A Weekend In Cherbourg
August
Bank Holiday 2002 Crew: Lynda, John &
Wendy Trundle
Friday
The passage plan was to set off for Cherbourg at
around midnight when the tide was just turning westwards so we could go via the
Needles, arriving in Cherbourg soon after lunchtime. This would allow us to
spend the afternoon and most of the next day there. We would leave at about 7pm
on the Sunday for another night sail back arriving just as the tide was turning
eastwards enabling us to go through Hurst, have breakfast in Keyhaven and lunch
on the Beaulieu River. The weather forecast was supportive of this plan with a
prediction of a Northerly force 1-2 to get us there and a westerly force 1-2 to
get us back; not exciting but inductive of a relaxing weekend. There was a
high-pressure ridge over the UK that was expected to provide cloudy, showery
conditions and very little wind anywhere. So much for forecasts, so much for
plans.
To start off things went remarkably well, the traffic was
quite light and we were able to get down to Alize in good time for Roy, the
Boatman, to take us to our mooring. Unusually the pontoon was also relatively
free so we were able to moor up whilst we got prepared and waited for John &
Wendy, quite a luxury. It was a perfect evening, sunny and warm, with time in
hand after sorting everything out. We relaxed, read and watched the sunset with
a glass of wine. John and Wendy arrived a little later on in good time for the
now traditional preparation for an overnight sail, a dinner of Ocean Pie with
sliced beans.
We left at 11:30pm with bright moonlight to help us follow
the line of moored yachts down the river. The green light on the pile just
before the river turns sharply east was clearly visible from some way off, on
completing the turn we could then make out the cluster of channel markers around
the river entrance with ease and had an unambiguous sense of direction past the
silent yachts at anchor. The entrance needed a bit of care to ensure we followed
the channel inland for a short stretch before turning to starboard and heading
out into the Solent. We were then found it a bit disconcerting, as there did not
appear to be a light at the entrance, this turned out to be the case as on
leaving, we left we saw the light flickering on and off quite ineffectually. The
new millennium light then came into its own guiding us straight down the middle
of the channel with its white sector. Leaving the River was not that difficult
at high tide and in good moonlight but would need real care in more marginal
conditions. Once clear in deep water at the end of the channel by the racing
mark, we headed south west down the Solent to the first waypoint at Sconce
point. The off watch (John and Lynda) then headed down below.
Saturday
There
was not a lot of wind but just enough to get the sails and the hull moving so
with both the Yankee and staysail up and the engine off we glided down past
Newtown River to Yarmouth and Hurst. The tide more than made up for a for the
somewhat pedestrian pace and when we got close to Yarmouth the wind strengthened
allowing us to have a wonderful sail for at least part of the trip. The bright
light from the full moon brought spring tides, just about at their maximum,
which has, as always, mixed blessings; it helped at this time but not always.
This continued down to the Needles as we followed the channel markers taking
particular care as we went past the west cardinal marking the Needles. This was
just as well as the we were set westward quite strongly by the tide and had
difficulty making the last red channel marker and the end of the Shingles Bank.
Once clear we headed cross channel on 185 degrees, our calculated course for
Cherbourg. Unfortunately by bearing off the wind our boat speed dropped to 2kn
and with 56 miles to go we accepted the inevitable and put the engine on. Much
sooner than expected the 3am watch change was upon us which proved to be quite
uneventful, very little shipping but a splendid sunrise. Another watch change at
6am took us to the separation zone which was a little more exciting as we had to
track several ships that were close to a collision course but fortunately we
didn’t have to make any course changes in the end. The electronic bearing line
facility on the radar proved really useful, allowing very accurate tracking of
targets and hence a clear understanding of what they were doing. With the 9am
watch change we had breakfast – bacon and tomato sandwiches, just the job. With
the brightest sunshine at midday we were off Cherbourg with the fort and Outer
Rade clearly visible beneath the hills and cliffs. As usual the last few miles
seemed to take and age, but we made it a bit easier by having lunch. After an
hour and a half we were in the Port de Plaisance searching for a mooring
amongst the crowded pontoons with several other yachts competing for spaces.
