NP 27

RECORD OF AMENDMENTS

The table below is to record Section IV Notice to Mariners amendments affecting this volume.Sub paragraph numbers in the margin of the body of the book are to assist the user with corrections to this

volume from these amendments.

Weekly Notices to Mariners (Section IV)

2005 2006 2007 2008

IMPORTANT SEE RELATED ADMIRALTY PUBLICATIONSThis is one of a series of publications produced by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office which should be consulted by users ofAdmiralty Charts. The full list of such publications is as follows:

Notices to Mariners (Annual, permanent, temporary and preliminary), Chart 5011 (Symbols and abbreviations), The MarinersHandbook (especially Chapters 1 and 2 for important information on the use of UKHO products, their accuracy and limitations),Sailing Directions (Pilots), List of Lights and Fog Signals, List of Radio Signals, Tide Tables and their digital equivalents.

All charts and publications should be kept up to date with the latest amendments.

NP 27

CHANNEL PILOT

Isles of Scilly and south coast of England,from Cape Cornwall to Bognor Regis,

andnorth-west and north coasts of France,

from Pointe de Penmarch to Cap dAntifer

SIXTH EDITION2005

PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE

ii

Crown Copyright 2005

To be obtained from Agentsfor the Sale of Admiralty Charts and Publications

Copyright for some of the material inthis publication is owned by the authority

named under the item and permission for itsreproduction must be obtained from the owner.

Previous editions of Admiralty Pilotscovering the same area:

Channel Pilot Volume IFirst published 1856. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Second edition 1863. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Third edition 1869. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fourth edition 1874. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fifth edition 1878. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sixth edition 1882. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seventh edition 1886. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eighth edition 1893. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ninth edition 1900. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tenth edition 1908. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eleventh edition 1920. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Twelfth edition 1931. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thirteenth edition 1947. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fourteenth edition 1957. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Channel Pilot Volume IIFirst published 1859. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Second edition 1870. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Third Edition 1874. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fourth Edition 1882. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fifth Edition 1888. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sixth Edition 1897. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seventh Edition 1906. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eighth Edition 1917. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ninth Edition 1927. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tenth Edition 1938. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eleventh Edition 1952. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Twelfth Edition 1965. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Channel PilotFirst published 1971. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Second Edition 1977. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Second Edition (revised 1984) 1984. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Third Edition 1996. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fourth Edition 1999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fifth Edition 2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fifth Edition 2005. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

iii

PREFACE

The Sixth Edition of the Channel Pilot has been prepared by Mr S.C. Mason, Captain R.S. Coles, Master Mariner, Captain M.Waight,Master Mariner. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office has used all reasonable endeavours to ensure that this Pilot contains all theappropriate information obtained by and assessed by it at the date shown below. Information received or assessed after that date will beincluded in Notices to Mariners where appropriate. If in doubt, see The Mariners Handbook for details of what Admiralty Notices toMariners are and how to use them.

This edition supersedes the Fifth Edition (2002), which is cancelled.

Information on climate and currents has been based on data provided by the Met Office, Exeter.

The following sources of information, other than UKHO Publications and Ministry of Defence papers, have been consulted:

BritishPorts of the World 2004Port Handbooks produced by Port AuthoritiesLloyds Register Fairplay, Ports and Terminals Guide 20032004Whitakers Almanack 2005

FrenchInstructions Nautiques C2.1 De la Frontire Belge aux Casquets 2002Fascicule No 2 de Corrections C2.1 2003Instructions Nautiques C2.2 Des Casquets Bellele 2001Fascicule No 2 de Corrections C2.2 2003

Dr D W WilliamsUnited Kingdom National Hydrographer

The United Kingdom Hydrographic OfficeAdmiralty WayTauntonSomerset TA1 2DNEngland13th January 2005

iv

PREFACEto the Third Edition (1996)

The Third Edition of the Channel Pilot has been compiled by Captain O. Barnsley, Master Mariner, and contains the latest informationreceived in the UK Hydrographic Office to the date given below.

This edition supersedes the Second Edition 1977 (Revised 1984) and Supplement No 5 (1995), which are cancelled.

Information on meteorology and currents has been based on data provided by the Meteorological Office, Bracknell.

The following sources of information, other than the UK Hydrographic Office Publications and Ministry of Defence papers, have beenconsulted:

BritishPorts of the World 1995Lloyds Maritime Guide 1995The Shell Pilot to the English Channel Parts 1 and 2 1991Normandy and Channel Islands Pilot Ninth Edition 1995Port Handbooks produced by Port Authorities

FrenchInstructions Nautiques C2.2 Des Casquets Bellele 1995Instructions Nautiques C2.1 De la Frontire Belge aux Casquets 1992Fascicule No 2 de Corrections C2.1 1994Votre Livre de Bord 1994

J.P. CLARKE CB LVO MBERear AdmiralHydrographer of the Navy

The UK Hydrographic OfficeAdmiralty WayTauntonSomersetEngland2 May 1996

CONTENTS

PagesPreface iii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preface to the Third Edition (1996) iv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contents v. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Explanatory notes vii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abbreviations ix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glossary xi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Index chartlets xv and xvi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 1

Navigation and regulationsLimits of the book (1.1) 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Navigational dangers and hazards (1.2) 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traffic and operations (1.8) 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charts (1.36) 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aids to navigation (1.41) 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pilotage (1.46) 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Radio facilities (1.52) 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Regulations (1.58) 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Signals (1.84) 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distress and rescue (1.91) 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Countries and portsUnited Kingdom and Channel Islands (1.112) 17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . France (1.124) 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Principal ports, harbours and anchorages (1.131) 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Port services summary (1.132) 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Natural conditionsMaritime topography (1.136) 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Currents and tidal streams (1.139) 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sea level and tides (1.149) 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sea and swell (1.152) 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sea water characteristics (1.155) 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Climate and weather (1.159) 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Climatic tables (1.189) 40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meteorological conversion table and scales (1.205) 57. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 2

English Channel Through Routeing 59. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 3

Isles of Scilly to Lizard Point 65. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 4

Lizard Point to Start Point 89. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 5

Start Point to Bill of Portland 133. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 6

Bill of Portland to Bognor Regis 155. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 7

The Solent and approaches including Portsmouth and Port of Southampton. 185. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 8

Northwest coast of France Le Four to Pointe de la Torche 235. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 9

Northwest coast of France Le Four to Les Haux de Brhat 271. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER 10

North coast of France Les Haux de Brhat to Granville 297. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 11

Channel Islands and adjacent coast of France 331. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 12

North coast of France Cap de la Hague to Pointe de Barfleur 387. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 13

North coast of France Pointe de Barfleur to Cap dAntifer 399. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

APPENDICESAppendix I Dockyard Port Orders 441. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix II Portland Harbour Revision Order 459. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix III United Kingdom Territorial Waters Order in Council 463. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix IV Former mined areas 467. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix V Temporary explosive deposit zones in French waters 468. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DISTANCE TABLE

Distance table English Channel 469. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

INDEXIndex 470. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

vii

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Admiralty Sailing Directions are intended for use by vessels of 12 m or more in length. They amplify charted detail and containinformation needed for safe navigation which is not available from Admiralty charts, or other hydrographic publications. They are intendedto be read in conjunction with the charts quoted in the text.

This volume of the Sailing Directions will be kept up-to-date by the issue of a new edition at intervals of approximately 3 years, withoutthe use of supplements. In addition important amendments which cannot await the new edition are published in Section IV of the weeklyeditions of Admiralty Notices to Mariners. A list of such amendments and notices in force is published in the last weekly edition for eachmonth. Those still in force at the end of the year are reprinted in the Annual Summary of Admiralty Notices to Mariners.

This volume should not be used without reference to Section IV of the weekly editions of Admiralty Notices to Mariners.

References to hydrographic and other publications

The Mariners Handbook gives general information affecting navigation and is complementary to this volume.

Ocean Passages for the World and Routeing Charts contain ocean routeing information and should be consulted for other than coastalpassages.

Admiralty List of Lights should be consulted for details of lights, lanbys and fog signals, as these are not fully described in this volume.

