The creation of a ZMEL
The Chausey archipelago belongs to the public maritime domain and was entrusted to the Conservatoire du littoral in 2007. It is the SyMEL (Syndicat mixte Espaces littoraux de la Manche), which manages it on behalf of the Conservatoire, as is the case for the other sites in the Channel.
" When the Chausey archipelago was awarded to the Conservatoire du littoral, the mission requested was to work on optimising anchorages. It's a reflection that started many years ago." explains Valentin Paillette, Head of SyMEL's technical department.
In 2007, the idea of the Prefect of La Manche was to create a ZMEL (Zone de Mouillages et d'Equipements Légers), i.e. an "zone dedicated to the organised mooring of pleasure craft" on the Domaine Public Maritime. "It is a legal status of a collective organization of pleasure anchorage on Chausey" explains the person in charge of the technical department.
"We had two types of anchorages in Chausey, individual anchorages with individual temporary occupation permits (AOTs) and visitor lines, which were, until recently, maintained by the CCI Ouest Normandie, which manages the Herel marina in Granville" he adds.
Protecting the environment
While the creation of an ZMEL is normally managed by local authorities, on Chausey, it was the Conservatoire du littoral and the SyMEL that took care of it.
"This is not our primary mission. Normally, we are in charge of the management of the natural space, the coast and its protection. But we saw an interest in maintaining a visitor anchorage line in the Sound of Chausey (the channel) to allow boaters to continue to come to the island while protecting the natural environment. There is no perfect shelter on Chausey, since the island is exposed to the winds, but here they are offered comfortable equipment while protecting the archipelago" he adds.
The reception on this fixed equipment in the Chausey channel will therefore make it possible to limit the dispersion of boats throughout the archipelago and in the most fragile areas. A guide presenting good practices for boaters is also proposed by the Conservatory.
"Water quality is important work for us. In collaboration with boaters, we have defined good practices to comply with it, such as highly recommended black water tanks or the discharge of waste water outside the archipelago" explains Valentin Paillette.
Individual anchorages and visitor anchorages
The ZMEL therefore includes all the individual moorings of pleasure craft as well as the lines used to welcome visitors. The capacity of the Sound does not change: 196 individual anchorages and 80 visitor places.
If the fee for individual permanent anchorages does not change, what changes is the visitor fee. The latter will now have to pay a single rate of 10 euros for the night. Packages will be offered to boaters wishing to stay longer: 50 euros for a week, 180 euros for a month and 400 euros for the season.
"The idea is not to make moorings pay, but to ensure the maintenance of this visitor line and its maintenance on the island of Chausey. It is within this framework that the ZMEL was created. The objective is to balance expenses and ensure the maintenance, maintenance and proper functioning of the area." Before adding: "The levy of this fee will only be used for the mooring line and the operation of the ZMEL."
In concrete terms, a seasonal worker will be present on the lake to welcome boaters and collect the fee. "We do not operate on reservation, but we have a large reception capacity with 24 stations each able to accommodate 3 boats."
From quand??
Currently, the line is under construction and will soon be launched with functional equipment (dead bodies, mooring lines, buoys). It is from that moment on that anchorage will become chargeable.
The fee will therefore apply throughout the season, from June to September 2019.
