Sark

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guernseyman

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Sark has voted against UK government pressure to completely rid itself of feudalism.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/guernsey/4787130.stm

Contrary to what some people think, Sark is actually not an ancient feudal island. Its constitution was set up by Queen Elizabeth I of England in imitation of the feudal regimes in Guernsey and Jersey which, of course, have both since democratised.

The Barclay bros on Brecqhou are stirring this issue as they have their own axe to grind: claiming that their island is not part of Sark.

I hear that Sark are determined to preserve some of their old constitution all the way, if pushed. This one could run, and run.

I think I'll go and have a cup of tea.
 
Great that some remnant of history is remaining. A pity the IOM didn't hang on to the birch - was it Britain or Euope that took away their sovreignty?
 
But what a dreadful house / castle they have built themselves: a real eyesore. Sark is both lovely and friendly: Brecqhou, now, is neither of these. Great shame, really, when folk with more money than taste and / or sense and / or sensibility can spoil a place for others.
 
I used to visit Sark at least three times a year and thought how well it was organised. Long may they continue in the same vein
 
Sark is one of my favourite places and we love to anchor off Havre Gosselin if there's room and the wind is right. About 10/11 years ago we met a man up top in the 'Hotel' bar whose name I forget, he told us he had never left the Island so had never seen either a car or an aircraft close up except in pictures, of course he might have been telling porkies but I don't think so, looked about 90 years old even then?
 
Great place if you stay in the anchorages, disappointing ashore. Compared with Alderney, very poor access to hinterland, coastal paths etc. The whole setup (no cars but tractor-drawn barrowloads of French tourists everwhere) strikes me as being as phoney as a 3-Euro note. Also has possibly the worst pub in the CI. Rumour has it that every quaint cottage has a back room that serves as the office for 15 dodgy offshore companies. But the anchorages really are great!
 
sark.jpg


guess you are down there somewhere then?
 
Well if you wanted a Pompey lookalike, why go to Sark? It isn't a place you go to have rapid access transport, dockyard pubs and all the trimmings of a big town, there are after all only 600 residents. Why though would you need access to the hinterland when you have your own transport, or was that left in the safety of the marina at St Peter Port in favour of the ferry? Alderney is quite different but has it's own charm, it has roads and cars and a population to support pubs and even a golf course and airport.

We also like the small islands off Quiberon in Biscay, Houat and Hoedic, also wonderfully sans cars although there is a bar, maybe two if you count the guesthouse one. Once again though if you want pubs discos and cars, they are just a short sail away, near the marinas on the mainland
 
Whilst I have always loved Sark, last time I visited, some years ago now there was nowhere left to anchor in Havre Gosselin, all the space was taken up by a rash of new mooring buoys at £12 a night. Never been back since I'm afraid.
 
It's several years for us too since the winds need to be from the east for Havre Gosselin. There have been some buoys there for many years, belonging to Guernsey boats I believe and we have (shhh..) picked one up on occasion when we could be sure the boats would be tidebound in one of the GY marinas, especially mid-week. However there used to be room to get inshore of them off the beach at neaps, otherwise ouside of them but in deeper water. We never go there in summer however, that's reserved for Southern Brittany, usually for us it will be over the Spring bank Holiday week when it is less crowded.

I wouldn't pay to use a buoy there, simply because if we chose to leave later because of the swell/wind/rolling I would be very peed off having paid for nothing!

Isn't it funny how buoys change a place? There are loads of anchorages where nobody stayed much overnight, now there are buoys planted everyone is happy to stay, the main La Chambre anchorage in Glenans is like that, we shouldn't be selfish i know but I did prefer it when we had places more to ourselves at least overnight.
 
The fill-in of Havre Gosselin with moorings can be seen as an asset - it acts as a honey-trap that packs in a lot of boats and so leaves more room elsewhere.

I fear that Robin may have misunderstood my points about the shoreside delights. By "lack of access to hinterland" I meant the lack of paths taking one off the roads - not an absence of buses and trains! My comments on the pub were based on finding it invariably dirty and the service offhand. I seldom risk the pubs in the under-belly of Portsmouth and haven't been to a disco for thirty years. I Just hoped for one pub that was friendly and wiped the bar occasionally.
 
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I fear that Robin may have misunderstood my points about the shoreside delights. By "lack of access to hinterland" I meant the lack of paths taking one off the roads - not an absence of buses and trains! My comments on the pub were based on finding it invariably dirty and the service offhand. I seldom risk the pubs in the under-belly of Portsmouth and haven't been to a disco for thirty years. I Just hoped for one pub that was friendly and wiped the bar occasionally.

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/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Sorry!

I'm not sure which pub you mean as we don't use them! We have had some pleasant lunches in the Hotel/Bar on Little Sark but we sat outside in the garden. Generally though we go there for the anchorages and the scenery and not to be rafted up in St Peter Port.

St Peter Port these days (sorry Guernseyman) is dropping rapidly down our list of favourites. There seems to be a cartel amongst the local restaurants and prices are sky high for anywhere decent, plus the resident alcaholics that set up shop above the marina every day are very off putting. Other than over the Spring holiday we just use it as a truck stop now on our way home from Southern Brittany, we avoid eating out there and anchor off the islands if we can.

Robin
 
funnily enough my passing memory was that most establishments seemed to treat customers as an inconvience - open/closing times were clearly designed around them not the customer; in a way a corollory of being uncommercial.

there were exceptions - as already mentioned the house with a garden, canned beer from the fridge everything constantly wiped........was excellent and in keeping.

I thought the ration of buoys (visitors) to anchorages was quiet good - certainly gave the option to some who wouldn't normally stay (happily) ON at anchor but were OK on a buoyed mooring but not filling everywhere at all. Did notice a lot of rolling everywhere though; despite neaps and the good weather as illustrated int eh picture above - is this a normal factor around the islands?
 
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Did notice a lot of rolling everywhere though; despite neaps and the good weather as illustrated int eh picture above - is this a normal factor around the islands?

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Yes!

Getting out of the strong tides to lie to the wind is #1 priority, easier at neaps than springs and easier with your draft than mine! The most comfortable is often when the wind is strongest, that tends to hold you in pitch rather than roll mode to any swell. On the east side, Dixcart and Derrible Bays are especially rolly I've found, Havre Gosselin and Grand Greve on the west side are usually better but of course not in a west wind.

Robin
 
Pleasant anchorages either side of the honey-pot, also at the north-east corner of Sark. Just look for "s" on the chart.

Just because noone else is there doesn't mean you can't anchor /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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Pleasant anchorages either side of the honey-pot, also at the north-east corner of Sark. Just look for "s" on the chart.


[/ QUOTE ] Where do you mean by 'the honeypot' Havre Gosselin was usually quiet before all those mooring buoys. Also NE corner is no use in an Easterly.

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Just because noone else is there doesn't mean you can't anchor

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Im afraid I dont really follow you, I am quite capable of making my own decisions on where to anchor without following the crowd, the point of my post was that this particular anchorage has been IMO ruined. I was fond of this anchorage and object to buoys leaving no space to anchor.
 
Didn't mean to offend - I just noticed that you hadn't been back since finding it no good to anchor now. I avoid busy anchorages like the plague, often finding something suitable close by, as is the case with Sark.
 
S'alright I wasn't offended /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I just thought you missed the point of my post /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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