For all of its charms, Alderney is no place to be in bad weather. There are no all-weather anchorages on the island – while the main harbor has a breakwater that cuts down on chop from the west, it’s nearly entirely open to the north. There are marinas in both Guernsey and Jersey, but none of the anchorages offer much protection from the swell of the Atlantic when the wind picks up.

Oso at anchor outside of the inner breakwater in Cherbourg
The view from the anchorage as the sun is setting

If given the choice, we generally much prefer to swing at anchor rather than tie up to a dock in a marina. Anchoring means that we’re further from any neighbors, there’s more breeze through the boat, there are no fenders and docklines to set up, and we don’t have to worry about a crosswind blowing the boat into the dock. With the wind forecast to pick up, we decided to point the bow to Cherbourg, where we could anchor, instead of to one of the other Channel Islands, where we’d need to sit in a marina.

Statue of Napoleon just outside of the harbor
After an energetic walk up to the Fort du Roule we were afforded a lovely view of Cherbourg and the English Channel

So off to France we go, and Cherbourg is a nice stop for a few days. Delicious croissant, tasty seafood, and a very cool decommissioned nuclear submarine to explore.

La Cite de la Mer museum is located in the art deco style, former transatlantic maritime station 
The Redoutable, the first French ballistic nuclear submarine. Originally launched in Cherbourg in 1967, the submarine is now a fascinating museum exhibit at the Cite de la Mer
Touring the inside of The Redoutable