Since our arrival on the English side of the channel, we have made the acquaintance of the eddy - which is clearly to be avoided. Not only because of its own character, but also because of the accompanying overturns. The eddy can be identified by symbols on the charts or by looking closely at the water surface, ideally with binoculars.

But the Eddy does not sneak up on us unnoticed. We are aware and trained: Eddies, currents, waves. In the many weeks we spent on the French and English coasts, we passed notorious channels, capes and tidal currents. Starting with the Raz de Sein, a passage south of Brest. Wikipedia reads as follows: “It is a very dangerous area for navigation due to the very strong current generated by the tides, amplified by the masses of water that must converge between the Pointe du Raz and the Île de Sein: 7 knots at high tide, 6 knots at low tide. Even with a light breeze, the current causes a very strong swell, which is unpleasant even for ships of a certain tonnage”. With this current and wind, buoys and markers just fly by. Sailing magazines like to call the Pointe du Raz the Cape Horn of Europe. We ourselves experience the passage in moderate conditions and pleasantly calm. The Raz is kind to us.

North of Brest and east of the Ile d’Ouessant lies the Chenal du Four. Another area that should be enjoyed with caution and that is colorfully painted in the nautical manuals. We definitely don’t see any color. Because of the fog, we can’t see the coast, nor can we see the ships that the AIS indicates. Fortunately, the radar always detects the ones that use the fog for an undercover cruise. Collisions successfully avoided, mission accomplished.

Otherwise, we take whatever challenging passages are available. On the way across the English Channel, however, we skip the challenge of the famous Alderney Race. At it’s peak, the current can reach 12 knots.

The opposite side of the canal is no less exciting: we are impressed by the eddies off St. Albans Head, pass them with caution and always follow the direction of the tide in the Solent. Off the iconic landmark of The Needles and at the entrance to the Solent, however, we get an idea of how very, very uncomfortable it can be here, even in moderate conditions. Next to calm water, the waves break as if by magic, the swell comes from all directions and gives us a good shake.

So what’s the challenge now? We consistently head for the Bill of Portland and take a close look at the Portland Race. The nautical literature warns: “Portland Race is the most dangerous extended area of broken water in the English Channel, overshadowing even Barfleur, the madness of Ouessant and the Race of Alderney. Quite substantial vessels drawn into it have been known to disappear without trace.” Binoculars in hand, we pass with the appropriate distance. 

We pass a few more landmarks with choppy water and swell (such as the Start Point) before we reach Plymouth, but there is not much left to shock us now.

In training and on training cruises, you often hear stories from the areas described above, and it is not without reason that they are told with reverence. They usually serve as a reminder to sail cautiously and to plan carefully, even if it takes time and many factors to consider. In addition to the charts, we pay close attention to the wind direction and strength, the direction and height of the waves generated by the current wind, and the swell caused by previous winds. Then there is the water level and the tidal current. All of these factors are never in perfect alignment, but they provide the framework for a passage within a self-selected comfort zone.

After all the sailing in challenging areas, we can now ask ourselves: are the descriptions exaggerated, were we just lucky, or was our own planning just good? We don’t want to doubt the descriptions, luck is probably on our side from time to time. But the more often we as a crew master such passages without major difficulties, the more comfortable we feel with the thought that good planning probably played a central role.

However, the next learning objective requires a completely different set of skills: the open sea awaits us.