Hamburg

The summer weather brought on the urge for a visit to Herm which coincided with the arrival of the German Liner Hamburg on her way from El Ferrol, on the north west coast of Spain, to Honfleur in Normandy. With the sun shining from a cloudless sky and calm seas guests had good conditions for the short tender ride to St Peter Port. Behind the trees is Les Cotils, shortly to host one of the displays from the Chelsea Flower Show and only a 20 minute walk from the landing pontoon.

The first ferry to Herm always carries a good mixture of cargo; luggage for guests at the White House hotel, necessities for the running of guest accommodation, camping supplies for the visitors camping on one of the island's two campsites and the wine for tonight's dinner.

The Hamburg carrying just over 400 guests is one of those liners that can visit smaller destinations. In September 2014 she made a Great Lakes cruise, the first by a liner for many years. Milwaukee welcomed the liner commenting how she brought tourism money to the city. One of her destinations was Sarnia, the Roman name for Guernsey, with a local blogger reporting how she caught the eye of motorists on her way south to Detroit. Different surroundings today with the many German guests enjoying the sun-drenched island.

Aurora

Aurora arrived early this Sunday morning on a short 3 day cruise out of Southampton for Bruges and Guernsey. The misty conditions of the last few days have all but disappeared and summer is on the way. Aurora was built for P&Os traditional British market and entered service 16 years ago. Herm is in the background with the white Rosaire steps standing out, the low tide landing for the island.

Early evening is quiet in most of Guernsey, but at any time of day it is rare to see anybody on this seat on the East Coast of Guernsey. Set at the end of a dead end path, on a clear day it has views of every Channel Island and the coast of Normandy, with only the birds for company.

The Union Jack is shown to advantage in this image as Aurora clears the Lower Heads buoy and turns on course for her home port of Southampton. Tomorrow teatime she will leave for a very different cruise with her first port of call being Bergen in Norway.

Oriana

As it stands right now the Oriana guests will be one of the last to use the crossing by the Town Church due to a change of heart in the management of traffic in this area. Reverting to two lanes of southbound traffic will mean that this area is deemed no longer safe for the large number of pedestrians crossing at this point. This should take place on Monday 9th August.

It is that time of year when summer does not stretch on endlessly. For some strange reason clothes shops want to sell you winter clothing, not what you want to wear on this Saturday, one of the hottest of the year. The guests on board the Oriana made the most of their day in Guernsey arriving early this morning and departing just on tea time. Wearing her new Colours, with the Union Jack proud on the bow, P&O's liners leave no doubt of their heritage.

It's a short cruise for the guests on board the Oriana, leaving Southampton last night, Guernsey today, Zeebrugge tomorrow and then back to Southampton on Monday. With the St Peter Port Pilot off the liner, she will set course up the Big Russell, before turning into the northbound shipping lane of the English Channel.

Sea Explorer I

The Sea Explorer arrived this morning from Portsmouth with the rising sun blinding anybody looking towards Sark to see her come up to the anchorage. One of the smaller liners visiting Guernsey this year, she is a recent fleet addition to AP Touring and Noble Caledonian  joining her sister ships, Island Sky and Caledonian Sky.

The St Peter Port pilot marks the position where the Sea Explorer will anchor on her half day visit to Guernsey before moving closer to Herm during the afternoon. Tomorrow she will leave for Sark, and then onto Alderney.

While the guests of the Sea Explorer were on Herm, they probably visited Shell Beach which yesterday morning was bathed in sunshine. A walk along the east coast of the island from Belvoir Bay brings this view of the beach, with no one in sight on this spring morning. The shells which make up the sand are carried to the beach by the Gulf Stream