firstascent2002
Well-Known Member
Looking out of the window, at the rain, and wondering what it would be like to keep the boat in northern France...anyone do it? Any recommendations for good marinas?
J (the damp)
J (the damp)
Anyone keep their boat in Brittany?
- Thread starter firstascent2002
- Start date
ksutton
Well-Known Member
It still rains in Brittany.
We left yacht in S Brittany this year for the winter, very good, but will try NW Spain or Portugal for next winter.
Start with this link
http://www.baie-de-quiberon.com/crouesty/index.php3
We left yacht in S Brittany this year for the winter, very good, but will try NW Spain or Portugal for next winter.
Start with this link
http://www.baie-de-quiberon.com/crouesty/index.php3
AIDY
Well-Known Member
it's great if you can get a berth south of brest as it gets better further south you go ! however have you seen the waiting lists 
we did a tour by car of all the marinas south of brest a few years ago down to La Roch and basically i decided that i would be too old to go sailing before i got a berth...
best bet is to go for 3 months in the summer then bring the boat back to the UK
Northern Brittany marina berths are easier to find. couple of full access one's west of St malo now, like st quay.
we did a tour by car of all the marinas south of brest a few years ago down to La Roch and basically i decided that i would be too old to go sailing before i got a berth...best bet is to go for 3 months in the summer then bring the boat back to the UK
Northern Brittany marina berths are easier to find. couple of full access one's west of St malo now, like st quay.
Last edited:
ksutton
Well-Known Member
Yes agree waiting lists are prohibitive for permanent pontoon berths. I spent June to September cruising S Brittany, living on board, sometimes getting good weekly contracts at one base. There are then excellent possibilities for spending October to May out of the water in a boat yard, (not marina), at very competitive rates. Lifting in and out of water is about same cost as UK, but storage is less than half.
It does get busy in July and August and the French marina or rafting up manners can be questionable, they seem to let the very inexperienced loose in bare boat rental yachts.
But I don't think I would ever keep and sail a yacht out of a UK marina again.
Ken
It does get busy in July and August and the French marina or rafting up manners can be questionable, they seem to let the very inexperienced loose in bare boat rental yachts.
But I don't think I would ever keep and sail a yacht out of a UK marina again.
Ken
Cloven
Well-Known Member
Completely disagree with ksutton although I accept he may have had some bad experiences - but you get those in the UK as well. We have been based in Southern Brittany now for 4 seasons and have had a great time with no plans to come back to the UK.
We think Southern Brittany is best but current waiting lists are horrendous if you want a permanent berth. We waited 4 years but were lucky as it coincided with an expansion at the marina. Current waiting lists are often over 10 years and in excess of 20 years in some places!!
It is possible in places to get a 6 month contract but you do not have an allocated berth - i.e. the boat is moved around as places in the marina come vacant. You then have to find winter storage which often has to be booked well in advance.
Worth trying: http://www.sagemor.fr/
as a start and then you can details of each of their marinas.
Good luck.
We think Southern Brittany is best but current waiting lists are horrendous if you want a permanent berth. We waited 4 years but were lucky as it coincided with an expansion at the marina. Current waiting lists are often over 10 years and in excess of 20 years in some places!!
It is possible in places to get a 6 month contract but you do not have an allocated berth - i.e. the boat is moved around as places in the marina come vacant. You then have to find winter storage which often has to be booked well in advance.
Worth trying: http://www.sagemor.fr/
as a start and then you can details of each of their marinas.
Good luck.
ksutton
Well-Known Member
Come on Dave "totally disagree". its well known about July and August, yes you do get them in UK as well, but not the huge quantities that release themselves onto the water during August. Its just something you have to put up with, but I had never been rafted up 7 deep, before without anyone offering to put out shore lines until Brittany last August.
I have a good French friend who takes his yacht out of the water in July and August, Loctudy to be exact.
Playtime
Well-Known Member
I agree with KSutton - the French sailors in July/August have to be seen to be believed! They come at you, le gaffe (boathook) at the ready but without fenders or ropes, 10 of them lining the rail and then hang onto your guardwires and bend your stanchions while they sort out some random bits of tatty string and maybe the odd flat fender if you are lucky!
The last 2 summers we have left the boat in West France (La Rochelle in 2008 and Port la Foret last year) for 5 weeks (mid July to mid August) to miss the worst of the carnage!
Jim@sea
Well-Known Member
Dont forget that if you go to France you have to have a boat licence. Perhaps some visiting boats dont bother, but when I signed up for a mooring they wanted my boat licence (Powerboat 2 etc) and my VHF licence, and took photostats.
tabernacleman
Well-Known Member
waiting list
Hi don't be put off by reports of long waiting lists, there are folk on those lists who found alternative berths many years ago, so when the marina staff contact next on list - zoom - the fingers can skip many pages, - are you prepared for using mooring buoys in the river, usually far less demand - also be prepared to converse in French - the staff will then be more willing to help.
Give it a try, you will be surprised how you can eventually 'squeeze' in and my experience in the summer months, yes busier than spring/autumn, but not as busy as a UK resort all summer, ever tried for a visitor's berth in Pwllheli Marina??
Hi don't be put off by reports of long waiting lists, there are folk on those lists who found alternative berths many years ago, so when the marina staff contact next on list - zoom - the fingers can skip many pages, - are you prepared for using mooring buoys in the river, usually far less demand - also be prepared to converse in French - the staff will then be more willing to help.
Give it a try, you will be surprised how you can eventually 'squeeze' in and my experience in the summer months, yes busier than spring/autumn, but not as busy as a UK resort all summer, ever tried for a visitor's berth in Pwllheli Marina??
Cloven
Well-Known Member
Jim
Interesting. Before we went I got my boat on the SSR register. I also carry all the boat doucumentation - VAT; VHF; SSR; ICC; Insurance etc etc. I have never been asked for anything at all. The marina said they wanted sight of my insurance document when we first went out but they have never asked to see it yet. The only interest the douanes have shown is this season they were checking on boats that were not showing a national flag. We were and they ignored us completely. Sounds like it depends where you are and how officious the locals are.