People ask what makes sailing around Jersey different. The answer is the tides. Everything here is about the tides. The Channel Islands sit at the confluence of the Atlantic and the English Channel, creating tidal flows that can run at 8 knots in the Race of Alderney. Get the timing wrong and you're going backwards. Get it right and you're flying.
Jersey's 12m tidal range is the second largest in the world. This affects everything: where you can anchor, what time you can enter and leave harbours, and what gear you need when the tide does something unexpected.
The Galley on a Passage
For passages of 4–6 hours (St. Helier to Cherbourg, for example), provisioning is straightforward: a good thermos of hot soup, rolls, fruit, and plenty of water. The Wacaco Minipresso is worth its weight in coffee beans for the return leg.
The Dried-Out Experience
Drying out — leaving your boat to sit on the bottom at low water — is a normal part of sailing in Jersey. Grève de Lecq, St. Catherine's Bay, and parts of St. Aubin's Harbour all see boats dry out regularly at springs. You need a proper boarding ladder and the patience to wait for the tide.
The Island Hopping Kit List
- Chartplotter + paper charts (both, always)
- VHF radio — fixed AND handheld backup
- Stanley flask + Wacaco Minipresso
- Sea to Summit nesting cookware
- Boarding ladder for drying-out
- Musto or Gill foul weather gear
- EcoAir dehumidifier for overnight stops
