Shore-based holiday Gulf of Morbihan

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T_C

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Rather than taking our holiday on the boat, we are taking a shore based holiday this summer. We have booked a place in the Gulf of Morbihan, near Lamor-Baden for 2 weeks in August.
We are 4 adults and 4 children (2 aged 8 and 2 aged 10) and our list of available toys to take from the UK includes a 16' aluminium quicksilver boat, a small rib, a sea kayak and a Topper dinghy (and 2 cars).
It looks like a fabulous boating area, but I know nothing about it in terms of conditions. Can other forumites give me some guidance as to the area, hints, tips, general advice, and thoughts about what boats, if any, we should take with us from the UK.
Also, can anyone recommend any useful publications that cover the area?
Many thanks in advance.
 
Hi,
I have sailed there a few times. Delightful. BUT, there are very strong currents, up to 10kts
at springs and it makes certain of the gaps between island quite interesting.. The Port Blanc gap is locally known as the toilet flush. So go with the tides. Worth going up the Aurey river to Le Bono and St Goustan. Vannes is old and fun. August is high season, so it will be crowded, lots of powerboats and skis.
Your boat should be SSR registered and insured. Don't think kayaks need anything.
Seafood is first class and you can prise your own oysters off the rocks. The islands are 'owned' but I understand that landing on beaches is OK if you do not wander off and intrude.
Lamour Baden has a crane and slip +plus harbour master. You might be able to rent a mooring to leave it afloat. Except for the August bit...
Have a look at www.semainedugolfe.com for some vids of the area.
A
 
Just left the Morbihan last Saturday and now on our way home. We spent half a day at anchor off Pointe du Berchis just SW of Larmor-Baden.
Everywhere you look will be just ridiculously beautiful! But for any boating activities be very careful of the tides. At that end of the Gulf they are ferocious (i.e. up to 9 knots). I would recomend the French SHOM chart No. 7137L for the area.
 
Hi TC

Wonderful area. Have a house and a boat at Le Bono. Wish I was there now!

Make sure any boat is SSR'd and insured. No need for that for the kayak.
Make sure that you have a lifejacket for all occupants of any boat - they needn't be worn, just available.

The Eastern half of the Gulf is a nature reserve and doesn't have a lot of water even at high tide. The currents are benign. It is beautiful.

The West side is "tres belle aussi", but more care must be taken.

As has been said, watch the tides. There are really only 2 dangerous bits.
1. Le Mouton near Port Navalo at the entrance of the Gulf. It's the only hazard that the tidal streams set on to - all the rest of the hazards the streams push you off - allegedly.
and
2. Le Passage (between the mainland and Ile Berder). If you aren't paying attention you can get sucked down this after @ 1-2hrs of the floood. I know locals it has happened to - they survived without much damage to the small draft craft they were in. But their underwear did have to be washed. :)

Le Passage in a benign part of the flood. There is a causeway just above the standing wave which is dry near LW. Go and see it from the road at half flood tide. Impressive at 70+% coefficient. Downright scary at over 100%.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/13866498?source=wapi&referrer=kh.google.com

As has been said, get the SHOM chart and pay attention to it. Get the Green-backed local tide tables (3 euros) and study what it says.

It is a magnificent boating area, and treated with some respect is a lot of fun.

Don't assume that others know exactly what they are doing. The locals generally do, but the others can be an accident just waiting to happen. You can learn by their mistakes if you keep your wits about you.

Lots of excellent links on the Semaine du Golfe site already given.

Guaranteed - you'll want to go back.

Be glad to answer any other queries you might have.
 
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We have sailed there twice in small boats. Years back you could hire Drascombe dayboats, which were absolutely ideal for the Gulf. Shallow, plenty of room, able to sail but also a motor to get back if the tides are wrong.
Sadly think they stopped doing this, but that would be ideal type.

Also been round with a West Eleven and 5 up. Bit of a squeeze but worked, and even small o/b on back. Classic moment sailing downwind at speed, with boom 2 feet from a rock shore trying to get round a headland against the tide. That was fine, but had large gaff fishing smack outside us with their huge boom 2 feet from us, and a large passenger ferry 20 feet behind. Good close quarters manoeuvring.

Topper would be fun, but need one of the power boats as safety cover. Enjoy your trip
 
Many thanks for the really informative replies, I had in the back of my mind that the tides might be quite strong, probably read it on here at some point.

