FLAGS AND ENSIGNS

Look at the Flags shown left. They are special signalling flags. What do they spell?

Click here to see International Code of Signals alphabet.

The system was invented in the 18th century and was primarily used as a means of passing orders and secret messages between naval ships.

Nowadays the system is used all over the world and is especially useful between different nationalities.

Ensigns have been in existence for hundred of years as a way of indicating nationality. They could be used as a signalling device or rallying point. Some ensigns and flags which you may almost certainly see being flown in the Solent are shown below.

Wightlink House Flag  A variation of the international code of signal flag 'W'	Red Ensign Indicates the ship is registered in the UK
White Ensign Flown by all serving royal navy ships and some shore establishments	The Pilot Flag Shows the captain has a pilot's licence for the Solent area. It is also the national flag of Poland.

OTHER VESSELS YOU MAY SEE ON THE CROSSING ....

You will probably see many other craft using the Solent during the crossing. Try to identify some of them using the information given here.

FastCat catamarans cross the Solent in around 15 minutes and are twin-hulled, lightweight, high speed vessels capable of speeds of up to 32 knots. Each hull has its own engine and propeller, and the accommodation and bridge are bolted on the top.

Hovercraft ride on a cushion of air which is contained by a black rubber "skirt". These are fully amphibious and so are able to cross Ryde Sands at low tide, for example. This type of hovercraft is driven by two dusted propellers, and the lift is supplied by four pairs of fans.

Car ferries run not only between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, but also between England and the Continent, across the English Channel. You may see one of these ferries entering or leaving Portsmouth. Other vessels you may spot include oil tankers, container ships, warships and sailing boats.

ALSO LOOK OUT FOR ....

HMS VICTORY

Her three masts and St George's cross flag can be seen just beyond HMS Warrior. Victory was launched in 1765, and is famous for being Lord Nelson's flagship during the Battle of Trafalgar against the French and Spanish in 1805. She is the oldest surviving commissioned ship in the world and is the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command with officers and men of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines still serving on board.

PORTSMOUTH

Portsmouth has been an important naval base since the Norman Conquest due to it's large natural harbour. Henry Vll started the Dockyard and built the first dry dock in 1495, very close to where the Victory now lies. Henry VII also did much to promote the naval importance of Portsmouth. Over the centuries the city and its surroundings (including the Isle of Wight) have been heavily fortified, even out into the Solent, in the form of the Sea Forts.

THE SEA FORTS

Spit Sand Fort, No Man's Land Fort and Horse Sand were built in the 1880's as a defence against a threatened invasion from the French which never came.  During the World Wars they were equipped with guns and formed part of an anti-submarine defence, and were attacked during the Blitz. Now, Spit Sand Fort is a private museum, No Man's Land Fort is a private residence with a swimming Pool and heli-pad and Horse Sand Fort belongs to the MoD.

THE MARY ROSE

Three yellow buoys mark the site of the wreck of Henry VIII's Tudor warship the Mary Rose. In 1545, on her way to fight the French, she keeled over and sank with the loss of nearly all her crew. Over 400 years later, in 1982, she was raised from the seabed by the Mary Rose Trust. Great care has been taken to preserve her hull, and the objects found on board, which are now exhibited in a museum in Portsmouth Dockyard.

HMS WARRIOR

HMS Warrior can be seen flying the Red ensign in Portsmouth Harbour adjacent to the Victory. She was launched in 1860 and was the first warship with a hull protected by thick iron plates, and was powered by sail and steam. Without ever having fired a shot in anger, her combat career ended in 1883, and she eventually came back to Portsmouth in 1982, having undergone several years' restoration. She now lies in a specially constructed berth on view to the public.

THE MOTHER BANK

In 1988 Australia celebrated its Bicentennial - its two-hundredth "birthday". Two centuries before, in 1787, the first fleet of 11 ships left the Mother Bank, where they were at anchor, for Australia. On board the two naval ships, six prison ships and three stores ships were 759 convicts including women and children being transported to set up a new colony. During the eight month voyage via Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town, 32 people died.

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