Recommended Optimum Departure Times Leaving and returning to St Peter Port for France & other Channel Islands
For Alderney:
3 hours before HW St PP (optimum) ; latest (via Swinge) 1 hour before HW ; (via Race) High Water.
Return to St PP: 4 hours after HW Alderney. (40 mins later than St PP).
For Jersey:
Low water StPP.
Return to St PP: 2 hours before HW St Helier – to get in across the sill. (best 1 hour after HW)
For Carteret:
3½ hours before HW St PP.
Can just get in with 30 mins to spare if you can make 6 knots.
Return to St PP: 2½ hours after HW to catch the rising tide.
For Dielette:
As for Carteret but deep water available 22 out of 24 hours.
Return to St PP: LW St PP
For Iles Chausey & Granville:
3 hours after HW St PP and use the North & East side of Jersey.
Return to St PP: LW St Helier.
For St Malo:
HW St PP (it is all cross tides) but arrival with bassin lock working 2 hours before HW
until 2 hours after.
Return to St PP: 3 hours before HW St Malo East about Minquiers
or HW St Malo West about Minquiers
For Ile de Brehat:
1 hour before HW St PP to go East about Roches Douvres and Lezardrieux Barnouic.
Latest 1 hour after HW to go West about Roches Douvres.
Return to St PP: 1 hour before LW Lezardrieux 1 hour after LW Ile de Bréhat
(go NE through Plateau de Men marc’h because of 5 knots through Chenal de Bréhat)
For Pontrieux: (from Lezardrieux) :
Leave at 2 hours before HW St Malo and the lock opens at HW St Malo.
One cannot be neaped here as there is always sufficient water.
Return: HW St Malo
For Tréguier:
2 hours before HW St PP, West about Roches Douvres and use the flood up river to the port.
If late on the tide go SW to be uptide (4 knots at springs) to pass by Basse Crublent.
In Tréguier, try to get on the seaward side of the outside pontoon. At ½ tide the inside berths are very difficult to enter or leave.
Return to St PP: LW St.H.
For Ploumanac’h:
Perros 2 hours before HW St PP. This avoids pushing tide at Les Sept Iles for the last 5 miles of the 55 miles passage and if passing 5 miles W of Roches Douvres gives good tidal help.
Return to St PP: one hour before LW Paimpol.
These ports are all within 12 hours sail of Guernsey and are based on an average of 5.5 knots boat speed.