Cross channel and more….Gales Galore
MAY BANK HOLIDAY SAIL TO CHERBOURG AND ST. VAAST LA HOOGUE FROM 24TH TO 28TH MAY 2007
Given that there are two Bank Holidays in May, this was the second Bank Holiday sail. The plan was to set off to the bustling port of Cherbourg, home to a variety of famous sailing races and then onward to St. Vaast being a small port, where one can run aground on the sand if not careful with the tides!
The team comprised skipper Phil, commodore Sandy and navigator Robert. The other three gave a completely new meaning to the word “crew”. They were grafter Avi, seaman Stan, and shloffer Richard. We had chartered Nemo, a Bavaria 38 from Hamble Point. Phil would skipper the boat, Sandy would do the provisioning, and Robert the navigation. The rest of us did as we were told when we were not being seasick. It must be said at the outset that thanks to skipper Phil we all came back safe and sound and in one piece without having to seek the aid of the coastguard. A miracle in itself! Although the plan was to return from St Vaaste to a Solent Port for Sunday evening, sadly this was not to be. All was dependent on the weather and the reports were a bit like the winds… variable.
The weather forecast for Thursday night to Friday morning was gentle winds of three knots or less and we set off for Cherbourg at 21.30 on schedule, motoring from Hamble Point and hoisting the main sail for stabilisation as there was insufficient wind to sail. We reached the Nab Tower and rounded the Isle of Wight when two watches were then set. In view of the fact that we needed to know where we were going, navigator Robert was on the first watch, midnight through to 0300, together with commodore Sandy, and grafter Avi, with skipper Phil and shloffer Richard going immediately to bed and seaman Stan wondering what on earth he was going to do, given that his bed in the saloon had become a noisy thoroughfare for the duty watch.
Night time traffic across the Channel can often be, to say the least, busy. As we were approaching the West Bound shipping lane, two ships appeared and passed behind us. However, the second ship came close and shone a searchlight before passing behind us. Not sure whether they were looking for illegal immigrants, contraband or just checking that we were not going to ram and sink them. The fact that it was a 50,000 ton vessel gave them no reassurance and frightened the hell out of us. At 0300 the watch changed and with eager skipper Phil, seaman Stan and schloffer Richard to help him, the sails were hoisted and, in an effort to save fuel for the rest of the weekend, we cut the engine. There was a deadly calm, the winds were hardly breathing, the sea was hardly moving and our speed reduced down to something like 3½ maybe 4 knots. Despite numerous sail corrections we gained not a thing!. The other watch was asleep, of course and blissfully unaware of their counterparts’ hard work on deck as made apparent by the sound of synchronised snoring coming from below. Maybe a little more would have given the extra wind needed! Some two hours on and the engine was noisily restarted
As night faded into grey day the rest of the crew appeared as mist descended upon the boat and danger came upon us all. The foghorn emerged and shiver my timbers, it certainly woke us up; even shloffer Richard. Nonetheless Cherbourg appeared with increasing clarity at 09.55am. Sandy brought the boat in safely surprising herself as much as everyone else, and we tied up on the pontoon at 10.30 having logged 62 miles.
Happily and in optimistic mood we raced off to the showers eagerly anticipating a clean up and brunch, or so we thought. Quel horreur! The showers were not working on account of no hot water. Even more quel horreur, we had no hose on board and hence could not take on extra water. We decided to live dangerously and throwing caution to the wind on this one occasion, the crew decided under the watchful eye of skipper Phil to use the onboard facilities. Cramped but nonetheless welcome with hot, hot water after all that motoring!
After searching through the town of Cherbourg, most of the shops being closed for Pentecôte, we found a restaurant that served all our needs, Kosher or otherwise.
We drank and dined in the open, and then wandered off to the Carrefour to stock up on provisions for the boat and bottles for the home. Grafter Avi would not leave until he could carry absolutely no more bottles. W were then all enlisted royal navy style to carry bottles. But who could refuse such a sweet man his alcoholic desire.
We then rested until the evening, having booked a restaurant of some repute, well known to HSSC members, called The Regence. Given the ships fayre that we had been surviving on until then, (excepting the homemade fish balls at supper the night before) it can be imagined that not a crumb was left on our plates.
We made our way back, somewhat leisurely and haphazardly (we didn’t say ANYTHING about the wine!) and settled down for a welcome nights sleep. The following day the showers were working, had run out of tokens resulting in a queue at the token counter greater than that for the showers. Nevertheless by 10.30am we slipped our mooring and headed for St. Vaast planning to arrive some 8 hours later at high tide so we could motor safely over the sandbar. However, it was a brisk, sprightly sail with a moderate sea such that Stugeron were swallowed liberally by most. 
That was, in fact, all but skipper Phil. Navigator Robert was queasy, schloffer Richard took to the bed, Grafter Avi’s head was frequently in the heads and commodore Sandy, just for once kept her mouth closed, unsure of what might come forth!
Thankfully towards the middle of the afternoon the seas calmed and we approached St. Vaast somewhat early. Speeded by the winds and tides we had an hour to wait until high tide at 18.00 and therefore we dropped anchor outside the port and had yet another cup of tea. It should be mentioned that tea and KitKat was standard rations of the day. There was the occasional cup of soup, but least said about that and its pungent aroma the better.
