No shock to regular readers that I might swing by the Hovertravel facilities when on the Island. A pleasant surprise was to discover that it wasn’t just the Hovertravel craft that were present. A couple of smaller military craft were also parked up. I had seen pictures of these online but didn’t realise that they were still present. I don’t know whether they are ex-military that are being repurposed or new builds for the military. Whatever the story, here they were. It would be better to see them moving but it was the weekend so not a surprise that they weren’t going anywhere.
Tag Archives: hovercraft
I Can’t Resist a Little Time Watching Hovercraft
A previous post showed a couple of military hovercraft that were on the Hovertravel pad at Ryde when we were on the Island. It will shock no one that knows me to know that, since we had time, I stopped around to see the return of one of the Hovertravel services. On the ferry across I had managed to get some shots of one of the crossings and now I was able to get an arrival. The tide was quite low so there was a lot of the sand flats to cover. This is one of the unique features of the hovercraft that the service doesn’t mind whether the tide is in or out.
There were some strong winds on the days we visited and this shows itself in the way a hovercraft approaches. Because it has no significant physical contact with the water, its only way to counteract any crosswinds is to crab into them like a plane. Consequently, It looked like it was coming straight at me as it made its approach to the pad. Now we are more local, I suspect I shall aim to make a trip across just to spend time getting some more hovercraft images.
A Wardroom on a Hovercraft?
In the 70s, the potential for hovercraft was unknown and there were many types being developed. The BHC-7 was a military design that was tested by the British Interservice Hovercraft Trials Unit. It went through a variety of modifications as different roles were evaluated. I think some were exported but the UK never bought any more of them. However, the thing that I found amusing was that, because the Navy were involved in operating it, there was a wardroom.
It might not be the most glamorous of locations and I suspect other warships have nicer wardrooms. The sofas looked a little rough and the tea facilities were basic. However, it is fun to see that the important things were taken care of while the trials programme was underway.
The Super 4 is a Beast
When I was a small kid, BHC was stretching a couple of the SRN-4s to the Super 4 configuration. Despite living in the same town, I never saw them while they were being tested. The late 90s and I got to travel on one for a Channel crossing as we went on holiday to France. Not long after that, they were withdrawn from service. The two hovercraft made their way to the Hovercraft Museum at Lee on Solent. One has since been scrapped but the other survives and is on display.
Getting this close to it, you really appreciate the size of the machine. It is interesting to wander through the passenger cabins on the side, up the main ramp, through the car deck and around the outside. It really is a most impressive piece of engineering. It dominates the grounds of the museum and gets you thinking about what it was like when it was in service rising high up on the massive skirt.
It was a cold and dreary day when I was there. The grey skies don’t provide a nice backdrop to the exterior vie and I will have to try and go back on a nicer day at some point. However, it was worthwhile having the chance to view it when few other people were around so a cold and gloomy winter day might have had it advantages.
My Usual Hovercraft Spot is Out of Bounds!
The family was gathering for lunch for my birthday and my mum was coming across on the hovercraft to join us. Whenever I have previously been down at the hovercraft terminal, I have been on the beach just to the east of the slipway. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there is a large infrastructure project underway along the shoreline and that section is cordoned off. The only option is a small path on the other side of the terminal.
This was not an ideal spot as things are more backlit. I decided that video might be a better bet given the conditions. Even when mum was making her return trip, the light was still not great. We both stopped by to watch an earlier trip arrive and depart. As the departure headed out, the blast of propwash was a bit more than expected and my hat departed my head! Got to focus on the shot and then grab the hat later. Someone had caught it for me anyway!
Another Chance to Photograph the Hovercraft
During our trip to the UK, my mum came across to spend some time with the family. She used the hovercraft to make the crossing and we went to Southsea to pick her up. Regular readers will know that I love hovercraft so it would have been churlish not to get some shots of its arriving – I mean her arriving! I skipped the long lens shots and instead focused on the approach and arrival. Here are those shots. Her return journey was frustrated by high winds, so we didn’t get a second chance to photograph the hovercraft when taking her back.
Can I Sneak In Another Hovercraft Encounter
Our trips to the UK that involve some time on the Isle of Wight also are likely to include me trying to get a little time with the hovercraft. On our most recent trip, we didn’t go to the Island. However, we did pick up and drop off my mum when she came across and what form of transport did she use? Yep. I had a reason to be hanging around at the hovercraft terminal.
I did get some photos of the hovercraft but, this time, I decided to focus on some video of them coming and going. Not only were they running the regular service but there was also some training underway so we got an arrival that didn’t come up on the slipway but instead headed back out to see. Here is the video I edited.
Back To The Island So Back To The Hovercraft
We left plenty of time to drive to Portsmouth to catch our ferry to the Isle of Wight so, naturally, traffic flowed smoothly and we got there with an excess of time. Nancy wasn’t in the least surprised that I decided to park up on the seafront at Southsea to kill some time. Oh, was this next to the Hovertravel terminal? Well, that’s lucky.
We had just enough time for one arrival and one departure before it was time to head to our ferry terminal. That wouldn’t be all though. The hovercraft passes the car ferry during its crossing so I was able to get some shots of it in operation from the deck of the ferry as we left Portsmouth. We also took a walk along the front at Ryde after lunch with Mum. Just enough time to see the hovercraft arriving and departing there too.
One interesting addition was Solent Express. This was used on Hovertravel’s services a few years ago but was withdrawn when the new hovercraft were commissioned. I had understood it was stored somewhere. Apparently, they needed space wherever that was because it is back at Ryde but still looks stored. There is plenty of seaweed around it making it look like it hadn’t gone anywhere for a while. I wonder what its future holds?
Coast Guard SR-N6
The Canadian Coast Guard has operated hovercraft for many years. As a school kid on work placement at BHC, I saw one of their AP1-88s under construction. These have since been replaced but they were, in their turn, replacements for the original SR-N6s. They have an operating base alongside Vancouver International. Despite having been to YVR on a number of occasions, I had never been out to the Coast Guard base. On our way back from the city one weekend, I made a short diversion out to see their gate guard. It is behind the fencing but you can shoot it from an angle over the fencing. It took me back to my childhood riding these things from both Ryde and Cowes.
A Little Hovercraft Video
I got a few stills of the hovercraft but I also decided to film some video. For those that haven’t seen hovercraft in action, stills probably do not give a suitable impression of how they rise up above the surface yet still leave a wake. Quite a cool form of transportation and I do enjoy seeing them. Hope you enjoy the video.