Solent Hazards and Secrets - 6th Edition
by Peter Bruce 17 Sep 2017 02:20 PDT
17 September 2017
When Solent Hazards appeared in 1985 this little book was a godsend to the racing sailor who was able to gain considerable advantage from its practical information over fellow competitors.
Those armed with confidence resulting from studying the text and photographs were able to achieve big gains, particularly when beating against the tidal stream. As time went by and, after tens of thousands of copies of Solent Hazards had been sold, the cruising sailor became aware of the advantages of knowing Solent topography, resulting in few Solent craft ever being without a copy of Solent Hazards aboard.
The sixth edition is different in being larger - 25 x 190 cm - allowing detail in the photographs to be more readily seen. These photographs have been almost entirely updated to show the changes in underwater and coastal features though it is the latter, by providing new building reference points, which are the more significant. Nevertheless there are changes in the seabed that serious Solent sailors will need to know about, such as changes at The Trap off Hurst, more prominence at Little Marsh spit to the west of the dreaded Park Shore Bank, and disappearance of the post off Rainbow Bar.
Peter Bruce has not been content with identifying the perils of the Solent alone but, in this edition, he also gives ready details of the delightful upper reaches of Solent rivers and creeks. In recognition of this development the title of the book has been extended to Solent Hazards and Secrets. In this vein, for example, he encourages mariners to go as far as is navigable up the Beaulieu River, the lovely Hamble River to Botley or Curbridge, and up the arms of Newtown creek and the Yar. He gives pilotage data for the little-visited Hillhead harbour, and he takes the reader up King's Quay creek and down Iley Lake at Keyhaven. All these places make charming locations for family outings, perhaps in the dinghy.
Solent Hazards and Secrets ISBN 978-1-871680-32-4 is to be found in most chandleries and also can be obtained directly from the publisher Boldre Marine via the website, www.peter-bruce.com.