Brittany in July -Crowded Marinas?

SAWDOC

SAWDOC

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Morning All,

We are planning to sail to Brittany in July with planned stops in Lorient, Belle Ile, Auderne and Camaret.
I have the "Secret Anchorages of Brittan " book to assist when marinas are crowded as one would expect in July - However not having sailed there before, I would appreciate any comments on the above ports from anyone who has visited recently.

Thanks in advance
 
In most places you will have no problems, sometimes you will be asked to raft but that's all.
Places that get filled up quickly are Groix, also Sauzon and Palais in Belle Ile, the marina people usually try hard to accomodate everyone, you have plenty of anchorages all around anyway.
You may try double watch on channel 9 as a few ports (ex Palais) make a general announcement "à tous les plaisanciers, le port est complet".
Ah, sometimes the smaller ports become so crowded that it's better not to count too much on an early morning departure, as there may be 1-2-3 other boats which have to leave before you can untie your lines.
Enjoy :)
 
I keep my boat in southern Brittany and I have only been turned away from marinas there when they have a large rally there.

But my boat is a classic, and quite small, so marina staff are always helpful in finding me a space; even in July and August. Although, I have been tucked in some odd corners that have had me wondering how I would get out again! :D

It also helps to be polite. Some British people (especially women) are a bit rude to marina staff.
 
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We visit in the last two weeks in July (Bastille Day is a brilliant opportunity to use old flares). Never been a problem. August is the month the French go on holiday, the place gets busy and the prices of everything goes up. A bit like Devon and Cornwall.
 
Spent three months there in 2017, never really had any problem except when a weekend race came in at Port Joinville, everyone in the race rammed in, we were lucky on a finger berth but we'd been there for a couple of days - still not as bad as St Peter Port on the way back though. As time moved into July we found the best plan was to get somewhere early afternoon to get a decent berth.
Should add that French guys as ever are friendly but do have a somewhat cavalier attitude to rafting, I think getting the beers or wine out seemed more important sometimes than boat security...
 
Kind of depends on your “norm” and what you consider “busy”. Coming from a Solent norm it probably feels different compared to coming from an Ireland or Scottish norm :)

I would have thought it would be busy after mid July - some place were already crowded and rafting when we went round in May 2015. Belle Isle is manic at all times. We were rafted 7 deep in April! Lovely island though when get away from the marina crowds.

To be honest we found the “Secret Anchorages of Britanny” book of little use. Most of the “secret” places are in all the other pilot guides, and many are now filled with visitor moorings and / or only for shallower draft boats.
By contrast we found the RCC Pilotage Foundation Atlantic France to be essential/brilliant, the Cruising Companions for West France and North Britanny excellent complements, and the Shell Channel Pilot fairly useful (but attempts to cover to wide an area to be as good as the others). (NV chart packs also excellent)
Enjoy your cruise
 
dunedin said:
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To be honest we found the “Secret Anchorages of Britanny” book of little use. Most of the “secret” places are in all the other pilot guides, and many are now filled with visitor moorings and / or only for shallower draft boats.
By contrast we found the RCC Pilotage Foundation Atlantic France to be essential/brilliant, the Cruising Companions for West France and North Britanny excellent complements, and the Shell Channel Pilot fairly useful (but attempts to cover to wide an area to be as good as the others). (NV chart packs also excellent)
Enjoy your cruise
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Thanks
We have a mixture of NV charts and Imray as well as the publications listed in your post so hopefully things are coming together well.
 
We sailed down the West Coast last July and were always squeezed in somewhere, in Camaret there can be a number of boats waiting to cross Biscay and so it can get a bit full if the weather causes hold ups, but there are also mooring buoys, and space to anchor, while waiting a space in the marina. Brest marinas are not too far away if you want a berth. Lorient will squeeze you in somewhere but arriving at rush hour on a Sunday evening can be exciting as everybody arrives at the same time after racing etc. Belle Ile is crowded when the weather is good for anchoring in the vicinity.

If you are very keen to have a good berth in a marina arrive earlier than the crowd.
 
Last year we did CI a and north Brittany starting in June. We noticed that come July marinas, moorings and Anchorage were a lot busier/full than June and this was before the UK school holidays started.
 
Boathook said:
Last year we did CI a and north Brittany starting in June. We noticed that come July marinas, moorings and Anchorage were a lot busier/full than June and this was before the UK school holidays started.
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Agreed; moreover, I get the impression the second half of July is much much busier that the first.
 
Berthed in S Brittany for 5 years and never failed to get into a marina. But you may may be rafted 4 deep and don't count on electricity, with 6A supplies often failing to supply one boat's demand.
 
Several visits to this area, as far South as La Rochelle and a bit beyond. For us, the big problems were always Rallies.

We learnt to get any marina we were leaving to tell us if they knew of a Rally at our chosen port. Lots of posters/signs on marina offices to help. We have been chucked out of small marinas when they had a big pre-booked group coming.
 
Sandy said:
We visit in the last two weeks in July (Bastille Day is a brilliant opportunity to use old flares). Never been a problem. August is the month the French go on holiday, the place gets busy and the prices of everything goes up. A bit like Devon and Cornwall.
Click to expand...

the prices of cornwall always goes up its not seasonal lol
 
We cruised Brittany down as far as Ile Glenans for 4 weeks through July last year.

Got in every where we wanted to, found marina staff very helpful, although very few had a dory out to meet incoming boats ...it's was a question of either radioing in or tying up somewhere and popping to the office,,they almost always found a way of squeeezing us in.

The key point is rallies:: a previous poster mentioned Tours Des Portes, which is Normandy, I've done that event, well over
100 boats. Fills each of the marinas on the tour when they arrive. Quite a sight!

There are a couple of rallies in July in Brittany., we realised they were around from posters in the offices. We worked out how to avoid them, they we did cross through the fleet at the entrance to Chenel de Fours...it worked out rather better then I feared as we converged....

They only stop 1 night in each port, it's definitely worth working out where they are so you arrive the day before or the day after.
 
SAWDOC said:
Morning All,

We are planning to sail to Brittany in July with planned stops in Lorient, Belle Ile, Auderne and Camaret.
I have the "Secret Anchorages of Brittan " book to assist when marinas are crowded as one would expect in July - However not having sailed there before, I would appreciate any comments on the above ports from anyone who has visited recently.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

My boat is at Lorient and has been for nearly 30 years. I have never reserved and have never had a (serious) problem.
 
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