Choosing a Berth
Alderney, Braye Harbour: visitor moorings behind the breakwater, first stop for many boats from the Solent.
St Peter Port: Victoria Marina over a sill, all-tide Swan pontoons outside it, and the QEII Marina by arrangement.
Beaucette Marina: a sheltered basin on Guernsey's north-east tip, and an approved port of entry.
Herm: a drying harbour and beach moorings for boats that take the ground, and anchorages at Shell Beach, Belvoir and Rosière.
Sark: visitor moorings at Havre Gosselin and Grève de la Ville, plus settled-weather anchorages.
St Helier, Jersey: St Helier Marina for visitors, Elizabeth Marina by arrangement, and holding pontoons at La Collette and Albert Pier.
Tides & Passage Planning
Three stretches of water shape most passages. The Alderney Race, between Alderney and Cap de la Hague, and the Swinge, between Alderney and Burhou, both run very fast and throw up dangerous overfalls when wind is against tide. Plan them for slack water or a fair stream in settled weather, using the tidal stream atlas and almanac. The Little Russel, between Guernsey and Herm, is the usual approach to St Peter Port; Guernsey Marinas notes that slack water there comes at about half tide, with the strongest flow at high and low water.
From the Solent, most boats aim for Alderney first and carry the tide on from there. Distances between the islands are short, but the streams and rocks are not to be taken lightly; follow the harbour authorities' directions and current Notices to Mariners.
Customs & Immigration
The islands are inside the Common Travel Area, so British and Irish crews face no routine immigration check, but they are outside the UK for customs. Leaving Great Britain for the Channel Islands counts as leaving the UK for customs purposes, so submit a pleasure craft report to Border Force and HMRC before you sail. Coming home, report again, fly the yellow Q flag from the 12-mile limit until you have finished reporting, and declare anything over your allowances.
Your first stop in the Bailiwick of Guernsey must be an approved port: St Peter Port, Beaucette Marina or St Sampson's in Guernsey, or Braye in Alderney. Fly the Q flag, and before anyone goes ashore the skipper completes form GC27 and posts the white copy in a yellow Customs box. You cannot arrive directly at Herm or Sark, and having cleared in Alderney you need not clear again if you sail straight on to Guernsey.
Jersey has its own rules. Arrive at a designated port (St Helier or Gorey). A private maritime declaration is only needed if you have goods to declare or over your allowance, or if you arrive from outside the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man or Guernsey with someone aboard who is not British or Irish.
From 23 April 2026, visitors who are not British or Irish and arrive from outside the Common Travel Area may need an Electronic Travel Authorisation. Pets are a real catch: GOV.UK says a pet can only come into Great Britain on a private boat from Ireland or Northern Ireland, so a dog that sails to the islands cannot sail home with you.
In This Area
Alderney, St Peter Port, Beaucette, Herm, Sark and St Helier. To the north lie the Weymouth & Portland and Solent guides.
