Sunday 5th July Ref: 2015/15
This was the channel crossing to Cherbourg in preparation for the passage west around the Cap de la Hague and down the Alderney Race to Guernsey. It has us leaving Itchin at high water, carrying the tide down the R. Itchen and across the Solent and out through the Needles. Then cruising due south until it tried to push us East quite hard with the speed degraded accordingly
We had hoped to stay at Yarmouth the night before to lessen the journey but the moorings at both the Marina and local boatyard were all full due to them being very popular at summer weekends. The passage from Itchen, whilst long, used the tide well and, with the timing being chosen to take advantage of the weather being very still, the long 10 hour passage, starting at 4am in the morning local time, was still enjoyable. I had given my crew permission to sleep and she did a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed the passage. Kathleen had prepared lots of drinks and food to pass the time on route. Sandwiches, snacks, fruit and biscuits with lots of flasks and drinks
The weather was wind 3kn to start with rising to 10kn gusting 12 knots off the French coast; initially the East but finally settling to the SW : Temperature 17degC rising to 25degC; RH 67% at first rising worryingly to 85% with risk of fog but then falling steadily to 32%; 1017mb steady; smooth/slight seas but with a pronounced swell from the SW, mod to good visibility, weather fair and dull at first but then warm and sunny later. F2/4
