The GPS Blog| Activity | Activity date | Activity description |
|---|---|---|
| Brixham to St Peter Port, Guernsey | 2016-05-28 | A very foggy sail from Brixham in Devon to St Peter, Guernsey in the Channel Islands. The photos give an idea of how foggy it was.
Left at the hideously early time of 03:30 (to make the tidal gate for the Little Russel channel off Guernsey).
Left in thick fog that continued all across to the east going lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme off Casquets. This would have been more scary without the two AIS sets and radar spread across the 3 yachts. AIS data meant we had to alter course for unseen ships before the TSS but not actually in the TSS. By the time we got to the east going channel the fog had lifted to maybe a mile or two's visibility. This visibility continued until we started the tide assisted "sleigh ride" down the Little Russel at which point the fog came in with a vengeance. At this point the two, independent GPS chart plotters we had on board (one a hand held Garmin) were very reassuring. Roustel Tower came into view exactly where expected with just 100 yards visibility. The "pier gates" for St Peter Port harbour weren't visible until we were between them! Twenty minutes after tying up on the SPP waiting pontoon, the fog lifted!
In time for dinner at La Scala. The SYC "cruise in company" events are getting popular - there were 16 yotties from SYC at La Scala.
Tags:
Sadler
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| CI & France 2015 - St Malo to Dinan | 2015-05-26 | From the Port des Sablons marina at Saint Servan (next to St Malo), a sail up the river Rance to the medieval town of Dinan. The trip took us through the hyrdro-electric barrage lock. Anchored near St. Suliac for a spot of lunch (OK - to wait for the tide to rise) and then up through the lock at Chatelier. After this lock the river becomes a bit more canal like. Moored up at Dinan and explored the well preserved walled medieval town of Dinan.
Dinan is twinned with Exmouth! No idea why...
Tags:
Sadler
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| CI & France 2015 - Dinan to St Malo | 2015-05-27 | Back from Dinan to St Malo. Via the locks at Chatelier and the Rance hydro-electric barrage. Light winds.
Tags:
Sadler
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| CI & France 2015 - St Malo to Guernsey | 2015-05-28 | A sail back from St Malo to Guernsey. Quite a hard sail as there were some short steepish waves that slowed the boat speed considerably for quite a time. The wind was also from the north meaning that we were "pinching" for quite a lot of the time. As we passed Jersey the wind picked up and freed a little making for an excellent 2nd half of the sail into St Peter Port on Guernsey
Tags:
Sadler
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| CI & France 2015 - Stuck in harbour | 2015-05-29 | Some big gusts of wind were predicted for this Friday so we sat the day out in St Peter Port marina. A wise choice as the few boats that did go out came back in fairly quickly. Some chandlery browsing and lunch at Guernsey Yacht Club
Tags:
Sadler
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| CI & France 2015 - St Peter Port to SYC | 2015-05-30 | A stonkingly fast sail back from St Peter Port to Starcross Yacht Club on the Exe. Plans changed late as we were concerned about getting back to SYC before predicted high winds late on the Saturday night (also trying to miss low water on the Exe). So up at the hideously early hour of 02:30 and up through the Little Russell channel in the dark. The Little Russell was just a tad "bouncy". After a couple of hours of motor sailing (to keep up the average speed as required), the wind picked up a bit and started to back round to the west. The final third of the sail was with 14 to 20 knots (force 5ish) of wind aft of the port beam and with full sails up. Derek's Sadler averaged over 5.4 knots - way ahead of what we could have hoped for. Back on the mooring by about 18:30 - maybe 3 hours ahead of planned.
Tags:
Sadler
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| SYC Newport trophy to Dartmouth | 2015-06-20 | Absolutely no wind to start with - took 1/2 an hour to cross the start line at 10:40. Wind then filled in a bit making the sail from Torbay onwards a bit quicker. Some small waves past Berry Head also slowed things a little. Peter S sailed a storming race in his Sadler 26 and was first by miles on handicap (and very nearly first overall). We came a slightly surprising 2nd on handicap. Very pleasant meal in the Red Lion in Dittisham
Tags:
Sadler
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| Dittisham to QAB Plymouth | 2015-06-21 | Round from Dittisham on the Dart to Queen Annes Battery marina in Plymouth. With the wind forecast to be F4 to F5 from the west and most of the trip being westwards, this was going to be an interesting trip. Start Point planning was spot on - we arrived just at the very last of the flood tide meaning little adverse tide but, more importantly, no wind over tide. So Start Point was a pussy cat. Prawle Point and Bolt Head made up for this though. With wind over tide by then, the seas there were "interesting" as the wind gusted to 22 knots (low end of a force 6). Some of the biggest overfalls I've been through for quite some time! As we got to Bigbury Bay the wind was a better angle and we got to sail rather than the motor sailing we did from just past Start. Into QAB about 8pm.
Tags:
Sadler
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| Back from Brixham to the Exe | 2015-07-19 | A slowish sail back from Brixham to the Exe after the Drew Trophy Race.
Wind was up and down a bit from 5 knots to 15 knots but mostly around about 8 knots.
Sailed past the practise race for the 2015 Wayfarer nationals being sailed out of Brixham Yacht Club. Only 7 boats of the water???
Managed to sail the whole way - whenever we threatened to put the motor on, the wind picked up a bit.
Very nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon listenening to Genesis and Pink Floyd on the boat cockpit speakers with the sun out.
Tags:
Sadler
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| Ore Stone and back - Chaos | 2015-09-26 | Trial SYC "race" from Exe safe water mark, round the Teignmouth outfall buoy, round the Ore Stone and back to the Exe SWM.
A really great day's sailing. Relaxed and sunny on the downwind leg to the Ore Stone and really good sailing on the upwind leg back to the Exe SWM. The wind moved round a little to the east on the way back making (for us) a straight line sail; pretty much all the way back.
The "Chaos" in the title refers the the race's putative title - "CHase Around the Ore Stone"
Tags:
Sadler
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