Channel Islands: Alderney – a taste of the Caribbean in the English Channel

About an hour before high tide, we leave Victoria Marina via the Sill and thus Guernsey. It already feels as though the trip is drawing to a close, as Alderney is the last of the Channel Islands. Then it’s time to cross the English Channel itself. As early as tomorrow, we’ll be heading for the Needles and the Solent; two days later, we plan to be in Portsmouth. And as rough as the weather has been on this trip, it’s finally set to improve.

We were lucky with the tides

One thing we were consistently lucky with, though, was the timing of the tides. The tide always ran in such a way that we could start our days at sea at a leisurely pace, rather than in the small hours of the morning or so late in the afternoon that we wouldn’t have had time to enjoy our destination. We usually set off around 9 o’clock, sometimes even later. Today it’s a quarter past nine, so we can’t complain. The first half-hour is still a bit choppy, though, as the south-westerly wind is blowing against the current. Soon, however, the sea calms down and, for the first time ever, we have something resembling a relaxed crossing.

Alderney has been in sight throughout the entire journey; the distance is barely 15 nautical miles from leaving Little Russell – the channel between Guernsey and Herm – to entering The Swinge, which separates Alderney from the small island of Barhou. Up to this point, we have been steering a dead straight north-easterly course; now the course runs parallel to Alderney’s north coast, but once again takes us through standing waves that are impressive even in these conditions.

Everything you need to know about the Gulf of Saint-Malo:

• France: A hidden gem in the Gulf of Saint-Malo – the Îles Chausey
• The Isle of Jersey – a little world of its own
• Guernsey and Herm – two very different neighbours
• The Isle of Alderney – a taste of the Caribbean in the English Channel

Alderney, our last Channel Island

The long jetty at Braye Harbour begins, and at its end we round the head of the imposing wall and sail into the much calmer bay. Following the advice of an American we met in Saint Peter Port, we look for a buoy sheltered by the breakwaters (it’s number 17) between a Norwegian and a Belgian yacht, waiting for the harbour master, who soon arrives in his boat to collect the fee.

Then we launch the dinghy, as the first significant break in the clouds is approaching. Luckily, there’s a proper dinghy dock here at the floating jetty. Up above is the cargo pier, a few sun-bleached containers, lads on bikes, palm trees bending in the wind – even if they are rather small ones. The postbox at the customs. Clearance is carried out under the principle of mutual trust, though this doesn’t apply to us in any case, as Alderney is administratively part of Guernsey – and that’s where we’ve just come from. Nevertheless, they maintain their independence here too, despite having a population of just 2,000.

At last, a bit of the Caribbean!

Our little crew of three goes their separate ways. I wander past the fort and the inner harbour, where a cutter painted in bee colours is beached against the high wall, then back again and through the colourful Braye Street, into the dunes and down to the beach. Sand between my toes at last! The few holidaymakers are scattered along the wide crescent of sand, and the water in the bay glows turquoise. Alderney already feels much more like the Caribbean – or at least more southern – than the islands I’ve visited so far. What a difference a bit of sun makes!

The fact that life here is more laid-back is, of course, not only down to its remote location right by the channel, but also to its manageable size: covering an area of around eight square kilometres, Alderney is roughly five kilometres long and about half that width. Nature takes up most of the space; the variety of the landscape is enormous, ranging from steep cliffs to gentle beaches. This compact size makes it easy for guests travelling by boat to explore the island on foot or by bike, whilst discovering the surroundings. Along the way, you’ll repeatedly come across fortifications – from Victorian forts to Atlantic Wall bunkers – as well as small woods and secluded white houses – and the tracks of the island railway.

Beach bar on the last evening

After a wonderful hour, my mobile rings: the skipper is sitting not far away on the terrace of The Moorings, a beach bar overlooking the beach, and has spotted me. A quarter of an hour later, the crew is reunited; the place has a very relaxed atmosphere: lounge music, light-coloured furniture, dark beer – Guinness. Our third crew member asks the barman about the city centre. He just laughs. The city? “You couldn’t find a better place than this,” he says. Pretty convincing marketing, we think. And so the plan for our final evening on the Channel Islands – Jersey, Guernsey, Herm and Alderney – is once again set against a backdrop of the sea. An extraordinary area.

Everything you need to know about the Gulf of Saint-Malo:

• France: A hidden gem in the Gulf of Saint-Malo – the Îles Chausey
• The Isle of Jersey – a little world of its own
• Guernsey and Herm – two very different neighbours
• The Isle of Alderney – a taste of the Caribbean in the English Channel