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The
Alderney Journal's ~ Issue 985 – Late November It is hard not to start with the weather, even
though tradition demands that I end with a fuzzy prediction based on seaweed,
alchemy and optimism. Even with
a 50 meter section of the stone outer-shell of the breakwater missing, local
shipping once again proved that the weather is but a mere nuisance by
pressing through gales with a twelve hour long channel crossing. At the time of writing there are high
winds battering all of the islands, reaching force nine at times and bringing
driving rain and hail. I wonder if the damage and subsequent repair to
the famous breakwater will cause the topic to be re-warmed in a Guernsey pub
or two, places where I suspect it would be generally agreed that Alderney is
lucky to have kept the 150 year old feat of engineering in place. In the unlikely event that I have any
Guernsey readers I would like to gently remind the larger isle that their
States choose to maintain the breakwater as the Bailiwick’s contribution to
the defence of the British Isles.
A contribution that could, if it better suited the islands, be made
with a cheque to Her Majesty for something like £2 million pounds a year. The marina may not have begun just yet, but it
remains a topic socially and with government. The States recently talked about the importance of working
with whoever is going to develop the new facility, in particular they wanted
to hold off on plans to rebuild the harbour office and shower block in case
they should be moved as part of the bigger plan. The States have heard for a number of years that the
office and amenities are in need of major work, so the delay might be seen as
a good sign that the marina is about to emerge. While states members continue to work with the Chamber of
Commerce on the subject of a ferry service, members Paul Arditti and Geoff
Sargent will accompany Roy Burke to a visit to the Isles of Scilly on a fact
finding mission. Back to tradition and it is known that all
weather forecasters must make a prediction as to whether this will be a white
Christmas, in times gone by it would be an easy job here in Alderney. But the long established record for
snow-free winters has been put behind us in recent years, a casualty of
climate change or perhaps by the whim of the Jetstream. So here and now I shall nail my
colours to the mast of the good ship anticipation and say no, sorry kids, the
chances of lying snow for Christmas are not good. Though as in every issue, I eagerly anticipate being
proven wrong by the weather.
Beyond that I can say that the trend of stormy conditions from the
west looks set to continue, with a pocket of high pressure here and there
that might just bring some ease from the constant checking of boat covers and
in some cases even that the boat ashore is still where you left it. And for New Year’s Eve, I can safely
say that it will be very cold indeed with a good chance of clear skies and a
crisp frost for anyone out too late. ~ Issue 984 – Early November States Engineer, Julie Turner, is hoping that as
many road users as possible will contact her with views and ideas about the
one-way system in the harbour.
Julie told The Journal “The General Services Committee is seeking
views on the layout” and “the more responses the better.” The new layout came into being at the
start of September this year; drivers wishing to park in Braye Street must
drive down The Cutting. The new route takes them past the shops and right at
the petrol station, before turning right again at a new junction near the
Commercial Quay. While this may
be slightly inconvenient to some, it does mean that visitors are now welcomed
by a pleasant area outside the Sailing Club and lead to a clear route up
Braye Street and on into town.
In practice all of the businesses in the harbour benefit from the new
route, though better parking at the crossroads end of Braye Common might
improve the layout even further?
The new car park near the quay helps to make the Sapper Slipway a
safer area to launch and recover boats from, with improved access for the
Alderney Lifeboat crew. Road
users who have comments and ideas should contact Julie Turner by email, phone
or letter at The Island Hall. The General Services Committee also discussed
harbour fees at the November meeting, it was decided that local moorings
should be increased in line with RPIX but that visitors moorings not be
increased. Cranage charges are
also increasing by 3%. It was
also decided that the existing lampposts in the inner harbour be fitted with
brighter light bulbs. The Watertaxi licence issued by The States is up
for renewal again and adverts will appear inviting interested parties, though
the Harbourmaster is writing to thank the current operators for the
satisfactory service they have offered the island recently. The Harbourmaster is also preparing a
local boat registration scheme, in addition to the Small Ships Registry
operated by Guernsey, the CG66 register run by the UK Coastguard and the
records currently kept by the Harbour Office. I worked with the company that designed the Guernsey and
UK systems, so I wonder if there will be chance for the local system to draw
data from those two. Matt Birmingham and the Chamber of Commerce are
meeting soon to discuss the islands hopes and desires for better ferry links
with France, following a visit of Alderney dignitaries to Saint-Lo. The island’s Ferry Liaison Group is
also meeting to discuss future possibilities. High pressure is almost always a good thing,
bringing clear skies and generally settled conditions, but the start of
December looks likely to suffer from high-pressure’s darker side: The still air and surrounding
turbulent conditions caused by Atlantic storms may combine for regular spells
of mist, low cloud and dare I say fog.
Winter has been mild in the extreme compared to this time last year,
which is great in some ways but an occasional breeze is no bad thing. Rain, if not wind, will be welcome in
the larger islands which have been short of water but it seems like there is
a good chance that all the islands will have a fair helping of both as the
year draws to a close. ~ Issue 983 – Late October As predicted in an earlier edition, the States
have indeed decided to increase their security along side the recent extra
terrorism insurance cover.
Following a successful inspection of the commercial quay by UK
transport officials, the Assistant Harbour Master is off to qualify as an
internationally recognised Port Security Officer. The new role involves planning and putting in place
security measures, as well as working with company and ship security to
provide the safe environment that a port needs these days. Like many aspects of life, security has changed
a lot in the last 10 years. Not
only is port security barely recognisable in a post 911 world, but the
economy too has changed beyond all predictions. So it is good news that the States of Alderney have found
a way to check the usefulness of surveys of our population and businesses
that would traditionally have relied on a ten-yearly census for
calibration. Great to know,
since checking them against information from 2001 would be about as much use
as comparing life now to the dark ages.
Not that any records exist from the aptly named dark ages – there was
no functioning form of rule to ensure records were kept. The UK Government has also been busy, the much
complained about relief that the Channel Islands used to enjoy on tax payable
on goods being sent into mainland Britain is to be stopped. This is bad news for many businesses
on the island: Aceparts, Alderney Angling and Alderney Marine all
included. Like the others we run
a mail order business and the changes to the rules will remove one of the
bigger advantages to having an export business here, like the others we will
have to think hard over winter about how to come to terms with the
change. One thing is sadly
inevitable though; with less goods being exported there will be less cash coming
into the local economy. And less
reason to relocate here, for those business people that the States have
committed to attract to the island. A few decades ago some very important people
returned to the island, to repopulate and restore Alderney after the
war. Please join the service
that is held each year on December 15th in the harbour, to celebrate
Homecoming Day. It is an
important part of history and a moving occasion, for everyone from the
deepest rooted local to the newest arrived incomer. The weather for the tail of November looks cool and
unsettled; with the fine weather that we know the island deserves being
distracted and held over Ireland and Wales instead. But as December starts the wintry feel might just give way
to some calm, if chilly, conditions.
If the low cloud is kept at bay then the late mornings and early
afternoons may well see some bright winter sun, warming us just enough before
the longest and darkest of the nights.
Looking further out and into December proper there could be some wild
winds and rainstorms headed our way, I shall watch closely and know more in a
fortnight’s time! ~ Issue 981 – Early October The States have decided that a terrorist attack
is a real enough possibility that they are spending three thousand pounds a
year, insuring against damage to the island’s government buildings. The commercial quay must surely rank
as one of the few possible targets, I wonder if they will be following up on
their spending by putting training and other systems in to prevent and deal
with such acts of terror?
Maritime Security is big business around the world and at Alderney
Marine we know just how big; working regularly with professional companies
and individuals who set the standards for security risks and how to minimise
them. Perhaps the States will
pay for one of them to visit Alderney, to carry out an appraisal of what can
be done to protect the island from organised and lone-wolf attacks? Perhaps not. Getting back to reality, the Channel Islands
Cooperative have once again shown their support for the Sustainable Alderney
Association’s work on seabed surveys.
Their grant last year helped the group buy a new recorder for the
video images that they help to collect, images that show the species of
marine life and the habitats they live in. For several years the association has worked without
support from The States, or from any of the local charitable trusts, relying
entirely on the resources of individuals and companies like the Coop to carry
record the reality of what lies forty meters down around our shores. The study started out when the tidal
energy plans were announced, with the intention of forming a baseline of
scientific data so that any changes through the roll out of turbines can be
recorded. The work is
internationally important, attracting interest from scientists who are at the
leading edge of their work. Fresh back from Guernsey, I bumped into David
McAllister in the harbour, he and nine others had been away on a series of
now compulsory courses for commercial fisherman. The island’s fishing industry is not only wrangling with
local lawmakers, but they must also meet the wider standards for safety at
sea. The courses ranged from
survival techniques and fire fighting to first aid, all of which no one will
doubt are valuable but which come at a serious cost in time as well as money. Alderney has had fisherman for longer
than any records extend, perhaps they have never been governed so closely? The weather has treated us well this Autumn and
there are good signs that this will continue for the rest of October, with
high pressures forming in the Atlantic and drifting over to Spain and France where
we can nestle on the edge of the best weather. Stark temperature changes from day to night though
increase the ever-present risk of fog though, with moderate (or worse)
visibility a very likely feature of the otherwise good boating weather. For those who are leaving their boats
in for a while, this could be a great chance to check your radar reflectors
and maybe even think about seeing how Santa feels about adding AIS to your
chartplotter. ~ Issue 980 – Late September Record breaking temperatures are what most
people will remember about the end of Spetember this year, the sun shone and
the wind was rarely more than a light breeze which for some made a trip to Alderney
by boat hard to resist. Among
the sailors and motor cruisers were a group of powerboaters, who were tempted
away from the shores of England and Jersey for the finest end of season run
for a long time. One regular
visitor rode his jetski across the channel for the second time this season,
adding to his achievement earlier in the year by circumnavigating the island
in his personal water craft.
Some of the visitors were new to Alderney and some had not been for
over a decade, they all left promising to be back again soon having been won
over by the island’s hospitality. Of interest to future boating visitors is a
possible new arrangement at the campsite; I look forward to reporting more on
the States plans soon. The welcome of the inner harbour might get a
little brighter, with The States looking into the prospect of increasing the
lighting around the area to make using the ladders safer after dark. States member Boyd Kelly reported to
the General Services Committee that he had investigated a complaint about the
ladders generally; he told the committee that the ladders were safe. The committee also approved a repair
to the steps into Corblets beach, which had been eroded by the sea. At the same meeting the Harbour
Master tackled the concerns that Alderney Shipping’s new boat, assuring the
members that Valiant would have no difficulty delivering goods and materials
to the island during winter. The
Harbour Master is also in discussions with Huelin Renouf, who would like to
unload their freight during the night rather than the daytime. The implications remain unclear
though. The Queen Mary University in London have
published a report on the possible effects of climate change to our Ormers,
after collecting 40 years worth of data looking at cold-blooded animals they
have concluded that as the sea temperatures get warmer so the Ormer will
shrink. An example of this is
seen in our local Ormers that reach around 14cm, nearly double that if their
cousins in the Mediterranean.
How size will relate to flavour was not a part of the report. The weather of late has certainly been unusual,
but with the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia tracking across the Atlantic that
is all likely to change. At the
very least the nights are set to become cooler and with that a much increased
risk of regular fog. High winds
and rain are due in England so it is more than likely that we will get some
of that too. Though the effects
of the massive low-pressure system are likely to be diluted if it stays well
to the north, but that will mean winds from the west and the high swells they
generate. Always keen to end on
a high note though I can also hope, and perhaps dare to forecast, some clear
and bright late autumn days ahead.
Not quite 30º perhaps, but a welcome treat none the less. ~ Issue 979 - Mid September The States have been busy with maritime matters
of late. They have publishing a white paper on fisheries laws, a process that
seems set to have lots more ahead. Our politicians seem also to have
moved the goal posts on the much needed marina development, it seems to be a
case that the tender process was one of gathering feedback rather than
finding a real developer. Fact-finding can be an excellent thing, but
Alderney Marine’s plan for a marina was withdrawn at the early stages because
the States laid out requirements that were almost impossible for a local
company to meet. Now we are told it was not a tendering process so much
as an invitation to make a proposal. It could seem all too common that
development projects are just a way for the States to export tax revenue,
using companies from anywhere but here? ~ Issue 977 - Late August There have been a good few boat movements into
and around the harbour in August, always a busy time with visiting yachts and
full cargo ships. One new and hopefully permanent arrival is hard to
miss, a bright yellow rigid inflatable boat called Nauti Buoy. Bought
by a local couple that spotted it for sale in Guernsey, the boat has an
interesting history that has been well documented by the boating press.
Ordered from world-renowned boat builders Parker in September of 2006, it has
always been a head turner with a top speed of over 60 knots. ~ Issue 976 - Early August Tranquility is being restored to the island,
after another outstanding Alderney Week. Though in the world beyond our
shores there is turmoil and loss, seemingly, everywhere. Piracy on the
high seas is growing, Europe’s finances are teetering and worst of all
Britain is wracked by civil unrest. Being one of an inhabitant of an
isolated community feels good at times like this. ~ Issue 975 - Late July The Societe Jerseyaise are a brave bunch, in
July they attempted to wrangle all of the islands together in the hope of
collecting data about marine mammals in Channel Island waters. Though
the weather got in the way, as did the inevitable stalled communications and
one island’s work being dressed up as another. The Sustainable Alderney
Association offered to help encourage boating islanders to report sightings
and it is well worth making a note of what you see at any time of the year,
as dolphins, whales and sharks are all important indicators for scientists
and to the tourism industry as well. Once again a band of intrepid powerboat skippers
braved the English Channel to return to our fair isle, the weather forecast
for their weekend was not good so fifteen people dropped out at the last
minute; leaving only those that had been on previous years. Perhaps
that says something about the way the island sells itself? Those that did make the trip were rewarded with
good weather and fine food, they arrived at Friday lunchtime and once again
the Sailing Club opened its arms wide to welcome them ashore. Some sore
backs and some wobbly knees but all in good spirits and ready to relax in
that very thorough way that only Alderney does, an island that reaches the
parts that others cannot. After distributing themselves to the
campsite, guest houses or hotels according to choice everyone met back up for
an excellent al fresco supper in the care of the Braye Chippy. Saturday
saw them trek around from Essex Hill to town, via Cachaliere Pier, working up
an appetite that was more than met by the Georgian House. In the afternoon
they all climbed back aboard and for the first year the channel-hopping
jetskier also took back to the water for perhaps Alderney’s first
circumnavigation by personal watercraft? Because this year was made up of returning
visitors they all decided to stay on past the weekend and sped off to Herm on
Sunday, from there they visited Guernsey and the Ecrehou before taking in
lunch at Dielette and returning to Alderney on Tuesday. With the
exception of Friday and Sunday the weather treated them as warmly as the
island’s hospitality, with a touch of fog on Monday morning that cleared to
reveal still seas and blue skies. And leading far too neatly into weather, July
was dominated by constantly shifting fronts that were mostly weak and did
nothing but make one day different to the next. All the while a massive
high pressure parked itself just out of reach, tempting us with visions of
temperatures that would melt the tarmac on the roads and dry lemonade to
crystals within minutes. Alas that was not to be and this forecaster at
least cannot see that August will be much different, the steady pattern of
weak lows seem set to keep any Atlantic high pressure systems at bay.
