My cross Channel fail!

[[70521]]

And when the UKBA decide to mandate the rule that they require 48 hours notice by email with departure date and port, number of crew complete with names and addresses . . . . !

That one is easy, you send them a new passage plan every 15 minutes advising them of your new plan and only retract all old plans when you set off.

 

[Mark-1]

Generally speaking I am in favour of getting on the boat and sticking our noses out from behind the headland to see what things are like in marginal conditions.

+1

In this case the wind was more or less on the nose, so changing his mind and coming back would have been dead easy for the OP. His judgement was flawless.

 

[benjenbav]

Well, elsewhere on these fora there are reports of a blimmin big ship - the Apollogracht - sitting it out at anchor in the Solent until Sunday because of the strong winds. The fact that the OP is here to tell us about it is testament to a seamanlike set of decisions.

As far as I am aware, Cherbourg will still be there next week and what with the heatwave we are promised... you may have to motor across.

 

[neil1967]

We did Guernsey to Gosport on Thursday - left at 0900 and got in at 0100 on Friday, but that was in a Victoria 34 with 6 crew, and it was hard work - consistently 25kts gusting 30+, with a significant swell - perhaps 4-5m. It was amazingly calm in the solent given the battering coming across the channel. I certainly wouldn't want to have been going the other way!

Neil

 

[chrishelen]

We got caught in a F7 E that blew up when a nice F3 Sw was forecast the other weekend,wind over tide for about 3 hours trying to get back home... and no fun,even in a 36 footer...so you made the right call..mind i think i would have turned back at the first sniff of a 7 if it was in the offing.

 

[Mark-1]

Well, elsewhere on these fora there are reports of a blimmin big ship - the Apollogracht - sitting it out at anchor in the Solent until Sunday because of the strong winds.

There must be more to it. We had no problems going round Selsey Bill to Littlehampton on Saturday.

As far as I know shipping in the Channel was moving normally and the Hovercraft was still running so there's no way a seagoing ship would have struggled in the slightest.

Seemed like a perfectly normal summer gale to me. Good fun if you going downwind. Less so if you're going upwind.

 

[Allergy]

Eminently sensible in my opinion. "He who sails and runs away, lives to sail another day".

+1 to all that

 

[Sailfree]

Colin,

Good decisions especially as you had organised it so probably felt even more of an obligation to make it. Never sail to a timetable - sail to enjoy yourself.

I constantly worry about the weather for the September Scuttlebutt cruise (W/e 13/14th this year) as after some 5 or 6 years of hitting a fantastic sunny weekend I wonder what this year will bring but its like tossing a coin - coin has no memory so its doesn't know previous 6 flips were heads! its therefore still 50:50.

Will keep praying to the weather gods for this September Scuttlebutt Cherbourg Cruise (and mid July to mid August for our 4 week summer sailing holiday).

Trust everyone gets plenty of rest for the September Cherbourg Trip.

Two poor decisions though Colin -firstly tying up on a £50 mooring and secondly admitting it on here. Yes you've guessed it I own that mooring so will collect the £50 next time we meet!!

 

[prv]

there's no way a seagoing ship would have struggled in the slightest.

Certainly no problem at all for the ship itself, but it's carrying a deck cargo of brand new very large motorboats. Perhaps they baby this cargo by avoiding breezy conditions where possible?

Pete

 

[LadyInBed]

Well done Col, that is what gaining experience is all about, you made the right choices.