A shallow bight surrounded by reefs and shoals, Perpitch provides tolerable shelter from west round through north. Careful daylight navigation with good visibility is necessary to make any approach as there are several outlying ledges that need circumvention. For boats carrying any draft, it can only be accessed at the latter stage of the tide as there is a shallow rocky ledge on the inner approach.
Keyfacts for Perpitch
Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
January 7th 2020 Summary* Restrictions apply
A tolerable location with careful navigation required for access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
49° 57.589' N, 006° 15.942' WThis is in the deepest water close north of the drying tail extending from Chimney Rocks.
What is the initial fix?
The following Perpitch Initial Fix will set up a final approach:
49° 58.113' N, 006° 15.000' W
This is on the alignment of Round Island Lighthouse & the south end of White Island on 273.5° T. What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in southwestern England’s coastal overview from Land's End to Isles of Scilly .
- Steer a course from the northeast to pass midway between Carn Wethers, the eastern extremity of St Martin’s, and the Higher Chimney Rocks.
- Then steer to pass midway between Brandy Point and Chimney Rocks.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Perpitch for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Bread & Cheese Cove - 0.4 nautical miles NNW
- Bull's Porth - 0.5 nautical miles NW
- Higher Town Bay - 0.6 nautical miles WSW
- Tean Sound - 1.6 nautical miles WNW
- Watermill Cove - 1.8 nautical miles SSW
- St Helen's Pool - 2.3 nautical miles WNW
- Old Grimsby - 2.5 nautical miles W
- St Mary's Pool - 3.2 nautical miles SW
- New Grimsby - 3.3 nautical miles W
- Old Town Bay - 3.3 nautical miles SSW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Bread & Cheese Cove - 0.4 miles NNW
- Bull's Porth - 0.5 miles NW
- Higher Town Bay - 0.6 miles WSW
- Tean Sound - 1.6 miles WNW
- Watermill Cove - 1.8 miles SSW
- St Helen's Pool - 2.3 miles WNW
- Old Grimsby - 2.5 miles W
- St Mary's Pool - 3.2 miles SW
- New Grimsby - 3.3 miles W
- Old Town Bay - 3.3 miles SSW
Chart
What's the story here?
Yachts anchored in Perpitch
Image: Spiros and Miri
Image: Spiros and Miri
Perpitch is a small sandy crescent tucked away on the eastern corner of St Martin's between Gun Hill and Brandy Point. Flanked by moderately high ground and surrounded by flats and reefs, that break up the majority of any swell, it provides a reasonable anchorage and a wonderfully protected breach. It is however shallow, 1.2 metres LAT, with a stony ledge of 0.5 metres just before the anchoring area which makes it more suitable for shoal draft vessels.
How to get in?
Perpitch on the eastern corner of St Martin's between Gun Hill and Brandy Point
Image: © Tom Corser 2009 via CC BY-SA 2.0
Image: © Tom Corser 2009 via CC BY-SA 2.0
Use southwestern England’s coastal overview from Land's End to Isles of Scilly for local approaches. The location of the bay can be positively identified from seaward by the red and white banded St Martin's Daymark tower on the 56-metre high summit of Saint Martin's eastern head.
Perpitch as seen from the south
Image: Michael Day via CC BY-SA 2.0
Image: Michael Day via CC BY-SA 2.0
The anchorage must be addressed from the northeast. The initial fix is set in open water northeast of the group on the alignment of Round Island Lighthouse & the south end of White Island on 273.5° T. This alignment clears Hard Lewis Rocks to the east and the ledges northeastward of Saint Martin’s Head immediately westward. It is not necessary to go out into open water and a cut-in to the approach path described, to the north of Higher Chimney, may be achieved by navigating through the Eastern Isles. This requires some careful pilotage, as best seen on a chart.
Brandy Point and Chimney Rocks, left, Carn Wethers and Higher Chimney Rocks,
right
Image: Jonathan Billinger via CC BY-SA 2.0
right
Image: Jonathan Billinger via CC BY-SA 2.0
From the Initial Fix steer to pass midway between Carn Wethers, the eastern extremity of St Martin’s, and the Higher Chimney Rocks, dries to 5.6 metres, about 300 meters offshore in deep water.
Higher Chimney, centre, as seen from Carn Wethers, right, and Hard Lewis Rocks,
left
Image: Michael Harpur
left
Image: Michael Harpur
Then steer to pass midway between Brandy Point and Chimney Rocks. As these points draw abrest the depths start to fall away.
The pass as seen from Brandy Point
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
Chimney Rocks has a tail that extends ¼ of a mile westward to enclose the south end of the anchoring area. The approach is at its most shallow, 0.5 metres LAT, south of Brandy Point.
The tail extending westward from Chimney Rocks
Image: Jonathan Billinger via CC BY-SA 2.0
Image: Jonathan Billinger via CC BY-SA 2.0
Best depths will be found close north of the end of the tail extending from Chimney Rocks, about 100 metres south of the midpoint of an imaginary line joining Gun Hill and Brandy Point.
Yachts anchored off the beach
Image: Spiros and Miri
Image: Spiros and Miri
Anchor according to draft and conditions. Land by tender on the beach.
Why visit here?
They say the only difficult thing about St Martin is deciding which beach to visit on any given day. For this island is not lacking in world-class beaches and Perpitch adds to the list.Secluded Perpitch
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
It stands against some fine competition. On the south coast, there is Lawrence’s Bay that becomes a broad sweep of sand at low tide. The adjacent Higher Town Bay is a long curve backed by sand dunes with the landing quay at its western end. On the north coast is Great Bay. The broad stretch of typical Scillonian pale golden sand backed by grassy dunes and low cliffs that is arguably Scilly’s finest beach. Yet the secluded cove of Perpitch can easily distinguish itself amongst this outstanding competition as it is very different and unique.
Nornour, with Great Ganilly behind, close offshore
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
Sitting on the threshold between the ragged St Martin’s to the north and its cultivated southern shores, it is small and secluded and surrounded by a flush of lush greenery. The prevailing winds are held at bay by Gun Hill and Brandy Point and surrounding ledges and flats calm the waters that fall on its crescent of white quartzite sand. The view offshore is of wonderful opalescent waters and the best views St Martin's has to offer out over the scattered Eastern Isles. From there, most likely, a playful Atlantic Grey seal might even come in for a visit. In short, what is there not to like about this beach?
Atlantic Grey seal in Perpitch
Image: Visit Isles of Scilly
Image: Visit Isles of Scilly
From a boating point of view, it is the beach that is the attraction and it makes for a lovely day anchorage but could serve overnight in fine weather or light northerly conditions possible. But it is shallow with a rocky ledge that making it more suitable for shoal draft vessels.
What facilities are available?
The beach has no facilities, but it is only a short walk to Higher Town.With thanks to:
Michael Harpur, eOceanic.com
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