Dartmouth > St Hellier

[stranded]

Planning a first trip to the CIs in a couple of weeks - probably just Jersey this time, given ongoing restrictions in Guernsey and Alderney til 1 July. Plan on leaving Dartmouth around midnight to arrive at shipping lanes at dawnish and hopefully a daylight approach to St Hellier. It looks like the particular tidal challenges of the CIs are mostly further east than our expected track - is that right or are there reasons other than efficiency and locking straight into St Hellier to aim for particular tides for the approach?

 

[dom]

Your strategy seems fine. Just plan the tides right from about 35 miles out of Jersey and all will be good. The tide runs pretty fast for the last 20-25 miles into St Helier.

You may choose to keep a little west of the Traffic Separation Schemes to avoid being forced onto a perpendicular heading when transiting.

Prob advisable to give Guernsey Coastguard a call as you pass given the current situation.

Finally, your only ports of refuge will be Guernsey, Alderney, or in France, so check up their latest Covid restrictions to avoid a right royal mess if something goes wrong.

 

[doug748]

You might split your thoughts about planning into two parts, first to get you somewhere near Les Hanois lighthouse, a rough and ready 60m from Dartmouth. Then c 25 miles to St Helier. I would time my departure to hope to be at Les Hanous by Dover + 2, when the tide will be turning in your favour for five hours, or so.
A few hours here or there is fine but if you get it 6 hours out, that last 25 miles could be a long slog.

PS
Don't get too near to the lighthouse, it's a rough corner.

 

[TernVI]

Tide between the islands is fast.
Planning is much easier if you can pin down when you will get to the islands, which is why making Alderney the first stop helps a lot.
Or maybe Cherbourg.
IF you build a schedule around being at Les Hanois at a certain time, that puts time pressure on the actual channel crossing.
I'd suggest a serious think about the 'What if we are late.... or early'. I like to sail rather than motor so I need to know the consequences of not keeping to the 'plan'.
If you have a good chart plotter and a good passage plan, it's much less fraught than the old days, when by the time you worked out where you were, the tide had taken you a lot further! Pilot book helped a lot firt few times.

 

[LadyInBed]

A copy of these might be useful to put on your phone / tablet.
North Brittany : Monty Mariner

 

[Bathdave]

You might split your thoughts about planning into two parts, first to get you somewhere near Les Hanois lighthouse, a rough and ready 60m from Dartmouth. Then c 25 miles to St Helier. I would time my departure to hope to be at Les Hanous by Dover + 2, when the tide will be turning in your favour for five hours, or so.
A few hours here or there is fine but if you get it 6 hours out, that last 25 miles could be a long slog.

PS
Don't get too near to the lighthouse, it's a rough corner.

hear hear on all counts ....

 

[LadyInBed]

Planning is much easier if you can pin down when you will get to the islands, which is why making Alderney the first stop helps a lot.
Or maybe Cherbourg.

I can't say that I agree with that if departing from Dartmouth.
Going W of Guernsey means that you avoid the seperation zone and if you get your timing right you get a following tide down to Jersey and arrive just about when the sill opens, and it's a shorter trip.
What's not to like?

 

[johnalison]

The big tidal streams are the Alderney Race, Swinge and Little Russell, where you may end up going backwards. Around Jersey the tidal heights are greatest, but the stream could be annoying enough if you miss the tide. Waiting for the gate in St Helier can be a bit boring, while you are rafted with the other boats, so you have to decide whether to get there early for priority going in or later for less hanging around.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Planning a first trip to the CIs in a couple of weeks - probably just Jersey this time, given ongoing restrictions in Guernsey and Alderney til 1 July. Plan on leaving Dartmouth around midnight to arrive at shipping lanes at dawnish and hopefully a daylight approach to St Hellier. It looks like the particular tidal challenges of the CIs are mostly further east than our expected track - is that right or are there reasons other than efficiency and locking straight into St Hellier to aim for particular tides for the approach?

My understanding is that Guernsey and Jersey covid test restrictrions are much the same. Friends of ours sailed into St Peter Port a few days ago, covid test on arrival, 10 hours on isolation pontoon, negative results, free to land.

 

[stranded]

Thank you all - that is reassuring. We aim to stay west of the most interesting tidal bits so sounds like missing the tides would in most conditions be merely frustrating. Breaking the plan into segments as suggested should help with that. I will look further into the covid situation in Guernsey - a stopover looks like a possibility, though Jersey don’t need a test at all if you are fully jabbed and their guidance just seems to be more welcoming than Guernsey’s.