So prepare yourself for a mixed bag with both suncream and waterproofs
whether you are afloat or ashore. ~ Issue 974 - Early July The June meeting of the General Services
Committee featured some ups and downs. The small fast ferry service
using the RIB Esquina, operated by the French company Vedette du Cotentin,
has been withdrawn. (Since continued) The company reported to The
States that the route from Dielette had not proved economical. A real
shame since The States had been supportive of the service and had waived the
usual bond for commercial harbour users, passenger numbers had been reported
as being good. At the same meeting States Member Ian Tugby asked for a
progress report on the marina project, it was reported that the deadline for
the latest round in the tendering process was July 8th and that
three companies were expected to bid for the development. Two
applications, one for a petrol pump and one for a change of usage for a
fisherman’s shed were both turned down; though the Committee gave their
support for the marine petrol plan. With the summer holidays within sight, many of
the island’s skippers are planning on taking their boats on longer trips
away. One navigational point for anyone heading to the Mont Saint
Michel – large rock boulders have been placed just off the slipway and
present a real hazard to any small craft approaching what are usually fairly
gentle shallows For those planning trips up France’s tidal and
inland waterways please remember that an International Certificate of
Competence with CEVNI endorsements is required, these and other practical
courses are offered by Alderney Sailing Club and can be arranged with us by
calling 823060, emailing training@alderneymarine.com or contact the club
directly. The practical courses offered are for beginners as well as
experienced skippers, ranging from precise handling to anchoring and planning
long distance trips. Each summer we enjoy helping a group of
powerboaters visit the island, many of which made this their first channel
crossing and each year new faces do the same and join the old hands.
The cruise is called the Floptilla, a name that came about because of a
typing error in an insurance form. The flotilla was started as a
gathering for students who had worked there way through the RYA’s (Royal
Yachting Association’s) powerboating courses and were ready to put it all into
practice. This year they plan to leave the Solent on Friday the 22nd
and after a weekend enjoying the island some are then going on a tour of the
others, including a stop off for Sark’s sheep race. July started with some excellent weather, which
hopefully will continue. Though it looks like the Atlantic has a mixed
bag in store for us, with some good sized high pressures in with a few
ferocious lows that could well bring us some brisk and unseasonal
patches. In fact as I write this the wind is turning to the southwest,
as the high that had graced us with a delightfully and downright hot few days
is squeezed into nothing. At one point there was a good weather system
that stretched for many hundreds of miles, but I have a sneaking suspicion
the same fate awaits that one – so my somewhat pessimistic advice for the
rest of July is to make the most of the good and wait out the bad.
Looking ever further ahead to August and there is nothing in the mystic salty
pools that promised anything much more settled, but we shall have a closer
look in an issue’s time. ~ Issue 973 - Late June A mass-extinction awaits our seas if carbon
emissions do not stop in the next 20 years, the International Programme for
the State of the Oceans reported this month to the United Nations. The
UN met to discuss how to reform the way the world’s high seas should be
governed and were told that a loss of species on a par with an asteroid
impact or other massive global disaster is already unfolding, carbon dioxide
is absorbed by the sea and as a result is becoming more acidic. Plastic
that has been disposed of at sea is also being recognised as a bigger and
bigger threat, some sinks and becomes toxic before entering the food chain
when eaten by fish. Plastic is also one of the culprits behind an
increase in blooms of algae, some of which are also poisonous to humans and
animals when they reach beaches. As reported in the last issue, Alderney is
playing a part by supporting ARE in their efforts to prove technology is
ready to collect power from the tides. As reported there might be room
for even more work to be done by other cutting edge developers, in the
research and fine tuning of ways to make this more available to other coastal
communities. Alderney Marine helped conduct their most successful
seabed survey yet, now in it’s third year of collecting vital information
about the nature of the island’s marine habitats. The good sunlight of
June is a great advantage, even when working at depths of 50 meters. A
number of medium size edible crabs were spotted this time around, though no
lobsters were seen. This may not be too significant, and the data has
not been studied in full yet. Sticking with renewable energy, the British
government have met with Channel Islands representatives who signed an
agreement to work together to develop sustainable power all around the
British Isles. This represents a big step forward, and hopefully will
enable Alderney to eventually export clean electricity to the UK. The
benefits for England could be huge, with power being dawn in and distributed
from the Scottish islands, west coast of Ireland and Alderney. Charles
Hendry, UK Minister of State for Energy pointed out that isolated areas often
have an abundance of natural energy that far exceeds the community’s needs
saying there is “little incentive to exploit the resource”. We have been experimenting with a map that shows
thunder storm activity on the Alderney Marine web site and would welcome your
comments on whether this is a useful aid to planning your boating activity,
please have a look at www.alderneymarine.com/info The weather outlook for July does unfortunately
still look like there might be a few thundery showers, as predicted in early
June the high pressures that are doing their best to bring us fine weather
are not holding up well against the windy and wet lows. Where there is
a spell of settled and hot weather, the almost inevitable result is a round
of thunder of lightning. ~ Issue 972 - Mid June Congratulations to Stuart Trought on his
successful campaign to become the new States President, being a Master
Mariner, Commodore of the Sailing Club and with his business experience as a
commercial boat owner here we are sure he will bring a bold perspective to the
maritime matters of the island. Sea temperatures are still struggling to catch
up to the average, but in spite of this there have been some interesting fish
identified around the Bailiwick with both Salmon Trout and Sea Trout as well
as a creeping northwards of White Bream. It has been suggested that the future of
Alderney’s tidal power industry does not just lie in self-sufficiency, not
even in exporting electricity; but in the development and testing of new
technology. As is being explored by Alderney Renewable Energy, there
are a number of ways to have power all through the 24-hour cycle and still be
off the international grid. If work like this can be proven the
worldwide market could be big. We know from when we started to help
with seabed surveys that there is not much equipment available “off the
shelf” that can cope with the fast moving waters, that are so essential to
make tidal power work. It has even been suggested that the island could
do well to operate a test bed, for the steady stream of inventions. The harbour continues to bustle with activity,
with April seeing nearly double the visiting yachts moor in Braye that the
same time last year. The Victor Hugo also managed four sailings this
year and brought over two hundred passengers, while the Esquina came in 22
times. The second week of June brought howling winds
and driving rain, saturating the parched ground and bringing low cloud that
threatened fog. Giving rise to a couple of spells of that very Alderney
phenomena: Gale force fog. The forecast for the tail end of the month
is, regrettably, more of the same. Though the very last days and start
of July hold much more promise, as suggested in the last issue July could be
an excellent month though hopefully not the peak of the summer that we saw
last year. Low pressure should give way to highs in the last week of
June, with settled conditions that get steadily warmer. So much so,
that there is a chance of thundery showers! ~ Issue 971 - Early June It is impossible to write about nautical talking
points this issue without mentioning Longis, the marking out the parking area
with imported stone boulders and the possible additions of the anti-tank
spikes that are currently stored at Fort Albert have both got people
puzzled. One thing we agree with the States on is that if the old
portacabin toilet at Longis were to be improved, then more visitors would use
the anchorage. Sadly this cannot be because the bay is not a port of
entry, the Bailiwick has only three: Braye, St Peter Port and St Sampson. At the most recent meeting of the GSC the
States’ decided to waive the bond that commercial operators usually lodge in
order to secure their planned use of the harbour, in the case of the Esquina
small ferry run by Vedette du Cotentin. It is great to see transport
companies being given incentives to include Alderney; the company had already
carried around 140 passengers in their first few months. The larger-scale commercial movements in the
harbour have been attracting lots of press coverage around the world, with
news spreading fast that the Commercial Quay is “open for business”.
The growing market for smaller cruise ships is one that the other islands
have identified too and the breakthrough berthing of the Island Sky puts
Alderney well and truly on the map. A virtual attraction that helps to spread the
word about the island’s unique sea life is the annual Puffin Cam, this year
that has been added to by the Storm Petrel night-vision cam. The images
taken with infra red light will be posted on the Puffin Cam web site and be
used to try and understand why the number of birds has dropped from 30,000
pairs to less than 200 pairs in the space of less than 60 years. The
Wildlife Trust are also hoping to use the camera to get a glimpse of Puffin
chicks, or Pufflings, as they take their first steps outside the burrow. The Marine Conservation Society have published
their Good Beach Guide for 2011 and the report includes the Channel Islands,
the full list can be seen at www.goodbeachguide.co.uk Looking further ahead than ever before, I can
predict that July will offer some great weather. Sadly the start and
middle of June do not look quite so promising, with more of the same weak
weather systems vying for control of the seas and skies. Over all the
weather for the coming fortnight should be mostly dry, but not as warm as we
have had so far this year with winds from the Northwest recurring regularly
to keep a lid on temperatures. As always there is a good chance of some
clear days with still winds, if we are really lucky not too much fog. ~ Issue 970 - Late May Following the successful call sign change at the
start of the year, from Alderney Radio to Alderney Coastguard, mid-May
brought the formal set up of the Channel Islands Coast Guard or CICG for
short. Captain Peter Gill, Guernsey’s Harbour Master, said that the
current staffing level of 27 between all three islands would remain the same
and that there would be no additional cost with the service being paid for by
harbour and marina dues. Jersey harbour master, Captain Howard Le Cornu, said
the three coastguard departments had always worked closely in the past.
One small change that we might notice is that Guernsey and Jersey will have
access to Alderney’s radio and radar, helping with cover outside of daylight
hours. As reported in Harbour Life a few months ago, Alderney
Coastguard listen on VHF channel 16 and work 67, Alderney Port Control work
on channel 74. Sticking with VHF radios, I was put right after
last issue’s news that the updated procedure for making a Mayday call was not
actually governed by rules as I had stated; the procedure has formal
guidelines and I am happy to stand corrected. We still have our offer
to make up a free laminated card for anyone who would like a memory jogger of
the new, more complicated, procedure. Just drop an email to
harbourlife@alderneymarine.com with your boat name, international callsign
and MMSI number. If you are not currently registered for a callsign or
digital selective calling we are happy to help. The web site for Marine Renewables reported at
the start of May that ARE had successfully signed the lease to Fort Albert,
they will be finalising a power purchase agreement with AEL through
June. The outfall from the three-megawatt hydroelectric power station
is expected to be at Bibett Head, at the harbour entrance and when running
should provide a dramatic effect as seawater empties from tanks up at the
fort. The old road layout carrying traffic into the
harbour by the Chippy and around to a one-way Braye Street is to be
reinstated, originally The States wanted to keep the temporary changes that
had made the street two-way. One bright and sunny day in the middle of May
saw Braye Harbour bustle with activity. The second visit of the cruise
ship Ocean Nova, a Royal Navy Minesweeper, the Victor Hugo ferry, the French
passenger boat Esquina and a number of visiting yachts and charter boats all
made for a very hectic time. Perhaps one of the busiest working days
for a good while, though the Harbour Master’s team all worked seamlessly to
orchestrate the many comings and goings. The weather of late has been a mixed bag, as
predicted in earlier Journals. Despite some record breaking high
pressures reaching us from the Atlantic there have still been clouds and
winds keeping the temperatures down and the sea state up. The long
range forecast promises some settling, with less cloud giving us only an
occasional scattered shower for the end of May. Though the start of
June looks likely to be influenced more by the North Sea than the Atlantic
and so brisk Northeasterly winds that are notorious for staying put seem
possible. Though with the longest days the chances of some fine weather
must surely be in our favour. ~ Issue 969 - Mid May International Callsigns are not widely used in
the Channel Islands, some boat owners may not even be familiar with theirs,
but the new rules for making a Mayday call require that the callsign be
included and repeated a number of times as part of the call for help.
