The pull of the tides

We couldn’t have asked for anything more as we registered 10 knots speed over ground as our 1988 33ft Westerly Storm, Musketeer, sliced through the waves towards Guernsey. Blessed with fine weather and a superb Force 4-5 wind, we beam reached across the sea and finally passed St Martin’s Point and steered a course to Castle Cornet at the extremity of the St Peter Port entrance – once the harbour’s main defence against invaders.

This was champagne sailing, and all on board enjoyed’s fenders, berthed alongside the waiting pontoon. From here we had excellent views of the harbour. We were also able to witness the effects of the large tidal range. Being currently on springs, we observed the spectacular change from high water to low water throughout our stay in Guernsey. There was an 8m difference, making the harbour at high water seem like a different place compared to low water. In fact, throughout our trip we were amazed at the strength of the tides and gained a healthy respect for the laws of nature.