Channel Hazards - Alderney Race to Geurnsey

As mentioned the channel crossing is a major step and not without hazards even in calm conditions.  5 miles north of Alderney is the entrance/exit for the shipping separation zone - all east bound ships are restricted to a southern passage and all west bound ships are directed to follow a more northerly route.  They look as though they are slow but they travel in excess of 20 knots (as fast as a speed boat) but with all that tonnage they cannot easily stop or change direction so anybody in a small sailing vessel has to keep well clear even if they technically have right of way.  Just to put it in perspective when you see a ship coming towards you over the horizon it will be with you in about 12 to 15 minutes so you have to get used to judging whether you are approaching it or past it.  It can be very unnerving.  We left the Needles with Blighty behind us and sea ahead.   Visibility was fair but sometimes reduced to as little as 2 miles.  We kept a good visual watch but also monitored the radar to spot any ships early.  This trip we only saw about 7 ships so we crossed the separation zone with ease and arrived at the entrance to the Alderney Race at about 1500 when we started to see the speed over ground increase.  It was mid way between neaps and springs so our speed only reached a max of 9 knots.  We steered SW, rounded Herm and arrived in St.Peterport at about 1930 a trip of  90.5 nautical miles. Peter and Carla had primed the harbour master that we were arriving and he met us at the harbour mouth and guided us to raft up alongside their boat NANUK.

 

April Dream and Nanuk in St.Peterport (outer harbour)

 

 

The Murrays aboard AD