31st July – Thursday - St Malo to Jersey

09.30 start to make the 38 miles to Jersey, St Helier.  Arrived 18.00 BST, 17.00 French time.  The day was overcast and the sea was roly so we motor-sailed, until mid afternoon when it turned very calm.

Jersey harbour entrance, well buoyed and relatively easy.

Turned the corner to see the outer harbour and went to join the other boats rafting on the waiting pontoons.

We were 6 boats from the shore and another 2 tagged onto us.  We were on the third row from the front.  We waited 1 and a half hours before the digital depth-gauge reached 2.3m and it was OK to go in.  Good way of getting to know people.  The dory guy called them ‘Bananas’ as we all went back and forth in unison.  He crossed round from boat to boat giving out information and taking money, which saves everyone a job after mooring.

Once the depth gauge turns the dory tells people it is OK to enter.  Some people do not join a raft and sneak past just as the gate opens.  Once again its wacky races as we all untie our lines and peel off the stack ready to go inside.  The dory guy in the boat tells you roughly where to go and then his poor colleague runs around the pontoons directing operations.  We were asked to go between two motor boats on a long pontoon and Mick did a great job in a tight space getting us in.  The spectators were all of Troop Demijon, Ultima and Walkabout, and Macquarrie, it was like a class re-union.  We had last seen Ultima and Walkabout in Concarneau and they had kindly given us a list of places to go, which we were able to report had been excellent.

Had a quick pizza for tea and then went in search of ‘Demijon’ as they had asked us round earlier.  Armed with a bottle we found them on someone else’s boat.  We said we would see them another night but all insisted that we stay.  Meyero was a 32 foot French boat owned by Phillipe.  His wife, their two friends, David and Eileen and ourselves squeezed in for an intimate get to know you session.  After the initial awkwardness, things started to flow, us all bemoaning the fact that we never got to practice our French, Phillipe spoke very good English as he had worked where we had worked in Cumbria.  The others did not speak great English so we all tried our best slow French.  Michael managed to remember every single word he had ever learned and used them regularly.  We praised France and the French ethics of buying their own products, and said we had been having a great time and the facilities were very good.  The highlight came when Michael tried to explain that the only thing that let down the whole country down was the lack of toilet seats in public toilets, which he demonstrated by using his hands as clapped boards, they look puzzled and then laughed a lot.  We ended up having a great evening and Michael was praised for his efforts.  A few more nights like that and we could have a chance of learning the language, but we need to find willing participants.

1st August – Friday

Moved the boat to a better spot, entertained the spectators a little but did not hit anything.

Orientation walk along the lovely main street and found a Victorian Market hall.  The hustle and bustle was a bit of a shock after small towns in France, but it was nice to understand all the signs for a change and English TV.

Robert and Penny on ‘MacQuarrie’ asked us for pre-dinner drinks and we had a delightful couple of hours with them, they really are charming people and have travelled extensively.  We first saw them in Sables D’Olonne and first spoke in St Cast, when they had their grand-daughter on board.  Penny introduced me to Anchovies in Garlic, which I will be searching for when we return to France.

Had our Chippy Tea at ‘Hectors’ just off the High Street.  He is a real character and makes everyone very welcome.

2nd August – Saturday

English Crumpets for brekkie before ‘Bus Bingo’.  Seven Pounds buys a ticket for the Island buses for a day.  So we bought our tickets and boarded the next bus to leave.  Then continued until we had covered most of the island.  We did see St Brelades bay 3 times on different buses, but it is beautiful.

We stumbled on a vintage fair in St Aubin.

Had Ice-creams in Gorey.

And admired beautiful bay views all around the island.

Neither of us had been to Jersey before so we wanted a good taster of it.  We finished at 19.30 with a break in St Helier for lunch.

Bus 1 – No 8 to Plement, Bus 2 – No 14 to St Brelade, Bus 3 – No 15 to St Aubin, Bus 4 – No 12a to L’Etacq, Bus 5 – No 1 to Gorey Pier, Bus 6 – No 1 back to St Helier, Bus 7 – No 4 to Bonne Nuit Bay and Bouley.

Back to the boat for M&S Indian meal for two. Phew!!

Bought my Birthday present sandals, very pleased (between buses 6 and 7).

3rd August – Sunday

Very busy day as we have to leave tomorrow to catch the tide to Guernsey, so much for a weeks stay.  So we have got to pack it in.

Dyed hair, did washing whilst hair colour changing, hung out and left to dry while out.

Trip to Jersey War Tunnels.  Decided to take the £5 return vintage bus.  (Spot new sandals)

The tour displays many items left by the Germans during the occupation, which you don’t normally see in museums.  It tells the story of WW2 from beginning to end using the tunnels as a timeline, there are lots of rooms off the tunnels and each houses a different element of the story.  Built as a hospital and used as an ammunition store, dung out by European forced labour.  £11.50 to enter but a worthwhile visit revealing many aspects we could not have envisaged.

Back to town mid afternoon, big trolley shop, Beans, Tunnocks, Diet Iron Bru.

Relax with Sunday paper while the children in the next boat climbed their mast in turn.  Harnessed and using the mast ladders which some boats have, they had a great time.

After our evening meal we waited for the Wacky Racers to enter and then moved our boat to the Outer Harbour, re-fuelled and rafted to await the early tide.

Info:  £31 per night, right in the centre of town, co-operative supermarket and M&S, enough said.  Facilities new and excellent.  No Jetons, just lovely spray water.  Poor wifi and roaming does not work.