Gulf du Morbian & Northern Biscay

[gcwhite]

I am planning to cruise these areas last two weeks of August first two weeks of September. Is it possible to book marina berths and is it necessary

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[TigaWave]

I've sailed between La Rochelle and UK in August a couple of times, never needed to book. It will be busy and you'll be rafted up to 6 or 7 deep in some harbours (Isle de Re/Belle Isle), and the harbour prices go up a little.
But there was always room at Belle Isle, Lorient, Concarneau, Isle de Glenan, Benodet, Audienne, Camaret, La Rochelle, Les Sables D'ollone, Isle de Yeu...plus plenty of anchorages...I think that was most of the places we visited?

 

[chrisb]

plan to arrive at marina mid day and usually no problem. belle isle is a mad house and best avoided idf you value your gelcoat. should be quieter by september

 

[Robin]

The 15th August usually sees the locals heading back to work and it gets quieter from the weekend following that. No you cannot book marina berths nor do you need to and unless you arrive late you will get in.

But why worrry about marinas? The beauty of this area is in the wonderful anchorages, marinas are for the (very few) bad weather days, for shopping or the odd meal out, otherwise one marina is the same as another!

 

[brianhumber]

Gets easier after Mid August cause the froglets hols are over.
Belle Isle is always busy in my exprience even in May.

Make sure you go to places like Etal, Penerf, Bono and Auray

Also lots of overnight stops but watch out for the 1am Land Breeze (Vent Solaire) if the weather is hot - can cause great fun in some of the harbours.

 

[john_morris_uk]

As others have posted already, no you don't need to book marina berths.

More recomendations for places Isles Houat and Hoedic. Isle du Seine, Glenans etc. Belle Isle, La Palais (main harbour) is a madhouse - sometimes full and well worth missing, but try the other harbours on the island for a much more pleasant experience of a lovely place.

Unlike some, (the pilot books describe it as only being good for strong winds and crew changes) we like La Trinite - free showers - and so long as you get on the visitors pontoon near the Capitainerie you are right in the middle of the town. Market and small supermarket is a couple of hundred yards away.

 

[Robin]

John

We also like La Trinite just so long as any strong winds are not blowing up/down river because wind against tide at HW on the visitor pontoons is very bumpy! We were there last August in a gale and had both of our rubber snubber anti-snatch lines rigged (usually used for anchoring) to make it comfy. A wooden boat rafted outside of a big Brit Benny had a cleat torn out of her deck, which cleared the Benny in the air and landed on the pontoon! The fish market by the Capitanerie is good too, but for shopping, better shelter and a better choice of restaurants we prefer Le Crousty.

Agree with your other suggestions. Isle De Houat, Hoedic, Belle Isle (NOT Le Palais), Isles De Glenan, Concarneau are favourites, also like Morgat and even Camaret often treated as just a quick stopover. Benodet is OK but IMO only IF you go up the very pretty river, the town and is pretty boring and you need to beware the tide in the river on the outside pontoons especially with a strong wind against tide.

We will no doubt be there again this August!

Robin

 

[john_morris_uk]

We might have been in La Trinite at the same time! Don't remember the incident with the cleat being pulled out. Was there a dolphin swimming up and down the water between the wave break and the visitors pontoon when you were there - caused much commotion among the locals? I can get the log and check the dates - we were there twice on our cruise and twice the year before.

Agree with your points ref Benodet - we prefer the left hand side or up river rather than the town side, but don't rave about the place. Its ok but overrated in our opinion.

We are discussing arrangements ref this summer, and will probably end up back in S Brittany again. Usually go for the better weather - what happened last year?? We spent most of our time hiding from the gales.

 

[Roberto]

Re: Gulf du Morbian & Northern Biscay

The dolphin is named Randy, it is a bit of a celebrity in that area, several people have swimmed beside it, it likes humans (!) and often comes very close, not afraid of being caressed

[edit]
found this , apparently it is the same animal, Randy-Dony

 

[Robin]

We saw the dolphin doing his party tricks in Crouesty on our first trip in from the islands to get out of the winds the second of the blows was when were in La Trinite! I think the dolphin does the harbour tour, probably does Port Haliguen too.

The other side of Benodet is St Marine and is a nicer marina, but they move you off the outer berths onto the buoys under the bridge when it blows. Not a lot in either place really in the way of shopping close by, but the river itself is very pretty and really IMO the only reason to go in there.

We will be there this year too, leaving Poole overnight 29/7 probably for Dartmouth, then to Camaret 31/7, Morbihan area +/- 4th August? We have until 3rd/4th September to get home in shorter and ever more reluctant hops.

 

[gcwhite]

Robin

Agreed. thanks for the reply

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[john_morris_uk]

Thanks for reminding me of the name: St Marine it is!

Our tentative plans are: depart UK second or third week of July. Usually we call at L'Aberach and then Cameret, but we might bite the bullet and carry on round without one or the other of these - depends on weather/tide and how up for it the junior crew gets. We will probably aim to be back by the end of the fourth week of August - depends how much leave I can swing. We like to stay for a few days in a although we often cruise with friends who like to move on so a bit of a compromise at times.

 

[gcwhite]

Wht's L Arberwach like?

 

[Robin]

L'Aberwrac'h is a staging post, not a lot there. There is a small 'marina' for visitors, really just a pontoon with a few fingers for boats up to 10m though you see bigger sometimes. Lots of visitor buoys though sometimes you are expected to raft up (don't!), it can be bumpy on them with a strong wind against the very strong tide in the river. Not much ashore, small fishermans Co-op chandlers, couple of creperies & a pizza place come restaurant, nearest food shops are about a mile walk and still not much. Upriver (not lit) at Paluden are some fore/aft moorings for visitors, 2 good restaurants near the bridge and a decent Leclerc supermarche about a mile away uphill in Llanilis(?), the buoys here are half the cost of those downriver which are expensive IMO especially for Brittany and for such few facilities. We don't stop there going south, but do stop just one night on our way home to take best advantage of the tides back along the north coast.

