Brittany Marina recommendation

[Bradders]

Thanks very much for all your replies, I’m looking at Northern Brittany initially and am looking 1-2 years ahead when I’m looking to retire, so wanted to start planning and was hoping in that time Brexit rules regarding VAT etc would become clearer

 

[Bradders]

Jersey … now that’s a thought !

 

[doug748]

Jersey … now that’s a thought !

The locals are saying that there is a big waiting list for moorings, 5 years one said. This may be true for Ribs and smaller boats and not for larger yachts, don't know.
I do know that the visitor pontoons in Sr Helier are packed with smaller boats; no doubt the marina thinks (understandably) it is better to have small boat business rather than none at all. However it is a bit of a facer, seeing prime visitor slots filled with 4m speedboats.

My pick for a marina berth in N Brittany would, without doubt, be Roscoff. Lovely town, great beaches and swimming. You can walk straight off the ferry, the marina is pretty new, very spacious, has free bikes, chandlers and bar with basic food. Two rivers to inspect with a great trip up to Morlaix and the marvellous Ile de Batz on the doorstep, sheltered sailing if you want it. Plus loads of destinations within a day's sail or two days to Brest.

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[DJE]

My pick for a marina berth in N Brittany would, without doubt, be Roscoff. Lovely town, great beaches and swimming. You can walk straight off the ferry, the marina is pretty new, very spacious, has free bikes, chandlers and bar with basic food. Two rivers to inspect with a great trip up to Morlaix and the marvellous Ile de Batz on the doorstep, sheltered sailing if you want it. Plus loads of destinations within a day's sail or two days to Brest.

I second that. We visited twice in 2019 and couldn't fault the place. It's a bit of a hike to town but there was a free bus service when we were there.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks very much for all your replies, I’m looking at Northern Brittany initially and am looking 1-2 years ahead when I’m looking to retire, so wanted to start planning and was hoping in that time Brexit rules regarding VAT etc would become clearer

The rules on boats and VAT are very clear - even if the method of monitoring and implementation by EU states is not. So for the foreseeable future you need to factor into your plans leaving the EU every 18 months if your boat is UK VAT paid and you don't want to pay EU VAT. The only thing that might change is the Schengen rules for individuals. Optimists hope that once the NI Protocol and Fishing issues are resolved HMG might turn its attention to negotiating more flexible arrangements for UK visitors to the Schengen areas.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Thanks very much for all your replies, I’m looking at Northern Brittany initially and am looking 1-2 years ahead when I’m looking to retire, so wanted to start planning and was hoping in that time Brexit rules regarding VAT etc would become clearer

The staff of Roscoff Marina are incredibly warm and helpful - I had great experiences with Brittany marinas in general, mind you - and there's a good ferry service to right next door. A few Brits keep their boats there - compared to S Coast prices it is mind-bogglingly cheap.

 

[Laminar Flow]

The locals are saying that there is a big waiting list for moorings, 5 years one said. This may be true for Ribs and smaller boats and not for larger yachts, don't know.
I do know that the visitor pontoons in Sr Helier are packed with smaller boats; no doubt the marina thinks (understandably) it is better to have small boat business rather than none at all. However it is a bit of a facer, seeing prime visitor slots filled with 4m speedboats.

My pick for a marina berth in N Brittany would, without doubt, be Roscoff. Lovely town, great beaches and swimming. You can walk straight off the ferry, the marina is pretty new, very spacious, has free bikes, chandlers and bar with basic food. Two rivers to inspect with a great trip up to Morlaix and the marvellous Ile de Batz on the doorstep, sheltered sailing if you want it. Plus loads of destinations within a day's sail or two days to Brest.

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Yes, if you are simply looking for a parking lot for your boat. We have been there several times. The marina is soul less in a modern kind of way and, if you are berthed further out, it can be a formidable walk until you reach dry land, additionally, the vigorous cross currents in the harbour will test your docking skills. During tourist season the town is very busy and it is a quite a ways, and certainly on foot, to the next boulangerie. I'm not sure they are particularly friendly in comparison to other marinas in the area - we must have been one of the first boats in Roscoff when it opened, or one of the first that had managed to dock in spite of the currents, but they went pretty nazi on my ten year old son for hanging his fishing rod off the empty docks. It didn't strike me as particularly "family friendly" at the time. We prefer to dry out in the old harbour, for the grand total of 5 euros a night,(power included), and enjoy the charming and historic backdrop of the town instead.
We kept our boat in Morlaix for three years and we much prefered that to Roscoff. If you are not continuously near or on your boat, I would always recommend a smaller community, were the harbour master and your boat neighbours know you and will keep an eye on your boat.

