Any Mast-Up Routes in Brittany

[Jaguar 25]

A while off yet for me but if you crossed the channel to northern Brittany, is there any possibility of using the canals (e.g. Nantes-Brest) without needing to take the mast down.

Cheers,

 

[Tranona]

No. You have to drop the mast at Dinan - and the canal has limited draft.

 

[duncanmack]

+1 what Tranona says.

The Nantes-Brest canal is only navigable in parts. It isn't complete any more.

 

[Cloven]

+1 what Tranona says.

The Nantes-Brest canal is only navigable in parts. It isn't complete any more.

Quite correct. Nantes-Brest canal is only navigable from the Loire to Pontivy and then via the River Blavet to Lorient. The section from Pontivy to Brest was broken by the building of Lac Guerledan for a hydro scheme in the 1950s. There is however a section navigable to the west from Lac Gueledan. None with mast up.

With the mast down, air & water draft permitting, you can pick up a canal at St.Malo which joins the Nantes-Brest at Redon where you can also join the Villaine which is then navigable for about 27km with the mast up to the sea in the Bay of Quiberon. No draft problems for this last section.

 

[DJE]

We looked hard at the Rance-Villaine route but decided that we were borderline for draft and we only draw 1.2m.
Had a good sail round though.

 

[Jaguar 25]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately as I expected.

I have a holiday home in Rochefort en Terre (beautiful village) some 20 miles from Vannes and would like to sail to Vannes (or somewhere else in the area) going around the coast one way and returning via the canals.

There is a You Tube video showing how to step a mast using n A frame on a Catalina 25 (on which the Jaguar is based). Might consider this as it would be useful to be able to step a mast without using the boatyard crane at some £300 for down then up.

 

[Tranona]

There is a derrick on the quay at Dinan but don't know about the other end. Have not done the trip myself, but the original owner of my 26' Eventide did it a couple of times - in the 1960s!

 

[Blueboatman]

I did it some years ago ' to nip off the corner of Brittany' and absolutely delightful it was. The quays are tall enough you can lower a mast without the crane IMO up to say 30ft loa but it is shallow on a couple of bends, v soft mud though..I saw one commercial and maybe 10 hire craft/ sailing boats .
Wonderful, ESP chugging along between the poplars as gales ravage Ouessant

 

[LadyInBed]

There is a derrick on the quay at Dinan but don't know about the other end.

I seem to recall a derrick in the basin at Le Roche Bernard, but last visit was in 98.

 

[Cloven]

I seem to recall a derrick in the basin at Le Roche Bernard, but last visit was in 98.

No derrick at LRB now. Crane available at Arzal marina next to the travel hoist, first stop inside the barrage. Ateliers Navale de la Couronne at LRB may have craning facilities next to their static hoist for smaller boats. Next possibility is Cale de Neptune at Folleux. Finally, I am pretty sure you can drop the mast at Redon which is your last option before the canal, however best check with marina at Redon to be sure or its a long way back!!

 

[Jaguar 25]

Thanks for the info.