WSC + RNSA RACE/RALLY TO CHERBOURG WITH ADD-ON TO ALDERNEY
Committed Boats.
Pickle. Skipper Ian Walker. RNSA.(Cherbourg). Departing Friday 19 th June 07:00
Others from WSC. Details unknown at present.
Aliya, Arcsine, FarrOut, Folio, Pepper, Saskia and Nutcracker.
About 4 more from WSC are tentative at this stage.
Jean Claire. Skipper Alan Clifton RNSA(Cherbourg + Alderney) Nicholson 38 11.58 meters by 1.58 meters Crew Brendan Moore RNSA 01305 821574. Departing Friday 07:00. INTENDING TO GO ONTO ALDERNEY and further??. Details to be decided.
Available Crew:
Possibly return only from Cherbourg Brendan Moore RNSA 01305 821574.
Pickle. Skipper Ian Walker. RNSA.(Cherbourg). Departing Friday 19 th June 07:00
Others from WSC. Details unknown at present.
Aliya, Arcsine, FarrOut, Folio, Pepper, Saskia and Nutcracker.
About 4 more from WSC are tentative at this stage.
Jean Claire. Skipper Alan Clifton RNSA(Cherbourg + Alderney) Nicholson 38 11.58 meters by 1.58 meters Crew Brendan Moore RNSA 01305 821574. Departing Friday 07:00. INTENDING TO GO ONTO ALDERNEY and further??. Details to be decided.
Available Crew:
Possibly return only from Cherbourg Brendan Moore RNSA 01305 821574.
To sail from Weymouth and Portland on the 19th June and 20th June.
Meet up in Cherbourg.
To enjoy the Summer Solstice celebrations which are taking place on Sunday 21st evening.
Afterwards depart for Weymouth or Alderney.
Meet up in Cherbourg.
To enjoy the Summer Solstice celebrations which are taking place on Sunday 21st evening.
Afterwards depart for Weymouth or Alderney.
My Report:
This cruise was a risky one for me to organise but I was lucky that WSC had a similar cruise running to Cherbourg only. After a brief chat with Simon of WSC they combined the two events so we knew at that point the trip was on. Skippers were called to a briefing the Wednesday before at WSC and I was surprised the scale of the club. Using overhead projection Simon went through the various aspects of the sail from official paper work to weather, tide and course data.
Earlier that week I met Alan Clifton and John Hasker at WPNSA and stated that I had offered my self as crew but no takers. Later that day I was very pleased to receive a call from Alan asking if I wanted to go. Heawave is not equipped or insured for such an undertaking so I jumped at the chance. Alan's wife Pat was coming but she had to pull out to look after dog(s). This would be my first time aboard Jean Claire and a chance to get to know Alan in the role of Skipper so better try to behave. Alan requested if I would sleep over Thursday so it was agreed I would attend a boat briefing to get to know Jean Claire Thursday afternoon. Pat came along to make sure the boat was ready to receive a guest. We met up and mucked in to load up the provisions and Alan and Pat welcomed me aboard. Alan started to brief me on the boat but Pat felt I would be more interested in the social side of the boat so the first thing she showed me was the installed optics. I thought; em maybe Pat should be the one to follow on the tour of the ship. Pat was statisfied that everthing was in place and so I was released to Alan to give me a brief on the boat.
Jean Claire is long and sleek and came fitted with a mizzen mast to catch that extra bit of wind. Although not a racer she is definitely a top class cruiser that will cream on with a good F4 running. She has a centre cockpit fully built in with side and rear canvass. So you can sail her and remain totally dry. The glass windscreen came fitted with a wiper and the whole front part looked liked it came from an MG sports car. I loved it.
She is equiped with Radar and with the weather we have been having recently it proved to be essential. I was shown my Cabin with my own on suite. Luxury. Alan showed me how the heads worked and he has overcome that bad smell you get using sea water flushing by just using enough fresh water to clear them. All stop cocks were located but it was hard to remember just where when the tour was done. Next we went over the electrics and ships systems and finally how to start the engine. Finally Alan dipped his tanks. We have fluel and water so we are ready. All forgotten now. However Alan had a final task that he wanted to do and that was to turn the boat manually so we could depart bow out.
This was a very interesting exercise and it was done with lines and manpower alone. Shant decribe it here as it can be worked out on paper just exactly what is required.
Prior to retiring we went ashore and had a good meal before the adventure before us.
A day at the races: Friday 19th June: Up early. Alan had put out breakfast of Cereal , Bread and fruit so we would start the day properly fed. A flask was made up which is essential if things blow up and its not possible to cook. We had plenty of snacks and fruit so we would not go hungry.