Of course no one is suggesting that help will not be sent if you don’t have
all the information to hand, but it has been decided that the previous system
of boat name and MMSI number were not enough. We have produced an
updated memory-jog sheet for placing next to your VHF radio, if you would
like a free customised version with your boat’s details please send an email
to harbourlife@alderneymarine.com The interepid powerboaters that left Alderney at
the end of April for Paris have safely made it back, despite technical
problems as well as Honfleur lock being closed until June and the closure of
the Seine upstream of Rouen for a race. The trip covers 280 nautical
miles each way and the group took nine days to cover the whole distance,
successfully finding fuel and accommodation along the way and reaching the
marina at the centre of Paris. May sees at least two more groups cruising to
and around the island, Poole Small Boat Anglers and then the new RIB
Squadron’s inaugural cruise. At the end of the month the Torquay to
Guernsey Powerboat Race will pass east of Alderney. I am sure those
stopping off will have a great time and for those who visit for the first
time, that it will be the start of something regular. The Royal Yachting Association have some new
books out soon, including the second edition of the Motor Cruising Handbook
and a new title: Passage Planning. Both are available from the RYA
online shop and there is a link on the Alderney Marine site. Any risk of drought conditions seems to have evaporated;
the long run of dry weather was broken in the last few days of April and
continued into May. The forecast for the middle of May looks to hold
more of the same, with lingering winds from the northeast interspersed with
showers and a constant theme of cloud. It is too early to say with
anything even resembling certainty, but the end of May might just bring a
return of the delightfully high temperatures and still, clear, days. ~ Issue 968 - Early May Matt Birmingham and Paul Arditti have suggested
that the Commercial Quay should be named, perhaps in honour of Kate
Middleton. With the harbour only having one quay in use I am not so
convinced that there is a need to distinguish it, but given the cost and controversy
that has surrounded it’s redevelopment perhaps a name needs more careful
thought. I had thought that once complete the quay might have been
dedicated rather than named, perhaps in recognition of one of the many hard
working and highly skilled individuals that have contributed to it’s vital
role over the years. States Member Arditti is right about one thing
though, whatever the officials decide the islanders will come up with a
nickname. With the season well and truly upon us many boat
owners are planning their visits and cruises to France, advice on what
paperwork to take continues to be mixed. The latest line from Guernsey
Harbours is that some form of qualification is good, though this has only
been officially recognised for the last nine months. The majority of
Channel Islanders are told to take the ICC, or International Certificate of
Competence, which is available for sail or power skippers. The ICC is
intended as a universal way to show that you are qualified to handle your boat,
with a practical understanding of the rules and procedures. The
certificate is a one-day assessment with your own boat and can be taken after
one or more days of coaching; the certificate is issued for power vessels by
the Sailing Club see www.alderneymarine.com for more information. The French operated Esquina has started to run
regular services to Dielette, the distinctive Orange RIB is an Irish design
from well renowned builders Redbay Boats. Alderney has a sister vessel,
as does Sark, both in private ownership. The company are also offering
a Cartaret to Gorey in Jersey route, taking advantage of small harbour on the
north coast and avoiding the long run into Saint Helier. The boat is
also available for charter from as little as £50 per person as well as offering
a small freight service. See more about the service at their web site,
available in English: www.vedettesducotentin.com. The weather has thus far been kind to the
boater, with promised bright spells and even some temperatures well into
double figures. The end of April looks to be unlikely to break any
temperature records, with a low pressure sitting over northern Europe holding
back any prolonged bright days. Early May seems likely to have a few
more showers, but continuing the theme of alternating short periods of bright
then overcast and windy conditions as low and high pressure systems tussle. ~ Issue 967 - Mid April The island’s tourism businesses rely on the
weather for a good season, but there are other things that contribute as
well. The economy, particularly in the UK is one factor and the
Bailiwick has been continuing to contemplate another – the reciprocal health
agreement. Visiting yachtsmen need to know that they can sail to
Alderney and be well looked after if they fall ill, it has been suggested
that by not having an agreement in place we are losing out on tourism to
Jersey and France. Maybe that is worth more than the half million
pounds the States of Guernsey are worried about losing out on? The harbour is due the first large groups of
visiting boats next month, though hardy skippers have been appearing in good
numbers already. More and more powerboat cruises are being drawn to the
island, despite the ever increasing cost of fuel the challenge of a Channel
passage and rewards on-island are an easy talking point for us in our
continued effort to promote the island to boat owners. A few issues ago I wrote about the lighthouse
and the consultation that had gone on before the light and diesel backup
generator were decommissioned, the fog horn was also turned off at the time
and now Alderney and Guernsey Harbourmasters are asking Trinity House to
reinstate the sound signal. Perhaps in light of the recent tragedy in
poor visibility, where all the modern navigation aids like RADAR and AIS were
not enough to prevent the collision that ended in the loss of life. The
new lights are low energy but are still very powerful, with a range out to
sea of around 10 miles. Though in thick fog the lights will be of
little benefit. Poor visibility is nothing new for the islands,
where fog can often be accompanied by winds that confound boat skippers from
other areas. Recent events are a stark reminder that in fog things can
very quickly change, with a high speed craft closing in minutes of first hearing
a distant fog signal. The importance of lifejackets can never be
underestimated and now is a good time of year to get yours checked over. Mid April’s weather looks set to be ruled by
complex systems of low pressure, with the few weak high pressures that might
bring still and clear air our way having to fight a losing battle against wet
and windy conditions. So we might see some sunny spells, but enjoy them
when you can as bands of rain seem likely to be a constant and steady theme. ~ Issue 966 - Late March Fast moving boats have been sighted around the
islands over the last few weeks, not necessarily under their own steam
though. March has been a bumper month for buying and selling
powerboats, with more people taking up the sport for the first time and yet
more people trading up to new or larger boats. One sale we helped with
was completed one week within the boat being put up for sale, even if this is
not a record is surely an encouraging indicator that the economy is looking
up. Though it will have to pick up significantly more if boat owners
are to be able to stump-up the massive rises in shipping costs now being
seen, for example a small boat and trailer transported from St Helier to
Braye is now 600-700 pounds versus 300 pounds a year ago! Following reports of cracks in the newly
finished quay, I contacted Jersey based civil engineering firm T & G
Limited. They declined to comment and referred me to their contact in
The States. The moon at the end of March was the closest it
has been for 18 years, meaning there were some great low tides coupled with
the delightful high pressure that brought good weather at the same
time. It also meant that the tides were moving at great speed, with
tides further south rising at three feet in 20 minutes. I was fortunate
enough to be out on the water and it was quite something to see the sea so
flat but with so much movement. Thanks to Keith Ireland for his photo
of the Supermoon event. Any skippers heading north may like to keep an
eye out for a discolouration to the sea around Salcombe, Plymouth marine
laboratory have tested the algal bloom and found it to be made up of a
harmless plankton. The bloom is yet another sign of good weather, as it
is not normally expected until April. The weather for the start of April looks like it
will back that up, with high pressure looking set to be in control.
Though a developing low pressure to the northwest will bring some unsettled
wind and shower combinations. Growing Atlantic influence to the weather
and low pressure taking control for a while, so while the climate may well be
changing, we can still expect some April showers! ~ Issue 965 - Mid March The commercial quay is cracking, it has been
reported. No sooner than the fire fighting equipment had been tested
and the quay finally pronounced finished, and cracks in the reinforced
concrete surface were noticed. For the time being it seems that the
cracks are being monitored to see if they are growing longer or wider, or if
they were the result of a one off “settling” of the structure. British charity, The Marine Conservation
Society, have appealed for boaters and beach-walkers to keep an eye out for
Jellyfish. It is the time of year when sighting start to come in and
they have produced a form and a spotting guide, both of which can be
downloaded from alderneymarine.com. The charity monitors basking
sharks, dolphins and turtles as well as jelly fish and work with legislators
to provide information and help with policy to protect the marine
environment. Local charity Sustainable Alderney are currently fund
raising to be able to support the MCS buy helping to report on these species
as well as offer the islands’ only Marine Mammal Medic service for stranded
or entangled animals. While the MCS collect data from the Channel Islands,
it is up to locals to take the initiative and watch out for these important
creatures. Sticking with watery charities, The Seahorse
Trust is not always popular with the boating community as they work to
protect anchorages in areas with eel grass and Seahorse populations.
But their work is admirable and eBay have nominated them their charity of the
week for April 18th to 23rd, so if you are selling your
boaty bits or yacht grot then you will be prompted to donate some of the
money to the Trust. Sue Daly is their coordinator for the Channel
Islands. Until the Trust started studying the Seahorses of Britain it
was thought they were only seasonal visitors, but they have shown that there
is a permanent population on the west and south coasts of the British Isles. The weather at the end of February was full of
empty promises, large high pressures came across the Atlantic bringing us the
hope of clear skies and light winds. But northern Europe, Germany in
particular, had a persistent system of low pressures that held the good
weather at bay. Leaving us with sometimes wet but always windy weather
that was bitterly cold, this ran on into early March but once again there is
hope. The days are noticeable longer now and when the high pressures do
manage to prevail then temperatures just into double figures will be felt,
though I would not pack the foul weather gear away just yet with some cold
and wet systems looming over us from the north west. ~ Issue 964 - Late Feb / Early March Alderney is the centre of the English
Channel. It is also the largest at 15 nautical miles by 9, but that is
another thing altogether. With the Channel being defined in the east by
the Dover straights, at 160 miles distant and the westernmost being the Isles
of Scilly they are also 160 miles away; this humble island is perhaps the
mid-point. North to south we are 60 miles either way to the UK or
Brittany. This works for the island as people with boats find us a very
useful steppingstone, something that can only benefit from the building of a
marina but something we can embrace now. From talking to restaurateurs
in the harbour I know that there are a good many groups visiting by boat this
season, hopefully the island’s businesses can pull together to ensure they
receive the best of Alderney welcomes. There are some cracking Ormering tides, but a
fair few people who are either eaters or studiers of the slippery creatures
have commented that they really wish people would put the rocks back the
right way up after looking under them. It would seem that it takes an
area several years to recover from having the prime boulders left upside
down, so please put them back if you plan to find any next time. The Gannets are gathering well on Garden Rock,
pretty much on a par with last year as the first arrivals were are the start
of February and the numbers at late February are doing well. The
Alderney Bird Club’s most recent regular walk took in a good view of rock and
the AWT’s new Ecologist is looking forward to counting each and every one of
them later in the year. Sticking with wildlife, we know that Jerseymen
and toads are often synonymous, but one Jersey scientist confirmed in
February there as well as in the UK they have seen frogs and toads gathering
early to spawn. A certain sign that the spring is going to be early. Tying all of that in, we have had some nice high
pressures that have made the Ormering tides even better than predicted and
the natural indicators are looking good for a pleasant spring. Only
slightly more scientific, my own forecast for March agrees with all the
folklore, there look to be some more stable high pressures set to drift in
from the east bringing cool but clear days. ~ Issue 963 - Mid February The marina is well on track. That was the
message that came through at a meeting with States Chief Executive Roy Burke
at the end of January. Three companies have completed the early stages
of the tendering process, two having recently visited the island and shown
interest in a number of options including the Blacksmith’s corner of the
harbour and one more to visit soon. Mr Burke said that the process was
a new one for Alderney, with an open set of stages that will eventually lead
to the right company taking responsibility for building the marina and any adjacent
facilities. Bidders are being asked to put forward their proposals
rather than being directed as to the preferred outcome. The prospect of
developing flats or other waterside properties has not been ruled out,
perhaps one reason why the disadvantages of the southwest are
outweighed. Mr Burke said that the maritime regulations of
Alderney were under review at the moment, with Harbour Master Steve Shaw
working closely with UK agencies. As the island moves towards accepting
international standards it should eventually be possible for a wide range of
marine businesses to work from the harbour, making full use of the
marina. As reported in the last issue, the creation of a Channel
Islands Coastguard is just one small part of the work required in working
more closely with neighbouring jurisdictions on nautical matters. As regulations stand Alderney cannot compete
with the UK sea-schools, as teaching boats here have to be certified as a
passenger service as well as instructional craft. Refit work on boats
owned off-island is also restricted, as boats cannot be sold with a mooring
and businesses cannot use their moorings for customer’s boats. Recently
an owner who had been having work carried out here has been hit with a
four-figure fee, showing that Alderney is the most expensive Channel Island
to have work done if you’re an outsider. One less sight for the boat owners and harbour
inhabitants of Alderney will be the UK Coastguard tugs, all four of which are
being withdrawn this year. Dover-based vessel Anglian Monarch is
co-funded with the French maritime authorities who are now left with
rewriting their emergency plans to include commercial vessels. The
other three vessels, all Anglians: Sovereign, Princess and Prince are also to
be stood down from their role is life and environmental protection which
included using their array of water cannon for fire fighting. The weather for the end of February looks like
it may well be decided by the Atlantic rather the North Sea, while this
suggests winds and some rain it also means that it will be warmer and
slightly more stable. With the end of the month looking like it might
receive some really quite pleasant weather, a good few dry and clear spells
might not be impossible. Looking even further into the start of March,
a return to wind and rain seems very likely, though again driven more by the
steady forces of the Atlantic. The days are now noticeably longer, so
fairly soon the boats that were laid up for winter will be getting their
bottoms wet again. ~ Issue 962 - Late January I was lucky enough to be invited along by some
fellow members of the www.rib.net powerboating forum, to join a visit the
Jersey Coastguard operations room at the end of January. In the wake of
the recent change of identity here and in Guernsey, with the formation of the
Channel Islands Coastguard I jumped at the chance. The facility in
Saint Helier is staffed around the clock, as well as monitoring vessels in
Jersey’s waters and beyond they also work along side the port officers and land-based
emergency services every day. A theme that runs through all of their
activities, and which is encouraged in Alderney too, is routine traffic
reports. Ideally every craft, no matter what the size or shape, would
radio or phone in to say where they were off to or inbound from. The
idea is to have an up to date picture of who is where, should the need
arise. If contacted by a concerned friend or family member because a
boat is overdue, the coastguards then have some information to base a search
on. Able to call vessels in the nearby area, or working with the
lifeboat crews. When it comes launching a rescue they use some nifty
software, costing £42,000 to buy and train in, the system allows them to
predict where wind and tide might take a stricken boat or lost crewman. Anyone who has replaced their old VHF marine
radio in the last few years will have encountered the French enthusiasm for
using the DSC, or digital selective calling, function of newer radio
sets. The good news is that the frequent alerts that were common are
now starting to tail off, being used for more for the urgent than the
mundane. One growing feature of visiting France though, as previously
reported in Harbour Life, is the demand for Channel Island boat skippers to
hold an International Certificate of Competence when visiting France.
Though this is not a legal requirement, the additional paperwork is finding a
home in the list of things asked for. Yet another acronym that came up was AIS, or
automatic identification system, that all commercial vessels have been
required to carry for some time. This system is viewable on the
internet and can be seen in the Weather & Info section of
alderneymarine.com. The intended use though is for port and coastguard
stations to be able to readily identify and contact boats. This came in
useful a while ago when an eagle-eyed Jersey Coastguard spotted a concrete
carrying coaster headed for Sark. After repeated and increasingly
urgent attempts to raise the vessel by radio, the guy on the bridge finally
woke up and steered east of Sark at the last moment. Though there are
no plans to introduce it locally in the near future, the system allows for
virtual beacons to be placed on obstructions – thereby alerting both
commercial (and those leisure boats with a receiver fitted) to a potential
collision. Not much space for the weather this issue, but
it looks like February is going to start clear and dry but become wet as
southwesterly winds move in. Though temperatures should start to lift
as the month settles in. ~ Issue 961 - Early January A very happy and prosperous New Year to all
Journal readers. The last few years have been trying for the harbour
and the businesses within it, so I hope the new quay and perhaps even the
marina help to make 2011 a great one. The New Year has started too easily for the crew
of the Isis, who slogged through winds in the middle of the English Channel
that reached 50 knots at times. They made their way steadily through it
though, arriving in the early hours for a few hours at anchor before
unloading their cargo of everyday essentials for the island. Early January always sees the London Boat Show
take place, which many look to for a view of what the year’s boating will
hold. As well as all the new gadgets and gear the show ebbs and flows
with the economy, subtle changes this year include a large number of second
hand boats being offered. Another big issue to be seen is a larger
stand for the Green Blue initiative, run jointly by the Royal Yachting
Association and the British Marine Federation it promotes environmentally
aware boating. This year they are launching a guide to safer viewing of
marine mammals like Dolphins, as well as other key species we might
encounter. The guide can be downloaded from www.sustainablealderney.org
and is well worth keeping a copy on board for easy reference. Plans for a powerboat cruise mentioned in
previous issues are going well, small boats from all of the islands will be
coming together in Alderney in spring before tackling the rivers of France to
reach Paris. Any readers wishing to know more should contact
harbourlife@alderneymarine.com or call 823060. Later in the year the
island will hopefully host the third annual powerboat rally that encourages
people to make their first channel crossing, this year looks to be biggest
event so far. Boats come from all over England and make the crossing
from the Isle of Wight, a straight-line distance of 60 miles to Braye. The weather for the rest of January looks to
continue to be mild, windy and wet. Though there is still a chance that
cold air from the north will return for short spells. Toward early
February a large anticyclonic system seems poised to build and then drift
eastward, giving us a reasonable period of settled weather. So a good
chance of some early boating activity, so long as the fog does not get too
thick! ~ Issue 960 - late December Late November saw an unusual catch for a
Guernsey fisherman. He bagged a small tuna species – a Bonito (Sarda
Sarda), caught just off Hanois Lighthouse while looking for Bass, the fish
weighed in at nearly two kilos and over 50cm. The fish are rarely seen
in UK waters but this year a number have been caught off Cornwall and as far
north as Norway, the last Bonito recorded in the Channel Islands was off Sark
in 2007. Closer to home the work on the Harbour’s mooring
buoys is going apace, Phil and Mark have joined Colin aboard Smuggler to
retrieve the buoys for the annual maintenance checks. At the November General Services Committee
meeting it was noted that the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency have been
pressing Guernsey harbours for a change of radio call signs. Soon
Alderney Radio will be addressed “Alderney Coastguard”, though the services
and hours of operation look to remain unchanged. Guernsey Harbourmaster
said that the islands would be working more closely with Jersey Coastguard,
forming a cooperative that will be known as Channel Islands Coastguard. The States are drawing closer to passing
fisheries legislation, which will be a part of a Bailiwick-wide scheme.
