Hamble to Guernsey Passage Plan

[jcwads]

Planning on heading to Guernsey later next week. This is my first channel crossing. Leaving from Hamble, out West past the needles and then I guess - South! Clearly I will be doing a proper plan with my charts etc however -

Any tips? I do hear about avoiding Springs, but it is Springs on the day I ideally wanted to go over. Any advice, info or general experience that you can share so I can enjoy a hassle free journey (if there is such a thing on a mobo).

 

[Newbroom]

Planning on heading to Guernsey later next week. This is my first channel crossing. Leaving from Hamble, out West past the needles and then I guess - South! Clearly I will be doing a proper plan with my charts etc however -

Any tips? I do hear about avoiding Springs, but it is Springs on the day I ideally wanted to go over. Any advice, info or general experience that you can share so I can enjoy a hassle free journey (if there is such a thing on a mobo).

Unless you are experienced and understand what you are doing pick an easier destination. Its safer enough with the right preparation its not the place to be going if you are at all unsure.

 

[jcwads]

Unless you are experienced and understand what you are doing pick an easier destination. Its safer enough with the right preparation its not the place to be going if you are at all unsure.

I think you have totally misread my post. I am more than capable of doing the journey and have completed other challenging routes previously. I am also completely capable of planning the journey myself which I will do. I also hold my Day Skipper Theory and am a competent navigator.

I am simply asking the forum for any particular tips which is often what happens, especially when doing a passage for the first time. I have had plenty of helpful information on here before when planning a journey round Portland to Dartmouth and Salcombe when having to consider the races on St Albans, Portland and Start.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Plan carefully if you're going through the Alderney race; I got my timings slightly wrong for this and we had quite a bumpy ride - broke the steering wheel...

 

[Ian MacAulay]

I just done it last week... I collected a net off Alderney and had it round my prop all the way home :-( .. west of the casquets i found the best route.

I will get on the computer later to do a proper reply as it's tricky on my phone currently but happy to help

 

[Ian MacAulay]

Fuel stop at St Sampson is worth doing before returning. 51p a litre.

 

[Angele]

I do this regularly on a yacht.

Nothing particularly tricky (so long as you miss the big ships in the middle) until you get close to Alderney/Cap de la Hague.

For yotties, going south through the Alderney Race when the tide is running to the north is a total impossibility. For those of you with faster speeds, it may be a little inconvenient, but not impossible. However, do not underestimate the impact of wind over tide, and this is even more of an issue at springs.

The advice is to arrive at the north end of the race just as the tide is turning in your favour. That is at around High Water Dover. Leave it a couple of hours later and you could be looking at some very strong streams carrying you south. You may get there quicker but, if a southerly wind is blowing, you may not have all your teeth.

The same is true going in the opposite direction, when the tidal stream can reach 10 kts.

 

[stelican]

I think you have totally misread my post. I am more than capable of doing the journey and have completed other challenging routes previously. I am also completely capable of planning the journey myself which I will do. I also hold my Day Skipper Theory and am a competent navigator.

I am simply asking the forum for any particular tips which is often what happens, especially when doing a passage for the first time. I have had plenty of helpful information on here before when planning a journey round Portland to Dartmouth and Salcombe when having to consider the races on St Albans, Portland and Start.

I think you may have misread his post.
I have done the passage about 10 times in most conditions from flat calm through the Alderney Race in a 25ft motorboat, In fog from mid channel to Sark on lge flybridge and also in 40ft with green water over the foredeck also one aborted trip as it would mean head sea most of the way requiring on off throttles all the way with petrol engines.
Takes careful preparation to time it right if going via Alderney Race might be worth reading a pilot book I would be tempted to do in company for the first time. Quite often thought when mid channel " What the hell am I doing out here" now which way was it!

 

[Ian MacAulay]

I think you may have misread his post.
I have done the passage about 10 times in most conditions from flat calm through the Alderney Race in a 25ft motorboat, In fog from mid channel to Sark on lge flybridge and also in 40ft with green water over the foredeck also one aborted trip as it would mean head sea most of the way requiring on off throttles all the way with petrol engines.
Takes careful preparation to time it right if going via Alderney Race might be worth reading a pilot book I would be tempted to do in company for the first time. Quite often thought when mid channel " What the hell am I doing out here" now which way was it!

If you need company i will be up for a second trip later on in July/august

 

[stelican]

Should have added.
If you want to do it comfortably force 2/3 and don't forget return timings through Alderney Race

 

[East Cardinal]

By coincidence have just been reading the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club website. Some useful information in their Navigation section.


http://www.rciyc.com/navigation/

 

[john_morris_uk]

I think you may have misread his post.
I have done the passage about 10 times in most conditions from flat calm through the Alderney Race in a 25ft motorboat, In fog from mid channel to Sark on lge flybridge and also in 40ft with green water over the foredeck also one aborted trip as it would mean head sea most of the way requiring on off throttles all the way with petrol engines.
Takes careful preparation to time it right if going via Alderney Race might be worth reading a pilot book I would be tempted to do in company for the first time. Quite often thought when mid channel " What the hell am I doing out here" now which way was it!

I’ve never found sailing in company much help at all. You invariably end up miles appart and although you can chat on the VHF the only benefit IMHO is psychological.

The only and obvious tip is to look carefully at the tides round the Cotentin Peninsula. The tide turns westward inshore along the coast last Ominville a couple of hours or more before it turns fair at Cap De La Hague. If you can time your arrival
on the N coast of the peninsular as the tide turns Westward inshore, you can carry the tide as far as St Peterport.

The only downside is that you’ll have to wait in the harbour before you can get into Victoria Marina as it’ll be LW when you arrive. However the pontoons in the harbour are walk ashore nowadays.

If you want cheap, anchor in Havelot Bay.

Watch out for wind against tide in the Alderney Race as it can kick up to be quite and exciting ride(!) Substitute unpleasant for exciting?

Edit. I realise that asking the OP for his passage planning speed might be more helpful. I was in slow and displacement mode with my comments above.

 

[gjgm]

If going to Gsy there is no point in going east of Alderney and the race. Go west via outer Casquettes as this avoids almost all tidal constraints and associated timings. Just stay east enough to clear the TSS.
Once past Casquettes it is a straight run in via Little Russel.
Did it once again earlier this week..3 hrs or so. Dull open water, though.

 

[guernseyman]

Although the current misty/foggy regime looks like changing to showery next week it is always sensible to ensure you have good waypoints for the Little Russel and/or wider Big Russel.

 

[stelican]

If going to Gsy there is no point in going east of Alderney and the race. Go west via outer Casquettes as this avoids almost all tidal constraints and associated timings. Just stay east enough to clear the TSS.
Once past Casquettes it is a straight run in via Little Russel.
Did it once again earlier this week..3 hrs or so. Dull open water, though.

I did go that way once past the Casquettes and the fear of all those jagged rocks put me off!

 

[gjgm]

Good point..I put waypoints all the way to outside the harbour wall just as security for that sort if weather - a self taught lesson after having got totally lost years ago in the reefs outside St Malo in zero visibility !