We moved on through the Solent (the waterway between the mainland and the Isle of Wight)through ‘the Needles” where lots of ships have come to grief. A fast tide, and lots of underwater obstacles makes for interesting navigation.
the Needles on the Isle of Wight
one of the forts guarding the entrance to the Solent
Hurst Castle at the entrance to the Solent
All was well, though, and we made it to Poole Harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney, Australia). That really means much less shelter and lots more waves in the harbour, plus a long dinghy trip from our swinging mooring near Brownsea Island, to the main part of Poole. We spent a day exploring Poole and re-provisioning, and another on a full tour of Bournemouth.
This is a VERY crowded holiday destination, and one could relax (?) on about 1 square meter of beach, if one was so inclined. We weren’t. We were able to use the dinghy to find much less accessible parts of the harbour, with better sand and many fewer people.
We are on the way to Portland Harbour, near Weymouth next. Exploring the coastal waters is certainly different than the canals!
