AHHHHHHHHH...Winter Approaches.

Monday was quite a special day : the first planning day (on wave kit) since probably more than a month, we finally got a day out sailing we so desperately awaited. Simply driving in the car park
 my heartbeat increased as it was obvious a nice 25/30 knot wind was blowing across the bay.  After a frantic 4.7 rigging frenzy, Matt and I rushed down to the water.
  I am proud to say my wave riding hasn't gone down hill despite the time off the water, in fact it probably getting better considering the last time I had good sailing was when we were in Tenerife. I'm feeling very confident in the bottom turn, pushing as hard as I can on my front foot with my back hand further down the boom, which seems to engage the whole rail way more than it used to, then following up by hitting the lip as hard as I can. On my last few bottom turns (before the wind dropped), I'm coming out the bottom turn with a lot of speed, coming vertical on the wave, then pushed very hard on the back foot to make the top turn, hitting the lip harder and closer to the critical section, taking more speed in my turns, etc. etc. As a result everything seems to come together nicely.
 Unfortunately, the forecast doesn’t look so good as the forecast did, so I'll have to wait for the next blow to get back out on the water for another wave sailing session...

 

No pics from today

so here's a few from happier days

on the 3.7 Goya

Small waves,

 trying to milk the best out of them .

Daring

If you missed your chance to tour this type 45 or 'D' class  air defence destroyer while it was at anchor in the Little Russell, here's your chance to virtually climb aboard.

  The type 45 destroyer, one of the Royal Navy's newest and most capable ships, is anchored off St Peter Port, for a three day visit. Her primary reason for its visit is a rather sober one, in memory of those who lost their lives on HM Ships Charybdis and Limbourne.
  More than 20 bodies from HMS Charybdis washed up in Guernsey after it was torpedoed by German forces in 1943.  The bodies were buried with full military honours at Le Foulon Cemetery by the Island's German occupiers.
  The Charybdis was sunk on 23 October 1943. About 460 lives were lost and the bodies of 21 sailors and Royal Marines were washed up on the Guernsey coast within days of the sinking. Only about 100 of the crew were rescued.
  HMS Limbourne was torpedoed on the same day, resulting in the loss of more than 40 crew. It was later deliberately sunk to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.



HMS CHARYBDIS -  IN HEAVY SEAS

  At 1.38am the German Elbing T23 sighted Charybdis a few miles north of the Sept Isles off northern Brittany. Charybdis had picked it up on radar and was swinging to port but was hit by a full salvo of six enemy torpedoes.  As the British destroyer Limbourne came into sight, it too was fired on, with it being struck before yet another torpedo tore into the Charybdis.

Daring, is a very young member of the Royal Navy's fleet, it may not have been around for long, but already the links established between the ship and the people of Guernsey are extremely strong. The ship is more than 150 metres long and has a range or 7,000 nautical miles. It is designed to be a flexible multi role vessel able to carry out a variety of tasks across the world, from air defence to humanitarian and anti piracy functions. The crew have just come back from a six and a half month operation in the gulf, where they took part in exercises included projects to strengthen relationships between several foreign navies and to combat piracy (Operation Scimitar Anzac).



Cheers Gaz for organizing a great morning.

 Gaz, playing soldiers
 You'll never take me alive, Coppers



 Westland Lynx

Bridge

Captain Tuc of Fortius,
checking out his new seat for size

Missile bays and the 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun
guarding St Peter Port 

A Week Off Aquatic Fun

Jen, Paul, Nick and I spent a most enjoyable morning out on the high seas, albeit a little sloppy, playing airbags and lumps of concrete (moorings), scalloping, flattie bashing and all things aquatic. More of the same tomorrow no doubt, one way or another ....

Me playing with big ballons.

Nice dive on two wrecks Friday evening as well.
 

There are numerous wrecks around the islands and between the islands and the French mainland but the large tidal range and heavy swell in winter means that wrecks close to shore are generally well-broken as in this case. Many of these wrecks date from the 1900, these include the two wrecks that are lying on top of each other in 30 metres at the base of Le Grunes du Nord Vazon.

With a brisk North Westerly breeze but a relatively flat sea, Dream Catcher headed down the coast towards Vazon to dive the wrecks of the SS Dagenham and SS Wear. The wrecks are now quite dispersed across the seabed in 30 metres of water and they lie out from the NW corner of the Grunes with the remains of her bow area closest to the reef wall in 26 metres of water.  Parts of the wreck are still quite recognisable, such as the boiler and the remains of steam engines. A solitary anchor can be seen near the bow with a mast stretched out across the sand nearby. All too soon it's time to ascend back to the world above. Back on board with a flatting sea and a setting sun, it was time to head back up the coast towards the entrance of Grand Harve. Another excellent Friday night dive.



Le Grunes du Nord Vazon

SS Dagenham
Wreck, Co-ordinates 49.30. N 002. 38.

W21m 1466tg, 239`x 36`x 15`.

Cargo - coal. Built 1907, sunk 8 April 1907. Whilst en-route to St. Malo in daylight and calm sea ran into Le Grunes du Nord on the NW coast. Broken. Good rummage dive. Slack water only  beware the Grunes which lie just beneath the surface at slack water.

SS Wear
Wreck, Co-ordinates 49.30.N 002.38.

W21m. 1076tg, 222`x 33`x 14` 

Built 1905, sunk May 15 1910 whilst en-route from Newcastle to St. Servian with coal. Struck the Grunes du Nord. Jumbled up with SS Dagenham wreckage.



Jen on the helm
Time to take control and show the boys
 exactly how a boat should be handled,
ha! 

                                              Caught a nice turbot today, did'nt I do well ......

Will come clean about the fish,
 Phil caught it,
I picked it up off the deck!