Introduction

The Solent is one of the most popular coastal areas in Great Britain, offering a variety of cruising grounds from the lively, bustling marinas of Cowes and Portsmouth to the quiet backwaters of Wootton Creek and Newtown River. As it is a centre of yachting excellence, you are never too far away from a chandlery or boatyard should you need repairs carried out or additional equipment.

Stretching roughly 25 to 30 miles, from Hurst Point in the west towards Chichester Harbour in the east, the Solent is an estuarine labyrinth of 12 harbours and estuaries. Its protected inshore waters have enabled significant ports to flourish over the years, and it is not surprising that the Solent has played a vital role in British history since the Roman times. Today, as a favourite recreational spot for locals and visitors alike, this stretch of water plays host to numerous key events, including Cowes Week in August and the Southampton Boat Show in September. However, its sheltered location hasn't just been utilised by mankind; over three-quarters of the Solent's shores are protected by areas providing a haven for an abundance of plant and animal marine life.

Right on the Solent's doorsteps is the New Forest, where ancient heaths and woodlands have remained relatively unspoilt since William the Conqueror created it as a hunting area in 1079. Renowned for its wild ponies, the Forest is an attractive place to walk, cycle or horse-ride, especially if you stop off at one of the many traditional pubs along the way.

CRUISING STRATEGIES - APPROACHING THE SOLENT

As the Solent is among the busiest waters in Britain, you need to enter it with all the due care and respect that it deserves. If approaching the Western Solent, you can't fail to spot the distinctive Needles Rocks at the western end of the Isle of Wight along with the adjacent chalk cliffs of High Down. By night the lighthouse at the end of the Needles flashes Oc (2) WRG 20s 24m 17-13M. A couple of good deterrents from getting too close to this area are the Goose Rock, situated about 50m west-north-west of the lighthouse, and the wreck of the Greek ship Varvassi which, laden with wine and oranges, sank about 150m west-south-west of the rock. West of the Needles Rocks are the fairway buoys signifying the deep-water entrance to the Needles Channel. To the north-west of the channel are the Dolphin Bank and Shingles Bank, the latter being one of the most prominent features in the Solent. Watch out for this bank as parts of it dry at Low Water and seas break on it even if there's not much swell. The channel is clearly marked and lit by the standard buoyage so if you stick to that you can't go wrong, although beware of the strength of the tide, particularly on the ebb when the stream sets in a west-southwesterly direction across the Shingles at a rate of about three to four knots.

The Needles Rocks and lighthouse are the Isle of Wight's most famous landmarks and have become a strong symbol for the beautiful cruising ground of the Solent

To the south-east of the Needles Channel is the Pot Bank where the minimum depths are around 15m. Pay particular attention in bad weather to the Bridge, a reef that runs about ¾M west of the lighthouse, the end of which is marked by a WCM lt buoy. Also bear in mind that dangerous seas can form in the Needles Channel in southerly to westerly gales, particularly when the tide is on the ebb. In these circumstances you would be better off approaching the Eastern Solent via the Nab Tower or, alternatively, sheltering in Poole Harbour.

To the east of the Solent lies the Nab Tower

In strong winds, or if coming from St Alban's Head or Poole, it may be preferable to use the North Channel, which is situated just north of the Shingles Bank. The North and Needles Channels merge south of Hurst Point, where you should be aware of the Trap, a shoaling spit about 150m south-east of Hurst Castle and a recently formed shingle bank to the east of Hurst Spit.

Approaching the Eastern Solent from France the passage is straightforward, although the commercial shipping tends to be pretty heavy. Head for the Nab Tower (50°40'.19N 00°57'.11W), which is approximately 4.5M east of Foreland. The main channel - the Nab Channel - takes you into the Solent, however, it is advisable to keep out of the busy deep-water channel. There is ample water outside so use the main channel only as a guide.

