tome
New member
Just returned from 2 weeks away with my dearest. Should have been 3 weeks, but work and builders threw last-minute spanners. We took 53 hours from Solent to get to Brest to meet friends and then worked our way back along the French coast calling at L'Aberwrach, Treguier and St Peter Port. Final stop Cherbourg then home via stop in Solent.
Logged almost 700 miles in 14 days of which 12 were sailing, which took the trip into the realms of endurance. Both thoroughly enjoyed it, but lessons for a couple enjoying themselves and wanting to chill on a longer passage:
1) Restrict coastal cruising to around 250 miles a week max. Less if wanting to explore.
2) A few days and nights at sea to get somewhere initially is very enjoyable team-work, expect to be exhilarated but suddenly very tired on arrival. Our route took us down to the Lizard and then across to the Chenal du Four. It was good to get into a routine at sea, which never happens on short channel hops. We could easily have carried on beyond Brest, but once tied up we were bushed.
3) Share the pilotage. Two sets of eyes are better than one and it gives you a sense of shared achievement. I was a bit slow of the mark on this and initially did it all on my own, leaving other half feeling redundant.
4) Find a better pilot book for the Channel than Tom Cunliffes rambling prose which was as useful as a chocolate fireguard for a night time arrival Treguier. Sorry to his fans, but I found it scant on useful detail and full of self-indulgent trivia. Will carry my old John Coote originals in future.
I should add that we wern't trying to explore on this occasion. We decided to put ourselves to the test for some more distant cruising grounds ahead, and I'm very pleased that we completed our 3 week plan in the reduced time.
Could now do with a holiday!
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Logged almost 700 miles in 14 days of which 12 were sailing, which took the trip into the realms of endurance. Both thoroughly enjoyed it, but lessons for a couple enjoying themselves and wanting to chill on a longer passage:
1) Restrict coastal cruising to around 250 miles a week max. Less if wanting to explore.
2) A few days and nights at sea to get somewhere initially is very enjoyable team-work, expect to be exhilarated but suddenly very tired on arrival. Our route took us down to the Lizard and then across to the Chenal du Four. It was good to get into a routine at sea, which never happens on short channel hops. We could easily have carried on beyond Brest, but once tied up we were bushed.
3) Share the pilotage. Two sets of eyes are better than one and it gives you a sense of shared achievement. I was a bit slow of the mark on this and initially did it all on my own, leaving other half feeling redundant.
4) Find a better pilot book for the Channel than Tom Cunliffes rambling prose which was as useful as a chocolate fireguard for a night time arrival Treguier. Sorry to his fans, but I found it scant on useful detail and full of self-indulgent trivia. Will carry my old John Coote originals in future.
I should add that we wern't trying to explore on this occasion. We decided to put ourselves to the test for some more distant cruising grounds ahead, and I'm very pleased that we completed our 3 week plan in the reduced time.
Could now do with a holiday!
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