Interesting point about SSR registration for the RIB and the ally open boat, and not one that had occurred to me. Both boats have 3rd party liability insurance. The RIB at 3m is little more than a rubber dinghy with a solid bottom, indeed I usually tow it behind the Sadler 29 and use it as a tender with a 2HP outboard. Granted I shall be using it with a 9.9 HP engine in France, but I wonder at what point a dinghy becomes a "ship", I guess one can never out-guess the level of bureaucracy one might encounter though. The ally boat at around 16' is more likely to require SSR. I shall try and find out.

Thanks once again.
 
T_C said:
Many thanks for the really informative replies, I had in the back of my mind that the tides might be quite strong, probably read it on here at some point.

Interesting point about SSR registration for the RIB and the ally open boat, and not one that had occurred to me. Both boats have 3rd party liability insurance. The RIB at 3m is little more than a rubber dinghy with a solid bottom, indeed I usually tow it behind the Sadler 29 and use it as a tender with a 2HP outboard. Granted I shall be using it with a 9.9 HP engine in France, but I wonder at what point a dinghy becomes a "ship", I guess one can never out-guess the level of bureaucracy one might encounter though. The ally boat at around 16' is more likely to require SSR. I shall try and find out.

Thanks once again.
Click to expand...

These are just general points :-

There is a tolerance for dinghies when they are use as tenders. They need to be marked "tender to" with the name of the yacht and the basic use is between the yacht and the shore. If you start exploring with it ie using it as a vessel in its own right you run the risk of problems although I have never heard of anybody actually being troubled under this provision.

In France using a motor over 6 hp requires a permis (where the vessel is not primarily a sailing vessel). I'm not sure to what extent a foreign visitor would be troubled by this but it may be a small risk.
 
The SSR for your RIB and Ally boat would make them agree with the french rules for registration over 2.3mt(?) And as always, any incident would generate a close look at your papers. Under the limit, dinghys are 'beach boats' and limited to 300mt from the beach or, in the case of a tender, the mother ship. As Sybarite says, I have not heard of any probs. But if you bumped someone.....
It would also help if you carried the expected kit. Anchor, sound device (I use a plastic mouth horn €3 at the local marine shop) compass on top of the LJs. I am not saying you are required to, but shows willing. 3 red flares also, but a bit problematical for the Ferry?
 
We are off to the same area late July to Mid August towing something a bit larger.

My research indicated SSR covers most eventualities if its predominantly a sailing boat.

Bad news is that they are taking very strong action on any UK power boat

You could have problems with launching any "non sailing dinghy" with more than 6HP on the transom. I understand you are then in to "permis" and/or ICC qualifications.

RYA site has advice.

Hope we havent triggered off another monster french thread.
 
Le Bono

Le Bono is great, spent a lovely week there 2years ago eating in some great little bar type places and watching the local youngsters jump off the bridge. Happy days.
Hope to go back again this year.
 
Hi T-c I was wondering how your holiday went in the gulf of morbihan. ? I was looking at doing something similar , I have a 4 year old girl who does not swim so just wanted to do some safe sheltered boating in my 4m rib. Of course safety is paramount what love to know details. Thanks David
 
Just spotted this.

If the gales ever stop we are hoping to sail there this summer.

Prior to reading this had no appreciation of the strong tides. Boat draws 2m.

Recommended reading please or is it recommendation - don't go there!!
 
Sailfree said:
Just spotted this.

If the gales ever stop we are hoping to sail there this summer.

Prior to reading this had no appreciation of the strong tides. Boat draws 2m.

Recommended reading please or is it recommendation - don't go there!!
Click to expand...

We were there last summer for 3 weeks in very hot weather. We sailed from the River Villaine to the Morbihan via Houat, Hoedic, Belle Isle, Port Haliguen, La Trinite, Le Crouesty, Bono and Auray.

It is very tidal but some of us are used to that being based on the Menai Straits!

It is a bit like Poole Harbour but on Steroids... There are reputedly 365 islands to visit. It is a haven for day sailors, sailing schools, etc..

Best English nav guide I used was Secret Anchorages by Cumberlidge.

French Bloc Marine (A french Reeds is mainly in French but key parts have english translation) is the best French publication complete with charts and up to date guide to facilities for the area.

Top tips:
If you are there on spring tides don't try to go against the tide at the main entrance or any of the squeeze points. We were showing 14 knots SOG in a 24 foot Trailer sailer with an OB. Luckily we were going with the Tide!

If you enter any of Sagemor marinas make sure that at the first one your boat is as small as you can get away with. Our 7.3 was entered as 6.99 and this saved us at least the price of two beers each night. If you move on to any of the others its too late as they have you tagged on the Puter.