Coming east along the low-lying coast from one of the Sussex ports you will eventually reach Selsey Bill, off which there are extensive rocks and shoals. These can be passed either via the Looe Channel, so long as conditions are favourable, or to seaward of the Owers SCM lt buoy. In good visibility, moderate conditions and during daylight hours, the Looe Channel, which runs in an east/west direction about 1M south of Mixon beacon, is a preferable shortcut. However, make sure you have the tides with you (a west-going stream begins about an hour and a half before High Water Portsmouth, with Springs running at around 2.5 knots). Also, keep an eye out for the lobster pots in this area. At night, or when conditions are bad, it is best to keep south of the Owers SCM lt buoy, which is about 6.5M south-east of Selsey Bill.

Due to the heavy shipping that you are likely to encounter when approaching the Solent, particularly towards the eastern end, a radar reflector is essential, and it is useful to have an active radar responder, radar and/or AIS. Once in the Solent there are plenty of harbours and marinas to choose from, most of which offer all the necessary facilities including maintenance and repairs. A useful service for breakdowns at sea is Sea Start. Based in the Hamble, it can be contacted on Tel: 0800 885500 / 01489 557364.

Probably the greatest Solent hazard - give the commercial shipping vessels a wide berth

As far as crew changes go, it is probably easier to arrange these in the larger ports of Southampton or Portsmouth where there are direct trains to several major cities within the UK. Southampton also has a local airport with flights throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. However, several of the other Solent harbours have local railway stations and some of those mentioned on the Isle of Wight are linked to the mainland by ferry.

SOLENT TIDES

The Solent is renowned for its unusual tidal system which is reputedly one of the most complex in the world. The customary 6.5 hour flood and ebb are certainly inconsistent in this stretch of water, and the frequently mentioned 'Double High Water' is due not, as is commonly believed, to the Solent's dual entrance but to the strange tidal rhythm in the English Channel as well as to the shape of the Solent itself. Both Colin Tubbs, author of The Ecology, Conservation and History of the Solent, and the Associated British Ports (ABP) use an effective analogy to explain the tidal flow in the English Channel.

They compare the Channel to a rectangular-shaped tank in which the water levels can be made to seesaw around a central axis. If you tilt the tank in one direction the water will automatically flow to the lower end, creating the effects of High and Low Water at either end. Although this has been very much simplified, the Channel works in a similar way, which is why Low Water at Land's End occurs when it is High Water in the Dover Strait (and vice versa). This happens twice a day and is known as an 'oscillation'. Outside influences created by the sun and the moon in relation to the earth produce the 'tilting' effect, evolving from the Atlantic pulse which takes a certain amount of time to circulate the UK, hence causing the High Water and Low Water to vary from port to port. Most sailors know that there is a fortnightly cycle between the highest Springs and lowest Neaps, with each stage in the cycle taking place at more or less the same time each day in a particular area. In the case of the Solent, the highest Springs and lowest Neaps occur around midday and midnight, while the highest Neaps and lowest Springs are in the early morning and early evening. As Colin Tubbs goes on to explain, however, in reality the Channel is not rectangular in shape, but is more 'funnel-shaped', 'with the Cherbourg peninsula further reducing the cross-sectional axis. Thus, the volume of water forced into the eastern Channel on the flood after half-tide, when the flow past the node is strongest, induces a secondary tidal oscillation resulting in a Double High Water or long tidal stand.' A further 30 smaller tidal oscillations, which derive from the fact that the Solent has two entrances, also play a part in the tidal pattern, culminating in the long flood tide, 'young flood stand' in Southampton Water and the short ebb.

Southampton Water experiences a 'young flood stand' about two hours after Low Water

The 'young flood stand' takes place about two hours after Low Water and is particularly prominent during Springs. It basically refers to a slackening in the tidal stream for about a two-hour period before a final surge to High Water, persisting for roughly three hours. The short ebb is a consequence of the flood and Double High Water. The flood in the Western Solent flows for about six hours and is followed by the Double High Water, the whole process lasting for about nine hours. Therefore, as a complete tidal cycle is about 12.5 hours, it means the ebb...