Sail to St Vaast la Hougue
Initially I intended sailing via Dover and Brighton to Hamble Point Marina in Southampton to visit the yearly Southampton boat show. I like to do this most years. This year the show was a great disappointment only being half its original size. I’m not sure I will bother to go again. On the way out of Chatham I passed the SS Richard Montgomery WWII wreck to see the work platform removing the mast (See previous blogs). On returning to Chatham they had been fully removed and no longer projected from the water. It was also great to see the large colony of seals basking on the Pan Sand bank just off Whitstable wind farm. As I rounded Dungeness (Dungeness Power station is a pretty grim looking structure from the sea) it was great to see the many dolphins that always play there.
After the show I thought it would be a good idea to pop across the English Channel to Cherbourg to do a booze cruise and my friend Steve, (skipper of A’assifa) said he would join me. He met me at Hamble Point marina at 10am and we set off across the channel arriving in Cherbourg some 10 hours or so later. Crossing the English Channel involves crossing the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS). This is the sea version of a motorway, where commercial vessels transit the English Channel and there are different rules (Colregs) that apply to vessels crossing it. Basically you give way to any traffic using the TSS. And its essential you keep a very close eye on the large amount of shipping traffic who can approach at an alarming rate.
The next day we visited the wine warehouse buying our maximum duty free quota. The wine store then delivered it straight to my boat which was really helpful. We then had a look around, visiting the maritime museum, whilst here we boarded and toured a nuclear submarine which was fascinating. (This submarine carried 16 nuclear missiles and I was surprised to learn that one single missile war head is more powerful than all the ammunition used in both WWI and WWII put together.
The next day, after securely tying down the duty free in the saloon, we set off to Alderney (Channel Islands). We timed this to benefit from the tidal stream and at one point Luce almost touched 12 knots. Some of the tidal streams here are the fastest in the world and getting it wrong can slow you almost to a stop and you can be sucked miles off course or worse still onto the shore. Although we did not need to enter the tidal streams at Alderney (referred to as the Alderney Race) they can be extremely dangerous particularly in less powerful boats. As we approached Alderney the sea state dramatically changed to rough unsettled water caused by an outfall accelerating and confusing the water. It was both exhilarating and strange to sail through, then all of a sudden the water went dead flat and calm. A reminder of how powerful the sea can be and how quickly it can change. After mooring on a buoy in Braye harbour we called for a water taxi to shore and had a wander round looking at the Napoleonic fortifications which were then later extensively and massively further fortified by the Germans during WWII when they occupied Alderney. I was astonished at he extent of fortification and tunnels that linked them. After we ended up in the local bar/hotel for drinks and dinner before getting the last water taxi back to Luce.
The next day we set off to a lovely working fishing village in St Vasst de Hougue, France. This was a 6hr sail arriving at about at 12.30. Its different to the usual harbours as it is controlled by a lock which is only opened 2 hours either side of high water. Once closed the lock retains the water in the harbour and the water outside completely disappears to the extent you cannot see the sea and only land, exposing enormous oyster farm beds. The village is lovely and although the shops had closed by time we arrived it was nice to walk around and see the fishermen working on thier boats and to see a small chapel for those lost at sea. In the morning I took a stroll in the mostly closed High Street ending up in a small coffee bar, chatting away to a Portuguese chap who was an engineer and sailor. He also told me he was a successful Author writing science fiction, which was the last thing I expected him to say.
It was a shame to leave for home the next day where we sailed to Brighton Marina dropping Steve off to be collected by his wife Heather leaving me to continue my passage back to Chatham where I had some brilliant sailing. All in all a fantastic couple of weeks. I’m now wondering if I’m missing a trick not sailing Northern France and the Channel Islands before heading off to the Mediterranean. Something to think about!