Last note, Ile de Brehat beats Batz by a mile for sheer scenic splendour.

 

[Lightwave395]

Yes, if you are simply looking for a parking lot for your boat. We have been there several times. The marina is soul less in a modern kind of way and, if you are berthed further out, it can be a formidable walk until you reach dry land, additionally, the vigorous cross currents in the harbour will test your docking skills. During tourist season the town is very busy and it is a quite a ways, and certainly on foot, to the next boulangerie. I'm not sure they are particularly friendly in comparison to other marinas in the area - we must have been one of the first boats in Roscoff when it opened, or one of the first that had managed to dock in spite of the currents, but they went pretty nazi on my ten year old son for hanging his fishing rod off the empty docks. It didn't strike me as particularly "family friendly" at the time. We prefer to dry out in the old harbour, for the grand total of 5 euros a night,(power included), and enjoy the charming and historic backdrop of the town instead.
We kept our boat in Morlaix for three years and we much prefered that to Roscoff. If you are not continuously near or on your boat, I would always recommend a smaller community, were the harbour master and your boat neighbours know you and will keep an eye on your boat.

Last note, Ile de Brehat beats Batz by a mile for sheer scenic splendour.

I might have been lucky with the various berths I've been assigned but I've been there dozen or so times without noticing any issues with currents, the staff have always been very helpful, particularly recently getting me away from France with Covid test and passport exit stamp. ( TBH as have most French marina staff) Horses for courses I think, looking at the pic of what I assume is your boat, yours and mine are at opposite ends of the spectrum I suspect - I can't do 'drying out' and my other half prefers marinas for anything much more than a night or two !
It's a place I'd consider, although on balance I prefer Southern Brittany, bread and lovely croissants are available every morning from the bar / restaurant, the nearest Supermarche is a bit of a hike though, a 25 min walk with a shopping trolley...

 

[Sybarite]

the nearest Supermarche is a bit of a hike though, a 25 min walk with a shopping trolley...

Yes - and uphill...!

 

[Gary Fox]

The locals are saying that there is a big waiting list for moorings, 5 years one said. This may be true for Ribs and smaller boats and not for larger yachts, don't know.
I do know that the visitor pontoons in Sr Helier are packed with smaller boats; no doubt the marina thinks (understandably) it is better to have small boat business rather than none at all. However it is a bit of a facer, seeing prime visitor slots filled with 4m speedboats.

My pick for a marina berth in N Brittany would, without doubt, be Roscoff. Lovely town, great beaches and swimming. You can walk straight off the ferry, the marina is pretty new, very spacious, has free bikes, chandlers and bar with basic food. Two rivers to inspect with a great trip up to Morlaix and the marvellous Ile de Batz on the doorstep, sheltered sailing if you want it. Plus loads of destinations within a day's sail or two days to Brest.

.

+1

 

[Gary Fox]

Yes, if you are simply looking for a parking lot for your boat. We have been there several times. The marina is soul less in a modern kind of way and, if you are berthed further out, it can be a formidable walk until you reach dry land, additionally, the vigorous cross currents in the harbour will test your docking skills. During tourist season the town is very busy and it is a quite a ways, and certainly on foot, to the next boulangerie. I'm not sure they are particularly friendly in comparison to other marinas in the area - we must have been one of the first boats in Roscoff when it opened, or one of the first that had managed to dock in spite of the currents, but they went pretty nazi on my ten year old son for hanging his fishing rod off the empty docks. It didn't strike me as particularly "family friendly" at the time. We prefer to dry out in the old harbour, for the grand total of 5 euros a night,(power included), and enjoy the charming and historic backdrop of the town instead.
We kept our boat in Morlaix for three years and we much prefered that to Roscoff. If you are not continuously near or on your boat, I would always recommend a smaller community, were the harbour master and your boat neighbours know you and will keep an eye on your boat.

