The Super Moon on the 19th of March, when the Moon was the closest it has been to the Earth for 19 years, is likely to have caused a series of nautical accidents off the coast of the United Kingdom.

The moon effects tides and in the Solent, between the Isle of Wight and the Hampshire coast sandbanks that are normally covered by the sea where uncovered and became a danger to shipping. The Daily Mail reports that coastguards at the Isle of Wight had to deal with five ships in distress.

The stranded ships included a 25 foot yacht and a 2,900 tonne cargo ship. A coastguard told the newspaper;

We checked them all and there were no injuries, just some surprise at being caught out like this. Blame it on the Moon.

This photograph by Peter Pearson shows The Needles on the Isle of Wight.

In Pure Spirit

Did you experience anything odd during the Super Moon? Let us know in the comment section below.