Admiralty List of Radio Signals should be consulted for information relating to coast and port radio stations, radio details of pilotageservices, radar beacons and radio direction finding stations, meteorological services, radio aids to navigation, Global Maritime Distress andSafety System (GMDSS) and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) stations, as these are only briefly referred to in this volume.

Admiralty Maritime Communications is a comprehensive guide on all aspects of maritime communications for the yachtsman and smallcraft user. It provides general information on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), the management of VHF, MaritimeSafety Information, NAVTEX, Inmarsat and Radio Facsimile, and detailed information and procedures for marinas and harbours used bysmall craft.

Annual Summary of Admiralty Notices to Mariners contains in addition to the temporary and preliminary notices, and amendments andnotices affecting Sailing Directions, a number of notices giving information of a permanent nature covering radio messages and navigationalwarnings, distress and rescue at sea and exercise areas.

The International Code of Signals should be consulted for details of distress and life-saving signals, international ice-breaker signals aswell as international flag signals.

Remarks on subject matter

Buoys are generally described in detail only when they have special navigational significance, or where the scale of the chart is too smallto show all the details clearly.

Chart index diagrams in this volume show only those Admiralty charts of a suitable scale to give good coverage of the area. Marinersshould consult NP 131 Catalogue of Admiralty Charts and Publications for details of larger scale charts.

Chart references in the text normally refer to the largest scale Admiralty chart but occasionally a smaller scale chart may be quoted whereits use is more appropriate.

Firing, practice and exercise areas. Except for submarine exercise areas, details of firing, practice and exercise areas are not mentionedin Sailing Directions, but signals and buoys used in connection with these areas are sometimes mentioned if significant for navigation.Attention is invited to the Annual Notice to Mariners on this subject.

Names have been taken from the most authoritative source. When an obsolete name still appears on the chart, it is given in bracketsfollowing the proper name at the principal description of the feature in the text and where the name is first mentioned.

Tidal information relating the daily vertical movements of the water is not given; for this Admiralty Tide Tables should be consulted.Changes in water level of an abnormal nature are mentioned.

Time difference used in the text when applied to the time of High Water found from the Admiralty Tide Tables, gives the time of the eventbeing described in the Standard Time kept in the area of that event. Due allowance must be made for any seasonal daylight saving time whichmay be kept.

Wreck information is included where drying or below-water wrecks are relatively permanent features having significance fornavigation or anchoring.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

viii

Units and terminology used in this volume

Latitude and Longitude given in brackets are approximate and are taken from the chart quoted.

Bearings and directions are referred to the true compass and when given in degrees are reckoned clockwise from 000 (North) to 359

Bearings used for positioning are given from the reference object.

Bearings of objects, alignments and light sectors are given as seen from the vessel.

Courses always refer to the course to be made good over the ground.

Winds are described by the direction from which they blow.

Tidal streams and currents are described by the direction towards which they flow.

Distances are expressed in sea miles of 60 to a degree of latitude and sub-divided into cables of one tenth of a sea mile.

Depths are given below chart datum, except where otherwise stated.

Heights of objects refer to the height of the structure above the ground and are invariably expressed as ... m in height.

Elevations, as distinct from heights, are given above Mean High Water Springs or Mean Higher High Water whichever is quoted inAdmiralty Tide Tables, and expressed as, an elevation of ... m. However the elevation of natural features such as hills may alternatively beexpressed as ... m high since in this case there can be no confusion between elevation and height.

Metric units are used for all measurements of depths, heights and short distances, but where feet/fathoms charts are referred to, theselatter units are given in brackets after the metric values for depths and heights shown on the chart.

Time is expressed in the four-figure notation beginning at midnight and is given in local time unless otherwise stated. Details of local timekept will be found in Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 2.

Bands is the word used to indicate horizontal marking.

Stripes is the word used to indicate markings which are vertical, unless stated to be diagonal.

Conspicuous objects are natural and artificial marks which are outstanding, easily identifiable and clearly visible to the mariner over alarge area of sea in varying conditions of light. If the scale is large enough they will normally be shown on the chart in bold capitals and may bemarked conspic.

Prominent objects are those which are easily identifiable, but do not justify being classified as conspicuous.

ix

ABBREVIATIONSThe following abbreviations are used in the text.

AIS Automatic Indentification SystemALC Articulated loading columnALP Articulated loading platformAMVER Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue

System

C degrees CelsiusCALM Catenary anchor leg mooringCBM Conventional buoy mooringCDC Certain Dangerous CargoCVTS Cooperative Vessel Traffic System

DG degaussingDGPS Differential Global Positioning SystemDF direction findingDW Deep Waterdwt deadweight tonnageDZ danger zone

E east (easterly, eastward, eastern, easternmost)EEZ exclusive economic zoneESE east-south-eastELSBM Exposed location single buoy mooringENE east-north-eastEPIRB Emergency Position Indicating Radio BeaconETA estimated time of arrivalETD estimated time of departureEU European Union

feu forty foot equivalent unitfm fathom(s)FPU Floating production unitFPSO Floating production storage and offloading

vesselFSO Floating storage and offloading vesselft foot (feet)

GMDSS Global Maritime Distress and Safety SystemGPS Global Positioning SystemGRP glass reinforced plasticg/cm3 gram per cubic centimetregrt gross register tonnagegt gross tonnage

HAT Highest Astronomical TideHF high frequencyHMS Her (His) Majestys Shiphp horse powerhPa hectopascalHW High WaterHSC High Speed Craft

IALA International Association of LighthouseAuthorities

IHO International Hydrographic OrganizationIMO International Maritime OrganizationITCZ Intertropical Convergence Zone

JRCC Joint Rescue Coordination Centre

kHz kilohertzkm kilometre(s)kn knot(s)kW kilowatt(s)

Lanby Large automatic navigation buoyLASH Lighter Aboard ShipLAT Lowest Astronomical TideLHG Liquefied Hazardous GasLNG Liquefied Natural GasLPG Liquefied Petroleum GasLF low frequencyLMT Local Mean TimeLOA Length overallLW Low Water

m metre(s)mm millimetre(s)mb millibar(s)MHz megahertzMW megawatt(s)MHHW Mean Higher High WaterMHLW Mean Higher Low WaterMHW Mean High WaterMHWN Mean High Water NeapsMHWS Mean High Water SpringsMLHW Mean Lower High WaterMLLW Mean Lower Low WaterMLW Mean Low WaterMLWN Mean Low Water NeapsMLWS Mean Low Water SpringsMSL Mean Sea LevelMCTS Marine Communications and Traffic Services

CentresMF medium frequencyMMSI Maritime Mobile Service IdentityMRCC Maritime Rescue Co-ordination CentreMRSC Maritime Rescue Sub-CentreMV Motor VesselMY Motor Yacht

NATO North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationNavtex Navigational Telex SystemN north (northerly, northward, northern,

northernmost)NE north-eastNNE north-north-eastNNW north-north-westNo numbernrt nett register tonnageNW north-west

ODAS Ocean Data Acquisition System

PEL Port Entry LightPLEM Pipe line end manifoldPOL Petrol, Oil & Lubricants

RCC Rescue Coordination CentreRMS Royal Mail ShipRo-Ro Rollon, Roll-offRN Royal NavyRT radio telephony

S south (southerly, southward, southern,southernmost)SALM Single anchor leg mooring systemSALS Single anchored leg storage systemSAR Search and Rescue

ABBREVIATIONS

x

SE south-eastSSE south-south-eastSSW south-south-westSW south-westSBM Single buoy mooringSPM Single point mooringSatnav Satellite navigationsq squareSS Steamship

teu twenty foot equivalent unitTSS Traffic Separation Scheme

UKHO United Kingdom Hydrographic OfficeUN United NationsUHF ultra high frequencyULCC Ultra Large Crude CarrierUT Universal Time

VLCC Very Large Crude CarrierUTC Co-ordinated Universal TimeVDR Voyage Data RecorderVMRS Vessel Movement Reporting SystemVTC Vessel Traffic CentreVHF very high frequencyVTS Vessel Traffic ServicesVTMS Vessel Traffic Management System

WGS World Geodetic SystemW west (westerly, westward, western,westernmost)WNW west-north-westWSW west-south-westWMO World Meteorological OrganizationWT radio (wireless) telegraphy

xi

GLOSSARYTerms occasionally found on the charts and in the sailing directions, and to assist the mariner in the use of French charts and publications.

