Alderney Cruise

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

2. Should we extend the stay in Alderney to 2 nights?

Yes, you most certainly should:

*Enters tourism mode*

Alderney has a wealth of historical features that are still accessible to explore, spanning both world wars and back into victorian and earlier eras. Nowhere else can discovering a Nazi gun emplacement or exploring an ancient brick built catacomb be just a short walk away.

There is considerable natural beauty and if you like snorkeling, walking or natural history then you will be kept happy for a long time.

From a nautical point of view Alderney has some of the most treacherous waters around and exploring them, with some local guidance, can be very rewarding. If you survive.

[Mike C]

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

From Yarmouth - Braye, we used 60% of our 90 ltr tank, so approximatley 54 ltr.

Andy

Andy, that’s not so dissimilar to my diesel really. What speed does the 135 get your 6 mtr to cruise at, (and top)?

[Paul Cannell]

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

From Yarmouth - Braye, we used 60% of our 90 ltr tank, so approximatley 54 ltr.

Andy

Andy, thats less than either of the ski's, Kevin was misfiring as he entered Alum bay with a 60 ltr tank, I had @ 2ltr left on a 63 ltr tank.

[Erin]

Originally Posted by malthouse

Friday night in Alderney, on to Cowes on the Sat for a BBQ and half a lager shandy before choir practice. (That is what happened last weekend isn't it?).

Obviously all in the name of science and fuel economy. What do you reckon?

Yep, don't have a problem with that. Just let me know when and we'll be there . You should do very well on fuel with that Honda 90, they're reputed to be extremely efficient. Just have to wait until weather tides and weekends all align for a flat sea. Probably only have to wait another couple of years.

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

2. Should we extend the stay in Alderney to 2 nights?

Andy

I'd agree with that. An extra day to get over the first nights hangover and prepare for the second and a chance to visit a few of the bays and properly enjoy the scenery and coastline Alderney has to offer.

Keith

EDIT: I see Martin beat me to the scenery bit.

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Mike C

Please, anyone with a 175 ish petrol lump? What did you do?

A 175 is going to use up to 60 lph, but if you like (and have the will power) to cruise at 20 to 25 then you will be using only a fraction of that.

We have a 6.3m boat with a 90HP four stroke, we regularly make the trip to Guernsey and use about three quarters of a liter per nm at a cruising speed of about 20kn. Not a sporty set up, but it is first and foremost a training boat so steady, quiet and economical are more important.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Erin

You should do very well on fuel with that Honda 90, they're reputed to be extremely efficient.

I should be able to do Cowes on 60 ltrs, but with a top end of 30 and cruising speed of 23 I think I would miss most of the fun parts.

[Mike C]

Originally Posted by malthouse

A 175 is going to use up to 60 lph, but if you like (and have the will power) to cruise at 20 to 25 then you will be using only a fraction of that.

We have a 6.3m boat with a 90HP four stroke, we regularly make the trip to Guernsey and use about three quarters of a liter per nm at a cruising speed of about 20kn. Not a sporty set up, but it is first and foremost a training boat so steady, quiet and economical are more important.

Thanks for that Malthouse. I think I'm really just trying to see whether there is much advantage to diesel now, (in the EC at least).

I know, it’s easier to get... it doesn't blow up.... but an auxiliary engine on a diesel boat is really a pain... and if it’s not that much more efficient for given size/speed... then maybe I will go back to petrol with a donkey back up.

Cheers,
Mike C

[tim griffin]

Originally Posted by Avocet

Publish and be damned, I say!

....and if you do, I'll tell you what Ginger Crew (Sunseeker 10m+) put in at Alderney (although I don't know that he started out with a full tank).

Ginger Crew was 3/4 full when she left Cowes.

St Catherines would have been interesting useful point there on making sure when you hit reverse route it actually is the course you had plotted on paper.
But Nick is 73 and assured me we were fine it was not until you pointed it out that I double checked as sat in the back and you were spot on we were making to much East .

Quick plot and we were back on track so no harm done thanks for all your help it took the pressure off me on the way back.
I shall look out for you on the water and if you are ever in East Cowes Marina
come say hi.
Tim

[banshee]

Dear Floptilla thanks for letting us join your cruise a cracking weekend and good people.

188 mile round trip and 130 litres of fuel.

Legs are stiffer today than they were yesterday.

If any of you have good qaulity photos of either ski on the trip if you could email them to for inclusion in a magazine article it would be apprecaited (kevinpullen@rsfire.com)

Will do my best to get you credited but no payment im afraid.

Thanks again Kevin

[tim griffin]

Originally Posted by malthouse

Keith, the best way to offer a more effective comparison is to do the run in reverse.

Friday night in Alderney, on to Cowes on the Sat for a BBQ and half a lager shandy before choir practice. (That is what happened last weekend isn't it?).

Obviously all in the name of science and fuel economy. What do you reckon?

Are there any RIB.netters in sunny Guern?

I am down in Guernsey early part of Next week then coming back to the Island by sea may pop into Alderney for a cup of tea .

