. This Bay is very much a Sun Catcher almost until sunset and apart from the Shingle, nothing else. Fishermen occasionally ply the area and that’s about the only vessel your likely to see.

Excerpt from Chart BA2021C

Missile Development Centre above Scratchells Bay

- 43 -

Scratchell’s Bay

- 44 - Alum Bay, IOW

This Bay situated on the Western end of the Isle of Wight overlooking the famous Needles Rocks and Lighthouse and of course has the unique multicoloured sands in the cliffs. The Bay now has a Chair Lift stretching from the Beach to the cliff top. It has attracted tourists for over 200 years and in Victorian times they travelled from the Mainland by Paddle Steamer.

The Lighthouse to the West was originally erected in 1785 on the Downs at 462 feet above Sea Level but at that height it was considered of little use and the current Lighthouse was built in 1859 at 109 feet high with the light 80 feet high. This Lighthouse originally had a Keeper and 3 assistants with 2 months on watch & 1 off with 3 on watch at any time however in 1994 it was automated. The name 'Needles' is believed to have been derived from a slender tapering rock pinnacle which was formerly situated a little to the north (i.e. on the Alum Bay side) of the present central rock. This needle-shaped rock, about 120ft high and known as 'Lot's Wife' collapsed into the sea in 1764 with a crash which was said to have been heard many miles away! The stump of this pinnacle can still be seen at low water where it forms a dangerous reef. The saying “Threading the Needle” is derived from vessels travelling through the 2 innermost Needles Rocks (see Photo). This can only be achieved on the top of high tide with courage and allot of local knowledge. Maybe someday?

Another item of curiosity was that in 1897 Gugielmo Marconi sent the very first wireless transmission to Ships at Sea from a 168 feet high mast outside the Royal Needles Hotel above Alum Bay. A monument to Marconi stands on the cliff top with a history of this work. In and around the Bay there are some 20 named Ship Wrecks and even today more are being uncovered, one reputed to be older than the Mary Rose. The last boat of any size to be wrecked on the Needles was the SS 'Varvassi' 4,000 tons, on the 5 January 1947. The Varvassi was en route to Southampton from the Mediterranean with a cargo of wines and, needless to say, quite a bit came ashore! One thing is sure, the tides mean that little diving is done in the area and many secrets still wait to be uncovered.

On the cliff top East of the Needles stands Palmerston’s famous folly Battery built in the 1860’s. The circular plate in the battery is the site of the first ever use of an anti-aircraft gun in Britain. An experimental one pounder "pom pom" gun was mounted here and fired against a kite towed by a ship. A tunnel accessible via a small spiral staircase leads down to a Searchlight position built in 1899. The Battery is well worth a visit. Travel by bus from the cliff top or walk.

A good, free anchorage can be made in around 4M water suitable for all craft, west of the Pontoon in light Easterlies or Southerlies and Dinghy ashore. The Kids will appeal to the tackiness on the cliff top and very poor fairground but its still worth a visit. Beware Long Rock and 'Lot's Wife' Rock and the many rocks off the Southern cliffs. This mooring is not at all ideal for an overnight stay but is good for sunsets.

Extract from Chart BA2021C

- 45 -

Alum Bay looking south west

“Threading the Needle”

Needles battery Searchlight position

- 46 - Yarmouth Beach, IOW, Outside Harbour

Yarmouth was the first Island settlement to be granted a royal town charter in 1135. The town was sacked by the French in 1377 and 1524, and suffered numerous raids until Henry VIII improved the security situation by building a stone castle in the town which was completed in 1547 and is now managed by English Heritage. An impressive feature of the town is the unique 700ft long timber pier dating from 1876, which is a Grade II listed building. 552 deck planks record the names of those who helped fund the pier's restoration in the 1990s. The annual Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival which is held in late May and early June is one of the largest events held on the Isle of Wight. More than 100 Old Gaffers - gaff rigged boats - participate in the event which is complimented by shore based entertainment. The Yar estuary attracts walkers and bird watchers and there is a cycle way to Freshwater, along the route of the former railway line. The Hamstead walking trail runs for seven miles from Yarmouth to Brook across the Downs to the South, starting at Hamstead Ledge. This walking trail also takes you to the Red Lion pub just over the first bridge of the Yar river next to the church. It is here that should the restaurant be full they will lend you coats, blankets, etc for your meal to be served on picnic tables in their garden or on a return after dark they will lend you a torch for the journey to be handed back to the local newsagents in town.

Approach from the north dropping anchor for free just north of the Groynes marked with Green beacons and west of the Bathing area. There are small craft anchorages and visitors small craft moorings just outside the Harbour further east for a small fee but useful should the weather turn. Should the weather go foul then mooring inside the Harbour will give full shelter. There is a water taxi service but this can prove costly pending number of crew and journeys. Most of the moorings inside are not connected to shore and certainly do not have water or electricity however should this be a requirement then pre book with Harold Hayes Ltd for a pontoon mooring with all connections, right next to the swing bridge. Alternatively try mooring alongside the harbour wall on the east side with long lines but beware of the slip near the Lifeboat enclosure on low tide. On a good day try swimming in the buoyed bathing area next to the groynes. There are unrivalled shower and laundry facilities, ice and gas in the Yarmouth Harbour Office on the South Quay just over the swing bridge. From the harbour car park you can take a bus to the many attractions in the area. Should you feel a little more energetic then take a stroll along the coast, West to Fort Victoria and enjoy the many attractions within the complex E.G. very large Model Railway. Maybe a BBQ is the order of the day making use of several BBQ areas on the green almost on the shore itself. The town speaks for itself and deserves a visit during the day and night. An excellent meal and ales may be had from the Weatsheaf pub dining in their conservatory. Also try The Bugle, a very old pub in the centre of town.

