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Ep3 – Fleeing the cold to the Channel Islands

Tue 11/06 Beaulieu – Newton Creek

Distance: 6 nautical miles

The day begins beautifully, but a cold north wind blows again. A seal waves us off as we sail down the Beaulieu River. It’s a short trip to Newton Creek, a very picturesque bay/creek where the National Trust manages several mooring buoys, though anchoring is also an option. Weekends and summer periods are usually busy, but today several buoys are still available. We inflate the dinghy and head to the local sailing club to go ashore. A small farm shop, just a kilometer away, provides essential supplies.

Wed 12/06 Newton Creek

Today is warmer, allowing the SUP to be inflated again. Newton Creek offers a scenic route, with seals occasionally poking their heads above water. Linde successfully tries out the paddleboard for the first time and stays dry.
Newton Village beckons in the evening sun. Mick decides to take the dinghy to visit the village and stroll through the marshes. The landing spot is accessible only at high tide, so returning on time to find the dinghy still floating is crucial.

Thu 13/06 Newton Creek – Lymington

Distance: 5 nautical miles

The weather forecast for the next few days looks unfavorable, with strong southwest winds expected. Not wanting to be exposed to such conditions, we seek shelter. The initial plan is Yarmouth, but the marina is fully booked due to the famous “Round the Island Race” on Saturday, with over 900 entrants.
Lymington, opposite Yarmouth across the Solent, becomes the alternative. Turadh is moored at the “Dan Bran” visitor jetty for the next three days.
We head to the King’s Head in the evening, a dark, cozy, busy English pub we know from our 2022 visit, where we enjoy a pleasant meal.

Fri 14/06 Lymington

Friday is cleaning day. The boat is polished, and laundry is done at the local laundromat. In the sheltered cockpit, it’s quite pleasant, so the Kobo e-readers come out for an afternoon of reading.

Sat 15/06 New Forrest National Park

Distance by bike: 25 km

Today has the strongest wind forecast, but we’re not deterred from renting two electric bikes. The New Forest National Park starts a few kilometers above Lymington, our destination. The route is steep, and Linde’s bike battery drops below half early on, causing some stress.
However, the scenery and roaming ponies compensate. We make it back without any issues.
Out of the 900+ starters in the Round the Island Race, only about 150 cross the notorious point “The Needles” and finish. Hiding in Lymington proves to be a wise decision.

Sun 16/06 Lymington – Newton Creek

Distance: 5 nautical miles

It’s been warmer along the French coast than the English one for some time. With no fixed goals, there’s no need to continue southwest. The plan to sail to the Scilly Islands is abandoned.
A crossing to the Channel Islands is now the plan, but the wind is favourable for this only from Tuesday. We have to bide our time and sail back to Newton Creek to wait for the suitable wind.

Mon 17/06 Newton Creek – Studland Bay

Distance: 23 nautical miles

Exiting the Solent past the Needles is best done with a yielding current, so good timing is essential. The weather and sea are calm. It is hard to believe 800 boats turned back here two days ago due to extremely rough conditions.
Arriving in Studland Bay, Turadh is hooked onto an Eco Mooring buoy. Anchoring is no longer allowed in Studland Bay, and the buoys are laid to protect the seagrass. Studland Bay marks the eastern start of the Jurassic Coast, with natural sights like Old Harry Rocks. The day ends with a brisk cliff walk.

Tue 18/06 Studland Bay – Alderney

Distance: 60 nautical miles

“The early bird catches the worm”. The alarm is set for 5:00 am for the 60 nautical mile crossing to Alderney, the first of the Channel Islands. The wind is calm and stable from behind until noon, so the sails are set in a “butterfly” formation. After lunch, the wind dies completely, necessitating motoring. The crossing goes smoothly and we anchor in Alderney around 18:00.
Alderney and the Channel Islands, located in the English Channel, face a unique geopolitical situation as British Crown Dependencies. Despite their small size, they maintain their own legal systems and cultural identities, while relying on the UK for defence and international representation.
After arrival, the wind shifts north, leaving Alderney Bay exposed to wind and waves, not ideal, but unavoidable. A significant swell develops at night, making sleep difficult, if not impossible.

Tue 19/06 Alderney – Guernsey

Distance: 60 nautical miles

After a rough night, departure for Guernsey is at 9:00 am. The choice is to pass through “The Swinge,” a channel between Alderney and Burhou, for the quickest current assistance. A bit of a tricky route, if not done with the correct timing.
A strong 6 Beaufort wind from behind and significant waves from the strong currents in the area make for a challenging journey. Arriving at Saint Peter Port, there isn’t enough water over the sill, so the harbour master directs us to the waiting jetty. At 16:30, entry to the inner harbour is allowed. A meal in town is a well-deserved reward.

Wed 20/06 Guernsey

A bus ride to “Little Chapel,” a charming inland chapel, is the highlight of the day. We are not to used to see this at home, but in the UK, people queue up nicely to take the bus.
At 16:30, enough water allows departure from the harbor to Moulin Huet Bay for anchoring. It’s idyllic and peaceful, a welcome break from city visits.

Actually, we were not planning to pass through this area this trip, but we love the Channel Islands, and decide to hang around here for a few more days. We will you everything about this in our next episode.