Monday 6th July Ref: 2015/16
This was planned to get the best weather, tidal conditions and timings through Cap de la Hague to give the calmest passage possible. Also to take the 'back eddy' approaching the Cap from Cherbourg and then to take the advantage of the strong following tide through Alderney Race down to Guernsey. This passage was brought forward as this day is the only possible one for the next few days on the evidence of weather forecasts and it was anticipated that it might be a bit more bumpy than we would have preferred!
The wind we finally experienced was a maximum of 11kn starting S, backing SE and falling to 7kn and the swell kicked in around the Cap de la Hague with turbulence off of Brofort to the Cap increased the sea state from slight/smooth up to moderate for twenty minutes or so. We could probably avoided such a lumpy section by cruising further offshore as a flotilla of sailing vessels had seemed to try.
The port has quite a network of pontoons in the outer harbour these days and we had to wait there until let in and rafted up at HW-90mins by which time there was over 3m over the sill into Victoria Marina. This was noit too much of a hardship as it was a fine, balmy and very still and sunny evening for us to sit on decks and relax whilst enjoying a fine sunset
It was warm generally 20degC-25degC; RH 30-42-35%; 1017mb steady until falling later to 1015mb
