First time trip to Alderney - what are the issues?

Rivers & creeks

Rivers & creeks

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We plan to leave on Wednesday from Studland, the forecast is for the last of the northerly winds, then they swing to the South West so nice for Alderney harbour. We may go on to Guernsey later. We wanted to check about tide time arrival time and particular suggestions from those who've done the trip. Many thanks. Any suggestions for family activities ashore? We have an up to date pilot book and the charts.

Thanks.
 
You want to arrive at Alderney at slack water which is at half tide, either ebb or flow. Certainly avoid wind over tide on springs as it gets quite lively in the swinge. Also best to take the favourable tide when going on to Guernsey which is from half tide on the ebb.

Bear in mind it will be Alderney Week at the beginning of August and the harbour can become quite busy resulting in rafting up on the swinging moorings.
 
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Lazy Kipper said:
We plan to leave on Wednesday from Studland, the forecast is for the last of the northerly winds, then they swing to the South West so nice for Alderney harbour. We may go on to Guernsey later. We wanted to check about tide time arrival time and particular suggestions from those who've done the trip. Many thanks. Any suggestions for family activities ashore? We have an up to date pilot book and the charts.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Start your passage plan, with arrival at HW Dover & work backwards to your departure time.
Check tidal atlas to confirm.
 
Keith-i said:
Bear in mind it will be Alderney Week at the beginning of August and the harbour can become quite busy resulting in rafting up on the swinging moorings.
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Good point - Alderney week starts this Saturday, 2nd August. There is also the annual pursuit race from Guernsey to Alderney on Saturday so the harbour will be particularly busy on Saturday night.
 
Mainbrace marine in Braye harbour do duty free now, delivered to the boat just before your departure. Limited to one bottle per person, but 1 ltr of 47% proof Tanqueray gin for £13.50 is a good buy.
 
ksutton said:
Mainbrace marine in Braye harbour do duty free now, delivered to the boat just before your departure. Limited to one bottle per person, but 1 ltr of 47% proof Tanqueray gin for £13.50 is a good buy.
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...but bear in mind that they want to see the yellow copy of your customs form. If you've put down that your next port is anywhere within the bailiwick (e.g., guernsey, sark) they can't sell you any.

That customs form is actually difficult to fill in: they want to know about all the booze you have on board and any "prohibited items" like fruit. Not, I suspect, that anyone particularly cares.

If wanting to load up on duty-free fuel plan your trip to the fuel berth: it's tide-limited.

Provisions are obviously expensive so best bring them with you.

The train ride is obviously on the touristy "to do" list but only runs on weekends. Lighthouse tours are timed to allow people to get off the quarry end of the train and walk up there. Also worth doing.

Elizabeth Beresford's house doesn't seemed to be marked with a plaque but I managed to find what I think was the right one in St. Anne
 
Sounds like HW Dover and aim up tide a couple of miles in case we go a bit slower? Good news about duty free in Alderney :) can you get water from the fuel pontoon as well?

Is diesel duty free throughout the CI's? We were thinking of going on Guernsey afterwards.
 
The trick is to avoid the strong tidal flow either down the Race or the Swinge. I've got it badly wrong in the past and been borne down the Race. It is then possible to duck in behind the island and come up the Swinge when the tide begins to turn or just plough on to Guernsey or Sark.

From the UK, my preference is make as much westing as possible, then go due South for the island, fine tuning my course to be uptide of the entrance to the Swinge as approach the island, ideally just before HW Dover -3. (see Channel tidal streams). This allows a two hour window for the approach to Braye, when tides in the Swinge are moderate. At HW Dover - 3 there's a handy little back eddy where the tide goes West close to the island and tends to carry you into the approach to Braye. At HW Dover this tends to encourage you out into the Swinge.

The tides up and down the Little Russel are not to be sneezed at either and my preference when approaching St Peter Port is to pick up a buoy in Havre Gosselin, on the south west of Sark, protected by Brechou until the tides are more favourable for an approach to St Peter Port.
 
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Some info I use:
Slack water ( Alderney HW +2½ hr & LW +2½ hr).
The tides run to the NE between LW+2½ hr and HW+2½ hr,
and to the SW between HW +2½ hr and LW +2½ hr

- Guernsey (via Swinge) Leave Ald mooring HWDover -2:00 23 nM

Tide Directions:
St Ouens Bay
½ flood through HW to ½ ebb - N
½ ebb through L.W to ½ flood - S
3 Nm West of CORBIERE
½ flood - SE HW - NE
½ ebb - NW LW - SW
GROSNEZ and ½ flood through HW to ½ ebb - NE
CONCHIERE ½ ebb through L.W to ½ flood - SW

The cheapest fuel is in Guernsey.
 
Lazy Kipper said:
Sounds like HW Dover and aim up tide a couple of miles in case we go a bit slower?
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Something like that. I can't claim vast experience (only been there twice) but I don't think arrival dead on slack is critical. The first time we arrived (somewhere north of Cap de la Hague) with the tide flowing southwest at four or five knots, and we whooshed neatly in towards Braye at around ten knots over the ground (it slacks off once you get close in). As the Channel Pilot frequently points out, a plotter with projected track turned on makes life far easier in these waters.

Lazy Kipper said:
can you get water from the fuel pontoon as well?
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Yep. It's not a pontoon though, just an old-fashioned stone wall. We were fortunate that there was a motorboat moored on the berth with a party in full swing (complete with paper hats and those unrolling squeaker things) - we rafted up to them and they passed the fuel and water hoses (and a glass of gin each!) across to us. Go in with your fenders at gunwale level, not pontoon height, as you'll either be against another boat or against the wall, and there isn't much space inside to stooge about and re-rig things.

Pete
 
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