Solent sailors

I grew up in Bursledon 50 years ago & just think it is sad that the whole area is now being destroyed by the shear number of people coming to live here.
There are still plenty of opportunities to kill yourself as I found out a couple of weekends ago so you underestimate it at your peril!
 
Nicholas123 said:
I grew up in Bursledon 50 years ago & just think it is sad that the whole area is now being destroyed by the shear number of people coming to live here.
There are still plenty of opportunities to kill yourself as I found out a couple of weekends ago so you underestimate it at your peril!
Click to expand...

I suspect the Solent has a poor reputation because of the racing and charter berks with big ensigns !

In reality there are a lot of idiots like me who just potter around and try not to ram or harm anyone, just having a peaceful time...
 
snooks said:
Sorry, but I think that could be perceived as quite insulting to the very experienced people on well found boats who died during that race.
Click to expand...

It's not intended to be. I lost a friend in the race.

The point I'm making is that a boat that is good for the Solent isn't necessarily good in the sea. Things like one I recall that had massive windows in the transom. I recall thinking that one decent sized following sea could flood the boat. I happen to know that that boat made it back.

The Solent is a safe and easy place to sail and I know some of the crews had never sailed anywhere else before engaging in what is always a tough offshore race.
 
Slow_boat said:
The Solent is a safe and easy place to sail and I know some of the crews had never sailed anywhere else before engaging in what is always a tough offshore race.
Click to expand...

Since then the rules concerning the Fastnet have been changed so that the boat, skipper and half the crew complete 300 miles of racing to qualify. Obviously many will have much more experience than that.

The Solent may be an easy place to sail badly, but at times it isn't an easy place to sail. Reassuring maybe, seeing all that land close to hand.

The gripe against the solent is the same as every other gripe about people where they are in close proximity. Rats start to behave badly when stressed by overcrowding, too.
 
Just looked at this thread after being on our summer cruise-been away 3.5 weeks.

We keep our boat in Port Solent and mostly sail within 20 miles of our berth, so in that respect we can be classed as Solent Sailors.

On our trip we visited Yarmouth, for a club rally, Braye to visit an old Speedway friend who is not in the best of health, Cherbourg to top up with a few essentials, Dartmouth, Salcombe, Falmouth, St Mawes, Newton Ferrers, Brixham, Portland, Poole, Gins Farm and then back to base yesterday.

We experienced flat winless calms to 20 foot breaking waves, Zero to F8 winds and lots of sunshine.

We met and made new freinds, fixed a Frenchmans outboard up the Yealm-recieved two nice bottles of wine-thank you- and had two great sails but too many engine hours.

No problems with our lovely boat of a serious nature but a short list of maintenance jobs is on the chart table.

I had hoped that disparaging remarks about other water users would go away after Henry's get together last December in Cowes where both Motor and Sail boaters interacted. Perhaps I presume too much................................
 
There was a survey of the 6,000 boats in the Solent of which around half are on moorings and half in marinas. The average time spent sailing in a year was 10 seconds meaning many, or perhaps most, are weekend caravans. I don't see why Solent Sailors would be a derogatory term, my bet is the great majority of sailors sail close to home because they like the area. The rest go long distance sailing because they like visiting different places. Everyone to their own in what boat they buy and where and how far they want to sail, stand back and admire anyone who sails and is thus like minded, it doesn't matter what they do.
 
The Solent has quite demanding bits, eg the tides off Cowes & Hurst and the conditions between the forts on a bad day, and Chichester entrance - while not strictly in the Solent - would make anyone cringe above F6 but I suspect the wide range of destinations leaves other people jealous ! :)[/QUOTE]

True; Much as I like the Wales/Irish Sea and the Menai Straits in particular I doubt there is anywhere in the UK with as good weather/number of anchorages/number of marinas & harbours within a short daysail to compare with the Solent.

Oooeeerhh been here 4 years - am I a Solent Sailor now!
 
Last edited:
benjenbav said:
This article sums up what Solent sailors are like: apparently we're all called Ollie and we're all unbearable:

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/iran-should-tire-of-yachtsmen-fairly-quickly-say-experts-200912012271
Click to expand...

"Then, just when their guards want to talk about films or music, they'll start telling these interminable stories about 60ft waves off the Hebrides and the time they somehow limped back into Plymouth with a badly shattered aft-basket and a sail made from toast."
 
MissFitz said:
"Then, just when their guards want to talk about films or music, they'll start telling these interminable stories about 60ft waves off the Hebrides and the time they somehow limped back into Plymouth with a badly shattered aft-basket and a sail made from toast."
Click to expand...

I don't want to even think about enduring a ' badly shattered aft basket ' but I thought all we Solent types -Int 14 dinghy sailors at least - ought to have blonde highlights in our hair and be called ' Jaimie ', that was my experience ?!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top