The Needles
Isle of Wight, England

At 0700, breakfast was poached, smoked Haddock, a broiled tomato half, & sautéed mushrooms. Since the unknown awaited us, we wanted an early start and a hearty breakfast.

At 0840, we were crossing, "The Solent", which is the water between Portsmouth & the Isle of Wight (IOW). The tide here is amazing and must run at 4-5 knots, and go out what looks like 15-18 feet. It's similar to the tides we saw in Seattle, were we lived for four years, & is 48 degrees North.

Landing at the village of Ryde, we walked the 681 meter long pier that was originally built in 1814. Before arriving, we did very little advanced research on IOW, it's only a 30 minute ferry ride after all.

We hadn't planned to make this trip & even though most attractions and tour operators were still closed for the season, the weather was too good. Besides, in brother Dave's words,"what's the worst that can happen?"

SIDE BAR: He & his wife Verlia are in Manila experiencing geology first hand with several 5.+++ earthquakes. For us, we figured the worst would be a ferry ride, a few miles walk, lunch, a ferry ride back. WOW, did we underestimate our visit!

After a few minutes in the Tourist Information Office, we were armed with bus route maps and two £10, all day, bus passes. Our route took us from a village/city atmosphere into the country.


We passed large yellow fields of Rapeseed. It's oil is known to reduce cholesterol and help to maintain healthy joint, brain and heart functions.



We also passed several thatched roof homes. This traditional way of roofing is a labor of love. It is good for only 5-7 years instead of modern roofing. Also, it must be redone by a master thatcher, a dying profession, and often the homeowner can
not get affordable insurance, due to the fire hazard. Like them, as owners of a classic sailboat, we believe that traditional ways are a labor of love.


If you look under the map tap of the blog you'll see our SPOT location to go with this YouTube.



The destination was The Needles. These chalk out cropping are the Western Point of the Isle of Wight and are of strategic importance.


It is a primo location to observe any ship entering The Solent on its way to Portsmouth & another major port, South Hampton.


During the Cold War, this was England's ground zero for rocket research. Now, it's a major tourist destination.


We were fortunate to see the Training Ship (TS) Royalist, make its arrival. This 32 meter traditionally rigged Bark is a schoolhouse. It's used to educate and inspire young adults into the traditions of seamanship.

Today was a beautiful day with beautifully weather that offered us a new adventure around every turn.

Tomorrow we spend our last day in Portsmouth with a new eye, on what was, and what might be!

Fair Winds and Quiet Anchorages,
Jeff & Wendy