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Saint-Malo → Chausey Archipelago → Jersey → Guernsey → Herm → Sark → Alderney → Saint-Malo
Channel Islands Passage from Saint-Malo
A week on the water from Saint-Malo opens the door to one of the most rewarding bareboat cruising grounds in Western Europe. This itinerary is designed for sailors who appreciate more than simple point-to-point coastal hops. It combines tidal strategy, open-water passages, protected harbours, and islands with distinct character, all within a dynamic seven-day sailing holiday. Departing from the legendary corsair city of Saint-Malo, this bareboat charter places you at the gateway to northern Brittany and the Channel Islands, where granite shorelines, wildlife-rich anchorages, and historic ports create a route that feels adventurous from the very first departure.
The experience is particularly appealing for confident crews who want a practical but exciting cruising plan. Over the course of the week, you move through turquoise shallows in the Chausey Archipelago, marina life in Jersey and Guernsey, quiet anchorages off Herm and Sark, and the demanding but unforgettable waters near Alderney. Every leg offers a different rhythm. Some days focus on seamanship and tidal timing, while others reward you with relaxed island exploration, scenic walks, beach stops, and evenings in charming harbours. For families with sailing experience, groups of friends, or mixed-experience crews led by a capable skipper among them, this route offers a rich balance of challenge, comfort, and visual variety.
About Our Service in Saint-Malo and the Channel Islands
This weekly bareboat charter runs from Saturday morning to Friday afternoon and is structured around the natural realities that make this region so exciting: strong tidal ranges, shifting currents, well-serviced marinas, and islands that each feel entirely different from the last. Embarkation in Saint-Malo begins at 09:00 AM, giving you time for vessel handover, safety checks, a navigation and tidal briefing, and last provisioning before departure. Because this is a self-navigated charter, the service is built around independence, but with the reassurance of practical support before you leave the dock. That means you can shape the cruise around conditions, crew interests, and your preferred pace while still benefiting from local guidance for locks, tides, and route planning.
Day 1 brings a rewarding opening sail of around 18 nautical miles toward the Chausey Archipelago. The transition from Saint-Malo to these remarkable tidal islands immediately sets the tone for the week. At low water, sandbanks and rocky outcrops stretch far beyond the eye’s first impression; at high water, the archipelago transforms into a network of blue channels and calm anchorages. The afternoon is ideal for swimming, dinghy exploration, or simply watching seabirds in a landscape shaped by the tide every few hours.
Day 2 shifts the mood toward Jersey, with a longer open-water leg timed carefully to the tide. Arrival in St. Helier gives the charter a lively urban contrast after the natural silence of Chausey. Shore time here can include cliffside walks, café stops, historic fortifications, and an evening with full marina facilities before the next crossing.
Day 3 continues north to Guernsey and St. Peter Port, one of the most attractive harbour towns in the area. This leg is shorter, allowing more time ashore to enjoy the waterfront atmosphere, browse through old streets, or take in elevated viewpoints over the harbour and coastline. It is the sort of stop that blends maritime energy with genuine island charm.
Day 4 is a gentle move to Herm, where the pace slows completely. The short sail is followed by a day centred on clear water, white sand, and peaceful walking paths. Herm feels deliberately unhurried, making it a welcome contrast to busier ports and a memorable anchorage for crews who value tranquility.
Day 5 takes you onward to Sark, another island known for its dramatic scenery and timeless atmosphere. With no cars and a strong sense of isolation, Sark is ideal for scenic cliff walks, cycling, and exploring natural features carved by sea and wind. By night, the peaceful anchorage and famously dark skies make this one of the most atmospheric stops of the week.
Day 6 introduces the most technical part of the route: the timed crossing toward Alderney. This passage demands concentration and strong tidal awareness, but it rewards capable sailors with one of the most memorable navigational experiences in the region. Once ashore, Alderney offers a quieter, wilder feel, with seals, seabirds, coastal paths, and old forts adding a sense of discovery to the final offshore evening.
Day 7 is the return to Saint-Malo, an open-water leg timed to make the most of favourable current. The reappearance of the walled city at the end of the week feels especially satisfying after a circuit of islands, marinas, anchorages, and tidal channels. Arrival before 2:00 PM allows for check-out and a smooth end to a route that packs a remarkable range of sailing experiences into seven days.
About Our Yacht
Your yacht for this charter is a spacious 2013 keelboat of approximately 43 feet, particularly well suited to longer weekly cruising with a larger crew. With four cabins, ten bunks, and two bathrooms, it offers the kind of layout that works well for families, groups of friends, or sailors who want enough room to spread out during a full week onboard. The beam provides reassuring interior volume, while the overall cruising profile remains well adapted to coastal passages, estuary entries, and open Channel crossings.
Comfort onboard is set up for genuine liveaboard practicality rather than minimal weekend sailing. There is a fridge and oven for independent meal preparation, hot-water showers for comfort after long sailing days, a cockpit table that turns sunset moorings into proper outdoor dining moments, and interior heating that can make a major difference in northern waters, especially at the beginning or end of the season. The included dinghy adds flexibility for reaching shore from anchorages and exploring shallow coves or quiet beaches.
For sailing performance and handling, the yacht is fitted with a battened mainsail, furling genoa, and asymmetric spinnaker, giving experienced crews useful versatility across changing wind strengths and points of sail. Navigation equipment is comprehensive and appropriate for this region, with VHF, GPS, autopilot, anemometer, speedometer, AIS receiver, and radar supporting confident passage-making in variable Channel conditions. Altogether, the yacht delivers a strong blend of comfort, visibility, and cruising capability for a route where good equipment matters as much as the destination itself.
Why This Route Rewards Experienced Crews
This charter stands out because it offers more than a simple coastal holiday. It gives sailors access to a route where the sailing itself is part of the appeal - where tidal planning, island-hopping, wildlife encounters, harbour life, and dramatic scenery all play equal roles in the experience. Starting from Saint-Malo, you are not confined to a single style of cruising. Instead, you move from French tidal anchorages to British island marinas, from peaceful beaches to open passages, from sheltered overnight stops to technically satisfying crossings. For crews looking for a week that feels full, varied, and genuinely nautical, this Saint-Malo bareboat charter delivers a memorable Channel Islands circuit with depth, challenge, and exceptional cruising character.
