Barfleur

[JackFrobisher]

The First Mate and I have been discussing our upcoming cruise along the Normandy coast. It's looking like the wind might be SW by the time we come to cross the Channel so to give us a chance of having a decent sail across (i.e. no messing about with tacking and such) I'm considering making our first port of call Barfleur. We went once a few years ago (more than 10 now that I think about it) and it was rather basic, which I don't expect to have changed, but I do recall that the French fisher folk were generally rather grumpy about 'plaisanceurs' tying up to the harbour wall. Nothing sinister or threatening just rather unfriendly and awkward.

Has anyone been recently and can suggest that things might have changed?

 

[Angele]

It is a drying harbour. So, for me (2.1m draft fin keeler) it is no more than a convenient anchorage before/after a Channel crossing.

But, if you don't mind going a further 10nm, you have the delights of Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue.

 

[Bobc]

Why not go to Cherbourg first and stock-up on food and booze from the Carfour, then noodle round the corner the next day.

 

[VicS]

+ 1 for making Cherbourg the first port of call unless you can be sure of getting the tide height right at Barfleur.

Quaint place but don't get stuck in there in a strong NE'ly ..... dont ask!

If you dont like big marinas it is much nicer than Cherbourg or even St-Vaast-La-Hougue.

Carentan is a place not to miss on a Normandy cruise. Isigny-sur-Mer has its charms too.

 

[JackFrobisher]

Thank you all. We will be going to St. Vaast for several days and just planned to go somewhere else, in previous years it was Cherbourg, for a couple of days first. I had been doing some course planning in advance and since the current forecast says the wind is likely to be SW I was looking for a bit more of a reach than a beat from the Solent, by overnighting in Studland and heading for somewhere a bit east of Cherbourg, giving a wind-angle of around 70 degrees. It's all a bit complex for a forecast of a SW wind in a week's time. It could be anything by then...

 

[DJE]

We visited Barfleur but it must be at least 10 years ago now. As I recall there was a sign on the harbour wall saying "Plaissanciers | Pecheurs". On the Pecheurs side the fishing boats were about 5 deep and on the Plaisanciers side they were only one or two deep. But by moving a dinghy which was moored there we manage to clear the last 30 feet or so of wall and tie up to it. Then within half an hour two more British yachts had appeared and rafted outside us! We had a bilge keeler at the time and dried out upright on firm sand with a thick covering of crab shells.

The locals were all very friendly (perhaps the two small blond children we had with us helped). They were surprised to see visiting yachts at all. They said they don't get many as everybody goes to St. Vaast. The town was very pleasant to wonder around with an old church and a lifeboat station to visit. A good selection of retaurants as I recall made for a very pleasant stopover.

 

[LadyInBed]

Thinking of going round by boat, I visited with family by bus from Cherbourg about 30 years ago.
Return bus left from a different place, so we missed it.
We all hitchhiked back - kids were about 5 and 7!
St Vaast is much better.

 

[MJWF]

Visited Barfleur last summer - very nice quiet town - good restaurants - showers in a camp site about 5 mins walk that the harbourmaster will give you directions. Not many yachts in last August and plenty of space on the wall beyond the lifeboat.
Only warning is tide runs strong off the pointe de Barfleur and kicks up some big waves in wind over tide...

 

[Nikia]

+ 1

 

[sailorman]

Thinking of going round by boat, I visited with family by bus from Cherbourg about 30 years ago.
Return bus left from a different place, so we missed it.
We all hitchhiked back - kids were about 5 and 7!
St Vaast is much better.

Unless there is a Regatta on, but the upside is the toilet seat is always nice n warm