Thoughts on making a channel crossing in a 100 year old 25 ft yacht

Crossing the Channel 

Yarmouth to Alderney. 

As we passed the Needles  in the early daylight hours of Saturday, the grey waves of the Channel seemed to be particularly ominous. We're we being sensible to leave with a forecsst of strong winds in such a frail craft? 

The Channel seemed big , lumpy and very wide in the cold dawn wind..

 The crests were steep and breaking  drenching us with spray and cascading over our bows. 

To turn back at that stage of the 12 passage might have been sensible. But I was reluctant to do so, sitting this out in Yarmouth would have meant a wait of several days for another workable weather window. Gales were predicted. 

we were not alone on this trip 

Cine Mara and the even smaller Step Back in Time were with us. Cine Mara's presence gave  our little boats a sense of courage beyond our proper our bows bucking the spray ..

The wind was  NW and with reduced sail  our chances of a  'downwind' sail all the way to Alderney promised good speed. 

On board Betty 2 in the meantime  quiziness set in, neither of us was wanting our breakfast!