Deauville / Trouville Cruise

[Charles]

Julian, please contact Paul L as he is trying to reach you - 01883622448

[Julian]

Hi Charles

I will give him a call now. Thanks

Julian

[Julian]

Morning

Just to inform you that Paul Lemmer is now joining us as well on Friday with freinds and new BIBOA members Simon and Fiona in their 8.5mtre Ocean Rib.

Julian

[Julian]

49 : 49 : 003 N - 001 : 20 : 000 W - Meeting Point 29NM from Deauville. We will all arrange to meet here to run in to the marina together.

49 : 25 : 001 N - 000 : 02 : 004 E Outer Marker Bouy. Keep bouy to Port.

49 : 24 : 001 N - 000 : 03 :002 E Inner Bouy. Keep bouy to Starboard.

49 : 23 : 002 N - 000 : 04 : 000 E - Harbour Entrance.

Bearing to enter approach is 148 T.

Hope this helps.

Julian

[Julian]

Sorry Folks

Its seems that I have made an error in my waypoint. The 1st Waypoint I listed for our meeting point is wrong. Please ignore this . I will work out our meeting point tonight and post it on here tomorrow.

The rest of the waypoints are fine and will lead you into the harbour etc.

Julian

[Julian]

Hi Folks

Just received an updated weather forcast for this weekend. There are storms brewing around the channel area and across france at the moment. Friday is going to be a rough crossing with up to Force 7 at times etc. Sunday is going to be very bad with up to Force 9 -10 . My recomendation is that we postpone this event and not take the risk. Paul Lemmer is going to go tomorrow but will be returning saturday lunchime ish to avoid the worst weather. Its up you if you would like to still go but its looks like its a non runner for myself.

Typical English weather.

Julian

[MarkWildey]

Julian

The forecast for Thursday, when I met up with Mike, Brian, Andy Etc, was correct in that it was F7. All the forecasts show that it was a one off and the weekend is F2-F4. We looked at the customs house in Alderney and also

As we found today the sea conditions were fine for any RIB to make the crossing.

If anyone is in two minds then get in your RIB and make the crossing. Your biggest problem is going to sun-burn !

Cheers Mark

[Charles]

Couple of ribs arrived in Alderney at lunch-time today. Lovely crossing -F2/3. The other guys, Brian, Mike etc left Alderney this morning bound for Deauville. Weather over here is 26C F1 and no swell.

[Brian]

Every skipper, after receiving all the information he believes relevant, should make up his own mind about whether he should take his boat to sea.
All those who made the decision to abandon the Deaville BIBOA Cruise made absolutely the right decision.
The worst a skipper can do in my view is to allow himself to be swayed by peer pressure into going out when he suspects he should not.
We decided, after taking our own independent specialist advice, that we would go.

So on Day 1, Cyanide followed Awesome and Magellan Alpha out of Torbay at 07.00 hours on Thursday the 17th July.
For us Alderney was to be our first stop as it was only 65nmiles away and we could refuel inexpensively there.
An hour out of Alderney we went through a rather damp squall and were soon outside Braye harbour, in what can only be described as interesting wind-with-tide conditions. The ride in to the outer harbour was white-knuckling, to the extent that everyone forgot to take any photographs!
After refuelling, we hired mini-mokes and toured the island and were joined later by Mark Wildey (and Frank) from Poole in Jellygnite Two. Frank had come over for a game of golf (as you do) and was reputed to have been practising his tee swings from the top of Mark’s engine-box.
We also met “Seahound” who welcomed us to his island and made us feel amongst friends.

Andy Micklewright (Awesome) checks out The Swinge to the west, between Alderney and the Casquettes.

[Brian]

Day 2 Friday 18th
Leaving Braye at a leisurely 09.30 we went eastwards, past Cherburg and thence across the Baye du Seine to Deauville, arriving in the early afternoon. The air temperature was 28.5C, the sea like a millpond and not a cloud in the sky. After checking in through the lock gates and finding our hotels, we explored the town and drank a glass or two before enjoying an excellent meal and having a reasonably early night.

A Sailing ship passed at speed just outside Cherburg

[Brian]

Cyanide follows Mag. A. into Deauville harbour.

[Brian]

Deauville market on Sunday morning.

