16 June 2009, Saint Peter Port Guernsey, Great Britain.

Today we invaded Saint Peter Port, with 760 eager shoppers onboard, ready to do battle over the goodies for sale in the port. Due to the tax status of Guernsey quite a few things are cheaper than in England and with the pound being quite low on the exchange rate this was a good day to go shopping. I am using the phrases “invading” and “battle” as the Channel Islands, of which Guernsey forms a part, have seen their fair share. You cannot look anywhere without seeing at least some sort of relic that had a military issue.

We approached Saint Peter Port from the south, which meant sailing past the whole island first and then coming up its Eastern side as that is where the port is located. On the East side sheltered from the bad North Atlantic Weather. Although we were only going to the anchorage we had a pilot coming onboard who apart from being compulsory was also a mine of useful information. The currents are very strong in and around the Channel Islands and they are not consistent in direction and strength. Today was nearly neap tide (lowest tide of the moon cycle) and thus the current did not come above 2 knots. But even with the small current, the Prinsendam was still set all over the place while we lined up for the anchorage.

To make it easier for everybody the pilot boat parks it‘s self on top of the selected anchorage and the only thing the ship has to do is to bring the anchor above that location and drop it. Preferably after the pilot boat has removed itself. The course up to the anchorage is first a due north heading directly for a Martello tower. These towers were erected all over Great Britain against the French in the early 19th. Century and they are basically round squat gun platforms that control an approach to a port of a strategically important area. Saint Peter Port already had a fortress at the entrance and by placing a Martello tower opposite, the combined cannons could now protect the whole port area. This Martello tower is standing in the middle of a channel called Little Russel and makes the current flowing through the channel split into parts. So when you approach; you are to the East of the Tower and you get set in one direction or the other. Then when you line up for the anchorage the Tower stops the current when you pass it and then when you are almost at the anchorage, having now sailed past the tower, the current affects the ship again.

The tower as seen from the port

Thus with the changing current affecting our approach, we brought the anchor over the pilot boat, waited until the boat was out of the way and dropped the anchor. Being the only cruise ship in port today, and no major traffic scheduled for the harbour, we could sit right in front of the harbour entrance and run our tender service. The regular traffic in the port consisted mainly of the ferries going to Sark and Herne, the two nearest islands. These islands are so small that they are mainly visited by day trippers. Saint Peter Port has a beautiful tender dock, for the exclusive use of the cruise ships when in port. From there it is less then a five minute walk into town.

I wish all tender floats were like this. Nice wide ramp and plenty of maneuvring space for the tenders when backing out

On departure we had to deal with the same current again, now while sailing south out of the bay and then rounding the rocks at the end of the bay before heading North West through a Channel called Great Russel. The word Great referring to the fact that it is wider and deeper than Little Russel. Still being wider, meant no less current to deal with and there was almost 3 knots against us while heading through and this on a neap tide day. As it has been a sunny and nearly windless day a slight haze started to build up on the horizon, announcing a fair chance of fog during the night. Also the early morning forecast for Dover indicates: visibility poor, so I might be up and about for most of the night while going through the English Channel.