Raz de Sein
Encyclopedia
The Raz de Sein is a stretch of water located between the Isle of Sein
and the Pointe du Raz
in Finistère
in the Brittany region of France
.
This tidal water is an essential passage for vessels wishing to pass between the Atlantic
and the English Channel
, because further west at high tide
the Isle of Sein and its embankment stretch for more than thirty mile
s.
This is a very dangerous zone for navigation due to the violent sea currents from the tide
s (up to six knots during the spring tides). The current causes the sea to rise quickly, and it is recommended that heavy vessels should only attempt to cross this strait at still water during calmer conditions.
The Raz de Sein is bounded by the La Vieille
and Petite Vieille lighthouse
s and by the shoreline of the île de Sein
.
died while fishing for sea bass
on his ship Liberté. The skipper of the boat, Guillaume Normant, also lost his life in the accident. The boat was found two days later with no apparent damage, roughly 15 km from the Île de Sein.
State Lighthouse "Enez-Sun" dated April 19, 2009 ;
Île de Sein
The Île de Sein is a French island in the Atlantic Ocean, off Finistère, 8 kilometres from the Pointe du Raz , from which it is separated by the Raz de Sein. Its Breton name is Enez Sun...
and the Pointe du Raz
Pointe du Raz
The Pointe du Raz is a promontory that extends into the Atlantic from western Brittany, in France. The local Breton name is Beg ar Raz. It is the western point of the commune of Plogoff, Finistère....
in Finistère
Finistère
Finistère is a département of France, in the extreme west of Brittany.-History:The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning end of the earth, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel...
in the Brittany region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
This tidal water is an essential passage for vessels wishing to pass between the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, because further west at high tide
High Tide
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill , Simon House , Peter Pavli and Roger Hadden .-History:...
the Isle of Sein and its embankment stretch for more than thirty mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
s.
This is a very dangerous zone for navigation due to the violent sea currents from the tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
s (up to six knots during the spring tides). The current causes the sea to rise quickly, and it is recommended that heavy vessels should only attempt to cross this strait at still water during calmer conditions.
The Raz de Sein is bounded by the La Vieille
La Vieille
La Vieille is a lighthouse in the département of Finistère at the commune of Plogoff, on the northwest coast of France. It lies on the rock known as Gorlebella , guiding mariners in the strait Raz de Sein, across from the companion lighthouse Tourelle de la Plate—also known as Petite Vieille...
and Petite Vieille lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s and by the shoreline of the île de Sein
Île de Sein
The Île de Sein is a French island in the Atlantic Ocean, off Finistère, 8 kilometres from the Pointe du Raz , from which it is separated by the Raz de Sein. Its Breton name is Enez Sun...
.
Maritime disasters
On May 26, 2006, Édouard MichelinÉdouard Michelin (born 1963)
Édouard Michelin , was managing partner and co-chief executive of the Michelin Group. He was the great-grandson of Édouard Michelin , a co-founder of the company....
died while fishing for sea bass
European seabass
The European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, also known as Morone labrax, is a primarily ocean-going fish that sometimes enters brackish and fresh waters. It is also known as the sea dace...
on his ship Liberté. The skipper of the boat, Guillaume Normant, also lost his life in the accident. The boat was found two days later with no apparent damage, roughly 15 km from the Île de Sein.
External links
State Lighthouse "la VIEILLE" dated April 19, 2009 ;State Lighthouse "Enez-Sun" dated April 19, 2009 ;