Page 226 - Alderney Regional Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy: Environmental Report
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Alderney
Regional Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy:
Environmental Report
larger with 195 registered commercial fishing vessels mainly operating out of St Peter Port and
St Sampson. All of these vessels have the potential to use Bailiwick waters. In addition, the
whole of the Bailiwick waters are used by the emergency services for search and rescue
practices, plus occasional ‘live’ operations to assist vessels in distress.
In terms of accident and incident information for the Bailiwick waters, there have been two
cargo ship incidents since 2009. These are namely the ‘Huelin Dispatch’ which grounded on
an isolated rock South West of Alderney on 21 Sept 2012 and the vessel ‘Bodyer’ which had an
onboard equipment breakdown North of Sark on 9 December 2009. Anecdotal information
from the Guernsey Coastguard suggests that a number of incidents have occurred within the
Casquets TSS, however these records are not formally held by Guernsey Coastguard.
7.3.1.2
Recreational navigation
The Channel Islands are one of busiest areas for recreational boating in Northern Europe with
approximately 12,000 visiting pleasure craft each year and more transiting within the ITZ or
entering Alderney waters (ACRE, 2012). The most heavily used routes are through the
Alderney Race and The Swinge with many vessels stopping to visit Alderney (see Figure 26 for
locations). Small numbers of yachts visit the bays and anchorages but most prefer the safety
of Braye Harbour (ACRE, 2012) which also has a commercial quay for the berthing of larger
vessels such as cargo and cruise vessels. The following Table 37 details the number of
recreational vessels calling at Braye Harbour during April to September 2010, and it is
estimated that in total
circa
10,000 yachts visited Bailiwick waters in 2010.
Table 37.
Braye Harbour yacht visits - 2010
Month
Yacht Nights
Total
British
French
Other
Crew (People)
Count
Apr
137
91
33
13
685
May
467
303
139
25
2,335
Jun
1,157
889
149
119
5,785
Jul
2,033
1,297
354
382
10,165
Aug
1,743
1,222
359
162
8,715
Sep
339
236
73
30
1,695
Total (half year)
5,876
4,038
1,107
731
29,380
(Source:
)
In addition to Braye Harbour, there are a number of other anchorages around Alderney which
include Saye and Longis Bay, Telegraph Bay (located on the South-West point of island),
Hannaine Bay (located South of Fort Clonque) and Burhou Island where landing is prohibited
between 15 March and 27 July each year due to the island’s conservation status (AEA, 2007).
The anchorage at Longis is visited by tens, if not hundreds of boats per year, and large vessels
regularly shelter outside of Longis and drop anchor (Alderney Wildlife Trust pers. comm., June
2013).
Alderney sailing club holds races every year during the holiday periods. The annual races are
Cherbourg to Alderney, Alderney to Diellete, Alderney to Guernsey, Round Alderney Race,
Casquets Race and other local races. Sailing activities mostly take place from April to
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