The Needles on the Isle of Wight is an iconic passing from Keyhaven to Freshwater. With the correct conditions, the Hurst Point play and the exploration of the caves and rocks leading to Freshwater will make a day of exhilarating outing.
Hurst Point play:
The Calshot is where annnual club BBQ evening is held with unbeatable view of sunset and marine traffic going in and out out of Port Southampton.
The trip starts from the slipway behind the pub at Eling heading to Hythe. You will see some barges made of concrete, busy straddle carriers shuffling the containers in the docks, some gigatic cranes and boats to match their sizes!
The classic rock hopping and gardening trip concluded with a thrilling tide race at Peveril Point near Swanage Pier.
In a typical rock garden, members will make sure someone is overlooking them while approaching a feature, and there is usually a one-out-one-in policy in any right space such as a cave or recess. While enjoying the hopping fun, members are also reminded that a feature easily navigated by some else may change completely over the cycles of sloshing wave - it has nothing to do with one's ability to pass.
For developing members, the tide race awareness is essential. They are encouraged to ease in from eddy lines and gradually build their confidence in the dynamic water streams. The timing of maneuving up, down and transverse in the racing zone is all about saving energy and letting the water flow to do the most work for you!
A stunning day to explore a different part of the Jurassic coast. The launch point requires team work but absolute pleasure for staying with the group. The welcoming atmosphere of the rocks soon untangles a mystery of physics: they are magnetic to our boats. 
To the east of Southampton, this is one of the few trips that club members enjoy more recently. The Fareham Marina provides a dedicated parking area. There are a number of landing spots with cafes and pubs along the Portsmouth estuary. Portchester Castle is a must visit from the water - it is also a potential launch point for circumnavgation of the Portsea Island (Portsmouth).
The one-way downwind paddle, as a logistic puzzle unveiled by Justin and Jane, and executed by the group of 11 club members using 8 cars, is one of the most memorable trips of the year!
We met at Lepe car park for a quick briefing of who took whom and what - all on one piece of paper wrinkled heavily in Jane's hand. In 20 min, we were all off driving to Keyhaven (Saltgrass Lane) with 2 to 3 boats on our roofs. After a quick round of surf play at the Hurst Point, we headed to Newtown for lunch break. Along the way we nudged into the eddies of the red channel markers at Lymington Bank, Solent Bank, and after lunch at West Lepe. The trip concluded with a couple of assisted rescue practices. For the lucky bunch who relied on the others to get them and their boats to Keyhaven in the first place, there was even time for a hot tea after the paddle at Lepe cafe. Thank you to everyone for the support!
Regroup in transit:
The Buckler's Hard at Beaulieu is our pround club quater decorated by our club boat trailor. Its prestigious view, access and facility offer the best possible experinece no matter the experince level or tidal condition. Imagine slicing the thin ice on Beaulieu with the crispiest and quietest acoustics from the surroundings in a Febuary night. The seals like companies too.
The diverse geological and biological features around the caves leading up to Dancing Ledge from Swanage offer some of the stunning visual, acoustic, and tactile, i.e. if you are daring enough to land on some of the rock shelves, senstations one can ever imagine to experience! The trip can be extended to Chapman's Pool for lunch depending on the tidal, wind, and swell conditions, as well as group ability and size.
