Today is a big day. As I took the Ocean Sailing Training, we used the chart for the Channel Islands so I know these waters intimately in theory… Now it will be interesting if reality matches the theory. We wake up before five in the morning to get the optimal wind/stream combination. We are expecting slow winds so we need to steam in the beginning. The fog is very thick and it is a bit tricky to get out of the sleeping Yarmouth harbour with a combination of strong currents and low water. There is maximum 50 m visibility so Radar, AIS and sharp lookout is needed. Passing the Needles at the west end of Isle of Wight, we hear its fog signal and we check out of England.

Leaving in thick fog

The fog clears a bit when we pass the Needles

We opt for the S-curve channel crossing strategy as we learnt at the training meaning that we set a fixed course and let the current move us in an S over ground, which is most effective through water but looks strange on the GPS. Coming closer to Alderney, we decide that we should take the Alderney race as the winds were moderate and we could make use of the strong current. This is an infamous passage and the sea get rough even in the light wind against the current. We could accept this as we continue onwards up to 16 knots over ground in very light wind. We have spring tide so the currents are very strong. This current makes it hard to see the buoys that the fishermen put on their nets and some of them are actually under water and are hard to see, so sharp lookout is needed.

Undetermined current ways in the Alderney Race

Sunshine 🙂

The buoys get dragged under the surface and are hard to see

We arrived to Jersey in the evening according to plan and could come close to the beautiful Corbière lighthouse that guards the southwest point of Jersey along with a German WW2 bunker from the Atlantic Wall. Feels very fascinating to see the places that only have been names on a training chart before.

Cliffs of Jersey

Corbière Lighthouse

One of the scary ferrys that sneaks up behind of you in 40 knots

The last part of the plan also worked out – getting over the sill in St Helier just in time. You do not want to come too early so you just gets sitting on the waiting pontoon but on the other hand you want to come ashore when the restaurants are still open. The sill opened 15 minutes after we arrived and with a bit of luck we were directed into a nice spot directly by the entrance. We celebrate the crossing with seafood at the Yacht Club J Things always work out.

Waiting for the Sill to open up.

The harbour master knows his game – everyone has a berth as the sill opens.