We sailed our inaugural channel crossing and it is not quite never again but several lessons were learned! The outline was something like this – plan over the previous winter to set a challenging objective for our second season with Aurai. Decide to join Dutch and Belgian Nicholson owners rally in Antwerp at end of August and set aside two weeks holiday for the purpose. Complete RYA training over winter (YM Theory to add to day skipper) practise all the elements and organise equipment for distance, with out and back trips to Brightlingsea for instance and taking Aurai out in F6 then F8/9 winds just for fun.

Watch as crew list fades away over the summer as one reason after another gets in the way and reduce or whittle trip down to long week-end. Even note loss of pretty firmed up crew right at last minute while Elite sailing gods produce very keen young lady up for sailing across channel without even meeting me or Aurai. While stalwart crew bring along dinghy sailing friend for first time also.

Watch weather patterns produce heap of junk all summer and prepare for cold wet and tiring journey in lumpy seas and fighting a SW to get home! At least it should be quick!

Note weather gods produce only ridge of high pressure for whole season at appointed w/e and set off on 20 hour crossing at 7 knots to lose all wind propulsion and motor for 30 hours. Discover pleasure yacht lock is broken and share lock with tankers and rather large barges with 4 hour loading time. Arrive late, miss afternoon pub crawl but catch up with hosts for dinner, practise Flemish to far too late in the night, wake up Sunday, sort breakfast and now time to leave. Crew not very well after practising Dutch until 0400.

Friendly hosts telephone all lifting bridges and the lock to get least waiting time and actually sail down river on healthy tide until misty evening with thunderstorm kyboshes that idea. Practise night navigation, with barges very large ships, diving and dredging operations, felt just like the Medway only bigger and busier. Slip in and out of Marina and get some kip and a wash then go and play in shipping lanes again, while wind means tacking across shallows, felt just like Medway and then seas rose to muddy 3m and 4m monsters that rolled us a bit too much for comfort. [Later read small print in channel pilot which says seas get dangerous for small craft in SW over the shallows.]

Crew very sensible by now and cannot face 24 hours of this and seek mercy, cut for Zeebrugge and inner sanctum peace. Havenmeester amazed that his season has just picked up as Brit asks for 2 weeks berth, very friendly though and berth in next to two £1/2 million new yachts. We say goodbye to Aurai get lost in ZB then via tram, bus and taxi get to Calais and with last foot passenger crossing get to Dover to miss last London train. Walk miles to friend’s house, and same next morning to go straight in to work trying to pretend all is normal. Ferry needed stabilisers and slower crossing as weather too rough, so crew relieved to be on Ferry, me too.

Watch rubbish weather continue, then spot window this last w/e to get across, return journey except swap train and tram for taxi with soap dodging Frenchman, but VQ.

Slip out of ZB on perfect tide time and sail for 15 hours on same setting and heading (virtually) nice NW F3/4, then squall upsets everything and wind becomes E F2, neither use nor ornament. Engine on and motor home, some sail assistance past E Redsands, to get to club mooring after 24 hours to be greeted by Hon Rear Commodore.

300 Nm round trip and only sailed about 80 miles!!

Til the next time

Chas Hessey, Aurai

If anyone would like the passage plan please let me know.