Extract from Chart BA2021H

- 47 -

Yarmouth Harbour

Shingle Beach

One of several BBQ areas

- 48 - Newtown River, IOW

There are virtually no facilities to speak of and as a National Trust administered harbour is a natural harbour where you can anchor or use one of the visitor's buoys. The main anchorage is in Clamerkin Lake to port but the majority of the mooring buoys are straight ahead from the entrance. The area can get very busy at weekends, leading to much fending off at the turn of the tide for those that didn't quite get it right. The current can get quite strong at times also so, if anchoring, make sure the hook is well and truly stuck. It’s a sight watching a vessel leaving the harbour, on the ebb, stern first with the anchor still down. This normally occurs of course at about 2 o'clock in the morning. The beach to the west of the entrance is the usual landing place. It is quite steep and, if landing at low water, you need to haul the dinghy quite high if staying ashore for any length of time. Barbecue on the beach here or walk along the shingle a short way if it's too crowded. The walk along the beach and up the hill to Hamstead Farm yields great views over the Solent and if you're feeling fit you can walk all the way to Yarmouth. Take the dinghy up Clamerkin Lake, past the Oyster beds, and you can land on the starboard side at a small fishing quay (don't try to land or return at low water). There's a very pleasant walk through the woods and you can visit the bird hide overlooking the saltings. The whole area is a gem for bird watching especially when most of the visiting vessels have departed. As they say “a Twitcher’s dream”.

From the Solent start your entrance from the Red buoy NNW of the entrance channel. The entrance itself is buoyed and there are leading marks to guide you. Once past Fishouse Point on port the choice of mooring starts. Turn to port into Clamerkin Lake and follow the stream with the old Sea Wall on starboard and either pick up a buoy or anchor keeping well clear of the many Oyster beds. Should you decide to keep on from Fishouse Point, bearing to starboard then either pick up a buoy or anchor again keeping well clear of the Oyster beds but beware of the ruins of the old Sea Wall on starboard. The nearest pub of note is a walk about 1 mile to Shalfleet where the food is good but not cheap. Dinghy to the east side of Shalfleet Quay, Lower Hampstead remembering to use a long painter and walk beside Shalfleet Lake. There is a slip and Boat Yard at the Quay. There are also a couple of walks to be found by taking the public footpaths turning off the track. A visit to the peculiar old town hall in Newtown is also worth the effort. The price for anchoring to picking up a buoy used to be around £5 to £10 with a 50% discount for National Trust members but in 2006 news comes that the RYA after years of discussion have finally persuaded the National Trust that they have no legal right to charge for anchoring in Newtown river. They have agreed to drop the charge and will, instead, be 'passing the hat' and asking for a contribution to the upkeep. This I feel is very fair for the good work they do in maintaining the perches and the surroundings. The east side of Fishouse Point is a bird sanctuary and thus no landing. The waters can be very warm and a swim tempting but be very wary of the sometimes very strong tide. The last photograph is of a sunset from near the entrance although better observed from the west bank. Should you wish to be more adventurous then moor much farther up nearer to Shalfleet Quay and the pub but you will then have to forgo the attractions of the west bank.

Extract from Chart BA2021E – Fishouse Point

- 49 -

Extract from Chart BA2021E – Shalfleet Quay

Newtown River showing Shalfleet Quay

Clamerkin Lake – port side of Fishouse Point

- 50 -

It can get very Busy

But the Rewards are worth it

- 51 - River Medina, IOW

We start by entering the River Medina at Cowes. Cowes and East Cowes grew from a huddle of fishermen's shacks around two coastal forts built by Henry VIII on opposite banks of the River Medina and named after the two off-shore sandbanks or cows. The towns are linked by an old-fashioned chain ferry and have a tradition of fine ship building, dating from the reign of Elizabeth I. Then came the yacht building industry, as sailing became a popular sport, endorsed by the royal family. In 1854, the Royal Yacht Squadron was moved into Cowes Castle, the former Tudor fort, and the name of Cowes has been synonymous with yachting ever since. Above the High Street and overlooking the Solent is Northwood House and Park. This classical style mansion was built in 1837 and given to the town in 1929 together with its 26 acres of grounds which now provide public tennis courts, bowling greens, putting green and a children's play area. At the edge of the park stands St. Mary's Church, its landmark clock tower, designed by John Nash, was retained when the church was rebuilt in 1867. It is advisable not to try a pub crawl in Cowes as there are just too many pubs to chose from. Since Cowes is the centre for Yachting in the world, needless to say there are also very many yacht clubs all giving visiting sailors a warm welcome, apart from Royal Yacht Squadron of course. Should you wish to stay here then choose from many moorings most of which are extremely expensive, noisy and buffeted by the continuous wash of the many ferries passing by. Try a swinging buoy mooring on the east side and either dinghy or water taxi ashore or maybe a pontoon mooring past the chain ferry, again much cheaper. Alternatively drop anchor on The Shrape Mud, drying just outside the Harbour and just while away the day.

