Where to Dry Out in Guernsey - need to inspect rock damage

[richardm47]

Yes I hit some French granite! Was in an anchorage between Ile Grande and Ile Morvil (north of Trebeurden.) Unmarked ( no buoy or post) and not on my Navionics chart. No water in the bilge - I've got an encapsulated keel. But there is bound to be some damage to the GRP. I told my insurers and headed for Guernsey.

Next I think I need to dry out and inspect the damage. Of course I can use a travel-lift (Boatworks or at St Samson) but I was hoping to avoid the expense. I'm thinking a nice sheltered wall to lean on, or posts like at Warsash. Have you done that in Guernsey? Or have any advice on where's a good place?

 

[SimonD]

Victoria marina in St Peter Port.

 

[VicS]

As above

Contact the Harbour master in St P P No problem to find a spot to dryout i am sure

 

[Tiller Girl]

Would you not be wanting to look at the bit the boat is sitting on if you dried out?

 

[richardm47]

Would you not be wanting to look at the bit the boat is sitting on if you dried out?

Good point TG, I hadn't considered that! So, thinking about the hit now, it must have been on the leading edge, we stopped quite quickly rather than a protracted slide. We floated off in 15 minutes and quiet weather, so there was no pounding. So I think the main damage will be on the leading edge. And at the moment I only want to get a first assessment.

If not too bad, then I might be able to patch up with epoxy putty or milliput. Then get a proper job done by the professionals once I lay up at Hamble.

 

[doug748]

Yes, I think SPP is the place.

Just be aware that there is some poor weather coming up and it will be going around the compass so there may be a surge in the marina. Lurk until it looks flat before going alongside or there may be some disconcerting pounding. Good luck, you should be ok.

Do you have a fix for the rock, is it in the middle or to one side, or is it right inside past the P & S markers? I have a vested interest, as I have considered that anchorage in the past!

PS

I have just looked a Navionics on the PC, as you say it looks as clean as a whistle in there.

 

[johnalison]

There are good drying grids in both St PP and St Helier. The one in StPP has a grid and so might suit your needs better. Have a look at LW and you should be able to get the leading part overhanging.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Can't you just don a mask and dive in and take a look? Or get someone else to do it for you? The water is warm !

 

[guernseyman]

If the drying out pad in the Victoria Marina is in use, you can dry out on rubble alongside the slipway in the SW corner. Otherwise, there is a pad in the NW corner of the QEII marina.

 

[TQA]

Snorkel gear with a camera would be better than drying out.

Or pay a diver.

 

[prv]

Last time I was in St Peter Port, I took some pictures of the drying out grids just in case I ever wanted to use them

The two main ones are along the western wall of the marina, one near the northwest corner and one about in the middle of the wall. The scaffolding shown here is the same piece in both pics, showing the two grids. They are below a series of white lines painted on the quay:

View looking down onto the southern grid:

View across and down at the northern one:

There is also a smaller plain concrete pad next to the slipway in the southwest corner, again marked with a couple of white lines on the stonework:

I'm inclined to agree that a mask and snorkel would be a lot simpler, but hopefully this helps if you do decide to dry out.

Pete

 

[guernseyman]

Snorkel gear with a camera would be better than drying out.

Or pay a diver.

AFAIK no one is diving because the St John Ambulance recompression chamber is not yet replaced.

 

[Robin]

AFAIK no one is diving because the St John Ambulance recompression chamber is not yet replaced.

Not likely to be needed surely to look at a keel or is Guernsey H&S really that paranoid?

I would personally prefer to do it myself rather than have another person give me a verbal report, although a picture would be good.

 

[prv]

Not likely to be needed surely to look at a keel or is Guernsey H&S really that paranoid?

The latter. When we were there last summer we were told that none of the moorings had been inspected as usual, because there was a blanket ban on commercial diving because of the absence of a recompression chamber in the Bailiwick.

Pete

 

[john_morris_uk]

Interesting post. We were in Trebeurden recently and chose not to take a short cut through a cut I've been through at high water as the Admiralty chart and my Navionics didn't match with what I was looking at.

There's a lesson in looking at source data and over relying on what the screen says in this somewhere!

Another vote for the drying grid in Victoria Harbour. I've used them and they are fine. One warning; you'll get all the tourists staring at you.

 

[guernseyman]

The latter. When we were there last summer we were told that none of the moorings had been inspected as usual, because there was a blanket ban on commercial diving because of the absence of a recompression chamber in the Bailiwick.

Pete

...and non-commercial diving is banned in the Harbour, except on Christmas Day.

 

[Robin]

Interesting post. We were in Trebeurden recently and chose not to take a short cut through a cut I've been through at high water as the Admiralty chart and my Navionics didn't match with what I was looking at.

There's a lesson in looking at source data and over relying on what the screen says in this somewhere!

Another vote for the drying grid in Victoria Harbour. I've used them and they are fine. One warning; you'll get all the tourists staring at you.

beware the drunks if staying overnight, or put a cockpit tent up!

 

[richardm47]

Thank you all for interesting posts. I moved into the marina this morning, and can see the grids. Great pictures from PRV they are spot on.

Yes, snorkelling and mask would be good. But I'm afeared of my ears! History tells me they will surely block off about a week after I go under water, so I wouldn't be able to hear a thing. There's fog about and I need them working.

So I think I will move onto one of the 3 drying spots tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting. Thanks for the reminder about surge in the marina Doug.

And I will do you another post on this thread about where the rock is, once I've got a picture from my Navionics track. I wonder if the rock can be seen in the Satellite overlay ...

 

[richardm47]

Ok I've got pictures of the Navionics track now. First, the whole trip, so you can see how the next photo fits in. Second, the detail of the rock/boat interface, near the red pin. The NE tip of Ile Grande is at the bottom of the photo. You can also see the red and green posts in this photo. I also put a blue pin (not shown in photos) in the approx location. I did not anchor at the brown anchor icon. Lastly, the lat/long of the blue pin.



I hope these are of some use.

Soon we'll know how Swedish grp fared against French granite.

 

[Bathdave]

Have you fed it back to Navionics? I gather they constantly update their charts on user feedback ...hopefully not always after a bump!