Passage planning advice please

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duncanmack

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I find that I may be going to deliver my new (to me) boat from the Solent to Morbihan later on this year. She is a Snapdragon 747.

I have a choice:-

Round the outside - never having done such an adventurous trip before.

Through the Ile/Rance canal - with the need for ICC and CEVNI (neither of which I yet have) and sufficient depth water (and lack of weed)

Wimp out and use a trailer.

What advice would you give? Option 1 appeals, but would be a BIG adventure. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW this is a serious request for sensible advice!
 
I really like the Rance canal, the prettiest of the French canals. It is often shallower than the controlling depth in summer, but a bilge keel Spandragon 747 shouldn't have a problem. Get your mast taken down at St Servan or Dinan. The only problem is time: it takes a good week or more to get down to La Roche Bernard from St Malo.

The outside route through Chenal du Four and Raz de Sein is quite definitely challenging in terms of passage planning and navigation. However, if you are comfortable with the idea of sailing from England down to St Malo, this route should also be within your capacity. Summer fog around Ushant can be a complication. Also if the wind has any north in it the approaches to Chenal du Four can be choppy, though smoother once inside.

L'Aberwrac'h is a good spot to start from, and a convenient place to aim for from England. The 40 or so miles from Ile Vierge through Raz de Sein - the area where currents run really strong - can't be done on a single tide going south, though you might north. First time, I wouldn't do this at night. However there is the relatively easy port of Camaret midway to catch your breath. (For the passage L'Aberwrac'h - Cameret, leave L'Aberwrac'h with some foul tide still to punch).

You could also go way outside Ushant ....
 
See my route from Southsea to Camaret.

I know the boat is slightly bigger than the 747 - and you don't say whether yours is bilge or fin keel - but I would have been quite happy taking my previous 747 (fin) on this passage.

Good luck, enjoy!
 
"Through the Ile/Rance canal - with the need for ICC and CEVNI"
Not sure about ICC but CEVNI is NOT required as the Rance and Vilaine waterways are not controlled by VNF.
Equally, you do not need to purchase a Vignette (licence) for the same reason.
I came in the opposite direction in 95 & 98, this may be of some assistance.

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre> The Vilaine
18 Aug. La Vilaine mouth - Arzal Lock 10 km 1 hr 15
18 Aug. Arzal Lock - La Roche Bernard 1 lock 7 km 45 mins
19 Aug. La Roche Bernard - Redon 32 km 3 hrs 40
20 Aug. Redon - Mâlon Lock 38 km 5 hrs 20
21 Aug. Mâlon Lock - Rennes 12 locks 50 km 10 hrs 20
The Rance
23 Aug. Rennes pk 1 - Lock 21 nr Hédé pk 41 20 locks 41 km 9 hrs 40
24 Aug. Lock 21 - Dinan pk 78 27 locks 37 km 10 hrs 45
25 Aug. Dinan - La Rance Barrage pk 98 2 locks 20 km 3 hrs
25 Aug. La Rance Barrage - St Malo 4 nmls 45 mins </pre><hr />

Note: There are about 2km to a nM
 
I have cycled along a good stretch of that canal and one day hope to repeat the journey on a boat.

My concern about your "outside" option is that I consider anything beyond the Channel Islands as big league offshore sailing. An oldish Snapdragon that routinely sails in sheltered Solent waters is likely to require a serious refit to qualify as a safe offshore yacht. You might blow a lot of money on offshore equipment that would be surplus to requirements for a future of cautious coastal sailing in SW Brittany.

As a counterpoint someone else has mentioned that getting to St. Malo is a non trivial offshore journey so is going all the way outside more of a challenge? It is in my mind but that might be because I have never skippered a yacht west of Tréguier.

Delivery trips typically end up being more problematic and costly than anticipated. I would opt for a truck unless I had 2 months to spare, one for preparation of the new boat and 1 for the voyage.

All in all not an easy call to make.
 
I did CI's St Malo or / and Paimpol most summers for 16 years in a 22 footer.
I don't rate it as a 'big deal' PROVIDED that you pick your weather.

26ArlesHalt.jpg
 
very possible and would be a nice adventure. but would depend on the time scale you have in mind a good 2 week weather window should see you down their with a bit of relaxation on the way. but if the weather turned it would be tight. call

you might like to spec the boat out a bit first as mentioned ushant is well known for tides and fog.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I did CI's St Malo or / and Paimpol most summers for 16 years

[/ QUOTE ]
And you still are but these days displacing a few more tons, we met in St. Malo last summer I recall.

I do not recognise the 22ft design?
 
