2009 Cruises

2009 was a mixed and interesting year. Hauled out for a month at St Sampson (Marine & General Engineering - great guys, great yard). After a change of plans, Peter G and I left St Peter Port at the end of January and sailed via Alderney to Cherbourg (one night in Alderney as a NE Gale was imminent). Peter had another episode of a recurrent illness and flew home from Alderney. After being snow-bound in Cherbourg (5 inches!) for a few days, I loitered whilst a French nuclear sub was towed in (subject of a collision with a British sub); then, at noon started my first solo channel crossing - wind SE 5-7, "wintry showers" and got into the Solent (Hurst anchorage) in driving rain about 12 hours later. Great feeling!

Blizzard in Cherbourg

I'd planned to spend the summer based in the Royal Clarence, but one weekend we lost the prop and shaft off the Bramble bank. No serious water ingress and spent the weekend sailing in the Solent without the engine. Sailed into the Hamble late on the Sunday night with the early flood and about 2 knots of wind. VERY educational!

Blue Hound Minus Prop and Shaft

After haulout and fixing at Hamble Point, decided to have a shakedown to Cherbourg. Rosy and I came out of Cherbourg on the Monday  morning heading for the Solent and thought - what the hell - why are we going back? So, we turned left and went to St Malo (love it!) then Paimpol. I'd always hankered to visit Paimpol, but the approach dries for 2 miles and it's not undertaken lightly when you have 9 ft draft! Anyway, we did it and returned to Uk via Havre Gosselin in Sark. A really memorable cruise.

Approaching Paimpol

Blue Hound and I spent most of the summer in the Solent and Portland, much of it single handed. The highlights were another single handed channel crossing (Guernsey and back). Weather was kind for occasional mights in Worbarrow Bay, with the occasional visitor for lunch..

Visitor for Lunch..

Winter was spent on the Hamble, preparing for 2010 cruise to the Azores...