Seeing a French yacht leaving the Q visitors pontoon we took out chance and
headed down between the rows of yachts. At the last minute we saw the space that
had just been vacated and with a burst of activity on the bow thruster we made
it into the berth at the first attempt. This wonderful device had revolutionised
tight manoeuvring with such a long keel, we couldn’t have contemplated such move
without it.
The weather was perfect, brilliant blue skys and bright
sunshine and a refreshing breeze; we congratulated ourselves on choosing to go
south assuming that the weather was better away from the UK where rain had been
forecast. We wanted to spend the afternoon in the town and celebrate being in
France so after paying for the berth at the Capitainarie we headed to the town
centre. We took the route past the statue of Napoleon on his horse and through
the Place de la Republique with its modern but poignant memorial to the
resistance fighters. After getting a few essential and some non-essential
supplies we stopped off in the Place de Theatre to watch the world go by. The
market was just about finished with only a few maroquiniers left selling their
cheap leather goods but the Theatre and its rather grand café makes it a smart
place to be. Sitting out on the pavement under the blinds in the bright 
sunlight
with a cold drink was both relaxing and amusing. The various groups of local
people all seemed to know each other well, with lots of hugs and kisses followed
by animated chatter. Young and old they all smoked a lot, drank little and
talked incessantly. After returning to Alize we had a pleasant couple of hours
in the warm sunshine before getting ready for the principle purpose of the trip
– dinner at the Café de Paris! This was not a disappointment, the food was
excellent and we had a marvellous evening. Lots of seafood, plat de fruit de
mare, Soupe de poisson, crevettes, St Pierre and runny cheeses. The only thing
lacking was the atmosphere – Upstairs has become the place they put foreigners
so there are round tables rather than the tightly packed lines of diners and
English was the predominate language. Must insist on a downstairs table next
time. By the time the meal is finished we are finished too and retire to our
berths for a very sound nights sleep
Sunday
The day started, as it should, with a trip to the excellent
traditional patisserie in Rue. Fr. Lavielle for fresh croissants and a
newspaper. At the Presse the proprietor assured me that the walk to the Musuem
de la Liberation at Fort du Roule was not that difficult and well worth the
pain. The croissants are delicious and complemented by lots of fine coffee
sitting out on deck in another day of perfect, bright sunny weather.
After
a few chores were completed we set out for the town once more stopping off for a
quick drink at the bar overlooking the harbour where we could not resist sharing
a little moules frites; this was to be where we would meet up later for a late
lunch. Our destination lies at the top of a cliff overlooking the harbour, which
is reached by crossing the Pont Tiurnet and following the Bassin du commerce
before passing the Jardin Public which leads to the entrance to the “Montee des
Ressistance” a winding path up the hill. The proprietor was right, it was not
difficult and the views well worth the climb. From the edge of the fort one
could see across the town, over the whole port area, and right out to the
Channel where the deep blue sea was dotted with the sails of the yachts coming
and going or just meandering around. The museum was equally interesting –
showing how Cherbourg was force to capitulate, what it was like in the
occupation, how the Germans systematically destroyed the port facilities, and
how the Americans liberated it. High spots were the propaganda from the Vichy
government “Women of France, it is your duty to encourage your husbands to work
in Germany” and the ways the engineers got the port operational again very
quickly and shipped in incredible amounts of material.
We
returned via the Jardin Public, which was very municipal – smart flowerbeds,
lots of shrubs, neat grass with winding paths and yes, a bandstand. This was no
ordinary park there was an aviary, a pen with a goat, a duck pond and even a sea
lion. The children seemed delighted with it all and the older residents seemed
to take great pleasure in watching them. At the brassiere we had a light lunch
at 4pm, just in time before they stopped serving which was a little annoying, as
we had asked them if they stayed open and they said until 6pm – Typical! We then
went back to the boat for a quiet hour before preparing to depart. Earlier the
forecast had changed from a westerly 1-2 to a north-westerly 3-4 so we took the
trouble to check it again. By the evening it had changed yet again to a
Northerly 3-4 by night rising to force 5 on Monday. All a bit perturbing but in
discussion with a neighbouring skipper we assumed it was the Met office adding a
bit on to be cautious as it was a Bank Holiday.
