Recreation
The harbour is a popular location for wind surfing, wreck diving and sailing. Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy which hosted sailing events in the 2012 Olympic Games, is located on the south-western shore of the harbour. In October 2007 work commenced on a new marina and recreational boating facility. Some 250,000 tonnes of Portland Stone was used in creating the 875m breakwater and associated reclaimed land. This facility was open by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in April 2009 and is situated directly adjacent to the National Sailing Academy. Apart from the usual freshwater, fuel, shore power and pump-out facilities the marina also has a bar/restaurant, 15 retail/business units and 5 larger commercial units.
In addition to Hood, there are other dive wrecks around the harbour:
- on the inside of the harbour, against a breakwater:
- Countess of Erme - barge 30 metres north of the Eastern Ship Channel
- the Spaniard - barge 50 metres south-west of the Chequered Fort
- a World War II landing craft and a Bombardon Unit, a harbour device intended for the D-Day beaches in Normandy, 50 metres north east of the curve of the south break water
- in "open" water inside the harbour:
- a Sea Vixen Royal Navy aircraft - a diver training carcass between Ferrybridge and the helicopter base
- Himalaya - an 1850s passenger liner, which served for many years as a troopship and later as a coal or fuel barge in the centre of the harbour
Read more about this topic: Portland Harbour
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