Description:

Guernsey lies about 27NM west of the Cherbourg peninsula on the north coast of France. St Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey and the island’s principal port. It is an attractive little town with steep cobbled streets and a busy harbour located right in the centre of the town.

Cruiser Highlights:

Nearly all marine services and supplies can be found here, but for liftout it is necessary to move a few miles up the coast to St Sampson’s harbor or to Beaucette Marina.

There are two very welcoming yacht clubs based in St. Peters Port harbor and the Victoria Marina is located on the bustling seafront.

Entrance Notes and Cautions:

Approaching St Peter Port is a relatively straightforward process, with plenty of day and night-time marks and reasonable protection provided by the off-lying islands.

It is recommended to keep a listening watch on VHF Channel 12 (Guernsey VTS) and VHF 20 (Guernsey Coastguard).

From the north
From the north, the best route is through the Little Russel. Your first (starboard hand) mark is the Platte Fougère Lighthouse, one mile off Guernsey’s north-east tip. Depending on your course and the visibility, either line up the metal tower on Roustel with the squat flat Bréhon Tower (198°) or line up Bréhon with the light on St Martin’s Point (208°), some two miles south of St Peter Port.

Once the leading light at the end of the St Peter Port harbour breakwater comes into line with the light on Belvedere, a white tower on the cliff behind Castle Cornet, come onto 220° for a final approach that will leave both Roustel and Bréhon to port and Platte to starboard.

In poor visibility use the Big Russel, which runs between Herm and Sark. It is two miles wide and needs no transits as its sides are clearly marked. At night use the white sector of Noire Pute Beacon as far as the Lower Heads Buoy and then turn north-west up the Little Russel to St Peter Port.

From the west
From the west, Guernsey is best approached south-about, giving Les Hanois Lighthouse a wide berth before proceeding along the south coast (keeping more than a mile offshore) and rounding for St Martin’s Point, keeping Bréhon open to the east to avoid the rocks south of St Martin’s Point.

Caution is required at the entrance to St. Peters Port harbor as it is a busy ferry port and yachts cannot enter when a ferry is entering or leaving.

When the gates open into the inner harbor (Victoria Marina), it is important to wait for directions from the harbor staff, otherwise chaos and damage can be caused.

In strong easterly winds, it is not always a comfortable berth, otherwise, it is a very sheltered harbor.

Useful telephone numbers:
Harbour Office: 00 44 1481 220229 (Monday – Friday, 0900 to 1700)
Marina Office: 00 44 1481 725987 (daily, 0600 to 2200)
Guernsey Border Agency: 00 44 1481 221417
Guernsey Coastguard: 00 44 1481 720672
Guernsey VTS: 00 44 1481 220481 (24 hours)

Position: 49° 27.33’N, 02° 31.51’W (harbor entrance)

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