Sundowner II log - 1999 & 2000


Falmouth-Weymouth 5/10/99
Crew: Shaun,Nigel,Dennis,Sandra&Brambles
Miles 109
Weather: fair easterly light 2-3
Weather bound for five days motor sailed into headwinds for 36 hours. Both props fouled with fishing net and rope off Portland bill, which took 8hrs to round due to tide and the race.

Weymouth-Alderney 3/7/00
Crew: Phil,Dennis,Sandra&Brambles
Miles 55
Weather: fair east-south east light 1-2 Motoring15.5hrs arrived and anchored at 1-30 am. Log jammed, fuel filter cleaned on route (not easy down below in choppy weather and after a leaving party into the early hours of the morning). Saw basking shark mid channel. Had trouble finding lights and marks into Braye harbour

Alderney-Beaucette 4/7/00
Crew: Phil,Dennis,Sandra&Brambles
Miles 19.5
Weather fog
Early morning dip to clear props. Fitted new alt belt, fog cleared well after the Swinge so with late arrival and fog never really saw Alderney. Champagne on waiting buoy woke up sailing away with said buoy …..took down main.

Beaucette-Havelet-Beaucette
Crew: Dennis,Sandra,George & Brambles.
Miles 10
Weather fair
Condor dodging in the little Russell lessons from good friend George on the use of hand bearing compass, marks, passage planning and chart work Had melted brie and avocado French sticks at anchor with Georges novel method of using the full length of chain to hold us in position.

Beaucette-Havre Gosselin-Beaucette
Crew DS&B
Miles 21
Weather light winds changing to 3-4 breeze with rain
First solo trip in the company of George and Trudy on Glenfruin /Sadler 26 Unable to anchor due to ground conditions picked up Sark buoy for night. Next morning a large local motor cruiser took same buoy and after being rammed in the large swell we let go and reversed quickly straight into the yacht astern amazingly suffering only minor damage as our port rudder took the full impact of their bow. Not the best of mornings as after getting soaked walking the dog ashore Sandra was talking on the phone to her mum (who never agreed to our new way of life and was understandably worried) and the VHF blurted out a mayday from a sinking boat in a bay off St Martins point and then another one as the rescuing boat hit the same rock and also sunk. Our neighbours in Beaucette, Tara and Darcy, aboard Courtchu had arrived the previous evening and stayed for a few days mainly in a bed and breakfast due to the swell.