Falmouth - La Rochelle with a month to get back

alexincornwall

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Hi All,

Next July I plan to take our take our Bowman 40 from Falmouth to La Rochelle with a couple of friends. We’ll complete the passage in one hit with the crew heading home a few days after arrival before my wife and two daughters (12 & 7) fly in. We’ll then spend the next month slowly working our way up the Brittany coast and eventually arrive back at Falmouth 5 weeks later before school kicks off again.

I’ve just picked up the Imray Atlantic France pilot book and there’s some good info to be had from the internet, but I wondered if anyone had any first-hand experience of these cruising grounds and would be happy to throw in their experience of must-visit ports? I’ve sailed North Brittany fairly extensively but never this stretch of Atlantic coast so any nuggets of info or tips would be well received, particularly if they’ve been discovered as part of a family trip with kids.

To preserve our sanity, the general idea is to spend a 1-3 nights in each port and break up the return sail into manageable day sails as the kids, whilst keen sailors, are easily bored. Based on our initial research, we’ve pencilled in La Rochelle & Ile De Re, Les Sables-D’Olonne, Gulf of Morbihan & Vannes (we might spend a bit longer in the area), Concarneau, Brest, Aber Wrac’h and then home.

Many thanks
 
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Lorient has a submarine museum you can visit ( thumbs up from the 13 yr old boy we had with us ) and an Eric Tabarley museum and one of his Pen Duick yachts to visit, which got thumbs up from me. Also there is a great xmas/new year funfair/circus in the centre, (which is assessible by yachts.) Fantastic hi-tech yacht service tradesmen in the old docks

Benodet is a very pleasant little place with lovely forest walks by the river, a friendly well run marina, chandlery and a huge supermarket in walking distance. ( Hot tip:.The marina is the only one (in Europe?) with very large washing machines to take double duvets etc )

Neville Featherstone's Cruising Companion to West France is a charming slightly eccentric pilot/guide book.

L'Aber Benoit has been visited ( by a small gaff cutter in fog) this year and she recommends it, as an interesting change from L'Aber Wrach (which many of us have seen one time too many waiting for wx/tides..)

Rochefort is highly spoken of by a forumite who works there, it looks beautiful and I am trying to hop down there myself, as I have to paint and varnish my boat and am heading down south until I meet the sunshine comiing the other way!
 
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DownWest

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The only catch for port hopping, re: Rochefort, it is a few miles up river and only accessable a bit either side of high tide. Ok for a few days and easy walk to the town centre. Excellent Saturday open market and lots of bits from Napoleon's time. We particularly like museum of Old Commerces, were they stripped out old shops and businesses and installed the bits in a single building. So it is like an arcade from the past.
 

DJE

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We visited Morgat for the first time this season. Despite the worries in the pilot books about access for large yachts we saw several in the 40 to 50 foot range alongside and the other boat with us had no problems with his 2.1m draft. Lovely beaches, pleasant town, and a great coastal footpath to the south of the marina.

Also we managed to get a lift from Vannes to Carnac to visit the prehistoric alignments. Well worth the trip if you haven't seem them before.
 
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doug748

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In La Rochelle I would head for the inner harbour (esp arriving on a weekday) which is right in the centre of things. If your changeover is going to take several days, ask if you can go through to the basin opposite which is a bit quieter but still dead handy. There is loads to do including a usable town beach.
Your crew can take a service bus from the airport, so a cab is not needed, unless they are loaded down with stuff.
St Martin-De-Re inner harbour is grand but a lot of the anchorages in the area can be trouble as the wind is often North dithering in the West and East to catch you out. For this reason do not trust the seasonal pontoon in the entrance which can be tempting. At the S tip of the island there is an useful anchorage with visitors buoys.
Bourgenay is nice but very quiet.
Les Sables' is rather New World but the beaches are great.
All the islands have a grand 1950's Maigret feel. My favourite is Ile De' Yeu. Plus, of course, Glenan which is outsanding in fair conditions. Of the smaller islands, don't miss Houat on any account except hurricane.
Piriac-Sur-Mer is very pretty, out of the usual run, and well worth the visit.
Morbihan is like no other, great.
If you go to Lorient I would use Port Louis which is nice in itself, near to beaches and has regular ferries (which can be made into a round trip by bus) into the city.
The river above Benodet is a bit like the Fal, excellent if you like rustic river anchorages, below the town the bay has good swimming and a fine anchorage for a night.
Loctudy is also a fine place, with ferries across to Ile Tudy, free bikes and a trip by tender up to PontlAbbe if you fancy.
As DJE has said, Morgat is interesting has a kiss-me-quick feel that the kids would like, extensive beaches and a huge bay for anchoring if you prefer.

