Summer – Part 2 the wet interlude and Channel Islands

After leaving Fowey, (where we enjoyed an excellent Bouillabaisse at Sam’s) it was time to move round the corner to Falmouth. The weather was mixed in Falmouth though we did come across a fun Saturday market at the quayside.

Next we moved over to the Helford river. As the RNSA buoy was not available we moved further up the river and anchored in a deepwater spot almost adjacent with Frenchmen’s Creek. As the rain lashed down and the wind howled down the Helford we were glad to be reliant on our anchor and tackle. We could let out more chain and had plenty of swinging room without worrying about the strength of the buoy and its associated anchor or the proximity to other vessels.

Whilst in the Helford, Suzy’s friends, Shannon and Suzanne from Canada came to visit us. They were enjoying a UK holiday and put Cornwall on their itinerary to meet up with us. Unfortunately the weather had not got the memo and they had a character-building trip from shore to Valent in the dinghy. A change of clothes was required!!

It became apparent that we were not going to get a decent break in the weather to enable us to go across to The Scilly Isles. Even if we got there the weather was looking extremely mixed. So we made the decision to head for the place reputed to be the sunniest in the UK – Jersey. The winds were very favourable to sail across and we had an uneventful overnight trip. The marina at Jersey was a bit full (lots of boats not leaving due to the weather), but they did find us a spot on the outside where they normally put the big boats. It meant a longer walk, but at least we were not constrained by the tide. One highlight of our time in Jersey was a visit to the Maritime Museum.

We delayed our departure from Jersey by a few days primarily as the weather forecast was looking unpleasant. Also the island was holding a beach party and some Bastille day celebrations that we thought might be fun to go to. But the real reason for our delay was so that we could offer King Charles and Queen Camilla an alternative mode of transport between Jersey and Guernsey. Who wants a deluxe royal helicopter when you can have a spacious trip across on Valent, complete with a fully stocked bar and hand pump flushing toilets. Unfortunately the lemon cake didn’t turn out quite right so we felt unable to offer them the alternative experience. On the day of the Royal visit to Jersey it became quickly apparent that the rain would be torrential – so we made the easy decision to take the morning tide and go to Guernsey to enjoy the royal visit there instead. The weather turned out much better (i.e. dry and sunny), and the local population fully embraced the royal visit. A significant number of boats, both in the marina and on the outside berths (where we were), dressed ship for the occasion. This basically means putting up all your flags in a special order. With the sun shining it all looked very joyful. The King and Queen even came over to the harbour wall to look at us ogling at them and gave us a very cheery wave.

Following a few more days of Guernsey we departed to Sark. Before we left Guernsey we wished to fill up with fuel, and just as we departed a great big motor cruiser went to the fuel berth. The Harbour Master reckoned he would be a couple of hours filling up, (yes taking on several thousand litres of fuel does require a lot of time), so he advised us to go round the corner to the fuel dock in Queen Elizabeth Marina. We were assured there was plenty of space. I have never been into this marina before. Put politely it is tight around the fuel berth with a great big concrete buttress for company, and that is after you have got over a sill that seemed to have less water over it than expected. The reward for that stress was no queue and even cheaper diesel.

Yes, we did have a sunny day on Guernsey and did a lovely walk above the harbour. We were able to see all the Channel Islands and Sophie did a very good job of trying to capture it in this panoramic picture.

So over to Sark. One of the highlights for us from last year, and this time we were going to time our visit for the annual Sheep Racing. This is the big event on Sark. Yet again the weather had not got the memo, but despite the showers the crowds turned up, the racing was unpredictable and there was even a tote betting table. No-one got rich. Another highlight for us at Sark was we caught plenty of fish whilst at anchor in Derrible Bay. When the weather was not blowing and raining hard I managed to get lots of mackerel, a bream and a small red mullet. We were able to return the mullet alive but enjoyed eating the rest. We also managed a visit to the dairy, watched the milking, chatted with the farmer and bought plenty of lovely rich creamy milk.

The wind changed direction after the sheep racing and the anchorage at Sark became ‘uncomfortable’ so it was time for Alderney. We had not been able to visit Alderney last year so were keen to return. Having been assured that the large boat moorings were available we made all haste to Alderney on a wet, grey and blustery day. Having successfully picked up the buoy we watched as large boat after large boat came in and tried to find shelter in Braye Harbour. It was not nice out there and visibility was down to a few hundred metres. We also had the sight of 4 large Dutch classic sailing vessels all anchored in the harbour. Almost a throwback to the bygone ages of sail.

We did get a couple of decent days, and took full advantage of the best day to walk the 10 mile circuit around Alderney. We visited numerous forts, most built in the Victorian era, but some dated back to Roman times and all had been changed by the Germans in World War 2. Alderney was occupied by the Germans during WW2 and nearly all the local population was evacuated or removed. Alderney had significant German fortifications, a concentration camp and evidence has been found of an execution wall where death by firing squad took place. It was long day but very interesting and enjoyable. We finished just before the rain came back and enjoyed well earnt fish & chips in the Braye Chippy. If you are ever on Alderney and need a quick meal then the Braye Chippy is thoroughly recommended. The wind was now starting to come round from the West towards the East and Braye Harbour is not pleasant in these conditions. It was time to move on and Cherbourg was our next destination.

The girls at the route marker on the round Alderney walk. This marker is at the old entrance to the concentration camp. We also waited for the tide to go out to walk across the causeway to Fort Clonque.