Channel Islands& Brittany tidal timings

Lucky Duck

Lucky Duck

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I am starting to look at dates for a summer cruise, the current plan is to set off from Portsmouth to the Channel Islands and then head West to somewhere like Treguier before cruising Brittany in an Eastwards direction and then come home either via the Channel Islands again or Cherbourg.

Are there particular tide times I should be looking out for when choosing a dates in order to maximise the amount of fair tide and minimise ridiculously early morning starts?

Thanks
 
Personally I would go via Cherbourg both ways. Although there is an optimum time for leaving Portsmouth, it makes little difference in reality when you depart as the east/west tides will nearly cancel each other out. This means you can choose your departure time, I usually leave early and do a daylight passage but some prefer to go overnight. If there's much west in the wind, I would also consider going via Yarmouth as it makes the long cross channel leg a lot more comfortable although your departure time might be limited by tide/wind to get down past the Needles before turning south.
 
I agree with the previous poster. Go via Cherbourg both ways, much easier (or back via Alderney is OK, shortens the Channel hop a bit). Then you can time your departure precisely for entering the Alderney Race and/or crossing the shipping lanes. Go when there are neaps, life is much simpler/smoother. Two years ago I went through the Alderney race on a huge Spring tide, tide with us, and on a calm day. It was OK, but would probably have been v.bumpy if there had been any wind. Wind against tide in that part of the world with big tides is no fun. Avoid.

Keith
 
What do you plot at ? I estimate 6knots. If you leave Yarmouth on a spring tide you can get to Alderney in 8 or 9 hours. Leave just before high tide you can get a serious kick towards Alderney for 6+ hours, plot the vectors on a chart and see. The only problem if the navigation when you get there... Get it wrong you end up in cherb... You can't go any further than Alderney as the tide is coming up the race when you arrive.
 
I believe that it is traditional advice to those unfamiliar with the waters to do the Channel Isles around neaps in order to make life easier. Without my books to hand I can't work out which dates will give you the most sleep but the times you are likely to lose sleep from my experience is when setting off west from Cherbourg and often early in the morning from St Peter Port, where you may need to wait on the outer pontoons for the tide north. As for planning the passages, usually it is easy to complete them well within the tide window and there are sources of information about the best leaving times.
 
Assuming 6kts or a little more then I would agree Cherbourg as a stop on the way is a good option if you want to have it simple and easy going. It is a great place to star a holiday anyway and you have access and shelter in all wind directions and weather.

I have sailed direct to Braye from Solent but as AIDY says you need to be spot on with timing and navigation allowing for tides. Tend to check position course and tides very carefully for the final 20 miles of the approach to Braye. I would be happy to go direct to Braye, with plan B would be to go with the tide to Cherbourg. But not Braye if wind from east or north east. From Braye head off on a fair tide probably in daylight and plan to arrive again next day in daylight off Brittany. I would suggest St Quay Portrieux, though the approach in poor vis or darkness needs a little more concentration compared to Cherbourg. If you want you do it in shorter hops then from Braye head for St Helier then onwards to St Quay P. the St Quay P' approach to the coast is somewhat more sheltered from prevailing winds compared to the north coast of Brittany which adds a little to the pleasure of arrival.

Departing from Yarmouth is a very good idea as well, even if it just rest on the buoys outside for supper or tidal wait. Another option is to anchor off Sandown IOW to wait for the best opportunity to launch out (but don't forget there is swell prevalent in that area).

Homeward bound I would consider the last hop being from St Peter Port to the Solent non stop.

Anchoring on the east side of Herm (Shell Bay) is a very useful stopping point as well to break the journey.
 
If you leave at roughly high water Portsmouth you should get best tidal advantage for the Solent and then also straight through the Alderney race down to Guernsey or Jersey.

I would favour doing it in one go, but then I had a bag stolen last time I was in Cherbourg!

Pick a day when high water in Portsmouth is in the afternoon, sail through the night and arrive at the Channel Islands for lunchtime...

Pete
 
Tide turns S at Cap de la Hague (Alderney Race) at HW Dover -30mins.
HW Dover occurs at about midday and midnight on New and Full moons (Springs)
It is about 27nM from the Cap to St PP
So planning to go South you should look for when HW Dover is at somewhere around 10:30 am
So plan to take the trip down about two or three days before New and Full moons
Dover tides here: http://montymariner.co.uk/tides/dover/

St PP: HW is at about HW Dover -4:50
Sill opens Around HW Dover +5
Sill closes Around HW Dover -2

Hope that helps.

