Morbihan anchoring

robertj

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I'm looking to spend a few weeks there this year and wondered if anchoring is plentiful and cheap or free?
 

Cloven

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I'm looking to spend a few weeks there this year and wondered if anchoring is plentiful and cheap or free?

We spend a lot of time in the Morbihan. Anchoring is free but the main problem is that many of bays suitable for anchoring are full of mooring buoys. That said, we often pick up one of these buoys and only on one occasion have we been asked to leave when the owner arrived. We tend to find that if you find a bay with several identical white buoys, these are available for visitors although whether these are "official" visitors buoys I have no idea but we have never had a problem with them.

Tides can be fierce so best anchoring is found away from the main tide races which run mainly from the entrance at Port Navalo north/south towards Arradon & on to Vannes. Good anchorages off north & south of Isle d'Arz & east side of Isle au Moines.

Hope this helps
 
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longjohnsilver

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We anchored for a few nights just off the bay to the SE of Ile Longue, between there and Gavrinis, including one night in a full gale.

There's also a good spot to the N of Ile aux Moines, there's a small island there, we anchored just 50m or so S of it for about a week. Both these anchorages were recommended to us by a local boatowner.
 

robertj

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Thanks chaps will investigate suggestions. Any more tips no matter how trivial will be greatly appreciated.
Bob
 

john_morris_uk

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Because during the summer months you have to leave large stretches completely free for the firefighting aircraft to fill up.

The Breguets fly @ sea-level, scooping their tanks full, before going off to the scrub fires.

It's all marked on SHOM charts (which are the ones I'd use in French waters.

Its marked identically on the admiralty charts as well.

PS I once compared my BA chart of the Golf with the French chart and they were identical! Not surprising really as we have an agreement to share the inshore data.
 

Roberto

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pedant mode on

Morbihan is the name of the whole "departement", a big chunk of land (Morbihan, Finistère, Cote d'armor, Ille et Vilaine etc are all parts of Brittany region); the Morbihan coast begins with the river Laita - Guidel, just north of Lorient, then covers the whole of Quiberon Bay, +Belle Ile Houat Hoedic etc up to Arzal.
Of course the Golfe du Morbihan is part of the department, it is locally referred to as "le golfe"; if you stop say at Crouesty or Trinité better ask other boats about "any anchorages in the gulf?" :)

Actually, it is "le golfe" that has given the name to the rest of the region; Mor-Bihan meaning mor-sea bihan-little, the little sea, where reportedly there are 365 islands. For some reason the French just seem to love the number 365: they say Chausey has 365 islands, and of course they have 365 different varieties of cheese :D
 

Roberto

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:D

"They say" just outside where Flamanville waters are discharged there are giant oysters as well...

[for the non-resident, Flamanville is the nuclear powerplant on the Cotentin peninsula (cherbourg, st vaast etc)]



I personally do not like those "golfe"-Ile Jument wild oysters, too strong a taste, I could just eat a couple after having put them in the oven (and I eat say 3-4 dozens a month); though I think harvesting and eating your own food can be nice :)
 
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