Brittany with young kids - sand a must.

[Tintin]

My thoughts are starting to turn to the summer, and where to go.

I have my kids for a couple of weeks solid in the summer holidays, but they are young (5 and 7 then) and there is an issue with sailing with them (their mum, my ex – long boring story).

We’ve used my 27ft fin keeler as a floating caravan for the past two summer when I have the kids, with it moored at Falmouth.

But I’m thinking of moving it over to Brittany – as I have the kids for 2 wks solid it’s worth the drive with them.

So the basic plan is to get the yacht across there, leaving her ideally on a swinging mooring (due to cost), then returning to UK.

Then when I pick up my kids we pile into the van and drive to France to 10 days.

Ideally I am “parking” my floating caravan within a short tender ride of a beach with nice sand, a café to buy a beer and coffee and ice cream (maybe crepes?), and a small town or village that we can walk to for supplies.

Any ideas of where to go? I've been to Camaret before and while it kind of ticks the boxes (with the town beach) I'd really rather go somewhere a bit more rustic and new to me.

 

[tom_sail]

With out going too personal are you allowed/want to take them out sailing? If so Glenans I highly recommend. If I ever get kids that's the first placed I'm taking them too!

 

[Pleiades]

Brittany beach babes

Bonjour Comrade,
I recommend St Quay Portreux. Good big marina there - easy access at all states of the tide and easy enough pilotage in. Convenient to stop at Alderney on way down and back to shorten length of passage for the young crew. Ashore at St Quay you have interesting town with lots of events on for kids, beach, rock pools, good restaurants and shops for provisions. My whippets used to love adventures ashore there and quickly mastered their first essential French - "Pomme Frites si vous plais!"

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

 

[oldbilbo]

You could profitably consider the Ile de Batz. A careful read of the pilot books will show there are several good bays with beaches, off which you could anchor reliably, and some free deep-water moorings at the SE end of the island.

Further, it's a straightforward N-S passage from Plymouth, and there's a good cross-channel ferry route to Bloscon, just a stroll away from Roscoff, on the south side of the 'chanel'.

Should bad weather threaten, the new marina at Bloscon should be open early this summer, and there are many local 'daysail' alternatives in the nearby Morlaix River estuary, including the charming Ile Sterec with its 'covering' causeway and the nearby Chateau de Taureau, on its own island.

There are several local sailing clubs, most with unadvertised visitors' moorings, and all of which would welcome visiting kids....

That area has, it seems to me, a lot going for it.

 

[HunterWanderer]

Trébeurden, Cotes-d'Armor
Anchorage and lovely beaches

 

[stav]

Trébeurden, Cotes-d'Armor
Anchorage and lovely beaches

+1

St Malo and the Rance? Bit boring for two weeks though and not sure about beaches and swimming...um...

 

[Nostrodamus]

Trébeurden, Cotes-d'Armor
Anchorage and lovely beaches

+2

Some photos on our website below in the blog section.

 

[LadyInBed]

St Malo and the Rance? Bit boring for two weeks though and not sure about beaches and swimming...um...

Trébeurden or Perros-Guirec also has a nice beach (over the other side of town) and a model boating lake near the marina.
Nice little beaches around St Malo and across at Dinard.
You could also take the boat up to Dinan for a few days.

 

[Cloven]

How about the Gulf of Morbihan. I regularly take my 6 & 8 year old grandsons there and they have a great time.

Lots of islands to visit in VERY sheltered water and lots of small beaches. You will find moorings around Isle aux Moines/Isle d'Arz and you can walk/cycle all around the island - cycle hire readily available. If you want to you can saunter up into Vannes or up the Auray river to Bono or St. Goustan (Auray). There are also commercial boat trips around the Gulf if you can't use your own boat.

Although the main tidal streams in the gulf are strong, you can use these to get around easily and once out of them you can potter to your hearts content.

I have windsurfed/canoed/hobie-catted & sailed all around the Gulf over the years and never had any problems.

 

[jhr]

On the north coast, Locquirec, Tregastel and Port Blanc all have child-friendly beaches.

They all have moorings but (a) lots of so-called Visitors Moorings have been taken over by locals and (b) I'm not sure if they're fin-keel friendly

 

[John_Silver]

St Cast's got the town and good beaches a 5 minute stroll down from the all tide marina.

 

[Sybarite]

My thoughts are starting to turn to the summer, and where to go.

I have my kids for a couple of weeks solid in the summer holidays, but they are young (5 and 7 then) and there is an issue with sailing with them (their mum, my ex – long boring story).

We’ve used my 27ft fin keeler as a floating caravan for the past two summer when I have the kids, with it moored at Falmouth.

But I’m thinking of moving it over to Brittany – as I have the kids for 2 wks solid it’s worth the drive with them.

So the basic plan is to get the yacht across there, leaving her ideally on a swinging mooring (due to cost), then returning to UK.

Then when I pick up my kids we pile into the van and drive to France to 10 days.

