Approaching St Peter Port is a relatively straightforward process with plenty of day and night-time marks and reasonable protection provided by the off-lying islands.
From the north
From the north, the best route is through the Little Russel. Your first (starboard hand) mark is the Platte Fougère Lighthouse, one mile off Guernsey's north-east tip. Depending on your course and the visibility, either line up the metal tower on Roustel with the squat flat Bréhon Tower (198°) or line up Bréhon with the light on St Martin's Point (208°), some two miles south of St Peter Port.
Once the leading light at the end of the St Peter Port harbour breakwater comes into line with the light on Belvedere, a white tower on the cliff behind Castle Cornet, come onto 220° for a final approach that will leave both Roustel and Bréhon to port and Platte to starboard.
In poor visibility use the Big Russel, which runs between Herm and Sark. It is two miles wide and needs no transits as its sides are clearly marked. At night use the white sector of Noire Pute Beacon as far as the Lower Heads Buoy and then turn north-west up the Little Russel to St Peter Port.
From the west
From the west, Guernsey is best approached south about, giving Les Hanois Lighthouse a wide berth before proceeding along the south coast (keeping more than a mile offshore) and rounding for St Martin's Point, keeping Bréhon open to the east to avoid the rocks south of St Martin's Point.
Please find below information on approaches and recommended navigational transits to Guernsey through the Little Russel. There is also a link to Digimaps AIS to locate and identify vessels around the Channel Islands.
These Charts should be used as guidance only and not be relied upon for navigation. They are no substitute for the latest paper or electronic editions of British Admiralty and Imray Charts.
Guernsey Approaches (North) [647kb] Little Russel Transit & Approaches [492kb] St Peter Port Approaches [579kb]
We recommend you keep a listening watch on VHF Channel 12