Cruising in the English Channel: season, routes and crew
Short passages between the south coast of England and France. This page gives the season and the usual passages from named sources, and the formalities for UK crew with the authorities that set them.
Season
- Typical May to September is the most settled period for sailing in the English Channel.Source: Yachting Monthly (article or trade press), seen 1 October 2026.
Typical routes
- Typical Passages run from the UK south coast to Brittany and Normandy, and from the Solent to Cherbourg.Source: Yachting Monthly (article or trade press), seen 1 October 2026.
Entry rules to check
- Since Brexit, UK citizens are non-EU travellers in the Schengen area. Entering or leaving the UK by pleasure craft requires a pleasure craft report through the online sPCR (Border Force and HMRC).Source: GOV.UK (organiser or official source), seen 1 October 2026. Check with GOV.UK: sailing a pleasure craft to and from the UK before you rely on it.
- Visa-exempt non-EU nationals may stay in the Schengen area for at most 90 days in any rolling 180 days. Arrival and departure days count. A passport must also have been issued within the last ten years and be valid for three months after leaving.Source: European Commission (organiser or official source), seen 1 October 2026. Check with European Commission: Schengen area before you rely on it.
Check your own passport and your own days with the authority before you travel.
Organisers and authorities to check with:
Last checked 1 October 2026. The facts above come from the sources linked beside each one. We have not opened every source page ourselves; check with the organiser before you rely on it. Dates, fees, deadlines and entry rules change, and only the organiser or the authority can state them.
Open passages
No passage is open here right now. If you are a captain, you can be the first to post one.