Solent Myths and facts

[Gwylan]

I am now editing the Solent films


I am told that there are 3,000 yachts on the Hamble - more than the total number in Scotland - is this true?

I am also told that there are over 10,000 yachts in the solent area. Does anyone know where this "fact" comes from?

What is the definition of the solent area? Is there a definition?

I was told that the solent itself is 12 miles long and three miles wide - is that an acceptable generalisation

what do people mean when they say The solent - is Chichester Harbour and Poole Harbour part of the Solent area

Is southampton water part of it?

Also where are the fastest tides - and what speed do they run at?

D

It is that area of water where all VHF radios require a radio check as soon as they are switched on. Actually it is correctly called the Solent Triangle!
Also, the economist's presumption that the consumer makes rational decisions are suspended where marine is applied to the title or description of an item.
And installing, illumination in the bottom of your boat is seen as the height of good taste - probably defining the area as a zone of anomalous taste.
Where every boater knows they have the right of way, or think COLREGS is an cult band.

 

[alant]

& you try telling the kids of today that !!!!!

Not sure I believe it either, sounds a bit of an Anderson story!

 

[Birdseye]

What is the definition of the solent area? Is there a definition?

I was told that the solent itself is 12 miles long and three miles wide - is that an acceptable generalisation

what do people mean when they say The solent - is Chichester Harbour and Poole Harbour part of the Solent area

Defining the Solent is a bit like defining London. IMO London stretches from Stevenage to Brighton, from Reading to Margate - its all one single crowded human ant heap. The Solent is similar and really stretches from Weymouth to Eastbourne all silly expensive and overcrowded used mostly by Londoners ( definition above) . But that bit of personal prejudice apart the charts on this PC suggest that the solent is that bit of water between tht IoW and the mainland

 

[lpdsn]

Defining the Solent is a bit like defining London. IMO London stretches from Stevenage to Brighton, from Reading to Margate - its all one single crowded human ant heap. The Solent is similar and really stretches from Weymouth to Eastbourne all silly expensive and overcrowded used mostly by Londoners ( definition above) . But that bit of personal prejudice apart the charts on this PC suggest that the solent is that bit of water between tht IoW and the mainland

No, there's definitely a sort of wormhole you go through as you pass Hurst Castle and leave the Solent. When you're out the other side there are far fewer boats (relatively speaking).

Anyway, is Cornwall not hideously overcrowded and expensive? And is the Thames Estuary not full of Londoners?

 

[Daydream believer]

silly expensive and overcrowded used mostly by Londoners

Why do you say silly.
People seem to love knocking the Solent.
For someone living in the south it is the most handily placed stretch of water. It has all the necessary services to support the yachting industry etc. True prices are high but that is governed by demand as always. The fact that Scotland has less people & costs less is because less people want to sail there. By "want" perhaps i should have said " are able"
Does a sailor who enjoys sheltered sailing near to home or competitive racing really want to drive to Scotland every weekend ( unless he lives there)
Let's face it whilst it may be beautiful you can only look at hills for so long & if you enjoy other people's company then the Solent is in fact an excellent midge free sailing area. Navigation is more relaxed & help is always at hand.
Nothing silly about the Solent
Mind you i sail on the East coast -but then i only live 4 miles from the marina

 

[Searush]

Why do you say silly.
People seem to love knocking the Solent.
For someone living in the south it is the most handily placed stretch of water. It has all the necessary services to support the yachting industry etc. True prices are high but that is governed by demand as always. The fact that Scotland has less people & costs less is because less people want to sail there. By "want" perhaps i should have said " are able"
Does a sailor who enjoys sheltered sailing near to home or competitive racing really want to drive to Scotland every weekend ( unless he lives there)
Let's face it whilst it may be beautiful you can only look at hills for so long & if you enjoy other people's company then the Solent is in fact an excellent midge free sailing area. Navigation is more relaxed & help is always at hand.
Nothing silly about the Solent
Mind you i sail on the East coast -but then i only live 4 miles from the marina

is that a vital reason why so many sail there? Some of us prefer places where we live (or die) by our own resources, far from the madding crowd.

 

[Daydream believer]

is that a vital reason why so many sail there? Some of us prefer places where we live (or die) by our own resources, far from the madding crowd.

It is not " vital" but a consideration. Not everyone is confident to sail off to the sun but want a short sail in a safe place where SWIMBO feels OK when out on the boat

 

[alant]

is that a vital reason why so many sail there? Some of us prefer places where we live (or die) by our own resources, far from the madding crowd.

Like?

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I'd always taken it to be Hurst-Totland to the West and Southsea-Seaview (had to look up the name!!) to the East. Isn't it the stretch of water bounded by the Isle of wight and the South Coast?

