St Cast Marina Plan

[kcrane]

My pilot books either don't mention that St Cast on the North Brittany coast has a new marina or there is a photo, a comment it is new, but no mini-chart.

Here are the plans from the brochure they hand out when you arrive (a nicely presented pack of information).

...and the location of the visitors section:

It is an elegant seaside town. There is a Disney feel to it, it is very clean and well-to-do with some splendid properties. For some reason all of the brasseries and cafes have the same style of menu, not the same content or colour, but the overarching design is the same across the whole town. That was a bit creepy.

The marina is big & sparkling new, pontoons with built-in fenders, wide main pontoons, modern materials etc. Unlike most northern French marinas it was designed with a few 14m berths, most seem to think 12m is a big boat. We grabbed a luxurious hammerhead and they didn't mind.

I'm not sure I'd want to test it at LWS but it has all tide access, so no gate or cill, a boon when most ports on this coast have 4-6hr access windows.

 

[volvopaul]

Kevin I think my friend Peter hope s there at the moment his boats out of the water, a fair line 36 sedan if you see him mention me. Enjoy the sun.

 

[kcrane]

Kevin I think my friend Peter hope s there at the moment his boats out of the water, a fair line 36 sedan if you see him mention me. Enjoy the sun.

We're now in Granville, after a good fast run along the coast and up to Normandy. Lovely weather this morning, sun and little wind. Now it is absolutely sheeting down. I'm watching the flybridges come in, wishing they could close the roof!

Fingers crossed for getting back to Jersey tomorrow, but I would rather be worrying about that than being at work.

 

[JerseyDiver]

Jersey weather

Forecast for Jersey is much better than we have been having.

Period¹ Max² Min² Frost³ Wind⁴ Weather % Rain⁵
Thursday night 13 Nil SE F2-3 Fair to cloudy. Risk of a shower at first.
Friday 21 VRB F1-3 bec SW Some bright or sunny periods. 15
Friday night 13 Nil SW-S F1-3 Fair periods. Risk of a shower at first. 25
Saturday 22 S'ly F2-3 bec VRB Some bright or sunny intervals. Risk of a thundery shower. 20


I have a long weekend of fishing / diving starting at 0830 tomorrow !!!

 

[Bandit]

Two very good restaurants are Breiz in the main town down a side street on the right by les halles where they cook meat on a wood fire and Ker Flore about 25 min walk on the hill behind the town by the large church which has a varied menu but very good.

In the church opposite the Ker Fore see the display about the cross channel packet Southampton-CI St Malo that sank off Cezembre and the bodies got wahed up in St Cast circa 1890.

Look up the monument on the cliff path on the other side of the headland to the sinking of the french Frigate while at anchor by a mine that had been missed in the clearance in 1950 called "La Place" near to Fort La Latte where they filmed the siege for Vikings. The Chart is still marked with a disclaimer about mines.

Also look up at headland by cannon reference to Battle of St Malo battle of St Cast in the 7 years war see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saint_Cast
Basically France 4 Uk 0.

St Cast is a cracking spot a must do is to visit the Hebihen island opposite with the boat on a sunny day.

 

[gjgm]

We were at St Cast a few weeks ago..we were also really impressed..electronic sensor taps in the rather groovy facilities! And more mussels on a plate that you can eat at the cafe! Wonderful beach and a rather upmarket feel to the place. Hell, even the jeweller doesnt bother to open more than two days a week!
I wonder what the marina side of the town is like in high season because all those rather grand houses were still shuttered up.
If we could get ok with flights, we would seriously think of moving there.
We ended up at Granville on a Sunday afternoon and the streets were heaving with day trippers (I assume). Granville actually charge by length/width, but given how little I paid I think I might have suggested I had a long canoe shape, though they didnt seem too concerned!
I was really taken with that corner.
Funny how far Mont St Michael appears to be into that bay.

 

[mjf]

"groovey facilities! And more mussels on a plate that you can eat at the cafe! "

What! they serve food in the bog? Fab service IMHO (saves the travel).

 

[gjgm]

"groovey facilities! And more mussels on a plate that you can eat at the cafe! "

What! they serve food in the bog? Fab service IMHO (saves the travel).

You are right that the cafe also has a bog, but I am not sure that there is waiter service

 

[kcrane]

Two very good restaurants are Breiz in the main town down a side street on the right by les halles where they cook meat on a wood fire and Ker Flore about 25 min walk on the hill behind the town by the large church which has a varied menu but very good.

In the church opposite the Ker Fore see the display about the cross channel packet Southampton-CI St Malo that sank off Cezembre and the bodies got wahed up in St Cast circa 1890.

Look up the monument on the cliff path on the other side of the headland to the sinking of the french Frigate while at anchor by a mine that had been missed in the clearance in 1950 called "La Place" near to Fort La Latte where they filmed the siege for Vikings. The Chart is still marked with a disclaimer about mines.

Also look up at headland by cannon reference to Battle of St Malo battle of St Cast in the 7 years war see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saint_Cast
Basically France 4 Uk 0.

St Cast is a cracking spot a must do is to visit the Hebihen island opposite with the boat on a sunny day.

Good advice, thanks!

We'll especially look out for the restaurants.

 

[kcrane]

We were at St Cast a few weeks ago..we were also really impressed..electronic sensor taps in the rather groovy facilities! And more mussels on a plate that you can eat at the cafe! Wonderful beach and a rather upmarket feel to the place. Hell, even the jeweller doesnt bother to open more than two days a week!
I wonder what the marina side of the town is like in high season because all those rather grand houses were still shuttered up.
If we could get ok with flights, we would seriously think of moving there.
We ended up at Granville on a Sunday afternoon and the streets were heaving with day trippers (I assume). Granville actually charge by length/width, but given how little I paid I think I might have suggested I had a long canoe shape, though they didnt seem too concerned!
I was really taken with that corner.
Funny how far Mont St Michael appears to be into that bay.

