Channel Islands^

[Mark R]

I like ... the fact that the topics aren't reduced to only equipment.

Amen to that!

[Mark R]

Sorting through photos today, dug out some images from our 2010 trip...some are familiar, some I hadn't even seen myself.

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2011/ ... -crossing/



http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... d51&type=1

[Mark R]

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2011/10/09/les-etacs/

Gannets, lots of.

[Mark R]

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2011/ ... ighthouse/

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2011/ ... s-of-sark/

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2011/ ... the-gap-2/

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2011/ ... ss-to-man/

[Jim]

If I can be excused for digging up an old thread again (It's a good one) - It looks like my summer plans may be such that it would be crazy not to include a trip to the Channel Islands, there is great info in the thread, but I wonder if anyone can can help me with the 2 main questions which will help me make a decision:

1) How long do you need to go for to see the best of it? (Assume July for typical weather)
2) Is it a feasible to go to on my own?

[Mark R]

In a week we saw Guernsey, Herm, Sark, Alderney. Would have liked to have spent longer exploring all of these places. There is another week of paddling around Jersey and the outlying reefs, which I still want to do - especially the Minquiers, Britain's most southerly point.

Problem of going alone is that the paddling is pretty committing - crossings of 3-20 miles between islands with strong tides involved, assuming you don't want to be tied in one place. Depends whether you are happy with this, of course.

[Jim]

Cheers Mark, it sounds like 2 weeks would be worthwhile.

The tides are the main question mark for me about going on my own - I do like tide races but have never really messed about with them solo. In fact I have been to the Falls of Lora on my own and ended up just running the tailrace and pootling down to Oban.

With the buggy worlds near St Malo this year this obvious thing would be to take an extra week (or 2) and have a paddling holiday back to back. I noticed the Channel Islands straight away, it took a bit longer to realise that a mid-price option is the Condor service to St Malo which involves a change in Guernsey. The Cherbourg route is too expensive and Calais/Dunquerque will add about 5 hours driving and probably peage so probably won't work out much cheaper in the end. I think I have myself pretty much talked into this, just need to qualify now....

[Mark R]

Updated version of the old print guidebook, sadly only available digitally...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Channel-Islands ... 2&sr=1-3#_

[Jim]

Updated version of the old print guidebook, sadly only available digitally...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Channel-Islands ... 2&sr=1-3#_

Excellent,
I thought being for kindle only was going to be a problem but there is a downloadable version for PC, shame there isn't a blackberry version.

I guess I really ought to put some effort into formulating some kind of plan for the summer, seems so far away just now....

Jim

[Mark R]

there is a downloadable version for PC

What format...pdf?

[Jim]

there is a downloadable version for PC

What format...pdf?

Ah, unclear posting - Amazon have a free download Kindle reader for PC so you don't need to go out and buy one (you probably already have one). They also have them for lots of other devices.

[Mark R]

Some great images of Jersey...

http://fortyislands.wordpress.com/2012/ ... 36-jersey/

[Mark R]

Alderney guide...

http://cdn2.jerseykayakadventures.co.uk ... 0-2012.pdf