FRENCHFrench English French English. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . abri, abrit shelter, sheltered. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aigu, e pointed, sharp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aiguille needle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . amer landmark, beacon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . amont upstream, landward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appontement landing stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . anse bay, cove. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . argile clay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arrireport inner port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . asschant drying. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aval downstream, seaward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . avantport outer port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . azur blue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

baie bay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . balise beacon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . baliser to mark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . banc bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . barre bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bas,se low. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . basse shoal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . basse mer low water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bassin basin, dock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bassin flot wet basin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . batterie battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . blanc, he white. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bleu, e blue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bois woods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bouche mouth of a river. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . boue mud. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . boue buoy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brisant, brisants shoal, breakers. . . . . . . . . . . briselames breakwater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . brouillard fog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brume mist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . butte knoll, mound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

caboteur coaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cale ramp, slip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . canal canal, channel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cap cape, headland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . carr, e square. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . chane chain, range of mountains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . champdetir firing range. . . . . . . . . . . . . chantier dockyard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . chteau castle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . chteau deau water tower. . . . . . . . . . . . . chause bank, causeway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . chenal channel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . clocher steeple, belfry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . col neck, mountain pass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . colline hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cte coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . courant current, stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . couvent convent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . crte ridge, crest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . crique creek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . croix cross. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

darse basin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dbarcadre wharf, landing place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . dcouvrant uncovering, drying. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dtroit strait, narrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dversoir weir. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . digue mole, breakwater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . douane customs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . droit right (side). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . duc dalbe dolphin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

dur, e hard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

chouage beaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cluse lock of a canal or basin, sluice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cueil rock, reef. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . glise church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pave wreck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pi short mole, spur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . est east. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . estuaire estuary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tale slack water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tier a creek which can receive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

small vessels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

falaise cliff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . flche spire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fleuve river, stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . flot flood tide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fort forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fosse ditch, a deep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

gabare lighter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . galets shingle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gauche left (side). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . golfe gulf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . goulet inlet, narrow entrance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . grand, e great. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gravier gravel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . grve sandy beach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gris, e grey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gros, se coarse, large. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gurite watchtower, turret. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . guet lookout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

haut, e high, tall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hautfond a shoal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hauturier deepsea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . havre haven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

le island, isle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lot islet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

jaune yellow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jete jetty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jusant ebb tide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

lac lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lamanage inshore pilotage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . large broad, wide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

maison house. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . marais swamp, marsh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mare tide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . menhir a large raised stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mer sea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mridional, e southern. . . . . . . . . . . . . milieu middle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mle mole, pier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mont, montagne mount, mountain. . . . . . . . . . . morteeau neap tide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mouillage anchorage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . moulin mill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mur wall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . musoir mole, pierhead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

neuf, ve new. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nez nose, promontory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GLOSSARY

xii

FRENCH (continued)noeud knot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . noir, e black. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nord north. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nouveau, el, elle new. . . . . . . . .

occidental, e western. . . . . . . . . . . . . oriental, e eastern. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ouest west. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

passe passage, pass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pertuis opening or strait. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . petit,e small. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . phare lighthouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pic peak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pierre stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pignon gable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pin pine or fir tree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . plage shore, beach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . plaine plain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . plat, e flat, level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . plateau table land, or flat below water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pleine mer high water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pointe point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pont bridge, deck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . port port, harbour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . presqule peninsula. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

quai quay, wharf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

rade road, roadstead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . raz race, violent tidal stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rcif reef. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . redoute redoubt, fort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ressac surf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

rivage shore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rive bank of river. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rivire river. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . roche rock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rocher rock generally above water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rond, e round. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rouge red. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . roux, rousse reddish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ruisseau rivulet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

sable sand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sablon fine sand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . saline salt water lagoon, salt works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . septentrional, e northern. . . . . . . . . . . sommet summit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sud south. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tenue holding ground. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . terreplein levelled ground, platform. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tertre hillock, knoll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tte head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . torrent stream, torrent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tour tower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tourelle small tower, turret. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . traverse shallow ridge across channel or river. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

val narrow valley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . valle valley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vasire mudbank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vert, e green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vieil, vieille, vieux old, ancient. . . . . . . . . village village. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ville town. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viveeau spring tide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BRETONBreton English Breton English. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aber haven, river mouth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ar the, on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arvor coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aven river, stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

barr top, summit, rocky shoal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . baz shoal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . beg point, summit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . benven, bosven rock which never covers. . . . . . . . . . . . bian, bihan little, small. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . braz, bras great. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

carn cairn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

doun, don deep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . du black. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

enez, inis island. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . er the. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

garo rugged, hard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . glas green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gwenn white. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

hir long. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

karreg reef, rock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kleiz north. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . koad, goad wood, forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kornog shoal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . koz old. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . krach, krech hillock, knoll. . . . . . . . . . . . . kreiz middle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . krenn round, massive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

laez high. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lann monastery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lach, lech flat rock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ledan wide, broad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lemm pointed, sharp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lost tail, projection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

men, mein (pl.) stone. . . . . . . . . . . . melen yellow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . menez mountain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . meur great. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mor, vor sea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

nevez new. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

pell far off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . penn head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . porzig, porz port, harbour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . poul roadstead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . poull lake, hole, pool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

raz strait, strong tidal stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . reter east. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . roch rock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . run(iou) hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ruz red. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ster river. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stiv, stiff fountain, spring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

toull hole, pass, low. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trao, traou low, west, valley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trez sandy beach, sand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

uhel high. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GLOSSARY

xiii

*BRETON GEOGRAPHICAL NAMESThe language of Brittany, or Armorica, belongs to the Brythonic or southern Keltic group; it is akin to that of the Welsh and Old

Cornish, by whom it was introduced in the fifth and sixth centuries. Breton (Brezoneg) is spoken westward of a line from Baie de SaintBrieuc to the mouth of La Vilaine.

The orthography of Breton names is much gallicised: e.g., k often becomes c or qu; g before e or i becomes gu; em, en, become Frenchnasal im, in, etc.: e.g., Kemper becomes Quimper. There are four main dialects; that of Vannes is the most distinct, particularly in keepingthe stress on the final, instead of on the penultimate, syllable.

Initial consonants are subject to Mutations, but there is no nasal form as in Welsh, though Breton is full of nasal sounds. Theconsonants g, b, d, are also subject, when medial, to Provections, i.e., after certain words they become k, p, t.

The following is the Table of Mutations and Provection:

Radical Form Middle Mutation Weak Mutation Provectionk g chp b ft d zg ch kb v pd z tm v

s z

gw w kw

*Alphabets of Foreign Languages, 2nd Edition, published by The Royal Geographical Society, London, 1933.

Examples: Karrek Greis (kreis), Roch Zu (du), Lizen Ven (men).

The definite article is ar, which becomes al before I and an before d, n, t, or a vowel; it is not much used in placenames.

The letters a, b, d, e, f, g, h, i, k, 1, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, v, w, y, z, in Breton are identical with the corresponding letters in R.G.S. II, exceptthat b and d are explosive as in Gaelic, and n has both hard, liquid, and nasal sounds.

