Chenal du Four

[pugwash]

Departing Plymouth or Falmouth and heading for Brest in a couple of weeks. Speed say 5 knots average in a perfect wind. As speed is unpredictable and the 'gate' has to be entered at the right moment, plan is to head for the big light of La Vierge and go into L'Aber Wrach, but if the timing turns out to be dead right, to carry straight on.

The YM pilot books on cruising northern and southern Brittany overlap at this point and give different pictures of the ideal time to be at Chenal du Four. One says Brest HW-1 and the other Brest HW+3 (whether you are going on to the Raz has a bearing). So my 'open gate time' is Brest HW to Brest HW+2.

Any thoughts/tips on this question and my plan?



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[brianhumber]

Seems a good plan, if timings right and vis good I usually come in from Falmouth via the Chanal de Hell, very easy and not too many rocks to dodge. As always all depends on conditions of the day and where you end up tidewise

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[Robin]

IMHO it is best to head for Chenal Du Four direct because the tide in the open English Channel north of Le Four is still going east whilst in the Chenal Du Four it is already running south, if you aim for La Vielle as you suggest you will be downtide. It doesn't take long to transit Chenal Du Four, so work out arrival times at your worst estimated average speed for the latest arrival time for a favourable tide, then anything better up to about 3hrs earlier will still be OK and if you are earlier than that what the heck if the tide is still against, it will soon turn and you are already ahead of your plan! Going into L'Aberwrac'h means coming out again and as already said, the tide outside is still going east whilst already turned in the Four so costing you time, even worse if the wind is against too. By the way, don't be concerned about the Four at night, go down the white sectors of the lights and it is easier than in daylight.

Tide in the Four turns south at HW Brest, before that you will be in a strongish foul tide from your starboard bow. I would say your ideal gate is HW to HW+2.5 but -0.5HW to HW +3 will work. If it isn't springs you could even widen it a bit more.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[Spacewaist]

My thoughts exactly. NM

a

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[brianhumber]

I totally agree about tides and times but have found in a stiff SW coming from the NNN/E towards the Hell approach to be smoother water than the sometimes wind against tide square waves I have exprienced inshore.
All depends on weather and if the tide is springs or neaps on the day and your vessels hull shape. I have a flat bottom so I choose a wind with tide prediction rather than slam through square waves if I can.

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[Robin]

I would agree with that too if coming from farther west along the UK coast, like from Fowey or Falmouth especially. Our usual route from Poole and aiming to get to the Quiberon area asap is via Dartmouth and then Dartmouth/Le Four/Camaret, the course from memory is about 210degs so we would try and avoid a stiff SW wind if possible especially as we cannot then lay the course direct, the Chenal De La Helle is even more west so adds distance too. From Fowey/Falmouth I guess the course would be pretty much due south though so it is makeable on one tack in a southwesterly and you could also aim for Chenal De La Helle without any detour. With just the 2 of us on board and with an eye on the holiday nookie points I tend to favour a slight delay if more west (or even NW) in the wind is forecast for later as is often the case in the weather cycle, or alternatively we might consider taking one more leg along the UK coast before crossing (not had to so far in 16 years!).

One other thing is we aim to make our final approach from 2 or 3mls west of Le Four Light rather than closer inshore as you would be if coming from L'Aberwrac'h, there is less of the square waveform crap and you cannot hear the swell breaking on the rocks around the Amoco Cadiz graveyard!

Another factor to consider off this corner around Ushant is the fog, it can turn up quickly and get very thick, often when the tide turns and brings up cold water from the depths. We have had this several times and it makes for a tiring trip staring at the radar and the course from Dartmouth crosses the lanes off Ushant at a closer than ideal angle, it seems almost parallel to the lanes with you doing a sort of 'ferry glide' sideways across them! Again there would be a better angle across the lanes if approaching them from farther west. However the probability of fog is higher in a depression pattern with the SW wind I think and the risk tends to diminish as the wind turns more west or northwest, again leaning me towards a slight wait if the veer is predicted. I have found over the years that both strong winds and fog tend to reduce the holiday nookie whilst simultaneously increasing the size of the restaurant bills and if both come together (wind and fog I mean) then SWMBO is banking on a serious visit to the shops as well.....

One good thing is that the swell and the wind eventually diminish in the lee of Ushant as you enter the Four or the Helle and any fog tends to thin too during daylight hours at least with the extra heat off the land I suppose.

Now I can't wait, we don't get to go until the end of next month!

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[charles_reed]

Used to use it regularly. However my approach was either from the Scilly, or Longships if I was doing it in one leg.

When you arrive depends on how close you are to neaps. the closer you are the later you need to get there to get any benefit from the ebb.

If I was making for Douarnenez, it had to be springs and arrival at le Four @ HW Brest. If I was a little late I always popped into le Conquet (ever since running foul of the Douaniers I've avoided Cameret).

Your problem is that to get the ebb down the Channel you'll get to Chenal le Four just before LW Brest so I really can't see how you can ensure a benign current all the way. You could always use l'Aberildut - certainly I'd not head for Ile Vierge or attempt L'Abervrac'h as my stopover, far too many wasted miles.

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[Redmond]

If you arrive early or late rather than L'Aberwrach there is a lovely fishing village 3 miles south of the Four lighthouse - entance is via a sectored light and fairly straightforard, There is a anchorage just outside sheltered by reefs I think its called L'Aber Ildut - thre are some dumbell moorings inside
red

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[Sybarite]

2 hour time difference : GMT v local time ??

John

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[pugwash]

Thanks to all for info -- hugely useful. Fair winds!

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