Shore-based holiday Gulf of Morbihan

[Tradewinds]

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
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

Very helpful. Thank you.

 

[Ru88ell]

I took my Cape Cutter there for the last Semaine. It's a lovely place, and I intend to get there with my new boat at some stage. Some great advice offered by others, but think tides, tides, tides.

This is us crossing the 'Berder Gap'.

 

[rwoofer]

I've been to Vannes twice in one of my previous boats, a Moody 44 drawing 2.01m. No problems with tide or access if you time it right. Last time I went in I saw Ellen Macarthur at the boat builders on the canal into Vannes. If you can time it with the Jazz and Swing festival, lots of live music on most streets all for free. To be honest most of Brittany seems to have a music festival at some time in the summer with particularly good ones are Les Sables d'Olonne and La Rochelle.

 

[Nostrodamus]

we are 13.5 drawing 2m and we had no problems although it can be close at times.
Read the pilot books for the time to enter the Morbihan although you will know when all the other boats go for it in a procession. Take the current up to Vannes like a log flume which takes about 2 hours. It will be high water there then. After HW the entrance almost dries out so you need to be there then.
We were there two weeks and a couple of times we think we were touching the bottom in the marina but it is soft mud so no problems.
Enjoy the pink house. If they ever paint it a different colour a lot of people will be in trouble.

 

[Sybarite]

Beware of the holding if you anchor. If there is a free mooring better to use that. When we were there last summer there were very high tides. Sporty!

 

[honwav]

Proberley camping or maybe rent a cottage so I am not sailing but taking a a 4m rib on trailer, but would like to keep it in a marina for duration of holiday to keep from putting it in everyday. Does anyone know if the Islands are OK to picnic on for the day ? If anyone has tried to catch a bass with no success let me recommend the Rapala XRap saltwater 12 mackerel caught loads trolling off hove 2-knots.
Thanks for all your inputs

David

 

[Roberto]

Beware of the holding if you anchor. If there is a free mooring better to use that.

John,

was it you who lost your anchor (or other nasty occurrence) in the Gulf, and had to circle round and round at night ?

Distant memories I remember having read something like that, maybe it wasn't you.
Anyway, definitely not a place where one would like to loosely wander around at night.

 

[dunedin]

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!!

Recommended reading might include Oyster River, George Millar

PS Perhaps need to do a bit more research if "hoping to sail there this summer" but "had no appreciation of the strong tides". With Morbihan that's kind of like planning to go to the Solent and didn't appreciate might be lots of boats ;-)

 

[Roberto]

there are some funny, unexpected aspects

I once spent a week there sailing on Hobie Cats 16' from Ile d'Arz, a big one in the middle: in an almost windless day, we were caught in a current vein and the boat reacted like a rocket, absolutely flat water with no ripples and ourselves being on trapeze

Another nice one: I once went in with a N-NW wind, when the boat was caught in the main stream at the entrance, with the increase in speed over ground the apparent wind turned so forward that all sails were flapping, so we turned around 180°, pointing towards the exit: the apparent wind dropped a lot, speed over water as well and we were actually sailing backwards over ground into the gulf, with the bow pointing out of it. Well TBH first I was shown this by a local, then I tried on my boat, a good adrenaline shot

 

[Sybarite]

John,

was it you who lost your anchor (or other nasty occurrence) in the Gulf, and had to circle round and round at night ?

Distant memories I remember having read something like that, maybe it wasn't you.
Anyway, definitely not a place where one would like to loosely wander around at night.

I didn't lose it, it just wouldn't set and I tried about a dozen times - as did everybody else. We went to bed thinking that we were safely snugged down in the lee of the island (Ile d'Arz) and then a F7/8 came though in the middle of the night. We ended up by circling around on the motor until there was enough light to find an available buoy.

 

[Barr Avel]

If you want some info and photos on slipways this is a very good site (also covers all Brittany):

http://www.capbreizh.com/cales/maritime/56/cales.htm

 

[Sailfree]

Recommended reading might include Oyster River, George Millar

PS Perhaps need to do a bit more research if "hoping to sail there this summer" but "had no appreciation of the strong tides". With Morbihan that's kind of like planning to go to the Solent and didn't appreciate might be lots of boats ;-)

Give me credit to read the basic almanac before departing. If I can regularly sail around the CI (including the more inshore routes) and N brittany coats I think I can manage the Morbian but just asked so that I am better informed.

 

[robertj]

I take it Part 1 registered is ok?

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

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.

 

[DownWest]

SSR is the minimum. Part 1 is classy.