I actually quite enjoyed a day out on Isle de Moines. Rent a bike, visit the sites, enjoy the cuisine and got away from sailing for a day.

We have previously visited Vannes (Medieval City Black and white half timbered houses like Chester) during the Jazz festival which was good fun.

Fantastic area nothing to be scared of but do get your passage planning right!


We draw 1.7 and never lifted the keel in the Morbihan except to dry out on a beach.
Steve
 
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parsifal said:
I found a Navicarte of the Golfe du Morbihan useful to have in the cockpit.

http://www.bekayak.com/navicarte-golfe-du-morbihan-topoplastic.html?image=&tgrandeimage=1

It only cost 6 Euros and it's laminated so rain won't hurt it.
Click to expand...

What Rain?

In our three weeks we had 1 rainy day.

We did have one hairy night off Houat with the Vent Solaire reinforced by an electric storm triggered of by the heat. It was the 1st time I have ever laid out 2 anchors before sleeping soundly. Both of them were CQRs if you are asking!
 
Sailfree said:
Prior to reading this had no appreciation of the strong tides. Boat draws 2m.
Click to expand...

Mine is 2m too, we go there several times every year it's an ideal place for tidal practice.

If you want a flavour, go to data.shom.fr , zoom over the area, choose "Cartes Raster" in the Catalogue window, then "Courants de marée" at a suitable hour (PM Mortes Eaux is HW Neaps, PM Vives Eaux is HW Springs)

morbih_zps310a1bc3.jpg


Apart from navigation, I'd say pay a lot of attention to traffic, especially during sunny summer days: ferries, tourist boats, a lot of small fishing boats (a lot of bass in the strongest current, not that I ever caught one :) ) sometimes they anchor sometimes they simply drift without looking, kayaks, centreboarders,..

If you go up to Vannes (recommended), these are the 2014 opening times of the bridge just before the port.
http://www.mairie-vannes.fr/uploads/media/GuidePortVannes2014.pdf

Lovely, lovely area :)
 
Roberto said:
Mine is 2m too, we go there several times every year it's an ideal place for tidal practice.

If you want a flavour, go to data.shom.fr , zoom over the area, choose "Cartes Raster" in the Catalogue window, then "Courants de marée" at a suitable hour (PM Mortes Eaux is HW Neaps, PM Vives Eaux is HW Springs)

morbih_zps310a1bc3.jpg


Apart from navigation, I'd say pay a lot of attention to traffic, especially during sunny summer days: ferries, tourist boats, a lot of small fishing boats (a lot of bass in the strongest current, not that I ever caught one :) ) sometimes they anchor sometimes they simply drift without looking, kayaks, centreboarders,..

If you go up to Vannes (recommended), these are the 2014 opening times of the bridge just before the port.
http://www.mairie-vannes.fr/uploads/media/GuidePortVannes2014.pdf

Lovely, lovely area :)
Click to expand...
Roberto,
Last time in Vannes was in 1989 with a M346 so my memories are a bit sketchy. I know it's a great place & would like to visit again.
What's the max LOA you reckon could berth in the basin? I've looked at your PDF link and it mentions 2.10m depth but I can't see restriction on length anywhere - my current boat is c13m LOA (including overhangs).

TIA
 
Tradewinds said:
What's the max LOA you reckon could berth in the basin? I've looked at your PDF link and it mentions 2.10m depth but I can't see restriction on length anywhere - my current boat is c13m LOA (including overhangs).

TIA
Click to expand...

You will have no problem at all (we are 12.3m), once while we were there a very big boat arrived (I don't remember the exatc size but easily 18-19m), he could turn around 180° by himself with just propwash, the problem was he filled the whole basin with smoke, almost causing a mass suffocation :D
Be prepared to raft, it is often necessary; also, have everything (ropes, fenders etc) ready before the bridge: if there are many boats waiting at the bridge, once it opens all boats rush in in the narrow channel, and when you arrive in the mooring basin there may be a lot of confusion; as it is very sheltered usually there are no problems, it's more a friendly mess than anything dangerous, once you are given a berth it's better to get straight in than keeping on circling around :)

There are usually a number of UK boats overwintering there, as you know the marina is almost in the middle of the nice old town, good food especially at the covered market, all facilities, TGV train station 2.5 hours from paris, it is so sheltered it can blow a hurricane and hardly anything happens etc


*** I just checked on the pilot book, it says:
Up to 16m on pontoons, 16m to 25m moored to the wall
 
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