The draft law emphasises the importance of line-caught fish as a premium and
sustainable product, one that Alderney could do well to be associated
with. Fishermen in Cornwall have developed a tagging scheme for their
line-caught Bass, Pollack and Mackerel. They link this in with details
of where to buy their fish, each of which are individually tagged with the
details of the fisherman who caught it. Alderney might benefit from
something similar, which emphasises the benefits and makes full use of the
ever more popular traceability of the food people buy. The fisheries proposal made the front page of
another publication, though being easily distracted I found the accompanying
photo to be of interest. The German Jetty was still attached to the
quay, the crusher was not to be seen but the site had not yet been built on
and the northwest part of Newtown was empty. Possibly around 1950 then? The Christmas forecast is a battlefield of
weather systems, with a fair chance that milder weather will initially win
out. There is a chance of another fall of snow though, especially in
the last week of the month. High pressure looks likely to extend a ridge
westward from Scandinavia cutting northern Europe into two, a lower pressure
to the south and east feeding wintry showers across The Channel. ~ Issue 959 - Early December A rare sight these days in Alderney’s waters –
dolphins were spotted with delight at the back of Raz one bright morning in
late November. There have been some reports of one or two but on this
occasion well over a dozen were seen leaping from the water and making speed
around the back of the island, unfazed by the tide that was driving against
them up through the Race. The tide, or more importantly tidal power, was a
hot topic for the prospective States Members at last month’s hustings.
Some gave the impression that tidal turbines should be hastily laid in the
Race, without any local research or other groundwork. There also seemed
to be a failure to grasp what is in reality a vast amount of hard cash needed
to get the island’s tidal programme connected. One point was well taken
by the audience though, that the seabed is not owned by The States, but
rather by the people (past and future) of Alderney. Our own research ahead of the tidal power
development has been hit hard by the erratic weather this season, for the
last two autumns in 2008 and 2009 we were able to get out on the water for at
least a few clear and still days to film video of the animals and plants that
occupy the future home of the turbines. At the time of writing we are
keeping a close eye on the short-term weather forecasts and are poised to
spring into action! Another intriguing proposition that was aired at
the hustings was the news that Ian Tugby had tried but failed to start a
process whereby the company who gains the monopoly on freight to Guernsey
also has to build up their provision for passengers. A process that
Alderney Shipping have already begun, but which won’t now be formalised until
the contract is renewed the next time. The marina development that The States are
proposing must allow for a ferry terminal, though public support for the
preferred location in the Blacksmiths corner of the harbour is looking
thin. Alderney Marine have withdrawn from the marina process as it
stands, as The States point-scoring system encourages a company to be backed
by a parent organisation and that they have a track record of several marinas
of similar size and type to the one called for in Braye. This seems to
favour an off-island company that would bring in labour rather than a local
firm using local expertise, but time will tell and with the Spring 2011 deadline
fast approaching it should not be long. The commercial quay is of course finally
finished, though the old road layout is not to be reinstated. The cost
of the quay may still be preying on us all, it has been suggested that the
quay now charges Alderney Electricity £15 a tonne for all the fuel that is
delivered by tanker. It is not hard to imagine how this is impacting on
the cost of heating oil and electricity. The long range weather forecast for early
December looks promising, with systems set to steadily increase pressure and
bring lighter winds but with a general cloud cover that may make the days not
only short but gloomy too. ~ Issue 958 - Late November Local skipper and Chairman of Alderney Renewable
Energy, Stuart Trought, was interviewed last week. As reported
elsewhere the company hopes that new EU rules will help with funding for
their tidal power development. One of the interviewer’s key questions
was about the environmental impact a point that often comes up, as it should,
but it is always worth remembering that the installation of tidal turbines is
a rapid and precise process. The effects of a tidal array need to be
compared to fossil fuel power stations, with constant deliveries and
pollution that lasts beyond the life of the station. Or compared to
nuclear power stations, which need no introduction. Careful monitoring
of the habitats that are so crucial to the island must be carried out, and
Alderney Marine helps with those by photographing the seabed and we hope to
continue to do so as the turbines arrive and start to produce clean
electricity. With a chance that kids being born now will see oil, coal
and gas run out in their lifetimes’ something needs to take the place. Fisheries remain a hot topic all around the
island, one report came up this month from an angler who caught a Bass in
Bailiwick waters that had been tagged. The fish had been caught and
released in Zeeland, after being marked as part of a study at Ijmuiden in The
Netherlands a year earlier. Six fishermen there catch and mark the Bass
and Grey Mullet with tags, to help scientists understand their movements in
the North Sea and Atlantic. Always looking to push boundaries when it comes
to seafood the Chinese have come up with a novel use for vending machines, by
loading them with live crabs and setting the temperature to 5ºC they keep
them alive but hibernating. The happy customer then gets to choose his
sleepy shellfish for a few pounds a time. It is, yet again, that time of year when boats
require a bit of tender loving care. Various projects have already
started, ranging from simple maintenance to full-on restoration. The
vigour with which the island’s boat owners are throwing themselves at their
craft look very promising indeed for the 2011 season, I can’t wait to see all
those polished and refitted boats being launched. The marina will no
doubt be a constant talking point over winter, but regardless of whether it
happens there is a real sense of optimism for the year ahead. Weather for the end of November looks like it
will continue in the same trend as the start of the month – rain and wind
interspersed with short breaks with clear skies and chilly
temperatures. Conditions that suit fog all too well sadly, but
hopefully what patches we do get will not be too long lived. If the
pattern persists then high pressure will run south of us and low pressure
north of us, but we can hope that that shifts a little. ~ Issue 957 - Early November The very final stages of the commercial quay are
coming to a close, with the new layout that will see so much of the island’s
goods and produce coming through the new gates. The States Members have
discussed a proposal for a welcome centre for the harbour, which will I am
sure will finish off the new clean and tidy first impression that awaits
Alderney’s visitors at the start of the next yacht and ferry season. Work for us over the last few weeks has been a
real contrast, alternating between the mundane but satisfying work of
pressure washing boats as they are lifted out for winter and negotiating the
brokerage sale of one of the harbours larger boats. The latter involves
the challenge of working in two currencies and in two languages, the boat is
off to Holland soon if all goes to plan. Our old premises in the Crusher site have been criticised
by The States President, who mentioned the location in his newsletter saying
that he felt Victoria Street is at risk of becoming a ghost town. When
it comes to re-opening our shop we will certainly look at any vacant shops in
town, but it is hard to imagine a marine business away from the harbour; I
guess the other clothing shops might also have something to say. News of the marina development is still a little
sketchy, pre-qualifying questionnaires have now been sent out to all the
prospective builder/operator companies. The deadline for completion is
the 19th of November and those wishing to have a chance of
striking the deal must outline their backgrounds and intentions. It may
happen that deciding on which proposal best suits the harbour is one of the
new States Members’ first jobs, with a firm decision announced perhaps as
soon as January. The lifeboat crew welcomed Alderney’s own
lifeback back on-station at the end of October, the Roy Barker I (pictured)
had been away for an overhaul by RNLI engineers. Even as boats are being lifted and trailered out
for the winter plans are afoot for next year’s cruises and events, one such
is for a group of powerboats to gather from all of the Channel Islands and
head off around The Cape bound for Paris! The long range forecast does not quite stretch
that far ahead, but November’s weather looks easy enough to predict – rain
with occasional showers. It looks likely that there will be a large
area of low pressure sat over us and much of France and the UK, bringing
southwesterly winds that are not too cold but which are reliably wet. ~ Issue 956 - Late October The nearby French power station at Flamanville,
just 15 miles away, has been given permission to up the amount of nuclear
waste that they release into the environment; polluting both the sea and the
air with radioactive Tritium. The operators running the plant release
the material in spite of the French government’s signing of the London
Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment in 1998, the
convention calls for zero discharge of nuclear material. Tritium is a
radioactive gas but is usually found in water, it is considered one of the
less dangerous nuclear materials as it passes through humans and animals
quite quickly and emits only low levels of ionizing radiation. Tritium
is used to illuminate the faces of some watches, exit signs and it occurs
naturally but there are concerns that when eaten or drank it collects in the
soft organs. Jon Gates’ plan to open Corblets Quarry up as a
carp fishery is going swimmingly, he plans to be open to season ticket and
day-ticket holders from the second week in November. Hopefully Jon will
see plenty of people making full use of the new fresh-water angling
experience, adding to the long list of activities on the island. The new marina is still progressing, we are
told, the Marina Advisory Group have met to prepare their recommendation to
The States and pre-qualifying questionnaires should soon be sent out to the
prospective developers. If work is still to commence in spring of next
year as States Members hope, the planning application will need to be in
straight after Christmas. It is still unclear whether the favoured
application is for a simple berthing set up, or whether it is something more
like a fully featured resort. There has been the annual mass lift-out of
boats, with Mark and his team operating crane and travel hoist in tandem to
get all the local boats safely tucked up for winter. The Harbour Master
reported to the States that a contractor is being looked for to remove the
mooring buoys. The pontoon, new this year at a cost of around £75,000
will soon be lifted having survived it’s first round of Autumnal
northeasterlies. The end of October seems set to bring us the
last of the fine weather and a start to more wintry conditions, with the end
to the occasional high pressures that have brought us clear though crisp
weather recently. November looks like it will be a month of low
pressures making things rather unsettled and decidedly wet. ~ Issue 955 - Early October There has been much coverage over the last few
weeks of Guernsey’s tidal power efforts, Jersey also jumped in saying that
they had identified a suitable channel but that they were waiting for
turbines to come down in price. In Guernsey Dr Emma Sheehan has been
studying the seabed in between Sark and Herm, we know how hard that must have
been because at Alderney Marine we have been helping do just that in the
local waters for two years now. Dr Sheehan was surprised at the range
and variety of the plant and animal species and if The Russel is anything
like The Race then she will have seen widely varied habitats that are unlike
anything documented here before. Supported by Guernsey Education, Channel Islands
Cooperative Society and of course Alderney Marine the research here has been
carried out each and every season since 2009. Recording and monitoring
the life at great depths, seeing how the environment changes every few
months. As an interesting aside the survey also turned up an un-charted
wreck that is now being investigated by local divers, they believe it may be
the bulk of the famous Tyne that used to carry stone from Alderney in the
19th century. The wreck has been dived twice now and each time careful
measurements taken in the short time allowed by the tide, there is nothing
conclusive as yet though so the mystery is far from solved. Everything in Alderney is on a slightly
different scale to rest of the western world, as any local or serial visitor
knows. This has thrown up more than one challenge for the survey team,
who have faced conditions that scientists elsewhere would not consider and on
a budget that is a fraction of anything previously done. Visiting
university and commercial surveyors have found that the tides can pour past
the island at over 7 knots, nearly 10 miles per hour, and that in between
tides the tidal flows swirl rather than slackening off. All of this
fast moving water is the main point of interest for the tidal power
developers of course, but understanding the life and how it links into the
island’s economy and ecology is absolutely crucial. The weather at the back end of September was not
ideal for seabed surveys, or indeed most kinds of boating, though a few hardy
stalwarts did make it out in the case of locals and in in the case of
visitors. The outlook for the middle of October offers us more of the
same, rain showers separated by all too fleeting sunny periods. With a
real risk of fog as opposing high and low pressures come across the Atlantic
throughout the month. ~ Issue 954 - Late September Election fever is starting to incubate, at the
People’s meeting we were told that voting registrations were being sent out
this week and that forms for those wishing to stand would be available
soon. Tony Llewellyn wrote passionately in last week’s Journal about
the positives that the last four years have seen, things like the improving
water quality and renewing the commercial quay. The incoming Members
will have to hit the ground running, with the promised marina due to start
emerging early in the year and Tourgis and the community sports centre both
making progress. Looking back further I was reminded of an
article that appeared in issue 789, November 2003, which told the good people
of Alderney all about the high hopes for an internationally protected
wetland. The global treaty is commonly known as Ramsar and this is now
a name that most of us have heard fairly frequently ever since, the Wildlife
Trust were given responsibility on behalf of The States for taking care of
the site which includes Burhou and the shore around Clonque and Garden
Rock. Sonya Davda wrote that the site could increase tourism and the
protected area would be open for all to enjoy. Juan Salado had been
studying the seaweeds in the area when the report was written and said “The
Clonque area is very interesting because we have very different
environments.” Seven years on and Juan can still be found in among the
island’s seaweed. With the consultations that The States have been
engaged in recently, the new fisheries legislations is perhaps a part of the
long-term approach to protecting not only specific areas but the whole of
Alderney’s marine environment. One set of visitors planning on taking in
Alderney’s unique environment were disappointed in mid-September, their
sailing boat ran into problems 18 miles off Brixham and after a search by the
nearby HMS York’s helicopter they were towed back to England by the Torbay
lifeboat. I hope they make another attempt and wish them better luck. The long-range weather forecast looks to have
stayed consistent with the predictions of last issue, the gusty conditions of
late summer are already starting to yield to a more settled autumn. At
the time of writing the weather is glorious and set to stay good for a few
days, this pattern should continue into October with occasional rain
punctuating otherwise clear and calm days. ~ Issue 953 - Mid September This column could easily have been titled
‘Heavily-loaded-landrover Life’, as I have seen more of the road between
Braye and Longis than I have of the harbour over the last week. After
careful thought and much debate over time we decided to close our shop in the
harbour. There are lots of things that argued for and against holding out
over another winter, but in the end the benefits were just not strong
enough. In order to make the closure work we have also moved house, out
to The Kennels on Longis Common where there is enough room to base ourselves
and carry on looking after all boats great and small. One exciting and welcome change that would have
been well worth holding out for is the handing over of the Geomarine area
behind the boatpark, indeed right next to where our shop was. The area
is looking great; Bruce has been operating an array of cranes and diggers to
great effect! More cranes and diggers will be back soon
though; The States are still aiming to break ground by Spring 2011 for the
new marina. Slower moving hopeful-developers have missed the chance to
get their plans in front of the committees as the closing date was the end of
last month, those who put forward plans that show promise will have a series
of stages to pass through between now and the final announcement. By next issue we will have a full round up of
the proposals that lie before our elected members, with details of how many
and which areas are the most commonly presented. All indications are
that The States favour the Blacksmiths corner, the property gurus like The
Arsenal Corner and we are left shouting for Maggies Bay. They all have
merits of course, but they all have downsides too. The corner near The Arsenal is an interesting
spot, right at the far east side of the bay, it is quite shallow around the
outside of the moorings (which The States require to be left in place).
