The Orkney Image Library
No: 17055 Contributor: John Budge Year: 2006
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We paid a visit to St Malo at the invitation of the French lifeboat service. On the way we stoped to pick up the Cox from St. Hellier who was our pilot.
On the way our friend took us to this place- it is a shallow rocky island group as can be seen in the photo. This was taken at high water- the tide drops 42 feet and this place would be about the size of Orkney at low tide!! Don't ever think we have the most dangerous waters in the World this place gave me the sh**s, cant remember the French name but is knowen as the Minkies.
Where the yacht is at anchor in the photo would be dry 2 hours after we departed also very strong tides flow here and as you can imagine hundreds of ships have ended ashore here.
View Large VersionPicture added on 25 January 2009
Cambridge Uni Wireless Society say : -
Les Minquiers or The Minkies are a large collection of rocks approximately 10 miles south of Jersey. They are part of a reef, which can be seen on clear days at low tide from the southern coast of Jersey. However, Jersey has some of the largest tidal ranges in the world, and only a few of the rocks are permanently above the sea line.
The most significant island is Maîtresse, which is about 50m long and 20m wide. It is steeped in history and has an assortment of around ten stone cottages in various states of repair, including the most southerly toilet in Britain
The Minkies are close to both France and Jersey, but the waters around them are treacherous, and most mariners avoid the entire area, following an extensive network of buoys to avoid the possibility of running aground on the rocks.
www.british-islands.com/diapo-247.php
Around the St Malo area especially at le Mont Saint Michel loads of folk have lost their lives as the tide comes in real quick. One minute your standing with miles of sand around you and then you hear the wave as the tide rushes in around. really quite frightening unless you've got your rubber dingy with you!
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Les Minquiers or The Minkies are a large collection of rocks approximately 10 miles south of Jersey. They are part of a reef, which can be seen on clear days at low tide from the southern coast of Jersey. However, Jersey has some of the largest tidal ranges in the world, and only a few of the rocks are permanently above the sea line.
The most significant island is Maîtresse, which is about 50m long and 20m wide. It is steeped in history and has an assortment of around ten stone cottages in various states of repair, including the most southerly toilet in Britain
The Minkies are close to both France and Jersey, but the waters around them are treacherous, and most mariners avoid the entire area, following an extensive network of buoys to avoid the possibility of running aground on the rocks.
www.british-islands.com/diapo-247.php
Around the St Malo area especially at le Mont Saint Michel loads of folk have lost their lives as the tide comes in real quick. One minute your standing with miles of sand around you and then you hear the wave as the tide rushes in around. really quite frightening unless you've got your rubber dingy with you!
Added by Barbara on 02 February 2009
The Sea
The fishermen from StHellier would go to live on the Minkies in days gone by in the houses in the photo and when it was not weather to fish they would quarry stone and boat it back to Jersey as it was much better than stone to be found on the Channel Isles.