Sailing south from cherbourg

[ashtead]

Now that the CI seem to be off limits where would forumites suggest as a convenient stop off on way to places like st cast etc which is usually reached with a provisioning stop in jersey . Looking for suggestions and any recent experiences of those places along the coast really and any to avoid due to poor facilities ,Marino staff being surly etc. We have always found st cast excellent as a stop off so where would be a good mid point ?

 

[DJE]

Provision in Cherbourg then hop round to Dielette. From there it's 45 miles to Granville, 65 to St Cast, or 70 to Lezardrieux.

Dielette is best at neaps and not in strong westerlies. If heading south I seem to remember that it pays to stay in the outer harbour and leave somewhere near low water.


Or you could go the other way and give the Baie de Seine a look.

 

[LittleSister]

If you head south from Cherbourg you will find yourself firmly aground!

 

[johnalison]

Going east would be my choice, with a chain of stops from St Vaast to Deauville. They are mostly tidal but there are strategies that make it work, such as stopping off at the Iles St Marcouf on the way back to wait for the tide. In settled weather, a stop at Arromanches can be done too.

 

[DJE]

Going east would be my choice, with a chain of stops from St Vaast to Deauville.

And Honfluer as a prize for getting to the far end of the bay.

 

[SimonP85]

Provision in Cherbourg then hop round to Dielette. From there it's 45 miles to Granville, 65 to St Cast, or 70 to Lezardrieux.

Dielette is best at neaps and not in strong westerlies. If heading south I seem to remember that it pays to stay in the outer harbour and leave somewhere near low water.


Or you could go the other way and give the Baie de Seine a look.

Is Cherbourg to Dielette possible in one hit/tide? (At 5 knots)

 

[DJE]

Is Cherbourg to Dielette possible in one hit/tide? (At 5 knots)

Yes, easily. There is an inshore eddy going west from Cherbourg before the main Channel tide turns. Used correctly this will get you to Cap de la Hague close to slack water. Tides round there are ferocious of course!

 

[ashtead]

Thank you I will do some homework on Dielette and see how it looks to move on to Granville

 

[MickeyP]

Carteret is also very nice (there is a pretty town 10 - 15 mins walk from the marina with nice restaurants etc). Approx 50 miles from Cherbourg. The restaurant at Dielette marina was doing bottomless moules & frites a couple of years ago.

 

[SimonP85]

Yes, easily. There is an inshore eddy going west from Cherbourg before the main Channel tide turns. Used correctly this will get you to Cap de la Hague close to slack water. Tides round there are ferocious of course!

Great thanks. I'm aware of the eddy and have looked at this trip before and wondered if getting into Dielette would be an issue but I think the outer basin almost always has some water?

 

[johnalison]

According to my charts & plotter you can go inside some of the rocks off Cap de la Hague. I think it is a case of 'don't try this at home'.

 

[Lucky Duck]

In the same vein had a 'friend' try an encourage me to between the 'stumps' on the Eddystone Lighthouse.

My recollections of Dielette are somewhat coloured by getting weather bound there for a couple of days with gale force drizzle from the North West. Also I hadn't realised in advance of pulling in that there is almost nothing there.

 

[Minchsailor]

According to my charts & plotter you can go inside some of the rocks off Cap de la Hague. I think it is a case of 'don't try this at home'.

I know somebody who did that a few years go in a HR36 - hit a rock that was marked on the paper chart, but not on the chart plotter. Major damage to the keel - and an 'interesting' insurance claim

 

[DJE]

Great thanks. I'm aware of the eddy and have looked at this trip before and wondered if getting into Dielette would be an issue but I think the outer basin almost always has some water?

I haven't been for a while but according to last years Reeds the outer harbour entrance has 1.0m at MLWS and 3.7m at MLWN. And once you are in there is at least 2.0m on the pontoons. And on the way round from Cherbourg I find that once you get into the bay south of Joburg the tide isn't very strong.

I like it there - it's quiet and there are some great walks along the coast to the north. One of the hotels in the village has a restaurant that was open for dinner when the place by the marina was shut.

 

[masterofnone]

Dielette , is a very handy stopping off point in the Aldernay race, I stopped off on a north bound jersey/cherbourg trip. The facilities are minimal, most restaurants were closed, including the only decent one. A nice break from punching a tide, we went inside the sill, but I understand you can stay outside.

 

[BobnLesley]

...hit a rock that was marked on the paper chart, but not on the chart plotter. Major damage to the keel - and an 'interesting' insurance claim

Not marked or perhaps it'd moved? A few years ago when in Long island Sound we helped an American Yottie with some temporary/emergency repairs after he'd hit a rock, despite his apparently having been 'exactly' following a previous 'safe' track on his plotter, this grounding being due to one of the rocks having 'moved'. We were several minutes further into his tale of woe before we realised that he wasn't joking , but really did believe that the rock had been moved by Hurricane Sandy's passing a couple of years earlier.

 

[westhinder]

Going east would be my choice, with a chain of stops from St Vaast to Deauville. They are mostly tidal but there are strategies that make it work, such as stopping off at the Iles St Marcouf on the way back to wait for the tide. In settled weather, a stop at Arromanches can be done too.

Which is exactly what we have decided to do, given the circumstances: Channel Islands off limits and a week of solid westerlies force 5 and more. We have backtracked from Cherbourg to St Vaast and will be sampling the Normandy harbours. Brittany will be for another time

 

[ashtead]

I am grateful for thoughts. I have been to St Vaast once and recall a lovely sail up only spoilt by unmarked fishing pot evasinary tactics. The marina pontoons were not brilliant and hammerhead berths in short supply . I recall others were disturbed by early morning fishing boat manoeuvres but didn’t bother us. Not a lot to do the though but plans wind dependent of course although car hire in Cherbourg always an option if stranded. Do elaborate on Deauvilles attractions?

 

[Old Harry]

Which is exactly what we have decided to do, given the circumstances: Channel Islands off limits and a week of solid westerlies force 5 and more. We have backtracked from Cherbourg to St Vaast and will be sampling the Normandy harbours. Brittany will be for another time

Well when St Vaast is busy the toilet seat is always warm

 

[DJE]

Which is exactly what we have decided to do, given the circumstances: Channel Islands off limits and a week of solid westerlies force 5 and more. We have backtracked from Cherbourg to St Vaast and will be sampling the Normandy harbours. Brittany will be for another time

We made our first ever visit to Port en Bessin a couple of years ago. Well worth a look if they can fit you in but 4 large or 6 small yachts and it's full!