Departing at around 06:50 we passed through the Marina entrance around 07:00 and recorded our time. The weather was clear and it was going to be a nice sunny day but not much wind for a race. Sails hoisted and we are gliding smoothly out towards the North entrance after which we were greated by a spectacle of about 12 boats heading south some with huge spinnakers flying. This is what cruising is about. After we had passed the Eastern entrance the wind dropped away and we were left becalmed with the faster boats creeping away from us. Pam was waiting at Cheyne Wear to see us but we were stuck behind Grove Point. In the end Alan decided that we would abandon attemping a pure sail and fed the donkey a big carrot. Soon Jean Claire was pushing 6 knts at 2000 rpm. A nice steady beat that would see us safely across the stream. Sea states were fine for a boat of her size but there was a slight swell running. Alan would keep an hour check on our position and plot our course on the hard copy chart. I was alowed aft to have my nicotine fix provided I was on the lee side. The rest of the time I spent exploring jean Claire with her neat curtians and matching blue cushions. Pat is a seamstress and makes retro 60's skirts.
The cockpit layout of Jean Claire consist of a wooden spoke wheel, engine controls and nav gear neatly mounted on the port side. I had to keep remining myself not to use the wheel as a convenient hand hold when coming up from below. She respond to inputs from the wheel with a slight delay which Ive found on all wheeled boats. I suspect its to do with the gearing so its always a judgement of how much to put in and be ready ready for correction. So little is best until you know how she will respond. Perhaps thats why boats are always shes. Got to treat them with care.
I was interested in the performance of the Radar and what I liked was that it had a CRT giving a good daylight image. It would pick up the large ships quite well and so was re assuring that should the weather change wrt visibility we would be secure to be able to see them.
Crossing the Main Road:
I had no fear in a boat like Jean Claire that had plenty of reserve power to get us out of harms way and the fact that I was not in command I had no doubts about Alan as he had performed all functions in a proper manner. Even though Im not as experienced and therefore not qualified to judge his skills I could see that he was a fine skipper. What I find strange about approaching the shipping lanes with no land in sight are the angles that the ships seem to come as they appear over the horizon and steadily approach towards you. Visually checking bearings all went well and we would always, where possible go around the stern as it is impossible to judge speed but the ships do travel fast and silently. We did not see any vessel changing course so we must have been in a safe position for our crossing of the Shipping Lanes.
Final approach:
About 10 miles out from Cherbourg the seas started to change from the slow steady swell to a confused sea with waves coming at all directions. We were on springs and the tide was now going westward pulling us back to wards Cherborug from our south easterly heading. I had this romantic veiw of Jean Claire as a demure gentle French lady slowly swaying her derriere to the roll of the waves. Now she was behaving like a French tart flicking and swinging her rear end to tempt many a weary sailor. Alan considers she is inappropriately dressed and removes her mizzen and once more she regains her composure. Alan considers the seas were due to wnd against tide and how the tide swirles around the Cherbourg penninsula. Although the wind was not strong it would have been no place for Heatwave. Alan concluded that Heatwave could only do such a journey on neaps. Still no sight of land. Its strange that we kept English shores in sight for about 16 miles but on this side nothing. Using binoculars it was just possible to make out a faint line on the horizon which slowly became darker until contours were seen then outlines of Towers and the like. Eventually we make out the large grey walls of the out breakwater and the race required we approach the port through the western entrance mindful of dredging activities. So we make our way steadliy down the long wall trying to pick out the entrance. We meet one of our yachts which is now caught in a head wind and trying to tack to the entrance. She was obviously still racing. Good for him.
Alan requests me to take over the healm and advises that the entrance is beyond the next fort however that was not the case and the grey wall continues. he wants to prep the boat for berthing. Fenders and ropes required and he knows where it all is and how he will rig them
At last we see a ferry coming out and now we know where the entrance is. We start to cross the mouth of the western entrance and I examin the scene for hazards and try to identify marks so we can traverse the harbour. The dredger is well out of harms way and I request permission to enter.
We are doing 6 knts in the outer harbour so I bring it down to 5knts and maintain that speed. I start to look around for small boats and bouys and look at the plotter to check our position and that is when I lost control as I did not keep an eye on my heading. A quiet reminder from the Skipper as to where I am going brings thing into focus and I correct Jean Claire to her required course. I had studied the charts fo the harbour to get as much in my brain as possible so you know what to look for but it always seems so different visually. I know that the Marina is SSW of the eastern entrance and so if I cant recognise it I can line up with the eastern entance past the inner wall and proceed cautiously. I use the plotter to follow the inner wall, not because I cant see it but to ensure I maintain a safe distance. Permission request to enter inner basin. Again check for hazards I turn Jean Claire to SSW and slow to 3knts. Alans says well done.
