Alderney

Our previous attempt to reach the Channel Island of Alderney in March by air was aborted due to inclement weather and poorly aircraft. The island is notoriously tricky to reach with the slightest hint of bad weather and so on our re-visit we decided to take the small ferry from Guernsey.

St Peter Port

We left Gatwick on a warm sunny Friday evening to get to Guernsey where we stayed overnight in St Peter Port. On Saturday morning the weather was sunny but chilly as we headed down to the harbour to meet the boat that would take us the 90 minutes across to Alderney.

The Causeway Explorer is a small 12 metre cruiser owned by the Alderney Ferry Services and operates a twice daily return trip. The conditions looked good and we boarded with our fellow passengers and were greeted by Skipper Dillan and crewmate Dave. Once out of the shelter of the harbour, Dillian opened up the engines and we headed north. The sea started to get a bit choppy halfway across and some of the passengers struggled with motion sickness. Arriving in the small Alderney harbour town of Braye, we disembarked and headed to the Lifeboat Station.

Alderney Lifeboat Station

The station and shop were closed so we waited around and explored the small harbour before taking our required photos. We never take it for granted that any volunteer crew will be available to meet us at the stations. Their Trent Class Lifeboat, Inner Wheel II (14-29) was moored in the harbour and their small Boarding Boat was tied up to the pontoon. The Trent has been on station since 2024 replacing 14-04, Roy Barker I.

The station was established in 1869 at St Anne before closing in 1884. 100 years later, in 1984, the station was re-established at the Braye harbour.

After a cup of tea in a local café we headed up hill to the town of Braye with its narrow cobbled streets and colourful buildings. After a spot of lunch in town we took advantage of a beautiful day and continued south to the cliffs where we sat and enjoyed the spectacular view towards Guernsey and France. We returned to the harbour to rendezvous with Causeway Explorer once more and enjoyed a smoother return crossing back to Guernsey.

Sunday was spent sightseeing around Guernsey dodging marathon runners and cyclists as we visited some beautiful coastline. A chance also to meet up with some friends for some lunch before heading back to the airport and return flight home.