French chart of the eastern entrance to the Solent about 1750.
Note the names and positions of the sea buoys (Warner, Dean Elbow, Horse etc).and the anchorage off St Helens (the names and anchorage still used today).
Directions from ‘The Safeguard of Sailors’ or ‘The Great Rutter’ 1594
‘Item, when Wight beareth northwest from you, and that you are foure leagues from the land, there you shall have 35 fatham, and the ground is great rough stones.
He that will saile in at the east end of Wight, let him take heed of the Owers, and fetch the sholding of the west side of the deapth before saint Ellins Church, and there he may ride at seven or eight fatham. And he that will saile in, let him bring the Lime Kill that lies above Porchemouth, and the steeple of Porchmouth in one, and so sale in, keeping two third parts of the chanell on the Larboard side, and sail in so to Calshot.’ [ed.note: these directions take you to Gosport, not to Calshot)
‘At the east end of Wight, a northwest moone makes the entrie of the first quarter of the floud.’
‘He that will saile in at the west end of Wight, he must looke well to the tide, for the floud sets verie sore upon the Needles, and the ebb likewise westwards upon the Swingilles, and chalkie rocks, which lies westwards of the Needles, and is very narrow betweene the Needles and the Swingilles, and let him directlie saile with the Needles, even till he come fast by them, and saile in verie neere them, and when he is once within the Needles, then let him keepe off from the land before him, bicause of the rockes called the Wardens, which lies on Wight side neere the shore.
And he that will ride under the Beachy which lies on the other side, let him ancker at seven fatham, and if he will go anie farther in, let him keepe two third parts of the channell towards the maine land, and saile so in till hee come before the village of Yermouth, where the new bulwarke stands upon Wight side. And if he will saile up to Kaushot, then he must saile on till he may see the towne of Hampton appear without the Abbey, and ancker nearest to the west part of Kaushot.
He that will ride without Hurst by the Needles, let him beere in and ancker before the village in the north chanell, at three fatham at lowe water, and he shall have the needles south southeast from him, and at a deepe tide, the floud doth not rise there above one fatham.’