h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

1.The first English naval victory was in 851 by King Ethelwulf's eldest son Athelstan at Sandwich. He died the same year.

2.The victory in 882 alluded to in the AS Chronicle was at an unknown harbour and has often been referred to as the Battle of Poole Harbour./ It was almost certainly NOT the River Stour(in Essex), as Danish survivors from a sinking ship fleeing the battle were picked up in Sussex. The Danes had "ravaged Devon & The Isle of Wight"/.
They are described as having beached but were blockaded by the English ships at the harbour mouth, who also ran aground. However when the tide turned the Danes floated off first despite the English being further towards the sea. Historians have often tried to explain this by prposing the use of log rollers etc. It is also believed that the English ships were larger.
However there is now a growing view that the battle was at Bembridge Harbour in the Isle of Wight. A thousand years ago the climate was 1.5 dgrees c warmer ("the little optimum") and there was a navigable channel at high tide where there is now reclaimed farmland, and this would have allowed the surviving Danes to escape out of Yaverland. The coast road there was only secured against flooding by concientious objectors in the Great War imprisoned at Parkhurst.
Hayling Island would be an alternative, but since the Chronicle specifically mentions the Isle of Wight this seems more likely.
3. The Anglo Saxon Navy was funded by a tax called shipsoke./ Every 300 hides of land (a hide was enough to support one family) had to provide a ship and every 10 had to supply a boat and every 4 a helmet or armour, and to muster once a year. In the reign of King Edgar(when the system may have been inaugurated by St.Dunstan), 3,600 "stout ships" were said to be mustered at Chester and 1,000 in the reign of Ethelred the Unready. These may have included the "boats"which would have outnumbered the ships by 30 to 1 although their role is unclear (possibly scouting?)/. The main naval base was Sandwich and it was from here that Prince Wulfnoth led 20 ships off in a mutiny pursued by the commander- his uncle Brihtric)- in 80 ships./ Brihtric's ships were wrecked, probably beached, in a storm, and Wulfnoth returned & burnt them./
This may have been the end of the organized navy, although when exiled by Edward, Harold and Godwin seemed to have the use of there own fleet, based on the Isle of Wight.