Sailing to Alderney

The Alderney Sailing Club welcomes visiting yachtsmen to the safety of Braye Harbour which is protected by the famous Victorian breakwater.

Registered visitors from recognised Yacht Clubs can enjoy the hospitality of the Alderney Sailing Club which is prominently situated overlooking the the harbour.

'Sail to the Island of Alderney' Click here to download a PDF version of 'Sail to the Island of Alderney', published by the States of Alderney

Nautical information and advice supplied by:
Alderney Harbour Office
The Harbour office is open:
June to August: 0800 - 2000
Other times: 0800 - 1700 Monday to Friday
Tel 822620, Fax 823699

In Alderney the Harbourmaster acts as Coastguard and co-ordinates with the local Lifeboat. The Harbourmaster's Office is responsible for all moorings in Braye Harbour as well as providing the following servives:

'Alderney Coastguard' (VHF) - Maintains a listening watch on VHF Channel 16, 67, and 74 and can also supply a Radar VTS and RDF service.

Weather Forecasts and Reports - available at the Harbourmaster's Office or on VHF from 'Alderney Coastguard'.

Customs: Braye is the only port of entry for the Island of Alderney, and all vessels entering from outside the Bailiwick of Guernsey must complete a local customs form (UK customs forms are not acceptable in the Bailiwick).

Important Note:
The information provided on this website is for information purposes only and should not be relied upon for voyage planning, communications, or navigational purposes.

Charts:
British Admiralty; 2845, 60, 3653, 2669
SHOM; 6934, 7158
ECM; 1014
Imray; C33A
Stanfords; 7, 16.

Datum:
WGS 84The latitudes and longitudes refer to the World Geodetic System 1984

Waypoint Table:
Waypoint Name and Position (Latitude Longitude)
NE Approach on Leading Lights 49° 44.58'N - 002° 10.67'W
Day Mark Beacons in line 49° 44.08'N - 002° 11.18'W
Abeam end of Breakwater 49° 43.76'N - 002° 11.54'W
Swinge turning point 49° 43.50'N - 002° 14.40'W
7 cables SW Les Etacs 49° 41.85'N - 002° 15.11 W

Tides:
-0400 Dover:ML 3.5, Duration 0545, Zone 0 (UT)

Tidal Differences for other ports based on HW Braye:
Cherbourg +52 mins
St. Peter Port, Guernsey -40 mins
St. Helier, Jersey -45 mins
Carteret -36 mins
Diélette - 30 mins

Navigation & Approach:
Approaching Braye Harbour, care should be taken when using the Swinge or the Race; strong tidal streams ( up to 9 knots in the Swinge and 11 knots in the Race ) can create dangerous overfalls, especially with the wind over tide. It is recommended these passages are used at or near slack water ( + 2½hr HW & +2½hr LW Alderney).

The tides run to the NE between +2½hr LW and +2½hr HW, and to the SW between + 2½hr HW and + 2½hr LW. Apart from the strong tidal streams, Alderney has many rocks around it. The safest approach to Braye is from the NE.

Important Notes:
Swinge - Dangerous overfalls develop on flood and ebb tides, in particular when the wind is against tide conditions Keep to the south side - calmest area is close to Corbet Rock Always navigate the Swinge at slack water which is + 2.1/2 hrs HW or LW

Alderney Race - Always navigate the Race at around slack water which is + 2.1/2 to 3 hrs HW or LW Alderney If you miss the tide from either direction, anchor in Longy Bay to await a fair tide

Lights and Marks:
Alderney Lt. Ho. Fl (4) 15sec. Fog Signal; Horn (1) 30 sec. Braye Ldg. Lts. both Q, 215°, visible arc 210° - 220°, lead into the Harbour.

Braye Daymarks - Braye Harbour Ldg. Lts. Both Q synch, lead 215° into harbour. Co-located Daymarks - both orange triangles. From the NW, Iso WR 4s at Château à l'Étoc, visible arc R 071° - 111°, W 111° - 151°, in line with Alderney Lt. Ho., 111°, clears the submerged ruins of the breakwater. There is a light, L Fl 10s, at the existing end of the Breakwater.

The harbour Fairway is marked by 5 buoys, QG and QR at its outer end, and Q(2)G 5sec. towards the centre, and QG (3) 5sec and QR (3) 5sec on approach to Little Crabby Harbour. The Commercial Quay end is marked by 2FR (vert) lights and the entrance to Little Crabby Harbou is marked by FG and FR lights.

VHF Radio:
Call ' Alderney Coastguard', VHF 16, 67, and 74 ( see Harbour Office hours above). The Harbour launch also listens on Ch. 74, call 'Harbour Launch'. Outside these hours call 'Guernsey Coastguard' ( Ch. 16, 20) or CROSSMA, ( French Coastguard, Ch. 16,13,80,etc.).

Water taxi: call ' Mainbrayce Taxi', Marina Channels VHF Channel 37 ( M ), or Channel 80 (0830 - 1800) only. Mainbrayce does not listen or work on Ch. 16.

Mainbrayce Chandlers listen on both the above channels during opening hours (approximately 0830 - 1800 during the summer); the water taxi listens only on Ch. 37 (M) during working hours (see ' Facilities in the harbour').

Anchorages:
Braye Harbour
Lat./Long. 49° 43.76N, 002° 11.52W.
There are 70 yellow visitors' mooring buoys, and it is possible to raft up on these in good weather. All other mooring buoys are private, and should not be used without permission. The anchorage in the middle of the bay has good holding ground in sand, but there are areas of rock and weed.
More Information

In addition to Braye Harbour, there are a number of other anchorages around Alderney. None provide any facilities, and all are only safe in calm weather and/or offshore winds. Clockwise from Braye these are:
Saye - sandy bottom. Corblets - near lighthouse, sandy bottom.
Longis Bay - sandy bottom, dries a long way out, a good place to wait for fair tide in the Race - it is recommended to anchor no further in than the line between Raz Island Fort and Essex Castle.
Telegraph Bay - on SW point of island, small sandy bay that dries from half-tide down, holding patchy in sand and heads of rock.
Hannaine Bay - S. of Clonque Fort, a good place to wait for fair tide through the Swinge. Burhou - the Lug, SW end of Burhou, below half-tide on the SW stream.

Shelter:
Good in Braye Harbour, but not in strong N - NE winds, nor occasionally in a heavy SW swell.

Burhou Island :
Burhou is a bird sanctuary, and landing is prohibited between the 15th March and 1st August.

Local Telephone Numbers:
From UK dial area code: 01481
International dial +44 1481

Emergency: 112 or 999
Harbourmaster: Tel 822620, Fax 823699
Customs: Tel 823573
Coastguard: Tel 822620, Fax 823699
Police: Tel: 824999
Doctor: Tel 822077 or 822494
Tourism Information: Tel 822811