St. Peter Port - Provisioning

The big task of getting the food on board took place on Saturday 31st May. I decided to check out the local farmers market at Saumarez house and was not disappointed. While the market (like the island) was a little small a good assortment of locally grown vegetables was for sale at a number of stalls. Other stalls sold cheese from Guernsey cows, handmade chocolates and locally caught crabs and shellfish. The spider crabs and shore crabs (known as shankers on island) were a great sight stalls.


Most of the fresh produce was purchased here including peppers, tomatoes, courgettes, asparagus, potatoes, carrots, peas and beans. Freshly baked bread was obtained from Spenner's bakery not too far from Saumarez House. The cheese, was made made from Guernsey cow's milk had a very rich colour, like the butter, and tasted great. The blue cheese was quite soft in texture and mild with only a small amount of veining in the round.


Other supplies were picked up at the supermarket where the trolley could just about support approximately 100 litres of water and other goodies. The one significant benefit to provisioning in Guernsey is the wide choice of high quality dairy products; dairy produce from nearby France combined with the high quality local produce are much in evidence. Primarily the most impressive choice was to be found in the butter section on the refrigerated shelves. Up to 10 varieties of butter from Guernsey, Sark and France could be purchased.


An interesting feature to island life is the hedge market which is based on a an honesty system. Essentially, anything for sale is left at the garden wall or hedge and you can take the flowers, vegetables or book, whatever the case maybe, and leave the money in a bucket or post box.

The fridges, freezer and cupboards all full to the brim, and water stowed by the late afternoon we set off for dinner at L'Escalier retiring back to the boat before midnight. There was early start the next morning because we had to leave the inner marina at high tide just before 5 a.m., and take up a dock in the main harbour. The day was sunny and warm, and following a safety briefing, and refueling in the afternoon we set off in calm conditions down the west side of the island and along the Grand Banque. We passed many leisure craft anchored or drifting on the tide fishing in the evening sun. Gradually the island fell below the horizon behind us and the only reminder was the occasional pot every half mile or so until just before sunset. The was no moon evident and the night was pitch black. With a little breeze, and some sailing, we made our way to Oeussant and predicted landfall there around sunrise.