Diélette
March
2001 issue, No. 31 in our series.
For many South Coast boat owners, the eight-mile gap between Alderney
and Cap de la Hague is the nearest gateway to the magnificent cruising
of the Channel Islands area. The notorious Alderney Race pours through
this strait, pausing only briefly to let yachts slip through at
the critical slack water, catch the next tidal escalator and pick
up a free ride.
Because of the powerful streams and the reputation surrounding
this stretch of water, there's always a sense of drama as you arrive
off Cap de la Hague at le moment juste. But there's also a feeling
of promise as you ponder the mouth-watering destinations within
easy reach. Alderney is only a few miles away across the north end
of the Race, the most placid and unchanging of the three largest
Channel Islands. Its tempting profile beckons as you wonder which
way to turn. Guernsey's St Peter Port is just a tide away to the
south-west, or you could head directly for Jersey. But, barely a
dozen miles south, along the French mainland from Cap de la Hague,
the charming Normandy harbour at Diélette awaits your attention
- easy to reach, easy to enter and offering an intriguing, sideways
route into the Channel Islands area.
Although the snug marina at Diélette has been open for several
years and is well known to Channel Islanders, it remains something
of a secret from yachts visiting from the UK.
Perhaps the west shore of the Cherbourg peninsula still has an
austere image, from the days when you had to dry out to find any
shelter between Cap de la Hague and Granville, down in the south-east
corner of the Gulf of St Malo. But now the marinas are reasonably
well spaced along this coast - Diélette, Carteret and Granville,
each with their own special characters. v Diélette is just
30 miles from Cherbourg and well placed for onward cruising. Sailing
the short distance from Cap de la Hague towards Diélette, you
experience a welcoming change of mood. The north end of the Alderney
Race can feel rather sinister, with its uneasy turbulence and the
gaunt lighthouse and beacon tower off La Hague. But, as you leave
this corner astern and drop south of Nez de Jobourg, the sandy Anse
de Vauville opens up, its long, golden beach backed by dunes.
The immediate approaches to Diélette are shallow and can
be inhospitable in fresh, onshore winds - but in light or moderate
summer weather there's no problem about either finding the place
or getting in safely. Prominent a mile south-west of Diélette
are the two dome towers of the large nuclear power station at Flamanville.
The Diélette pierheads are then easy to spot, and the outer
harbour is accessible in practice for most of the tide - except
around low springs, when you need about two hours' rise to get in
or out safely.
The channel between the pierheads is dredged from time to time
to just above chart datum, but there is a tendency to silt between
and outside the breakwaters, so don't cut things too fine. The Bassin
de Commerce is dredged to 2m below datum, so yachts can stay afloat
alongside the waiting pontoon on the north-east side, immediately
ahead as you come in through the entrance. You can stay overnight
there if the tides aren't convenient for the marina basin. The marina
has an automatic sill and is normally accessible for three hours
each side of high water.
Enter or leave the marina when the signal lights show two greens
and a white. Three red lights mean that entry or exit is forbidden.
A gauge at the entrance shows the depth in metres over the sill.
Least depths in the marina vary from between 1.5m and 2.5m. The
marina has developed gradually over recent years, but is now well
established with comfortable pontoon space for over 400 boats. There
is usually plenty of room, with 80 visitors' berths reserved on
pontoons A, B and C. The minimum depth in the marina basin is 1.5m,
but you'll find up to 2.5m between pontoons B and C. If in doubt
call Port Diélette on VHF Ch 9. The marina has a shower block
at the east side of the basin, and you can eat well at the friendly
yacht club, Le Raz Blanchard, which is open every day during the
season. Just below the club is a useful chandler, Diélette
Nautic. On the quay near the harbour office, the popular moules-frites
café, L'Escale, has a small general store that stocks basic
food and some wines. A colourful market is held at the port every
Sunday during the season.
The restful Diélette waterfront is overlooked on the south
side by traditional stone cottages with the classic French flavour
of rural Normandy. Inland, to the east, you soon wander into unspoiled
country. The gentle slopes and winding lanes are alive with skylarks
and buzzing insects on a hot summer afternoon.v The sleepy charm
of Diélette makes it popular with Guernsey-based yachts, especially
at weekends, whose crews enjoy the place as a familiar home from
home. Why not join them?
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