Had enough of Cherbourg
Lera(hen3ry)
Malcolm Cann
Mon 30 Oct 2006 15:50
1 The prevailing wind seems to be permanently SW at the moment and there is the slightest threat of it turning to the South or even SE, this should give me a chance of sailing to my next destination.
2 If I have to usethe engine the tide races through Alderney will be at their lowest giving my poor old engine (12 months old) a chance.
I decided I would make the leap on the evening of Saturday the 29th to St Helier as it didn't seem too far, I could have gone for small easy steps but not me.
Saturday at 2000 GMT I motored out of Cherbourg and headed for Cap de la Hague, immediately it was obvious that the wind was dead in my face, and the engine was struggling, I decided to motor, all the way , if neccessary. I had allowed 4 hours to Cap de la Hague because I expected to pick up the eddy current around the head. Even though at times I was only doing 0.8kts SOG I still made Cap de la Hague in about 4 hours. I thought, things can only get better, and sure enough, after a short pottering in slack water still with the wind against me, even though I'd turned onto a different heading(funny that?), the speed began to pick up and I soon found myself doing 7kts with the tide. This was great but all good things come to an end, and all too soon the tide eased,mostly because I'd shot out of the end I suspect andthewind speed had dropped to about 3kts and I was left to useonly the magnicent power of my engine to push me through the water at a magnificent 3kts. I plugged on, by this time I was watching Guernsey ? disappear behind me very slowly,and the tide was coming around against me. I wound the engine up even further, when suddenly a vibration started from the drive, so I backed it of again.
Slowly meadering to Jersey I was being overtaken by rowing boats? or so it felt. Finally arrived in St helier marina about 1600 GMT. Time for bed said Zebedee!!
Today Monday I've been going around the shipyards trying to organise a propellor resizing, cause I reckon munes too small and at least one engineer agrees with me. (the engine revs to about 4000 with or without the propellor engaged) the local Volvo man says he will get the size and we will go from there.
I've booked me into St Helier for a month(cheaper than Cherbourg) lets hope we can fix it.