Sailfree
Well-known member
We left the Hamble at 02.00 on Friday morning intending to go to St Vaast. Tide was E going in Solent so we went E. A fetch against the SW wind left us 38 mls to the NE of Cherbourg after some 10hrs! Decided to tack and after 3 hrs were then 40mls from Cherbourg albeit a bit further W.
Decided give St Vaast a miss (probably too late for lock) and with 2 crew out of it with sturgeron and another 3 sea sick put on the engine and headed straight into the wind for Cherbourg. Arrived after 19.5 hrs.
I would appreciate others advice as if faced with the same situation again (with neaps) I think I would motor W to the needles against the tide as this would at least enable us to start Xing some 30mls further to the W. I notice that Tome recomended that to Fireball.
Interested in others opinions especially those that actually did that! You can always learn with sailing!!
Journey back was better but initially wondered if I had got it wrong again when we woke up to an empty marina- you had all left!! We left at 08.30BST expecting a 10hr to needles and catch the last 3hrs of E going tide. Stonking sail and passed the needles some 8.75 hrs later! Nice to then join "Mogibear" going down the Solent with some 10-11kts over the ground!
Thanks to those that visited "Janes Buoy" Saturday afternoon for a drink and nibbles. All my crew thought everyone was great fun and are asking can they do it again next year!
What a great event.
Pascal the Marina manager wanted me to pass on that they have some berths for sale (at a price that will make people fall over - unlike UK marinas I think he meant cheap!) and this winter they will be making some big improvements to the visitors pontoons. I will pass on further info when he e mails me the details.
Pascal was very helpful and offered the berthing discount, he mentioned that he is always interested in positive feedback and constructive criticism. He gets mine in the fact we always try to make Cherbourg the first stop every holiday and I notice from the many skippers names against my boat, obviously a number of the charterers go there regularly as well.
Bit of Fred drift but thought I would wrap everything up in one post.
Decided give St Vaast a miss (probably too late for lock) and with 2 crew out of it with sturgeron and another 3 sea sick put on the engine and headed straight into the wind for Cherbourg. Arrived after 19.5 hrs.
I would appreciate others advice as if faced with the same situation again (with neaps) I think I would motor W to the needles against the tide as this would at least enable us to start Xing some 30mls further to the W. I notice that Tome recomended that to Fireball.
Interested in others opinions especially those that actually did that! You can always learn with sailing!!
Journey back was better but initially wondered if I had got it wrong again when we woke up to an empty marina- you had all left!! We left at 08.30BST expecting a 10hr to needles and catch the last 3hrs of E going tide. Stonking sail and passed the needles some 8.75 hrs later! Nice to then join "Mogibear" going down the Solent with some 10-11kts over the ground!
Thanks to those that visited "Janes Buoy" Saturday afternoon for a drink and nibbles. All my crew thought everyone was great fun and are asking can they do it again next year!
What a great event.
Pascal the Marina manager wanted me to pass on that they have some berths for sale (at a price that will make people fall over - unlike UK marinas I think he meant cheap!) and this winter they will be making some big improvements to the visitors pontoons. I will pass on further info when he e mails me the details.
Pascal was very helpful and offered the berthing discount, he mentioned that he is always interested in positive feedback and constructive criticism. He gets mine in the fact we always try to make Cherbourg the first stop every holiday and I notice from the many skippers names against my boat, obviously a number of the charterers go there regularly as well.
Bit of Fred drift but thought I would wrap everything up in one post.
