Cruising to the Channel Islands August 2006











Musketeer tied up in St Peter Port Guensey

The cruise of the Musketeer this year was characterised by sea mists, the absence of one of the crew after day 4, and a record crossing (for the boat) of the Channel from Alderney Breakwater to the Needles Bridge Buoy.

We started from Hamble mostly motoring across Poole bay in fitful winds to arrive at Studland.

Studland Anchorage with Old Harry in the background

After an excellent evening in the Bankes Arms we took a walk along the cliffs to Old Harry Rocks where we could look back to our anchorage. Rising at 5.30 next morning it was 7.15 before we could break the anchor out. It had fouled on a big mooring chain and we had to send the ships hammer down on a line to trip it.

That day we motor sailed to Alderney arriving about 6pm. Finding the harbour pretty full we tied up sharing a buoy with a similar size boat.

View over Braye Harbour

After a quick pint on the deck of the recently refurbished Divers pub we walked to the town finding a very nice but packed Thai restaurant. What an incongruous sight on Alderney! Next morning after a walk up to the town to get a battery for the ships clock we set out for Guernsey down the dreaded Swinge in a fickle sea mist.

That dreaded Swinge

For those who don't know it The Swinge is a rock strewn channel down the North West side of Alderney. When the tide is flowing at full pelt its a scary place for a sailing boat. With 5 knots of tide or more under your keel you have to keep your wits about you. This sea mist was unusual in August and was quite scary.

On then to Guernsey which was similarly shrouded in a mist that came down in seconds and obscured the many rocks in the Little Russell aproach channel. We were glad of the radar and GPS which guided us safely into harbour. Later the mist lifted, leaving a nice sunny evening. After a shower and the inevitable G&T mixed on board, we repaired to a nice Italian hostelry and the yacht club for a nightcap.

Next day one of the crew had to leave us, so we all got on the 'round the island' bus which passed the airport. The driver refused my mainland pensioners' bus pass, it was only 60p anyway! We spent the afternoon shopping, had an early evening meal for about a tenner at the amazing French owned Petit Bistro and it was early to bed for an early start back to Alderney. On arrival we set off to walk to the south of the Island taking us past the Swinge again studded with rocks at low tide. We continued round to the south where we could see the Gannet colony. Every flat space on the guano covered rocks was occupied by gannets, whilst as many again wheeled overhead in a massive cloud.

The Swinge at low tide with Ortac and the Casquettes light in the background

The gannet colony

Then on to Telegraph bay, the only other yacht friendly place in Alderney. A magnificent view on such a wonderful sunny day. This bay is a refuge from the Alderney Race which has even faster tidal streams that The Swinge. The tides in this area have one of the greatest tidal ranges in the world, exceeded only by Newfoundland. This means that in a yacht which can make only 5 to 6 knots you have to go with the tides, otherwise you can easily end up going backwards or risk ending up on the rocks.

At one place there was heather on the cliffs, at another a carpet of succulents with orange flowers. The flora of Alderney is like the island itself, miniature and truly amazing.

Telegraph Bay

Then back to St Annes, Alderneys' metropolis for a well earned late afternoon pint at the Divers.

Enjoying a pint in The Divers

Next day the plan was to head for Cherbourg, but with the wind in an awkward place the day after offering the prospect of having to tack our way back across the channel we set course for the Needles on a nice reach. Our sail was in a force 5, which increased as we approached the Island to a full 6. Musketeer romped along and we did Braye harbour entrance to the Needles in 9 hours dead, a record for us as its about 55 miles, and a pretty good time for any 30 foot yacht. The wind and sea condition were too much for an autohelm (it was broken anyway), and the last few hours were very tiring with only two helmsman. We entered the Needles channel a little early with the tide still ripping out against us past the Bridge buoy and the Shingles bank (the doom of many a yacht), a mass of foaming white overfalls just 50 metres way. One of those anxious moments. But we made it easily in spite of the foul tide.

Approaching the Needles

We tied up in Yarmouth, one of my favourite places in the Solent. After a welcome shower it was off to the Wheatsheaf, a real gem of a hostelry with excellent food and beer, and then off to the inevitable yacht club for that nightcap.

The next morning we headed down the Solent towards Cowes, but we continued to Wooton Creek where we met up with an old friend at the Royal Victoria yacht club . The Royal Vic was actually started by the Queen and her consort because Albert was not a naval man and therefore not allowed to join the Island's most prestigious yacht club, the white ensigned Royal Yacht Squadron.

That night in Cowes was the day of the mass terrorist arrests all over the mainland. As we sat in Murrays restaurant we observed two policeman armed with machine guns walk along Cowes High Street. Quite a shock in a town where the only disturbance is the group of youngsters gathered outside the chip shop. My companion relieved the tension by saying that the armed police were there 'on account of someone trying to get into the Royal Yacht Squadron without a tie!'

The next afternoon we were back out our berth in the Hamble. Our missing companion arrived to collect his gear. After tidying the boat, we sat quietly enjoying a cup of tea, recalling the events of the week. Although we have done this trip and others like it many times together ,we discussed the best moments. The new sights we had seen, things we marvelled at like Aderneys' stange flora, laughed at the sleepless night in Braye harbour where on every yacht people were up hour on hour trying to prevent boats crashing together even though there was no east wind. At last we reluctantly parted leaving our old boat quiet on its mooring...