Sailing Zephyr IV · video

What this video covers

Dave sails the Westerly Yachts Ltd. Oceanquest 35 Zephyr IV out of Portsmouth Harbour shortly after Easter to visit the Nab Tower, a lighthouse east of the Isle of Wight marking the Nab Rock — a submerged hazard to ships entering the Solent from the south and east.0:37 Conditions are fair with a light breeze and a slight swell; Dave tests a homemade booming outpole to hold the Genoa out for wing-on-wing sailing, with the autopilot steering and Bill on watch.1:29 The passage covers the history of the Nab Tower in detail: it began as one of twelve planned "Mystery Towers," designed by Sir Alexander Gibb and civil engineer Guy Mornsell and built by Royal Engineers and civilians at Shoreham-by-Sea as a secret WWI anti-submarine barrier across the Straits of Dover from Folkestone to Cap Rene, with steel nets and guns planned between towers.2:44 The first tower cost £1 million (roughly £60 million today); the Armistice made them redundant.4:14 In 1920, Trinity House floated one out on a high tide, towed it to the Nab Rock site, and sank it by flooding its hollow concrete base — leaving it with a permanent three-degree list.5:17 The tower was manned until 1983, then automated, and substantially rebuilt in 2013, reducing its height from 27 to 17 metres.7:10

Boats in this video

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