Circumnavigation of Jersey
Making use of the tides
Depending on who ask and what you read the distance around Jersey can vary considerably. A number of people state that is is 48 miles, which is correct if you are walking around the coastal path. The Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club state that it is 36 miles, which is getting closer to my experience. I have paddled around the island a number of times over the years and I have generally found that the distance normally works out between 28 and 29 nautical miles, as recorded on my GPS.
Paddling around Jersey is one those things that you almost have to do on the spur of the moment. A weather and tidal window opens up, so take advantage of it or possibly wait another few months. When I first paddled around the island in the late 1970’s we always started at St Helier. I have no idea why, perhaps because it was convenient, we regularly paddled from the harbour and we didn’t know better.
As my knowledge of the tidal flows at various locations around the island developed, I began to question what was the most appropriate departure point. I looked at St Catherine’s, on the north east corner. The Jersey Canoe Club has its base there, so it seemed a logical place to leave from but it quickly became apparent that if you were moving quite fast you had to pass well offshore on the south east corner. Back to the drawing board.
So the next thought was to leave from St Brelade’s Bay. Once you had paddled out of the bay and picked up the east going tidal stream this worked really well apart from the last 2 miles, when you ended up paddling against the tide or eddy hopping along the coast. Not the easiest way to finish when you have already covered approximately 25 plus nautical miles. At this point I was beginning to think that it should be possible to complete the circumnavigation in under 6 hours.
So why not leave from Corbiere? There is a relatively easy launch spot to the south of the causeway, which runs out to the lighthouse. Paddle offshore, jump on the east going tide, around the south east corner and catch the first of the ebb tide along the east coast, leading onto the north coast and aim to get through the gullies at L’Etacq before heading down St Ouen’s Bay back to Corbiere. 29 nautical miles in just over 6 hours. Job done, but where is it possible to find that extra bit of speed.
So with a bit of experimentation it became possible to shave a few minutes off the trip in a few places. At Noirmont keep close to the headland, it seems to run faster in close than just offshore. The venturi effect? Select a departure time when there is no commercial shipping, so that it is possible to take a direct line from Noirmont to Green Island. This reduces the distance by nearly a mile but places you in the shipping lane for a couple of miles. At St Catherine’s keep heading north until Belle Hougue appears from behind Tour de Rozel. Pass through the gullies at L’Etacq and hopefully have enough energy left for a semi sprint along St Ouen’s Bay, back to Corbiere.
Other things to consider, a day with no wind, a day with no swell, so that it is possible to pass inside some of the reefs along the west coast, have plenty of fluid and snacks easily available. Use a GPS and monitor your speed, moving sideways may just give an extra bit of speed. A bit more contentious, do it solo. Solo paddling enables you to get into a rhythm and push along at your own pace, with no other distractions. Certainly my fastest circumnavigations have been completed when I paddled on my own. To date my quickest paddle around the island is 5 hours 25 minutes, which was immensely satisfying to achieve, although it was 5 or 6 years ago.
Acquisition of an intimate knowledge of tidal flows is not something which is gained overnight but is a lengthy process related to time spent in the kayak. The ability to identify the subtle changes in the way that the kayak handles is related to the paddlers connectivity to their craft and the amount of time spent paddling. There is something immensely pleasing about developing the skills etc to allow you to become tuned into the environment, in which we paddle.
Last Monday we completed the circumnavigation in 6 hours 45 minutes. Not the quickest time but still very satisfying. Navigating through the swell at L’Etacq added both time and distance. I aim to paddle around the island at least once a year, just to check I still can. For Catherine, who joined us, it was a particularly important as it was her first paddle round the rock. Always a significant milestone in any Jersey kayakers development. Who knows tides and weather may combine again this year for another trip around the Island.