The Solent

The Solent is the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. It is about 20 miles long and varies in width between 2 ¹⁄₂ and 5 mi, although the Hurst Spit which projects 1 ¹⁄₂ mi into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay to just over 1 mi.