A post Covid cruise to Guernsey

By August, 2021, our daughter Fiona felt it safe enough to join us for ten days and we decided to pick her up from Dartmouth for a possible trip to the Channel Islands.   A rapid downwind sail to Salcombe, south of the Eddystone light, involved an early start. 

 

Once there, we were put on a mooring well above the Bag, where we were joined by Patrick in “Capraia”.  And enjoyed a meal aboard.  Despite being singlehanded, when “Capraia”’s stainless steel tiller shaft sheared, he managed to stay in control until towed to Salcombe and was now awaiting a tiller repair or replacement.  

The repaired tiller arrived in time for "Capraia" to depart for Helford the following day, while we planned to walk to the Sharpitor museum, postponed from 2018, due to engine fuel failure on arrival, in the midst of local dinghy races! The house and museum are long closed but the NT gardens are delightful.  We then walked out to Bolt Head and back and looked down onto the speedboat "contrails" in Starhole Bay.  

 

Avoiding the crowds ashore, we ate aboard again, before refuelling on our way down river and a pleasant, if rather grey, sail around to Dartmouth.  An evening was spent in the Dartmouth Sailing Club, waiting for Fiona to arrive and our food!  A more relaxing day ashore in the rain and early supper aboard, was followed by a rather messy departure from the pontoon with the increasing ebb behind us in worsening visibility.

The imminent north easterlies, which were to continue throughout our trip, precluded Alderney and left just St Peters Port as our port of Covid clearance.  We were able to see enough in the dusk and mist to clear the mouth of the Dart. 

           Leaving Dartmouth                       Dolphin mid channel (Fiona Patuck)

 The wind was sufficient for damp motor sailing and, after numerous dolphins and phosphorescence, dawn saw the wind pick up and we arrived off the NE coast around lunchtime.     

Visualising our first mark, Platte Fougere, just before a prolonged heavy rain shower obscured the Little Russell completely, not ideal on our first passage to the Channel Islands! Fortunately I had earlier supplemented a position at each turning point, to the waypoints left over from the Shaw’s stewardship and we had no option but to sail from waymark to waymark – at least we had the tides right!  We arrived off the harbour as the rain stopped and took down the sails before motoring to the pontoons.  We were put on a convenient walk ashore pontoon that led to a big marquee, where we were Covid screened, using the Guernsey app, which, with a little help, worked well.  We had to purchase a kit of lateral flow tests for each of us and do them every second day but there was no means to advise the local authorities of the results!  Any way we were now free to explore the island and the rest of the Bailiwick.

 

 What we would have seen, taken from Herm!     Safe in St Peter's Port

We had a pleasant Sunday ashore, visiting the Guernsey Museum and listening to a concert in Cande Gardens, completed our laundry and stocked up at the convenient M&S Food Hall, there being, disappointingly few, if any, local food outlets, open or closed. 

Rested and victualled, we left for the relatively short passage to Sark, seeing the channel we had come through much more clearly.  We anchored at Grande Greve under a massive cliff leading up to La Coupe to Little Sark.  A little rolly but otherwise peaceful, we spent the next day exploring Sark on foot, swimming and climbing a lot of stairs! 

 

    Grand Greve                                          Sunset le Grand Greve Sark           

                                                         Fiona at helm returning to Guernsey

We then moved back to Guernsey, in the hope that the bays to the south were more sheltered from the NE wind and swell.  While this was the case and we had the anchorage at Petit Port, in Moulin Huet Bay, largely to ourselves after the day trippers had gone, it was still quite rolly, but swimming ashore and access, via more stairs, enabled us to spend several days exploring.

    

      Under Jerbourg Pt Guernsey                            More steps!   

                                                                                             Petit Port Guernsey                               

We then had a short sail to Herm and anchored south of Rosiere Steps for one night, exploring the whole Island on foot, before enjoying breakfast at the White House Hotel and sailing back to St Peter Port, for more laundry, victualling and a Sunday bus journey around the whole Island on our last day.

  

       Off Rosiere steps Herm                         Sunset from Herm    

Bank holiday Monday, had us all prepared to cross back but it was grey with a stronger wind but fair for Plymouth.  Leaving at about 1 pm we cleared over the sill and, as we rounded St Martin’s light at the SE corner of Guernsey, the sun came out and a very pleasant broad reach took us along the south coast and past Les Hanois light house, off the SW tip.  From there we hardened up to a close reach and took our departure from Guernsey and into the sunset.

   David at helm reaching south of Guernsey        

“Susan J”, carried on with two reefs and no jib, at 4 knots and, well before dawn, we had sighted Prawle Point and the Eddystone.  By 08:30 we were tucked up in the Mayflower, ready for an end of cruise breakfast at Jolly Jack’s, before Fiona caught the train back to Bristol and the skipper did some routine maintenance, while Julie visited her ancestors at Forde Park.

                    A happy crew!                                  Breakfast at Jolley Jacks