One of our favorite aspects of traveling by sailboat is the freedom to change plans on short notice. With a summer plan of exploring the southwest coast of Ireland, our original intent was to make as much progress as possible westward in the English Channel. But strong winds from the west were forecast, and we have enough experience with the strong currents and choppy seas of the Channel to know that heading west directly into the wind would be unpleasant at best.
So, time to change plans! The Channel Islands lie directly south of Studland Bay, and the west wind provided perfect conditions for a day sail to Alderney.
Composed of Alderney, Guernsey, Jersey, along with a handful smaller islands, the Channel Islands are a UK crown dependency – they islands are mostly self governing, are not part of the UK, but still rely on the UK for defense. While physically located much closer to France than England, the islands use the pound for currency and residents generally speak English.
From a nautical perspective, Alderney may be best known for its eponymous tidal race. The huge tidal range in the Channel Islands (up to 40’/12m) means that a lot of water flows in and out, and much of it is forced through the 7nm-wide passage between Alderney and mainland France. The result is a reversing current that can reach 12 knots, with the associated confused seas and standing waves that occur if any wind blows across the current.
From a touring perspective, Alderney is fascinating. Occupying a strategic location at the edge of the tidal gate, the island has had large fortifications to protect shipping since at least Roman times. Another large wave of military installations were built in the late-1700s near the peak of the long battle between the English and French, and the final (for now, anyway) building boom of defensive bulwarks occurred during WWII as part of Nazi Germany’s Atlantic Wall.
It was partly due to absolutely fantastic warm and sunny weather, partly due to the typical slower pace of island life, partly due to the fantastic history of the place, and undoubtedly partly due to the fact that we are so happy to be out of the boatyard and actually moving the boat instead of just working on it. But whatever the cause, Alderney was a fantastic stop.
