Cap Breton, SW France

[LittleSister]

Any one here been or know much about it? Next to no info in my almanac, or that I've found online.

I've often wondered about it when fantasising about doing Biscay in bite-sized coastal chunks.

Someone has a YouTube channel showing videos of people battling big scary breakers at the narrow, dog-legged harbour entrance, and clearly it's somewhere to avoid in a big swell or stiff onshore wind, but there's a marina with a capacity of 950 boats, seemingly quite few of which are fairly modest sailing or angling boats, so I'm guessing it's not the marginal conditions shown in these videos all the time.

 

[DownWest]

Not a lot of help, but I have been land-side there and walked the moles. Quite a nice town for a stop over, but not what you want to hear.

The prob is that if you get into that corner in a strong westerly blow, the access is a bit scary, as the vids show. Easier to keep well away and aim for places further west on the Spanish coast . Part of that is that there is no place to get into after Royan on the way south, if it suddenly gets rough. Arcachon is dicey in any weather and going further into the 'corner' reduces your options.

 

[Siosarnoir]

We love this place , it’s not somewhere to go in a blow it’s a place to go on your way home after doing a direct sail to Santander or La Corunna. You have to approach at near high water and not with winds more than a F4 . We would then go on to Arcachon another rather tricky entrance but quite do able in moderate weather and in daylight .

 

[KompetentKrew]

Imray, Atlantic France - Nick Chavasse, RCCPF:

Introduction
Holiday resort with a large marina but challenging entrance. Le Gouf de Capbreton is a remarkable deep sea canyon which influences the sea state in the approaches to Capbreton. The entrance can be challenging, even dangerous, and certainly should be approached with caution, but the large number of boats in this extensive marina are testament to the fact that in fair weather it is usually less daunting than it sounds.

Outer Approach
(Unremarkable, couldn't be arsed to copy-paste, see book)

Approach
In fair weather and with no swell running the entrance can be attempted at any time when draught permits (least depth 1·5m). In moderate seas or swell only attempt to enter between HW–0200 and HW+0100. Do not enter if the waves break right across the entrance, although they will usually be breaking on either side. If in doubt as to conditions at the entrance call the harbourmaster on ✆05 58 72 21 23.

Currents in the entrance channel run very strongly: two rivers, Le Bourret and Le Boudigau, feed into the marina basin. A man-made tidal lagoon to the north of the marina is fed by the Canal d'Hossegor, which branches off the entrance channel, and fills and empties with each tide. Depending on the tidal coefficient and the prevailing weather conditions, the combined effect of tidal flow and river flow can result in peak streams of up to 8 knots in the entrance channel.

The south breakwater has an underwater extension at its end for 30m which is awash at half- tide, so the recommended inward track is to favour the port side of the channel until inside the moles and then to cross to the starboard side of the channel up to the marina entrance. Beware rocks and a concrete shelf which project a few metres from the port hand side of the channel on the corner opposite the marina entrance, adjacent to a walkway railing.

At any time other than slack water be aware that the flow in or out of Canal d’Hossegor creates a cross set at the entrance to the marina.

Danger
Le Fosse (or Le Gouf) de Capbreton, a deep submarine valley rising from 1300m, runs at right angles to the coast and ends 2M offshore. Confused and breaking seas will be found here in heavy weather especially round the edges.
Avoid it in these conditions.
Currents in the entrance run very strongly.

The book or Imray Explore (from which I've copy-pasted) is considerably more comprehensive. The above is only the edited highlights, but I thought it inappropriate to post more.

 

[Bobc]

Any one here been or know much about it? Next to no info in my almanac, or that I've found online.

I've often wondered about it when fantasising about doing Biscay in bite-sized coastal chunks.

Someone has a YouTube channel showing videos of people battling big scary breakers at the narrow, dog-legged harbour entrance, and clearly it's somewhere to avoid in a big swell or stiff onshore wind, but there's a marina with a capacity of 950 boats, seemingly quite few of which are fairly modest sailing or angling boats, so I'm guessing it's not the marginal conditions shown in these videos all the time.

