It was all GJ0KYZ's fault...

[Erin]

First it was Paris, then we fell for his other harebrained idea of all going to Mont St Michel.

I'll save you from the full Gotchi write-up, but suffice to say that we got up yesterday morning at 0330 with ourselves on La Frette, and along with Martini and Archangel we all left our respective berths at 0500 in the pitch black for the 35nm trip south. The forecast was good, but there was still a fair bit of chop out there though we made progress and got to our destination ahead of the 0700 deadline with ample time to spare. After a brief bit of drizzle, the sun came out, the wind picked up and we had a pleasant day ashore. Trevor G and his family were on holiday in the area so we all met up for a bit of banter and moules frites to pass the time, and then did the tourist bit of trecking round the Abbey (which in all fairness is pretty impressive). Countless photos were taken of the boats from various vantage points which had also attracted the attention of numerous grockels and some officials in red berets.

More photos and video clips to follow, including what was perhaps one of our most nerve wracking boating experiences when we tried to leave......

[martini]

Apologies for the crap videoing skills but here's a short clip of the tide coming in.

If you look at the yacht at around 0.55 you can kind of see how much below sea level we are and why it pours in so fast. And this is probably into the last hour of the flood when it would be slowing right down (remember the twelfths rule!)

I'm heading back down to the marina shortly so I'll grab the CF cards for the A-frame cam and see what they yield

Mont St Michel - YouTube

[martini]

Originally Posted by Erin

including what was perhaps one of our most nerve wracking boating experiences when we tried to leave......

Max load carrying capacity of a VM does not include a 3 tonne Halmatic

[Erin]

Originally Posted by martini

Max load carrying capacity of a VM does not include a 3 tonne Halmatic

Certainly not quoted in the manufacturer's spec AFAIK, but proves their robustness in that no damage was done. I have a short video clip of Into the Red disappearing under my port tube before it was all hands on deck to fend off.

[martini]

A few more

[martini]

and some more

[martini]

Bored yet?

[martini]

Last bunch

[martini]

Edited a couple

[GJ0KYZ]

The group photo, the boats at low tide and a short video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzphIynS58I]

[Erin]

The video....watch towards the end as Into the Red slides under La Frette

20110829 180726 - YouTube

[karlT]

I think Gotchidad looks suitably apprehensive to enable everyone to fill in the gaps when the video ends !!!

[GJ0KYZ]

Originally Posted by karlT

I think Gotchidad looks suitably apprehensive to enable everyone to fill in the gaps when the video ends !!!

It got a lot worse, believe me!

[Erin]

There were 3 of us on La Frette trying our best to fend off from Martini and hold back the million gallons of French sea pounding into us. Matt was doing leg push excercises with his feet against my A-frame and his back wedged against his; the Gotchi's were doing pretty much the same. I'm just glad my console and seat pods are glassed in and not screwed given that we were wedged between them and Martini's tubes. If it had been the latter I think we may have been driving home standing up and without a steering wheel

Had our boats dried out leaning to port there's every chance they would have been swamped and filled with silt/sand before we knew it.

Moral of the story is to make sure you dry out on the leeward side of the biggest boat, and/or use a kedge anchor to dry out in the right orientation to suit the incoming tide.

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Great photos, cheers for the footage also. I can only imagine the expletives as they all came afloat again. Good job as you say they weren't all leant the other way, and or Martini II upstream of everyone. Gulp

[Erin]

Just a small bit of footage from our outbound passage as the sun was rising.

Early morning departure from Jersey August 2011 - YouTube

[martini]

Why does my boat look like a 5.8 instead of an 8.5 ??

[martini]

Another clip just before sunrise

Enroute To Mont St. Michel - YouTube

[Erin]

Originally Posted by martini

Why does my boat look like a 5.8 instead of an 8.5 ??

I think that must be a visual version of the doppler effect and the dawn light playing tricks

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Erin

I think that must be a visual version of the doppler effect and the dawn light playing tricks

Or filmed in one ratio and showing in Youtube in another?

Imagine the money saving on marina berths if your boat could lose 3m at the push of a doppler button though.