What did I do wrong?

The CI is a weird place, weather-wise, from an aviation and boating context. It's one of the only places where 40kt driving fog is considered normal. About 3 years ago, I landed at Guernsey airport for fuel at 15.30 on a late summers afternoon, in CAVOK without a cloud in the sky and over 10k vis. Tanks brimmed, by 15.40 we were socked in with thick fog, solid overcast on the deck, drizzle and RVR's of 400m. Nothing for it but to book into a hotel as, by that point in the afternoon with the temperature and dew-point lines crossing over, things weren't going to get better any time soon.

Sure enough, at breakfast the next morning, there were no newspapers to be had - none of the commercial flights had made it in or out either....
 
Dick Atcherley said:
The CI is a weird place, weather-wise, from an aviation and boating context. It's one of the only places where 40kt driving fog is considered normal. About 3 years ago, I landed at Guernsey airport for fuel at 15.30 on a late summers afternoon, in CAVOK without a cloud in the sky and over 10k vis. Tanks brimmed, by 15.40 we were socked in with thick fog, solid overcast on the deck, drizzle and RVR's of 400m. Nothing for it but to book into a hotel as, by that point in the afternoon with the temperature and dew-point lines crossing over, things weren't going to get better any time soon.

Sure enough, at breakfast the next morning, there were no newspapers to be had - none of the commercial flights had made it in or out either....
Click to expand...

A bit changeable?
 
Thanks for all the replies. I will use the advise for future visits. Anyway We refuelled in Sampson this morning and headed west down the Russel channel and around the island back to Plymouth at 29 knots. There was no way I was taking any chances this time and we had an unaventful crossing

A fantastic location and Monday aside it was a great experience.
 
IMHO, you'd be doing it wrong only if you didn't learn from the experience. Lessons learned are best value and do not necessarily conclude better / bigger / more which in any case may not be feasible. Deploying all that knowledge means refining techniques, thus increasingly safer / faster / more comfortable / more confident etc next time and so on. Having survived, you are all demonstrably better off for it; but PM me if the V52 really is is out with the Teddy!
 
I have ordered decent weather around Jersey and up the Little Russell past SPP - a SW force 2 - 3, for the weekend of 21-23 August.

Not sure if Amazon will deliver mind !
 
While I totally agree with that statement it's more a case of what those on board are comfortable with. Under the circumstances the OP did exactly the right thing. I can well imagine if he had said "Don't worry the boat can cope with this" he would either be on the end of a right hook or waiting for the divorce papers to drop on the mat :)
 
It was 4 to 5 on the day.

You went in to fog and rain.

You then hit very rough overfalls which you were not expecting.

The viz went to zero.

You as skipper became very uncomfortable and concerned, wife was very worried.

You decided to turn around and went back to St Peter Port.

I don't think you did anything wrong, you did the right thing in he circumstances.

I think we have all been there where we are very uncomfortable and make a decision to turn back or similar.
 
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