Well I didn’t really have an early night as I’d hoped, finishing yesterday’s blog at 2300. Hugo came in just as I was finishing, having had a late catch-up with his best man, a decision that would haunt him later. With everyone else volunteering to get up to leave at 0300, I decided to keep out of the way and stay in my warm sleeping bag. In the end with the clanging around, and engine noise, followed by chop as we exited the Solent, I don’t think I actually slept but at least got some rest. I got up at just after 0400 to see the Needles starting to disappear into the distance and the sun beginning to rise an hour or so later.
The wind was patchy in the end, so the engine was on and off as we motor-sailed for most of the morning with 15-18knots coming from 160-170 degrees on our starboard quarter. The sea state was messy and we were rolling a lot, the autopilot, whilst better than the tiller model I have on Lucice, still was not managing to sail smoothly. We were making good speed though, but even the wind we had wouldn’t last, and by lunchtime the motor was on full, jib was mostly furled and the mainsail pulled in tight. I had another nap (eye-closing-session) which was a bit more restful.
The next few hours were noisy - with the motor and sails flapping - and unpleasant - as the boat rolled to and fro with no wind to stabilise the boat. Hugo was trying to recover some sleep, Mark was definitely not feeling good, and Suzanne was starting to struggle a little too. All three would be feeding the fish at some point in the trip. Elpie had cunningly taken anti-seasickness tablets and was more cold than poorly, and I managed to eat my way through a slightly troubled stomach and was fine in the end.
We sighted land, first the north-western-most tip of France, then a while later the shape of Alderney, our destination. Visibility was good and that meant we were still a couple of hours out. Elpie took the helm for the last hour, and brought us all the way in to Braye Harbour and on to the visitors mooring buoys.
Elpie did a great job, bringing us perfectly to the buoy and stopping just next to it. Mark and I worked to pick up the mooring strop, then Hugo and I struggled to get two of Precision’s own mooring lines through the main eye of the buoy to create a bridle.
Once we were all stowed away it was time to call the water taxi and go ashore. We were immediately struck by how friendly the people of Alderney were, everyone saying “hello”, “did we need any help” etc. Hugo picked up the forms needed to check us into the channel islands and then Elpie and I went to walk up through Braye, and into St Anne’s, the main town. Very pretty it is too.
We first grabbed some refreshing drinks at The Moorings before getting some snacks for the boat and then working our way up the steep hill into St Anne’s. A lot of the shops and cafes/pubs were closed or not doing food so we ambled along taking in the sights and then walking back down towards the beach. On the way another friendly local in a car stopped and asked us if we needed help. We didn’t, but might have given a different answer if he’d asked at the bottom of the hill.
When we returned we stopped for a drink at the Braye Beach Bar (part of a hotel) and made good use of the facilities before heading down to the lovely sandy beach for a swim. I got to the water first but the chill of the water and the heat of the sun turned me into a wimp and Elpie went for a swim while I hesitated, before finally having a quick swim and getting out promptly.
We dried off in the sun and agreed to meet the rest of the crew for fish and chips at the Braye Chippy. We wandered back looking at some of the history of the island in the Second World War. The food was good and we sat outside in the sun which was nice.
Then it was back to the boat for a chill in the sun, and this time, definitely an early night.
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