Back in June I was supposed to join the Thames Ship Society's (TSS) Solent cruise, but circumstances dictated otherwise and I had to change my plans. I emailed Dave Smith, the TSS membership secretary, as he was the only person I had an email address for, and he arranged for the ticket to be changed to the second Solent trip, on August 10th - thanks Dave. The June trip had been blessed with hot sunny weather and I was afraid the August one would be the complete opposite but, although it was overcast at first, the day turned out to be mostly sunny and warm.
I left my car at the park and ride at Somerton and caught the bus down to the Red Jet in time for the 0915 departure. It was a little earlier than I'd intended but I had arrived at the car park at the same time as the bus.
I arrived in Southampton in time to see Grande Napoli depart, along with a knot of TSS members who had either arrived early or who were staying in the area. It was nice to renew acquaintances with people I had not seen for quite a few years - I think my last TSS trip had been in 2005.
The trip, on Blue Funnel's Ocean Scene, departed from Ocean Village at 1200. Usually the schedule is sail up to the container terminal and the western docks, then heading down the Solent to Portsmouth Harbour before returning to Southampton in time to see the cruise ships depart, if any are in. This time was different, in that we went straight to Portsmouth first, which was done so we could hopefully catch the cruise ships further up Southampton Water nearer the docks.
Here are (most of) the photos, so this is a long post.
Tanker Lady Hilde was on her way to Fawley, in a yacht-infested Solent
As were Sarah Wonsild...
...and Kuala Lumpur Express...
...both photographed against the light.
Portsmouth was busy
HMS Duncan
HMS Illustrious
HMS Westminster (left) and Iron Duke (right)
This unidentified Type 42 is being stripped, presumably ready for a trip to breakers.
Poor old Endurance has been laid up awaiting her fate, since an engine-room flooding incident in 2008; she was brought back to the UK on a heavy-lift ship in April 2009. The navy are still deciding whether to scrap or repair her.
Another reefer, Ivory Girl, was on her way into Portsmouth as we left
As was Normandie Express
On our way back to Southampton, we passed close to the tanker berths at Fawley
Selini was at Hamble
It was at this point that I got stung by a wasp. Of 64 people and one wasp on the boat, who did it sting? I felt something crawling on my shoulder under my t-shirt and, thinking it was a spider for some reason, I hit it. Big mistake. The bugger stung me and in doing so signed its own death warrant.
Next to her was California Highway
Qingdao Tower is still in the docks, sitting rather uncomfortably alongside huge piles of scrap
Into the container port, where NYK Helios, Kuala Lumpur Express and Fritz Reuter were waiting.
The container port is number one performance-wise in Europe and 20th best in the world and, with the expansion of the terminal, as well as the dredging and widening of the Solent shipping channel from the docks out to the Nab, it means the modern big container ships can call here at all states of the tide.
Glovis Champion was another of the car carriers in; Saturday always seems to be 'car carrier day' at Southampton.
There was a bit of a chuck-out in progress because Leo Spirit was also leaving, ahead of Queen Elizabeth
Once Queen Elizabeth had passed, we returned to Ocean Village where the cruise ended at 1800. It had been a nice day, wasp sting aside!
I caught the 1845 Red Jet back to Cowes but, because vehicles were banned from Fountain Yard after 1000 during Cowes week, I missed the bus and had to get a taxi to the park and ride, which was a nuisance because it cost me an extra fiver. A reminder of why I hate travelling on buses, and a petty aggravation I could have done without, but getting a taxi meant I could be home before the next bus arrived.
