It's on! Essex to Lorient

[mcalan]

I have been planning a trip from the Blackwater to Lorient for several years.
SWMBO is not keen on such a long passage and as one of my oldest friends has just left the Army and has some free time so we have decided to go for it.
The plan so far is to depart Tollesbury and overnight in Ramsgate. From there I'm undecided but I'm trying to draw up a list of deep water any state of the tide marinas on the French coast. Ultimately after I have crossed over to the French side I'd like to day sail around to Lorient. Any recommendations re crossing or marinas would be gratefully received.

Merci pour votre conseils

 

[westhinder]

I have been planning a trip from the Blackwater to Lorient for several years.
SWMBO is not keen on such a long passage and as one of my oldest friends has just left the Army and has some free time so we have decided to go for it.
The plan so far is to depart Tollesbury and overnight in Ramsgate. From there I'm undecided but I'm trying to draw up a list of deep water any state of the tide marinas on the French coast. Ultimately after I have crossed over to the French side I'd like to day sail around to Lorient. Any recommendations re crossing or marinas would be gratefully received.

Merci pour votre conseils

All tide marinas are limited on the French side: Boulogne, Dieppe, Le Havre, Ouistreham, Cherbourg. These are not the most interesting harbours, merely convenient. Once past the Channel Islands, there are Lezardrieux, Tréguier, L'Aberwrach, Camaret, Brest. Past the Raz de Sein you have Benodet and Ste Marine opposite (and much nicer), Concarnau before you get to Lorient.
I am sure you will find that working the tides makes for a lot more rewarding cruising, with stops in Fécamp, Honfleur, St Vaast and a whole raft of harbours in Brittany. Preparation and calculation may take some effort, but absolutely worth it.
Enjoy your trip!

 

[Barr Avel]

Once past the Channel Islands, there are Lezardrieux, Tréguier, L'Aberwrach, Camaret, Brest.

+ Roscoff

 

[sailorman]

I have been planning a trip from the Blackwater to Lorient for several years.
SWMBO is not keen on such a long passage and as one of my oldest friends has just left the Army and has some free time so we have decided to go for it.
The plan so far is to depart Tollesbury and overnight in Ramsgate. From there I'm undecided but I'm trying to draw up a list of deep water any state of the tide marinas on the French coast. Ultimately after I have crossed over to the French side I'd like to day sail around to Lorient. Any recommendations re crossing or marinas would be gratefully received.

Merci pour votre conseils

stay on the UK side & cross to Cherbourg CI, the tides on the French side are best done West > East
Ave a good one

 

[TSB240]

Once through the Raz or especially if returning call in to Audierne. Other places not to miss on the way would be the Aven and Belon.
Personally I hated Lorient probably because I was stormbound for too long! It kept us away from our favorite cruising ground a bit further south.

You could get lost for a long time around Isle de Groix, Etel, Belle Isle(Esp. Sauzon), Morbihan, Auray, Vannes, Houat, Hoedic, River Villaine La Roche Bernard, Foleux and there is still much more to explore further south. Swmbo loved our last trip, very short hops from one delightful spot to the next.

 

[Koeketiene]

stay on the UK side & cross to Cherbourg CI, the tides on the French side are best done West > East

+1

 

[mcalan]

stay on the UK side & cross to Cherbourg CI, the tides on the French side are best done West > East
Ave a good one

So where would you cross.?

 

[Sybarite]

I have been planning a trip from the Blackwater to Lorient for several years.
SWMBO is not keen on such a long passage and as one of my oldest friends has just left the Army and has some free time so we have decided to go for it.
The plan so far is to depart Tollesbury and overnight in Ramsgate. From there I'm undecided but I'm trying to draw up a list of deep water any state of the tide marinas on the French coast. Ultimately after I have crossed over to the French side I'd like to day sail around to Lorient. Any recommendations re crossing or marinas would be gratefully received.

Merci pour votre conseils

Here's some info I posted before fwiw.


http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?293717-Southern-Brittany&highlight=Southern+Brittany

Post #10

 

[Dill et Bound]

+ Roscoff

+ St Caast.

 

[mcalan]

I'm just in the middle of planning for this trip and with some invaluable advice re the Thames estuary from Tillergirl (thanks Roger) the plan is depart For Ramsgate on Friday 25 at12.15 BST.
Members have suggest to follow the UK coast due to the favourable tidal streams before crossing to France, Cherbourg being a suggestion. Once departing Cherbourg we need to be in Lorient on 01/08/14 can anyone break this down into "do able" day sails to arrive there on that date?. I was up for a long passage but the crew are threatening mutiny !
But do accept have long passage may be nesssersary at some point .


Thanks for any suggestions

 

[westhinder]

I'm just in the middle of planning for this trip and with some invaluable advice re the Thames estuary from Tillergirl (thanks Roger) the plan is depart For Ramsgate on Friday 25 at12.15 BST.
Members have suggest to follow the UK coast due to the favourable tidal streams before crossing to France, Cherbourg being a suggestion. Once departing Cherbourg we need to be in Lorient on 01/08/14 can anyone break this down into "do able" day sails to arrive there on that date?. I was up for a long passage but the crew are threatening mutiny !
But do accept have long passage may be nesssersary at some point .


