Tag Archives: boat

Calshot Spit Lightship

When I was a lad and satellite navigation was a dream, nautical navigation relied a lot more on things like lighthouses. Lightships were a big part of this, and Trinity House had a number of them stationed around the UK coastline. One was at Calshot Spit in the Solent and so I would see it every time I looked out of the window of our flat (and also when crossing on the ferry). I guess these vessels became surplus to requirements over time and got taken out of service. Apparently, the Calshot Spit vessel was moved into a development in Southampton but, again, became surplus to needs. Fortunately, it has been saved and is currently alongside the Solent Sky Museum. It isn’t open to explore but sits alongside the road. I assume there is some restoration work required.

Finally, “The Prince” Comes into View

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While I was tracking HMS Prince of Wales as she came around the Isle of Wight inbound to Portsmouth, it wasn’t long before we got our first sight of her. I know there is a dredged channel that was created when the ships were acquired and I assume that this is a function of the route they take when coming in but she was first seen as we looked out through the entrance to the harbour as she crossed from right to left heading towards land. Then she disappeared behind the coast for a while.

A bit later, the silhouette of the ship reappeared now heading back away from the land as she tracked to follow the coastline towards the harbour. She was still a long way away, but the distinctive shape of the ski jump and the twin islands made her easy to confirm. Then she was hidden again as she disappeared from view where we were, behind some of the old buildings of HMS Dolphin.

By now the helicopters had joined up to fly over her so they were our clue as to where she was. Then a mast appeared above the buildings followed by a radar and the next thing you knew, a tug was coming into the harbour to be shortly followed by 80,000 tons of ship. She is certainly big enough and looked it as she came fully into view. The thing that struck me was not so much the beam of the ship but the length. With tugs holding her both ahead and astern, she drifted past us taking quite some time to do so given the 284m of her that there is.

It wasn’t far to go to get to her berth and she was soon stationary in the water while the tugs repositioned to push her alongside. The crowds started to disperse, the boats that had been waiting for her to arrive before they could move started on their way and the families headed for the Gosport ferry so that they could go on base and greet their loved ones that had been away since April. Quite something to experience.

Patrolling the Harbour to Stop Anyone Getting Too Close

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While waiting for the HMS Prince of Wales to arrive in Portsmouth, we got to see the local law enforcement at work. There were some police officers on the shore, and they were talking to the various people that had come out to see the carrier strike group return. There were also boats on the water that were clearly loitering waiting to see the ship arrive. A RIB was busily zipping around from boat to boat to make sure that they stayed in their allowed areas and didn’t intrude on the path of the carrier and its surrounding vessels. I’m sure they were being very nice about it, but they did look rather officious as they accelerated from one boat to another – and the heavily armed guy probably got attention.

How Many Tugs Does an Aircraft Carrier Need?

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Just like planes, ships can be tracked online these days. Once HMS Prince of Wales got within range of the transponder detectors, she showed up on the apps, and we knew that she was coming in. However, if you wanted a clue that she was getting close, it was the selection of tugs that headed out of Portsmouth Harbour ahead of the planned arrival time. Off they all went, ready to bring the big beastie back into harbour under control.

Once they were near the dock, they would all gather on one side of the carrier to nudge her sideways to tie up alongside in the naval dockyard. There is space for both carriers alongside and I had hoped they would use the spot nearer to us but that wasn’t the case. The large fenders mounted on the bows of the tugs looked like they would prove very helpful when trying to change the direction of 80,000 tons of ship.

Ferry Across Windermere

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Our Lake District trip included reliving some of the things we used to do a lot when we lived up that way. After lunch at an old haunt, we headed to Hawkshead. One way to get there is to take the ferry across Lake Windermere. I have many happy memories of making this crossing in the past and was glad to do it again. The ferry is connected to a cable that spans the lake. It is a bit like the chain ferry between Cowes and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, but I don’t know whether the cable is just a guide or used to pull the ferry across. It is certainly smoother than a chain!

I had hoped to get some photos of the ferry coming in but, it was already approaching when we pulled up so a quick grab of a shot was all I could manage. Then the short crossing meant time to take some more photos of the area and the ferry before we arrived on the other shore to see the many people waiting to make the opposite journey. Fun to check off another one of those memory items.

Not One But Two WWII Launches

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While walking along the shore at Portsmouth, I heard a deep rumble and looked out to see a boat coming in that was an interesting shape. My first assumption was that it was from the Second World War because of the high freeboard and the shape of the bow and, when I saw the shape of a large gun on the front this was confirmed. It was quite a chunky looking thing and, judging by the sound of the engine, I imagine it could probably achieve some speed.

This would have been an unusual thing if it was the only one but a while later, a second boat came by. A similar shape but a different paint job. When I was a kid, I had a toy Air Sea Rescue launch which I believe the RAF operated during the war to rescue downed crews. This was painted just like that, so I guess that is what it is. Again, a meaty sounding engine was within so it can, presumably, make good progress. Subsequently, I saw the docks over by HMS Warrior and there were three of these vessels tied up so I guess you can take rides on them when visiting the museum.

Getting Closer to the Old Floating Bridge

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In a post from a previous trip to the UK before we moved back, I had included some distant shots of the retired floating bridge that I took from the Spinnaker Tower. More recently, I had cycled to Gosport and was taking the ferry across to Portsmouth to catch a train home. The pier for the ferry on the Gosport side is very close to where the floating bridge is still moored – I guess the plans for disposal are still not worked out. Needless to say, I grabbed some shots from the pier and from the ferry as we passed by.

The Remains of a Boat

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Walking across to the Duver in St Helens with mum, there is the remains of an old boat that has been decaying for a long time. The remaining sections of the hull look interesting, and the engine is still substantially intact. I got a few shots of it as we wandered by, and it got me thinking that I have made the trip a couple of times in the past when visiting the UK. Was that boat there then and did I take a picture of it? Well, the answer is yes and yes. The last of these shots is what it looked like when I first saw it to compare with its current condition and show how much it has decayed in the approximately 20 years between these shots.

Interesting Hull Shape on the Pilot Boat

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I don’t know the proper term for it, but it is very common these days for large ships to have a bulbous extension to the bow just below the waterline. The first time I ever saw one was when, as a small kid, I had a kit of the QEII, but they are everywhere at this point. However, I haven’t really thought of them as a thing for small boats. While heading across the Solent, a pilot boat came zipping past us. Not only did it have such a hull shape, this one looked a little different to the average. I wonder how significant the benefits are and whether they are worth it for a vessel like this.

Washing the Posh Boat

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As the ferry was leaving Portsmouth for the Isle of Wight, I saw this small boat moored up at the marina. Clearly some people like to have larger boats than I have chosen to get! No idea who it belongs to or whether it is one that you charter for events. Either way, as we pulled away, I realised that there were a couple of crew members suspended on the side of the boat cleaning things up. Clearly a nicer time to do this when in port rather than underway. I hope they got everything looking spiffy before the boss showed up!