The Selsey fishing fleet is very unusual in that the larger boats lie throughout the year, as they always have done, on moorings in the open sea. They are able to do so because the east coast of Selsey Bill provides a lee to protect the moorings against the prevailing south-westerly wind. In the event of an easterly gale the boats motor round to the west side of the bill and anchor off Itchenor for the duration of the storm. In the days when that fleet consisted of sailing cutter smacks somewhat smaller than the modern motor vessels, the boats, which otherwise also lay offshore, could be hauled up onto Selsey's east beach come an easterly gale and indeed for the two worst months of the winter (figure 1).
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