Go and look at the Youtube channel for sv Impavidus. If you go back to their early vids, they port-hopped round Biscay and went into Cap Breton (I think). Anyway, it will give you an idea.

I personally don't know why more people don't pot-hop round. Atlantic France is lovely.

 

[PlanB]

We stopped there on our way down to the Med.
The pilot book and almanac both said not to attempt entry if there was white water at the entry to the channel (see above), so we had an alternative in case.
We assessed the water state carefully and decided to go for it ( there was just a bit of breaking water against the end of the sea wall, but not much.
Even in fairly calm conditions, the entry was challenging to us relative novices and so we followed the directions closely. The boat actually rose up on a swell and was carried down the channel.
Marina staff were great at helping us berth, and gave us a bag of goodies including wine.
Next day we walk along the historic channel side wall and saw what the "white water" warning really meant. Only the brave or the rash were moving!
Very spectacular.
At that time, there was also a build up of silt just inside the entrance to the marina proper (after the channel) and a couple of yachts that ignored the warnings about entering at HW +/- got stuck.
Cap Breton is a nice little town.
It's worth mentioning the swell at the bottom RH corner of the Bay of Biscay, as there is also some scary You Tube footage of the entry to Zumaya, but it was flat calm when we arrived.

 

[doug748]

...

I've often wondered about it when fantasising about doing Biscay in bite-sized coastal chunks....

Forum member Michael Briant has this video on the trip in general and you can also download his E book. Note, he calls Cap Breton Biarritz in the video.

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[franksingleton]

We were there about 12 years ago. We would have liked to have been able to stay longer and, anno domini, have not been back - which we regret. Read the Pilot about the entrance.

 

[dgadee]

Was there 3 or 4 years ago. Night trip down and arrived after dawn.. What surprised me was the number of pleasure boats out fishing. Maybe 40 odd boats all just outside the harbour. Deep water pushing fish up to shallow water. Nice town but we didn't stay long.

Edit: Don't miss San Sebastian!

 

[Frogmogman]

Hossegor is a very popular surfing destination, which ought to give you a clue.

Mind you, from my surfing days, the guaranteed way to ensure mirror flat sea is to get Southampton Uni Surf club to organize a surf trip there.

 

[[3889]]

Been in there a couple of times, both in settled conditions but the entry/ exit was still far from relaxed. The large swell at the narrow entrance is followed by a plethora of anglers extremely reluctant to retrieve their lines. Second time in I was brought to a dead stop from 3 knts and lost steering in a 6T boat just before the marina opens out. There was a bang, I carried on and later found a cheesewire-like incision in the leading edge of the rudder. No fisherman at that point and I find it hard to believe ordinary fishing line could cause this. Who knows what? I also struggled to get a berth on springs with 2m draft and settled briefly in mud around low water.
The good news is you get a complimentary bottle of wine from the Capitainerie.
Arcachon is equally daunting if leaving the Gironde on the ebb unless you choose to hang about for a few hoursin an uncomfortable swell.
Worth pressing on for 20 miles to St Jean-de-Luz for a night on a buoy / anchor or slightly further to Hendaye/ Hondarribia.
IMO you don't miss much between La Rochelle and San Sébastien and a long leg followed by several short hops, San S, Zumaia, Mutriko, Bermeo, Puerto Plencia, is a better option without the compunction to stop anywhere if the conditions don't serve.

 

[LittleSister]

Note, he calls Cap Breton Biarritz in the video.

No, he's definitely talking about Biarritz itself - as can be seen from the large and small scale maps he shows it on, and the name of the marina there that he identifies. He doesn't mention Cap Breton (about 8NM north of Biarritz) at all.

Thanks for the reminder about his book, though - I remembered someone had done such a book, but had forgotten who it was.. (I'd seen his video before.)