That mirrors our experience, lovely town and marina. Even the little brasserie at the port is OK, SWMBO didn't manage to eat all the moules either, too many. That is explained if you go one bay towards St Malo, there are stakes by the mile with mussels growing on them. I'll post a photo.

Let me know if it is easy to get to by air... I wondered about leaving the boat there a while too.

Granville was a bit dull I thought, we were on the end of G pontoon. The whole of that end of the marina seemed to catch a swell rolling in. As we left we were ready for a F5 and choppy conditions, but as soon as Granville was a mile astern it became calm and slight, we then had a quick run NW to Jersey. Seems Granville has a microclimate!

 

[kcrane]

A couple of pics of St Cast.

The beach, town on the right, marina on the left.

The marina, entrance top just to the right of the middle.

 

[gjgm]

Flights to St Malo/Dinard/Pleutuit which I think is one and the same airport, and 15 miles to St Cast.
Aurigny fly from Gatwick at vast cost, Ryanair from Stanstead at a cost you never understand even after you have landed, but flight times didnt immediately look too good, unless you only work mornings ! Manchester/Bristol etc too if you live non south east.
Might work for long weekends...but looks a bit tight timings for weekends

 

[kcrane]

Flights to St Malo/Dinard/Pleutuit which I think is one and the same airport, and 15 miles to St Cast.
Aurigny fly from Gatwick at vast cost, Ryanair from Stanstead at a cost you never understand even after you have landed, but flight times didnt immediately look too good, unless you only work mornings ! Manchester/Bristol etc too if you live non south east.
Might work for long weekends...but looks a bit tight timings for weekends

Will living in the south west and working 3 day weeks help? Might be worth me looking at Bristol and Brum, it would be a nice base for a month or two.

Having said that I took on 200 litres of fuel in St Cast at €1.4 litre then refilled with 1,000 litres in Jersey at 0.77p. Advice from next door neighbour here suggests I could get 60p a litre in Guernsey. Tempting to go with the cheaper fuel than the nicer marina!

 

[gjgm]

I think normal fuel berth at SPP was about 76p, but some locals suggested it "might" be possible to sneak onto the commercial fuel berth somewhere.. not sure how that works as I was in a bit of a rush to get heading home again b4 yet another storm came in.
St Cast is 24hr access, whereas SPP is tidal, though(although, are all the GSY ones tidal?)
I also wondered about CIs and then w.end trips to St Cast...

 

[Bandit]

I had a very uncomfortable night at Granville at the end of pontoon facing gate. Better to go other side and further down for a quiet night.

St Cast is a Cracker.

Fuel in Guernsey direct from the tanker 2.5 hrs either side of Hw at St Sampsons by Rubis (Fuel Supplies) tel 01481 200 800 or GPD 01481 245 858 Book by Phone in advance was 60p ish

KCrane if you come over bung me a PM and I will pop down and say hello.

I do quite like Granville a little quirky but off the tourist trail.

If you wonder why you see a lot of people in wheel chairs or on crutches its because they have a large orthopedic centre there, not because everyone gets pissed and falls in the harbour.

 

[kcrane]

I had a very uncomfortable night at Granville at the end of pontoon facing gate. Better to go other side and further down for a quiet night.

St Cast is a Cracker.

Fuel in Guernsey direct from the tanker 2.5 hrs either side of Hw at St Sampsons by Rubis (Fuel Supplies) tel 01481 200 800 or GPD 01481 245 858 Book by Phone in advance was 60p ish

KCrane if you come over bung me a PM and I will pop down and say hello.

I do quite like Granville a little quirky but off the tourist trail.

If you wonder why you see a lot of people in wheel chairs or on crutches its because they have a large orthopedic centre there, not because everyone gets pissed and falls in the harbour.

That is the very berth, hammerhead of Pontoon G. Swell is funnelled in and affects most of G.

Great, thanks for those numbers, perfect. Is there an obvious place to moor to meet the tanker?

 

[Bandit]

Entry to St Sampsons is reasonably clear, study a chart and a cruising guide first, there is a strong tide accross southern breakwater especially on springs attempt only say 2.5 hours either side of HW Guernsey 3 max. Approach from East and folow leading line and chart plotter. Look out for Commercial shipping which has priority.

When entering St Sampsons pier heads about 100ft apart, north pier is on your right and the next one the quay Abrahams Bosom with boats and pontoons on it ( no Portal Cranes on Bosom) is on your right, turn first right before bosom (not named on map) and there is a pontoon on the east side of bosom, it shallows quickly to the line east west at the north of pontoon.

This is where the tanker will meet you arrive 10 minutes early.

See Map http://www.guernseyharbours.gov.gg/stsamp.pdf

The outer harbour dries and there are no visitor spaces in marina so do not arrive early or leave late 3 hrs either side of high water St Peter Port with an outdrive boat MAX!

 

[kcrane]

Thanks Bandit... is this where you mean? I've added a crude red boat!

 

[Bandit]

Yes exactly, there is a pontoon about 70ft long in that position.

The boat does not have to be red they will service fuel to any colour boat.

BTW I have no connection with either fuel vendor only as customer.

You need to man the gun at all times as the delivery rate is considerably faster than from an automotive type pump.

 

[kcrane]

The boat does not have to be red they will service fuel to any colour boat