East Cowes is where you will find yet another marina unfortunately these days it is as west Cowes expensive & noisy and has lost much of its character. Nearby the magnificent Osborne House, a magnificent countryside retreat of Queen Victoria. Visit the newly refurbished Dining Room and Durbar Room with its exquisite Indian gifts. Stroll round the beautiful grounds, including the Victorian Walled Garden and the hot houses of tropical plants. The ice store. The terraced gardens have recently been opened to visitors and don't miss the delightful Swiss Cottage designed for the royal children. After her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, Queen Victoria felt the need for a family residence in the country. To use her words, 'a place of one's own - quiet and retired'. Queen Victoria knew and liked the Isle of Wight after visiting as a child, and she and the Prince Consort were both determined to buy a property there. 'It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot,' wrote the Queen after a visit to Osborne House. In 1845 the royal couple purchased the property with an estate of 342 acres, plus the adjacent Barton Manor to house equerries and grooms and to serve as the home farm. Before the deeds had even changed hands, architect Thomas Cubitt had been approached, firstly to build a new wing and then to demolish the old house and add further wings. Once all the work was complete, an exquisite pair of Italianate towers dominated the landscape and looked out over passing ships in the nearby Solent. Visit Barton Manor lying adjacent to Osborne House where there is a fine vineyard here proving that English wine can be excellent! The gardens feature a lake, secluded water garden, a national plant collection & hedge maze. Both the wines & gardens have won awards.

The Folly Inn, about a mile past East Cowes Marina is a rustic pub perched on the east bank. It has lovely views from a large beer garden and patio. There is a Folly Waterbus which can bring you up or down river and because of its position it attracts a large number of yachtsman. History has it that The Folly originated from a barge that ran aground whilst selling illegal liquor in the 1700s! Today it is extremely popular and it is advisable to book, especially at weekends although even without a reservation you will always get a meal and a selection of real ales. On a Saturday night try the Table dancing, as ever very popular with all. Moor on either side of the visitors pontoon on the west side and reserve for a mooring on the Folly side.

Folly Inn

- 52 - Island Harbour Marina about half a mile farther on started life as a mill (see photo). The original building on this land, East Medina Mill was one of the great English tide mills and was built in 1790 by William Porter, a baker in nearby Newport. At this time the Medina River was a mooring place for the convict transports, and when Mr Porter's workmen were rowing down to work they were taunted with being bound for Botany Bay. In this way, East Medina Mill became known as Botany Bay Mill. Though this story is quoted in Albin's History of the Isle of Wight, shortly after the erection of the mills, a more likely interpretation is that William Porter supplied ship's biscuits to the transports in the river. Just after 1790 the banks who had previously supported Mr Porter withdrew their funding and the business was forced to close. Thomas Porter died a year later and the buildings were left empty. During the reign of George III (1760-1820) allot of funds were given by the Monarch for defence of this country and some of this money was used to enlist certain foreign mercenary soldiers into the British Army. At East Medina Mill at the end of the 1700's, German and Prussian soldiers and their families were stationed. Sadly, there was a typhoid epidemic and over 70 people died and these people were subsequently buried in a mass grave at Whippingham Church nearby. Later on Queen Victoria's daughter visited Whippingham church and during her visit was made aware of the mass cemetery and contacted the authorities in Germany to advise them of this and this led to a plaque being put up in the church on the south wall in memory of the soldiers and their families. It is also said, that there is an entry in the church parish register. After the Napoleonic war in early 1800 it is also known that French soldiers were barracked at East Medina Mill as POW's. In 1799, the mill was insured by William Roach with the Sun Insurance Company under the description 'Water corn mill and storehouse communicating (East Medina Mill) and kiln in tenure of James Roach, merchant and miller, brick and tiled small part timber, £1500. Water wheel, millstones, wire machine and dressing mills, £500, totalling £2,000. The stock was insured by James Roach under a separate policy for £500. This records a change of ownership within the first nine years of the life of the mill. The Roach family held the mill until it ceased to work in 1939. The mill buildings were 300 feet long, 30 feet wide and 3 storeys high. The mill part was 10 bays long and was attached to a store-house which was 8 bays long. This store-house was ruined by a storm in 1930. An article in the County Press (18 Jan 1930) highlights the damage that was caused "The most striking example of the fierceness of the gale on the Island was afforded at East Medina Mill, where a portion of the roof 90ft long and 30ft wide and weighing probably 10 tons, was lifted bodily from the high mill building and carried 40 yards before it crashed onto cottages and other buildings and extensively damaged them. At it's height the wind probably reached a velocity of at least 90 miles an hour. The scene next morning was one of almost indescribable chaos, and reminded some onlookers of the shell-shattered buildings of the battlefield." In 1939 the Borough of Newport obtained the mill and used it as a store for any waste material and then a subsequent large fire burnt down half of the mill and it remained derelict until 1950 when it was demolished and then remained that way until 1960's. During this time, in 1946 a firm called Southern Aircraft (Gatwick) leased the land to build aircraft, a project which never really came to fruition. Then in the mid 1960's a group of local people got together and took over the lease from the aircraft company to build a marina which subsequently opened in 1965 and has since changed owners on a number of occasions the latest being 2004. after this last change of hands the Marina has been dredged and extended with, of course an increase in fees but much of its character remains. The PS Ryde or Ryde Queen as she was affectionately called was one of the Isle of Wight ferries and can be seen backing away from her terminal in Cowes in 1967 however in the next photo as she is today, she is now nothing more than a rusting wreck and hazard to the public at large. Since her installation at Island Harbour in earthen mooring she has served as a Nightclub and Restaurant but now her future is presently unknown although it wont be too long before the earth completely consumes her. There are many walks to be taken from this mooring either north, east or south to Newport where one can take advantage of nature to its extreme.

