Strange Goings On in the Solent This Evening

Currently on the Isle of Wight and popped down to the Cowes sea front to watch the four cruise ships departing Southampton today.

As regular cruisers will know, when exiting the mouth of Southampton Water past Calshot, ships usually turn sharp Starboard, passing the shallow waters of Bramble Bank (where the car carrier deliberately ran aground a few years ago to avoid sinking), prior to turning hard to Port in order to pass Cowes.

Arcadia was first out of the blocks and the first thing that struck us was that the front half of the large painted union flag on the bow was missing (port side). Anyone know what's happened? And then it failed to turn to Port prior to Cowes and carried on towards Yarmouth and the Needles. I've seen dozens and dozens of cruise ships pass Cowes over the years and only seen one take that route before - and it was a significantly smaller ship. A great short cut if you can make it, which I guess is only on exceptionally high tides, which it must have been.

Next came Fred Olsens Braemar and that didn't even do the first starboard turn. It just carried on squeezing past Bramble Bank on the starboard side close to the coast near Lee-on-Solent. Again, I've seen very few ships do that, but the Fred Olsen ships are tiny in comparison to modern liners.

Navigator of the Seas was close behind and did the conventional chicane.

We gave up on Oriana as it was getting dark but have been watching on ship movement websites and notice that she didn't depart Southampton until almost 9pm. I've never known a ship leave that late. Anyone know why?

I have taken the Needles route on Oceana a couple of times.

If the tides are very high, the likes of Arcadia can go down the western channel and out via the Needles. Likewise, smaller ships, Braemar, can go through the north channel, if they are heading east down the channel. We did the north channel once on Adonia.

Oriana was having technical issues, hence her late departure.It's not unusual for ships to depart late evening if there are problems and the day visitor ships such as the Aida ones leave after 9pm.

If the tides are very high, the likes of Arcadia can go down the western channel and out via the Needles. Likewise, smaller ships, Braemar, can go through the north channel, if they are heading east down the channel. We did the north channel once on Adonia.

Oriana was having technical issues, hence her late departure.It's not unusual for ships to depart late evening if there are problems and the day visitor ships such as the Aida ones leave after 9pm.

That's very interesting. I hope we use that route ourselves one day as we always seem to go clockwise around the island! Hope the Oriana technical issue isn't too serious. Never known a P&O ship leave as late as 9pm but I guess it must happen as you say.

Anyone know why the union flag decal on the port bow is part missing? We couldn't see the starboard side to see if it matched!

The latest we left Southampton was 4.30 am on Oriana in 2014 as it took until then to complete repairs. Only one hour late into first port, Stavanger, 27 knots up through the North Sea!

I read the other day that there were russian warships passing through the channel

I wonder if that has anything to do with it

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On the Azura we did not leave Southampton till 8 o'clock the following morning due to very rough seas in the English Channel.

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A few years ago, we were held in Southampton for 24 hours because of weather! We did move from Mayflower to Ocean though.

We got back from Oriana yesterday and the tides are neap tides and therefore not that high at all. Amazing if Arcadia took the Needles channel. We only did that on Adonia.

I read the other day that there were russian warships passing through the channel

I wonder if that has anything to do with it

 

 

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Apparently due to defence cuts, P&O were escorting the Russians through the channel instead of the Royal Navy.

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Apparently due to defence cuts, P&O were escorting the Russians through the channel instead of the Royal Navy.

 

 

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:D:D:D:D

Brilliant, I love this! Really made me laugh! Makes such a different to have a bit of levity. Well done! :)

Ha ha, love it.

We took the right turn past the needles on Oceana. so maybe not that usual.

We got back from Oriana yesterday and the tides are neap tides and therefore not that high at all. Amazing if Arcadia took the Needles channel. We only did that on Adonia.

went through the Needles Channel on Queen Victoria in 2014

We were on Oriana in Sept 16 to Azores. We turned right at IoW down the Needles channel. I managed to speak to Captain Cook about this route. He said the tide has to be high, coupled with having taken a specific simulator course to allow a master to take this route. He is now in command of Arcadia so I guess that's why she was seen heading down that way!

In answer to your other question regarding the Union Flag on the bow, it hasn't been painted yet. Here are a couple of photos from August 7th.

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...and starboard side in May

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Ah, well they certainly have started painting the flag on now, but it was only half done with what looked like the outline of some sections and others were infilled. They must have tried to do it during changeover and ran out of time! Mystery explained. Thanks.

We sailed transatlantic on Arcadia on September 11th and it was on then

We sailed transatlantic on Arcadia on September 11th and it was on then

We saw you in Quebec and she certainly had it then. We were on Aurora just after she had hers applied, after our transatlantic portion it was disappearing when we got to Rio. Bits were replaced and and it started to disappear again. Somewhere along the cruise, they managed to get it fixed and it stayed there for the rest of the cruise.

As we now know, the bow painting is not yet complete....see my recent post and photo....

.regarding the Needles channel...we have left by this route on three occasions now on three different ships....one of the captain's said it was purely to save fuel....

Although we apparently sailed into the Med at the same time as the Russian carrier we didn't see her.....she should have been easy to spot with that filthy smoke from her funnel!!!!:(