The following are different:

Breton R.G.S. IIch sh Welsh si; rare.ch kh Penmarch. (The French mispronounce ch, either as k or mute)

j zh As French j.lh Iy, Iou u Welsh vowel w; Douarnenezu u, w As French u, but sometimes written for w: Guengamp for Gwengamp

(French Guingamp).

xiv

NOTES

Penzance

Is. of Scilly

C. Cornwall

NP 37WEST COASTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES PILOT

Falmouth

2

5

5Plymouth

Torquay

Dartmouth

2 4

4

2

3

32

Continu

ed on Index N

P 27(b)

. d'Ouessant

9

2

Morlaix8

8

Brest

Chausse de Sein

.

deSei

n

Pte. de Penmarch

F R A N C E

Channel Pilot

NP 22BAY OF BISCAY PILOT

NP 27(a)

2

E N G L A N D Exm

outh

EN

GL

IS

H

CH

AN

NE

L

2643

2655

2644

2668

442

2565

2454

2656

0105

5151

5050

4949

48 48

3030

30

3030

30

30

30 30 30

30 30

6 5 4

6 Longitude 5 West from Greenwich 4

Chapter Index Diagram

xv

Weymouth

Poole

Southampton

Portsmouth Bognor Regis

I. of Wight

7

6

5

2

Portland Hr. S. Albans Hd.

NP 28DOVER STRAIT

PILOT

Casquets

Guernsey

Cont

inu

ed

Inde

x N

P 27

(a)

12

13Cherbourg

C. d'Antifer

Le Havre

R. Seine

11

11

10

Plateau desRoches Douvres

Plateau desMinquiers

Jersey

Sark

Caen

Trouville -Deauville

S. Malo

NP 27(b)Channel Pilot

E N G L A N D

F R A N C E

Chapter Index Diagram

E NG L

I SH

C HA N

N EL

442

2454

2450

2668

2669

2613

0105

51

50

49

48

30

30

51

50

49

48

30

30

30

xvi

3 2 1 Meridian 0 of Greenwich30 30 30

3 2 1 030 30 30

1LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPERTAINING TO NAVIGATION

While, in the interests of safety of shipping, the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office makes every endeavour to include in its hydrographicpublications details of the laws and regulations of all countries appertaining to navigation, it must be clearly understood:(a) that no liability whatever will be accepted for failure to publish details of any particular law or regulation, and(b) that publication of the details of a law or regulation is solely for the safety and convenience of shipping and implies no recognition

of the international validity of the law or regulation.

CHANNEL PILOT

CHAPTER 1NAVIGATION AND REGULATIONS

COUNTRIES AND PORTSNATURAL CONDITIONS

NAVIGATION AND REGULATIONS

LIMITS OF THE BOOKCharts 2649, 2656, 2675, 4103Area covered1.1

1 This volume contains sailing directions for the EnglishChannel and its W approaches.

The seaward limits of the volume extend W from CapeCornwall and Pointe de la Torche along the parallels oflatitude of 5008N and 4750N, respectively, to themeridian of 20W. It covers Isles of Scilly (4955N,620W) with the dangers lying between them and LandsEnd and the S coast of England from Cape Cornwall(5008N, 543W) to Bognor Regis (5047N, 040W),including Isle of Wight. It also covers the NW and Ncoasts of France between Pointe de la Torche (4750N,421W), situated 2 miles NNE of Pointe de Penmarch,and Cap dAntifer (4941N, 010E) and Channel Islands.

2 The water separating the coast of England from that ofFrance is known in England as the English Channel, and inFrance as La Manche. The English Channel is enteredbetween le Vierge (4838N, 434W) and Lands End(5004N, 543W); the sea area W and SW of the EnglishChannel to the edge of the continental shelf forms part ofCeltic Sea (West Coasts of England and Wales Pilot).

NAVIGATIONAL DANGERS AND HAZARDS

Coastal conditionsGeneral information1.2

1 Navigational notes. The Continental Shelf which isapproximately delineated by the 200 m line lies more than200 miles W and 150 miles SW of the SW coast of

England. It may generally be recognised in calm weatherby the numerous ripplings in its vicinity, and in boisterousweather by a turbulent sea and the sudden alteration in thecolour of the water from a dark blue to green. Within the200 m line, the shoaling is irregular on account of thebanks and ridges described at 1.136; however in generalthe soundings shoal gradually E, the depth on a line joiningle dOuessant (4828N, 505W), known in England asUshant, and Bishop Rock (4952N, 627W) being almostuniformly about 100 m decreasing a little within 20 milesof Isles of Scilly.

2 Approaching the English Channel from W, it is essentialto use every opportunity to ascertain the vessels positionuntil a landfall is made. Although soundings will be ofservice, they give no exact determination of position as theinequalities in depths are generally too slight, with theexception of Hurd Deep (1.137).

3 Careful consideration should be given to the effects ofwind, currents and tidal streams to ensure keeping well Sof Isles of Scilly; recently prevailing S and SW windscombined with the influence of surface drift and tidalstream is almost certainly to result in a N set. In lowvisibility mariners should not close Isles of Scilly within adepth of 100 m unless certain of position.

4 In navigating the English Channel it is important that themariner should be acquainted with the general system ofwinds in it, as well as with the incidence of poor visibility.To this must be added the caution that the wind hasconsiderable effect on the strength and direction of the tidalstream, as well as on the range of the tides.

5 The tidal streams are strong in the central part of theEnglish Channel especially at spring tides in the areabetween Portland, Isle of Wight and Cotentin Peninsula;strong winds opposing the tidal streams raise steep seaswhich can be hazardous for small vessels, see also 1.146.

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1.31 Fairway. The W and SW approaches to the English

Channel pass through deep water and there are nonavigational hazards.

The fairway of the English Channel, when E of Isles ofScilly or when well N of le dOuessant, may be defined asfar E as The Owers (5037N, 041W) (6.179), as lyingbetween 12 and 40 miles from the headlands of the Englishcoast.

In low visibility Hurd Deep (1.137) will indicate theapproach to Casquets (4943N, 222W) from NW and N.1.4

1 Local topography. The coasts on opposite sides of theEnglish Channel have widely different characteristics; offthe English coast the depths are mostly regular and thecoast, except in the vicinity of Isles of Scilly, may beapproached with confidence, while off the French coast theshore is rocky and uneven and numerous dangers exist.

Safe harbours and anchorages1.5

1 Shelter. Numerous ports and anchorages where themariner may seek shelter are to be found on both theEnglish and French coasts; however, apart from theharbours of Dartmouth (5.23) and Tor Bay (5.64), there islittle shelter during strong SW winds between Start Point(5013N, 338W) and Bill of Portland, 50 miles ENE.

Dangers and hazardsDangers1.6

1 General information. The principal navigational dangersto be borne in mind when approaching the coasts which liewithin the area covered by this volume are:

The shoals in the vicinity of Isles of Scilly (4955N,620W) and off-lying dangers between Isles ofScilly and Lands End, 25 miles ENE.

Chausse de Sein, a chain of rocky shoals extendingabout 14 miles W from Pointe du Raz (4802N,444W).

2 The dangers extending up to 1 miles offshore andsurrounding le dOuessant (4828N, 505W).

The numerous dangers lying up to 3 miles off theNW coast of Guernsey (4927N, 235W).

Casquets (4943N, 222W) and the dangersextending E to Alderney.

Hazards1.7

1 Crossing traffic in parts of the English Channel andDover Strait increases the risk of collision in these areas.Mariners are reminded that when risk of collision isdeemed to exist International Regulations for PreventingCollisions at Sea (1972) fully apply and in particular theRules of Part B, Sections II and III, of which Rules 15 and19(d) are of specific relevance in the crossing situation.

2 High Speed Ferries operate in the area covered by thisvolume. Mariners are advised to keep a good lookout.Some high speed craft may generate large waves, whichcan have a serious impact on small craft and theirmoorings close to the shoreline and on shallow off-lyingbanks. For further details see Annual Summary of AdmiraltyNotice to Mariners No 23.

Cargo transhipment. Transhipment of liquid cargobetween tankers takes place regularly in Lyme Bay (5.122)and in the NW part of Baie de Seine (13.2). Vesselsengaged in these operations may be at anchor, or otherwise

unable to manoeuvre, and should be given a wide berth.For details see 5.5 and 13.4.

3 Former mined areas. There are two areas off the Ncoast of France, which remain dangerous due to mines laidduring the war of 19391945. Due to the lapse of time therisk to surface navigation is now considered to be no moredangerous than the ordinary risks of navigation, but a veryreal risk still exists with regard to anchoring, fishing or anyform of submarine or seabed activity. Details of these areasare given at 9.45 and 10.148 and in Appendix IV.

