We awoke today to a light breeze and a fine forecast, and decided to take our life in our hands and take the boat for a day trip to Herm. We plotted a course through the Alligande passage, the most direct route from St Peter Port to Herm harbour, and safe at all times of day but not at low water. This passage passes just north of the Alligande beacon, and 1.5 cables south of Petit Creux. From here we kept the Vermerette beacon to our starboard side as we rounded the harbour wall.

Herm harbour dries about 4m above chart datum on flat sand and mud. There are mooring chains across the beach which we had planned to hook onto, to position ourselves whilst the tide went out. We found these difficult to locate at high water, but anchored forward and aft, aligning ourselves with the "German Wall" and facing, eventually, up the beach. At low water we could tie onto the chains and stow the anchors in readiness for a straightforward departure once the tide returned.

Then it was ashore for a lunch stop at the Mermaid Tavern and a stroll along the beach path. When the last ferry load of day trippers left there was a couple of hours of peace before the private boats started arriving in the harbour for the evening tide. Once we had about 6 feet of depth, this was our cue to ship the legs and head back to St Peter Port, timing our arrival to coincide with the access period into the Victoria Marina.

David's sketch plan of Herm harbour, showing the mooring chains, and the best spot to sit down in.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 7 nm

Total to date: 530 nm

Avg Speed: 5 knots

Duration: 1:20 hours

Wind: NE 3/4

Diesel: 30 litres

Mooring: £5 donation

Electricity: N/A

Charts

SC808