 

[prv]

is that a vital reason why so many sail there? Some of us prefer places where we live (or die) by our own resources, far from the madding crowd.

I'd like that too, but I happen to live in Southampton.

Pete

 

[l'escargot]

I'm sure many of these people who slag off the Solent from afar would run into difficulties on their early visits. It hasn't been the premier venue for racing for a hundred years or more because of unchallenging and easy sailing...

 

[burgundyben]

Fastest tide I would think either Hurst Narrows, Cowes Roads or under the A27 road bridge as others have said.

To me, long time Solent boater, Solent runs form a line between Calshot and Cowes, west, to Hurst narrows, further west is Poole Bay, East of Cowes is Hook, Chilling, Stokes, Browndown, Spit Head, Osborne etc.

 

[blackdogsailing]

Taking (or tossing) the bait, I wonder if anyone would like to posit the highest wave ever encountered in the Solent? Likewise the most yachts making simultaneous distress calls?

Anybody got one of those summer photos taken off Cowes, where almost every square yard of water seems to be clotted with sailboats, all cheerily getting in each other's way?

swmbo and I moved to the area in 1989 to teach sailing. Highest wave ? Not very big ! Undoubtedly Hurst narrows wind against tide, I dunno 10 feet max. ? Most simultaneous distress calls ? Round the Island race about 4 years ago, 4 at the same time (we put out one of them for a trimaran which flipped right in front of us !). Loads of pictures like you describe !!
To the original question. We have always taken The Solent as Hurst to the Forts and no further north than Calshot Spit.

Chris

 

[Birdseye]

It hasn't been the premier venue for racing for a hundred years or more because of unchallenging and easy sailing...

No?

 

[Minchsailor]

When I was based on the Hamble I considered the 'Solent' as anywhere easily accessible for a weekend - say Poole to Chichester (I did try Littlehampton once, but never again...).

Geographically, I guess Hurst narrows to the forts.

I don't have my copy of Adlards' pilot dating from the mid-'60s to hand; that is probably the definitive cruising guide, but I seem to remember it covered Christchurch to Chichester.

 

[Searush]

I'm sure many of these people who slag off the Solent from afar would run into difficulties on their early visits. It hasn't been the premier venue for racing for a hundred years or more because of unchallenging and easy sailing...

Are you sure it was selected for the challenging water? I thought it was more to do with fashionable areas, Royal Patronage, ease of access from London etc.

If they really wanted challenge they might have looked for somewhere like the Channel Islands, the Bristol Channel, or the North Sea, or even the Thames estuary, but hey you live there & know how dangerous the Solent is. I can only go by Nelson & his "If you can sail the Irish sea, you can sail anywhere"

BTW, I have sailed on the Solent and it is not a place I would make much effort to get to again. If I wanted similar sheltered waters I would prefer to head for the Clyde again or the Carrick Roads, both of which are pretty busy but a lot nicer, especially in terms of scenery.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I'm sure many of these people who slag off the Solent from afar would run into difficulties on their early visits. It hasn't been the premier venue for racing for a hundred years or more ...

Indeed.

 

[l'escargot]

Are you sure it was selected for the challenging water? I thought it was more to do with fashionable areas, Royal Patronage, ease of access from London etc.

If they really wanted challenge they might have looked for somewhere like the Channel Islands, the Bristol Channel, or the North Sea, or even the Thames estuary, but hey you live there & know how dangerous the Solent is. I can only go by Nelson & his "If you can sail the Irish sea, you can sail anywhere"

BTW, I have sailed on the Solent and it is not a place I would make much effort to get to again. If I wanted similar sheltered waters I would prefer to head for the Clyde again or the Carrick Roads, both of which are pretty busy but a lot nicer, especially in terms of scenery.

I didn't know Nelson was into yacht racing. What regattas and racing in the Clyde and Carrick Roads attract sailors from all over the world?

 

[Searush]

I didn't know Nelson was into yacht racing. What regattas and racing in the Clyde and Carrick Roads attract sailors from all over the world?

Racing? What's that got to do with challenging water? Maybe the Fastnet, or Sydney Hobart or the long distance ocean races, but "Racing Rules" boats for many years were so unseaworthy that I expect that the Solent (or the Serpentine if it were deeper) is about the only place sheltered enough to race 'em. Just to remind you we are talking "Plank on edge", "skimming dish" designs etc that were at the heart of racing at the time when the Solent was becoming a popular venue.

but as usual, after talking about "challenging waters" you have had to switch tack to now talk about racing, which was actually driven by the very rich, who followed the royals to the IoW after Brighton became too popular.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Racing? What's that got to do with challenging water?.

Quite the opposite nowadays ... look at the way Olympic racing takes place well offshore to avoid nasty wind effects, tides and so on. However, let's not be too dismissive... the Solent may well be challenging for some people.