Frog Hopping the Channel: Herm: Rowing around the rocks.

Our first morning on the island of Guernsey and we are leaving already!

Goodbye Guernsey

A short boat ride takes us and several other day trippers across to the nearby island of Herm. There are families with picnic baskets, pushchairs and buckets and spades; there are the young things, smelling of sunscreen and aftershave, laughing and posing for selfies; and a few lycra clad athletes, slathering on sunscreen in preparation for their big race. We are going to watch the rowers as they negotiate rocks and currents to hopefully complete a figure 8 around Herm and Jettou. The team we are supporting have broken their rudder twice before on the channel island's rough and unforgiving rocks. This time they are well prepared with a solid steel rudder.

We meet the crews and following their advice, head to a rocky headland where we are assured the boats will come in quite close to shore. Its a small island, so we have plenty of time for a drink at the Mermaid on the way there.

The boats come in quite close to shore.

The Siteweld Team.

With the tide going out more and more rocks appeared, disadvantaging the slower teams as they had to control their boats in the swirling waters while avoiding the ever increasing number of obstacles. The expected disaster soon unfolded with one team loosing? Or breaking? an oar just before the rocks. Whether they stopped to retrieve the oar or not didn't matter. By stopping they sealed there fate. With no forward momentum they could no longer steer. The rescue boats circled, but were unable to get closer because of the rocks. Meanwhile the crew donned lifejackets as their skiff graunched against the rocks.
Eventually they manage to get a tow line out to the rescue dinghy and are towed back to the harbour.
The rest of our day is more relaxed, walking around the island, swimming, eating icecreams...