There are lots of species of seaweed there but this has less to do with
biodiversity and more to do with the waste from Platte Saline, which
occasionally makes it around the breakwater and comes to rest in this corner
in stormy westerly weather. There is lots of space for a marina of
grand proportions, though some of that space would need to be taken up by the
required ferry berth and all the associated buildings for customs and such
like that go with it. The Blacksmiths is the corner just outside the
inner harbour and sits at the base of the breakwater, we dug down in this
area a while back for a curious developer and found that the sand lies on top
of the same bedrock that the breakwater is built on. Given the critical
importance of the breakwater, any work to remove the bedrock next to it is
likely to be painstaking. Like the Arsenal this area would need all new
facilities for yachtsmen and ferry passengers, as well as for the boats
themselves. Our own proposal was lodged for Maggies Bay, not
the biggest space but a spot that is blessed by being attached to the brand
new commercial quay – ideal for all the ferry movements. Best of all
this spot leads up into Town via Braye Street. Perhaps this location
offers the best of all worlds? To see our full proposal visit
www.alderneymarine.com/marina Predicting the weather for the past few weeks
has been a tad tricky, to say the least. There have been some lovely
high pressures that lurked off to the west, taunting us with blue
skies. Very few have made it our corner though, most recently we have
suffered the dreaded north easterlies. And of course once it starts
blowing from the north, it stays for a few days. It would be nice to
say that there are some clear days with settled weather headed our way, but
having had my optimism dashed two issues in a row I think I will go with my
instinct rather than the science. Not wishing to let optimism take too much of a
back seat, the long range forecast for early autumn looks good, with some
misty nights but clear and still days to come. ~ Issue 952 - Early September The Braye Marina topic is still at the forefront
of discussions, after generations of talk and suggestions the States have
taken the bull by the horns and openly invited entrepreneurs to step up with
plans. The Blacksmith’s corner, at the base of the breakwater, is the
favoured location and the Marina Advisory Group feel that the hazard of
flying boulders in stormy weather is well worth the benefits. Though I
wonder where the ferry terminal will be (one has been requested as part of
the proposals) and will the showers and laundry facilities be duplicated, or
will those visitors using moorings need to cross from one side of the harbour
to the other? I am sure the successful developer will have all the
answers. Some suspect that Maggies Bay, in the crook of
the Commercial Quay and Douglas Quay, is a stronger all-round option for
benefiting the existing economy and environment. Alderney Marine Ltd
has put in a proposal and will post it publicly on our web site at the end of
the month. The important thing is that the States are open
to ideas, they are taking suggestions with a clean sheet and it will be
interesting to watch how the decision process pans out. It will be nice
to see some of the frontrunners and also to know how big a response they
received to what has been a very widespread appeal for contributions. Other big issues for the harbour include the
ongoing fisheries regulation, with Guernsey fishermen receiving reassurances
that they will not be targeted by the plans that are intended to protect
local fishing and angling. The States advertised a detailed
questionnaire and the closing date is also the end of August, so September
looks to be a busy month for States Members who will then debate the next
step. Alderney’s ferry links are another regular
talking point, I recall that I.T. Ferries commissioned a catamaran from a
Northumbrian boat builder a while back and I got in touch with them to see
what happened to the Spirit of Braye. Alnmarine were very
happy to get back to me and sent the above photo of the finished boat,
working in West Africa! My long-range weather forecast for the end of
August was shockingly inaccurate; the high pressures that promised to bring
us a period of settled and warm weather were all beaten into submission by a
series of vicious lows. Early September looks to continue the familiar
mixed bag of gifts from the elements: Wind, rain and of course a
continued risk of fog. The good news is that there are still some high
pressures battling through the Atlantic and doing their best to bring us some
clear sky and although the sun is now setting earlier and earlier there
should be enough of it to make for a pleasant day or two. ~ Issue 951 - Late August This is my 20th column for Harbour
Life and one that marks a number of changes, not least is that our business
in the inner harbour is relocating. While I cant say too much about
where we are moving to, I can say that we will continue to offer marine
services as well as outdoors clothing and equipment. Keep an eye on our
web site at www.alderneymarine.com for our usual supply of local and nautical
news and information. One of the more contentious issues that I have
written about over the last 20 issues has resurfaced – the much discussed
Braye Marina. The States announced in July that they have made a
decision, there will be a marina and they would like it to be started as soon
as possible. States Members gave prospective developers just 5 weeks in
which to submit their proposals for a 300-berth facility, as far as I have
been able to tell there are no guidelines other than varying reports in the
papers. The last thing I heard was that surveyors spent time looking
closely at the Blacksmith’s corner at the base of the breakwater and adjacent
to the inner harbour, perhaps a developer has already been given the heads
up; more likely is that the open invitation is a genuine show of
transparency. Whoever the successful developer turns out to be
will have their work cut out for them: Finalising plans and preparing studies
in support of domestic and visitor markets, carrying out surveys, conducting
environmental impact assessments and the list goes on. States Members
would like to see work commence in Spring 2011, but no indication has been
given of how long they anticipate the works to go on for. Lets hope the
process keeps up momentum and the successful applicant does not find too many
obstacles, it would be a real asset for the harbour and a much needed boost
all round. Regular Alderney Week contributors, The Signals,
have been working hard around the harbour: Repainting the cannon, clearing
the lodge ready for the Maritime Trust to make us of the building for their
work on the Elizabethan Wreck. The Signals also gave an excellent
account of themselves in the Manpowered Flight competition and ran a very
real risk of actually flying! Alderney Week’s harbour events all went
extremely well and the weather was kinder than last year, Ronnie and his team
did an amazing job of being in several places at once. The weather looks great for the last two weeks
of August, with only weak low pressures coming in from the North Atlantic to
spoil the delightfully long, hot, clear, dry days. I know, we will
believe it when we see it! ~ Issue 950 - Early August Alderney has once again been host to a hardy
group of nautical fanatics, following a well received first visit last year
the RIB.net rally looks set to make it a regular event to mark the start of
summer. Boaters gathered from as far a field as Leister and Saint Malo,
mostly in rigid inflatable boats (R.I.B.s) but motor cruisers also tagged
along. Of particular note was the return visit of the jetskier that
came last year and who once again braved a channel crossing that many
big-boat owners shy away from. The weather treated the visitors kindly and they
arrived from mid morning through to lunchtime, the Sailing Club opened its
doors and they all gathered to swap tales and catch up from the last time
many had met up – last year. There were some new faces as well as
returning familiar ones, after the event last year several came back through
the course of the season either in smaller groups or as single boats. On Saturday most of them climbed aboard once
more, despite being a little saddle-sore and sun burnt. As a group
(just the RIBs this time) they took off around the island, running out as far
as Casquettes before finishing the circuit. Alderney is legendary for
the tranquillity ashore but it is equally famous for the turbulent waters all
around, the latter thrilled the visitors but by the time lunch approached
they were all ready to enjoy the peace and quite on dry land. Sunday saw a very enjoyable trip to Diellete,
which the Jersey boats took as a steppingstone on their way home that
afternoon. There was fog about and the two large boats kept the jetski
company as they slowly tracked back across the shipping lanes until the
visibility cleared. Two other boats left just before lunchtime, bound for
Dartmouth. On Monday the last two visiting boats headed off to Guernsey
and then for a night on Sark before making their own way back to their
home-ports. Rallies like this one are great fun and bring
people to the island that might otherwise not make the journey on their own,
once visited Alderney becomes a firm favourite (sometimes for generations!)
and with air links becoming increasingly expensive people travelling under
their own power are going to be increasingly vital. This group are organised
on the English side by my colleague and fellow RYA Instructor, Tim Griffin,
who actively encourages his pupils to join him on rallies here. Alas the good weather that graced the end of
July is set to slip a little toward the end of Alderney week, there are a
system of low pressures that will bring some rain showers and the clouds that
deliver them. The longer range forecast is not any more encouraging but
one thing is certain, when the clouds break up and the wind drops it will
still be warm; I just hope the balance favours the sun. ~ Issue 949 - Late July Has the Tyne moved? Not the famously foggy
river in Newcastle, but the cargo steamer the SS Tyne that ran aground in
1912 after loading with rock at Chicago Pier. Regular readers will
recall that the Alderney Seabed Video Survey found an uncharted wreck as part
of the regular monitoring that we carry out every season, the wreck has now
been explored for the first time and typically more questions have been found
than answers. The Tyne is recorded as resting on Bonit rock,
but this more recent discovery is quite a bit further out into open water
than Bonit. It looks like the right kind of boat though, steam powered
with a cargo of train wheels, cables and mill or press stones. The
wreck measures around 150 feet in length and there seem to be remains of a
mast, like the Tyne’s, and a wheelhouse. Of course the waters to the south of the island
are famous for their ferocious tides, which make for interesting diving
conditions. The tidal flow there is a never-ending sequence of rapid
ebbs and floods with looping and erratic slack water than never really slows
to much less than one knot. We have been talking to members of the Alderney
Dive Club about the wreck and other projects and we hope that by attracting a
dive instructor to the organisation diving can flourish again as a leisure
activity around the island. There are plenty of clubs from near and far
that would dearly love to visit and experience the conditions that help make
Alderney so special. Sticking with that side of the island, it was
good to see the Old Barn open once again. I spoke briefly to the new
owners about local produce, they were keen to assure me that sourcing the
wonderful ingredients that the island has to offer is a high priority. I am delighted to report that the proposed
cleaning up of Longis beach has taken a small step forward, with the States
now wanting to look at the options for improving the islands only south
facing sandy beach. Guernsey States are also showing interest in
cleaner beaches and have asked for information on how to go about this. The weather in early July has been nothing short
of magnificent: Still, warm and an occasional breeze or rain
shower. The good news is that this is set to continue for the rest of
the month. There will be a risk of occasional showers, just enough to
be good for the garden and unlikely to put anyone off their boating.
Fog is of course always likely and the promise of an occasional gust of wind
will not be a match for it, so when you do head out onto the water make sure
your charts are up to date and equipment in good order. ~ Issue 948 - Early July I have been having an experiment with other
forms of transport, and I have to say that boats are coming out on top.
After a very pleasing trip across the Channel to Dartmouth I hurled myself at
the mercy of the English train network, or series thereof, with only some
success. The boating part was great, the series of high pressures that
we saw in the middle of June made for a very warm and settled few days; the
sailors were as happy as the motor boaters as there was generally just enough
of a breeze to get all the canvas up. I can highly recommend Dartmouth
as a convenient destination; at just 63 miles away it is a couple of hours by
RIB or a day by sail. The river is a delight, with a wide and extremely
pretty opening into the channel. Without the aid of the almanac I
managed to spot two fuel berths and found visitor’s moorings on a pontoon, of
course there is an ulterior motive for encouraging you to visit – if you get
talking to the locals then I am sure they could be convinced to return the
favour and take that same 63 mile journey southeast. My next stop was much further east, just past
the Isle of Wight lies Chichester Harbour. At the entrance is Hayling
Island Sailing Club, many of whose members are regular visitors to
Alderney. A really welcoming spot, there is more to see in the harbour
than I can possibly list here. The club has world-class facilities and
is even hosting major events like the Laser world championships, you can pick
up a visitor’s mooring and there is a ferry service all weekend long.
There are showers, a bar and restaurant, in the bar (great views) you will
almost certainly find a local that knows Alderney, if you don’t then here
again we have a great chance to enlighten our English counterparts. On to far more serious matters, the States
fisheries meeting was held on the 24th and was very well attended
indeed “standing room only”. The items discussed will be covered
elsewhere in this issue, but on a personal level I am glad to see the States
holding well-publicised and open meetings on such vital topics. The weather looks set to stay clear and settled
for the most part, though there is still a risk of thundery rain. There
should be a steady supply of high pressures coming in, bringing with them
light winds from the west and southwest. Gardeners need not worry too
much though, as rain seems likely throughout July in the form of summer
showers and of course that occasional clap of thunder might be heard. ~ Issue 947 - Late June We were out in the Race at the start of June,
helping out with the ongoing research project to study the life and habitats
of Alderney’s seabed. It was a pleasant day but we were aware of some
concern unfolding around the other side of the island – a group of sea
kayakers had left Sark bound for Braye but had over-run and started to catch
the ebbing tide near Ortac. A couple of charter angling boats were in
the area and the paddlers were checked on and found to be finding it hard
work but okay, they pressed on and arrived after pushing the tide all the way
through the Swinge and over the sunken breakwater for a stay at the
campsite. Over all they spent a good few days paddling around the
entire Bailiwick and have written their trip up on a website, well worth a
read and admire some great photos of our local waters:
southwestseakayaking.co.uk Bailiwick fishermen are expressing grave
concerns at the recent activity by scallop dredgers working the area, Frank
Hallam from Guernsey told reporters “They have literally wiped out the stocks
where I fish. Probably five years' fishing gone in six weeks and
there's nothing we can do about it.” Guernsey Sea Fisheries patrols
have been keeping a close eye on the boats since the end of April; they have
boarded a number of boats with a total of eight believed to have been
operating large-scale dredging. One boarding yielded an unusual Red
Scorpionfish, Scorpaena scrofa, which are thought to be on the
increase in Channel Island and Southwest UK waters. The Sailing Club’s finish post markers went up
this week, all ready for the first race of the season – The JOG Cowes to
Alderney run. The marks are up at Fort Albert and line up with the tip
of the breakwater, race officials have been known to set up camp on the hill
to be in the just the right spot for the “photo finish” of two yachts vying
for a nose at the end of an 80 mile challenge. The May meeting of the General Services
Committee received a report that only one suggestion was made for the new
layout to the harbour, once Geomarine have vacated their site in between the
boat park and the quay. It is a shame that suggestions for a covered
area for events and concerns about parking and Braye Street did not reach the
advisory group. At the same meeting The Committee also agreed to
Corblet’s quarry being stocked with carp and to issue fishing licenses. The weather for the end of the month and into
early July looks set to continue the mixed-bag theme that we have seen so far
this year, warm and calm conditions are likely to move up from the continent
at the end of June but could well be followed by thundery conditions later
on. ~ Issue 946 - Early June Traditionally this column rounds off with the
weather, but I can barely contain my amazement at two points: How
different May’s days can be and how accurate my humble forecast can be!
