PASSAGE PLANNER

Falmouth to L’aber Wrac’h

DEPARTURE

With a passage of this length it is more important than ever to be sure that you have a window of reasonable weather. Ideally wait for a period when winds have a northerly component and avoid fog if at all possible. You’ll have slightly uneven amounts of westerly and easterly tidal sets, depending on your timings. Study the tidal atlas and compensate for the stronger sets on the corner of Brittany. The Channel shipping lanes are also much busier on the French side from the top of the Ouessant Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS).

ARRIVAL

The Grand Chenal entrance is wide, well-marked and has plenty of depth, and in visibility of 5 miles or more the leading marks and lights are clearly visible and entry is straightforward, day or night. Make allowance for the accelerated tidal streams along this section of coast, which will tend to set you sideways across the approaches. From Libenter (Q(9) 15s) steer a course of 100ºt on the leading line of Île Wrac’h (QR20M7M) with Lanvaon

(QW55M12M) on the hill beyond. Leave Trépied and the two Pots de Buerre to port then pass between Plate Aberwrac’h and the lit starboard buoy Basse de la Croix (Fl G 2.5s) to pick up the sector light leading in on 128ºt. The visitors’ berths are on the western wave breaker pontoon which is to starboard of the marina entrance. The inside berths are within the marina and are better protected. There are visitor moorings for vessels up to 18m on the north (port) side of the channel opposite the marina.

PUBLICATIONS

Admiralty Tidal Atlas NP 250 Channel Islands, Cherbourg Peninsula and North Brittany by RCCPF/PETER Carnegie, Rev 1st edition (Imray, £42.50)

Atlantic France: Ouessant to the Spanish border by RCCPF/NICK Chavasse, 2nd edition (Imray, £42.50)

Secret Anchorages of Brittany by Peter Cumberlidge, 2nd edition (Imray, £29.50)

The Shell Channel Pilot by Tom Cunliffe, 8th edition (Imray, £37.50)