Unlike my other articles I leave you to choose your own mooring on this fine River but do not forget an anchorage past the Folly where all is peace and quiet and with your trusty dinghy you still have “shore access”.

- 53 -

The Mill in 1936

PS Ryde in 1967 PS Ryde as she is Today

- 54 - Newport, IOW

I’ve written this article on Newport because I feel it deserves a special mention by itself. At the furthest navigable reach of the Medina river, Newport was a market town with a busy port until the mid nineteenth century. In the 3 rd century the Romans built a fine Roman Villa in Cypress Road and in the 11 th century the Normans established a stronghold on the site of a Saxon Fort at Carisbrooke, then the Island's capital. Richard de Redvers founded the town of Newport, laying out streets in a grid pattern, with a straight road from Quay to Castle. His grandson Baldwin de Redvers rebuilt Carisbrooke Castle in stone during the reign of King Stephen.

Once you get passed Island Harbour Marina it gets very interesting. Pass on by Newport Rowing Club and Blackhouse Quay (starboard side), then Seaclose and Corporation Quays on port and finally when you arrive Carpenters Quay again on starboard. With what seems very little water you would be very surprised at the size of vessels that make it all the way to Newport. One, “Donald Redford” plies its hold of sand or shingle from Newport all the way to the top of Fareham Quay and of course the new Wind generator Vanes are made just north of Newport some being over 100 feet long. Shoal draft vessels will be able to moor alongside on pontoons and dry out in the soft mud but deep fin keels can moor alongside the Quay itself and the Harbourmaster will provide free bargeboards for the privilege. Electricity and water is available on both moorings and the facilities are excellent even to the extent of having your own ships key. This Quay mooring onto hard shingle gives you the opportunity to inspect the hull, undergo some minor maintenance or even a complete antifoul.

Stay on the East side and head North to visit the Classic Boat Museum and the Bus & Coach Museum, both well worth spending the time. In the evening try joining a guided Ghost Walk around the town. The organisers come all dressed up in the clothes of the time and the tours have proved very popular. Should you wish for a meal or just sample some ales then just stroll around the corner to the Bargeman’s Rest the other side of the water, but be prepared for a very large meal and on Saturday evenings good entertainment. Should you wish to try another pub then just amble around the town which has some 26 at the last count to choose from, the oldest being the Castle Inn in the High Street dating back to the 14 th century and once reputed to have been connected to Carisbrooke Castle itself.

Extract from Chart BA2793B

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Mooring alongside

YOSC Members at a “Meet”

Views of Newport Quay

Alex Phipps & Mike Higgins enjoying the hospitality of the Bargeman’s Rest

- 56 - Osborne Bay, IOW

This Bay just east of Cowes Harbour between Kings Quay Creek and Norris Rocks is probably the most frequented bay on the Isle of Wight attracting many vessels of all types (Sunsail included). The attraction is obvious as soon as you arrive, with Osborne House (described in another “Up the Creek” article), Norris Castle (private) built around 1750 part hidden in the trees, the Boat House where in the 1940’s there was a winch & railway to move the bathing hut in & out of the water, the trees on the shore and the weather protection the bay provides. It is a large bay and can accommodate many vessels. Drop anchor ‘anywhere’. Simple really although watch your swing with the tide. The hazards are almost nil apart from very near the shore, almost to a boats length that is. It’s not uncommon to see dinghies to 20 Metre plus vessels anchored here. The sight of the charter or Sunsail vessels trying to out do each other is actually worth just sitting in the cockpit (glass of wine in hand of course) and observing. What a way to learn! The nearer the shore the drier the mooring so that sorts out the vessels draughts. The water can be warm and many do actually take the advantage and swim. Many yachts do indeed use their onboard BBQ’s and it is quite common to see smoke emanating from several vessels in the bay (not just the French). Most vessels only moor for a lunchtime or short break but weather permitting an overnight mooring can be rather peaceful even with the odd freak wave. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the other vessels as it has been known to view vessels on fire. It should be borne in mind that the shore is “Out of Bounds” with “No Landing” notices all along the coastline and it is also frequented by Harbour Officials. Apart from the occasional bird flying by during the day, the wildlife really comes into its own after hours, mainly when the bay is deserted. This is also the time should you be so lucky with the company on board to observe the evening setting sun and sky over the long stretch of water.

