Portland Harbor
Coordinates: 50 ° 35 ′ 15 " N , 2 ° 26 ′ 47" W.
Portland Habour is located on the Isle of Portland in Dorset on the south coast of England. Portland Habour is one of the largest man-made anchorages and harbors in the world at 8.6 square kilometers.
The base of the harbor is the sheltered anchorage formed by Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland . This bay provided shelter from the weather for ships other than eastward. King Henry VIII built Portland Castle and Sandsfoot Castle to protect this anchorage.
Construction of what is now the port began in 1849 when the Royal Navy began building a breakwater at the south end of the anchorage using stone quarried on the Isle of Portland. This construction protects the anchorage against weather influences from the southwest. The construction was completed in 1872 and also included two fortifications on the wall, such as Verne Citadel Fort, Nothe Fort , East Wear Battery , High Angle Battery . The construction of these fortifications was part of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Defense of the United Kingdom and they are part of the Palmerston Forts .
In 1906, two more breakwaters were built against the threat of torpedo attacks from the east. Another barrier to attack by submarines was created in 1914 when the HMS Hood was sunk in the southern port entrance. The HMS Hood is now considered too dangerous for divers, but other of the five other ships sunk in the port area are accessible to divers.
Diving is a popular sport along with windsurfing and sailing in the harbor, which was sold by the Royal Navy in 1996. In addition to the leisure harbor, a commercial port is operated by Portland Port Ltd and Portland Harbor Authority Limited . Cruise ships come into port so that passengers can visit Dorset from here . The port is also home to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy , which hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics sailing competitions .
Web links
- Portland Harbor Authority official website