CI to CI

Solitary Cruising instructor heads for the Channel Islands

Evening

At some point one gets itchy feet and it is time to up sticks and head out to sea before gets too comfortable And so it was on 13/8 that Seascape was off towards Guernsey single handed this time and in a high pressure atmospherically making for a sedate trip. Wind was force 1-2 and so a departure at 11:00 suited the tides for an intentional ride south down the Alderney Race.  In fact I left a bit earlier having finished my rewatering chores and so with no rush, Seascape and I pooled along the shore again. This time we stayed un peu a Nord just to prove that once bitten is enough.

Omonville

En route I decided to poke my head into Omonville La Rogue while I waited for the tide to kick in. There were a number of steel white mooring buoys in place for visitors and a couple of nice restaurants were visible. The buoys have rings on top but are without pick up buoys. They all looked like they could be a bit rolly as they were on the East end at the rather exposed end of the harbour.   I would not wish to be here in any Northerly wind quadrant whatsoever.

 At 13:50 We were off Cap de L'Hague and riding the tide south with no real wind to speak of.

 At 15:30 the tide had only kicked in enough to give us 7.5 k over the ground and we were east of Alderney making reasonable progress. It looked like the negative tides are stronger than ever but the positive one are shy today! At 80:00 after 35 miles we arrived in St Peter Port and moored up alongside the non walk ashore pontoons in a relatively busy harbour.  A French charter boat moored up alongside us and we later discovered that it's grotty fenders had scoured a long scar in Seascapes starboard beam as it tied up. At the same time a French Ovni attacked from the bow and was only just fended off from driving its anchor through the pulpit as the crew stood at the bow with a line disconnected at both ends and told me calmly that he was awaiting an order from his skipper instead of tying one end around a cleat.

Needless to say I was somewhat firmer and told him to xx£&@ tie one end on and let me get the other round a pontoon cleat to slow the metal ram down. Why is it that there are many excellent French Yachtsmen doing exceptional things in yachts, particularly the  Vendee, Little Bretagne and the Jacqueline Vabre but so many charterers who should never be allowed to float. How come the charter companies seem to hide all the fenders?

Saucisson Sec and Muscadet for a sun downer

Supper the correct way