The sail from Lymington across the English Channel was fine….it started out a little cloudy and little wind, but soon the wind and the sun got themselves going. It took 13 hours to get into Braye harbour in Alderney. I was able to get a mooring buoy and used the water taxi to get me onto dry land. The sun shone all the time I was there and has continued to shine…..even when Hurricane Bertha came along! The sail to St Peter Port was good, and in this part of the English Channel care has to be taken in timing leaving and entering ports because the tides run fast, and tidal heights are huge.
While Alderney is quiet and quaint, St Peter Port is a lively holiday place.
The sail to France was hard work because the tide and the wind were strong. I wanted to get into Treguier, but I had to sail to Lezardrieux instead because of the strong tide and the wind direction. The first evening I anchored part way up the river de Trieux because it was getting dark. The next morning I motored for about 45 minutes up to the marina.
Lezardrieux is a small, pretty village, and I wanted to move on to Treguier. However, the day I left the marina, and sailing downriver I lost the GPS fix on the chartplotter, and so I turned around back to the marina. I found the fault, ordered a new antennae and fitted it when it arrived two days later. All was well again until I realised that the remnants of hurricane Bertha was on her way across the Atlantic through the English Channel to the UK. I tried to get away from Lezardrieux again but once in the open sea I was hit by a 35knot wind against a 3knot tide. As I much prefer to be able to see the horizon all the time, I turned around and headed back to the marina. The wind is still strong, so I may stay a few more days……..time to get onto the website!
I’ve also cycled into Treguier, which is only 6 miles away by land. It’s a beautiful place, and if I don’t get to sail there at least I’ve been to see it!
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