GETTING TO SARK
Think of a tiny island with no cars and you might suppose that accessibility could be difficult, but Sark is surprisingly easy to get to, and certainly very accessible from the UK.
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The method of arrival is a combination of sea and air – flying to the Channel Isles before sailing the short hop to Sark – so here’s a handy guide to reaching your destination.
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Bring your own boat directly to Sark
If you're arriving on your own boat, find information about moorings on Sark.
The quickest, simplest option from the UK:
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STEP 1: Fly from UK to Guernsey STEP 2: Boat from Guernsey to Sark
STEP 1: FLIGHT OR FERRY TO GUERNSEY OR JERSEY
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The simplest, quickest way to Sark is via Guernsey - it's nearer to Sark than Guernsey. The simplest, quickest way to get to Guernsey is by air. However, there's a range of options available to you:
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To Guernsey (recommended) and Jersey by Air
Three airlines operate regular flights to the nearby islands of Guernsey and Jersey from the UK.
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Aurigny Air
www.aurigny.com | +44 1481 822886
Aurigny Air Services flight information for all UK, European and Channel Island services.
Flies from London Gatwick, London Stansted, Alderney, Bristol, East Midlands, Grenoble, Manchester, Norwich and Southampton.
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FlyBe
www.flybe.com | +44 1481 237574
Flights to Guernsey from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Jersey, Liverpool, London Southend and Southampton.
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Blue Islands
www.blueislands.com | +44 1481 727567
Blue Islands is now a Flybe franchise partner, flying from Bristol and Southampton. Bookings for all Blue Islands operated flights can be made through www.flybe.com
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Taxi from Airport to Port (for ferry to Sark)
Travel to Guernsey port from the airport by taxi. We can recommend Linda O’Meara Taxi
Call: +44 778 1111 218
Email: Linlipner@outlook.com
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To Guernsey and Jersey by Sea
Condor Ferries offer an extensive service to and from Portsmouth and Poole, as well as St Malo in Brittany. The high speed ferry, Condor Liberation operates from Poole, and conventional ships the Good Will and the Clipper operate from Portsmouth.
+44 845 124 2004
http://www.condorferries.co.uk
Poole Port: +44 1202 207215 / Portsmouth Port: +44 2392 865164
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STEP 2: FERRY TO SARK
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Travelling to Sark from Guernsey – the easiest way to get there
Taxi from Airport to Port (for ferry to Sark)
If you arrived in Guernsey by air, you can travel to Guernsey port from the airport by taxi. We can recommend Linda O’Meara Taxi.
Call: +44 778 1111 218
Email: Linlipner@outlook.com
The Isle of Sark Shipping Company operates the passenger ferry service from Guernsey. This is the easiest and cheapest way to reach Sark, with several sailings a day during peak seasons and a daily service Monday to Saturday in the off season. Tickets can be bought online, by phone or in person for services departing from The Inter Island Quay at St Peter Port Harbour. Journey time is approximately 55 minutes.
Timetable: https://www.sarkshipping.gg/timetables
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If your travel connections do not allow you to meet the regular ferry service, or if you fancy the luxury of a private boat transfer, contact Ray Lowe who operates the Sark-based charter boat "Te Aroha", a 38-foot Cygnus Cyfish, fully licensed and insured for up to 12 passengers.
Ray Lowe, Le Clos du Vivier, SARK. Channel Islands. GY10 1SA
Tel. +44 778 114 9696
e-mail: boat@eventgroup.gg
website: http://www.eventgroup.gg/files/te_aroha_boat_charter_info.pdf
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See detailed information about getting from Guernsey to your accommodation in Sark.
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Sailing to Sark from Jersey
Manche Iles Express operate services from Granville and Carteret in Normandy to Sark, via Jersey, several times a week from April to September.
www.manche-iles-express.com
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Travelling from Alderney to Sark
The Lady Maris II operates a weekly service on Thursdays between Alderney and Sark.alderneygiftbox@cwgsy.net
MOORINGS ON SARK
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Not surprisingly for a relatively undiscovered island in the Channel, Sark is a dream for sailors and pleasure boaters. Wherever you are on the island, you’re never more than a short distance from the sea, and therefore always within a short distance from being on a boat.
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Sark has a variety of moorings available to visitors, as well as a range that are for private use only, so if a life on the ocean wave is your pleasure, then enjoy our useful guide to all the moorings the island has to offer, along with our tips and guidelines on the Dos and Don’ts for their usage.
VISITOR MOORINGS
These are available in Havre Gosselin on the west coast of Sark, and Greve de la Ville on the east coast. You can identify them from the YELLOW buoys used as markers.
At Havre Gosselin there is a small jetty with a ladder to assist with access at low water. You can also leave your dinghies there before using the path which leads from the jetty to the top of the island.
At Greve de la Ville you may leave your dinghies on the steps which mark the beginning of the path leading upwards to the top of the island.
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If you choose to anchor in either of these locations please keep well away from the moorings. The moorings are checked every year and are solid and substantial, however it goes without saying that any visitor using them does so at their own risk.
These visitors’ moorings are available free of charge, although donations are always welcomed – any money donated by users goes towards maintaining the moorings and increasing their number. Should you wish to make any donations, simply pop along to the Visitor Centre and leave it in the secure box you’ll find at the bottom of the paths leading up from either Havre Gosselin or Greve de la Ville. You can also donate online at www.sarkmoorings.com.
CREUX HARBOUR
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Visiting boats may moor against the wall. However, visitors are required to leave the steps and slipway free and clear at all times.
Alternatively, if you have a stern anchor you can use two long warps to the north end of the harbour. The moorings just outside the harbour are all private, and of course any vessels left in Sark waters are done so at your own risk.
There is no charge to use either the harbour itself or the toilets, and for a small charge you can also use the shower facilities. There is also a café which is open most days in the summer.
Creux Harbour, which is east facing, is sometimes used by commercial ferries and cargo boats, and for fundraising activities, so if you’re planning on leaving your boat unattended it’s best to contact the Harbourmaster beforehand.
It’s also a fun place to moor, as harbour jumping (jumping from the harbour wall into the water) is a popular pastime by visitors and locals alike.
Sark Harbourmaster can be reached on VHF Channel 13 (not 24/7) or by mobile on 07781 135611.
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MASELINE HARBOUR
This east-facing harbour can be categorised as a ‘drop off only’ one, rather than a ‘tie up and wander off’ one!
It’s a busy jetty, with regular ferry and cargo traffic, so while visiting boats may drop passengers off when the jetty is not being used by commercial or emergency vessels, they’re not allowed to tie up or stay alongside the jetty at any time day or night. Moorings in this area are all private.
There is no charge for visitors who wish to anchor anywhere in Sark’s waters, so here are the three most favoured locations to anchor when visiting the island by boat:
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DIXCART BAY
A very popular anchorage for visitors, this is another large flat bay on the south-east coast, this time with a stony incline from around halfway up. There is good holding on the sand at the seaward end of the bay, and an easy path which takes you to the top of the island.
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DERRIBLE BAY
This is a large flat bay on the South-east coast with excellent holding on sand and a long path that leads directly to the top of the Island. It is advisable to leave any dinghies close to the steps, since the top of this bay is cut off from steps around high water time.
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GRAND GREVE
Another useful Anchorage, this time on the South-West coast of Sark. The sand here also has good holding at the seaward end of the bay. It is worth noting, however, that the path up to the top of the island from this bay isn’t a gentle one – it is steeper than the rest, incase your visiting with children or the elderly, and it was built by volunteers so is not maintained by the Island Authorities.