A mixed bag seems to be the best way to describe the varied assortment of
temperatures and winds that awaited us at the end of the month, the only
thing missing was a good fall of rain (though I believe Guernsey got the
entire Bailiwick’s share in one day). From bright sunshine that
resulted in more than one case of embarrassing sunburn, to fog that while not
freezing was enough to drive many back to long trousers and woolly
jumpers. Read on for my predictions for June, but I rather suspect my
weather forecasting skills have been all used up for the year. As well as a varied time with the hot and cold
elements work in the harbour has been interesting too, the local boat Pelican
Pip sunk and a visiting jetskiier ran aground and went home leaving us to
salvage and repair his stricken watercraft. Pelican Pip had just
arrived back from winter in Guernsey and had been on her mooring for just one
night when the owners noticed she looked a bit heavy in the water, a very
wise trip out to check revealed a serious amount of water in the engine
compartment so an emergency crane out was organised by the harbour
staff. The issue of the fisheries legislation continues
to be a hot talking point, rumour has it that an open meeting is imminent and
like many I am hopeful that the chairman of the meeting finds some common
ground for this vital issue. Sticking with harbour matters, the mooring buoys
are all but in and I definitely saw a bit of pontoon heading down the road
toward it’s new home. Ballast has been added to the corner section (the
one where the lifeboat tender lives) to get it to sit right in the water, the
main sections are looking good and wooden fendering has been added all
round. It was hard to resist a smile seeing that within hours, minutes
perhaps, of the first piece being put in it was already surrounded by as many
tenders as could fit. Visitors to St Peter Port should note that the
harbour patrols have taken a new line with their dinghy pontoon, in the past
small RIBs and other inflatables have been allowed to tie up so long as it
was only for a short trip ashore. Quite handy and I have always been
grateful when directed to do just that by the patrolmen, but the new season
has seen a tougher line on this and so if you visit at a time when the St
Peter Port water taxi is not running then a tender is absolutely vital for
anyone hoping to get into town. Early June could bring some proper summery
weather, with high pressure keeping the skies clear and the winds low.
Keep a close eye on the short-range forecasts though, we have a good one on
our site at www.alderneymarine.com/info, as mid June looks like it might hold
a very wet and windy sting in it’s tail – anyone for a monsoon? ~ Issue 945 - Late May Where to begin, the middle of May has left me
wondering if Alderney had been over run by manic action-movie
directors. There have been Royal Navy helicopters, extra lifeboats,
dramatic weather, great feats of daring with precarious precious cargo
containers. The ‘Victor Hugo’ ferry made her fist visit to
the island since the unpleasant incident with some rocks last year, she is
shown pictured being carefully watched over by a matched pair of lifeboats
giving rise to the thought that the skipper needed some reassurances.
In reality the second lifeboat is a replacement, which will be used while
Alderney’s own ‘Roy Barker 1’ goes off to Ireland for an engine overhaul. The Lifeboat crew had a good shakedown right in
the middle of one of the northeasterly blows, an RAF Rescue Helicopter
visited the harbour and the team made good use with some winching
practise. Lots of people walked down to the breakwater to see the goings
on, those “paraffin budgies” do draw a crowd. We also had our first cruise ship of the season
the ‘Ocean Nova’, sadly though the decision was made not to use the new quay
and instead the elderly passengers were invited on a trip across Braye Bay by
large black rubber boat. More James Bond than Saga, but I am sure they
enjoyed the experience and there were several boat loads who came ashore to
enjoy all that Alderney has to offer. The quay was none the less the scene of a
gripping and perhaps even death defying set of circumstances recently though,
the ‘Huelin Dispatch’ made an unusual stop off to deliver just one
container. Just as the twenty-foot steel box was being unloaded the
harbour crane broke down, leaving the goods balanced between ship and quay.
Swift decisive action ensued and with a firm grasp of physics, in particular
the pendulum action of a large weight on the end of a chain, the container
was swung onto the quay by the Dispatch’s own cranes. All credit to the
stevedores and harbour staff, by the time I would have drunk enough tea to
come up with such a solution the tide would have gone and come back again. The lifeboat crew had a real call out in the
middle of May, a French RIB leaving Alderney struck the rocks just at the
harbour entrance and two of the people aboard were flung into the
water. Even though the call came after midnight the lifeboat was on the
scene within ten minutes and all aboard were taken to hospital before setting
off again at first light. At the time of writing the harbour moorings are
full up, the wind has dropped and the sun is shining; the team that came
together so hastily to get the moorings laid are still working away late into
the evening. It is good to see visiting boats made fast in Braye, but
it was disappointing to see half a dozen passing through and on to Saint
Peter Port, hopefully they will call again and find room to tie up when they
do. We are of course at the mercy of the weather,
rain for the reservoirs and sun for the visitors. Predictions are that
the Atlantic door will open toward the end of May, it will turn milder as the
flow comes in from the west or southwest, but at the expense of wind and
rain, not what you would expect for late spring. It looks as if the
weather continues to be unsettled for the remainder of the month, pressure on
the low side with the emphasis on showers, perhaps merging into longer spells
of rain at times. Warm where the spring sunshine is out, but cool beneath the
clouds. Temperatures should rise in a few weeks though, as warmer
continental air is drawn in a south to south-easterly drift. We can but
hope! ~ Issue 944 - Early May To backup the message on the Alderney Marine web
site: Congratulations to Alderney Shipping for a great decision to
start taking passengers onboard the Isis, any improved travel links have to
be a good thing for the island and this is surely no exception. We have
been toying with the idea of an “Isis Tracker”, which rather than being a
mis-spelled savings fund would be a web link. We would then all to be
able to instantly see the whereabouts one of our favourite cargo ships at any
given moment. If you think this would be useful, do let me know and we
will make it happen. Things are still moving into gear for all the
private boats in the harbour, with more and more being craned back in and the
mooring buoys are starting to gather in numbers; waiting for locals and
visitors alike to make good use. There have been some fair weather
windows so far this spring, with boat owners taking advantage with trips to
Guernsey and further affield. So much so, walking around St Peter Port
we saw nearly as many familiar faces as there are in Braye! The Maritime Trust have been given the use of
Braye Lodge by the General Services Committee, the Trust are planning to use
the space for storage. Their annual diving programme will be starting
again soon but it is worth noting that the conserving of the artefacts is a
big part of their work. The Committee also decided that from 2011 the
laying of moorings would be a five-year contract, this year has seen delays
and issues which arose when the contract was changed so a new tender process
will take place. At the same meeting it was also agreed that Huelin
Renouf should be allowed to bring their ship to Alderney via Guernsey,
although no freight could be carried between the islands. Site Weld are
still working hard on fabricating the new dinghy pontoon, over the last two
years in went in either in mid-April or early May so the process is not as
far behind as it sometimes seems. Alderney Renewable Energy have been distributing
a newsletter, like many we found this most welcome as even though we work
next door to them the frantic comings and goings are often a mystery.
Even though we help out with some of the seabed video surveys and have
probably spent more time boggling at the rapid tides than perhaps we ought
to, the process of breaking new ground and solving the world’s energy crisis
is sometimes from another planet. No one could doubt that Alderney is
at the forefront, perhaps even the leading edge. Sticking with the theme of the elements, last
issue’s long-range forecast was unusually accurate: Some bright days
and some still days, but only few that are both at once was certainly true of
the back end of April. Fingers crossed that this one turns out right,
because there are some great systems of high pressures forming on the far
side of the Atlantic. If they manage to make it across to us then the
middle of May should be clear and still, I shall say no more for fear of
putting a curse on some much needed boating weather. ~ Issue 943 - Late April The harbour continues to show few signs of life
in April, with sharp north east winds coming and going our would-be visiting
yachts are choosing to tie up elsewhere. Even when the conditions are
good they have found few buoys to attach to and the nice new dinghy pontoon
still in the pre-launch countdown. Braye businesses, including ours,
are missing the throughput of people that we would normally have enjoyed welcoming
through the Easter holidays. The weather has played a nasty trick on
air travellers too who already have to pay dearly for their fares, when in
the middle of the month a high altitude ash cloud closed airports and
grounded planes. Luckily for us inter-island flights were soon resumed,
but even so we are all reminded of how vulnerable an island economy can
be. England’s boating community have been stirred up
by a report published by their Government’s Department for Transport, who
want to make vessel registration compulsory and to introduce an annual charge
for doing so. It is not hard to see that this might well dovetail with
the suggestion that the International Certificate of Competence could one day
be the compulsory skipper’s qualification in UK and European waters. A big talking point locally is some delicate
legislation that is required to balance the needs of the leisure anglers with
the commercial fishermen, both are an essential part of the island and both
have strong views about how to manage the inshore fisheries. The
General Services Committee have tasked the harbour office with organising a
meeting for all concerned, the date is yet to be decided but you can be sure
that it will be a master of diplomacy that successfully chairs the discussion. The GSC really have been busy with the harbour
part of their remit: The Marina Advisory Group have published a
recommendation for how the commercial quay might be arranged once the
construction and repair work is finished, it will then be up to the General
Services Committee to make a decision taking public opinion into
account. The suggestion is for the area currently used by Geomarine to
be set aside for freight handling, to formalise the small car park by Maggies
Bay and to move the yachtsmen’s showers to the west of the harbour; It will
be interesting to note how the new shower block fits in with the replacement
dinghy pontoon that is currently under construction. I am sure people
will come forward, between now and the meeting in early May, with some
suggestions on how best to fine-tune the Group’s proposals. The weather for the end of April and the start
of May looks likely to continue the theme of being mixed, with some bright
days, some calm days but only a very few bright and calm ones! Low pressures
continue to dominate the Atlantic with only a few highs to bring settled
conditions from time to time. Congratulations, once again, to Paul Skerritt
who was the only entrant to correctly decipher my nautical quiz
question. The three green lights show that the ship is engaged in mine
clearance. Well-done Paul. ~ Unpublished column - Late March to Early April March was a wet and wild month; luckily the
highest winds did not quite combine with the highest tides of the year.
There was still considerable disruption though, in the month that is a
turning point for the harbour. Ray Gaudion re-launched the Lulworth Fisher, with the help of
some friends and after a long and all encompassing refit. A few other
early birds have launched as well, including one of the islands largest local
motorboats – Dewalkio. Conditions have been far from ideal, but a few
sailing boats have visited and few locals have ventured out to the most
nearby ports. Mark, Adam, Brian and Tim all sprang to the aid
of dinghies that were washed from the Sapper slipway in the stormy weather
that ended the month. The weather once again disrupted shipping with
Alderney Shipping having a delay of one day and another Huelin Renouf boat
being cancelled all together, the Harbour Master has been looking into the
weather history and reported to The States that were only 10 occasions last
year when larger shipping would have been disrupted; it feels like we are
nearly up to that figure already for 2010. The harbour office are working hard to ensure
that the mooring buoys get back on track for the start of the season, a
combination of weather and a change of contractor have so far caused a delay
to the usual schedule but it should be service as normal well ahead of the
next bank holiday weekend at the start of May. The new dinghy pontoon
continues to be the focus of frenzied activity should also be in place in
plenty of time. The States continue to look into the regulation
of fishing, Pierre Dupont met with the General Services Committee to discuss
a possible limit on the size of boats that are permitted to fish close into
Alderney’s coast. A public meeting is now being planned, and The States
have undertaken to work closely with fishing vessel owners. Now into April and seasonal businesses like The
First and Last are open once again, the clocks are showing Summer Time and
the evenings are light enough to at least find the barbecue. The long
range weather is offering a bit of a roller coaster, with some settled
conditions and spring like temperatures forecast but these look likely to be
accompanied by some rain for the middle and end of April. ~ Issue 941 - Late March 2010 Congratulations to Paul Skerritt for being the
first correct entry out of the hat, with a right answer to the quiz question
in issue 939: The sound signals given by an overtaking boat and the
reply. This month’s question is at the bottom of the page. Early March has been a testing time for the
harbour and especially for the island’s new cargo operator Huelin Renouf,
their boat “Endeavour” was delayed at the start of the month because of high
winds and then the first of their visits the following week was cancelled all
together. Even the smaller boat of Alderney Shipping suffered delays of
a few hours, as high winds blew directly into the open harbour
entrance. The weather restriction on the larger ships might have
implications for the islands economy and food supply, since we would be
exposed to prolonged periods without cargo if we relied only on the larger
boats. Alderney Shipping have set up a Facebook page,
to keep islanders up to date on their schedules and activity, you can find
them by searching for “shipping to Alderney”. Progress continues to be made with the idea of
replacing the broken and odious sewage treatment at Longis beach, as
mentioned in previous issues one idea is to have a more pleasant reed bed
instead. The States’ Group for Sewage and Water expressed concerns that
the bore-holes on the common could be at risk and their existing plans would
remain until it can be shown that the reserve bore holes will be safer with
an adjacent reed bed than they are now. It was put to the group that
the project would have benefits for health, tourism, the environment as well
as saving taxpayer’s money. The States had been asked to look at reed
beds five years ago by Peter Arnold, who believes the recent works at Platte
Saline have made allowances for some processing in the future.
