A REAL trip around the Solent

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[TerryRussell]

Last week I finally got the video camera out of its box (after three years) and took it with me on my small boat. My son Dan came as well. We left Chichester Marina and went through Chichester Harbour (8 miles long. At 8 knots, it takes an hour to get out.

As we left the harbour, we picked up to 30kts and then up to about 40kts. It was a bit choppy so we maxed out at that.

We went up to the Forts. Unfortunately I messed up the video there so I didn't have the close ups I wanted. Next time... We filmed two hovercraft, a Fast Cat and a Whitelink Ferry within about 10 minutes.

Then we went up towards Brambles Bank, where the Navy were sending some of their juniors out for high speed manoeuvres. We raced them (and beat them) them waved goodbye. On the way back, we say what looked like a dredger on fire. As we got closer it became apparent that they were setting off flares. Didn't find out why, though.

We then headed back and finally re-entered the Marina. Because it was around high tide, the Marina had both lock gates open ("free flow") so we went straight through (flashing amber lights mean free flow, the green light means "proceed").

Hope this gives you a feel for what it is like to bounce around at high speed in the Solent!

I have posted the video on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1bkxhwPhzQ

[[RWP]DJM]

Great stuff Terry

Was excellent when your son (?) 'put the hammer down'.  Some great shots of the Hovercraft there too

The weather looked similar to how it's been here, doesn't know what it wants to do at the moment

Carl.

P.S. We caught a glimpse of you on there, you're famous

[TerryRussell]

Yes, that was Dan, my son.

I think it gave the feel of just how must a small vessel jumps and bumps in the water.

Absolutely impossible to get steady shots. You should see how much I couldn't use because the sky would suddnly replace the vessel in shot, to be followed by the a shot of the floor of the boat!

Weather was excellent when we started, but it tipped down as we got up to Brambles Bank (between Fawley and Cowes). It reduced a bit on the way back, but still very wet. Those raindrops sting at 35 kts!

[edit: typo]

[[RWP]DJM]

Well, you know how it is Terry, editing is the fun part

I guess we can't really tell from recorded footage, just how bad it really gets, but it definitely gives you an idea

Carl.

[IRI5HJ4CK]

Great stuff there Terry, i enjoyed that video

Hopefully when me and dad go to the Isle Of Man i'll be filming the trip accross and when we get there.

Jack.

[John Carter]

great stuff

captain jack

[beechjetkid17]

Great stuff Terry.   I enjoyed watching that. You had some great shots. 

Regards,

Dan

[saltydog]

Very nice video, Terry..!   

[Ship Sim]

Great vedio terry. Ive been on a little ski boat when it was drizzeling out. And at full speed with your head up over the windsheild it stings alittle. Also Ive been in that exact same Ski boat I was talking about before in 2-3 Ft waves. Going Up and Down for 4+ hrs.

[CaptainMike1]

Great video Terry.

I was walking along the beach at Lee-on-the-Solent at about the same time, I saw the landing craft off Browndown with what looked like a fire at the aft end but didn't have my binoculars with me so couldn't see what they were doing. There are often different sorts of landing craft there as it is used by various part of the army, marines, air force, cadets etc.

Couple of links here

http://www.airtrainingcorps.org/browndowncamp07.htm

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/385312

Mike

[llamalord]

I finally got around to watching the whole thing all the way through Terry,

You guys saw some neat stuff out there on the water.

[TerryRussell]

Great video Terry.

I was walking along the beach at Lee-on-the-Solent at about the same time, I saw the landing craft off Browndown with what looked like a fire at the aft end but didn't have my binoculars with me so couldn't see what they were doing. There are often different sorts of landing craft there as it is used by various part of the army, marines, air force, cadets etc.

Mike

Yes, we saw them as we went past the Forts. We thought a vessel was on fire and contacted the Coastguard. They had no idea what was going on so we stopped filming the Forts and made a bee-line up to the landing craft. (That's why I didn't have any close up shots of the Forts. In my hurry I managed to push the wrong button and erase them). When we got up close, we saw that they were holding flares. We told the CG who then told us that he had just heard that they had confirmed that they were not on fire.

You can see the chap holding the flares in the video. I have a better quality video (but it is 2 GB in size) which clearly shows the flares.

You probably saw us racing up the Solent! We then broke off and raced the small Naval boats...

I finally got around to watching the whole thing all the way through Terry,

You guys saw some neat stuff out there on the water.

That was only a very small part of what was out there. Because it was a bit choppy and because I screwed up some of the shots, we only got maybe a quarter of what was nearby. Next time will be better. I want to do a sequence up Southampton water and another in Portsmouth Harbour. weather is rubbish at the moment though.