Extract from Chart GB20242B

Osborne Bay

- 57 - Kings Quay Creek, IOW

This Bay is located half way between Osborne Bay and Wootton Creek and is very much a drying mooring. It’s also one of those moorings that are free, natural, quiet and undisturbed by the likes of Sunsail. Even those moored in Osborne Bay will not approach and they generally slip away in the evening. Excellent shelter from Westerlies and Southerlies even on anchor with good holding. On a warm day good swimming may be had especially on a falling tide in water warmed up as it recedes over the Bay’s sand. Also good for observing the wildlife ashore & afloat and especially the sunrises. A dinghy inshore will show you the “Creek” where one of John Goode’s (Sailing Today) School of Yachting yachts sailed into one evening and picked up many metres of the Farmers Barbed Wire, the area being used for farming. Beware of the “No Landing” sign. So much of it was wrapped around the propeller that the yacht had to be towed back to their HQ on the River Itchen at midnight. A short walk east will bring you to a Holiday Camp where Yachtsmen were once made very welcome and a good cheap meal could be taken. Should you not wish to anchor in the Bay but still desire a meal, drop anchor well inshore of Peel Buoy rock but beware of the easterly rocks.

Excerpt from chart GB40242B

Kings Quay Creek on high tide

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A good meal can be taken here

“No Landing” sign

- 59 - Alderney Harbour, Channel Islands

A perfect mooring for anything accept a north easterly which makes on board life rather lumpy to say the least and rather precarious should you lay at anchor. I have been caught out in just such weather, all night and it wasn’t at all pleasant but that’s another story. There is another anchorage for north easterlies though and that is on the south east side of the Island in Longy Bay (see chart extract). Study the chart well before entering as this one can be tricky. Longy Bay sea wall was built during the second world war by the Germans to prevent troop landings and is still as good today as it was then. It absorbs the sun during the day and reflects the heat later on, perfect for a beach backrest. Also take advantage of the fine sandy and sheltered beach or stroll at low tide along the causeway to Raz Island and the Fort (now private). The Islanders used to harvest seaweed from this area. Longy common is a paradise for bird watchers and some of the best blackberries grow near the rifle butts where an ancient cartridge might also be discovered. Should you choose then the Old Barn pub and restaurant is nearby. Back to Bray Harbour and pick up one of the many buoys for the best mooring. Either dinghy ashore or call Mainbrace Marine for the water taxi (Rib with Diesel outboard). This Island is ideal for anyone, children and adults whatever the age and worthy of staying several days. Hire a cycle or a very cheap car from as close as the harbour steps, public telephone supplied. Better still just stroll around the island and visit one or two of the most inviting restaurants you could imagine (see photo). The choice of Bays is such that you will have to spend several days here. Should you not ride a cycle then hire a tricycle or a tandem with your partner, trail bikes for the kids of course. The island is covered in WW2 history. A stroll inland, near the airport and you might find the remains of the German Prisoner Camp, the gates being the last remnants. Talking of the airport, why not stroll to the end of the runway for a bit of a fright with the aeroplanes just skimming your head, literally. By arrangement you can have a tour of the Islands WW2 underground tunnels and there are far more than you think stretching from one end of the island to the other. Even the island’s trains plan to use some in Mannez Quarry. The Alderney Railway was inaugurated by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1847. The Channel Islands' only working railway which, in 1997, celebrated its 150th birthday runs from the harbour up to the north- east coast and back again (on the same track though). The diesel engine pulls two old former London Bakerloo Underground carriages along a scenic coastal route before cutting across country towards Mannez Quarry and the nearby Mannez Lighthouse. It's a popular attraction and always runs bang on time. Nearby there is also a miniature 7 inch gauge railway for those interested. Another tour that can be arranged is of the many Victorian Forts scattered all around the island. Try counting them. Whilst walking around the headlands be careful of tripping over the many miniature WW2 15 inch gauge railway lines now hidden in the grass once used by the Germans for transporting munitions. The Island smacks of tranquility and even the local traffic acknowledge that life is easy. Once with my wife Joy, in St. Anne’s High Street (single lane) a car stopped and the owner (Roland Mainbrace, founder of Mainbrace Marine) continued a conversation we started earlier that day. With his engine off, handbrake on and with not a care in the world other vehicles pulled up behind but much to my surprise he still continued. “This is the norm on Alderney” he said, and the other vehicles made no gesture or complaint at all. Just think should that happen in any village in England. Once you’ve arrived at the Mooring Harbour steps head for the Bray Chippy on the headland where they serve the most excellent fish & chips. Try one of the many new bar/restaurants starting with what used to be the Sea View Hotel, the first building in Bray High Street soon to be converted with several other buildings (sad loss of the Divers Pub). At the time of writing the nearest would be The Moorings Bar, restaurant and terrace serving bar meals, a la carte & BBQ (subject to weather), open all week and just opposite the smallest Supermarket on the Island. Just a 20 minute walk to St. Annes and you will have the choice of what ever takes your fancy.