Moored up finally at St. Vaast we all relaxed. It was still a sunny day and everyone needed a rest. However, unsurprisingly the onshore facilities were by then minimal.. The main blocks closed at 17.00 on Sats and didn’t even open at all on Suns. We gave up on ablutions and unanimously decided to eat on board rather than seek the French hostelries given that there seemed to be a somewhat meagre collection.
Seaman Stan, whilst happy to dine on board for supper, realised that afternoon tea could not be had without a French Patisserie. Off he went in search of the necessary provisions, and even without pith helmet and compass returned victorious with glorious French pastries.
Supper was made with commodore Sandy and Grafter Avi cooking for the crew. It comprised pasta and sausages, all covered in a delicious pasta sauce, propped up with seaman Stan’s cakes and hot drinks and alcohol.
By now the crew were replete in food and drink and Saturday evening was spent relaxing in the salon. There was an exchange of sea stories, some not quite as polite as others, there was rivalry among the crew, all of a good nature and commodore Sandy being the only female aboard allowed herself to be taken advantage of, in the nicest possible way.
Photographs were taken, stories exchanged, jokes were made and card tricks played, a more harmonious crew one would not have found in the whole of St. Vaast, united in leisure but soon to be united in terror.
The crew were aware that the weather was changing and were listening avidly to weather reports during the night and early hours. By Sunday morning a cold front had moved along the Channel, the forecast across the Channel to the Isle of Wight was a westerly wind 4 backing to south easterly 5 – 6, backing to 7 or gale 8 later. High tide was at 6.30am. The crew, in consultation with skipper Phil took the decision to leave as early as possible, before the weather got any worse, (as it was quite clear that the weather would deteriorate well into Monday) and head straight back to Hamble.
By 6.15am the crew was up and about, making the boat ready, leaving the mooring by 07.10. The wind was already getting up; so much so that as we reversed out of the pontoon we came inches from colliding with the boat behind us. Thanks to a lot of praying and shouting, danger was averted and we slipped out of the bay. The wind was clearly going to be an immediate issue and unsurprisingly the sea was building up. We hoisted the gib, but not the main sail as even at that stage we were making 5 knots. Once clear of the peninsular we set course for the Solent, auto helm was switched on and the watch system instigated as before, save that skipper Phil, schloffer Richard and seaman Stan were on the first watch. However things were not to be quite so easy. The seas were building up from behind us, there was no other sailing boats in sight, and as one hour came after the other, the sea got bigger, moderate bordering rough and the wind got stronger. The first watch carried on with Seaman Stan and skipper Phil soldiering on. The wind was howling, the rain was lashing, the sea was growling and the boat was climbing and dipping and swerving and swivelling. Conditions did not improve and it seemed at time the crew were inches from death as the boat heeled over with water lashing all over the quarter deck and, with it, the ever pervading dampness. No matter how waterproofed one is the damp penetrates everything.
Distress calls to the coastguard from two or three boats were heard over the VHF but except for one boat sighted close to us that was clearly in some difficulty dropping a spinnaker, the sea was empty and the landscape/seascape was bleak and grey and wet and stormy. Vague sentences were muttered from time to time to remind us that “we do this voluntarily and for FUN!” and from Avi, “What am I doing here?? I only ever wanted a date!”
We made way rapidly, an almost constant 5.5 kn through the water, but because of the tides pRobertably reaching 7 or 8 knots over ground; and that with only a furled gib. As the day wore on the visibility deteriorated and the wind picked up. Hour after hour the brave crew toiled. Various members made visits to the heads and a variety French cuisine in various stages of digestion was deposited. Eventually we sighted the forts at Portsmouth with profound relief.. we were almost there and decided to furl in the gib and motor in. Just as we had felt some relief, the gib sheet got caught in the cleat and when finally released gave a resounding and resonating “thwack”and ripped the plastic of the spray hood, and immediate waking anyone below who had assumed the horizontal position. Another job for the insurers.
We finally motored up the Hamble, eventually reaching calmer, sheltered waters, and although still extremely windy, at last the rain had stopped. We found our berth occupied by a very red, very flashy speedboat and were obliged to berth next door and eventually switched off the engine at 20.00 hours. A total of 61.6 miles recorded. A very rocky and rolly 12 hour passage!
The day had been, at first exhilarating, but thereafter wet, windy and threatening; indeed everything that one wants to get away from at sea. Unsurprisingly it was a variety of seasick pills that had been the fayre of the crew for that day.
We were all exhausted; even schloffer Richard, but skipper Phil wisely insisted that we tie the boat up extremely securely. Finally, without too much fuss and without too much shouting made a beeline for that popular eating, and drinking hole known as the Ketch. Drinks were downed, stories of the day were retold and food that didn’t move was at last before us!
On Monday morning skipper and crew awoke all too haggard to do anything but pack and go home.
The crew offered their thanks and congratulations to skipper Phil for a safe if somewhat stormy passage, to Navigator Robert for guiding us home and to commodore Sandy for her morale boosting, show of courage and determination.
It was without doubt a very accelerated learning curve for most of us, and a great example of teamwork and understanding the strengths and the needs of our crewmates.
Co writers Robert and Stanley
( Edited from 6 pages to 3… Sandy )
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