For further information, see Annual Summary ofAdmiralty Notices to Mariners.

4 Dumping grounds. Disused dumping grounds forexplosives are situated at the W and E ends of Hurd Deep(1.137). For details of disused dumping grounds offChannel Islands, see 11.13.

Temporary explosive deposit zones (Zones de DptdExplosifs). In French waters fishing vessels withsuspected explosive devices on board, or caught in nets,should, if possible, make for the nearest explosive dump(temporary) to jettison the device. For locations, seeAppendix V.

TRAFFIC AND OPERATIONS

Regulation of vessel traffic

Routeing1.8

1 General information. The main through routes fromBay of Biscay and the North Atlantic Ocean to, andthrough, the English Channel all lie within TSS andrecommended directions of traffic flow. The routes aregiven in outline below and directions for these routes aregiven in Chapter 2.

See IMO Publication Ships Routeing for generalprovisions on ships routeing.

2 Within the area covered by this volume TSS have beenestablished in the following focal areas:

To the W and S of Isles of Scilly (4955N, 620W),and between those islands and the English coast.

To the NW of le dOuessant (4828N, 505W).To the N of Casquets (4943N, 222W).

3 All these schemes are IMO adopted and Rule 10 ofInternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea(1972) applies.

Special provisions have been adopted by IMO for use inthe scheme NW of le dOuessant, for details see 2.32.

4 Mariners Routeing Guide (chart 5500) containsPassage Planning Charts which show the routes through theEnglish Channel, Dover Strait and the Southern North Seaas far as the entrance to Europoort, for details see 2.2.

Traffic Separation Schemes1.9

1 General information. In principle TSS consist of twotraffic lanes lying either side of a separation zone. Trafficin each lane is one-way, so that opposing traffic is keptapart by the separation zone. These lanes are shown on thecharts with arrows which indicate the general direction ofthe traffic flow. The full width of the lane is available fornavigation, subject to compliance with Rule 10(b) ofInternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea(1972), which requires vessels to proceed in the generaldirection of the traffic flow and in so far as is practicablekeep clear of the separation zone.

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1.101 Rule 10 of International Regulations for Preventing

Collisions at Sea (1972) does not in any way alter theoverriding requirement for vessels to comply with the otherSteering and Sailing rules. In particular, vessels do not, byvirtue of using the traffic lanes in the general direction ofthe traffic flow, enjoy any privilege that they would nothave elsewhere. In addition, vessels using the TSS are notrelieved of the requirement to proceed at a safe speed,especially in conditions of restricted visibility.

2 Rule 10 (b) (iii) states that:A vessel using a TSS shall normally join or leave a

traffic lane at the termination of the lane, but whenjoining or leaving from either side shall do so atas small an angle to the general direction of trafficflow as practicable.

3 Rule 10 (c) states that:A vessel shall, so far as practicable, avoid crossing

traffic lanes but if obliged to do so shall cross ona heading as nearly as practicable at right anglesto the general direction of traffic flow.

4 To follow this advice low powered vessels and sailingvessels should therefore not make allowance for the tidalstream while crossing, if by doing so they will not have aheading nearly at right angles to the traffic flow.

Rule 10 (j) states that:A vessel of less than 20 m in length or a sailing

vessel shall not impede the safe passage of apower-driven vessel following a traffic lane.

Inshore traffic zones1.11

1 Regulations for the use of inshore traffic zones are givenin Rule 10(d) of International Regulations for PreventingCollisions at Sea (1972) which states that:

2 (d)(i) A vessel shall not use an inshore traffic zonewhen she can safely use the appropriate trafficlane within the adjacent traffic separation scheme.However, vessels of less than 20 m in length,sailing vessels and vessels engaged in fishing mayuse the inshore traffic zone.

3 (d)(ii) Notwithstanding sub-paragraph (d)(i), a vesselmay use an inshore traffic zone when en route toor from a port, offshore installation or structure,pilot station or any other place situated within theinshore traffic zone, or to avoid immediatedanger.

4 A vessel outbound from a port or pilot station within aninshore traffic zone is recommended to join the adjacenttraffic lane as soon as possible, as described in Rule 10(b)(iii).

5 The United Kingdom Department of Transport view isthat, if a vessel, other than one of less than 20 m in length,a sailing vessel or a vessel engaged in fishing, commencesits voyage from a location beyond one limit of the inshoretraffic zone and proceeds to a location beyond its furthestlimit, and is not calling at a port, pilot station, destinationor sheltered anchorage within the inshore traffic zone, thenthat vessel should, if it can safely do so, use theappropriate lane in the adjacent TSS unless some abnormalcircumstances exist in that lane. In that context reducedvisibility in the area or the density of traffic using the lanedoes not in itself justify use of the inshore traffic zone.However it should be noted that national regulations applyin the inshore traffic zone of the Off Ushant TSS; theseregulations are given at 8.4.

Deep-water routes1.12

1 Deep-water route to Port du Havre-Antifer. Adeep-water route entered 36 miles WNW of Cap dAntifer(4941N, 010E) leads to Port du Havre-Antifer (4940N,008E) (13.211), a deep-water port for VLCCs which lies10 miles N of Le Havre. This deep-water route is acontinuation of the buoyed fairway leading from Port duHavre-Antifer harbour.

For details see 13.226.2 Deep-draught route through Dover Strait to

Europoort. Deep-draught routes follow the NE-going andSW-going traffic lanes through Dover Strait except thatthey run through specific points, known as waypoints; theyare outside the area covered by this volume.

3 The Netherlands authorities have selected a route withinthe NE-going traffic lane of Dover Strait and Noord HinderSouth TSS as being the most favourable for vessels withdraughts of 207 m or more. The route is described indetail in a Deep Draught Planning Guide (HP8), publishedby the Netherlands Hydrographer, which should beconsulted when the route is used by mariners in vessels ofthese draughts. There is no official deep-draught guide fora SW-bound passage. Neither route is endorsed by theBritish authorities in every detail and both pass throughareas which have not been surveyed to modern standards.Both routes are shown on chart 5500.

For further details, see Dover Strait Pilot.

Vessels constrained by their draught1.13

1 Mariners are reminded that in certain critical areasvessels constrained by their draught may not be able toalter course without the danger of running aground. A goodlookout must be kept for vessels exhibiting the signals laiddown in Rule 28 of International Regulations forPreventing Collisions at Sea (1972).

Vessels may only exhibit these signals when actually soconstrained.

2 Local regulations are in force for such vessels withinthe limits of the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth and Port ofSouthampton, for details see 7.18.

Ship Movement Report Systems1.14

1 Off Ushant TSS. A mandatory Ship Reporting Systemcovers Off Ushant TSS and the adjacent inshore trafficzone. The limit of the reporting area is the arc of a circle40 miles in radius centred on Le Stiff radar tower (4829N,503W). The system applies to vessels over 300 gt.

For further details see Admiralty List of Radio SignalsVolume 6(1) and 1.621.15

1 Off Casquets TSS. A mandatory Ship Reporting System(MANCHEREP) covers Off Casquets TSS and the adjacentinshore traffic zone. The limits of the reporting area are:

5010N, 258W.5010N, 200W.4920N, 200W.4920N, 258W.

2 The system applies to the following vessels:Vessels of 300 gt and over.Vessels not under command.Vessels at anchor in the TSS or the Inshore Traffic

Zone

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Vessels restricted in their ability to manoeuvre.Vessels with defective navigation aids.

For further details see Admiralty List of Radio SignalsVolume 6(1) and 1.63.1.16

1 MAREP. A voluntary Ship Movement Report System(MAREP) is in operation for the area between, in the W, aline joining Bishop Rock Lighthouse (4952N, 627W)and Ouessant SW Lanby (4830N, 545W), and to theNE, by a line joining North Foreland (5123N, 127E)through Mid Falls Light-buoy (5119N, 147E) (DoverStrait Pilot) to the Belgian coast.

2 The system applies to the following vessels:All merchant vessels of 300 grt and over.Any vessel not under command or at anchor in a TSS

or an Inshore Traffic Zone.Any vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre.Any vessel with defective navigation aids.

