Normandy Coast

paul salliss

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Apologies if this has been requested a few times. Am planning to go to St Vaast soon, what would be the best marinas / ports in that region to explore over a one week period please, short hops is what we are after on a alternate day basis if possible.
Do you have to book a long way in advance please?
 

IDAMAY

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On that particular bit of coast, I can only speak for Cherbourg and St Vaast itself. Outside of the very busy times and unless your boat is over 60 feet, I doubt you would need to book. Cherbourg is great for picking up supplies, especially wine and the Yacht Club used to be pretty good. Otherwise, and apart from being the shortest crossing from the Solent, IMHO it doesn`t have a lot to recommend it. St Vaast is lovely but, unlike Cherbourg is tidally restricted. It`s a short hop between the two but beware the race off the Barfleur light, especially in any wind over tide conditions. It`s potentially a nasty spot.
 

Sandy

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Really depends on what you are looking for. There are several fantastic pilot books on the market, I don't rate the Shell Channel Guide, and a plethora of internet sites.

I usually call a marina 24 hours before arrival as that allows for change of plans.
 

paul salliss

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Really depends on what you are looking for. There are several fantastic pilot books on the market, I don't rate the Shell Channel Guide, and a plethora of internet sites.

I usually call a marina 24 hours before arrival as that allows for change of plans.

I hear you re the Shell pilot books, what do you like please?
 

madabouttheboat

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Apologies if this has been requested a few times. Am planning to go to St Vaast soon, what would be the best marinas / ports in that region to explore over a one week period please, short hops is what we are after on a alternate day basis if possible.
Do you have to book a long way in advance please?

Where are you staritng from/hoping to get back to on this side of the Channel?
 

MickeyP

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Don’t forget you will have to check in & out of Ports of Entry. St Vaast isn't one of them unfortunately

You could go direct to Cherbourg to check in. Then to St Vaast and return to Cherbourg to check out or carry on from St Vaast & check out at Honfleur, or Caen.

Going the other way Dielette & Carteret are Ports of Entry.
 

paul salliss

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Don’t forget you will have to check in & out of Ports of Entry. St Vaast isn't one of them unfortunately

You could go direct to Cherbourg to check in. Then to St Vaast and return to Cherbourg to check out or carry on from St Vaast & check out at Honfleur, or Caen.

Going the other way Dielette & Carteret are Ports of Entry.
Don’t forget you will have to check in & out of Ports of Entry. St Vaast isn't one of them unfortunately

You could go direct to Cherbourg to check in. Then to St Vaast and return to Cherbourg to check out or carry on from St Vaast & check out at Honfleur, or Caen.

Going the other way Dielette & Carteret are Ports of Entry.
Have heard about this, need to stress I have not started planning this trip just yet, but would you be kind enough to expand on what this is all about please
 

Elessar

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Apologies if this has been requested a few times. Am planning to go to St Vaast soon, what would be the best marinas / ports in that region to explore over a one week period please, short hops is what we are after on a alternate day basis if possible.
Do you have to book a long way in advance please?

Arramaches anchor for lunch in a mulberry harbour
Caen via the canal and under Pegasus bridge.
Trouvile
Then the jewel. Honfleur.
 

girlofwight

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It’s getting on for a 15 years since we cruised that area, and then we were raggies.

We crossed Cowes to Le Harve, cruised west, then Cherbourg to Cowes home. All at 5kn.

As I recall we were going wrong way, in that HWs get later going East, so going West we had a narrow window to move on the same tide. Heading East is easier, MoBo speed even easier :)

St Vaast is pleasant, and if you can check in there not a bad landing spot, so long as you get tide right for entrance.

Going East,
- Carentan - cruise up the canal lovely quiet spot.
- Courseulles sur Mar is a berthing bun fight but lovely. It would be my first choice, but I’d only relax when alongside (busy, not much manoeuvring space)
- Caen is worth the journey; Ouistreham not a lot there.
- Deauville pleasant
- Honfleur - we were lucky and got into the inner basin

Going West, well having got around the Cherbourg peninsula, Diellete and Cartaret are pleasant but victualling is limited. Granville is under rated - absolutely lovely. Of course you’ve got the usual suspects in Channel Islands and St Malo.

Personally if I was going to St Vaast I’ld head east, Courseeulles probably, then Caen, then Deauville or Honfleur.

Lots of options!
 

ashtead

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Was in st vaast in July 2020 -they were more worried about wearing masks on entry to the restaurant in case any local plod were watching and fined them. Some lovely French situations on the ferry dukw for example where everyone wore masks but not a mask in use on scramble to return. Anyway the way we do it is cherbourg from either Portsmouth or Lymington and then when you have stocked up on supplies to extent needed then on to stvaast arriving about 1 hour before HW . Beware of erratic fishing boats and unmarked lobster pots which are greatest challenges.
on berthing it’s rather randomn-once we went into a residents berth as they were gone away- pointed out as free by local bertholders, most recently just went on the 12-14m berths. Just be aware local fishing boats can make some wash/noise as leaving at6am . Town itself has some quality restaurants but booking is essential we found. Proper supermarkets in short supply but the local equivalent of Fortnums is worth a visit. I would say 3 days in st vaast is enough but some do spend a week there. If going again we would take some bikes ? I think . Prices of berthing seem reasonable but shower facilities limited but functional in block by entry sill. The is a street market on Saturday mornings worth seeing. If all else fails some cheap pizza places on front.
 

jointventureII

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With a solent start/finish point and 1 week, I would head for St Vaast, getting tide times right of course, then head west. Cherbourg, Carteret, Jersey/Guernsey. Could add St Malo in if you are the type that likes to keep moving.

Quite a lot for a week but if the weather plays ball then why the hell not. Stick Granville in there too (Carteret might be quite quiet). Pop into the Ecrehous, avoid St Helier as the marina is having all the pontoons changed.
 

st599

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Just been reading that you can now enter through any port this policy appears to have been updated ?

The CA said there was a trial running in Le Havre region to allow access via an email exchange - I haven't seen anythong about it going Nationwide in France yet. St Vaast comes under Cherbourg, I think, and therefore wasn't part of the trial. Would be good if it had rolled out Nationwide. (It has in Belgium)

The UK's fabled app for doing this hasn't materialised, so it's now semi automated via a form, unless you have someone holding a non-British passport on board, when it's not automated at all and you have to ring Border Force on a number they haven't told us, to get permission to enter the 12 mile limit.
 

Bandit

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The Guernsey company Digimap GG , the owner is a boating nut and he has put together this website from scratch with input from many others as well. Its a good resource. Marinas – digimap.gg

St Vast is Ok, Courseuilles is Nice, Deauville is good and Honfleur.
 

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