Sailfree
Well-Known Member
Please add your names to this thread if you are interested. I will be off sailing for 1 month from mid July so thought I would start the thread now as others may be away in August and it could then be short notice. Please excuse my lazyness in repeating previous years intro (but updated)
The Scuttlebutt Cherbourg trip has now been going for some 12yrs. This year it is arranged for the W/E 14/15th September. For the newbees and X channel virgins that are tempted, we always pick a weekend with Neap tides so that the effect of the tide and the risk of wind over tide creating bigger waves is minimised.
It has developed from a Saturday evening meal at the Cherbourg YC to also include a Saturday afternoon boat/pontoon gathering for drinks and nibbles, I usually start the larder with a selection of wines/beers and nibbles which others also contribute. We bring labels on which you write your forum name so you can put a face to a poster and introduce yourselves. Obviously the latter depends on the weather but we have had amazing sunny weather for the last few years and they have been a great success. I introduced the afternoon gathering to ensure the event was more inclusive and welcomed strangers otherwise there was a risk of just a few gatherings on individual boats of people that only knew each other. We have great support from the Cherbourg Marina and Magali Harmon has offered to arrange our afternoon gathering in the hall of the local sailing school if the weather is bad. Last year I also started a wine tasting session at Normandie Wines for the Saturday morning. Normandie Wines also offered extra discount to the boats on the Scuttbutt list. Many of my crew complained about the wine - they had not bought enough of the Bin 29 red @€1.95 IIRC!!
I will call in to Cherbourg on my month sailing and confirm a similar or better deal for this year.
After the evening meal a few do collect on a few boats and drink well into and for some through the night!!
Most go on the Friday and return on the Sunday but a few do extended stays. I have negotiated discounted berthing at Cherbourg.
I will finally collate a spreadsheet and distribute it to participants, but only to their personal e mails. This includes such info as you are happy to give but usually includes VHF channel, mobile numbers , departure port and likely time so that participants, especially newbees, can contact others and sail in company. The spreadsheet also enables some last minute ship jumpers if anyone has problems with their own boat before departure. Before my time I believe there was also a weekend where most gravitated to and sailed in the bigger boats due to the weather.
We also run threads for crew available and crew wanted as we try to fit in everyone who want to go - its also good if you want to do your 1st X channel with someone more experienced.
Fergus has already booked the YC. I have PM Fergus and hopefully he can soon advise on the menu choices/cost. Last year Fergus posted options and the majority favoured the cheaper €27 menu which was a good choice. Will advise later the options for this year. We do all have to go for the same menu but there are Vegi options please let me know if you’re a Veggi. Please remember to bring cash € for the meal as the YC require us to settle the total bill not 20 or so individual bills. Last few years there have been 40-50 attendees!
Final decision whether to sail is up to each skipper, no deposit so no loss if weather does turn bad. Colin recently tried to organise a June one but unfortunately weather turned really nasty. For last 5 yrs we have had wonderful sunny Saturdays but if the weather does turn diabolical please keep 28/29th Sept as a fall back. Probably the YC will be booked and we will need to go in smaller groups to local restaurants but if this proves necessary we could still have the wine tasting session and the pontoon party. Just fall back alternative in case preferred W/E 14/15 September is really bad weather.
Feel free to add you comments if I have missed anything or not properly described the flavour of the event. Your comments will also help keep this thread live.
Final point - if any of your crew cannot get the Friday off work there is the option of joining us on the Saturday using the Portsmouth to Cherbourg fast cat. One of my crew has done it every year and we now call him "Ferryboy".
The Scuttlebutt Cherbourg trip has now been going for some 12yrs. This year it is arranged for the W/E 14/15th September. For the newbees and X channel virgins that are tempted, we always pick a weekend with Neap tides so that the effect of the tide and the risk of wind over tide creating bigger waves is minimised.
It has developed from a Saturday evening meal at the Cherbourg YC to also include a Saturday afternoon boat/pontoon gathering for drinks and nibbles, I usually start the larder with a selection of wines/beers and nibbles which others also contribute. We bring labels on which you write your forum name so you can put a face to a poster and introduce yourselves. Obviously the latter depends on the weather but we have had amazing sunny weather for the last few years and they have been a great success. I introduced the afternoon gathering to ensure the event was more inclusive and welcomed strangers otherwise there was a risk of just a few gatherings on individual boats of people that only knew each other. We have great support from the Cherbourg Marina and Magali Harmon has offered to arrange our afternoon gathering in the hall of the local sailing school if the weather is bad. Last year I also started a wine tasting session at Normandie Wines for the Saturday morning. Normandie Wines also offered extra discount to the boats on the Scuttbutt list. Many of my crew complained about the wine - they had not bought enough of the Bin 29 red @€1.95 IIRC!!
I will call in to Cherbourg on my month sailing and confirm a similar or better deal for this year.
After the evening meal a few do collect on a few boats and drink well into and for some through the night!!
Most go on the Friday and return on the Sunday but a few do extended stays. I have negotiated discounted berthing at Cherbourg.
I will finally collate a spreadsheet and distribute it to participants, but only to their personal e mails. This includes such info as you are happy to give but usually includes VHF channel, mobile numbers , departure port and likely time so that participants, especially newbees, can contact others and sail in company. The spreadsheet also enables some last minute ship jumpers if anyone has problems with their own boat before departure. Before my time I believe there was also a weekend where most gravitated to and sailed in the bigger boats due to the weather.
We also run threads for crew available and crew wanted as we try to fit in everyone who want to go - its also good if you want to do your 1st X channel with someone more experienced.
Fergus has already booked the YC. I have PM Fergus and hopefully he can soon advise on the menu choices/cost. Last year Fergus posted options and the majority favoured the cheaper €27 menu which was a good choice. Will advise later the options for this year. We do all have to go for the same menu but there are Vegi options please let me know if you’re a Veggi. Please remember to bring cash € for the meal as the YC require us to settle the total bill not 20 or so individual bills. Last few years there have been 40-50 attendees!
Final decision whether to sail is up to each skipper, no deposit so no loss if weather does turn bad. Colin recently tried to organise a June one but unfortunately weather turned really nasty. For last 5 yrs we have had wonderful sunny Saturdays but if the weather does turn diabolical please keep 28/29th Sept as a fall back. Probably the YC will be booked and we will need to go in smaller groups to local restaurants but if this proves necessary we could still have the wine tasting session and the pontoon party. Just fall back alternative in case preferred W/E 14/15 September is really bad weather.
Feel free to add you comments if I have missed anything or not properly described the flavour of the event. Your comments will also help keep this thread live.
Final point - if any of your crew cannot get the Friday off work there is the option of joining us on the Saturday using the Portsmouth to Cherbourg fast cat. One of my crew has done it every year and we now call him "Ferryboy".