 

[stranded]

Right - we’ve decided to stick with our original plan and just do Jersey this trip (and plan for a Guernsey based trip later in the summer). Booked on pontoon G in St Hellier Marina for seven nights from 23 June - looks right by the road so that’ll be peaceful!

All I need now is for some kind souls to spill the beans on their favourite secret day anchorages round and about - bearing in mind I am not a bold sailor (at least without a beer, which is why I never combine the two). And good places to eat - from cheap and cheerful to posh so long as I don’t need to dress up/iron anything - we promise not to let on to anyone else!

 

[Ningaloo]

With a bit of luck I'll be arriving in St Helier from Hamble on 18 June. Looking forward to my first sail of the year in the new boat!

 

[Eccles]

Lots of good places to eat around the Marina.
Good day anchorages are Beauport, Portlet and St Brelades.
Bon Voyage!

 

[st599]

My understanding is that Guernsey and Jersey covid test restrictrions are much the same. Friends of ours sailed into St Peter Port a few days ago, covid test on arrival, 10 hours on isolation pontoon, negative results, free to land.

It's not consistent - it depends on where in the UK the yacht crew have been in the last 14 days. There's a colour coded map somewhere. What you describe is arriving from a green area - red areas (many big cities) and it's 10 days quarantine.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I had wondered about Guernsey from Plymouth as only ever been there 28 years ago. However despite it all being in the Bailwick of Jersey, Guernsey seem unusually non welcoming at present.

Maybe next year and do a bit of N Brittany or Normandy too? For the moment its our usual run to Scilly once again

 

[Homer J]

What’s the current situation on taking dogs on private boats from uk mainland to CI’s?

 

[Bandit]

Oldmanofthehills"I had wondered about Guernsey from Plymouth as only ever been there 28 years ago. However despite it all being in the Bailwick of Jersey, Guernsey seem unusually non welcoming at present."

Please wash your mouth out with soap, right Now!

Guernsey is not in the same Bailiwick as Jersey, It never has been and never will be, Jersey is a foreign country, more foreign than most!


This is the current situation for arrivals at Guernsey re if you have had two jabs more than two weeks ago|:Travel with effect from 1 July 2021 | States of Guernsey - COVID-19

 

[JNKScot]

Right - we’ve decided to stick with our original plan and just do Jersey this trip (and plan for a Guernsey based trip later in the summer). Booked on pontoon G in St Hellier Marina for seven nights from 23 June - looks right by the road so that’ll be peaceful!

All I need now is for some kind souls to spill the beans on their favourite secret day anchorages round and about - bearing in mind I am not a bold sailor (at least without a beer, which is why I never combine the two). And good places to eat - from cheap and cheerful to posh so long as I don’t need to dress up/iron anything - we promise not to let on to anyone else!

Some good suggestions here; I can personally recommend some of them but the last time I was over was July 2019

Your Guide to Jersey's Food Scene | Condor Ferries

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Oldmanofthehills"I had wondered about Guernsey from Plymouth as only ever been there 28 years ago. However despite it all being in the Bailwick of Jersey, Guernsey seem unusually non welcoming at present."

Please wash your mouth out with soap, right Now!

Guernsey is not in the same Bailiwick as Jersey, It never has been and never will be, Jersey is a foreign country, more foreign than most!


This is the current situation for arrivals at Guernsey re if you have had two jabs more than two weeks ago|:Travel with effect from 1 July 2021 | States of Guernsey - COVID-19

I apologise as was misinformed by a n other and didnt check on wiki.

I saw the government advice but couldnt square it with what others said on this forum. The chaos in gov at present means one could be out of date between breakfast and lunch with clear gap between law, and regulation and advice.

 

[st599]

Right - we’ve decided to stick with our original plan and just do Jersey this trip (and plan for a Guernsey based trip later in the summer). Booked on pontoon G in St Hellier Marina for seven nights from 23 June - looks right by the road so that’ll be peaceful!

All I need now is for some kind souls to spill the beans on their favourite secret day anchorages round and about - bearing in mind I am not a bold sailor (at least without a beer, which is why I never combine the two). And good places to eat - from cheap and cheerful to posh so long as I don’t need to dress up/iron anything - we promise not to let on to anyone else!

Last time I was there, it was a brass band festival. We'd anchored opposite a New Forest rave, an Alderney bunker party and then Jersey's Brass bands and had about 3 hours kip in 96 hours.

Went to Ile Chausey, much nicer. And a great sense of achievement if you take the North Entrance.