9th July 2009 - Trebuerden (Fr) back to Jersey (CI)
Posted at 2:13 PM, Thursday, July 9, 2009
Managed to find that pizza immediately off the marina dock, and enjoyed a quick feast before riding the bucking dinghy back out against the wind and waves to have an early night on Swagman. We were the only yacht still hanging on a waiting buoy and as the tide rose so the bay got more and more exposed.
Luckily, the wind eased somewhat and as the tide dropped we got more and protection from the offlying islands and reefs, so by the time we hit the sack at 10 pm all was calm.
The tidal charts indicated we might be lucky enough to carry a incoming tide all the way back to Jersey but only if we left at 3 am. So phone alarm worked as expected and saw us up stumbling about in the dark as sunrise is not until 6 am.
Luckily a full moon behind scuddy clouds gave partial visibility as we cast off our buoy and picked our way carefully out of the bay. We followed our inward track on the plotter to try and ensure we did not run over any other mooring buoys or fishing pots - unless of course - someone laid one last night.
Got it right and despite only having a 8 knot breeze once in open water, found ourselves motor sailing over an oily moonlit sea with engine running for 7 knots boatspeed - but covering the ground at over 11 knots. The various cardinal marksand lighthouses that dot this coastline blinked and flashed as we shot past and settled on a direct line route to Jersey.
Big difference between going with or against these tides. With means the 70 miles can be done in 7 to 9 hours. Against means it could be 15 hours.
Would have made it in 7 but for one of these............
Sue had slept on and come up with sunrise - and I'd just gone down and fallen asleep only to be awoken as the engine revs dropped off. As I stuck my naked bod out the hatch I saw a team of four French Customs Officers asking Sue for permission to board from their rib. The big Customs Cutter saw 100 metres off our port side as they spent an hour asking questions, searching lockers, and checking us out.
Really nice polite guys with good English. Semmed to appreciate my stumbling Franglais. Spent an hour with us before they said their farewells. Interestingly we were some 14 miles off the French coast when they came alongside, but maybe the rocky outcrops of Roche Douvres still to seaward also count as French territory??
Anyway. That lost hour meant we were still 10miles off Jersey as the tide went slack so we piled on the revs and as the turning tide began to build bigger seas, surfed the last leg towards St Helier Harbour entry.
Arrived in time to slide over the sill and secure a nice berth before 10 - the teckkies say they should be with us early arvo and we'll find out then how easy it will be to sort the issues.
Cheers
JOHN and SUE xx