Thanks for any suggestions

I am planning a similar trip, Nieuwpoort -Concarneau, departing 23, aiming to be in Concarneau 1st of August.
Much will depend on the weather, if we get consistent fresh southwesterlies, we may not get there till a few days later, or not at all, I speak from experience.
From Cherbourg, I normally go to St Peter Port, then either Trebeurden or straight to L'Aberwrac'h, next Camaret and finally Concarneau.
This will be adapted depending on the weather and the strength of the crew. This year I hope we will be three good sailors who will be up for some longer passages, so we may skip some ports and go from Cherbourg straight to Camaret.
I have no hard and fast rusles when cruising, except that on the outbound part we take advantage of any favourable breeze. This is all the more important if you go against the dominant wind, as is the case when you are going to south Brittany. Coming back home is normally a downwind trip, so the weather is less critical. I enjoyed some memorable trips chased along by a westerly 6-8 ending in an interesting entry to port in Boulogne ;-)

 

[Daydream believer]

All tide marinas are limited on the French side: Boulogne, Dieppe, Le Havre, Ouistreham, Cherbourg. These are not the most interesting harbours, merely convenient. Once past the Channel Islands, there are Lezardrieux, Tréguier, L'Aberwrach, Camaret, Brest. Past the Raz de Sein you have Benodet and Ste Marine opposite (and much nicer), Concarnau before you get to Lorient.
I am sure you will find that working the tides makes for a lot more rewarding cruising, with stops in Fécamp, Honfleur, St Vaast and a whole raft of harbours in Brittany. Preparation and calculation may take some effort, but absolutely worth it.
Enjoy your trip!

I would second most of that. French side as far as cherbourg is possibly cheaper & always have room. Also easier in bad weather
I would not stop at ramsgate. If you work passage to cross the sunk by the barrow no 2(or is ot 3) at just before low tide you can use tide to go right down to dover. If you stop at ramsgate the timing will be wrong for dover or Boulogne
Boulogne being the first stop. I would not bother with ouistrem just go le havre to cherbourg ( time tides to get with you at barfleur)then st peter port after that. ( lehavre is a concrete jungle but ok for stop off)
Not so sure about lorient. I was going there until my shore crew going by car called to say it was a dump so i kept going
The isle de groix os ok so long as you do not arrive on a weekend

 

[jdc]

why not sail over night and visit ports by day?

I don't understand why you want to do it in 'Day sails'. This risks being exhausting! You get up early, set off at 06:00 to catch the tide, waste an hour getting out of Port Vieux-Puant, flog on during the day, probably having to motor half of it to make the next port, waste an hour getting in just as it gets dark, tie up just after the restaurants shut, and so to bed. Alarm set for 05:30 tomorrow. You never did get to see the place you just visited. And so on, and so on. Yuk!

For a more relaxing time have you considered making passage at night? Set off in the early evening well rested after a lazy afternoon, cook dinner on the way, have half the summer night in your bed and half watching the stars, and if it slows down a bit, so what: it makes little odds whether you arrive at 08:00 or 12:00 (whereas it makes a big difference whether 20:00 or 00:00). Alternatively, if you happen to be sailing past somewhere around lunchtime, you can call in or not as you see fit. Anchorages which you might not fancy for a whole night often make fine places to stop just for lunch and a siesta.

This way you make more miles per day, need to divert less far from the direct route, have just as much time a-bed and actually get to see the places you call in to!

 

[mcalan]

You make a valid point but as we live part of the year in Brittany we have visited most of the places you seem to think we may miss ! The crew are not keen on night or long passages but I think we may have to do at least one to get there for 01/08.

 

[Daydream believer]

I don't understand why you want to do it in 'Day sails'. This risks being exhausting! You get up early, set off at 06:00 to catch the tide, waste an hour getting out of Port Vieux-Puant, flog on during the day, probably having to motor half of it to make the next port, waste an hour getting in just as it gets dark, tie up just after the restaurants shut, and so to bed. Alarm set for 05:30 tomorrow. You never did get to see the place you just visited. And so on, and so on. Yuk!

For a more relaxing time have you considered making passage at night? Set off in the early evening well rested after a lazy afternoon, cook dinner on the way, have half the summer night in your bed and half watching the stars, and if it slows down a bit, so what: it makes little odds whether you arrive at 08:00 or 12:00 (whereas it makes a big difference whether 20:00 or 00:00). Alternatively, if you happen to be sailing past somewhere around lunchtime, you can call in or not as you see fit. Anchorages which you might not fancy for a whole night often make fine places to stop just for lunch and a siesta.

This way you make more miles per day, need to divert less far from the direct route, have just as much time a-bed and actually get to see the places you call in to!

When i do it i sail a day & rest a day. That allows me to see places ok
I certainly would not want to go places like lezardreux( spelling?) in the dark
Half the fun of going somewhere is stopping off at all the other great places on the way
I co not see how you can be rested if you have been awake all day
As for cooking - on one hand you are saying one would arrive after restaurants shut. On the other you are talking about cooking on board ( under way)
Dream on!!:sleeping:

 

[LadyInBed]

Did that part of Brittany in 2012.
My write up is here: http://montymariner.co.uk/summer-cruise-to-brittany-2012/