Bray Inner Harbour The Old Barn Restaurant

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Extract from Chart BA60 – Alderney Harbour

Alderney Harbour

Extract from Chart BA60 – Longy Bay

- 61 -

Corblets Bay & France in Background Longy Bay and Sea Wall

Sunset from Bray Harbour

- 62 - Shell Beach, Herm, Channel Islands

This mooring is probably the best I have used yet although we had to shelter in St. Peter Port for a few days for the weather to improve. Looking at the chart was not for the faint hearted with all those rocks around and of course the fierce rip tides drawing you away from one rock then on to another. The buoyage was not that good and local knowledge would have helped but with patience and a steady applied mind I made my dream come true and the rewards were, well 3 days on Shell Beach says it all. Make your way to the beach on a high tide of course and anchor making sure you will have enough water to slip later. On low tide see how the anchor never digs in properly (and bury it) and a day later, the same. Bowls or Petank, BBQ of course with a glass of chilled wine using the dinghy to sit on, swim in the very shallow warm water or deeper father out around the rocks or just chill out in the sand dunes. Ice cream on the beach or just a stroll around the Island taking about a couple of hours. For a small island you would be surprised at how much there is to see, and the views from the hill tops on a clear day are magnificent. A short walk inland to the well signposted Mermaid pub and walk on past to the White House Hotel for a much better meal and ales. For those who cannot take the ground don’t fret, still visit as you can anchor just a little further out to sea dinghying ashore. Should you not wish this distance then anchor in the next bay (clockwise), Belvoir Bay and again use the dinghy. Why not visit the Harbour where they manage to squeeze in about four vessels or farther clockwise and moor on the beach (anchor with a shore line) although the beach is no where as good as Shell Beach. On your stroll around the island you will see very few (if any) vehicles apart from small tractors that transport the Hotel customers luggage for them. The island south west is called Jethou or Crevichon and, not that you’d want to, but there is no landing. From Shell Beach it is a clear run to Sark which is very much a relief as motoring around the small bays and rocks to get to this beach can prove rather stressful, especially for the first time. The last photograph is of a motor boat that was actually sold and the original owner decided to have a last passage before handing it over later that day. A very lucky mooring really and the surprise was that he did very little damage when she was eventually floated off.

I cannot emphasise how enjoyable the mooring on Shell Beach was and how much our crew enjoyed it. If you’re ever in the area - give it a try.

Extract from Chart BA3654 – Herm Island

- 63 -

Extract from Chart BA3654 – Shell Beach

BBQ & Chilled Wine on Shell Beach

- 64 -

Extract from Chart BA3654 – Belvoir Bay

Belvoir Bay

“Be Careful!”

- 65 - The Isle of Sheppy, Circumnavigation

The Isle of Sheppey is situated in the Thames Estuary at the mouth of the River Medway. At one time Sheppey was mainly known for its sheep rearing. The Saxon word scrapie, meaning sheep, appears in modern names such as Scrapsgate Road and Sheppey also means sheep. In fact, at one time Sheppey produced its own variety of cheese from its own breed of fat-tailed sheep. In spite of the continual building of new homes, Sheppey is still very much a rural area with industry and urban populations concentrated at the end of the island. Kingsferry Bridge opened in 1960, and owned by British Rail, it is the third in a series of bridges to link the island to the mainland. There is only one other bridge of this design in the world. A lifting bridge has always been needed because the demands of the railways which could not cope with the steep inclines on approaches to a tunnel or high span bridge. The bridge had a reputation for breaking down due probably to the ever increasing use of both rail and vehicular. Today there is a new road bridge (higher not requiring lifting) for road traffic with the old bridge now rail only remaining lifted until required by trains and with less use hopefully more reliability. Birds love this nine miles by four island too. At the Royal Society for Protection of Birds site at Elmley Marshes are hides from which you can watch visiting or resident water birds. Don't miss the Swale National Nature Reserve on the southern tip of the island either. Sheppey's northern edge is lined with good beaches, including a naturist stretch at Shellness. Sea views are splendid towards Whitstable in one direction and the Essex coast in the other. Most of Britain's imported cars arrive via Sheerness docks, an industrial port without a passenger service, so there's usually a large vessel coming or going to watch too.

Queenborough (see article “Up the Creek - Queenborough, River Medway”) - Yachts can land at Queenborough at any tide and there are many boat builders and chandlers in the marina. Nelson, who learned much of his sea skill in these waters, shared a house here with his mistress Lady Hamilton. The Guildhall Museum in the tiny high street tells the Queenborough story from Saxon settlement to its role in the second World War and beyond. At the start of WWII, the defenses of the estuary area were quite extensive with gun batteries on both shores. Today, the remains of these can be seen in the foundations of the Catamaran Club and in the control towers by the Tesco car park. Once war was declared, anti-aircraft forts were built and a boom was rigged across the estuary to keep out submarines and the anchorage point was Minster Leas - look out for the large concrete blocks on the foreshore today. But none of these defenses could keep the channels clear of mines and so a minesweeping base was created in Queenborough. The base was at the old Flushing Pier, close by the hard and a few feet from where the memorial now stands. The Liverpool excursion steamer, St. Tudno, acted as a depot ship for the flotillas of minesweepers. At the start, the sweepers, "Smokey Joes", were mainly converted fishing vessels but as the war progressed, purpose built motor minesweepers, "Mickey Mouses", joined. The sweepers moved slowly along the channels facing attack from aircraft, torpedoes, U-boats and mines. The work was not done without loss to the men and an annual ceremony and parade takes place in Queenborough to commemorate and remember all the people involved. Queenborough Yacht Club - Formed in 1976, has premises in a listed building which was previously the Castle Public House. The club's sheltered moorings are situated at Queenborough, on the entrance to the Swale. An all-tide landing allows vessels to take on provisions, crew and passengers without using a dinghy. The club provides access to the Thames and Medway estuaries which range from sheltered waters to harder navigational challenges. The club also organises social activities, including seasonal flotillas to other waters.

