Torchwatch

[Byron]

Re. Portsmouth I always thought it a daft location for a civil ferry terminal in the first place.
It was bad enough with the earlier ferries having to secure safe passage through RN vessels and the further you go into the harbour the less available is deep water space for manoeuvre. The arrival of the vast new slab sided monsters only worsened the situation with their extreme susceptibilty to gale force winds when
having to turn at almost zero knots for safe docking at the quayside and when even their bowthrusters at full power will not give the captain all the control he needs against a strong wind force on a bad day.

P&O Pride of Portsmouth (without passengers) was blown hard against the flank of the moored and very new frigate HMS St Alban, with considerable damage to the latter, in October 2002.

P&O Pride of Bilbao was in collision with yacht Ouzo, when sailing off the Isle of Wight in August 2006. Bodies of three males aboard were found the next day and the P&O Officer of the Watch appeared at Winchester Crown Court the following year, on charges under maritime law of failing to stop at the time
of the incident.

It can get very windy down there - I remember being urgently ushered off the ski slope of HMS Ark Royal (Navy Days) so that the RN would not be
responsible for our watery deaths if blown over the side.
Tower at seafront gives some good long distance views but rather a lot of expense for just an elaborately designed observation platform.