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View Full Version : Maunsell Sea Forts - Red Sands (2011)



Foantje
07-04-2011, 10:40 PM
The Maunsell Sea Forts were small fortified towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. They were named after their designer, Guy Maunsell. The forts were decommissioned in the late 1950s and later used for other activities. One became the Principality of Sealand; boats visit the remaining forts occasionally, and a consortium called Project Redsands is planning to conserve the fort situated at Redsand.


Normally this was planned last year but when we were there the weather was too bad so or trip was canceled. Luckily we were this year again at the UK so we could give it another go. We told the boat owner we didn't want to do a touristic trip. We wanted to explore see new stuff ! After some calls and a few talks the owner of the boat was as curious as we so he accepted to do some pirating :).

1 Beautiful weather but lots of wind !
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/5597213249_5d907722b7_o.jpg

2 As you can see the weather gets worser and worser. Getting on board will be quit hard!
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5597213359_6e4174eeda_o.jpg

3 The ladders are in very bad shape!
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5597795008_4275809067_o.jpg

4
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5064/5597795106_1cec5b7ef4_o.jpg

5 Time for the real thing do to the storm we literally had to jump from the boat on this little platform and we didn't knew if it should hold us.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5227/5597213731_6bef725bca_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5597214089_ddcd35b834_o.jpg

6 Going Up Bofors Gun Tower
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/5597213947_64396ec22d_o.jpg

7 Inside shots of the Bofors Gun Tower. This was really nice and in good condition. The owner of the boat and also project manager of the red sands project. Didn't even knew what was inside so he was very happy to see some inside shots. He said nobody's got in since 50 years or so.... The info I found was that the last person that was in was in 2003.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5597796602_61c5448609_o.jpg

8
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5597796166_cf31bcab19_o.jpg

9
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5597214637_69641b709f_o.jpg

10
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5141/5597214853_381fcd04e8_o.jpg

11
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5597215333_44f624f445_o.jpg

12
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5597215183_e2bf3cc3f5_o.jpg

13 view on top :)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5024/5597796688_754cd5fac2_o.jpg

For more pictures check my site : www.foantje.com

Explored with Defender (http://www.noplaceto.be)

Special thanks to Mandy and Alan for the boat and taking the risks!

BB
07-04-2011, 10:46 PM
Brilliant!! :D

the kwan
07-04-2011, 11:00 PM
love the report....and the pics

Only2Eyes
07-04-2011, 11:18 PM
Yes!

MJS
08-04-2011, 12:49 AM
Epic!! Hats off

Krypton
08-04-2011, 06:26 AM
Absolutly fantastic mate ive always wanted to see inside and visit these places! Good work for climbing to the top!!!

Nicola
08-04-2011, 09:15 AM
That's just bloody fab! :thumb

SaltGeorge
08-04-2011, 09:55 AM
Very interesting :thumb

A lot of what you see at Red Sands is probably the remains of the various pirate radio stations which occupied the fort (Radio Invicta '64-'65, Radio King '65, Radio 390 '65-'67). In a strange coincidence I was with someone yesterday who's a big fan of the old pirate radio stations and he was showing me a website on Radio 390 (http://www.offshoreechos.com/forts/radio_390.htm).

Good luck to Project Redsand (http://www.project-redsand.com/), they've set themselves some tough goals.

Rustysphotography
08-04-2011, 11:30 AM
Wow dude they are awesome shots , i have wanted to get to these some how for ages . Well done on getting over there and in . Was it really hard ? i spotted them in a Prodigy music vid as well not so long back .

Moodster020
08-04-2011, 01:27 PM
Lovely stuff!

A rare one this...!

ERNIE99_UK
08-04-2011, 01:27 PM
Those are a brilliant set of shots. The sea forts always remind me of star wars.

Youve got some great shots of the interior. Ive heard about its pirate radio history.

coops
08-04-2011, 02:27 PM
This is the dogs nuts ...many thanks for sharing

scrappy
08-04-2011, 04:50 PM
wow this is ace! i really want to go up in them! thanks for sharing :)

Clough
08-04-2011, 08:44 PM
Brill, Id love to invade Sealand and take it over but I hear its abandoned now due to a fire

sqwasher
09-04-2011, 02:43 PM
Win win win! Top job.

jST
09-04-2011, 02:51 PM
Brilliant, I've always wanted to see what these looked like inside.

J.