This is an old favourite with UK sailors, and it’s not hard to see why. Although access is tidal, there’s a large well sheltered marina with plenty of room for visitors, an attractive setting and a pretty town. Time spent chilling out in St Vaast is never wasted.

Approaching from the east there are no problems until you are within a mile and a half of the shore. Identify the fort on the Ile de Tatihou to the east of the town and the Fort de la Hougue to the south and then head in between them making sure that you keep the two south cardinal buoys Le Gavendest and La Dent to starboard as you enter the bay. The entrance to the marina is behind the breakwater and the approach channel dries 1.8m. If the lock is not open, anchor in the area between the two east cardinals Le Bout de Roc and Le Manquet, which is well sheltered from the north and west, to wait for a sufficient rise of tide. Opening times are given on the local website.

Coming from Cherbourg or beyond it’s essential to make sure that the tidal stream is flowing in your direction. This will become obvious as you flash past various fishermen’s buoys almost submerged by the tide racing over them. Give the area north of the Pointe de Barfleur a wide berth — "lumpy seas" notes my mate in his log book (what a wimp!) — and then head down the coast past the Ile de Tatihou until you can round the Gavendest cardinal leaving it to starboard.

The capitainerie is on your right as you enter the marina, and there is usually a sign indicating where visitors should berth. Otherwise contact the harbourmaster on VHF ch 9 or tie up and report.

Once installed enjoy the view or, when the mood takes you, wander the grey stone streets in a leisurely fashion or if feeling more active explore the footpaths and the oyster beds to the north and south of the town.

Best restaurants are the excellent France et Fuchsias (20 rue Maréchal Foch, T 01 33 54 40 41) a little inland from the front, or the simpler La Chasse Marée (8 pl. Gen de Gaulle, T 02 33 23 14 08) on the main roundabout.

For those who can dry out, Barfleur a few miles nearer the headland is an attractive and much quieter alternative. Fin keel boats can in theory dry out alongside a wall, but we haven’t been there ourselves so if you want to give it a try you need to refer to other authorities.

© 2008 Yachtpilot