Anchorage· St François· Seychelles
St François Atoll Standby Anchorage (West Reef Edge)
7° 9.0′ S · 52° 43.1′ E · approximate
A settled-weather standby off the west edge of the St François reef, abreast the island of St François, for crews visiting the vast flats and empty beaches by tender. St François is a low ridge covered with coconut palms on the reef, 5.2 nm S of Bijoutier.
Practical
No yacht anchorage is published for St François: the atoll is about 10.5 km by 5 km, two-thirds reef flat, and Pub. 171 (2010) only notes the two palm-covered islands, visible about 12 nm off. Lie off the reef edge in deep water in calm weather and go in by tender; expedition ships land guests over shallow sand flats at St François on the falling tide and could only reach Bijoutier after the tide had risen over the reef flat. Bijoutier is accessible by boat only around high tide, and a Denison/Frank Magazine writer (December 2024) nearly got stranded there. Many shipwrecks litter these reefs. The Canal de la Mort, between here and Alphonse, runs 0.5-2.5 knots even at neaps with a heavy rip at the turn. No fishing (the flats are worked catch-and-release by the Alphonse lodge), and you need IDC permission to land. Coordinate is approximate: about 1 nm W of the island's west shore, just outside the west edge of the OpenStreetMap atoll outline. Sound in and leave at once if the swell rises.
Best for
Tender visits to St François and Bijoutier in calm weather
Season
Calm transition months (April, October-November); not in strong SE trades or NW swell
Nearby
- St François Island Waders and Turtles1.1 NM away
- St François Atoll Flats3 NM away
- Bijoutier Island5 NM away
- Alphonse Lagoon (Dinghy and Tender Only)7.7 NM away
- Alphonse Manta Ray Snorkel7.9 NM away
- Alphonse Island Fly-Fishing8.1 NM away
- Alphonse Island Anchorage (West Side, Off the Reef)8.6 NM away
- Alphonse Island Lodge8.6 NM away