Farewells in Guernsey

Victoria Marina, St Peter Port

Guernsey has once again proved to be a great stopping-off point. With the Victoria Marina right next to town it is very easy to get about. The shops are extremely close and family and friends are within easy walking distance. We have had some super dinners and, of course, great company. The wind has also changed direction and so it is now noticeably warmer; warm enough even for the butane to work properly! St Peter Port looked fantastic against some lovely clear blue skies but we also had a couple of very grey rainy days.

The new style wind instrument

Knowing we were stopping in Guernsey for a few days allowed us some time to resolve a problem with our cockpit wind indicator. We found that the light on it had failed when we sailed over which is a little inconvenient for night sailing. Inconvenient perhaps but at least Guernsey is an easy place for us to get advice about it with no language barriers. We knew it was an old model but sadly we found that spare parts for it are no longer available so it has had to be retired. The newer model looks almost identical and would have matched the other instruments very well but, just before ordering one, we discovered that that model too is in the process of being phased out. Buying obsolescence seems crazy so we have gone for a replacement instrument from the very latest series. It doesn't match the other instruments but probably will in the future as they will eventually fail and also need replacing.

Maintenance seems to be never ending so between seeing family and friends we found ourselves tinkering with the fridge. Gosport was being dredged just before we left so the fridge would have sucked in water filled with fine silt. Therefore we took the opportunity to flush through the fridge pipework to get rid of any potentially blocking debris. That should keep it running efficiently and allow us to keep a steady supply of ice and cool drinks for our sundowners; definitely a priority! The watermaker is also now connected up and ready for commissioning.

Nicky also got out her brushes and touched up a few areas of varnish that were starting to show signs of wear. It made stepping around the saloon a bit of a dance for a few days as the various coats of varnish dried. In the high traffic areas, such as the companionway steps, I suspect that this will become a regular chore/dance but it will keep the wood protected and looking good.

Herm, Jethou and a little of Sark on the right

Castle Cornet at low water

It was also very nice just to take time to enjoy the fantastic views of the other Channel Islands. The sandy beaches on Herm were not glowing as much as they do on a fine summer's day but it was a great vista none the less.

The tidal range in Guernsey is quite extreme and is currently over 8 metres with the associated radical change in shore-side scenery that much water movement brings. Amusingly, once we are in the Mediterranean we'll only be expecting about 8 centimetres of tidal range. 






As well as the movement of the tides, there was also the general hubbub of yacht movements in the harbour to keep us entertained. The beautiful lines of the van de Hoek yacht pictured above caught my eye; perhaps one for the 'post lottery win dream shopping list'.

Before we left, my sister asked how we would cope with the two of us in the yacht, "won't you just get in each other's way in such a small space?" she asked. I took it as a good sign that Nicky chose not to check me into the 'Husband Crèche' in the Swan pub. Then again... the crèche doesn't sound so bad... maybe I've been getting things wrong?

What I did get wrong was not checking all of my bank cards before we left. All but one was fine but that card was due to expire in just a few weeks. Therefore, despite BV being refuelled and ready to go plus the arrival of a much more favourable wind, our departure from Guernsey has been delayed by a few days whilst we wait for a new card to be delivered to the local branch of my bank. If that is all we have overlooked in our preparations we will have done very well indeed. We are also pleased that we have spotted the oversight now rather than in a few week's time as getting a new card couriered out to Spain would have been a real headache.

So, we get to enjoy the delights of Guernsey for a few days more.

St Peter Port