Channel Islands tidal advice

This is an excellent thread - thanks Pete for asking a very useful question!

I'm also planning on cruising the CIs this summer for the first time, around the same period as you.

We might indeed meet up somewhere, but I somehow don't think we'll be waving at one another under way going in opposite directions!

Jon
 
As Lady in Bed mentions, tide off Cap de La Hague turns west at HW Dover. So, that is when you want to time your arrival. If that happens to be mid afternoon, then it is perfectly possible to go all the way from the Solent to either Guernsey or Sark in one go without night sailing nor arriving after dark (probably not advised if you don't know the area).

If it isn't then, as also mentioned already, you need to break your journey in Cherbourg or Alderney - Alderney being slightly more conveniently located (i.e. you don't need to head west before turning south) but you will have heard that Alderney harbour can get a bit bumpy if the wind is coming from the NE.

On the whole, if the tide is favourable through the race heading south, then it doesn't really work for any of the French harbours on the west coast of the Cotentin peninsula - it would be near low water when you get there. So, consider them for the return journey instead.

I don't think there is a good or bad tidal conditions in the CI, since there are so many different routes you can take and at least some of them will be possible at the time of day you want to be sailing. One thing to be aware of, though, is the amount of chain you need at anchor at springs - more particularly the further south you go. But, someone earlier said you weren't going at springs, so that won't be a problem for you.

My 2.1m draft causes one or two problems with harbours like Carteret. I cannot get in there at neaps. I don't know what you draw, but work out in advance if any harbours are out of bounds for you.

If you get the chance, make sure you visit Sark, and spend a whole day there. I find the place truly magical. I would also stop off in Herm for a couple of hours en route between Sark and Guernsey. You need a tender, of course.

St Malo might be a bit far for a week's cruising, unless you aim to sail every day. But, if you make it as far as Jersey, then consider some of the reefs around the island. Les Ecrehous is conveniently situated midway between St Helier and Carteret and is a real experience. Approach (with the right pilot book) is surprisingly easy. Vicious tidal flows through the reef at springs make anchoring a bit challenging, but not a problem at neaps.

Going from Guernsey to Jersey, you need to leave St Peter Port around low water. So, if you are moored in the marina, you need to get out on the previous tide. (Not a problem, because you just tie up to one of the pontoons in "the Pool"). You then get a favourable tide down the west coast and along the south of Jersey. That gets you to St Helier near high water, allowing you to go straight into the marina. In reverse, you leave St Helier around (or shortly before) high water, favourable tide west and north, and arrive in Guernsey near low water.
 
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Babylon said:
Talking of pilot books, I've been studying Peter Cumberlidge's North Brittany and Channel Islands Cruising Companion

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brittany-Ch...=1372324398&sr=8-2&keywords=peter+cumberlidge

which appears to be exactly what I'm after.
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Peter Carnegie's "The Channel Islands" is excellent for old fashioned pilotage - photos of transits, etc.


http://www.imray.com/Publications/Imray+Pilots/Pilots+and+Cruising+Guides/North+West+Europe/IB0014/

Peter Carnegie is a Jerseyman.
 
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Excellent thread! Just ordered tidal atlases for CIs and the Channel fron Charity and Taylor. Was going to rely on those in the Imray publications but this sounds like money well spent
 
We will be leaving 15th July for 1 month.

Probably be Cherbourg, Aldernay,Guernsey, St Malo, St Cast, Pampoil, Jersey (tied to a date to attend a party there) Sark poss Morlaix etc then home via Guernsey, Carteret.

Anyone spots us on Janes Buoy give us a wave or say hello.

I just use the Shell Channel Pilot, Reeds and Admiralty small chart folio for CI , I do also have Imray charts.
 
Champagne Murphy said:
Was going to rely on those in the Imray publications but this sounds like money well spent
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If using the Peter Carnegie Imray/RCC Channel Islands pilot 2nd edition 2006 make sure you've got the updates/corrections, there were some major errors in some of the tide charts (wrong hours marked), etc. when first published.
 
The other thing about the tides is you can get set off very quickly indeed! Lower heads springs to mind when a very rapid gybe was required! Using transits for pilotage is a necessity. I also have encountered tidal flows of over 15knots in the Alderney race resulting in SOG in excess of 20 knots when very close to Cap de la Hague
 
LittleSister said:
If using the Peter Carnegie Imray/RCC Channel Islands pilot 2nd edition 2006 make sure you've got the updates/corrections, there were some major errors in some of the tide charts (wrong hours marked), etc. when first published.
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On the subject of chart corrections etc, might be worth noting that Ports of Jersey have been updating a lot of buoyage and other navigational marks over the last couple of years, particularly around the south and east coasts of the island. There have been a few significant changes to some marks.
 
jimi said:
The other thing about the tides is you can get set off very quickly indeed! Lower heads springs to mind when a very rapid gybe was required! Using transits for pilotage is a necessity. I also have encountered tidal flows of over 15knots in the Alderney race resulting in SOG in excess of 20 knots when very close to Cap de la Hague
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I can well believe that , 25 years ago no gps so paper fixes my wind my distance traveled between fixes gave me some real worries and confidence issues, at the same time

wind gear registered 47 knots over the deck I ripped 3 battens out of the main as I rolled sail up and didn't dare let go of the mast to take them out . Which is what made me really consider/ understand what had happened later with the apparent wind .

Edit the wind over the deck went from 22 to 47 steady in 5 mins as I entered the race
 
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Some great general info about tides on this thread.

On point worth mentioning though. The tidal stream data is derived from only a limited number of points (the chart diamonds). But near coasts and reefs there are eddies and quite wide variations from the apparent general stream.

I once had the privilege of circumnavigating Guernsey in a Brixham trawler (Provident) in the 1960's, with a retired Guernsey pilot aboard - familiar with pilotage under sail. He used eddys behind reefs to beat foul tides, and even used known eddys behind rocks to tack the boat without putting the helm over. This proved the point . . . and explains why with GPS some people find 2 or 3 kt variations from the listed stream strength.

For a very broad brush view of cruising the area around the CI (including paperwork!) see http://jimbsail.info/tidal-europe/channel/channel-isles-france. There are links on that page to on-line detail about individual harbour pilotage and facilities too.
 
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