It's a great area, you could go on for ages and still miss out a lot of outstanding stuff
 

longjohnsilver

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In La Rochelle I would head for the inner harbour (esp arriving on a weekday) which is right in the centre of things. If your changeover is going to take several days, ask if you can go through to the basin opposite which is a bit quieter but still dead handy. There is loads to do including a usable town beach.
Your crew can take a service bus from the airport, so a cab is not needed, unless they are loaded down with stuff.
St Martin-De-Re inner harbour is grand but a lot of the anchorages in the area can be trouble as the wind is often North dithering in the West and East to catch you out. For this reason do not trust the seasonal pontoon in the entrance which can be tempting. At the S tip of the island there is an useful anchorage with visitors buoys.
Bourgenay is nice but very quiet.
Les Sables' is rather New World but the beaches are great.
All the islands have a grand 1950's Maigret feel. My favourite is Ile De' Yeu. Plus, of course, Glenan which is outsanding in fair conditions. Of the smaller islands, don't miss Houat on any account except hurricane.
Piriac-Sur-Mer is very pretty, out of the usual run, and well worth the visit.
Morbihan is like no other, great.
If you go to Lorient I would use Port Louis which is nice in itself, near to beaches and has regular ferries (which can be made into a round trip by bus) into the city.
The river above Benodet is a bit like the Fal, excellent if you like rustic river anchorages, below the town the bay has good swimming and a fine anchorage for a night.
Loctudy is also a fine place, with ferries across to Ile Tudy, free bikes and a trip by tender up to PontlAbbe if you fancy.
As DJE has said, Morgat is interesting has a kiss-me-quick feel that the kids would like, extensive beaches and a huge bay for anchoring if you prefer.

It's a great area, you could go on for ages and still miss out a lot of outstanding stuff

You’ve saved me posting almost exactly my same thoughts! So many great places to see and enjoy. 5 weeks is never enough but certainly long enough to get a good feel for the area.
 

alexincornwall

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That's very useful, thank you very much for the input thus far.

I'll spend some more time researching but any further pointers will be more than welcome!
 

Fr J Hackett

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Ile de Ré is a must

Ile de Groix

Ile d'yeu

Houat and Hoedic

Lorient is worth a stop if you can get a berth up in the city it is better than one in the big marina just after the entrance.

Pornic is OK but give pornichet a miss soulless place as is Sables

Concarneau and Benodet and the Glenans

Audierne

Ushant I preferred Lampaul but others Baie du Stiff

You will probably find that the winds have an element of North in them on the way back.
 

zazu

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A great trip. We did something identical this year albeit in a motor boat. Forgive me but I did sail for 30 years.
We went from Poole to Guernsey to Crouesty to La Rochelle and then cruised back very slowly.

As people say get into the inner basin in La Rochelle. The outer marina holds 3000 boats and is soulless. I found the Harbourmaster's very helpful and created a berth for us right next to the town wall. Great atmosphere.

It was all helped when they found out my crew was called Brian. They could not stop laughing for 5 minutes. Apparently when they were at school all their French to English books feature a character vcalled Brian. After that we were best friends.

We cycled out to Ile de Re, a beautiful island. But I did notice the 2 marinas were quite small and virtually full so not sure whether we would have got a berth.

Then we went to St Gilles Croix de Vie, Pornichet, Piriac, Crouesty, Morbihan, Vannes, Port la Foret, L'Aberwrach, Paimpol, St Malo, Dinan, Guernsey, Poole.

A great trip. You will love it. I would like to do it again next year but I have to say the fuel cost was quite high !
 

dunedin

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Great trip. We enjoyed visiting as many of the islands as possible - Olonne, Re, Yeu, Houat, Hoedic, Glenans etc. Lovely.
Belle Isle itself is lovely, but even in April the harbour was rafted 7 deep and the melee to enter the lock was highly competitive - lovely island, but worst harbour experience.
Vannes definitely essential - we did Morbihan at full peak spring tide, but as we are used to Corryvrekan it was not too scary. If not used to such tides best done first at neaps.
Enjoy.
 

westhinder

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Be aware that everywhere will be a lot busier from the 14th of July to the 15th of August as that is the French peak holiday season. Almost everyone in Paris seems to have a holiday home on the South Brittany coast.
Some good suggestions above, I would add these: Belle Isle, definitely, but prefer Sauzon as a port (raft on buoys outside if you cannot take the ground, and it will be packed anyway) and if there is no swell, at least have a look at Ster Wenn, a small fjord-like Inlet on the NW tip of the island.
As an alternative to Benodet there is Sainte Marine on the opposite bank of the river, quieter and much prettier than Benodet. If you choose Benodet, beware the ebb current that rushes through the marina.
And do not skip the Glénans, they are simply gorgeous.
 

vociferousMeldrew

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+1

As an alternative to Benodet there is Sainte Marine on the opposite bank of the river, quieter and much prettier than Benodet.
I agree with that and have fond memories of eating out at the cluster of waterside restaurants around the inlet on the Sainte Marine side. Swmbo took the small ferry over to the Benodet a couple of times so both can be experienced.

