Plymouth-Alderney-Guernsey Plymouth

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eddystone

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I've not been to the Channel Islands by boat before and looking at 17-22nd August (all dependent on availability of dog boarding!). Seems to me best route is from Plymouth to the SW corner of the TSS, to avoid crossing same and then head E to pick up suitable approach angle to Braye Harbour. If I time this to arrive at Alderney just before/around slack water Dover, I'd get a good push from the tide from the turning point.

Also what is best routing from Braye to St Peter Port - south or north of Alderney?
 
Braye to St Peter Port.

We've almost always gone down the Swinge, then to the Little Russel.

Check the tidal flows.

With modern nav systems, unlikely to confuse, but it does seem odd seeing Sark and Herm in the distance before sighting Guernsey and the Platte Fougeres showing the way in.
 
Heading this way for the first time helping to navigate/sail properly in August too.

I think our plan is to head from the other side of the country…leaving maybe from Ramsgate or Cowes…and we’ll cross in the area north of Cherbourg to hit the Alderney race and swing around south as it slows.

We’ll check the tide tables/atlases and plan departure time around this.

As another note, I’ve liked the areas between the TSS because it gives better sailing angles (not restricted to 90deg heading to it) and you still have reasonable expectation of most traffic, as they *tend* to follow the paths between their TSS lanes.
 
WannabePirate said:
As another note, I’ve liked the areas between the TSS because it gives better sailing angles (not restricted to 90deg heading to it) and you still have reasonable expectation of most traffic, as they *tend* to follow the paths between their TSS lanes.
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A couple of my channel crossings were in motorboats and TBH I wouldn't feel bad for motoring across the lanes in a boat with sails if the wind wasn't ideal for the direction. Having had mobo's I see sails and engine just as 2 means of propulsion and use whichever is most suitable. That said I've never had AIS but I guess its a relatively relaxed thing these days because of it and easy enough to sail and only turn the engine on if anything looks threatening.
 
Athomson said:
A couple of my channel crossings were in motorboats and TBH I wouldn't feel bad for motoring across the lanes in a boat with sails if the wind wasn't ideal for the direction. Having had mobo's I see sails and engine just as 2 means of propulsion and use whichever is most suitable. That said I've never had AIS but I guess its a relatively relaxed thing these days because of it and easy enough to sail and only turn the engine on if anything looks threatening.
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When I crossed the lanes I did it under engine! And AIS is wonderful, apart from the people who don’t have it!

But to be honest, I’ve been less scared by people without AIS and with lights…than people who have their AIS on but don’t turn their lights on until they’re half a mile away…
 
Although I have done both sides, down the Swinge seemed the easier, but it all depends on how you decide to play the tides which are not insignificant. There’s a rock halfway along the course Pierre something or other that is a potential hazard but is normally well covered by the time one gets there.
The order you do the visits depends on the weather. Braye is lovely but you don’t want to be there if there is any NE in wind or swell, so it would be natural to visit when things look nice.
 
Since we only have from early evening Thursday to Monday evening think I'll have to skip Alderney. Definitely don't want 20-24 hour beat back to Plymouth. So now I would leave Plymouth breakwater to go to the south of Guernsey and arrive St Peter port midday/early afternoon and hope to go to Herm or Sark at slack water Saturday and depart for Plymouth Sunday mid-afternoon.
 
eddystone said:
Since we only have from early evening Thursday to Monday evening think I'll have to skip Alderney. Definitely don't want 20-24 hour beat back to Plymouth. So now I would leave Plymouth breakwater to go to the south of Guernsey and arrive St Peter port midday/early afternoon and hope to go to Herm or Sark at slack water Saturday and depart for Plymouth Sunday mid-afternoon.
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Sounds like a plan.
 
We are also considering Plymouth/Salcombe to Guernsey in a few weeks. It looks like it would be a night crossing passing thru the western approach to the TSS. Question..is it worth investing in an ais transponder? I feel it probably is, if just for peace of mind given the volume of traffic and expected time of day. We have a receiver and can display vessels on our plotter. We don’t have a radar but do have an inflatable echo max reflector that we would hoist.
 
chris-s said:
We are also considering Plymouth/Salcombe to Guernsey in a few weeks. It looks like it would be a night crossing passing thru the western approach to the TSS. Question..is it worth investing in an ais transponder? I feel it probably is, if just for peace of mind given the volume of traffic and expected time of day. We have a receiver and can display vessels on our plotter. We don’t have a radar but do have an inflatable echo max reflector that we would hoist.
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I have bought a Class B+ transceiver to replace existing receive only but have yet to fit it
 
chris-s said:
We are also considering Plymouth/Salcombe to Guernsey in a few weeks. It looks like it would be a night crossing passing thru the western approach to the TSS. Question..is it worth investing in an ais transponder? I feel it probably is, if just for peace of mind given the volume of traffic and expected time of day. We have a receiver and can display vessels on our plotter. We don’t have a radar but do have an inflatable echo max reflector that we would hoist.
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Purely a question of taste. If you have a transponder you can be just a little bit more cavalier about the weather you go out in. With your AIS receiver you have a lot more than we had when we first crossed; we didn’t even have a radio. If you see a vessel appear, you at least have the option to converse with them, though some fishing boats and yachts may not show. If you are looking to the future, I think that a class B set is a good idea, and have one myself, but I don’t see it as making a critical difference. In truth, only radar gives you anything like full security, but again, it comes down to how much to spend and what weather options you intend to face.
 
chris-s said:
Question..is it worth investing in an ais transponder? I feel it probably is, if just for peace of mind given the volume of traffic and expected time of day. We have a receiver and can display vessels on our plotter.
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It depends on if you are a Stand On type of guy or a Duck and Dive type.
If you are a Duck and Dive type, having a transceiver can confuse the hell out of ships that expect you to Stand On.
 
MontyMariner said:
It depends on if you are a Stand On type of guy or a Duck and Dive type.
If you are a Duck and Dive type, having a transceiver can confuse the hell out of ships that expect you to Stand On.
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Depends what I’m standing on against, conditions, cpa and closing speed. But I gets your point.
 
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