Submerged or submarine

[billyfish]

Why do lots of people, including on saving lives at sea commentators, insist on calling the submerged barrier off southsea the submarine barrier when submarines were hardly invented when it was built and if they were in that bit of the solent they wouldn't be submerged as its not deep enough and on the chart its clearly marked as submerged barrier.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

You’re muddling up the noun (a vessel designed to operate underwater) and the adjective (under water or submerged). No confusion imho. What’s more confusing is that it doesn’t appear at all on some zoom levels of vector charts.

 

[ash2020]

Perhaps it's sub-marine.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Nope. Making something out of nothing.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Definition 2, adj.

 

[rotrax]

I was under the impression it was completed and in use during WW1. As a barrier to stop enemy submarines entering Portsmouth Naval base and Southampton Port.

Submarines were an unfortunate fact by 1910, which I believe was the date of the RN's first one in service.

A member of one of our clubs was involved in making the gaps for navigation. He always refered to it as the "Anti-Submarine Barrier"

 

[wingcommander]

I was under the impression it was completed and in use during WW1. As a barrier to stop enemy submarines entering Portsmouth Naval base and Southampton Port.

Submarines were an unfortunate fact by 1910, which I believe was the date of the RN's first one in service.

A member of one of our clubs was involved in making the gaps for navigation. He always refered to it as the "Anti-Submarine Barrier"

This is exactly what I was told by my instructor on Rya course. She may or may not have heard it from a man in the pub though.

 

[Pete7]

A rather boring dive, but there are lots of flat fish around them in the summer. Each block is about the size of a Bedford truck with a similar sized gap between the next one. The tops are awash at low water Springs, but I still prefer the gap half way along.

 

[billyfish]

Well for me it will always be the submerged barrier and as you can only just see it a LW springs it's fine to go over the top at any HT.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Great historical info here:
Spithead Breakwater – Friends of Stokes Bay

 

[Sticky Fingers]

 

[B27]

A mate of mine once spent about ten minutes explaining the latest in 'submarine telegraph cables'. Someone then asked 'And where do the submarines come into it?'.
Answer: 'Lunch.'

The underwater barrier at Southsea was, AIUI, intended as a barrier to all vessels, not just subs, but it was a part of the 'anti-submarine defences' in WW2.
A lot of people just called it 'The Blocks' when I worked around there in the 80s.
I could be wrong, but I think it appeared on some old charts as 'blocks'.
The Navy removed a lot of charted obstructions around Spithead in the 80s.
And a lot of the metal defences were basically falling apart by then, so charts were updated.

 

[fisherman]

Did you think the LB crew were a bit unhelpful?

 

[SteveIOW]

To me and many others from the Portsmouth & Southsea area the local name used was just "The Blocks". Used to be good for bass fishing.

 

[Rappey]

Why do lots of people, including on saving lives at sea commentators, insist on calling the submerged barrier off southsea the submarine barrier

Because locally thats its name! The blocks is another.
Everyone knows about the submarine barrier but no one has heard of "the spithead breakwater" .
Its certainly been hit many times over the years. I've seen sailing boats sail over it. Not sure if they know what they were doing or clueless and lucky.
Ive no idea how much water is covering the blocks between the inshore channel dolphin marker to the fort at low or high water.

 

[Rappey]

Used to be good for bass fishing.

The bass have figured out its far safer living in the marinas where its no fishing

 

[billyfish]

Did you think the LB crew were a bit unhelpful?

Yes

 

[billyfish]

Great historical info here:
Spithead Breakwater – Friends of Stokes Bay

That's really good . thanks

 

[mickywillis]

So why is the gap in the "sub-marine" barrier referred to as "The Dolphin"?

 

[Rappey]

The gap has a concrete dolphin on one side. There are two marked gaps. I used dolphin to denote which gap i was reffering to as the passage close to the beach does not have a dolphin