Recognise this spot? Thought not! An unfrequented but delightful inlet off Portsmouth Harbour, St Vincent's Creek which the OS call Forton Lake on maps.
Last night, after a day of strong winds, the group nearly voted for a quick trip to the pub without taking the boats off the roof. However, we launched from the Sally Port in Old Portsmouth, paddled out to cross the channel at No.4 buoy and then back into the harbour by the small boat channel, choppy! But St Vincent's with its picturesque hulks was calm and sheltered.
The African Queen?
Back out in the harbour beyond Rat Island (once again the OS beg to differ, calling it Burrow Island), a 2 person jet ski which had entered the harbour on the wrong side, then exceeded the speed limits and entered the exclusion zone around the warships was being chased by the harbour police. It looked as if it was caught, but our glee was short lived, it escaped in the shallows towards Portchester. Maybe they got it on the way back.
All that remained was to paddle back out of the harbour.
Once out of the entrance with the tide ebbing at speed, we had to wait at No.4 buoy for the 'Commodore' cross channel ferry and then an IOW ferry in absurdly rough water. Breaking waves from all directions, wind against tide, wakes against wind, shallow water and the buoy's magnetic attraction with the tide swirling past. Sorry, no pictures, but eventually we could cross the channel, back to the start.
The African Queen!, nice idea, wish it was! loved that, as i love the film too, if only it was 'African Queen' it's an old coal burner Gosport ferry called 'Vadne'.
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