May go North, may go South - any tips for France?

[Cantata]

I've got one of those somewhere. Shows where the buoys were on the day that it was drawn.
From the behaviour of locals it seems the best plan is to arrive or leave around HW and just ignore all the buoyage...however, I didn't have the courage to do that.

 

[tony_lavelle]

Went to St Valerie in 2007 - unforgettable, very pleasant and inexpensive. It's got a better claim than many other French harbours to be the one that Willy the Conk and his merry men departed from in 1066. Definitely get the steam train ride around the bay. Essential to find and pass the landfall buoy (safe water buoy) two hours before HW as the route to the harbour is tortuous with several doglegs across/around sand bars. Even if you download the latest chartlet and put all the buoys into your GPS you may still find confusing changes and it's not obvious which of the buoys in front of you is the next one to aim for. My Beneteau's lifting keel came in very useful!

Boulogne also more interesting to visit than Calais and no ferries to dodge. Even though slightly farther than Calais (from Dover) the tide works better, as the Romans figured out. Don't forget to try that famous local dish, spaghetti boulognaise!

 

[johnalison]

Now that we are all getting brave, there is also Dives, just past Deauville and doable in a fortnight. Even following the buoys won't always take you in the centre of the channel, but usually the weather around there is fairly benign. This is also supposed to be where Bill the bastard sailed from. There is a great wooden market hall and a fine wine shop for Calvados buying. All the places mentioned are fine for first-timers in decent weather.

 

[sailorman]

Now that we are all getting brave, there is also Dives, just past Deauville and doable in a fortnight. Even following the buoys won't always take you in the centre of the channel, but usually the weather around there is fairly benign. This is also supposed to be where Bill the bastard sailed from. There is a great wooden market hall and a fine wine shop for Calvados buying. All the places mentioned are fine for first-timers in decent weather.

Dives food market on a Saturday morning :encouragement:

 

[Supine Being]

Wot about this :encouragement:

Now that's more like it. I reckon this is one to record your track on the way in so that you can replicate it on the way out.

 

[sailorman]

We off in a couple of weeks for our holiday. Intending to try for Holland again after not making it last year, but we may go South instead. I've not been further than Calais - any recommendations or 'see while you're there' please?

dives sur maee saturday market is excellent in the medieval building. Allloczlprroducewith real meats with fat st valery en caux is quite nice trecy up the cliff and see the memorial

 

[sailorman]

I have the second two weeks of July off and Picardy (inc Saint Val sur Somme) is looking good to me!
Probably do Calais, Boulogne, and Saint Val.
Anyone know if this coincides with school hols over there, in other words will it be busy?

Dont miss the satursay mkt indives vesces sue msre

 

[sailorman]

Blog (Bolougne) is very easy to get into and accessible at all states of the tide. The town itself is very pretty and the supermarket is walkable... (just follow the river and you see it on the LHS). Downside is the mud smells at low water.

Dieppe is the next all weather. In between is Le Touquet/Etaples, but it is tide locked (over sand flats). I am not brave enough.


I would be concerned about Calais what with the migrants trying to get into the UK. I would not want to park up on the town side of the basin.

Fecamp on bastile dsy for the firesork display.dirppe. walk up to the fishermas dhurch. St valery en caux wslk up tje east cliff to thr monument to 51sthighlandersthen fine views down to hbr ent and marina

 

[Bigplumbs]

You are aware this is a 6 year old thread ?