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Cruising: Les Écréhous Pilotage Notes.
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Just a few miles off the NE corner of Jersey ,  this extraordinary place emerges from the deep twice a day. At high water a few little houses huddle together on top of a pile of rocks – but as the tide descends it reveals a perfectly sheltered anchorage surrounded , and protected, by acres of sand and rock.

For those of us who don’t know the place , the  safe approach is from the SE, running along parallel to the Ecreviere bank , or from the SW keeping the fang shaped Bigorne  just to the East of the midline between Grande Galere and Sabloniere , which make a matching pair either side. This keeps you clear of La Ronde Selhere which dries 2.7 and will thus seldom be visible4

With the luxury of GPS, a waypoint or two to take you up the Sound  is sensible, but once the extraordinary clump of houses on Marmotier comes into view from behind Maitre Island, you can pick up your next transit, the flagstaff in line with a black post , to take you into the anchorage. Err slightly to the East at the top end of Maitre Is.

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 See below for the transits on Marmotiere

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At springs , the only tenable spots that are out of the stream in the Sound are taken up with moorings – but there seems a relaxed approach so that if the owner isn’t there , anybody can take them.
Just as well say I – no one owns the ocean bed!

If you want to go into the pool , steer from the moorings towards the SW corner of Marmotier , then head for Goury castle for half a cable , before heading aprox 240 towards the mooring bouys. The best line passes just to the N of Pommere rock where the tide has scoured a channel nearly as deep as the pool itself – and heads just to the N of the Island with a notch in it. Usually you can stray North of this line , especially if you are unsure of where Pommere is, though you may pass over a sand bank which dries 1.5 m.

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The North end of the pool is clear sand – S of Pommere it’s very weedy which might affect holding. I think there is less than the quoted 1.5 metre LWS depth.

At high water everyone disappears , but in quiet weather it is possible to stay and enjoy the place on your own.

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