Time for skipper to retake the helm he has got all lines in place and briefs me what he is going to do. Just past the entrance to the Marina is a central pontoon not connected to the shore but there are no boats on it and would be a good point to re-establish our status wrt where we will finally berth and join the others. In confined spaces this is when you need to know your boat and Alan certainly knows Jean Claire wrt turning circles and windage.
We safely come along side and I step onto the pontoon and secure a line to hold her. The rest is standards practice and so we are safe. Time for a Ciggy.
This cruise was a risky one for me to organise but I was lucky that WSC had a similar cruise running to Cherbourg only. After a brief chat with Simon of WSC they combined the two events so we knew at that point the trip was on. Skippers were called to a briefing the Wednesday before at WSC and I was surprised the scale of the club. Using overhead projection Simon went through the various aspects of the sail from official paper work to weather, tide and course data.
Earlier that week I met Alan Clifton and John Hasker at WPNSA and stated that I had offered my self as crew but no takers. Later that day I was very pleased to receive a call from Alan asking if I wanted to go. Heawave is not equipped or insured for such an undertaking so I jumped at the chance. Alan's wife Pat was coming but she had to pull out to look after dog(s). This would be my first time aboard Jean Claire and a chance to get to know Alan in the role of Skipper so better try to behave. Alan requested if I would sleep over Thursday so it was agreed I would attend a boat briefing to get to know Jean Claire Thursday afternoon. Pat came along to make sure the boat was ready to receive a guest. We met up and mucked in to load up the provisions and Alan and Pat welcomed me aboard. Alan started to brief me on the boat but Pat felt I would be more interested in the social side of the boat so the first thing she showed me was the installed optics. I thought; em maybe Pat should be the one to follow on the tour of the ship. Pat was statisfied that everthing was in place and so I was released to Alan to give me a brief on the boat.
Jean Claire is long and sleek and came fitted with a mizzen mast to catch that extra bit of wind. Although not a racer she is definitely a top class cruiser that will cream on with a good F4 running. She has a centre cockpit fully built in with side and rear canvass. So you can sail her and remain totally dry. The glass windscreen came fitted with a wiper and the whole front part looked liked it came from an MG sports car. I loved it.
She is equiped with Radar and with the weather we have been having recently it proved to be essential. I was shown my Cabin with my own on suite. Luxury. Alan showed me how the heads worked and he has overcome that bad smell you get using sea water flushing by just using enough fresh water to clear them. All stop cocks were located but it was hard to remember just where when the tour was done. Next we went over the electrics and ships systems and finally how to start the engine. Finally Alan dipped his tanks. We have fluel and water so we are ready. All forgotten now. However Alan had a final task that he wanted to do and that was to turn the boat manually so we could depart bow out.
This was a very interesting exercise and it was done with lines and manpower alone. Shant decribe it here as it can be worked out on paper just exactly what is required.
Prior to retiring we went ashore and had a good meal before the adventure before us.
A day at the races: Friday 19th June: Up early. Alan had put out breakfast of Cereal , Bread and fruit so we would start the day properly fed. A flask was made up which is essential if things blow up and its not possible to cook. We had plenty of snacks and fruit so we would not go hungry.
Departing at around 06:50 we passed through the Marina entrance around 07:00 and recorded our time. The weather was clear and it was going to be a nice sunny day but not much wind for a race. Sails hoisted and we are gliding smoothly out towards the North entrance after which we were greated by a spectacle of about 12 boats heading south some with huge spinnakers flying. This is what cruising is about. After we had passed the Eastern entrance the wind dropped away and we were left becalmed with the faster boats creeping away from us. Pam was waiting at Cheyne Wear to see us but we were stuck behind Grove Point. In the end Alan decided that we would abandon attemping a pure sail and fed the donkey a big carrot. Soon Jean Claire was pushing 6 knts at 2000 rpm. A nice steady beat that would see us safely across the stream. Sea states were fine for a boat of her size but there was a slight swell running. Alan would keep an hour check on our position and plot our course on the hard copy chart. I was alowed aft to have my nicotine fix provided I was on the lee side. The rest of the time I spent exploring jean Claire with her neat curtians and matching blue cushions. Pat is a seamstress and makes retro 60's skirts.
