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Have you ever sailed passed Brighton on a boat?



8ace

Banned
Jul 21, 2003
23,811
Brighton
I've never been past Brighton on a boat, obviously I've looked back at the town from the pier(s), but never from a sea-going vessel. :moo:
Have I missed much ???
 


Tricky Dicky

New member
Jul 27, 2004
13,558
Sunny Shoreham
Just guessing mind, but I would think you'll see a bit a sea quite close to you, a bit of land a little further up and a bit of sky at the top. What are you expecting to see, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon ? Herds of Wilderbeast sweeping majestically across the plains ?
 


daveinprague

New member
Oct 1, 2009
12,572
Prague, Czech Republic
Yes, in the 70s on HMS Lowestoft, we sailed very close, past Brighton following a Soviet Whiskey class submarine that was on the surface. I was actually quite shocked that Soviet submarines were that close off our coast. Other than that, was able to see Le Carbone in the Portslade old village, and that was almost home....and helo picked up mail from Shoreham airport...was on our way to Portsmouth for weekend leave when we were ordered to track the sub, and ended up following the chuffing thing to Gibraltar..losing the weekend at home... The regency buildings along the front makes it look a very nice place.
 


T soprano

New member
Oct 27, 2011
8,018
Posh end of Shoreham
I've been past it in my Kayak if that counts
From shoreham harbour to the Brighton pier & back ( was absolutely knackered on return journey )
 






Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
59,192
The Fatherland
I've been past it in my Kayak if that counts
From shoreham harbour to the Brighton pier & back ( was absolutely knackered on return journey )

I have done similar. It's a great view.
 




LamieRobertson

Not awoke
Feb 3, 2008
46,485
SHOREHAM BY SEA
You'd be surprised, I've got 3 kayaks often going up and down the the river Adur to upper Beeding mind you the pit stop is the Castle pub for a couple of pints while waiting for the tide to turn for return journey

Lol..it's not a bad pub ..I cycle but will take a keener interest in any kayakers I see in future!
 








skipper734

Registered ruffian
Aug 9, 2008
9,189
Curdridge
The best view is at night, when the wind has died and you resort to using the engine instead of the sails. Pushing the motor as fast as it will go in an effort to get home as quickly as you can.
 




Jul 24, 2003
2,289
Newbury, Berkshire.
As it happens, yes I've seen Brighton from a boat on two occasions:

a) When HMS Brighton, a Rothsay type anti-submarine frigate, was moored next to Brighton Marina, as a Naval Cadet we were transfered out to the ship on a motor launch and given a tour round.
b) In a small dinghy when sailing off Shoreham Harbour.

I have to say both occasions were a memorable day for different reasons. Sadly HMS Brighton was scrapped just 4 years after my tour round her. Ignominiously she was used as target practice between decomissioning in 1981 ( probably why she was off the Marina ) and scrapping in 1985.

On attempting to return to Shoreham harbour in the dinghy we were caught on an ebb tide and spent most of the late afternoon floundering around in front of the Harbourmasters / Coastguard tower and the RNLI Station, getting absolutely nowhere as the wind was being stolen by a large block of flats every time we attempted a tack. Eventuallly we gave up, pulling up alongside the jetty, clambering up to the tower and requested a tow upstream. After much delay a coaster came to our aid and whilst we were being towed up to the yacht club we passed the club rescue launch heading out to the Channel in the oppposite direction.
 

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daveinprague

New member
Oct 1, 2009
12,572
Prague, Czech Republic
As it happens, yes I've seen Brighton from a boat on two occasions:

a) When HMS Brighton, a Rothsay type anti-submarine frigate, was moored next to Brighton Marina, as a Naval Cadet we were transfered out to the ship on a motor launch and given a tour round.
b) In a small dinghy when sailing off Shoreham Harbour.

I have to say both occasions were a memorable day for different reasons. Sadly HMS Brighton was scrapped just 4 years after my tour round her. Ignominiously she was used as target practice between decomissioning in 1981 ( probably why she was off the Marina ) and scrapping in 1985.

