Ships in May 2021, Part 2

Friday 21st May 2021 I woke up to wild and windy weather again outside the windows. It wasn't raining but I think ships were still staying in port. After breakfast the plan was to head inland to the Watercress Line steam railway of the Mid Hants Railway Preservation Society and enjoy what their website said would be available today at Alton Station. It was a lovely journey there through Hampshire countryside, including the picturesque village of Selbourne. On arrival and parking we checked that the website was still accurate for today's date, but the reality was different and as we entered the station we could hear and see the end of a big steam train heading into the distance away from us, so that was very disappointing. I suppose we know that the current Covid restrictions may affect so many things unexpectedly, but it was a shame. The volunteer railwayman on the platform confirmed there was nothing to see here at Alton Station, and the next steam train would arrive and then depart mid-afternoon. We drove back through Selbourne village towards Southsea and again stopped along the promenade/esplanade area near Portsmouth Harbour. When we got out of the car I found it impossible to walk against the gale-force wind as it felt so hazardous. The sea was again coming over the road side so we gave it up as a bad job and headed for the relative shelter of Southsea Castle a little further along. We managed to park and hurry into The Canteen restaurant/cafe, in the Historic Barracks of Old Portsmouth. A light lunch was welcome after all the sea spray and fresh air. That was indeed a safe haven, as we looked out at the sea through walls which must have been two feet thick. Our table was beside a thick glass window, secondary-glazed on the outside, with very heavy metal hinged panels on the inside covering the window alcoves, which looked as if they were original and probably were. I could see just one vessel through the sea-salted glass as it struggled out of Portsmouth Harbour - the ST. CLARE ferry, heading to Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight. To her left I could see one of the Solent Forts and way over to her right I could see one of the Merchant Navy Patrol Boats in the distance.

St. Clare We found out that the weather was still too rough today for any sea trips locally but we can only hope for better weather and sea conditions tomorrow. Dinner that evening had been booked at a small Belgian local Bar & Kitchen (HUIS) in a street in Southsea and was really enjoyable. There were lots of Belgian artefacts hanging from the ceiling or standing in the windowsills, quite apart from very high shelving units standing against the walls and containing lots of bottles of Belgian beer. I noticed those units were safely fixed to the walls and had metal covers of some kind over all the bottle shelves. It was a fascinating place. We tried more fresh air after the meal and I tried to photograph VICTORIA OF WIGHT (not very well), before heading back to the hotel rooms. We hoped for a dry day tomorrow and maybe a calmer sea state and weather forecast.

Victoria of Wight Ships seen: St. Clare, Victoria of Wight, HMS Severn, HMS Mersey (two Patrol Boats), Wight Ryder 2 catamaran at sea, Hurstpoint, Normandie, St. Faith, Hovercraft cancelled To be continued...

Ships in May 2021

20th May 2021 It's been a long, wet, cool and windy winter and spring during the latest pandemic restrictions in the south of England, but life seems to be getting better as the month of May comes to an end. I knew that several fairly new ships were keeping safe off the coast of Dorset in the UK, and some very new ships were heading into the port of Southampton or the port of Portsmouth last week. There was an appalling weather forecast due all along the English Channel from Thursday 20th May 2021 but I left my home and set off by train for the ports. I haven't been to sea since September 2019. I had several trips booked but all had to be cancelled during 2020 because of the Covid restrictions here in the UK and in other countries. I've had my two vaccinations, and so last week when Government restrictions were lifted I was able to go away from home and hope to go to sea, which was very exciting. In Southampton I met one of my 'shippy' friends and we headed off to a big local hotel for Afternoon Tea, up on the 6th floor. Of course it was raining, and the high winds were gusting all around, but I could see a huge ship through the rain on the windows at one end of the Restaurant Terrace: it was the new P&O ship IONA. Well, that was a good start to seeing the sea and a ship. Next we visited Mayflower Park, which was almost deserted. The rain had stopped for a little while, so I could get a photograph of the MSC VIRTUOSA which was berthed at 101, and seemed to have lots of ropes keeping her safely tied up alongside. She is 181,000 tons and looked huge; she is due to sail soon on her Maiden Voyage in a Covid-secure environment. In fact she sailed on her Maiden Voyage, and the first post-Covid UK cruise, that very evening.

MSC Virtuosa, Berth 101, Southampton

MSC Virtuosa, Berth 101 Way off in the distance behind her I could see the bright pink hull of the ONE COLUMBA, a 2018-built container ship, due to leave on 22nd May for Port Said and the Suez Canal. It felt so strange to look and see a space where the Solent Flour Mills used to be until a few months ago. I remember when I worked as a Purserette on board a Union-Castle Liner many years ago, standing on deck for lifeboat drill before sailing on a Friday at 1, and on the port side we could always see the Solent Flour Mills. However, turning round and looking behind me I could see the white-capped waves and feel so grateful not to be at sea, even here in Southampton Water. It was still not raining and now I could see the RED OSPREY of Red Funnel about to head to the Isle of Wight, P&O's IONA just beyond her, and way off in the distance I could see the huge shape of P&O's other new ship VENTURA.

Red Osprey, Iona, Ventura in the distance The gale force winds and rain was forecast for at least the next two days, and it would be interesting to see what would be able to sail. Certainly we knew that at Portsmouth and Southsea the Hovercraft would not be sailing/flying over to the Isle of Wight. In Port Solent, further along the coast near Portsmouth and Southsea, bags were checked into an hotel, and then we went back to the seaside to look at the sea. The waves were hurling themselves into the water's edge, onto the promenade and over it, into the roadside and filling up the gutters. I remember getting out of the car for a minute just to get a couple of photos of the Brittany Ferries GALICIA heading into Portsmouth Harbour from Santander in Spain. I had to jump across the water and didn't quite make it, so ended up with a little sea in my left boot, but it was the only alternative. The ship looked fairly steady but I didn't envy the passengers on their voyage.

Sea water at Southsea

Galicia of Brittany Ferries heading into Portsmouth Harbour from Santander Back in the car and further along the promenade the sea was hurling itself against the sea wall and rising up high into the air and then onto any traffic that was parked. It was quite dramatic to be safely in a car but flinching as the water hit the windscreen and car body. We soon moved further inland, and found somewhere for an evening meal. Ships seen: Iona, Ventura, Virtuosa, Red Osprey, One Columba, Galicia To be continued...

Spring in the south of England May 2021

Mother of two

Bluebells in ancient woodlands

These were cowslips

Sheep and new lambs

New lamb

May 2021 in the south of England

The camassia were coming along nicely

Camassia getting going