Belle Isle, definitely, but prefer Sauzon as a port (raft on buoys outside
And again this is also my preference. The other main port on the island felt congested and airless in comparison to Sauzon.

If the weather is unsettled then Quiberon Bay offers sheltered sailing and short passages between ports.

As mentioned elsewhere the tidal currents within the Golf De Morbihan are scary at half spring tide even to a seasoned Channel Island sailor.
 

DownWest

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Couple of things at Le Bono, up the Aurey river. One can walk to some ancient burial tumulae (signs near the port) and Motessiere's grave is in the cemetary. Very simple rough stone, but all over the plot are shells and other items left by admirers.
Take a torch if you want to go into the tumulae, they spiral round under the mound. The age is only guessed at.
 
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dk

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Agree with all the recommendations so far. Would also like to recommend a stop at Douarnenez (opposite Morgat), especially if its classics week (although it'll be packed) and at least a few days in the Rade de Brest (Cameret, Brest, R Aulnen) on your way back.
I Houat is our favourite island in S Britanny BTW. Also, anchor off I d'Arz in the Morbihan, one of the few anchorages left in the Morbihan. Gotta really watch the tides there though - we entered at 14kn on tickover and were immediately thrown into the path of racing yachts with spinnakers hoisted headed straight down on us.
 

Quiddle

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A great trip. We did something identical this year albeit in a motor boat. Forgive me but I did sail for 30 years.
We went from Poole to Guernsey to Crouesty to La Rochelle and then cruised back very slowly.

As people say get into the inner basin in La Rochelle. The outer marina holds 3000 boats and is soulless. I found the Harbourmaster's very helpful and created a berth for us right next to the town wall. Great atmosphere.

It was all helped when they found out my crew was called Brian. They could not stop laughing for 5 minutes. Apparently when they were at school all their French to English books feature a character vcalled Brian. After that we were best friends.

We cycled out to Ile de Re, a beautiful island. But I did notice the 2 marinas were quite small and virtually full so not sure whether we would have got a berth.

Then we went to St Gilles Croix de Vie, Pornichet, Piriac, Crouesty, Morbihan, Vannes, Port la Foret, L'Aberwrach, Paimpol, St Malo, Dinan, Guernsey, Poole.

A great trip. You will love it. I would like to do it again next year but I have to say the fuel cost was quite high !

I think we may have met briefly in Vannes - you led us out as our depth instrument was kaput?
 

TSB240

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Ile de Ré is a must

Ile de Groix

Ile d'yeu

Houat and Hoedic

Lorient is worth a stop if you can get a berth up in the city it is better than one in the big marina just after the entrance.

Pornic is OK but give pornichet a miss soulless place as is Sables

Concarneau and Benodet and the Glenans

Audierne

Ushant I preferred Lampaul but others Baie du Stiff

You will probably find that the winds have an element of North in them on the way back.

Love all the above but you have missed Belle Isle but avoid the crowd at La Palais. Suazon best if you can dry but don't miss this jewel out.

We loved venturing up all areas of Morbihan . Tides no worse than our home ground!

We also explored the Villaine above the locked barrage at Arzal. La Roche interesting. Plenty of good eateries there and in more rustic locations. Free to visit all marinas for water and electricity and go shopping during day. Plenty of free anchorages and Riverside pontoons for nightime.

This was a river break and ideal during an extended period of unsettled weather. When it was hot it was very hot!

We are hoping to return this year with an extended Celtic Cruise from Wales taking in Eire, the Cork 300 year anniversary, the Scillies, The Glenans and on down to Morbihan.

Don't worry about it being crowded we never found it a problem despite having to visit at main holiday time. I think a lot of French boats do the opposite cruise now and make enough space for us!

Friendliest visits and people were at Audierne, La Trinite and Foleux. The welcome from fellow Celts made much better by flying the Breton flag higher than the National visiting flag!

I still have a card and hear from a French guy we met . He was a marine engineer. He presented a business card after a long evening chatting in each others cockpits drinking best French wine and the best part of a bottle of Islay Malt.
He left us to carry on with our holiday saying that we would be in easy driving distance if we had any emergency on board or needed to get home in a rush.

Amazing generosity of spirit and friendship.

Parisians are a separate breed.

Steve
 
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