PS
CI Tide Stream here: http://montymariner.co.uk/tide-stream-charts/tide-stream-channel-isles/
N Brittany Tide Stream here: http://montymariner.co.uk/tide-stream-charts/north-britanny/
 
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fergie_mac66 said:
+1 neaps there and back
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Now that raises an interesting point. Would you rather do the journey on neaps then have springs while away, or springs for journey and benefit from neaps when anchoring at your destinations.

if the boat and crew are not too tender and weather is reasonable then I would prefer to take advantage of the spring tides for the journey and have neaps when anchoring at my destinations. That spring tide going north when leaving St. Peter Port for home is a hell of a boost, or south rushing through the Alderney race when the apparent wind is playing up for sailing, all makes for an exciting and welcome adrenaline rush. It depends a lot on the weather.
 
P.S. When I was last there (2013), Guernsey (St Peter Port) was really well organised. With a choice of pontoons outside the harbour or wait for high water to go over the sill into the harbour. Everything is organised with military precision, and the staff are excellent; they guide everyone to a berth in the harbour. On the other hand, Jersey (St Helier) was a complete madhouse, total chaos. Wait for the green lights and everybody charges for the marina sill entrance - at the same time as others are coming out. Luckily I was coming out behind a huge 60 foot motorboat, so I just kept close to his stern. Others had problems.

Hope this helps.

Keith
 
Channel Sailor said:
Now that raises an interesting point. Would you rather do the journey on neaps then have springs while away, or springs for journey and benefit from neaps when anchoring at your destinations.

if the boat and crew are not too tender and weather is reasonable then I would prefer to take advantage of the spring tides for the journey and have neaps when anchoring at my destinations. That spring tide going north when leaving St. Peter Port for home is a hell of a boost, or south rushing through the Alderney race when the apparent wind is playing up for sailing, all makes for an exciting and welcome adrenaline rush. It depends a lot on the weather.
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Just goes to show its all about personal preference. So OP is going to have to do some thinking.I prefer less risk of strong wind agin tide, in the tidal races, short trips with springs can be timed but present other problems :)
 
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I assume you have holiday dates to adhere to.

If springs then you can shoot through the needles with tide and then shoot through Alderney Race with tide. Obviously a bigger S curve X channel and bigger waves if wind against tide.

Can equally be done on Neaps but obviously speed of tide assist is less.

In one place of the race I once say 10.5kts SOG yet was only doing 4kts through water
 
Little Grebe said:
I am starting to look at dates for a summer cruise, the current plan is to set off from Portsmouth to the Channel Islands and then head West to somewhere like Treguier before cruising Brittany in an Eastwards direction and then come home either via the Channel Islands again or Cherbourg.

Are there particular tide times I should be looking out for when choosing a dates in order to maximise the amount of fair tide and minimise ridiculously early morning starts?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I have done the Brittany coasts many times and the tides are very big indeed. So when I plan I treat the key aspect of this planning as the tides at Treguier because you will have to sail when they are going your way. So look at their timing, note the times when favourable to your intentions and the changes over the following days. This will define the optimum weeks to be in the area for sensible start times and arrivals before the place is packed. This is also crucial working North up the West side of the Contentin peninsula because you can only enter harbours after half tide.
When you have identified the best week, work back a few days for getting to Treguier and book your hols. There is no problem crossing the channel it is only a matter of what time of day you do the stint to and on from Guernsey but in summer (ie with long days) you should be OK, worth checking befgore finally fixing the days.
Inevitably there will be a few early or late sails but get the coastal bits sorted first is my advice after 38 years.
 
If you're going from Portsmouth, try to leave somewhere about an hour before the tide turns west, that way you get helped up the back of the island.

Otherwise, I don't think it really matters when you go, all things being equal.

I'm thinking of doing much the same cruise this summer.

Cherbourg does break the journey down and back, and gives you the chance to stock-up with booze and food on the way, and booze on the way back. Alderney is lovely though.
 
Little Grebe said:
I am starting to look at dates for a summer cruise, the current plan is to set off from Portsmouth to the Channel Islands and then head West to somewhere like Treguier before cruising Brittany in an Eastwards direction and then come home either via the Channel Islands again or Cherbourg.

Are there particular tide times I should be looking out for when choosing a dates in order to maximise the amount of fair tide and minimise ridiculously early morning starts?

Thanks
Click to expand...



A small but important point - I always go via Cherbourg there and back.

This gives a less complicated first leg whilst you get into the swing of cruising again. But more importantly going and returning via Cherbourg saves all the faffing about with the Customs & Excise forms, especially if you postpone a logged timed trip with them.
 
I strongly recommend an overnight trip on the way out. It is only dark for a few hours and my wife and I change shifts at 2am and 6am. It is brilliant, we both get decent amount of sleep and we gain a day of our holiday. On the way back we often leave from SPP and do the whole trip in one go. If progress is slow we pick up a buoy outside Yarmouth on arrival.
 
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