St Vaast and Alderney 3rd or 4th to 7th Aug 2011

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Trevor G

back across to Southampton in the afternoon. It's meant to be an WSW F4 gusting 5 all day tomorrow

Currently gusting an 8 here, I hope it drops more than a bit for you tomorrow.

[Avocet]

Trevor, the Met Office are currently forecasting south westerly F3 for this side of the Channel tomorrow morning increasing to F4 by early afternoon. F4 - F5 for the other side. A busy day in the office tomorrow means that I probably won't be able to head over to meet you but what time are you planning on leaving and are you going W or E around the IoW?

[martini]

We're back from Carteret now, the way there was pretty lumpy but the trip back was awful, 4m breaking seas on the beam for first part, easing off as we got some Lee from jersey then picking up again through the violet channel.

The old girl did us proud though

[Avocet]

Originally Posted by martini

The old girl did us proud though

I look forward to meeting her.

How's the boat?

David

[Erin]

Originally Posted by martini

the trip back was awful, 4m breaking seas on the beam for first part,

Yep, it was certainly a bit daunting at first even in 'the ol' girl'. Definitely wouldn't have fancied catching any of it side-on, and also quite surprising how big the waves had become in such a short time after our outbound journey. Luckily we knew we had a good helmsman otherwise I think some real concern may have set in

[martini]

Originally Posted by Erin

Luckily we knew we had a good helmsman

thank you!

BTW Blueray arrived in Alderney from Carteret at 10.30 this morning

"A bit choppy" Trevor says...

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by martini

Blueray arrived in Alderney from Carteret at 10.30 this morning

Alderney hospitality is not a patch on yours, but they are picking up supplies and lost property and then off again after luncheon.

Wind here is a steady 9kn, but fairly lively mid-channel.

Edit: Lots of fog too!

[blueray]

Originally Posted by gotchiguy

Great day with Blue Ray & Martini II. After a meal with Blue Ray's crew last night we headed up for RV with Martini II on Chausey via a pitstop for waterskiing in the Mt. St. Michel bay.

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Thanks ollie for the fun on the boat and me being nearly pushed off your boat

Also thanks matt for all the lifts round jersey and the driving experience


Thanks to martin too for the barbecue the lifts and all the breakfasts. Enjoying your lemonade


on the way back had a fairly big swell coming out of carteret going to alderney with an enormous slam off a wave breaking the screen which the speared me in the top of the head.
Alderney back to yarmouth was lumpy but not too bad with us stuffing just off the needles after dad said we were home dry!
there on an easy trip back to S'hampton with the cowes fireworks set to go off the solent was stuffed full!

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by blueray

Thanks to martin too for the barbecue the lifts and all the breakfasts. Enjoying your lemonade

Any time

[Trevor G]

Originally Posted by Avocet

Trevor, the Met Office are currently forecasting south westerly F3 for this side of the Channel tomorrow morning increasing to F4 by early afternoon. F4 - F5 for the other side. A busy day in the office tomorrow means that I probably won't be able to head over to meet you but what time are you planning on leaving and are you going W or E around the IoW?

Thanks Dave - after my last post I only got back on after we were home so didn't see your post!
I think we managed to get the weather window on the way back just right. We left Carteret at about 9.30 (French time) and made it to Alderney in about 1 1/2 hours arriving through the Race at slack - so other than the uncomfortable 2m swell for the 1st 15 miles or so it wasn't a bad run.
We waited for a while in Alderney to eat and collect everything that we'd left at Martin's then left at about 13.30 (Alderney time) for the channel crossing. We went a bit too early really as we were wind over tide for the 1st hour or so and were only making 20 knots with a fuel consumption that would normally get us closer to 28 knots!
Once the tide slacked we made better progress although it was still probably a F3 - 4 with quite a big swell and chop. It flattened off for the last 15 miles as we approached the IOW, but round the Needles it was really confused and we managed to get a full face-full of green water just when we thought we were home dry!
Still - after all the bashing Blue Ray took, the only damage (other than the fuel bill) was my trial screen extension exploded between Carteret and Alderney, and somewhere on the way back we lost one of our VHF antennas - luckily, and unusually it was the spare that snapped rather than our live one!