 

[Robin]

We may run into each other then somewhere. We usually manage to be in Concarneau on our way back for the final day of La Fete Des Filets Bleu, with the big parade and massive fireworks display - always the penultimate Sunday in August so 21st August I guess this year. After that our slow route back is via Morgat, L'Aberwrac'h, Perros Guirec (or sometimes Trebeurden), St Peter Port then Poole. Otherwise in the Morbihan we are usually found anchored off Er Yoc'h rock on Treac'h Er Gouret beach or swell permitting off the ocean side of Belle Isle or if in harbour, at Crouesty or La Trinite. Glenans usually sees us for a day or so on the way home too.

 

[jonjo]

[ QUOTE ]
the penultimate Sunday in August so 21st August I guess this year.

[/ QUOTE ]
Been following this thread and noticed that the Brittany aficionados cruise there in August. Is August the ideal month to sail in this area even factoring in the French holidaying en mass? Or do UK based constraints force a later summer departure?

My 2005 3 week Brittany cruise will hopefully commence in St. Malo at the end of June.

 

[Robin]

Re: Gulf du Morbian & Northern Biscay in August

Well in my case it mainly stems from work constraints and a Spanish manufacturing base that closes during August. However it does seem that weatherwise this is a pretty good option as even in a 'bad' year for Brittany (it's all relative as it is always better than here!) August usually offers the best.

The French holidays generally run from Bastille Day 14th July to Assumption 15th August but adjusted to include the weekends either side, so this time is busy. The weekend after the 15th though sees most of them back to work and indeed many boats, I guess where owners live far away, are already being lifted out, their season over. You can live with the crowds though because mostly everyone is on the move, they take up a berth somewhere else whilst their own is available for visitors. Marinas like Crouesty/La Trinite/Port Haliguen have rules I believe that say if you are not back or have not phoned to say you are returning then after a set time your berth becomes available to a visitor (4pm in Crouesty I think). Indeed some of their berth 'discount deals' allow discounts if the owner agrees to be away for 'n' days over this period.

The technique for ensuring an available berth is to arrive at the right time. The French are not early risers (tides are not any constraint in S Brittany) so don't leave in any numbers until say 11.00. Don't arrive during Le Lunch as there will be no harbour staff to allocate a berth or alternatively this can be a good time to sneek in, run round the supermarche and get out before they notice you... Arriving after 11.00 and before 4pm/5pm is good and paradoxically it can sometimes be easier for a big boat as they will find you a slot in the main bits rather than the visitor area. If the weather is good, there will be lots of free berths everywhere, it is when you get a short bad spell that everyone heads back in from the anchorages and the harbours fill up. Weekends are usually easy to get in for the same reason, you arrive when locals are leaving.

BUT as I said before , IMO South Brittany isn't about towns and marinas it is about beautiful coastal scenery, lovely golden beaches, warm water and wonderful anchorages. The heat can be oppressive in harbour, much better to be at anchor with a bit of breeze and the water to dive off the back for a swim. For us we stay 'out' for 5 or 6 days at a time then try and time a quick trip 'in' to stock up on supplies, water, top batteries up to 100%, do the laundry and have a meal at a favourite restaurant.

 

[john_morris_uk]

The only reason that we have been there during August the last couple of years is that it was when my leave was. June is fine. The French holiday season can be a bit mad, but we still find plenty of room in most places. The only places we avoid are La Palais as already mentioned and Isle du Groix main harbour (off L'Orient). Others might enjoy it, but we didn't when we went there last. We might try doing what our French friends in L'Orient do which is anchor off one of the beaches on the island.

I would endorse all the places that Robin has mentioned. My only sadness is that once South Brittany was seen as a bit 'beyond the reach' of many cruising boats from UK. The word's got out and its now getting busier. Still nice though, and when you see another UK boat, people usually say hello.

 

[Robin]

I'm with you John on Le Palais and Port Tudy. We go straight on by Isle De Groix because there are better places either side and no real reason to stop. If forced to stop over, maybe strong headwinds or something, then Lomener (just west of Lorient) is OK with some room to anchor and a few visitor buoys with a supermarche nearby, or going homeward there is the Aven/Belon rivers and Port Manec'h (anchorage, not a port). Le Palais and Sauzon on Belle Isle are best avoided if you don't like rafting up French style and don't have a sense of humour and lots of big fenders! But you can still anchor outside of both these harbours and there are some buoys too, plus there is also Port Yorc'h (anchorage not a port), the next bay east of Le Palais. The ocean side of Belle Isle has several spectacularly beautiful anchorages, including Ster Wenn which is often seen in pilot guides pics. To visit these though you need no swell at all unless you like to roll at anchor! Fortunately the French forecasts always mention the expected swell height and direction 'La Houle'.

You are right too about the numbers of Brits visiting, it used to be considered too far for most but boats have got bigger and navigation much easier. There are also lots of Brit boats now kept there, I believe there are 80 plus in La Roche Bernard alone! It did use to be the case that Brits waved to all but especially to other Brits but sadly this seems to be less the case nowadays. Someone said it was because so many now had spent the inheritance/redundancy /retirement lump sum on their first boat ( probably a 45 footer!) and the camaraderie of cruising in a small boat (Des Sleighthome/Old Harry style) hadn't been instilled over the years - pity really.

I'm in the mood to get going now.....

Robin

 

[duncan]

you have put others in that mood too.....

here's hoping for 2004 spring and 2003 summer weather this year!