Sheerness - "Capital" of Sheppey, Sheerness had a long naval tradition until the base closed in 1965. Pepys came here and this is where they brought Nelson's body after Trafalgar. Visit the Sheerness Heritage Centre. Walk around Bluetown, named for the old habit of occupants decorating their homes with the blue paint they pinched from their employer, the Admiralty. Stroll the curved high street with its distinctive clock.

Minster - Minster is Sheppey's highest point so the views are wonderful. The hilltop church and twelfth century Abbey gatehouse remind you that a Benedictine Abbey began here in AD 675. Today the Gatehouse is a museum of Sheppey's history showing everything from fossils to the honours board of a now-closed local school. The little village of Minster nestles below and nearby Minster Leas beach is good for surfing.

Leysdown - A traditional seaside resort, Leysdown is an ideal place for a family self-catering holiday. Enjoy the promenade and the wholesome beach which has won a Tidy Britain award. You'll find plenty of fish and chips and other family eating options. Visit nearby Muswell Manor for a meal or a drink. It has lots of early aviation memorabilia.

Eastchurch - Aviation was born at Eastchurch. In 1901, Lord Brabazon founded the aero club for ballooning there and five years later he was joined by the Short brothers. The aerodrome was used in both World Wars and there's a memorial to all this opposite the peaceful 14th century church. It was at nearby Shurland hall - of which only a piece of wall remains- that Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn honeymooned in 1532. The site is privately owned with no admittance to the public.

- 66 - Why Isle of Sheppy? Well, sometime in 2002 several YOSC members and myself decided that it would be interesting to circumnavigate the Island. Malcolm Cross (Skipper) was born in Gillingham and knew the Island and area to be worth the trip. Our vessel “Rebellion”, a Kelvic Watson “Atlanta” 32ft long keel motor sailor of 30 plus years old was an ex Ships Captains “yacht” and proud he was of her too. The last owner, a retired barrister offered her to anyone who was interested in sailing her in the hope of a sail himself. We fitted that bill and threw in some much needed maintenance. We passage'd from the vessels base off Gillingham Pier to our first evening at Queenborough where we had stopped over several times before. The River Medway seemed rather empty compared with the Solent with probably more Barges than yachts. The whole area also seemed somewhat dated but with the amount of mud showing at low tides one can understand why “yachties” from the south would feel rather lonely. There are few areas to step ashore and plug in or take water from a hose. We picked up a mooring buoy and hailed the Trot Boat Service for a small charge and made our way to the Queenborough Yacht Club premises for an overdue tipple. We could have taken the dinghy parking it on the shore side of the jetty but that would have meant getting the oars and outboard out of the locker and the outboard hadn’t been started for some considerable time. There is water and electricity available on the jetty but we didn’t require any. The following day after breakfasting on board we slipped back the way we arrived, north west up to Lapwell Bank cardinal and out through Sheerness into the River Thames starting our circumnavigation, clockwise. Although a ketch and even with all sail up she didn’t really sail very well but we made good time and made our way down The Cant into Whitstable Bay rounding Sheppy entering the Swale. This is where it gets interesting. Down past Shell Ness up to Horse Sands when to our surprise, we stopped. Why, well er, we had, er, run aground on the mud. Say it quickly and it doesn’t seem too bad. Of course we soon had sails down and engine off, not wanting to suck in pure mud especially on a falling tide. As we were very firm it didn’t seem worth shaking out the anchor and she certainly wouldn’t move in reverse no matter how many revs we had given the engine. We studied the chart and noticed the mud banks either side of us were rather steep but at that time didn’t take much notice. Facing a long wait as the tide was falling out came a drink and some snacks. We were all so cheerful with not a care at how we managed to arrive in this very embarrassing situation or for what was about to happen. All of a sudden the side bulkhead locker doors burst open disgorging its contents over the floor in front of us. Of course that made us laugh even more. With the light now falling we noticed we were holding our drinks glasses at the impossible angle of some 45º to stop spillage and horrors at the next sight, water was not only completely covering the deck but only a few inches from the sliding, non water proof window. Our vessel was also leaning over at some 45 º and the chart showed the marks for Sloping Ground but we didn’t realise just how much of an angle it was to be. Of course we then realised that any more rise in water level would without a doubt, sink us! A quick calculation confirmed that low water had passed and it seemed rather surprising how quickly the water came in. For a minute we thought we had to get the dinghy out. In what seemed no time we were afloat and with engine and navigation lights on we slipped for about a mile and dropped our anchor by Oare Marshes for the night. Needless to say, we slept well. The following day we slipped anchor making our way easily to Peg Fleet & Fowley Channel where we had a choice of channels. This is where the navigation got interesting. With the GPS in what seemed permanent use plotting our position all the time we took the middle channel which was buoyed all the way to the infamous lifting bridge at Kingsferry. The water was very shallow at the time making it even more interesting but worse was to come with the lifting bridge broken. We picked up a local mooring buoy but were soon requested to move and had to anchor on the north side of the Swale in very, very sticky mud. We had to wait some 3 hours for the bridge to open. After lifting the anchor and motoring onwards we set to work cleaning the anchor and its chain. Brushes and many buckets of water were thrown over the decks washing all traces of mud off. Although there wasn’t much water at the time the range is about 4½ Metres and large commercial vessels still use the Swale up to the west of the bridge only with the east side silting up. We motor/sailed our way back to Gillingham and that evening having missed our tide for mooring on the Pier we decided to take advantage of Gillingham Yacht Club’s hospitality and have a drink in their bar in the Marina. The light was now falling and we picked up an unattended buoy for the evening. Dinghy & oars out for sure this time and we made our way ashore finding the narrow concrete slipway making our way to the bar. After our celebration drink we returned in the dark only to find that one of our crew was unable (due to medical reasons and not drink) to make it to the dinghy. So two planned to meet us on the high tide around midnight at the Pier, a wait of around 3 hours. By the time the rest of the crew returned to the boat we all and the boat inside & out were literally covered in the very stick mud. A few winks and we slipped for the Pier only receive a call to say the gate was closed and they didn’t know the combination. To while away the time they had returned to the bar this time in very muddy boots. After they had removed their boots and entered the bar an onlooker remarked on the colour of their socks only to be told that they weren’t wearing any, just mud. Now on a rising tide and new directions I manoeuvred Rebellion in reverse to an empty berth pushing as little mud as possible. It wasn’t easy but we eventually had a full crew and finally moored in our home mooring at Gillingham Pier for the well earned night. The following day we saw just how much mud we had brought on board & in the dinghy and it took hours to wash off with many buckets and the hose washing at full blast. Finally with all our belongings ashore Malcolm lifted the Doghouse sole to close the engine seacock only to find the engine almost under water. What we hadn’t realised was that the deck drainpipes ran below through other pipe work to sea cocks either side and one of the connections had parted allowing all the water we had so diligently thrown on the decks in our cleaning operations, to drain right into the bilge and this boat at the time did not have an auto bilge

