Caulkheads' affair with the sea: Isle of Wight maritime industry and marine identity

Since 2019, the Isle of Wight has been a recognised biosphere reserve and hybrid wants to celebrate 60% of the whole designation, the local maritime community and its marine identity.

Last year, World Oceans Day celebrated new research into ‘marine identity’ which has been endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade. According to Dr Bunchan, ‘marine identity’ is all human-ocean relationship and actively working towards sustainability. 

“It’s not so much about educating people to care about the sea, as connecting them with it and supporting them more in civic participation,” reported Dr Buchan on Exeter University website. 

This is especially important in the sense of wider environmental education that includes direct advocating of change directly involved with local marine issues and decision-making rather than only small individual actions. 

In recent years there have been projects on the Isle of Wight which foster marine conservation and marine identity in the community, especially in the naval sector. To celebrate it, Hybrid is looking back at the history of the Island's maritime community and the present big players.

Brief history of the Island

The Isle of Wight has always been considered an essential and strategic naval point and close to the heart and history of the Isle of Wight people. Early history suggests it was more of a military base than today's stunning holiday resort. The island was originally part of the mainland, and 12,000 years ago, ice sheets retreated, rising sea levels. According to Wight Coast Fossils, 6,000 years ago, neolithic farmers across the English Channel from France arrived on the Isle of Wight, bringing farming to the land and began populating the Island. 

The Bronze Age Beaker People, who are believed to be the ancestors to the present English, came soon after. About a thousand years later, the Solent River was flooded, and the Wiht became the Isle of Wiht. Throughout the Beaker's habitation, the unique marine location of the Wiht island allowed the indigenous population to develop skills in fishing, seafaring, and coastal trading. 

But nothing was ever peaceful, and the island has experienced numerous invasions, including by the Saxons and Normandy, and was an unfortunate player during the Civil War. 

Nonetheless, in the nineteenth century, the island became a holiday destination with the introduction of the railway. Its warm microclimate was believed to be good for treating lung diseases and the island was considered to have unbeatable natural beauty. Initially, the islanders were rural folks who were predominantly small farmers, fishermen and boatbuilders, but soon, with the emergence of the Victorian era, the industry truly took its turn. 

In 1802, the White family moved to the island, began building ships in East Cowes, and eventually morphed into J. Samuel White Co. in 1860. 

It employed about 500 local artisans, building vessels for the Royal Navy and other military ships, such as the Polish destroyer ORP Blyskawica and the Argentinian Mendoza-class destroyer. The firm eventually ceased operations in 1981. 

The Isle of Wight was also the home of the first hovercraft manufacturer, British Hovercraft Corporation. With the help of the local aerospace and marine engineering manufacturer Saunders-Roe, Sir Christopher Sydney Cockerell invented the pioneering hovercraft, whose technology is still visible on the island.

Modern and eco-oriented Isle of Wight

After six thousand years of the Island’s history, the marine industry and the community is still going strong as ever.

Rather than the community’s worry about military unrest of the past, their efforts are now more aimed at the environment. 

Since 2010, Wight Shipyard Co. has been Europe's leading boat manufacturer. According to the firm, “they specialise in lightweight, fast ferries that are constructed to an exceptionally high standard". 

Charlie McCallum has worked in the maritime industry for the past 14 years. He previously taught at UK Sailing Academy/UKSA in East Cowes and is currently a Project Engineer at Wight Shipyard Co.

When asked about Wight Shipyard Co environmental efforts, Charlie McCallum has said:  

"At Wight Shipyard, we are proud to say that we are always proactively working to not only meet, but exceed, environmental expectations. Earth Clipper, for example, is the first zero-emission hybrid electric ferry in the UK, providing quick and efficient travel for tourists and commuters across London and due to this, won an award for 'Best River Ferry'. This is just an example of the effort we are putting in to support the environment." 

Last October, the firm secured over £32 million in funding alongside several other Solent-based businesses in the Government’s Zero Emissions Vehicle and infrastructure (ZEVI) competition. It was a crucial step in government efforts towards promoting global green shipping. 

Currently the firm is waiting for erection of their £6 million worth, brand-new marine hub in East Cowes. The Columbine Building will allow the Wight Shipyard to deliver next-generation high-speed ferries and provide more employment for the local community. 

According to Isle of Wight Radio, it will also be a centre for environmental stewardship and showcase the local efforts such as the recent reintroduction of the White-tailed Eagle or endangered oysters, which have been directly supported by the UKSA. 

In 2017, Isle of Wight College opened a £12 million specialist educational centre in Whippingham with the state-of-the-art equipment to teach a new generation of local marine engineers on the Isle of Wight and educate them about how the marine industry can directly contribute to the environment. 

Similar efforts have been seen with other educational institutions such as Cowes Enterprise College which started Maritime Futures for Key Stage 3 students. This program offers heritage lessons about the Isle of Wight maritime industry and science classes about marine conservation. 

All these local efforts directly foster positive marine citizenship in pupils and make them more connected with the local, coastal community as a whole which is often highlighted by the locals to be quite isolated. 

McCallum said that he hopes “the investment continues to allow local maritime businesses expansion opportunities. Which, in turn, will enable us to give back to the community by providing them with good work opportunities. This is particularly important to us on the Isle of Wight, as a lot of employment opportunities here are seasonal, meaning work tends to dry up in the winter.”