On attempting to return to Shoreham harbour in the dinghy we were caught on an ebb tide and spent most of the late afternoon floundering around in front of the Harbourmasters / Coastguard tower and the RNLI Station, getting absolutely nowhere as the wind was being stolen by a large block of flats every time we attempted a tack. Eventuallly we gave up, pulling up alongside the jetty, clambering up to the tower and requested a tow upstream. After much delay a coaster came to our aid and whilst we were being towed up to the yacht club we passed the club rescue launch heading out to the Channel in the oppposite direction.


Seemed a common fate for Rothesay class frigates....this is Lowestoft during successful Tigerfish torpedo test....same torpedo that sank the Belgrano in Falklands war..
 

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Jul 24, 2003
2,289
Newbury, Berkshire.
The disappointing thing was that I never got a chance to have a look at one of the big ships, the only other two I got a tour round were HMS Cleopatra F28 at Plymouth, and HMS Bristol D23 at Portsmouth. Although Bristol was moored right alongside Invincible ( I think - was definitely an aircraft carrier but which one has got lost in the midst of time, might have been Illustrious but definitely not Hermes ) at the time - fascinating to look round but I was always surprised how lightly armed they appeared in reality compared to what you might think from watching films. Being a unique vessel, Bristol was regarded as a bit of an oddity, and ended up as the Cadet liason and training vessel, a role she still has today. Does look very odd tho' with no guns or masts on........
 
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daveinprague

New member
Oct 1, 2009
12,572
Prague, Czech Republic
I was on the 'old' Ark Royal... preferred small ships, a lot less formal...itr also never dawned on me, that as the principle strike carrier, we were carrying nuclear weapons...other than that, no fixed weapons on board.
I used to think the same thing about the weapons, especially when coming across some of our soviet counterparts.... and particularly after seeing a Kara class destroyer...they really did seem like 'war' ships, compared to ours. Also, the Chinese navy has come on in leaps and bounds...some of their new ships look terrifying.
 

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Hampden Park

Ex R.N.
Oct 7, 2003
4,987
I was on the 'old' Ark Royal... preferred small ships, a lot less formal...itr also never dawned on me, that as the principle strike carrier, we were carrying nuclear weapons...other than that, no fixed weapons on board.
I used to think the same thing about the weapons, especially when coming across some of our soviet counterparts.... and particularly after seeing a Kara class destroyer...they really did seem like 'war' ships, compared to ours.

not as heavily armed as they may look dave. was invited round one of these when is Sevastopol and we were given magnets to test if the weapons were made of metal (gen dit, no shit) and suprisingly some of them were indeed made of ?plastic? spooky eh?
 


Cheeky Monkey

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2003
22,953
I tend to swim stupid distances out from the beach near Hove lawns, and it all looks pretty peachy from out there lying on your back and drinking it all in. Gotta watch out for those passing boats though!
 


daveinprague

New member
Oct 1, 2009
12,572
Prague, Czech Republic
not as heavily armed as they may look dave. was invited round one of these when is Sevastopol and we were given magnets to test if the weapons were made of metal (gen dit, no shit) and suprisingly some of them were indeed made of ?plastic? spooky eh?

Chipping paint on the Lowestoft, I realised our ships were principally made of rust haha...but always got the impression the soviet ships really did look like warships compared to ours.
 




Hampden Park

Ex R.N.
Oct 7, 2003
4,987
Chipping paint on the Lowestoft, I realised our ships were principally made of rust haha...but always got the impression the soviet ships really did look like warships compared to ours.

did you ever see them in rough seas dave? probably not, if they indeed they were that top heavy with weapons etc. then if they were to 'hard to port/starboard' they could have broken their backs lol. whereas our grey war canoes were made of sterner stuff (type 21's exempt). p.s. the paint kept the rust at bay ha ha
 


daveinprague

New member
Oct 1, 2009
12,572
Prague, Czech Republic
Dont remember seeing any in partcularly rough weather...but i remember we were unable to catch a 'trawler' ... thing was motoring...I used to love it when we came across soviets at sea...our officers would be rushing about with notebooks, binoculars, charts, and all manner of nonsense....look at their ship, and see their offficers doing the same... whereas the crew of both ships were down at the back waving to each other haha...
 



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