Around Jersey in a day in a 17ft sail boat?

tudorsailor

tudorsailor

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A friend is planning to sail around Jersey in his 17ft shrimper sailboat apparently. He tells me that he will do this with the help of Spring tides in order to get round in a day. Seems rather bonkers to me. Is it a realistic target to circumnavigate Jersey in a day in what to me seems a little boat? Tudorsailor
 
It's 40 miles, I did quite a few days of more than that, including 53 to Stornaway, and a lot of 35 mile+ days, which were regular days, in Beth fran, and she is 18ft with rubbish old sails. He will have some scorching fast tides, and if he knows where counter eddies run, why not?
 
Coincidentally it is the round the island race in jersey on Saturday

There are two RTI each year, one clockwise and one anti-clockwise.

The one this weekend is anti-clockwise and you get quite a push from the tide for much of the way as long as you do your passage planning carefully, but you do get a leg when you have to punch the tide


Most boats doing it are 35 ft but someone I know does it in a 23 footer
 
Something I didn't catch on to to was where to and from ?

Yes the C I tides work like travelators at airports, one can cover tremendous ground speeds - but one slight ****UP with weather and wind over tide will be a lot worse than a gang of muggers at the end - I strongly suggest having the right boat, or at least a 3/4 right one and a good support boat.

I've been all around Jersey in my very seaworthy 22' but I never had or felt reason to do it all in one go.

Not a place to be cocky in both senses. :)
 
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a few years ago i went round the isle of wight from itchenor---85 total miles ----12 1/2 hours total hours----i caught the tides right and got round far faster than my fat 15 foot outboard powered open dinghy should normally go----surprised to find i was involved in the round isle of wight race----40 miles round jersey seems doable if you get the tides right---i fished the paternosters from greve de lecq for 7 years----mid march to late autumn in a 12 foot dinghy----never needed a support boat----go for it---good luck
 
lenten said:
a few years ago i went round the isle of wight from itchenor---85 total miles ----12 1/2 hours total hours----i caught the tides right and got round far faster than my fat 15 foot outboard powered open dinghy should normally go----surprised to find i was involved in the round isle of wight race----40 miles round jersey seems doable if you get the tides right---i fished the paternosters from greve de lecq for 7 years----mid march to late autumn in a 12 foot dinghy----never needed a support boat----go for it---good luck
Click to expand...

Sometimes ' ignorance is bliss ' becomes a major understatement...
:rolleyes::)
 
tudorsailor said:
A friend is planning to sail around Jersey in his 17ft shrimper sailboat apparently. He tells me that he will do this with the help of Spring tides in order to get round in a day. Seems rather bonkers to me. Is it a realistic target to circumnavigate Jersey in a day in what to me seems a little boat? Tudorsailor
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I've sailed round the Isle of Wight in a 16ft Wayfarer dinghy and so have lots of other people. That was about 53 miles in 9 hours with a lot of help from the tide and the weather. Wayfarer a bit faster than a Shrimper I would guess, but I wouldn't say he was bonkers.
 
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DJE said:
I've round the Isle of Wight in a 16ft Wayfarer dinghy and so have lots of other people. That was about 53 miles in 9 hours with a lot of help from the tide and the weather. Wayfarer a bit faster than a Shrimper I would guess, but I wouldn't say he was bonkers.
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It's barren but usually boring off the southern bit of the IOW, St Cat's can get quite nasty if provoked but have you tried around the Channel Islands if you get a spring tide even against a F5 ?

I'll stick to mine, you be happy with your Wayfarer ! :)
 
DJE said:
I've sailed round the Isle of Wight in a 16ft Wayfarer dinghy and so have lots of other people. That was about 53 miles in 9 hours with a lot of help from the tide and the weather. Wayfarer a bit faster than a Shrimper I would guess, but I wouldn't say he was bonkers.
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Me and my mate keep thinking of giving it a go in the 49er for a giggle. A mate did it (but had to give up and get towed) in an RS300, and a few years ago during RTI a few loons screamed through the fleet in Hobie cats.
 
Iain C said:
Me and my mate keep thinking of giving it a go in the 49er for a giggle. A mate did it (but had to give up and get towed) in an RS300, and a few years ago during RTI a few loons screamed through the fleet in Hobie cats.
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I've seen Lasers doing it during the RTI. In one respect it's a good day to do it, lots of potential tugs if it goes light and you need a lift home.
 
Good point Flaming. Although I'd be agreeing a very hefty beer fee first haha!

I always this was a bloddy good effort. I know Phil from my Cherub days and to get round Britain in 32 days in a Wayfarer is mightily impressive. What brought it home to me was their first leg...they did Lymington to Cardiff in about 3 days non-stop. Me and some chums felt like Henry the Navigator for getting a 42 footer to the Scillies in a similar amount of time, complete with bunks, loos, electronics, engine etc etc...

http://www.xtremedinghycruising.com/
 
The distance is surely do-able in a long summer's day, the key will be the weather. The south coast of Jersey in a wind-against-spring-tide situation is very nasty. I don't know the north coast. I wouldn't do it, but then I'm a wimp.
 
A big chunk of my work is escorting swimmers around the Island of Jersey.

Going through the Gutters close inshore around the SE coast, I usually clock around 32nm.

The record for swimming it is 9 hours 26 mins so you should make it by sail!
 
JSYmartini said:
A big chunk of my work is escorting swimmers around the Island of Jersey.

Going through the Gutters close inshore around the SE coast, I usually clock around 32nm.

The record for swimming it is 9 hours 26 mins so you should make it by sail!
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Do you by any chance work for a Swiss clinic ?

" We've never had any complaints ' :)
 
Back in the early 70’s ocasionally we used to sail Christchurch to Cherbourg in our Leisure 17 if I remember correctly it used to take about 18hrs on average, and if you have ever read ‘The Art of Course Sailing’ by Michael Green he seems to have regularly sailed over to Belgium and Holland in his 19’ Vivacity, so a coastal sail around Jersey in a 17’ boat if planned well shouldn’t be too difficult in a day.
 
Seajet said:
Something I didn't catch on to to was where to and from ?

Yes the C I tides work like travelators at airports, one can cover tremendous ground speeds - but one slight ****UP with weather and wind over tide will be a lot worse than a gang of muggers at the end - I strongly suggest having the right boat, or at least a 3/4 right one and a good support boat.

I've been all around Jersey in my very seaworthy 22' but I never had or felt reason to do it all in one go.

Not a place to be cocky in both senses. :)
Click to expand...
What kind of support boat is required? Might it need a support boat of its own if not suitable?;)
 
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