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2008 Channel Islands Cruise
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St Peter Port, just outside the marina |
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St Peter Port on a glorious day |
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Leaving Ocean Quay after a small amount of maintenance work which included fixing the fridge, we sailed to Yarmouth. After spending the night there we left at 0400 hours on the first of the ebb tide.
We crossed the Channel mainly under engine as the promised wind did not materialise. Some 12 hours later we entered the harbour of Braye on Alderney. The authorities are re-building the commercial quay which means a long detour to get to the showers. Fortunately the ever welcoming Alderney Sailing Club isopen weekdays from 6pm to 8pm and visiting yachties are welcome to drink there and to use the showers.
The next day (Wednesday) we motored out of Braye into The Swinge and then navigated to St Peter Port on Guernsey, arrving in time for lunch. The rest of the day was spent exploring the town.
Thursday dawned and we were off reasonably early to catch a fair tide to St Helier, Jersey. We arrived just before the time we could access the town marina and exchanged pleasantries with some sailors loading a merchant ship with scrap iron. Their ultimate destination was China which shows the huge amount of manufacturing that is going on in the east. The crew reported that the town of St Helier looked like any town in Britain with the same shop fronts.
So Friday we quit St Helier at 0400 (early start again, mainly due to neap tides), just before the water level over the cill dropped too far to let us out, and made passage against the tide to arrive at the Alderney Race at the start of the flood. The question of when to arrive at the race exercised all the navigators on board (there were four) and led to the comment that this should be named the "Committee Cruise"!!
We had a reasonable sail into Cherbourg where we berthed in the late afternoon. We ate well at a decent restaurant in the town and spent the next day making do and mending and exploring. We quit our berth at 1900 hours and set off under sail across the Channel, ariving back on our mooring at 1200 the next day.
Everyone agreed that the food was excellent (thank you Salli) and the cruise was enjoyable although more wind would have been appreciated. The yacht performed well. |
 "Sark anchorage (Click to enlarge)")
 "St Peter Port, just outside the marina (Click to enlarge)")
 "St Peter Port on a glorious day (Click to enlarge)")