St Pierre Pill

Guide/Book Page

St Pierre Pill

Admiralty Chart 1166

Local high water - Avonmouth + 15 min.

 

There are dragons in this part of Wales but don’t worry the majority of the women are quite lovely.

Shelter at St Pierre Pill is excellent. At the very top of a high spring tide with a S gale, the moorings can become a little choppy but are still very safe.

Don't be put off by the cautions on the Admiralty chart! Boats have been safely navigating the upper reaches of the Severn Estuary since Roman times. The careful sailor should have no problems providing he obeys two local rules. (A) Don't try to make a passage against the tide and (B) do not sail outside the HW + 2 hrs to HW -2 hrs window up river of Avonmouh without local knowledge.

From Avonmouth pierhead go up the ‘Shoots’ between 2 hrs and half an hour before local high water. The channel is clearly marked, and has leading lights on both the Avonmouth and the Welsh shore. When you approach the Charston light after passing under the bridge, you have a decision to take. Locals leave Charston a decent distance to starboard and keep the same heading towards the Welsh coast until mid distance between the Charston light and the coast. At this point, turn to starboard and the entrance to St Pierre pill will be clear in front of you. Alternatively, you can leave Charston to port following the shipping channel up river until you are past the end of Charston sands and can turn inshore to punch the tide back down to St Pierre. As the River Wye water tends to flow down this channel during the flood, there is comparatively little tide.

There are leading marks (reflective triangles) to guide you into the entrance of the pill. Don't cut the corner - there is a steep spit extending from the Eastern side of the entrance, but this is marked by withies. Once you see the moored boats in front of you, turn to leave them close on your port side. Bilge keelers can moor to either pontoon, fin keelers are advised to take the port hand pontoon as viewed from the entrance

The moorings dry 3/4 hrs after local HW, with a bottom of varying depths of soft clean mud. Do not enter the moorings at night without local knowledge. If departing down river, leave up to HW + 1 hrs. If going up river to Sharpness, you can leave as soon as you float on neaps but don't go too early on springs- you will have a fast tide under you. On a 14.4m (Avonmouth), it may take only an hour to reach Lydney or Sharpness and the entrance to the Gloucester Canal. If going to Thornbury Sailing Club at Oldbury on Severn, leaving when you float will get you to TSC as their activities are starting.