 

[dgadee]

Someone - a Frenchman - who kept their boat at Arcachon told me not to go in. Difficult navigation he said. And not much there So I skipped it and did an overnight.

 

[LittleSister]

The prob is that if you get into that corner in a strong westerly blow, the access is a bit scary, as the vids show. Easier to keep well away and aim for places further west on the Spanish coast . Part of that is that there is no place to get into after Royan on the way south, if it suddenly gets rough. Arcachon is dicey in any weather and going further into the 'corner' reduces your options.

That's good answer to a different question!

But thanks anyway.

 

[PlanB]

The other snag about Arcachon is that it's completely full , with the waiting pontoon and fuel berth full of local boats.
Locals don't like you rafting.
If you try to call ahead to book they say they're full.
As there aren't many options if you need to stop, we just rolled up and rafted up and when the owner complained (he wasn't actually on board or going anywhere), radioed the office and they told us to sit tight.
Also, because of the shifting sands, the channel marker positions aren't fixed, whihc needs watching.
And the bar at the channel entry is tricky in swell.

 

[doug748]

No, he's definitely talking about Biarritz itself - as can be seen from the large and small scale maps he shows it on, and the name of the marina there that he identifies. He doesn't mention Cap Breton (about 8NM north of Biarritz) at all.

Thanks for the reminder about his book, though - I remembered someone had done such a book, but had forgotten who it was.. (I'd seen his video before.)

Check it out again:

I don't think there is a marina at Biarritz, looks a nightmare.


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[dgadee]

Check it out again:

I don't think there is a marina at Biarritz, looks a nightmare.


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Yes, I wondered whether he had made a mistake in the presentation. I would have liked to have gone into Biarritz but it just looked like a small fishing harbour to me.

Can I just say that we had a great trip around the bay - just the two of us with plenty of time. There was swell, of course, and sometimes not a lot of wind with a lot of swell, but I am so glad we did it. All those little locations!

 

[LittleSister]

Check it out again:

I don't think there is a marina at Biarritz, looks a nightmare.

No, he's definitely talking about 'Biarritz', not Cap Breton.

The map he shows at 17m 12s specifically shows he goes to the Port du Plaisance, Brise Lames, which is on the the River Adour, on the northern outskirts of the Biarritz conurbation, and about 8.5nm S of Cap Breton.

Compare and contrast! -

(a)
Website - Port de plaisance du Brise-Lames

Map - Port de Plaisance du Brise-Lames · 118 Av. de l'Adour, 64600 Anglet, France


(b)
Website - Le Port de Capbreton à Capbreton dans les Landes

Map - Port de Capbreton · Av. Georges Pompidou BP 49, 40130 Capbreton, France

 

[dgadee]

Biarritz is a wee harbour for a few fishing boats . This is a different town, Anglet:

"Anglet (French: [ɑ̃ɡlɛt]; Occitan: [aŋˈɡlet], Basque: Angelu [aŋɡelu]) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.
Anglet lies in the traditional province of Labourd of the Northern Basque Country while its inhabitants have traditionally spoken Gascon (Occitan).
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Angloys or Angloyes[3][4] (or Angeluar[5] in Basque)." Wikipedia.

If you are writing a pilot book, perhaps you should be just a little bit more accurate?

 

[doug748]

Biarritz is a wee harbour for a few fishing boats . This is a different town, Anglet:

"Anglet (French: [ɑ̃ɡlɛt]; Occitan: [aŋˈɡlet], Basque: Angelu [aŋɡelu]) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France.
Anglet lies in the traditional province of Labourd of the Northern Basque Country while its inhabitants have traditionally spoken Gascon (Occitan).
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Angloys or Angloyes[3][4] (or Angeluar[5] in Basque)." Wikipedia.

If you are writing a pilot book, perhaps you should be just a little bit more accurate?

Yes. looking at it again it's a fair cop, Littlesister is correct, it's not Cape Breton but (as you say) Anglet on the Adour River he is speaking about. Anyway, it's another option for the OP to consider I guess.

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