2 week summer cruise...first time to the Channel Islands...any tips?

Iain C

Iain C

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Oct 2009
Messages
2,366
Visit site
Having done a few trips from Gosport down as far as Fowey, I'm setting my sights further afield this time and I'm looking at the Channel Islands this summer. Plan will be a fortnight off, a reasonable effort to get there, and then a leisurely week or 10 days of exploration before heading home.

Boat is a fin keeled Sabre 27. Just invested in new sails (picking them up this weekend!) including a cruising chute. Engine is a 16hp Lombardini that will give me about 6.5 knots flat out. Ground tackle is a hefty CQR with plenty cable and a Hyspeed windlass, and another modification I am planning is fitting the davits I've had kicking around for a bit as I suspect the dink will get a fair bit of use. She's a good cruiser, albeit not the fastest boat around...

So...any tips? Suggested itinery? Must see places, or places to avoid? Any tips on the crossing? I know the race is critical, and have some ideas on passage plan, but I'm sure there are people who have done it many times who have some useful info/experiences.

As I can go any time, and time my holidays around tides and keep fingers crossed for the right weather, if you had a "blank canvas", when would you book holiday and go? Is it better to do the crossings at the beginning and the end of the trip on Spring tides, giving more scope for neap tide anchorages mid cruise, or is it better to do the crossings on neap tides?

Any input gratefully received!
 
Hi Iain, there are several local boats going to the Chanel Islands, Black Pearl, Contessa 26, Seachord (Babylon) a Vancouver 27, Talulah a najad, to name but a few, so you wont be alone, It will be my first time doing the trip single handed, so a good plan might be that we organise an evening at a local pub and all meet up to discuss our plans and ideas. What do you reckon?
 
We took our Sabre 27 there a few years ago (from Falmouth) and then on to N France and back.

The islands in general, are nice and the smaller the island, the more interesting, we found.

The Alderney Race is not a big stress point, especially if you choose a calmish day and go with it - don't fight it. Avoid wind over tide too.

The best bit of kit will be the chart plotter to give you stress-free updates on the nearest pointy rocks.

Otherwise my view would be to only be as brave as you want to be so that you enjoy it.

The downside, for us, was that they were too 'British'. We moved on to N france and enjoyed that more, even though the tides and rivers run as strongly as the Channel Islands.
 
First stop Cherbourg. Can be done in daylight and easy to find and enter. Stock up with essential supplies and celebrate being "abroad"! Easier to plan passage to CIs than going straight to Alderney from Gosport. Study the pilot book to take advantage of the counter current inshore to maximise the benefit from the tide through the Race and you can make Guernsey in one tide or have an easy passage to Alderney - but watch the strength of the south going tide as you cross the race.

From Guernsey you have lots of choices - Herm, Sark or down to Jersey. Return is probably best in one hit from Guernsey or Alderney, although a pit stop in Cherbourg for replenishment is an alternative depending on time. Navigation/pilotage in the CIs depend heavily on the use of transits and going with the tide, so get yourself a good tidal atlas and pilot book with transits.
 
Best tip I can offer is the selection of your two weeks!
If you would like a nice day passage down and back to Guernsey start your holiday when HW Dover is at about 09:00 as HWD is when the current starts to run down the Alderney race. Then about a week and a half later LWD is around mid day to get the North flowing current back. The timing is right so that you leave St PP when there is just enough water to get yourself over the sill.
If you don't want to spend two weeks tied up in St PP, if the weather is settled, go round to the far side of Herm and anchor off of Shell Beach.
 
If you have already navigated Portland, Start Point/Bear head/tail, then you are already well qualified for something as simple as a channel crossing. Easiest is to cross to Alderney, be prepared for the rock n roll in the swell and dont even bother if there is or has been any recent wind with any degree of north in it, if there is divert to Cherbourg. Start your run down the Alderney race before the ebb starts, that way the race will be at its most benign. Oh, do your crossing on neeps, a F4-5 against a spring ebb in the channel can kick up fair old swell, its better to suffer a greater range whilst at anchor. With decent scope it will make no difference to you. St PP is busy, very busy, keep a real good lookout whilst entering for ferries arriving or departing. St PP is a must, but not for long if you like to anchor. On the subject of anchoring, so long as the wind is W to NE or very light, one of our favourite anchorages is Petit Port, to the south of St PP, just around the headland to the SW. Deep water and not very popular. There is little or no light pollution there, so on a clear night be prepared to be amazed. Thats my 2 peneth worth. Last thing, nearly forgot, early to mid July is our choice, defiantly avoid school holidays!
 
