Anchorage

Les Hemmes De Marck

Shelter: S, SE
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Open anchorage off a long sand beach between Calais and Gravelines, on the Côte d'Opale in Hauts-de-France.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Shallow approach over a sand bottom, broken by long stretches of hard pan, that dries far out at low water on spring tides. Plan the arrival on a rising tide and sound the way in. The Calais to Dunkerque traffic separation scheme lies just offshore, so cross it at right angles and keep clear of commercial shipping. Open anchorage, protection only from S and SE winds, no shelter from any northerly weather or the heavy swell of the North Sea. The tidal stream runs up to 2 knots and the anchor can be slow to reset, so keep an anchor watch.

Practical

No facilities. Gravelines marina is 3.4 nm south-east through the channel of the Aa river. Calais marina is 7.9 nm west.

Ashore

The beach of Les Hemmes de Marck stretches for several kilometres and is backed by a belt of dunes classified as a Natura 2000 site. A coastal footpath runs along the top of the dunes. The village of Marck lies 3 km inland with basic shops. Fort Vert nature area is 4 km west, a stopover for migratory birds on the Channel flyway.