Andy Riches

Good sleep on bouy. Got up around 0800 and slowly coffee’d and pan aux chocolat . Nik went to have shower but looked up Yarmouth rates for the bouy. £60!! So almost on the instant we dropped the bouy and left, initially planning to motor to Newtown creek entrance and anchor for tide to ease, but in the end decided to push tide and head on. Once Nik showered we got jib out and sailed. Wind from just forward of beam, quite slow although initially some strong gusts pushed us along. Stayed close in to svoid a bit of tide . About 1 1/4 against. Got main up once gusts calmed. And had a lovely sail up and past Cowes. Close hauled once at Cowes to make Gilkicker. Gusty crossing Cowes of course. Quite calm until approaching Gilkicker, showing about 12.3 true but seemed more. Quite leaning now, Nik looked worried at times but braved it. Heard Duncan was approaching. Flew past Gilkicker and towards Apple channel. Bore off a touch and eased sails - Touched 8 knots. Really flying now! Once at main channel bore off and everything calmed right down. Rolled jib and centred main at last Red. Dropped sail off hard way and motored up channel worrying about Customs. Tried phoning but the number given for Portsmouth only seems to be a week time number and not at weekends. Through lock and on to C27. Felt strange being back at Port Solent. A mixture of relief and sadness at our adventure country a close. Met Luke on pontoon. Later got text from border force welcoming us to UK snd authorising us to lower W flag. Worry all for nothing!

Mollie joined us after getting in on the ferry at 6. Glad she had a cabin and a good sleep. Rigged the code zero and cast off for fuel at 0815 Fuelled and off 0840 129.1L to fill tank Once out of harbour entrance got the main up. A bit gusty and closer to wind than I’d anticipated making it a bit fiery to start with. Rolled out jib to 1st line. Flew off at 6.5 knots. Bore off on course to Rousel tower and things quickly settled down. Wind dropped as we got past tower and we unrolled the code zero immediately giving us 0.5-1 knot. Good sail up to and past Alderney with around 1-3 knots of tide giving great SOG. Once past the top of Alderney white water to each side in shallower area but also ahead . This was the race! Hit 10.5knts SOG! And it catapolted us into the channel. Still half way between shipping lanes almost 1 knot extra. Once passed shipping lanes went for lie down, couldn’t sleep but switched off. Got up about 1830 and made dinner. Pasta bake and garlic bread! 15m off needles by now. Sunset about 2000. Now pushing a bit of tide. Light going fast as we closed the Needles. Disorientating as it got really dark even though had prepped lights on bouys coming in. Identified red 1 every 2.5 and the 9 vq. Hurst section light initially showing green over powered other lights. Found a good course in following the white sector. Quite choppy as we past the bridge cardinal. Once past the bridge it settled down quite a bit - both us and the sea state! Spotted q flashing Sconce and ECM to port, Rounded Sconce and approached Yarmouth. Disorientated approaching Yarmouth. Girls recognising the lights of the town but I thought it was further on! Turned to drop main, which kept snagging and did not come down as easily as usual. Nik steered, Mollie shon light on joy and I picked up. Perfect pick up but boat hook got stuck on rope of pick up bouy. All good and got secured though. Beer and bed!

1st September Tues Up at 0600, Nik a bit earlier. Coffee and sorted lines for leaving reversing into a strong incoming tide. Motored in reverse out of berth into the tide. Good boat behaviour! Reversed into fuel pontoon and out of Harbour. 0655. Checked out with Douane yesterday for 0700. 5 knots of wind. Motored out . Main up motored with good tide with us SOG 8knts . Bit of swell. Lovely sunrise. 0900 altered course 10 to stb to clear Les triagoz light and rocks 0920 altered 10 back Motored mostly but managed to sail about 2 hours in between 8-10 knots SW just off a run. Managed between 3.5 and 4.5 SOG. Tide 1.5-2 against. Tide approaching Guernsey from SW: Reduced to 0.5 against 8 miles sw of st martins light by 1645 bst. Had been fighting up to 2 knots previously. By 1700 only 0.2 against seemed to increase to 0.5 as we closed17.05 ) seems to go slack 1720 (HW Dover + 3) 1730 Definitely a bit of tide with us 0.2? 3.5m sw of st martins light HW Dover 1427 bst 6.96m 2 days after springs 1745 Dolphins off St Martins! Lots! And 1 knot with us 1800 at st Martins 2 knots with us Once around st Martins slack 1810 1 knot against us off fernaine bay

Decided to leave earlier than planned and fight some tide. Really no wind -5 knots from behind, and motored mainly, worrying about fuel. Showed just under a quarter of a tank. In theory plenty but gauge flicked between nil and an 1/8. Tried to sail a couple of times but not enough wind until just of Batz. Then on the nose! Was able to sail the last bit to entrance of Batz and then motored through shallows as only a couple of hours after LW. Through the shallows and approach to Roscoff. Radioed and met by Sonya on the Rib. Got 60L of fuel and Sonya escorted us to D 95 and helped us tie up.

Left in Dark. Quite disorientating leaving anchorage. Once outside much clearer and twilight came fairly soon giving a bit of partial light from just before 0600. 10 knots N wind against a very weak tide at Raz. Made the start of Raz a little late at 0700 Had hoped to be there slightly earlier at 0630-0700 Almost slack water and be clear by 0730 which would have got us to the start of Che al du four around 0930. We were running around 30mins late and never caught up, probably the lack of fuel and sailing across to Chenal Du four once through the Raz slowed us slightly. Although we were making good progress sailing. Close to Saint Matt around 1000 for start of Chenal du four. Sailed close to wind for most of the Chanel deciding to motor again as the wind dropped and the swell slowed us right down. Motored to around the Du Gour lighthouse and then tried sailing again. Had to put in a tack to get round the rocks and were catching Petrel, who turned off to the first Aber. Was able to bear off a touch and charged into the entrance of L’Aber Wrac’h . Took sails down at last big green and motored in . Met by rib who welcomed us to L’Aber Wrac’h and helped us tie up . Went to bed and woke up to the wind roaring. Very satisfying! Lovely evening at sailing school event meeting a French couple and a farmer and his wife, buying each other drinks. Still a good 1m high swell but long swell. At North end of Chanel Du four swell much closer together. About 1.5-2 knots of s going tide against 10 knots of wind.