Checking out a new anchorage

During our 2015 visit to Chausey, we noticed that several local yachts favoured an anchorage close to Aneret, where the chart shows a deep pool (more than 3m depth below Chart Datum) largely surrounded by islands that should offer a useful degree of protection from swell.

However, getting in and out looked problematic because the entrance from the south was a narrow gap between drying rocks, there were no beacons or other navigation aids and none of the pilot books mentioned the place. Fortunately, rock heads on either side of the entrance were charted as drying by 12.9m and 13.3m (see chartlet), and since MHWS is 13.0m they would be exposed to view at most times, to serve as visible gate posts. However, the chart also showed another patch of rock between those two heads, which narrowed the gap to about 30 metres and had no drying height given.