[Brian]

Day 3 Saturday 19th
We were locked in till 11.00 by the tides at Deauville and therefore spent the morning sightseeing and doing some odd-job repairs. Mike Garsides Magellan Alpha had sprung a leak in it’s turbo pipe. This was taken to Monsieur Galloise, he with the hoped T-shirt, beret and ever lit fag, who ran the local garage. He shrugged and said come back in two hours. Upon return we found he had put a weld on the pipe which might, but only might, hold till our return. So to play safe we left Deauville with just Cyanide and Awesome, and went west to Honfluer, an absolute gem of a town, and then on to the Bridge of the Europas, across the River Seine.
Returning in the early evening we looked in vain for 100foot high water spouts and other manifestations of terrible weather, but I am afraid we were out of luck. Looking at the sea, babies bottoms and cats pissing on glass came to mind. By lock-in we had all had quite a touch of the sun and the air temperature had risen to over 30C.

Honfleur harbour for lunch

[Brian]

and local artist earning his keep.........

[Brian]

Day 4 Sunday 20th
We had left our return leg open to provide us with weather flexibility. But the run across the bay (about 55nmiles) was uneventful apart from the magnificent picnic lunch sourced cunningly from patisseries in the town by your own correspondent, (whose command of the French language after only 24hours says a great deal for the patience of the locals), and eaten to the lazy slop of the sea about 4nmiles off Point Barfleur.
After a brief conflab and check on tide times, it was decided to run on to Alderney rather than overnight in Cherbourg.
Once again we braved the Alderney race to screech into Braye harbour with about 15mins to go before refuelling in the inner harbour became impossible. The famous Roland found us a buoy to raft up on overnight and we took the precaution of booking back into the Belle Vue Hotel by mobile whilst off France. Likewise in ABC Taxis we found a company with a large mini-bus to take the seven of us and our luggage.


Braye Water Taxi

[Brian]

Day 5 Monday 21st
At 09.00 there were the beginnings of “a light sea mist”, ie it was probably going to p***s down later. On with the drysuits and out to a bright and fresh channel en-route for our RV point about 15nm south of Start Point. As you all know, as soon as you put your suit on, out comes the sun. And for two hours, so it proved. Just as we were about to raft up and stop for our sausage sandwiches, the heaven opened and down it tipped. Sea state was fine, probably only Force 3, but anyway, impossible to eat our sarnies. So off we went for another 20 minutes until the rain stopped. We then lunched, I handed control of Cyanide to Andy Cox who was taking her on down to Falmouth with Mag. A. and I jumped ship onto Andy Micklewrights Awesome for the final 25nmiles into Brixham. We arrived there at about 14.00 hours.
Apart from some showers in the channel and (at worst) a very brief Force 4 on the Thursday, the whole trip was characterised by boiling sunshine and dead flat seas.

A great time was had by all, as we say.

[Aging Youth]

Hi Brian, Mike G, Andy M & Co,


This looks like a brilliant time was had by all. Those blues skies & flats seas french wine cold meats pastry's mmmm. i am feeling peckish already.

Well Guy's How can you surpase a trip like that?

By attending the great homecoming party in Portsmouth of course.

Please take a look at the Homecoming thread and you'll get the picture.

Hope to see you all soon
Best wishes
Kevin

[Mike Garside]

Originally posted by Brian

An hour out of Alderney we went through a rather damp squall and were soon outside Braye harbour, in what can only be described as interesting wind-with-tide conditions. The ride in to the outer harbour was white-knuckling, to the extent that everyone forgot to take any photographs!

Hmm. Not so Bri. It'sa bit easier for us indoor RIBsters. Here's you and Awsome in a bit of a sea...

[Brian]

Usefull info for Alderney visiters.

Mainbrayce Chandlery - Pat or Steve on 01481 822772 or VHF 80
An amazing array of chandlery, electronics, charts. Very helpful and friendly and operators of the diesel refueling point in the inner harbour. Fuel berth best avoided by ribsters a couple of hours either side of low tide.

Mainbrayce also own the water taxi service 07781 415420 or VHF 37 ( or just speak to Pat !). £2 to get ashore £1 to get back to your boat

ABC Taxis 01481 415420. They have a minibus as well.

Belle Vue Hotel-01481 822844
Steve Collins on http://www.bellevue.alderney.com/
Superb views and scrumptious dinners

Harbour Master has a top class weather program running on a large flat screen on the counter. It shows hour by hour, over the next 5 days, the weather for the whole of the western channel.
We checked this through VERY carefully before proceeding to France.
We also checked with our rib.net mate, "Gingercoastie" who gave us the v. latest weather update.

Ribnet member "Seahound" who lives on Alderney.

Thanks to all of you for making our trip not only enjoyable, but safe as well.

[Mike Garside]

'an then again, on the way out, you thro' my windscreen...