Alderney race or not ????

[Nautical]

Holy mother of God, just got out my charts and almanacy stuff for trip to Jersey, do they breed rocks down there, I mean the chart is just littered with em. Almanac is grim reading, not through here, not there, be aware of this that and tother, through that! you must be kidding.

So how worried should I be, well used to races and stuff round here but is the admiralty out to scare the bejesus out of me or is it all just a matter of common sense?.

P.S. Forecast 3-4 but will arrive around 3 hrs after slack water through Alderney race, good idea or bad?.

 

[powerskipper]

you need to try to hit the Alderney race at slack tide there or just as it turns, it has some BIG sea there but timed right it fine.

 

[DepSol]

Planning planning planning.

Dont go near them safest way and watch the tidal directions and strengths.

3hrs after race depends on which side you are going through it or if your going right down the middle.

if you want any pointers phone me as i hate doing lots of typing.

Dom

 

[Nautical]

Thanks Dom

Got cut off and some nice Jersey telecom lady said 'the number is not available please call later', sounded like you were 'downt pub' so no wonder you don't want to talk to me, speak again tomorrow.

Trev

 

[chuzzlewit]

Avoid wind against tide, spring tides and try to go at slack water. Beware unforcasted fogs. Last week I disregarded all this and had no problems but I have radar and a GPS/chart plotter.

 

[Nick_H]

3 hours after slack water = mid tide = strongest tidal flows, which is not the best time to go through the race, and if the 3-4 is actually a decent 4 which it could well be then it will be pretty lumpy. Can't you time your passage to go through at slack water?

If your nav is up to scratch then the rocks are not a problem, you just go round them /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[guernseyman]

Going round the rocks is a good strategy.
Trouble is, the rocks go up and down, twice a day, sometimes they are above the water, sometimes they are below. The worst scenario is when they lurk a little below.
Bearing in mind that even the most experienced skippers can hit one of the lurkers because it's higher than they thought, a successful tactic is to treat the rocks on the chart as if they are all above the water. You then get used to using safe transits and have peace of mind.

 

[DepSol]

Its ok hes coming here first then off to Jersey.

Going west of Casquests then up to Roustel in the russel. Avoids all the nasty stuff and then has a straight run to St Helier after getting our cheaper fuel.

Dom

 

[duncan]

ffs

alderney race on a neap don´t worry

sw inge on a neap don´t worry

ortac (passage?) on a neap don´t worry


if the tide starts running on a sping - worry (is the wind with or against it!)

 

[David_Jersey]

[ QUOTE ]
a successful tactic is to treat the rocks on the chart as if they are all above the water. You then get used to using safe transits and have peace of mind.

[/ QUOTE ]

I second this.

The good thing about rocks is that they do not tend to move (apart from "up and down" /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif).............although they can seem to be accelerating towards you when in a strong tidal stream (quite intimidating!)........plenty of searoom is the answer.

 

[guernseyman]

You can rely on rocks.

The point about strong tidal streams came home to me a while ago, nipping down the west coat of Guernsey. I forgot the stream, and was travelling fast, not the expected five knots. Before I knew it we were in amongst lurkers, as smooth as you know what, so they were used to a fast stream. I got back out, but it was not nice.

 

[David_Jersey]

[ QUOTE ]
I got back out, but it was not nice

[/ QUOTE ]

What also still makes me very uncomfortable is crossing overfalls, even when their is never a chance of hitting anything underneath. Sailing accross the disturbed water just does not feel "right"............maybe it's a primal thing or too many hollywood movies as a kid /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[guernseyman]

I'd rather avoid overfalls. They can be benign like the ones between Herm and Sark, or they can be hostile like the one between Treguier and the Trieux, tossing boats into the air.

I've just done a Google for overfalls: not much there. Hmmm.

 

[David_Jersey]

[ QUOTE ]
I've just done a Google for overfalls: not much there. Hmmm.

[/ QUOTE ]

You may have a few hits Googleing "tossing boats into the air" /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif (No, I haven't tried it!)

 

[hlb]

I find the trick is to stay with the main chanels and as others have said, treat all rocks as visible. It's just not worth the risk, trying to go over them.

An easy way is to follow the south coast down to say Salcolmbe, then go round the bottom end of Guernsey to St Peters Port. Other way is, stop off at Alderney, which is by far the nicest island. Then sort of mooch out and look see.