Channel Cruise: Part 2 - Cherbourg to St Peter Port

It was a fairly early start on Monday 30th July to get up and out of Cherbourg to catch the tide down to Cap de la Hague, the pointy western tip of the Cotentin Peninsula. We left our mooring without difficulty, raised the sails in the harbour and headed off into the Channel. It was motor sailing into a wind with a lot of west into it.

The sea was reasonably calm and we made good progress along the French coast, seeing the massive Joburg nuclear reprocessing plant high on the hill as well as a few small villages and the Cap lighthouse. As we approached the Cap the waves got bigger. Although we were a good few miles off shore we were clearly experiencing the effect of the tide rushing round the corner. Toucando pitched quite a bit, slamming down into the troughs between the waves. Eventually we got through it and were able to turn onto a more south westerly heading towards the Alderney Race. I had been through the race on Morwenna a couple of years ago. On both times the experience was similar... a lot of help from the tide, but no particular excitement. Unfortunately the wind still stayed on the bow so we continued to motor sail. Maybe next time I'll tack to windward, but on this occasion navigation and a timely passage was the priority.

We could see the other members of our fleet much of the time: Four Seasons, Sheena, Bianca, Siskin. We saw Alderney of to starboard, and the outlines of Sark, Herm and Guernsey ahead.

Alderney as we made our way to St Peter Port, Guernsey

We entered the Litle Russel, the channel between Guernsey and Herm. There are a lot of rocks about... mostly fairly close to one or other island, some more in the middle, but generally well marked. We made our way down to St Peter Port without any particular difficulty, lowered the sails outside the harbour, waited for Four Seasons to negotiate the mooring. We then rafted up alongside FS on one of the pontoons in the outer harbour (Toucando is too big and unmanoueverable to go into the marina.)

Roger helming us through the Little Russel

On Tuesday we spent the day sight seeing. My mission was to acquire a new Guernsey sweater. I had got one on my Morwenna trip, which had proved very good value: warm and very hard wearing. Roger decided to accompany me. The shop was on the western side of the island, although the bus driver claimed it had closed, a quick check on the iPhone established it was still operational. We caught the 7a - the bus which gowes round the island anti-clockwise. All fares are £1.00 - brilliant! The bus first winds through St Peter Port and St Sampson, then along the rugged north coast, full of cliffs and bays and forts. Eventually we got to Fort Grey, next to which the sweater shop operates. I was able to find one in a nice sea green. We had a cup of tea in the neighbouring cafe and walked out to the fort.

View from Fort Grey, Guernsey

We caught the next 7a to complete the circuit. We then went to a pontoon party on a couple of the SSC boats... bring your own crisps and ginger beer. Some of the fleet were going to continue south to Jersey and Brittany. Some had to go straight back home. Toucando, Four Seasons and Sheena were going off to Alderney. We said our good byes.

Castle Cornet, St Peter Port, by moonlight

We ate at the Swan pub that night. Fortunately it was not an early start for the north going tide so we were able to spend Wednesday morning having a further look around St Peter Port.