- 67 - pump. Another 3 hours later with engine now dry we made our way home. The engine problems we had later are another story for another day and another drink. Lessons to be learned, many but the experience gained more valuable than gold.

Extract from Chart GB50284F

Extract from Chart GB40284C

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Kingsferry Lifting Bridge

One of the first Steam Trains over the Kingsferry Bridge

- 69 - Queenborough, River Medway

Queenborough is the oldest town on the Isle of Sheppy. Originally a fishing village known as Bynney or Byne Eyot (island), Danish Prince Hoestan built a fort in A.D. 893, followed by a stone castle built by Edward the third in the 1300s. Queenborough came into official existence in 1366 when the King made it into a free borough named Regina Burgia. Today it is the smaller of the two island towns but boasting a wide range of industries including pharmaceuticals, ceramics and ship breaking.

Queenborough Yacht Club is situated on the North side of the Swale, just south of Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey. It has the only All Tide Access between Ramsgate & London. The club itself is extensively supported by local commerce. The object for which the club is formed is to promote and facilitate the sport of yachting and also to provide social and other facilities for the members as be from time to time determined. Queenborough Yacht Club operates a Weekend Trot Boat Service during the sailing season for use by members and visitors. During the summer season the club is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday and serve excellent quality, home cooked, good value meals on Friday & Saturday evenings and a table can be booked in advance. Out of season it opens on Saturday evening only but either season, visitors are made very welcome. Their facilities include showers that I am told are especially for visitors. The club also run evening classes on their own premises. Tokens for the ATL (All Tide Landing) security gate allowing access from the shore are available from any local shop, bar, hotel, etc including Queenborough Yacht Club. The Bosons store (Chandlery) almost next door, will stock most of your boats needs, and the Co-Op just up the road most of your crews needs. There is an alternative pub which has a good quality restaurant but of course not the good, friendly, “yachtie” atmosphere called The Flying Dutchmen in the high street. There are other pubs worthy of note even closer to your mooring and worth an ale (or two).

I’ve made the passage from Chatham to Queenborough about 15 miles, several times in a long keel vessel along the River Medway. This in itself can be very much an adventure and so easy to run aground with the many mud flats, marshes and wrecks to navigate never mind the large commercial vessels plying their trade. The latter are more a nightmare at night. Once you reach the Lapwell Bank east Cardinal buoy turn south into the River Swale for just under a mile. On your starboard once you passed the remains of Radio Caroline’s Radio Transmitting vessel which was one of the first Pirate Radio Stations moored in the River Thames. At Queenborough you will find on the port side a long jetty stretching into tidal water (all states) with electricity and water and just past that a concrete slipway. Either drop anchor on a drying mooring, pick up a mooring buoy or moor alongside the Jetty but the latter is only available for 15 minutes to drop off or pick up crew. An overnight mooring for a small charge on the Jetty can be negotiated with the Yacht Club starting after 1600 slipping before 1000 the following day. Should you not wish to dinghy ashore or to the jetty then call the Yacht Club for their Trot Boat Service at a small charge although as it is run by volunteers return is advisable well before closing time. On the shore you will pass through a high tide flood barrier. These defences are designed to protect the village from floods in a similar manner to the famous Thames Barrier and the local Council receive data direct from the Met Office to this effect.

Extract from Chart GB40284B

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Queenborough Yacht Club’s All Tide Landing

Queenborough Yacht Club Today

Queenborough Yacht Club of Yesterday

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