At 7:30pm we started the engine, rather reluctantly left
the marina and headed out to sea. This time as soon as we had stowed the warps
and fenders away we were through the outer harbour and heading north through the
eastern entrance. The wind was about 15kn as forecast but fortunately it was
from the northeast allowing us to make our chosen course on one tack. The sails
we soon up, trimmed and the engine off which was so pleasing compared with the
noisy crossing we had earlier. In a moderate sea we were making good progress so
the off watch went down below. A potentially troublesome ship, closing fast,
caused a rather premature end to the off watch. By this time the wind had risen
to a good force 5 and the sea state became quite rough, not surprisingly the off
watch were not keen to go down below. By 2pm the wind was a solid force 6,
pretty constant at around 25kn and we were down to a main with a double reef and
the staysail. In strict accordance with sods law the wind had not only
strengthened but had backed and was quite close to the North, the starboard tack
was still favoured but with leeway we were nowhere near the direct course we had
made earlier. Of greater concern was the sea state, which had become quite
rough, making movement around the boat difficult; fortunately the waves were
reasonably long and quite regular which suits Alize. The long keel has great
directional stability and the weight combined with the V shaped hull sections
sliced through the waves rather than slammed on them as a flatter, more modern
design such as Meltem would. She speeded up strongly down the backs of the
larger waves then cut deeply into the following one with a gentle deceleration
sending up great sheets of spray either side of the bow. The deep cockpit and
smooth, deliberate motion gave a great sense of security.
The tide had taken us well to the east and was just
turning when we started to encounter Significant shipping. Our course took us
close to a 90-degree angle crossing the separation zones, first the east going
then the west going one. Establishing the bearing of the many ships was not as
easy as before as it there was no light on the binoculars to illuminate the
compass; the radar was fine but a long way from the helm. Mental
note: get a light before another night crossing! Once clear of the separation
zones rather surprisingly several ships made small changes of course to avoid
us, which emphasised the need to maintain an accurate note of the way the
bearing changed (or didn’t). Perhaps they took pity on us being thrown about in
the middle of the Channel; amongst all this admirable and courteous behaviour
there is always an exception and after being forced to make a major change of
course for a car transporter we watched, aghast, as it made a 180 degree turn
and came back at us from the other direction! Fortunately during this time the
automatic helm really came into its own; it held the boat on a very steady
course without being disturbed by the largest of waves, better than the average
person could manage. As there was not wind input it was limited in terms of its
ability to make progress to windward but still gave welcome relief from long
periods of helming. Mental note – get the wind input set up!
With the dawn and another bright sunny day spirits started
to lift with the gloom, it’s amazing what an effect some bright sunshine has.
With the daylight came the first views of land – England! Unfortunately as the
trip was taking much longer and we had not been able to make a northerly course
we were taken a long way west by the tide, which was just as well. By 8am we had
hoped to be anchored in Keyhaven having breakfast; in the event we ended up 10
miles south of St Albans Head with a long way to go to get home. Despite this
with a strong east going tide we were able to make Poole bay where the sea state
started to moderate at long last and eventually the North Channel and Hurst by
Midday. With the moderating seas appetites returned and mugs of hot chocolate
revived sagging spirits.
Once back in the Solent it was difficult to remember what
it had been like the night before, certainly there was still a brisk wind but
with only the Solent chop and bright sunshine it was such a contrast to the
conditions we had experienced during the night. Only our stinging eyes and salt
encrusted faces reminded us of the sea that repeatedly threw great clouds of
spray over the hood every time we struck a wave.
By
mid afternoon we had recovered, had tidied things up and were having lunch
securely tied up at the mooring off Ginns Farm once more. Although things had
not gone according to plan as is often the case with sailing it had been quite
an experience and reinforced confidence in the sea keeping qualities of Alize.
The passage to Cherbourg took 14 hours to cover 68 mile on
the log, the return took 19 hours and we logged 90 miles. On returning home and
downloading the current synoptic chart it was clear where it differed from the
predicted chart. A small low pressure system over the Baltic had become
unexpectedly deeper and formed a front that had pushed up against the high
pressure ridge over the UK causing the much stronger than forecast northerly
airflow. Although the forecasts are getting much more accurate this was a
reminder that the weather is still capable of springing a few surprises if you
venture out of home waters.