Last note, Ile de Brehat beats Batz by a mile for sheer scenic splendour.

The old harbour is also nice.

 

[doug748]

Yes, if you are simply looking for a parking lot for your boat. We have been there several times. The marina is soul less in a modern kind of way and, if you are berthed further out, it can be a formidable walk until you reach dry land, additionally, the vigorous cross currents in the harbour will test your docking skills. During tourist season the town is very busy and it is a quite a ways, and certainly on foot, to the next boulangerie. I'm not sure they are particularly friendly in comparison to other marinas in the area - we must have been one of the first boats in Roscoff when it opened, or one of the first that had managed to dock in spite of the currents, but they went pretty nazi on my ten year old son for hanging his fishing rod off the empty docks. It didn't strike me as particularly "family friendly" at the time. We prefer to dry out in the old harbour, for the grand total of 5 euros a night,(power included), and enjoy the charming and historic backdrop of the town instead.
We kept our boat in Morlaix for three years and we much prefered that to Roscoff. If you are not continuously near or on your boat, I would always recommend a smaller community, were the harbour master and your boat neighbours know you and will keep an eye on your boat.

Last note, Ile de Brehat beats Batz by a mile for sheer scenic splendour.

Yes, if you struggle with the modest tidal flows through Roscoff, you are probably right to stick with your inland waterway suggestions ?.
I have assumed the OP actually wants to sail the coast with the minimum fuss and aggravation. I could be wrong and Pontrieux and Morlaix are certainly cheap, though I would suggest that they are not without their drawbacks. including it being a day trip to get to them and a further day to reach the seaside from either.

Bit left field this coming suggestion...............I am normally most stern about folk who don't attempt the question set, but here goes:

Bradders you might consider moving to the South West, certainly as an interim move. It's a day sail from Dartmouth, Salcombe or Plymouth to the Channel Isles; or a day and night direct to Brittany from those places and Falmouth. When retired you may be hoping to spend a month or more away which puts the trip in some perspective. The boat remains on this side, else, and is then conveniently available for shorter trips, winter use, maintenance etc. ?

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[Laminar Flow]

I might have been lucky with the various berths I've been assigned but I've been there dozen or so times without noticing any issues with currents, the staff have always been very helpful, particularly recently getting me away from France with Covid test and passport exit stamp. ( TBH as have most French marina staff) Horses for courses I think, looking at the pic of what I assume is your boat, yours and mine are at opposite ends of the spectrum I suspect - I can't do 'drying out' and my other half prefers marinas for anything much more than a night or two !
It's a place I'd consider, although on balance I prefer Southern Brittany, bread and lovely croissants are available every morning from the bar / restaurant, the nearest Supermarche is a bit of a hike though, a 25 min walk with a shopping trolley...

We seem to always catch Roscoff mid tide and though we have always managed to get into our assigned spot, there are plenty of others who have noticed it as well.
The OP, considering this as a retirement venture, might find that, as we do, when you have plenty of time on your hands, the immediate access to the sea is irrelevant. Once we leave our berth to go cruising we're not back for a few months. Deep water access is no more awkward than that for any number of marinas in say, Chichester Harbour, for example. For this I am quite happy to pay my whopping 950.- Euros a year for 32'. If you want to pay even less, there are also the upper reaches of the Aulne in the Rade du Brest at Lannion, though that requires a fair bit more enthusiasm to get to than either Pontrieux or Morlaix.

Furthermore, there are several marinas available up the Rance from St. Malo which, pre "B", were home to a number of Brit. ex-pats.
We have found N. Brittany to be a lot more reasonable than the South for keeping a boat and we had no trouble, weather permitting, of making it back from the Morbihan to Morlaix in just a couple of days. Apart from that, much like the Vikings in former times, we enjoy exploring up rivers and as a consequence have visited quite a few special places in Brittany, we otherwise might not have seen; the pastoral tranquility of the river landscapes, often reminiscent of Monet's painting, makes for a fine contrast to the primal rigors of the Breton capes.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Yes, if you struggle with the modest tidal flows through Roscoff, you are probably right to stick with your inland waterway suggestions ?.