Hopefully we will not end up going down the same route as Guernsey, who are
considering a waste water tax in order to pay for their future treatment
facilities. I was fortunate enough to be asked by The
Wildlife Trust to help them re-install their excellent Puffin Cam on Burhou
again this month, inevitably I ended up being press ganged into collecting
rubbish from around the bird sanctuary. To anyone who has not yet done
any volunteering for them - I would urge you to do so, the work that goes on
around Alderney is not only crucial but also very rewarding and
enjoyable. Now is also a good time for spotting Mermaid’s
Purses, which are the egg sacks of sharks and rays. If you do see any
the Wildlife Trust would like to know, there is also the annual Easter Egg
Hunt event on Braye Beach to look forward to. Easter also marks the re-starting of the Sailing
Club’s practical motorboat training, there are two courses on offer initially
– Royal Yachting Association Introduction to Powerboating and the Powerboat
Certificate (Also known as PB1 and PB2). Practical courses have not
been run for a little while and there has been a rigorous process of
applications and inspections that were needed before these widely recognised
qualifications could be offered. Bray Beach contributed the usual sand drifts to
Braye Street and the slope down to the beach itself became something of a
sand dune, States Works sprang into action though and cleared the way with
the pictured digger. April showers are looking likely in the
mid-range weather forecast, with a steady stream of low pressures bringing
unsettled conditions. Winds are likely to be from the northwest and
southwest as systems roll in from the Atlantic laden with watery
clouds. When the sun does break through though it should be pleasantly
warm, with the really fierce winds now mostly behind us. ~ Issue 940 - Mid March 2010 An interesting point was raised on Facebook,
that popular social networking website, at the end of February. The
question was asked: “So, Air Fares have reached an all time high, does
Alderney need a ferry link?” There has been a great response, most of
which in favour of the idea though it was pointed out that the Lady Maris
would run every day to Cherbourg and Guernsey if there were enough
demand. I had a quick look at our airline web sites to get an idea of
the price for a family of four visiting for the last week in July, they both
came up with prices of well over £600. With alternatives like those I
wonder if a locally run ferry service serving Southampton and Jersey would
attract customers looking to save a few hundred pounds? A similar
service of ships operates to and around the Shetland and Orkney Islands,
through sea conditions that can be as exposed as the English Channel.
For example Scrabster to Stromness (about 60 miles) costs £50 for a
four-berth cabin in high season, even taking into account subsidies this is a
fraction of the cost of flying to Alderney. Condor Ferries were asked
to comment but have not yet been able to do so. The Alderney Society are planning to re-start
the restoration process of the personnel bunker at Fort Doyle (pictured) this
summer, the hope is to refit the site with as many of the original German
items plus replicas where needed. First though the whole side needs
some fierce gardening treatment and a leak or two plugging, so a bit of help is
going to be needed. The whole project will be overseen by Channel
Islands occupation expert Trevor Davenport, who is holding a briefing for
anyone that would like to help with the repairs – which is pencilled in for
the evening of April 1st so keep an eye out for posters confirming
the details. A big thank you to John Morley for his comments
on the Longis article, I suspect that the benign green slime could well be a
safe by-product if the sewage works were in perfect condition. Even so,
the idea of a nose-curling odour and unsightly machine might still be a cause
for concern when located in the car park of such an outstanding bay. Thanks also to the many entrants of last issue’s
nautical quiz. The winner will have been drawn by now and will be named
in the next issue (941) along with the next question for everyone to ponder. There was some notable sea life reported in
February: A Salmon Trout weighing in at nearly five pounds was caught
in the Bailiwick’s waters at the end of February, the species Salmo Trutta better known as
Brown Trout when they are not migrating and are spawning in fresh
water. When migrating the fish spend their time at sea and they can
live for as long as 20 years. Soon the 2010 boating season will be upon us,
filled with great opportunities to get out on the water and explore new
corners of La Manche. I for one will be glad to put February’s boating
behind me for eleven months, it is the only time recently when I try to take
the boat out and ended up turning tale; the combination of wet and windy
squalls with temperatures that loiter just above zero is a tough one. The start of March looked so promising for a few
days, but the month got off to a chilly and wind swept start. The new
harbour routine seems to be settling out nicely: With a Poole boat on Tuesday
mornings, followed by a Jersey boat in the afternoon and then the Guernsey
boat on Wednesday and the second Jersey boat of the week on Thursday.
The crews and shore staff of the two companies braved the howling easterly
winds and the long range forecast remains a mixed bag with magnificent
patches of clear skies and ever-warmer sunshine, interspersed with high
winds, cloud and chilling temperatures. ~ Issue 940 - Early March 2010 An interesting point was raised on Facebook,
that popular social networking website, at the end of February. The
question was asked: “So, Air Fares have reached an all time high, does
Alderney need a ferry link?” There has been a great response, most of
which in favour of the idea though it was pointed out that the Lady Maris
would run every day to Cherbourg and Guernsey if there were enough
demand. I had a quick look at our airline web sites to get an idea of
the price for a family of four visiting for the last week in July, they both
came up with prices of well over £600. With alternatives like those I
wonder if a locally run ferry service serving Southampton and Jersey would
attract customers looking to save a few hundred pounds? A similar service
of ships operates to and around the Shetland and Orkney Islands, through sea
conditions that can be as exposed as the English Channel. For example
Scrabster to Stromness (about 60 miles) costs £50 for a four-berth cabin in
high season, even taking into account subsidies this is a fraction of the
cost of flying to Alderney. Condor Ferries were asked to comment but
have not yet been able to do so. The Alderney Society are planning to re-start
the restoration process of the personnel bunker at Fort Doyle (pictured) this
summer, the hope is to refit the site with as many of the original German
items plus replicas where needed. First though the whole side needs
some fierce gardening treatment and a leak or two plugging, so a bit of help
is going to be needed. The whole project will be overseen by Channel
Islands occupation expert Trevor Davenport, who is holding a briefing for
anyone that would like to help with the repairs – which is pencilled in for
the evening of April 1st so keep an eye out for posters confirming
the details. A big thank you to John Morley for his comments
on the Longis article, I suspect that the benign green slime could well be a
safe by-product if the sewage works were in perfect condition. Even so,
the idea of a nose-curling odour and unsightly machine might still be a cause
for concern when located in the car park of such an outstanding bay. Thanks also to the many entrants of last issue’s
nautical quiz. The winner will have been drawn by now and will be named
in the next issue (941) along with the next question for everyone to ponder. There was some notable sea life reported in
February: A Salmon Trout weighing in at nearly five pounds was caught
in the Bailiwick’s waters at the end of February, the species Salmo Trutta better known as
Brown Trout when they are not migrating and are spawning in fresh
water. When migrating the fish spend their time at sea and they can
live for as long as 20 years. Soon the 2010 boating season will be upon us,
filled with great opportunities to get out on the water and explore new
corners of La Manche. I for one will be glad to put February’s boating
behind me for eleven months, it is the only time recently when I try to take
the boat out and ended up turning tale; the combination of wet and windy
squalls with temperatures that loiter just above zero is a tough one. The start of March looked so promising for a few
days, but the month got off to a chilly and wind swept start. The new
harbour routine seems to be settling out nicely: With a Poole boat on Tuesday
mornings, followed by a Jersey boat in the afternoon and then the Guernsey
boat on Wednesday and the second Jersey boat of the week on Thursday.
The crews and shore staff of the two companies braved the howling easterly winds
and the long range forecast remains a mixed bag with magnificent patches of
clear skies and ever-warmer sunshine, interspersed with high winds, cloud and
chilling temperatures. ~ Issue 939 - Late February 2010 Soon the harbour will have a brand new, custom
built, dinghy pontoon to go with the new quay. Plans for the quay
originally included a replacement but what with the over spend problems this
was shelved, that was until the full extent of the last season’s wear and
tear could be seen when the structure was lifted out for the yearly
inspection. The Harbour Master reported to the General Services
Committee that surveyors had condemned the pontoon as beyond economic repair,
leaving The States with little choice but to find the funds for a replacement.
Estimated at £75,000 the new one will be built on-island and then painted and
decked by the harbour staff. The dinghy pontoon is absolutely vital to
the working of the harbour and provides the only facility for visiting
yachtsmen to bring their own tenders to shore. The General Services Committee also heard at the
start of the year that Chairman Bill Walden would like to see legislation put
in place for the protection of spawning Bass in Alderney’s waters, this was
picked up again in February’s meeting when the Committee agreed to invite
Pierre Dupont to join the next meeting - in March. The States are also
working on ways to make wider consultation more effective before making
decisions on fisheries matters. Alderney Sailing Club had a visit from John Elliott
on behalf of the Royal Yachting Association in February, the club has been
working on, once again, offering practical boating courses in the harbour and
the inspection went smoothly. With just some local bylaws to satisfy
there should be a range of powerboat courses available by spring, these
courses are designed to help promote safe boating and the ever-popular shore
based courses run at the club fit in with this well; the whole RYA training
scheme is internationally recognised and admired. At the time of writing the weather forcast for
the end of February is very grim, with wind and rain of near hurricane
proportions being foretold. The start of March looks set to be fair,
with a few high pressures and just a few quite gentle lows heading this way.
The second week though looks a tad less pleasant though, with a mix of winds
and rain to show us that the boating season is not quite in full swing just
yet. ~ Issue 938 - Mid February 2010 A hectic Saturday morning to end January with a
bracing wind from the northwest and a hive of activity on the new quay: The
cargo boat ‘Swift’ left just after first light to be immediately replaced by
the ‘Heulin Endeavour’ on follow-up berthing trials. At the same time
the French lifeboat from Goury, the ‘Mona Rigolet’ turned up. And then
Sunday saw the regular visit by the oil tanker, which took the entirety of
the day to top up the island’s fuel reserves. The Heulin Endeavour will, it is hoped, be a
regular visitor and represents a step forward in reducing the island’s
isolation by offering a cargo service between Jersey, Southampton and
Alderney. The service will run along side the longstanding stalwarts
Alderney Shipping, who will continue to serve us with the Poole – Guernsey
route. Thank you to all the readers who emailed in
response to the Longis Bay article, as a result of that support Sustainable
Alderney is forming a group to discuss options with the States and raise
funds for some improvement if it is judged possible. The topic carries
on from an article that appeared back in issue 868 (March 2007), in which
Juan Salado wrote in detail about the problems the island continues to face. Gannets and Puffins have had their pictures in
papers and on telly in February, both were winning subjects in the BBC’s online
photo competition. Paul Hillion took a stunning photo of a sky full of
Gannets near Ortac last year and it is well worth an admiring gaze if you
have not already seen it. The birds themselves are starting to return,
with the Gannets having been around for a little while and even a few spotted
on Garden Rock. The Alderney Wildlife Trust’s work on Burhou is
therefore getting geared up, ready for the 2010 breeding season. All
being well the Puffin Cam will be returning to your computer screens in a few
months time, keep an eye on the AWT web site for the first glimpse. The
results last year were fascinating, the unmanned camera really helped to
highlight the importance of not disturbing the birds who are always ready to
bolt down their burrows. The Sailing Club have suggested adopting a bit
of technology too, with Peter Hamer putting it to the members that they
consider using social networking sites to help coordinate this year’s sailing
activity; a great idea and one I look forward to joining in with. And so, neatly, from sailing to weather.
The end of February looks likely to be windy, with the recent sequence of
high pressures that have seen the UK retain all of that snow finally being
dislodged by a system that will bring us seasonal high winds and rain. ~ Issue 937 - Early February 2010 The sea provides, never more so than for a small
island community like ours. Most of our freight is of course transported by
sea and where would our tourism industry be without the glorious cliffs and
magnificent beaches and there is the island’s tidal power opportunities. The sea is also expected to take away some of
our waste, in particular the outfall from our sewage plants. Of
interest from a marine perspective is the island’s south facing sandy beach
at Longis, because this is the site of just such an outfall. So far it
has not been practical to run the pipe far enough out that it reaches open
water, it does not even make it to below the low water line. The result
is easy to imagine: Slime coated rocks at the top of the beach and a risk of
visible and hidden contaminants with a health risk that go with it, a slight
on one of the island’s most popular suntraps. In the letters pages of the last issue Ken
Hampton raised an interesting point: Anaerobic digesters, industrial plants
that take in not only piped waste but also any compostable material from
households and businesses, waste which we currently pay dearly to send off
the island. These installations are pricey and one to suit us would
probably come with a price tag of around £2 million; the twist in the tale
though is that they take waste and turn it into money, giving new meaning to
the old saying “where there’s muck, there’s brass”. These composting digesters produce, as Ken
pointed out, water which with a minimum of treatment can be used to top up
our reservoirs. But they also produce gas, which is most commonly used
to make electricity. So with one single sweep of the treasurer’s pen we
have made a big dent in three of the islands most expensive problems: Water,
power and waste! Compost digesters are not the only answer that
presents itself to Longis beach situation though. The Alderney Wildlife Trust
has an idea for a truly green solution to the waste currently spilling out
over the sand and rocks. A series of reed beds, which would help to
purify the waste before it reaches to the bay. Such a solution would
also add to Alderney’s wetland habitats and in doing so would make the area
more attractive to birds and in turn draw bird watchers and other holiday
makers to the island. With the commercial quay famously over spent and
much needed work still needed in the harbour it is unlikely that the sewage
plant at Longis will be a priority for this year, but with a little work and
some well placed information through the Sustainable Alderney initiative we
can see what is possible and what the benefits are. That is all just pie in the sky of course, so
onto the weather… There is likely to be some rain and fog up there too
by the looks of the weather for the start of February. There are
another series’ of low pressures heading this way for the first week of the
month, but after that there are some high-pressure systems that should bring
a settled end to the winter months. February is typically a harsh time
for the island and for the harbour in particular with North Easterly winds
bringing open sea conditions to our doorstep, but it does mark a positive
time with the new season not too far away. ~ Issue 936 Mid January 2010 It is often said that the Inuit have a great
many words for snow, in reality they have no more than we do. English
on the other hand is fully awash with words for different kinds of weather,
this was particularly highlighted when the temperature dropped suddenly mid-December
and everybody I met in the harbour had a different word for the sudden chill:
Fresh, bracing, crisp, and so on; with one optimistic individual choosing to
highlight that it had if fact warmed up (by half a degree). The news of
early January has been full of snow reports from Jersey and Guernsey, while
we had a second white winter in as many years the two larger islands suffered
breakdowns in communication, infrastructure and transport. We were fortunate enough to be asked to travel
in company with a boat making a channel crossing in December, having never
done one in mid-winter before I was keen to see how the sixty mile
journey would differ from travelling in warmer weather. There was
certainly no hope of stopping mid-channel to swim with dolphins, in the end
we didn’t see any but the thought of getting wet with toes that were already
little more than ice cubes in wellies was not appealing. The weather
was verging on a force 5 and the wind chill made it feel like freezing, but
all concerned were well wrapped up and an occasional stop for a snack was a
welcome chance to get the blood moving again. The next Channel crossing
that I know of is an expedition to Southampton for a Sea Survival Course,
three hours on the water – only to then jump into a swimming pool and climb
into a liferaft at the other end! The plane may well end up taking the
strain. It has been suggested that a new flight route
might be considered to Dublin, as this is the base for the tidal power
company Open Hydro who will soon be work on their turbines for Alderney
Renewable Energy. It is easy to see the attraction of such a route for
the many Guinness drinkers on the island, but I am not sure if it is in the
range of a loved but slightly humble Trislander. One thing is sure –
the Guernsey tidal power project is also gaining momentum and they will soon
be looking in much more detail at their potential sites; of course such a
socially important development could never become a competition. Meanwhile
here in our own waters, the December round of Seabed Video Surveys of our
infamous tidal waters have once again proved fruitful, with some excellent
scientific data and a couple of nice pictures being given up by the depths of
the island’s most tidal waters. The picture above shows the seabed life
found at 50 meters depth. Getting back to the weather, it is the main
talking point after all, there is little sign that late January will be any
less wintry. There are some high pressures making their way across the
Atlantic that promise settled but very chilly conditions, but there is still
plenty of cause to think that we have some harsh winds in store. On a
brighter note the nights are now perceptibly drawing back, with sunset at the
solstice having being ten past four it will have moved more than half an hour
by the time you read this! ~ Issue 935 Late December 2009 Apologies are due to all the people who were
concerned that the column in last issue did not balance Alderney’s clear
economic need for a Marina. The intention of the article was two fold:
to describe surprise at the initial feedback from visiting yachtsmen and to
get the marina topic back out in the open. I should have made it clear that the survey
reported was naturally biased, it being drawn from those yachtsmen who
currently sail regularly to the island. There is a need to understand
the views of those many boat owners who do not currently visit Alderney, or
who have visited and are not eager to repeat the process until there is a
pontoon berth available. As the survey progresses there are some more
telling and certainly much more encouraging statistics that can be drawn from
it: The vast majority, well over half, of those who responded, come to
Alderney because of the location. This would suggest that more people would
do so if the facilities were improved. Only a few people said that they
visit for economic reasons, such as exchange rates. The remaining
number of visitors said they do so to enjoy the change of pace that the
island offers, something that I believe most people agree is an important and
hopefully permanent attraction. Braye has four distinct mooring areas at present
and few of the suggested plans involve removing or even reducing these, so
there is every reason to believe that Alderney can happily meet the needs of
sailors who prefer to anchor or secure to a swinging mooring and still offer
walk-ashore pontoons. I continue to wonder if a staged improvement is
more realistic that a single big-budget development, such as the two
currently being assessed by civil engineers. The two favourite sites
are near the Blacksmiths or in the shadow of Fort Albert, both of which will
require completely new facilities to be built. A passing container ship captain remarked this
week that the global economic downturn is still being felt throughout the
shipping industry, he told us about the thousands of ships that he has seen
lying empty. With so few goods being transported around the world at
the moment even those ships that are contracted out do not know what or when
their next journey will be, quite a contrast with the frantic import activity
of just a couple of years ago. This news leads me to believe that
visiting yachtsmen are going to be an even more important part of next year’s
economy on the island. The harbour had a visit from Her Majesty’s Royal
Navy early in the month, albeit just for a short stop over of the minesweeper
HMS Warnby on the way from Jersey to Portsmouth. None the less – a very
welcome site along side the new commercial quay. Alderney’s Lifeboat ‘Roy Barker 1’ has had an
active couple of weeks, most recently they attended a motor boat which had
run out of fuel on the way from the English south coast to Guernsey.