Further details may be found in Admiralty List of RadioSignals Volume 6(1), and on chart 5500.

Channel Navigation Information Service1.17

1 The Channel Navigation Information Service providesnavigational information and assistance to mariners onpassage through Dover Strait, for details, see 2.9.

General information on traffic

Density of traffic1.18

1 Risk of collision. Owing to the density of traffic, one ofthe greatest hazards to safe navigation in the EnglishChannel and its approaches lies in the risk of collision,especially in poor visibility. In addition to shipping in thefairways, as well as fleets of fishing vessels and numerousyachts in the summer months, it should be remembered thatthere are fast cross-channel vessels plying regularlybetween English and French ports, principally betweenPlymouth and Roscoff, between Weymouth and ChannelIslands and Cherbourg, between Poole and Cherbourg andfrom The Solent to Saint-Malo, Cherbourg,Caen-Ouistreham and Le Havre.

2 There is a focal point about 20 miles N of Cherbourgwhere several cross channel routes cross the general flowof traffic up and down channel. See 1.7.

International Maritime Organisationrecommendations1.19

1 Recommendations on navigation through the EnglishChannel and Dover Strait. The followingrecommendations on navigation through the EnglishChannel and Dover Strait have been promulgated by IMO:

All ships of 300 grt and over should be fitted withelectronic position fixing equipment suitable forthe area in order to improve navigation in therouteing system.

2 Masters of deep-draught vessels should ensure thatthere will be an adequate under-keel clearance atthe time of passage. In order to get this clearancethe static under-keel allowance should not be lessthan 4 m, which includes an allowance for squatfor a speed not exceeding 12 kn. The staticunder-keel allowance is the difference between thecalculated depth of water and the ships draughtwhen stopped.

3 Subject to any factors that may adversely affect safenavigation, IMO strongly recommends that shipsproceeding from the W part of the EnglishChannel to Dover Strait or vice versa should useOff Casquets TSS.

4 All vessels should avoid the charted circular areas,2 miles radius, around the mid-channel light-buoys.These areas are established to avoid hazard to theaids to navigation established at their centres,which aids are considered to be vital to the safetyof navigation.

5 Vessels proceeding from Off Casquets TSS to theTSS In the Strait of Dover and adjacent waters, orvice versa, are recommended to leave themid-channel areas to be avoided to port,proceeding parallel to a line connecting the centresof those areas.

6 Ships crossing or leaving or joining the E or W flowof traffic between Off TSS Casquets and In theStrait of Dover and adjacent waters should cross asnearly as practicable at right angles or join orleave at as small an angle as practicable to therecommended directions of traffic flow.

7 Ships having defects affecting operational safety, inaddition to reporting such defects by participatingin the MAREP scheme, should take appropriatemeasures to overcome these defects before enteringDover Strait.

Fishing

General1.20

1 Throughout the area covered by this volume fishingvessels of varying sizes, from small open boats to muchlarger vessels, and of different nationalities, may beencountered.

Mariners are reminded that fishing vessels in addition tobeing hampered may need to make immediate andunannounced manoeuvres. Every care should be takentherefore when approaching vessels engaged in fishing.

Methods of fishing employed1.21

1 The principal methods of fishing in the area covered bythis volume are trawling, scallop dredging, potting,handlining and skin-diving.

For a general description of the methods of fishingemployed see The Mariners Handbook.

Principal fisheries1.22

1 English waters. Trawlers may be encounteredthroughout the year between Isles of Scilly and Bill ofPortland, and between Selsey Bill and Dover Strait, usuallybetween 3 and 12 miles offshore. Many boats will beworking twin beam trawls, and the larger beam trawlerswill be found more than 12 miles offshore.

Vessels towing dredges for scallops may be encounteredfrom the coast to mid-Channel off Cornwall and Devon,and to the E of Selsey Bill.

2 Mid-water trawling inshore for sprats takes place inLyme Bay, in Poole Bay and along the Sussex and Kentcoast from October to March, where bass and bream arecaught in summer. Mid-winter single and pair trawling pluspurse-seining for mackerel, scad and pilchard takes place

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from October to March, E from Mounts Bay to S of theIsle of Wight.

3 Fixed fishing gear. Mariners are warned thatconcentrations of fixed fishing gear may be encounteredgenerally off the S coast of England; in particular up to6 miles offshore E of Selsey Bill and off the Dorset coastbetween Anvil Point and Portland, and up to 30 milesoffshore and sometimes beyond, in Lyme Bay, off StartPoint, Eddystone Rocks, the Lizard and Isles of Scilly.Fishing is furthest from the shore during neap tidesthroughout the year. Moored shellfish tangle nets or potsare to be found in large numbers in the summer monthsfrom Lands End to Trevose Head.

4 Potting for crabs, lobster and whelks by inshore fishingboats of up to about 10 m in length takes place all alongthe S coast of England up to 10 miles offshore betweenMarch and November, with larger boats setting crab pots inmid-Channel S of Start Point, N of Channel Islands andbetween Cherbourg Peninsula and Dorset, mainly betweenJune and November.

5 Large concentrations of small boats handlining formackerel may be found off the coast of Cornwall and SDevon, up to 15 miles from the land in winter, and for basscloser inshore in the same area and off Dorset, Hampshireand Sussex between April and October.

Skin-divers may be encountered by day around thewrecks and on any part of the coast, particularly atweekends.1.23

1 Mid-channel. Concentrations of fixed fishing gear maybe found NW and N of Channel Islands in the followingareas:

Mid August to end December. An area bounded bylatitudes 4927N and 4958N and longitudes305W and 345W.

2 All year round. An area bounded by a line joining:4933N, 249W.4943N, 257W.5011N, 218W.5004N, 200W.

1.241 Channel Islands. Fishing activities in the vicinity of

Jersey, Les crehou and Plateau des Minquiers consistmainly of lobster potting; trots of about 40 pots, 18 m apartand marked by unlit dan buoys, are laid near the rocks.

Crab potting boats occasionally work on the edge ofHurd Deep, N of Alderney.1.25

1 French waters. Concentrations of inshore fishing vesselstrawling or setting lines, pots or nets may be encounteredanywhere along the French coast.

Trawlers and dredgers operate throughout the Channel inthe same areas fished by the larger UK vessels.

The principal fishing ports are, in book order, Brest,Camaret-sur-Mer, Douarnenez, Paimpol, Saint-Brieuc,Cherbourg, Caen-Ouistreham and Le Havre.1.26

1 Oyster fisheries are situated in many of the estuariesand harbours to the W of Selsey Bill, the largest number ofsmall boats being found towing dredges in The Solentbetween November and April, whilst there are numerousshellfish beds in the vicinity of the French coast. The bedsare normally marked by poles or perches, while off theFrench coast they may be marked by buoys. Marinersshould avoid navigating outside the channels, where theyexist, and should not anchor or ground in these areas.Claims arising from damage to oyster beds can be heavy.

2 Shellfish beds, where they are known to exist, arementioned in the appropriate geographical chapters and areusually shown on the chart.

Fishery limits1.27

1 British limits are given at 1.115, French limits at 1.125.

Exercise areas

Naval exercises and firing practices1.28

1 British waters. Practice exercise area (PEXA) chartsQ6401, Q6402, and Q6407 give details of British exerciseareas covered by this volume. Details of the warningsignals and firing practices for all British warships,submarines and aircraft are given in Annual Summary ofAdmiralty Notices to Mariners for the current year.

2 Subfacts. Information relating to the activity of bothsurfaced and dived submarines off the S coast of Englandis broadcast by Brixham Coastguard and FalmouthCoastguard (Subfacts South Coast). See Admiralty List ofRadio Signals Volume 3(1) for details.

3 Gunfacts. Information relating to gunnery and missilefirings of 20 mm calibre and above, and controlledunderwater explosions in the South Coast Exercise Areas,is broadcast by Brixham Coastguard and FalmouthCoastguard (Gunfacts South Coast). See Admiralty List ofRadio Signals Volume 3(1) for details.