In addition to everything that's been said so far, I'd suggest going as far south as you intend eg St Helier in your initial push even if you stop a couple of places enroute then work your way leisurely north again. There are lots of lovely anchorages if the weather is settled. If its not we prefer St PP over St H.

Double check your tides, streams and heights - it can make a huge difference to your stress levels when rock hopping!

If you want to eat out look beyond the seafront cafes. We found a rather old fashioned but wonderful Italian in the back streets of St H last summer. And there are some interesting museums covering the occupation too which are great on rainy days.
 
My tip would be to get as far West as Studland Bay, anchor then set off in the early morning for Guernsey; watch out for the Platte Fougere rocks ( that's from memory so please check ! ) off the NW, but you'll probably be approaching from the North anyway.

Jersey is a daysail further, quite straightforward. With only 2 weeks I wouldn't go further to St Malo; I've spent a whole week in St Peter Port in fog - and that is something to try to be prepared for, FOG is a common problem around the Channel Islands and in the Channel on the way.

On the return, Salcombe is very handy and a fast beam reach in the prevailing South Westerlies - time arrival for plenty of water over the bar and if it's likely to have surf go somewhere else like Brixham !

On approaching Salcombe on a summers' day the clouds often reflect the shape of the land beneath in detail, all the inlets, everything; a reassuring early landfall in the days before Decca / GPS and worth remembering now in case of flat batteries.

Sightseeing; St Peter Port is quite a nice town, St Helier a lot less so.

Get out into the countryside, hire a bike or car or at least get a bus, this applies to both Guernsey and Jersey.

Gorey on Jersey is a nice spot, Mont Orgeuil Castle is spectacular and there's a good anchorage at St Catherines' if time and weather allow.
 
Last edited:
My advice is to be flexible in your plans. The Channel Isles have a mixture of sophisticated harbours and out-of-the-way anchorages and it would be as well not to set your heart on a rigid plan. Because of the tidal streams, it is possible to cover much greater distances than you are used to, so rely on local or experienced advice with regard to timings.

Alderney is many people's favourite, great for cycling and walking round and pretending you are living in 1950.

Jersey has a comfortable harbour which is usually quiet. Although not as "pretty" as Guernsey, there is some lovely scenery in the north and loads of attractions, museums, gardens, zoo, winery and shops plus excellent buses.

Guernsey is lovely but St PP can be a hassle. The old market no longer exists.

Sark is well worth visiting, if a bit twee. Anchoring and visitors moorings, and easy to call in just for the day. The return to St PP between Herm & Jetou is fun. Good charts helpful.
 
It might be worth making a French port your last of port of call before heading back across the Channel to the UK, then you won't have to mess about with UK Customs formalities. Having been boarded south of the I of W by the black suited and booted UKBA officers we were relieved to have set sail from Cherbourg and had marina receipts to hand, they wanted to see the evidence and were happy.
 
Talking of wannabe SAS types, maybe it's worth a reminder to cross shipping lanes at 90 degrees, ie go straight across and don't dawdle, a heavily enforced legal requirement, though I've always found the instinct for self preservation does it anyway.

White collision warning flares are handy to at least know one has if in bad vis' in the shipping lanes, as is a radar reflector or transponder and / or AIS if one can afford it and is preparing beforehand.
 
One still has to cross shipping lanes at 90 degrees, and I've seen French patrol boats between the shipping lanes who seemed to be keeping an eye on us and other yachts; of course they could have been having a cheese festival for all we knew, but they seemed to be watching.
 
Seajet said:
One still has to cross shipping lanes at 90 degrees
Click to expand...

Says who?

Regardless of whether it's a good idea or not to do so, you said it is "a heavily enforced legal requirement". And, errm, it isn't. There is no such thing in the Colregs as a "shipping lane" - there is a TSS, a narrow channel, and everything else is a crossing situation.

Your French patrol boats were more likely the equivalent of the men in black boots on our side of the Channel.

Pete
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

T
Notices to Mariners - Week 50
Replies
2
Views
690
tillergirl
T

Share this page

Top