cgull
New member
Any tips re passage to Honfleur from Solent?
Honfleur
- Thread starter cgull
- Start date
Make sure your engine is in A1 condition otherwise you might get swept half way to Paris.
Go on a diet before departure because tempting cooking odours will waft their way aboard once you have tied up.
Look up the navigation lights for a dredger. I spent an anxious night tacking down the Seine estuary wondering why a small ship kept chasing me!
Go on a diet before departure because tempting cooking odours will waft their way aboard once you have tied up.
Look up the navigation lights for a dredger. I spent an anxious night tacking down the Seine estuary wondering why a small ship kept chasing me!
jtwebb
Member
And do not leave it until it is critical before going to find the loo! The town loos are not brilliant and the ladies
have to queue for a long time. The mens is what you would expect. The boatie ones are a long walk. I now
have a holding tank!
J Webb
have to queue for a long time. The mens is what you would expect. The boatie ones are a long walk. I now
have a holding tank!
J Webb
Peter_the_Grate
New member
Prepare well for your entrance to the Seine. The tides are strong and do not always run in the direction that you'd expect.
The entrance to Honfleur is via a lock, which I think opens every 30 minutes. It is quite a narrow entrance and is not obvious; there is however a traffic control tower (big concrete thing) quite closeby. If the tide is low, the outflow from the lock via the spillways prior to opening can be quite turbulent, so stooge about rather than tying up to the posts which appear to be provided for mooring. The flows inside the lock whilst filling or emptying can also be strong, but there are floating bollards, which make things a bit easier.
Some of the fishing trawlers that use Honfleur are big and don't give any quarter, so give them a wide berth and watch for wash.
It's a nice place and we will be going back, despite the slightly down at heel facilities for yachts. Be prepared to feel like a sideshow, with the tourists staring down from the harbour walls at everything you do....
The entrance to Honfleur is via a lock, which I think opens every 30 minutes. It is quite a narrow entrance and is not obvious; there is however a traffic control tower (big concrete thing) quite closeby. If the tide is low, the outflow from the lock via the spillways prior to opening can be quite turbulent, so stooge about rather than tying up to the posts which appear to be provided for mooring. The flows inside the lock whilst filling or emptying can also be strong, but there are floating bollards, which make things a bit easier.
Some of the fishing trawlers that use Honfleur are big and don't give any quarter, so give them a wide berth and watch for wash.
It's a nice place and we will be going back, despite the slightly down at heel facilities for yachts. Be prepared to feel like a sideshow, with the tourists staring down from the harbour walls at everything you do....
brianhumber
New member
Care needed when approaching River because of Seine shipping anchorage - river mist and fog sometimes.
Watch out for the dredger.
Ships will go up and down river at standby full ahead so keep a good look out AND keep clear. They will not move for you.
If near high water you can keep outside shipping channel.
If near low water there may not be enough for you to get into lock- it silts ( but fishing boats literally plough their way through the silt)
Lock operates every hour each way ie 30 mins past inbound, on the hour outbound or other way round I forget which.
Bridge into centre basin of town opens 3 or four times in the morning and afternoon.
Loos are disappointing and small. We now have to share them with motor caravan park so waiting will be even longer this year.
Overall Honfleur is great, why people bother with the concrete cancer that is Le Harve always amazes me - apart from Carentan its my favourite Normandy port - will be there next BH weekend winds permitting.
Watch out for the dredger.
Ships will go up and down river at standby full ahead so keep a good look out AND keep clear. They will not move for you.
If near high water you can keep outside shipping channel.
If near low water there may not be enough for you to get into lock- it silts ( but fishing boats literally plough their way through the silt)
Lock operates every hour each way ie 30 mins past inbound, on the hour outbound or other way round I forget which.
Bridge into centre basin of town opens 3 or four times in the morning and afternoon.
Loos are disappointing and small. We now have to share them with motor caravan park so waiting will be even longer this year.
Overall Honfleur is great, why people bother with the concrete cancer that is Le Harve always amazes me - apart from Carentan its my favourite Normandy port - will be there next BH weekend winds permitting.
G
Guest
Guest
Take advice on the tidal stream down the Seine. We were not alone in finding a 3 knot stream against at "slack" water. This may have been the normal river flow but it didn't seem like it.
In Summer we found the inner basin to be pretty foul and the mozzy bites were virulent.
On leaving we went from clear blue skies to pea soup within 200m of the outer lock.
Don't let me put you off it's a lovely place to visit.
brian mackenzie
In Summer we found the inner basin to be pretty foul and the mozzy bites were virulent.
On leaving we went from clear blue skies to pea soup within 200m of the outer lock.
Don't let me put you off it's a lovely place to visit.
brian mackenzie
johndf
New member
Time your trip to arrive a couple of hours before high water, then no worry about a long wait before entry through the outer lock. I found the inner basin to be a brilliant place to stay. If you ask at the 'Cirque Nautique d'Honfleur', you can probably get a spare space on the locals side, which avoids having to raft several deep on the visitors pontoons.
We had no trouble with mossies, or tourists - there were plenty of the latter, but all seemed friendly. We are not very keen on having people watching us, but compared to the hordes of yachtties (not local) watching our every move in Dover marina last summer, the tourists in Honfleur were no problem.
We had no trouble with mossies, or tourists - there were plenty of the latter, but all seemed friendly. We are not very keen on having people watching us, but compared to the hordes of yachtties (not local) watching our every move in Dover marina last summer, the tourists in Honfleur were no problem.
Gunfleet
New member
and the boat? nm
nm
nm
tcm
...
there are visitors moorings, and there are others owned or rented by the Cercle Nautique, on the east side of the basin. The cercl nautique office is down the sidestreet also on the west side. Can enquire there if they a spare mooring.