The cockpit layout of Jean Claire consist of a wooden spoke wheel, engine controls and nav gear neatly mounted on the port side. I had to keep remining myself not to use the wheel as a convenient hand hold when coming up from below. She respond to inputs from the wheel with a slight delay which Ive found on all wheeled boats. I suspect its to do with the gearing so its always a judgement of how much to put in and be ready ready for correction. So little is best until you know how she will respond. Perhaps thats why boats are always shes. Got to treat them with care.
I was interested in the performance of the Radar and what I liked was that it had a CRT giving a good daylight image. It would pick up the large ships quite well and so was re assuring that should the weather change wrt visibility we would be secure to be able to see them.
Crossing the Main Road:
I had no fear in a boat like Jean Claire that had plenty of reserve power to get us out of harms way and the fact that I was not in command I had no doubts about Alan as he had performed all functions in a proper manner. Even though Im not as experienced and therefore not qualified to judge his skills I could see that he was a fine skipper. What I find strange about approaching the shipping lanes with no land in sight are the angles that the ships seem to come as they appear over the horizon and steadily approach towards you. Visually checking bearings all went well and we would always, where possible go around the stern as it is impossible to judge speed but the ships do travel fast and silently. We did not see any vessel changing course so we must have been in a safe position for our crossing of the Shipping Lanes.
Final approach:
About 10 miles out from Cherbourg the seas started to change from the slow steady swell to a confused sea with waves coming at all directions. We were on springs and the tide was now going westward pulling us back to wards Cherborug from our south easterly heading. I had this romantic veiw of Jean Claire as a demure gentle French lady slowly swaying her derriere to the roll of the waves. Now she was behaving like a French tart flicking and swinging her rear end to tempt many a weary sailor. Alan considers she is inappropriately dressed and removes her mizzen and once more she regains her composure. Alan considers the seas were due to wnd against tide and how the tide swirles around the Cherbourg penninsula. Although the wind was not strong it would have been no place for Heatwave. Alan concluded that Heatwave could only do such a journey on neaps. Still no sight of land. Its strange that we kept English shores in sight for about 16 miles but on this side nothing. Using binoculars it was just possible to make out a faint line on the horizon which slowly became darker until contours were seen then outlines of Towers and the like. Eventually we make out the large grey walls of the out breakwater and the race required we approach the port through the western entrance mindful of dredging activities. So we make our way steadliy down the long wall trying to pick out the entrance. We meet one of our yachts which is now caught in a head wind and trying to tack to the entrance. She was obviously still racing. Good for him.
Alan requests me to take over the healm and advises that the entrance is beyond the next fort however that was not the case and the grey wall continues. he wants to prep the boat for berthing. Fenders and ropes required and he knows where it all is and how he will rig them
At last we see a ferry coming out and now we know where the entrance is. We start to cross the mouth of the western entrance and I examin the scene for hazards and try to identify marks so we can traverse the harbour. The dredger is well out of harms way and I request permission to enter.
We are doing 6 knts in the outer harbour so I bring it down to 5knts and maintain that speed. I start to look around for small boats and bouys and look at the plotter to check our position and that is when I lost control as I did not keep an eye on my heading. A quiet reminder from the Skipper as to where I am going brings thing into focus and I correct Jean Claire to her required course. I had studied the charts fo the harbour to get as much in my brain as possible so you know what to look for but it always seems so different visually. I know that the Marina is SSW of the eastern entrance and so if I cant recognise it I can line up with the eastern entance past the inner wall and proceed cautiously. I use the plotter to follow the inner wall, not because I cant see it but to ensure I maintain a safe distance. Permission request to enter inner basin. Again check for hazards I turn Jean Claire to SSW and slow to 3knts. Alans says well done.
Time for skipper to retake the helm he has got all lines in place and briefs me what he is going to do. Just past the entrance to the Marina is a central pontoon not connected to the shore but there are no boats on it and would be a good point to re-establish our status wrt where we will finally berth and join the others. In confined spaces this is when you need to know your boat and Alan certainly knows Jean Claire wrt turning circles and windage.
We safely come along side and I step onto the pontoon and secure a line to hold her. The rest is standards practice and so we are safe. Time for a Ciggy.
Event Recording:
The following are enhanced pictures done to date. Click on first one then use paddles on Picture.
The Alan Clifton Gallery: Alderney: Jean Claire Camber Nicholson 38. Classic boat.
Raw Photos: Crossing the Channel:
Watch out for the wake. As high as your free board. The SONCHE TRADER vs ??? . No contest. Taken about 1 mile away.
THE SOCIAL HOSPITALITY OF WSC SHARED BY CASTLE COVE , RNSA PORTLAND AND OTHERS.
All Raw photos 101 :
All Raw photos 102 :
All Raw photos 103 :
