Saint Malo
At exactly midnight, just as my watch began, our ship was approaching the Alderney Race—a narrow stretch of water between Alderney Island (on our starboard side) and Cap de La Hague (on our port). There’s about 4 nautical miles of space on each side, so I made sure we were staying right on track.
At first, a strong current was pushing us to starboard. But once we got deeper into the strait, it shifted and started pushing us from behind. That gave us a speed boost—we hit 17.5 knots even though we were only at pitch 7! Just to give you an idea, the Balmoral usually struggles to make that speed even at pitch 10. It was wild! But the boost didn’t last too long. Once we passed Alderney, the current calmed down.
A quick note about the Alderney Race: It’s known for its powerful tidal currents and can be pretty tricky to navigate. The currents can reach up to 12 knots, so it definitely keeps you on your toes!
Saint Malo
So, we made it to Saint Malo! LOL. I’m honestly not sure if I’ve been here before—maybe a long time ago—but I really don’t remember.
Saint Malo doesn’t have a berth big enough for us, so instead, we’re tied to a mooring buoy. The water’s too shallow for the Balmoral’s 7.2-meter draft. So, we’re doing tender operations to get guests ashore. There’s a small pier in town used by ferries, but that’s it.
Checked the weather forecast and looks like the sun decided to skip town today. No blue skies—just clouds all day. So, the photos I took have a bit of a moody, overcast vibe.
France is the most civilized country in the world and doesn’t care who knows it.
— John Gunther
Here’s a shot of Saint Malo from the water. You can see the charming stone buildings, a tall church steeple rising above the town, and a bunch of small boats resting in the harbor at low tide. It’s got that classic French coastal village feel—even under cloudy skies, the place looks cozy and historic.
Saint Malo
Last cruise, we passed through the Pentland Firth, and now we’ve gone through the Alderney Race. What’s next? Are we chasing strong currents now? LOL.
We’re leaving again today at 7 PM and heading to Rouen. Funny enough, we were just there 10 days ago.
Seafarer and Family Man
I'm Dexter— a seafarer by profession, a traveler by passion, and a homebody by choice.