Ideally I am “parking” my floating caravan within a short tender ride of a beach with nice sand, a café to buy a beer and coffee and ice cream (maybe crepes?), and a small town or village that we can walk to for supplies.

Any ideas of where to go? I've been to Camaret before and while it kind of ticks the boxes (with the town beach) I'd really rather go somewhere a bit more rustic and new to me.

Most of the islands in southern Brittany and especially the Glénan if the weather is settled. You can pop over to Concarneau to shop.

 

[Tintin]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

A key point is that I am currently legally prevented from sailing with the kids, so fo rthe two weeks the yacht has to remain "moored", hence my preference for a swinging mooring somewhere.

Anchoring could be feasible but it runs the increased risk that i would have to move the boat with the kids on (if it blows up from the wrong way) which would then drop me 10 foot under legally.

(How this restriction occurred is a long tale BTW, which I don't intend to go into in this thread as scutbut is public)

thx, and keep 'em coming

 

[onesea]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

A key point is that I am currently legally prevented from sailing with the kids, so fo rthe two weeks the yacht has to remain "moored", hence my preference for a swinging mooring somewhere.

Anchoring could be feasible but it runs the increased risk that i would have to move the boat with the kids on (if it blows up from the wrong way) which would then drop me 10 foot under legally.

(How this restriction occurred is a long tale BTW, which I don't intend to go into in this thread as scutbut is public)

thx, and keep 'em coming

Having read this you might be best to ditch the boaty bit?

Kind of like sleeping drunk in the drivers seat of a car will you get done for intent? Its s**t but....

 

[Tintin]

Having read this you might be best to ditch the boaty bit?

Kind of like sleeping drunk in the drivers seat of a car will you get done for intent? Its s**t but....

nah, s'all good - the problem only occurs when the boat is no longer attached to terra firma in any way - "moored" to an anchor is fine, "moored" to a mooring buoy / chain etc.. is fine, moored" in a marina is fine.

 

[longjohnsilver]

nah, s'all good - the problem only occurs when the boat is no longer attached to terra firma in any way - "moored" to an anchor is fine, "moored" to a mooring buoy / chain etc.. is fine, moored" in a marina is fine.

Won't you then have a problem getting the kids ashore? you will have to use a dinghy which is then not attached to terra firma. So maybe a marina is your only option?
Once you get round to Benodet the weather generally seems to be better and on average about 5 degrees warmer, good marina/pontoons either side of the river and fabulous sandy beaches.

I'd also second Ile de Batz, lovely area, short ferry trip from Roscoff, and of course ferry to Plymouth.

 

[Mrnotming]

If you give up the anchoring bit, Dournanez is lovely, you can lock in to the inner basin, and the town beach is fine.Across the bay is Crozon, great beach and a lovely short cruise across in settled weather.
However if pressed for time, l'Aber Wreac'h has an improved marina and many vessels on moorings.It seems due south or so of Falmouth.You might need transport here to find beaches, another forumite may know more about the area.

 

[alant]

My thoughts are starting to turn to the summer, and where to go.

I have my kids for a couple of weeks solid in the summer holidays, but they are young (5 and 7 then) and there is an issue with sailing with them (their mum, my ex – long boring story).

We’ve used my 27ft fin keeler as a floating caravan for the past two summer when I have the kids, with it moored at Falmouth.

But I’m thinking of moving it over to Brittany – as I have the kids for 2 wks solid it’s worth the drive with them.

So the basic plan is to get the yacht across there, leaving her ideally on a swinging mooring (due to cost), then returning to UK.

Then when I pick up my kids we pile into the van and drive to France to 10 days.

Ideally I am “parking” my floating caravan within a short tender ride of a beach with nice sand, a café to buy a beer and coffee and ice cream (maybe crepes?), and a small town or village that we can walk to for supplies.

Any ideas of where to go? I've been to Camaret before and while it kind of ticks the boxes (with the town beach) I'd really rather go somewhere a bit more rustic and new to me.

Benodet without a doubt.

 

[Sandy]

Don't forget your waterproofs! We usually get soaked!

 

[Robin]

You identified Camaret which IMO is a good option, it has both moorings and two marinas as well as room to anchor, good walks, beaches and a good supermarket. Camaret has a ferry link to Brest for flights.

Another option is Morgat, which has superb beaches, an inexpensive marina and an anchorage in most winds. There are superb cliff walks if you have a head for heights and sea caves that they take tripper boats into. Bit lacking on the food front mind although there is a little mini Huit a Huit and the butcher van calls occasionally, the bigger shops are a bus ride or long walk. There is also a big sailing tuition base here that does everything from sailboards up via Oppies to Hobies et al, kids might like that if permitted.

Anywhere south of the Raz makes the delivery trip to/from Falmouth more complicated. Anywhere east of L'Aberwrach puts you mainly into big tidal ranges and less easy anchorages, at least all weather ones near to civilisation. Perros Guirec however is very nice, marina is not too pricey and there are shops and good beaches, but no all weather anchorage. Trebeurden marina is very expensive and the anchorages whilst very nice are again not all weather ones and you might need to move around or go inside.