I'd have no qualms about taking Jissel (Snappie 24, 1970 vintage) either through the canal or round the outside. Snapdragons are tough as old boots and pretty much everything is well over specced. Even so, I'd want to have a good nose round the various systems - rig, mechanicals, electronics and electrics before I set off. Before a trip like that is a better time to put any iffy bits right than on arrival after a nightmare trip caused by failures!

We went to Cherbourg last year and had no problems. From Cherbourg or one of the N CI Ports, St Malo can be done in day sails.

FWIW, here are a few thoughts:

You'll need a reliable, adequately powerful engine. If you can't do 5 knots all day under power it's going to be a long haul

In July, Cherbourg is a (long) day sail: Get up with the sun and go for it. It'll still be light when you get to Cherbourg. In September you'd be pushing it. I left Portsmouth the night before and anchored off Sandown over night (a bit rolly, and no good with an easterly wind). We left at 0430 and got in around 1830.

If you can't make 4 1/2 knots under sail, motorsail.

Pick the weather for your trip, not the date. The boat'll do fine but, while a 24 footer in lumpy seas is fun for the first couple of hours, the pleasure soon wears off!

Take spare fuel in cans, but put them into your tank before arrival in France. If he sees them, Monsieur Plod will automatically assume you filled the cans in France and fine you accordingly.

Don't be downtide of your entrance to Cherbourg. The current can be strooonnnnggg! I put in a waypoint 10 miles out then worked out what the tide would be doing in a couple of hours and went for the uptide entrance. That way, if I got it wrong, I had a second try at the other entrance.

If all you want on arrival in France is somewhere to kip before heading on, Omonville's a good alternative to Cherbourg, but not if there's any East in the wind. Pick up one of the conical buoys at the outer end of the harbour.

Bon voyage!
 
That's quite a long trip in one 'hit', but the boat is certainly capable of it, and you are, too, if you break the whole into readily-manageable chunks and tackle one leg at a time. It is, IM(H)O, essential to set out *only* with a good forecast and have a mid-point 'weather diversion' planned that you can dive into, on each leg, if ( when ) things ahead start to look challenging, or you've had enough for one day. Get lots of sleep and snooze whenever practicable - the 'human battery' needs to be in good condition.

You'll need - and will use - sound anchoring and mooring gear. You'll need to take a day off every so often, to recharge your personal batteries, 'cos mistakes get made when one is tired - and that leads to more mistakes.....

You'll need a reliable autopilot. That makes short-handing SO much more enjoyable, lifting it from a chore to a pleasure.

Do a passage plan for each leg, and think it through in terms of 'what if'. Have a pre-planned 'final approach plan' for each destination port ( 'Just how am I going to get in here?' ) when you are most tired. That's so you are fully aware, on top, and not stressed-out when you should be ear-to-ear-smiling.

As for routing, many would say 'Get across channel straight away', meaning Solent-Cherbourg-Alderney If the wind isn't just right for that, go to Weymouth and leave from there. And don't go at all if fog/poor visibility is forecast.

Guernsey should be a primary point of call ( PPC ). If there are issues, things can be fixed there, the boat can be left for a few days if need be, and people can get back from/to UK easily.

St. Malo is another such PPC.

After that, it's cruising wonderland to Roscoff, another PPC.

Then L'Abervrac. ( PPC Brest - regional airport and rail )

Then I'd probably aim for Camaret - the Chenal du Four is straighforward in decent visibility and with-tide. ( PPC as above )

After that, the Raz de Sein to Audierne, but getting the critical timing right is important.

Once past the Pointe de Penmarc'h, still working the tides and avoiding 'iffy' weather, it's a series of easy coastal hops.

The guidance in Reed's Nautical Almanac - especially the warnings of what/when to avoid - should be heeded. It's usually spot-on.

Let's know how you get on. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
If going round the outside I would say be careful not to overplan. There is a tendency when tackling something that seam a little (or a lot) daunting to compensate for lack of experience by planning all the details of the trip in advance. On paper this looks like good preperation but in practice can become rigid and combersome tempting you to do things that are unwise because they are in the plan. If possible be very flexible on time. Be prepared to leave the boat at different places and do it as a series or short trips either comming back to UK between legs or enjoying time in France. That way you can sail in settled weather. Most deliveries become unplesent if not dangerouse because a timescale means you have to sail in conditions you don't like or do longer chunks than you want. When I say be flexible I mean ideally saying I will be ready to go at the sart of June but may not set off untill Aug if the early summer isn't good.
 
Re: Fenders

They did a good job, had one each side and were cheaper than the 'real' thing as they were hanging around from when the girls were small.

The proof was when I got a bit cocky and followed a barge into a lock a bit too close.
He put rear end side thrust on, to push his back end into the wall and sent me flying across the lock and bouncing off the other wall! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
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