Help, Going to North Brittany, not sure where to go!

C

cliffdale

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I'm starting planning a cruise, bit early I know but spring is just around the corner.

I'm based in Falmouth and the plan is to go South to L'Aberac'h and then along the coast in hops and ending up in Jersey.

Having a look at my charts, there seems very little to do at L'Aberac'h.

It looks like a channel crossing to Morlaix.

Supposing that the weather lets us cross, what would you recommend as an easy / safe port of call should the wind pick up?

Electricity supply essential!

CD
 
I dont know L'Aberwrach but I understand there is little there.

Morlaix is an awkward entrance but a nice town to visit if you have the time , From memory you need to arrive near high water ?

Trebeurden about 15 miles to the east is a good first land fall and a good tidal window , then if you want do Morlaix.

http://www.port-trebeurden.com/pdf/horaires_2009.pdf

Trebeurden is also a lovely marina, town and beach.

Ploumanach is a beautiful spot for a night.

Iam not a great fan of Perros Guirec but its ok.

Treguier is a lovely port up a river.

lesardrieux is ok but very quiet.

Pontrieux is a nice very quiet town up a river.

Paimpol is a very pretty town a bit like a small St Malo with an old harbour, entry/ exit near high water through a lock, well worth a visit but no beaches to talk of.

St Quay-Portrieux is a great marina 24 hour access and a large town well woth a visit and nice beaches.

Binic a nice little town and harbour but no Access/ entry on neaps.

Dahouet is a lovelly spot , walking distance to Val Andre.

St Malo Is worth a visit, as are Granville, Carteret and Dielettte.

Guernsey If you dont know it is worth a visit with diesel at about 40p a litre at St Sampsons ( 2.5 hrs either side of High water) from Fuel Supplies needs to be booked, then back to Falmouth.

Use the Cumberlidge book and the Royal College of navigation book.
 
I have gone in to St Sampson twice now for fuel. Each time I have been caught off guard with the cross current. I found it a bit scary!

A couple of requirements, must have electric, must be something for an 11 year old to do.

I could make for St Marlo first?

Trebeurden looks like an easy entrance to make from Fal.
Cheers
Cliff
 
If the wether is good and you want beaches.

Trebeurden for a couple of days

Ploumanach for the night

Paimpol for a night or two

St Quay Portrieux for a couple of days and Dahouet for a couple.

Good beaches: St Malo, Granville, Carteret and Dielette.

Been there with kids on holiday in the boat for 16 years, its a great family holidayeven on wet days.

The good thing is when you want to move on in a boat like yours the next port is only 10 to 20 miles away.

Get the boy a fishing rod and a crab net a net slung from a steel ting about 18inches in diameter you tie some chicken bones in it and lift it and take out the crabs our kids record was fill a large bucket and chuck it back they eventually caught 360 in a morning keprt a group of kids busy for hours .

Best kids fishing in the marina is Trebeurden and St Quay.

Most marinas now have wi fi but very slow but dvd's and a game console.

If you come to Guernsey give us a PM
 
Treguier is a lovely port up a river.

lesardrieux is ok but very quiet.

Pontrieux is a nice very quiet town up a river.
.............................................................

We loved them all.

Not sure about the kids thing, but theres loads of beaches.
 
Rance to Dinan

Haven't done this trip in our own boat, but the inlaws have a house near Dinan and I would recommend taking the time out to go there. Its a lovely trip from St Malo down the rance to Dinan (did it on a tourist trip boat a few years ago). Dinan is such a great place to wonder around the old medival town in the day, and there are loads of great restaurants by the river for the evening.

18.jpg
 
With an 11 year old I would have thought If the weather is good you want to be near a beach and if the weather is poor you could venture up a river.
 
Re: Rance to Dinan

I'll second that. The Rance upto Dinan is well worth the trip but you must take heed of the low/high water times in the tidal Rance as these are controlled by the barrage. Once they start letting the water out, it disappears very quickly. There is a very quiet but nice small marina half way towards Dinan (Plouet, Plouer??) which is worth a visit too. You need plenty of puff in Dinan as the main town is a steep hike up a hill
 
A bit of advice about Morlaix. Nice town well worth a visit but, because it's so far inland, you don't get a sense of what weather or sea conditions are going to be like. We were once holed up in Morlaix waiting out a gale. One afternoon the wind dropped and the sun came out and we decided to lock out and head east reasoning that the sea conditions must have eased. When we got out of the estuary, however, the conditions had not eased at all but there was insufficient time to head back to Morlaix in time for the last lock so we had no choice but to go to sea. Luckily the sea was following but I have never seen as big waves as we experienced that afternoon, before or since. We had a good boat (Turbo 36) but the experience was very frightening for both me and my crew. To cap it all, we ended up piloting into Lezardrieux in semi darkness and rain without adequate charts and that was before chart plotters were around. 2 days later we pitched up in Guernsey and got talking to a French yottie who couldn't believe we'd been at sea that day especially in a motor boat!
Moral of the story is to be damned sure about the weather before leaving Morlaix, leave on an early lock to give yourself time to get back and make sure you have adequate charts /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I would recommend Trebeurden as a fairly easy landfall because you can anchor outside if you arrive early. Great beach and rocks for kids and good marina but not a lively place. Lezardrieux and Treguir are well worth a visit and so is Ploumanach but, from memory, the moorings are limited in length. The jewel on the Brittany coast is St Malo which is a must see. If you're feeling brave, pick up a buoy in Iles Chausey for a day or overnight before you get back to Jersey
 
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