For vessels requiring special consideration see TheMariners Handbook.1.29

1 French waters. Exercises and practices may take placeanywhere off the coast of France, but in particular in thefollowing areas:

le dOuessant.LIroise.Off Brest.Baie de Douarnenez.Baie de Seine.

2 French warships carrying out firing practices will hoist ared flag by day and exhibit a red all-round light at night.

Coastal batteries. Firing practices take place fromFrench coastal batteries in the following areas:

In Avant-Goulet de Brest (4818N, 440W)(Secteur de Toulbroch).

In Anse de Camaret (Secteur de Camaret-sur-Mer)(4818N, 434W).

3 In Anse de Vauville (Secteur de Biville)(4936N, 151W).

Off Cherbourg (Zone de Querqueville)(4940N, 142W).

In Baie de Seine (Zone de Baie de Seine)(4935N, 045W).

4 In daylight hours the firing battery displays a red flagfrom 1 hour before until the practice is completed. Targettugs and range craft also display a red flag.

At night the firing battery displays two horizontallydisposed red lights and signal stations in the vicinitydisplay a single red light. Target tugs display three redlights vertically disposed and range craft one red light atthe masthead; in both cases these lights are in addition tousual navigation lights.

5 Times when firings are to take place are promulgated inFrench notices to mariners and broadcast by Avurnav, fordetails see Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 3(1).

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Minelaying and mineclearance exercises1.30

1 British minelaying and mineclearance vessels exerciseperiodically in the areas listed in Annual Summary ofAdmiralty Notices to Mariners for the current year.

In addition French vessels are frequently engaged inhydrographic sweeping and mine clearance off Frenchports. They generally operate under similar conditions tothose given in Annual Summary of Admiralty Notices toMariners.

Submarine exercises1.31

1 British and French submarines exercise frequently inthe English Channel and in its W approaches. Submarineexercise areas are indicated on the charts and described inthe appropriate part of this volume. French submarines maybe met anywhere in French waters, but are more likely tobe encountered in Bay of Biscay, off Brest, off the entranceto Baie de Douarnenez and off Cherbourg.

Annual Summary of Admiralty Notices to Mariners forthe current year gives details concerning British submarinesand the warning signals used by them; see also 1.28.French submarines conform in general with these signals.

Marine exploitation

General1.32

1 Continental Shelf Boundaries, agreed between Franceand the United Kingdom and shown on the relevant charts,define the area in which the two countries may exploit thenatural resources of the seabed and its sub-soil.

Surveys1.33

1 Seismic and other survey vessels surveying inconnection with oil and gas fields are liable to beencountered throughout the Channel. Seismic surveymethods are outlined in The Mariners Handbook.

Drilling rigs1.34

1 Drilling rigs may operate in the Channel throughout theyear. Buoys, lighters and other equipment associated withdrilling rigs are often moored or laid near the rigs; wiresmay extend up to 1 miles from the rigs, which should begiven a wide berth.

Methods of search and production, together with a fulldescription of the structures, safety zones, theiridentification markings, visual signals in use and otherequipments associated with them are given in TheMariners Handbook.

2 Drilling rigs are not charted. Their positions areannounced, when known, by NAVAREA I navigationalwarnings and are listed in Section III of each weeklyedition of Admiralty Notices to Mariners.

Trinity House vessels engaged in surveying and wreckmarking1.35

1 Trinity House vessels engaged in searching for wrecksor surveying, when they proceed at slow speed on variousheadings, or when marking wrecks prior to laying buoys,exhibit the lights and shapes prescribed by Rule 27(b) ofInternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea(1972) for vessels restricted in their ability to manoeuvre.

2 When wreck marking, Trinity House vessels showadditional signals prescribed by Rule 27(d) of InternationalRegulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (1972) toshow the clear and disengaged side of the vessel. Theymay also use a racon (agile frequency, X and S bands,code D, range 10 miles). If a vessel appears to be passingdangerously close, the Trinity House vessel may firedetonating signals and may institute reporting proceduresagainst the offender. Other vessels should reduce speed andkeep clear.

CHARTS

General informationBritish Admiralty Charts1.36

1 Source data. British Admiralty charts of British watersare compiled from the latest surveys in the UnitedKingdom Hydrographic Office.

Those of French waters are compiled from, or areadopted versions of, French government charts.

Foreign charts1.37

1 France. French charts of their own coastline are, inmost cases, on a larger scale than British Admiralty chartsof the same area.

French charts may be obtained from the Frenchhydrographic authority and are corrected by French Noticesto Mariners; the address is given in the Catalogue ofAdmiralty Charts and Publications. These charts are notissued by the Hydrographic Office nor are they correctedby Admiralty Notices to Mariners.

DatumsHorizontal datum for British charts1.38

1 Within the area of this volume charts of English watersand Channel Islands are referred to a WGS 84 compatibledatum. Charts of French waters are normally referred to theEuropean Datum (1950), although certain charts are now onWGS 84 datum.

Satellite derived positions are normally referred to WorldGeodetic System (1984) Datum and the difference betweenthis and the horizontal datum of the published chart isgiven on the chart.

Vertical datum1.39

1 The vertical datum used by the UK HydrographicOffice for the reduction of soundings equates approximatelyto the level of the LAT. Most, if not all, French charts nowuse LAT. For an explanation of LAT and other datums seeAdmiralty Tide Tables.

When predicting offshore tidal heights use should bemade of the Co-Tidal Charts.

Under-keel allowance and clearanceGeneral information1.40

1 Under-keel allowance and clearance are defined in TheMariners Handbook.

Masters of ships, when planning their passage throughDover Strait and its approaches, should ensure that there isan adequate under-keel clearance at the time of passage. Toachieve this, allowance must be made for the effects of

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squat at the passage speed, for uncertainties in charteddepths and tide levels, and for the effects of waves andswell resulting from local and distant storms.

2 General guidance on under-keel allowance and clearancefor Dover Strait and approaches is given in Dover StraitPilot. See also 1.19.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

Buoyage-General information1.41

1 The IALA Maritime Buoyage System (Region A) is inforce in the waters surrounding the British Isles, and inFrench waters, and is described in IALA Maritime BuoyageSystem and The Mariners Handbook.

Only the principal buoys are described in this volume.Radar reflectors are not mentioned in the directions as theyare fitted to the majority of the important buoys.

Ocean Data Acquisition Systems1.42

1 Ocean Data Acquisition Systems (ODAS) Light-buoys,which gather hydrographic and meteorological data, arepainted yellow or in red and yellow stripes; they may bemoored anywhere in the area covered by this volume.Permanent ODAS buoys are shown on the charts,temporary buoys are notified in Admiralty Notices toMariners.

These buoys are described in The Mariners Handbook.

British Isles buoyage1.43

1 Authority. Trinity House is the authority responsible forlights and buoys around the coasts of England, Wales andChannel Islands.

Firing practice areas are marked by buoys (special).Some buoys have the letters DZ and an identifying numberpainted on the side.

2 All manned light-vessels within the area of this volumehave been replaced in the main by unmanned light-vessels,charted as light-floats, or Lanbys, which are described inthe Admiralty List of Lights Volume A. The smaller buoysare shown on the charts, but are not described in theAdmiralty List of Lights.

French buoyage1.44

1 Details of light-buoys off the coast of France arepublished in the French Lists of Lights.

Firing practice areas may still be marked by whitebuoys, with a blue cross as seen from above and have theletters ZD painted on the side.

Landmarks1.45

1 Care is necessary when evaluating the descriptions givenin this volume concerning landmarks, such as trees, thecolour and shape of buildings and other marks. Newbuildings may have been errected and old trees or housesdestroyed, so that the marks, which may at one time havebeen conspicuous on account of their isolation, shape orcolour, may no longer exist or may now be difficult toidentify.

PILOTAGE

General information

Information and signals1.46

1 Information on pilotage relevant to entry is givenunder the port concerned. Admiralty List of Radio SignalsVolume 6(1) should be consulted for full details of pilotageat each port.

Signals to be made by a vessel requiring a pilot are laiddown in The International Code of Signals:

By day: Flag G.2 By night: Morse letter G ( ) by light.