The crew of the lifeboat are shown pictured firing a red pin-point emergency
flare, as used by boats in distress to signal their position and that they
need help. Our friendly container ship captain also
reported on the weather, confirming that most if not all of the high
pressures we had been hoping to benefit from were ending up in the Mediterranean.
The end of December looks set to continue the trend of wild of wet south
westerly with cold and clear periods every ten days or so. All that remains is for me to wish everybody a
warm and festive Christmas and a healthy, happy 2010. ~ Issue 934 Early December Alderney needs a marina, but
will it ever get one? In preparation for a forthcoming Harbour Tourism
meeting this winter a survey of yacht skippers who visited Alderney either
this or last year is being prepared, with the works on the quay coming to a
close and in an absence of the promised public consultations from the Marina
Advisory Group it seems valuable and timely to gain the visitor’s viewpoint
of what is good and bad about sailing to Braye. The results have thus
far been very interesting indeed, though the full report will not be ready
until the meeting; expect a write up of all the issues covered. The survey has so far been useful and surprising
for a number of reasons, first and foremost is that the vast majority of
visiting skippers who responded were not in favour of a marina.
Improvements to the showers and dinghy pontoon together with approval for the
new water taxi service were all common comments. Those who yearn for a
walk-ashore pontoon are in the clear minority, at least when it comes to
people who currently visit the island. There is a rock solid theme of
people making the effort to visit because they like Alderney the way it
is. No doubt there would be more people keen to visit if there were a
marina, but do those numbers outweigh the people who feel the island’s charm
is at risk? Given that few locals we talk to are drawn to
the idea of paying ten times the current mooring fees for a marina berth;
this latest news could put the possible benefits of a multi-million pound
project in a dim light. One suggestion is that what Braye really needs
in terms of floating facilities is some shelter from the Northeasterly
weather and large free-floating pontoons as can be seen in St Peter Port
harbour, visitors still use a tender or the water taxi to get ashore but they
do not have the problems of tying up to a swinging mooring buoy. I dare
say that such a development would probably move on gradually into ever
improving facilities. A clear message is that no one should try to
reinvent Braye, might a steady program of improvement satisfy 80% of people
for 20% of the cost? No amount of extra shelter for the harbour would
have made the crew of the ‘Isis’ any more comfortable recently, the prolonged
high winds that characterised late November caused sufficient concern to
Alderney Shipping that the lifeline-sailing was delayed by three days.
The last boat run of the month saw the Poole cargo arrive on Thursday, with
the Guernsey goods coming in on Friday. The delay did not result in
plain sailing though, as the usual five hour Channel crossing took twelve
long and difficult hours. More complications arose when the harbour
crane broke down, meaning that Geomarine’s crane struggled to get at the last
two containers and the pilot boat (pictured) had to hold the ‘Isis’ off the
quay to help the last of the unload. At the time of writing and I dare say that at
the time of publication too, the weather continues to batter the whole of the
island with the west coast taking the brunt of it. Lucky for us the
forefathers knew to have a runway that faces into the prevailing wind and a
harbour that faces away. In the last issue I promised a couple of weeks
of clear weather, the incoming systems do still look likely to deliver at least
a couple of high pressures making the start of December much more
pleasant. Looking further into December the theme of crisp and clear
should continue, with Norwesters bringing chilly but calm conditions; albeit
a week or so later than was hoped. ~ Issue 933 Late November 2009 Congratulations are once again due, this time to
the new owners of Mainbrayce for their excellent water taxi service.
The Harbour Master reported at last month’s General Services meeting that
they have operated a good service throughout the season. As a sign of
the committee’s delight they have allowed the evening fare, after 9.30pm, to
increase to £2. Everyone appreciates the importance of the taxi and
Rupert, James and the other drivers have taken a big step toward putting Braye
back on many yachtsmen’s maps. Odyssey Marine Exploration are at it again, the
salvage company have suggested that the wreck of HMS Victory (the predecessor
to Nelson’s ship which sank in 1744 with the loss of 1,000 souls) is at risk
of damage from trawling. The UK Government are bound by treaty to leave
all historic wrecks alone, unless they can be shown to be under threat.
So the possible damage from fishing boats is Odyssey’s best chance of
recovering the £600 million worth of gold that is suspected to be aboard. Mr
Stemm of Odyssey said: "We've got a proposal that would have the entire
site excavated, the entire collection conserved, educational materials
developed and Odyssey would take the entire risk of putting that project
together and funding that project." Reading Sir Normal Browse’s newsletter, it seems
that the last two year’s investment in the commercial quay makes for an
interesting parallel with the plans for a cable to France. One the one
hand we have the quay, which is needed to continue our dependence on oil
fired power. On the other, a link that would help to lift our
dependence on the ever rising cost of buying oil by the tanker load.
Few would doubt that the work was needed, overdue even and it will certainly
be good to see the harbour back to normal over the next few months. Video surveys of Alderney’s waters will be
recommencing shortly, weather permitting of course. The equipment has
been up in Orkney since summer, where it impressed the engineers and
scientists who were all working on ways to track the possible effect of tidal
turbines on the marine environment. The local work is intended to form
a background of what the seabed is like now – before the development
starts. Being at the very leading edge of tidal power Alderney needs to
have all the answers as there are many eyes peering in on the work being
done. There is after all far more of Alderney under the water than
there is above it. The harbour’s boats continue to be hoisted from
their natural element and tucked-up on shore, including a most welcome though
unusual addition: ‘Ragtime’, the globe trotting yacht belonging to the other
Martin Smith. Normally this magnificent craft is taken across to
Dielette for the winter, but this time around she has joined the island’s
other largest boats in the shelter of Grosnez. As a delightful contrast
there is most notably a venerable vessel of an entirely different scale, the
small but perfectly formed 105 year old ‘Hirondelle’. As we head out of November the weather looks likely
to calm down a little, after the high winds and vast quantity of rain that we
suffered in the middle of the month. There is a system of high pressure
heading our way and the last week of the month and the start of December are
set, hopefully, to be still, dry and of course just a little bit chilly. ~ Issue 932 Early November 2009 Familiarity, we are told, breeds contempt; but
then again change is worrisome. So when it comes to our all-important
sea links with other islands it is hardly surprising if feathers get a little
ruffled. Such might be the case with the unfolding developments of the
shipping contract between Alderney and Guernsey comes up for renewal,
Alderney Shipping are tried, tested and utterly dependable, but the desire to
see just how green the grass might be is very tantalising. No doubt the
major implications of such a key service will be reported in full, but it
remains an ongoing item of interest for the harbour life column. Back in summer a seventeen year-old Alderney
Ganet was found close by on the French coast at Cosqueville. The birds
are a familiar and welcome site all around the island while they are
breeding, this particular one hatched on Garden Rock and was ringed on the 19th
of June in 1993. The bird’s relatives are all gone from the rock now
and their white-tipped corner of Alderney is eerily quiet and still. The autumn is being described by some as the
shortest on record, I suppose they mean to say that we went from summer
straight to winter with little time to adjust our woollies in the
process. There has still been some good boating done though, with the
charter angling boat “Smuggler” out and about and a few local boats off on
trips during the calmer days. Our own boat “Dizzy Izzy” took us on a
trip to Jersey and back – a regular run at the end of every term. I
confess though that the force 8 winds from the west did concern me enough to
join the other fog bound passengers, waiting for a Trislander, when it came
time for the return. Before finishing with a look at the weather I
would like to congratulate the Alderney Wildlife Trust team on their
magnificent achievement in successfully walking their route around the
island’s network of paths. Their aim was to highlight just what a great
place Alderney is for walking and I think they did a grand job. We are in for some traditional autumnal weather
for the middle of November, it looks as though there might just be some dry
and settled days followed by some blustery and wet westerlies. Time to
get those new wellies perhaps? ~ Issue 931 Late October 2009 As briefly mentioned in the last issue Alderney
was again host to the Inter Island Conference, with government, volunteer and
scientific representatives from Jersey, Guernsey, Sark and the Isle of Man
all soaking up Alderney’s hospitality. There was a great deal of
interest in the tidal power project with Alderney happily acknowledged as
leading the way, it is safe to say that the speaker from ACRE had the full
and undivided attention of the entire room; well done Pam. Other marine
matters covered were the changing sea bird populations and the risk that
would be posed by a marina to our delicate balance of habitats here in
Alderney. The State’s marina group have been asked to comment on the
latter, so keep an eye out for that. Our very own Melanie Broadhurst is away in
Scotland at the moment, the company that are supplying the turbines for the
tidal power have some test platforms in place up in Orkney and Mel was
invited to see how they have influenced the sea life. Due back at the
end of the month we hope to bring you a full round up her trip to the cold
and dark extremities. The last of the English angling charter boats
have now wrapped up their season and departed for the last time this
year. Colin Dukes, Alderney’s own charter angling skipper is still
going strong though: “This year aboard Smuggler of Braye we have seen some
fantastic Turbot and Brill with lots of fish over 10lb, indeed we have had 3
Turbot over 20lb this season. I have a couple of groups of visiting anglers
this month and we will also be putting charters together with local anglers
at weekends. The Bass are starting to run now and we should be getting some
good sport on the banks. For the local anglers keep an eye on the weather and
on the notice boards out side Alderney Angling for potential trips.”
Fuel prices have a lot to do with the number of visits we get from the
charter fleet, with skippers having to make a decision about how far to
venture with their customers, so havoc was wrought this year because marine
diesel has been up and down in the UK. That said the number of
anglers was up for this September, with nearly double the boats compared to
this time last year. On the subject of statistics and boats, it is
pleasing to see that over two thousand more people visited Alderney by
private boat this year than last. Alderney Lifeboat was called out to a Mayday on
Thursday the 8th, The lifeboat “Roy Barker” launched into action to the yacht
“Falcon”. Although the yacht was close to the entrance of the harbour
she had none the less lost her sail and was perilously close to the Grois
rocks. Alderney Sailing Club members are getting their
boats all tucked up for winter and preparing to celebrate the close of
another season with the traditional Laying Up Supper, tickets were sold out
as soon as they were made available at the clubhouse on the evening of Friday
the 9th. Commodore Stuart Trought said he was very much
looking forward to the evening “I am really pleased there was a good turnout
for ticket night, the atmosphere gives a real taste of how lively the dinner
will be. We are lucky to be welcoming The Lieutenant Govenor as this
year’s guest speaker.” The sailing club web site has been updated
recently and has lots of information and details of how to join:
alderneysailingclub.com The commercial quay continues to be reported as
on schedule, there are lamp posts being installed and something to do with
wiring must be happening because there was a power cut last week. There
still remain the slightly sticky issues of the necessary ramp that will take
the trucks and cranes up to the higher level of the new sections, as well as
the dreaded hole. I noticed that the hole and political implications
were reported nationally by a yachting magazine, but at least visitors are
getting the message that most of the quay will be nice and tidy for them next
year. The dinghy pontoon will soon be lifted out and
Assistant Harbour Master Nigel Shaw reminds everyone to remove their tenders
if they prefer not to collect them from the waiting buoy once the pontoon has
been brought out. “The pontoon should be out before the end of October,
it has suffered some damage through the season and it will need attention
over winter.” On Tuesday the 13th the Sea Cadet
Training Ship “Royalist” visited Braye on her way from Sark, the 95ft long
square-rigger is a regular visitor to Alderney. It was said recently, by someone far wiser than
I, that one sunny day in autumn is worth ten in summer. I
whole-heartedly agree and would love it if the still conditions and warm
sunshine of mid October continue into the next fortnight. Alas the
systems of low pressure that are heading our way are far more likely to bring
seasonal wind and rain. I suppose though that a thunderstorm on All
Hallows Eve would add atmosphere to the parties. |
