Channel Islands
ALICE'S ADVENTURES
ANDREW AND CELIA SHARPE
Fri 23 Jul 2010 16:51
The wind finally died down a bit and we left Berthon on Sunday
morning. Lizzie dropped us over there and we came round and anchored at
Avon Beach. We then went home in the tender and picked lizzie up and
went back down to the boat. George brought the grandparents down to Avon
beach to wave us off which was lovely. Ben came down by rib and he and
George circled round us. Cumfrumbrum and Big Teau were out and waved us
off too. Quite a lumpy trip over to Studland where we had a very peaceful
night at anchor. Up at 4.30 and left at 5am with a beautiful
sunrise. Travelling alongside Ann, Paul and James on
Lacoushla. Wind was of course on the nose all the way to Alderney so
we motor sailed. A pleasant crossing in 9 and a half hours. The
weather pattern on this side of the channel seemed to be completely different
and it was hot and sunny. We all went ashore for a walk round the very pretty
town of St Annes. Then it was back to the boat for tea and cake.
Nick Woolley came in on Woolly Knickers and came to join us. A beautiful
evening with dinner in our cockpit. James was really impressed that we had
ice cream! Not such an early start to get the tide through the Swinge and down to Guernsey. Left at 7.30 and did the 23 miles in just under 3 hours. On the way we had huge outfalls between Alderney and Burhou. There was then a dramatic Mayday on the radio where a crew member had fallen in the water from a ship mid channel (he was recovered and sent to hospital). This was followed by entering a fog bank. Lacoushla was only a few hundred yards away but disappeared completely for a while. Luckily the fog cleared before we arrived at the channel for Guernsey. Saw our first dolphins too, although Lizzie missed them and thinks we were joking. Since tying up here we have had cloud, hot sun and then rain and now it's just cloudy again. Fellow Moody 54 owners Denis and Sadie who live here came down to visit this afternoon which was very interesting as we could compare notes on our boats. Tomorrow Lizzie and I are going to visit the shops and we will head off again on Thursday weather permitting. |