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Cruise to Alderney in May 2007
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The Treasurer in his Pansy suit |
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It’s sometimes surprising how those short weekends heralding nothing more than a visit 'round the corner' - 'done it thousands of times', - 'bought the T shirt', can offer something a tad different!
This sort of summarises the last long weekend.
At first I thought I had the wrong day as I sat on Lady Emma at 2000 hours on the Thursday before the first May Bank Holiday, the joining time, with Salli's supper for four warming nicely in the oven, but no crew! However within half an hour James, Tony and Brian bowled comfortingly down the pontoon, and shortly thereafter were tucking into tucker (with a T).
The bad news was that the tidal gate was either midnight or mid morning so it was to be an overnight sail with whatever was called for the following day to get us to Alderney. The forecast was fair, wind NE, force 2-4, we therefore left the pontoon shortly before midnight, put up a full set of sails at the mouth of the Itchen and set off down Southampton water.
The wind was fair, the tide good (being Springs) and we barrelled out past the Needles lighthouse inside three hours with James’ new GPS gizmo for comfort which tells you everything you need to know for course work except how to make tea!
Thereafter it was into the open sea but as the desired course would have been a dead run we adjusted the heading to be at least twenty degrees off that for a comfortable sail. That would have been fine except that the obvious course correction to take us to Braye needed to be made just as we reached the east-bound shipping lane and would have put us amongst the shipping and going in the same direction. We therefore carried on until daylight by which time we were only twenty miles off Pointe de Barfleur. This appeared to be a navigational crisis but the navigator did have all the westward tide up his sleeve, which being Springs, was worth a good knot or two and so it worked out the forty miles to Braye were covered in six hours!
Braye was virtually empty so we had the pick of the buoys and called up the water taxi. Not running. Wrong kind of snow! No pontoon and no customers so took the night off! This called for the rubber duck so willing hands (and feet) were put to work and she was launched shortly with the fit and agile deputed to row the crew ashore for a meal. In the morning the newly found two stroke outboard was given the once over and found to be in good order so this was mounted to the dinghy to provide free transport, although by now the water taxi had put in an appearance.
Olivia, who had flown in, having stayed behind for the elections, was met at the yacht club and each made plans to pass the day and rejoin for a meal in First and Last. James, Tony and Brian hired cycles, Jeremy bought a paper and Olivia walked the harbour and hinterland. All successfully rejoined for an excellent meal, only curtailed by the requirement to leave the mooring at 0600 Sunday.
The return sail provided its fair share of adventure. Tony got the kettle going shortly after five and cooked another excellent breakfast of eggs and bacon (having also done so on Saturday) and we cast off on time. The wind by now had backed to a SW 4/5 forecast 6/7 ‘later’. The sails were raised outside Braye and with the wind only 12 -15 knots and almost aft again, Jeremy suggested the cruising chute. It was run up brilliantly by James and assistants but if the helm wandered at all it pulled the boat over and shortly after being raised James noticed a small tear about two thirds of the way up and the sail was dropped in favour of the No1. This provided a speedy and exciting sail until the wind started gusting over 20 knots and eventually a sail change was put in hand with the No2 genny and a reef in the mainsail. This proved perfectly satisfactory and we were in line for a ten hour crossing when an incident delayed us considerably.
I had retired to continue reading the papers! Suddenly I heard a low grumble and then a bang, followed by lots of feet on deck (or was that before the bang?). At first it sounded like a stay going. Summoned on deck I was advised the life raft had slipped its moorings (like soap out of wet hands), been arrested briefly by a port stanchion and then parted from the boat to deploy as required in the water. A fine sight!
I was told at first that "it had gone", and rather like the various hats that go overboard from time to time, should be left to Davy Jones! This didn't seem either a good idea or necessary, because although the wind was by now 5 gusting 6/7 and sea state somewhere between moderate and rough, that was all and a MOB drill totally feasible. Which was exactly what was put in hand and although the raft was a handful to get on board, three strong crew did it and it was deflated on the deck.
The rest of the trip was short of interest by comparison although the run up the Needles Channel and Western Solent forced us to dead run, gybe often or sail by the lee, all good experience for the crew and helm.
We were berthed at Ocean Quay at 2100 and parted feeling an ordinary Channel trip had had its fair share of adventure.
Jeremy McLaughlin
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