Brittany Ports

boatmike

boatmike

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Peregrine will be meandering down to Brittany in a couple of weeks time weather permitting. Its a long time since I visited some old haunts down there and seeing as I had a 7ft keel under me then there where lots of places I couldn't go. Now having 2 keels and less than a metre draught I am looking forward to taking advantage of the fact. I have to return to Paimpol for sentimental reasons, and will probably do St Malo again, but what is the falorum's thoughts on the following?

Binic..... Remembered as good fun but used to be bloody expensive. Now that St Quay de Portrieux is open thats an alternative but looks like a yuppie concrete place. Any thoughts on either would be appreciated.

Dahuet and Erquy look interesting. Never been to either....

Granville? Always seemed to be difficult when I had a keel. Now it looks like there is a drying harbour outside the locked in prison basin that I could use...

Aside from that are there any other little ports or anchorages along there I should try?
 
Binic is a good option but unlike St Quay does not have 24 hour access. Dahouet is another favourite of mine but again access is limited. Try Paimpol. There are some wonderful anchorages off Brehat
 
Thanks but most of that thread is talking about South Brittany that I actually know rather better than North. To be clear I shall go from St P Port direct to Paimpol and then potter back in an easterly direction. Thats why I mentioned the places I did.
Question is are they a good idea or not?
I don't mind reasonable port fees but some really extract the bladder juices if you have a cat. That's what makes me wary of Binic as I remember the charges being high anyway.......
 
Both are good. St quay 24 hour access, but a big fishery place within the marina. some nice bars and cafe's and nik nak shop round the marina complex.... big super market up the huge hill but you can get most stuff in the local town.... If you like walking St quay old town is rather pleasant about a mile walk either along the coastal path or through the main town. I belive the new shower and loo block are all functional now they used to be grotty porta cabins.

st quay is an ideal first stop before the short hop to binic to make the lock.
 
Binic one of the cheaper places we visited last week for marina and quality and price of eating ashore.

As you say D is good, Equay used to be awash with fishing boats and I have not tried in last couple of years.

If winds are suitable try St Cast and there are some real Gems up the Rance. Try going through the lock up to Dinan, headroom 17m at the rail bridge

Chausey no place to dry out but fasinating to navigate and see the rocks appear all around you.
 
Lat week in the rain sailed to Guernsey--£48 for 2 nights 38ft yacht, as pleasant as last time visited.Then to Paimpol lovely town and good for eating, £24 per night,then to Treguier interesting town monastic past beautiful buildings,excellent eating and good value, £27 per night, then back home to South coast.
Went to Binic last year, lovely town worth visiting, had to move to St Quay in evening to be able to leave when we wanted to.
Probably not useful to you this but thought would mention it.
By the way breakfast in Treguier was 10.60 for petit dejeuner each, so if your going to France just pay up and bite your tongue or don`t go!!!
 
Trebeurden probably my favourite

Ploumanach the most spectacular for a night.

St Quay Portrieux 24 hours access a nice stop

Dahouet a gem worth a visit.

Granville is very nice , new pontoons and electrics its like St Malo but without the toursists.

Carteret worth a visit if passing.

Oh an Guernsey for fuel

Draft dont forget that where as with dropping gates in the CI and UK the convention seems to be that fixed depth boards show the depth to the gate when closed, in France it is for the gate when open, that extra metre or lack of it can make a difference!
 
I used to live in Granville and can recomend it. As you said, the drying harbour has a lot going for it, although I don't know how to arrange a short term mooring. There is an inlet just north of Granville at Regneville (SP?) It may be the type of place you are after, very little there, mostly just a small village. The Jules Gomez used to be a great place to eat. I am heading to St Peter port !st July. As I have named my boat Chausey, I think I may have at least one night there!
Allan
 
Granville is well worth doing, an Edwardian seasidy sort of place.
While you are testing your new keels just as well check out Carteret as well, very quiet, good walking, fab beaches/swimming.
 
Just one caution - in case you haven't spotted it already - Perros Guirec is a no go area for multihulls /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Er..... Weresat??? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Edit.... OK found it. But why a no go area? Is it that the marina/port don't accept them or is it just expensive? Why not anchor outside in the bay?
I shan't be going there anyway but good to know for the future perhaps.
 
If you read the small print in the Almanac you will see that the lock gate is just 6m wide though it looks a lot less as you approach, even in a half-boat /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
6 metres! Good God man that's a whole 19 inches clearance either side for me! People have taken Snowgoose's down the French canals with locks 5.2 metres wide!
(The "Elite" was actually designed with an overall beam restricted to 5 metres to comply with the dimensional maximum of the French canals)
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Think I saw a notice in St Peter Port last week saying that Carteret is closed at end of June for works on the sill. A great place, as is Granville.
 
Yes! In fact David Feltham the designer and I discussed this at some length. His philosophy was that most cruising cats were subject to pitchpoling because the beam to length ratio was too great. Don't forget that the WL length of the Snowgoose is only 10.3 metres. The OAL is 11.2, the difference being almost entirely bow overhang which is highly flared and gives a lot of reserve bouyancy and lift. The actual beam/length ratio is roughly 2/1 taken at the WL. I tend to agree with David more and more that this makes for a very comfortable ride with minimal pitching (hobbyhorsing) and although she is too heavy really Peregrine is rarely "knocked off" course or slowed by choppy waves. Not fast of course but tends to sail like a battering ram!
Just goes to show really just what diversity there is in cats doesn't it? The concept of your boat is entirely different to mine but people always lump them all together. They don't compare Maxi 60s and Westerly Consorts in the "half a boat" range so why should they compare different cats like yours and mine? Entirely different concepts really..... But I can go through narrow locks and you can't so ya boo shucks!!!
 
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