Minquiers - sail across the middle??

[Fergus]

Just came back from a glorious 2 week sail around CI and St Malo. I met a number of French sailors who said they always sail across the middle when coming to CI from St Malo (albeit only on a rising tide!). Has anyone done this? Easy or to be avoided?!

 

[Twister_Ken]

It would be avery bad place to park inadvertently, so why bother risking it?

Having said that, maybe modern chartplotters/GPS make sit less risky than in days of yore?

 

[KREW2]

Go east about or west about, no middle

 

[KREW2]

Go east about or west about, no middle its not worth it

 

[chubby]

given the right conditions, going across the middle from N to S is quite feasible: calm, good vis, light wind, decent pilot book and reliable chartplotter, you can anchor off the main island, several other boats there when I did it last summer, you can go to the most southerly loo in britain but leave some loo roll behind, there wasn`t any last year! 1.4 m draft but don`t follow the local mobos, one went aground on a shingle back just ahead of me last year!

 

[LadyInBed]

I have been across the Minquiers once back in the days of DECCA going from St H to St M but the conditions were perfect, flat calm and bright sunlight. Our boat was shallow draft, we followed the sticked channel, saw dolphin, it was lovely.

In this day and age with chart plotters etc it should make life easier, but youhave to pick your weather.

 

[Piers]

I did it once - never again. Pots everywhere in the narrow channels. As has been said, it's not worth the risk.

 

[Poignard]

SOMEWHERE I have instructions for doing this. I copied them from the journal of a Jersey yacht club. If you like I will try to find them this weekend when I go for a sail.

 

[Fergus]

That would be great - thanks!