In low visibility: Morse letter P ( ) by sound.Pilot vessels may respond by sounding H ( ).

The sound signals are in addition to the normal signalsprescribed by Rule 35 of International Regulations forPreventing Collisions at Sea (1972).

Deep-sea pilotage

General information1.47

1 Qualified pilots. Mariners passing through the EnglishChannel and Dover Strait should take into account thepossibility of availing themselves of the services of adeep-sea pilot in connection with the requirements of safenavigation. Masters of ships approaching from the W areadvised to embark their deep-sea pilot as far W in theEnglish Channel as practicable and make an early decisioneither to request helicopter delivery or to approach a pilotstation.

2 Licensed deep-sea pilots for ports in NW Europe,including the British Isles and The Baltic, should berequested through the various pilotage agencies based inthe British Isles or other European countries. These pilotsmay be embarked before reaching the complex trafficschemes in Dover Strait and the S part of the North Sea, inwhich case embarkation normally takes place off Brixham(5024N, 330W) or Cherbourg (4938N, 138W). Fordetails, see 5.93 and 12.33.

3 Arrangements can also be made through the pilotageagencies to embark deep-sea pilots by helicopter in theEnglish Channel and Dover Strait area, for details see12.33.

4 Deep-sea pilots often have to travel long distances totheir point of embarkation and as much notice as possibleshould be given to the pilotage agency of the requirementfor a pilot. Similar arrangements can be made for outwardbound vessels and those coasting from port to port in thearea.

For further details see Admiralty List of Radio SignalsVolume 6(1) under the heading Deep Sea Pilots. See alsochart 5500.

Pilotage in British ports

General1.48

1 Licensed pilots. Every port of consequence on theBritish side of the English Channel, and in Channel Islands,is designated a Competent Harbour Authority under thePilotage Act 1987. It is their duty to provide licensed pilotsif required and decide whether pilotage should becompulsory.

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Pilot vessels1.49

1 Description. Most British pilot vessels are black-hulledwith the letter P or PILOT painted on the bow or side. Apilot flag, upper horizontal half white, lower horizontal halfred, is flown when pilots are embarked.

Pilotage in French ports

General1.50

1 Pilotage is determined by the tonnage or length of avessel and is laid down for each French port and given inthe text of this volume.

French pilots are licensed by the state; in naval portspilotage is undertaken by naval pilots. On boarding theyshould be informed of the vessels draught, speed and anyspecial conditions affecting handling.

Pilot vessels1.51

1 Description. Most French pilot vessels have a black hullwith a narrow white band and an anchor painted on thefunnel, if the latter is fitted. The station letters, in white,are painted forward and aft on the bulwarks.

RADIO FACILITIES

Electronic position fixing systems1.52

1 General information. Full details of the electronicposition fixing systems are given in Admiralty List of RadioSignals Volume 2; comments on the use of systems withinthe area are given below.

Loran C. Low-order accuracy may be obtained fromthis system in the W approaches to the English Channel.

2 Differential GPS corrections are transmitted from:Lizard Light (4958N, 512W).Saint Catherines Point Light (5035N, 118W).Saint-Mathieu Light (4820N, 446W).La Hague (4934N, 146W).

3 Irregularities in the operation of any of these systemsare broadcast as navigation warnings by the appropriatecoast radio station or may be sent by NAVTEX, see 1.55.

Syldis. In French coastal waters the Syldis hyperbolicsystem is also available. For details consult FrenchHydrographic Service:

Ltablissement Principal du Service Hydrographique etOcanographique de la Marine, 13 rue du Chatellier,BP3031629603 BRESTCEDEX.

Radio aids to navigation1.53

1 Racons are fitted to many lighthouses, light-floats andbuoys.

VHF direction-finding service, for emergency use onlyis operated by Her Majestys Coastguard for UK watersand CROSS for French waters, see 1.99 and 1.105.

Full details of all radio aids to navigation are given inAdmiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 2, see also chart5500.

Port operations1.54

1 All the ports within the area have VHF radiocommunications and the larger ports have local radar

surveillance. They provide navigational information andassistance. For details see Admiralty List of Radio SignalsVolume 6(1).

Radio navigational warnings1.55

1 Long range navigational warnings. The Channel lieswithin NAVAREA I of the World-wide NavigationalWarnings Service broadcast by Inmarsat-C Safety NET. TheFrench coast, S of Latitude 4827S, to the limit of thisvolume at Pointe de la Torche (4750N, 421W), iscovered by NAVAREA II warnings also broadcast byInmarsat-C Safety NET.

2 NAVTEX, a navigational telex service, broadcastingmaritime safety information is also available in the area.

Coastal navigation warnings are broadcast at scheduledtimes by Coastguard radio stations.

See Admiralty Lists of Radio Signals Volume 3(1) andAnnual Summary of Admiralty Notices to Mariners fordetails.

Radio weather bulletins1.56

1 Weather bulletins, including gale warnings are broadcastin English by Coastguard radio stations in the UnitedKingdom; they are also broadcast by the BritishBroadcasting Corporation (BBC).

French CROSS stations broadcast weather bulletins inFrench and English.

2 Requests for weather reports can also be made toCROSS radio stations as well as local authorities.

Details of these services are given in Admiralty List ofRadio Signals Volume 3(1) and Annual Summary ofAdmiralty Notices to Mariners.

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System1.57

1 Full details of GMDSS are given in Admiralty List ofRadio Signals Volume 5.

REGULATIONS

International regulations

Submarine cables and pipelines1.58

1 General information. A number of submarine cablescross the English Channel and the S part of North Sea.They are shown on the charts and, in the case of pipelines,are marked with the appropriate legend (oil or gas).

Regulations to prevent damage to submarine cables andpipelines are contained in International Convention for theProtection Submarine Cables 1884, as extended by theConvention on the High Seas, 1958. See The MarinersHandbook for details.

2 Caution. Gas from a damaged oil or gas pipeline couldcause an explosion or some other serious hazard. Pipelinesare not always buried and their presence may effectivelyreduce the charted depth by as much as 2 m. Wherepipelines are close together, only one may be charted.Mariners should not anchor or trawl in the vicinity of apipeline; they may risk prosecution if damage is caused.

See The Mariners Handbook for a full description ofpipelines.

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Pollution

General information1.59

1 Special areas. In the area covered by the greater part ofthis volume pollution of the sea by oil is forbidden. SeeThe Mariners Handbook for information on InternationalConvention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973(MARPOL 1973) and the 1978 Protocol to MARPOL 1973;the Convention, as modified by the Protocol, is known asMARPOL 73/78.

2 North Sea and the English Channel and its approaches Eof 5W and N of 4830N are designated Special Areas.Within the North Sea there is a regional agreement forco-operation in combating oil pollution in emergency.Participants to this agreement are Belgium, France,Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UnitedKingdom.

3 See also Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 1(1) forpollution reports by radio within the waters described bythis volume.

Combating oil pollution1.60

1 All the countries which border the North Sea haveagreed to co-operate in combating oil pollution by meansof surveillance and in the pooling of resources in anemergency incident. Other European Council measurescontributing to the subject include Port State Controlinspections (Directive 95/21/EEC) and the phasing out ofsingle-hull tankers (Directive 417/2002/EEC).

European Community regulations

Directive 2002/59/EC1.61

1 General information. This Directive establishes acommon vessel traffic monitoring and information systemthroughout European Community (EC) waters. Theprincipal provisions are described below. They apply ingeneral to all commercial vessels over 300 grt but the rulesconcerning the notification of carriage of dangerous andpolluting goods applies to all vessels regardless of size.

Caution. These extracts are for reference purposes onlyand are not to be regarded as a statement of the applicablelaw. The full text of the regulations is the sole authoritativestatement of the applicable law and it is recommended thatit is consulted. The regulations to which the followingrefers is Directive 2002/59/EC or the appropriate enablinglegislation drafted by individual member states, which inthe United Kingdom is The Merchant Shipping (TrafficMonitoring and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2004,a copy of which can be obtained from Her MajestysStationery Office (www.hmso.