To be fair the Shell Channel Pilot agrees with this assessment. I recollect it as more loquacious, but explore.imray.com says just "strong through current at times".

Yes, if you are simply looking for a parking lot for your boat. We have been there several times. The marina is soul less in a modern kind of way and, if you are berthed further out, it can be a formidable walk until you reach dry land, additionally, the vigorous cross currents in the harbour will test your docking skills. During tourist season the town is very busy and it is a quite a ways, and certainly on foot, to the next boulangerie. I'm not sure they are particularly friendly in comparison to other marinas in the area - we must have been one of the first boats in Roscoff when it opened, or one of the first that had managed to dock in spite of the currents, but they went pretty nazi on my ten year old son for hanging his fishing rod off the empty docks. It didn't strike me as particularly "family friendly" at the time.

This is so at odds with my experience that I don't know how to resolve it - I was there when the first lockdown was called last year and was stuck for much longer than anticipated, and they treated me so well and generously. "How long have you been here? We can't charge you that much - let me speak to the boss; can you come back tomorrow?"

I would describe the marina as modern but not soulless (sorry if this is splitting hairs) and it has great showers. There are two chandlers nearby - the USHIP in particular is very friendly and helpful.

With regards to the current, call the marina on the radio (or just get on to the fuel pontoon, and walk up to the office) and they will manoeuvre you to your berth using their RIB.

We kept our boat in Morlaix for three years and we much prefered that to Roscoff. If you are not continuously near or on your boat, I would always recommend a smaller community, were the harbour master and your boat neighbours know you and will keep an eye on your boat.

Bloody excellent fabricator at Morlaix: Atelier ACCASTINOX · 29600 Saint-Martin-des-Champs, France

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Mmmmm. - you post above still says “ this petty fascistic EU bureaucracy” (dear moderator - quote of GaryFox words, not mine)

Perhaps gets away with forum rules only due to misspelling, as well as being technically incorrect

Read it as simply implying "as opposed to petty fascistic UK bureaucracy". I can't think of a country which can honestly claim not have it's fair share of pointless and unreasonable bureaucracy.

 

[Laminar Flow]

Yes - and uphill...!

Everything is uphill from the boat, except in Holland where it can indeed be downhill.

 

[Laminar Flow]

To be fair the Shell Channel Pilot agrees with this assessment. I recollect it as more loquacious, but explore.imray.com says just "strong through current at times".

This is so at odds with my experience that I don't know how to resolve it - I was there when the first lockdown was called last year and was stuck for much longer than anticipated, and they treated me so well and generously. "How long have you been here? We can't charge you that much - let me speak to the boss; can you come back tomorrow?"

I would describe the marina as modern but not soulless (sorry if this is splitting hairs) and it has great showers. There are two chandlers nearby - the USHIP in particular is very friendly and helpful.

With regards to the current, call the marina on the radio (or just get on to the fuel pontoon, and walk up to the office) and they will manoeuvre you to your berth using their RIB.


Bloody excellent fabricator at Morlaix: Atelier ACCASTINOX · 29600 Saint-Martin-des-Champs, France

We were there the first time just after they had started accepting visitors when new. Perhaps they were still finding their feet. Last time was two years ago and it was fine, of course by then my son was in uni and not loitering on their docks.

Roscoff does not have a monopoly on clean facilities, which I know are not necessarily the norm in France. Pontrieux was/is surprisingly clean, even considering that our expectations had been severely skewed after five years in Holland. The showers in Morlaix are fairly dark, which has the advantage that it hides the black mold.

I found the French custom to provide tug and berthing service via the harbour's rib unique. The further north you get the less likely it will happen. In Germany they will only put down their "bier", if at all and not to take your lines, but to wave you off. That is not out of maliciousness, but because, as you must understand, you are part of the Hafenkino (harbour show) and it is impolite to interrupt the presentation.

There is also an excellent auto & motor supply centre near your fabricator in Staint-Martin-des-Champs that had various bits to keep our old BMC going.

 

[KompetentKrew]

The no fishing signs at Roscoff are now recognised by all concerned to be purely decorative, by the way. There were always people fishing from the pontoons in the spring evenings.