If any of you guys from the channel Islands want to visit us on our Channel Island let me know would be great to make it a regular thing .
Tim

[Erin]

Another photo (one my mother took)

[Roy Smith]

This is the bit of Alderney i realy loved
We went for a walk to Saye Beach it was a 5 mile round trip but worth it

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by Mike C

Andy, that’s not so dissimilar to my diesel really. What speed does the 135 get your 6 mtr to cruise at, (and top)?

We cruise at 25-30kts. Top whack we've had is 41kts on a flat-calm Southampton Water.

Andt

[Trevor G]

Originally Posted by Mike C

Did anyone do the trip in a 6-7 mtr boat with about a 175 on the back? That might be what I may get next – maybe.

Hi Mike - we have a 6.5M Ballistic with a 4 year old Yamaha 150.
I don't have the complete fuel info for what we used because we haven't filled the tank up since we got back. We trailer the boat so the less fuel to tow after a run the better, and we then fill up again just before launching.

However - We started from the Hamble with roughly a full tank and did about 88 miles to Alderney. At Alderney we put 85 Litres in the tank - I think this filled it to about the same level as when we started but due to the tank foaming it was a bit hard to tell!
On the way back I think we used about the same fuel as the fuel guage is showing 1/2 full (with a 150 litre tank), which is similar to what it was showing when we got to Alderney.

If this is right we used 160 - 170 litres for 169 miles (from our Satnav trip dist). This makes it about 1 mile per litre, and is what we generally use to plan trips.
Hope this is useful.
Trevor

[Neil Harvey]

Originally Posted by Mike C

Did anyone do the trip in a 6-7 mtr boat with about a 175 on the back?

Mike C

Hi Mike,

unfortunately I could not go this time but went 2 years ago, in flat calm water, and used about 1.15-1.2 litres per mile if i recall correctly.
And we were not hanging around, doing about 35 knots cruising speed most of the time. That was in the 7.2m Shakespeare with 175 Evinrude DI on the back.

cheers

Neil

[Paul Cannell]

WOW, what a weekend!! I've gone from being totally elated to totally kn**kered,..... that's why it's taken 2 days to post, LOL

Thanks to ALL of you for being so friendly and so much fun to be around, I really hope we've made some new waterborne buddy's.....

Big thanks to Tim G for letting us come along & being such a stand up bloke, what you see is what you get with no bull, he must have spent hours organising things.

Would love to do something similar again with the wife included on one of the boats....... but not for at least 2 weeks as I'm past 50 now!..... maybe it's time to buy a Rib.

We should return to the Solent 7th > 9th August for Cowes fireworks, if you see us give 'Blow n Away' a shout on the VHF.

Paul

As kevin said, if you have any pictures you would be happy to see published please e-mail them to kevinpullen@rsfire.com

[Mike C]

Many thanks for all the comments on fuel used......

Looks like it really is more down to speed than anything.

Lots of food for thought I think.

Incidentally, correction on my Litres per hour figure. That should have been 11.6 lph, not 16.

I can't deny my diesel is cheap to run. I just wish it went a little quicker than the 23 ish knots cruising speed.... and that someone would invent a lightweight (pick it up with one hand) diesel outboard as a reserve engine!

Must try and join you guys for the trip next year!

Cheers,

Mike C

[tim griffin]

Originally Posted by Paul Cannell

he must have spent hours organising things.

Actually very little
You guy's organised yourselves with passage planning and departure time
Malthouse sorted the Resaurant and club bar opening and details of accomodation and refueling via Mainbrayce

Avocet /David /Grimalkin organised the cards with all our names on
Jabs organised comms with CG.

I suggested channel 72 for comms .

So who wants to go next year

[Mick Balch]

Originally Posted by Roy Smith

Hi Mike
Just checked my Chart plotter and total miles covered
Northney Chi Bar to Needles on to Alderney back Via going under Hayling Bridge
188 miles fuel used 260 lts approx 1.4 lts to the mile
i am compleaty amazed but we did stick to approx 4500 rpm = about 35 kts on the way back, and of course we where very slow in the fog going out
just shows what WOT dose to your walet

Roy

Glad you logged it, my CP needs a new memory battery so turn it of and info is lost. I wondered where 228 miles came from, however it was off the paddle wheel so not that accurate. Recalcutaled my fuel against what I actually put in a already full tank to start and came up with around 200 litre for the 188 miles. (150 Optimax). I did however use 4 litres of OPI oils as well @£48 (£36 in mainbrace).Apart from the fog we never really slowed up that much and would put our ave speed at around 22knots overall, the last leg through the Solent very quick.

My crew where a bit worried about the duty free bottles when we first left Alderney! All survived the trip. As did Rapid. Where next me thinks? Cherbourg in September??

[Ginger Crew]

"So who wants to go next year "

Yep I want to go for a bit longer next time please. 2 nights would be good

Just about recovered now after all that concentration staring at the chartplotter to make sure we stayed on the right course

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Ginger Crew

Yep I want to go for a bit longer next time please. 2 nights would be good.

Might being guided close in around the island, in your own boat, with one of the locals on board be of interest?

Dolphin, Seal, Ganet, Puffin, Guilimot, Razor Bill and of course rock spotting could all be done in a little over an hour. The back of the island is quite breathtaking, few people ever come back with space for more photos on their cameras.

No buoyage, no channels, just transits and some very shallow water.

Lunch on one of the beaches which are only accessible by boat might be nice?