St Malo cruising?

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I've not cruised in to the "corner" of St Malo and I'd be interested in the views of those that have. Looking at the chart it looks fairly stressful - rocks/v large tides/ferries/busy marinas. It looks like a mini Biscay to me in that it's likely a lee shore with only St Malo to run to. Am I being neurotic?

rob
 
No, you're quite right to spot that there are multiple issues there. They're why St Malo pirates and raiders - especially one Robert Surcouf - survived so long against the English square-rigged navy.

There are lots of rox 'n reefs, fast cross-tides, and often foggy, Froggy bits....

However, with appropriate planning and good visibility, St Malo is certainly a favourite destination. Better by far than Cherbourg....

:)
 
I've only been to St Malo but the area looks fantasic for cruising. If any thing it was the 12m tidal range that got me and the amount of chain / rope needed to anchor so I stayed in the marina for 2 days.

Having been round the CI the rocks are not to much of a problem and add to the 'enjoyment'. Having a boat that takes the ground does help with some harbours and anchorages.
 
Robih said:
I've not cruised in to the "corner" of St Malo and I'd be interested in the views of those that have. Looking at the chart it looks fairly stressful - rocks/v large tides/ferries/busy marinas. It looks like a mini Biscay to me in that it's likely a lee shore with only St Malo to run to. Am I being neurotic?

rob
Click to expand...

Not sure of your perspective, but there is a new marina at St Cast, half-way between St Malo and Erquy.

I've never been that bothered by the traffic.

Many years ago we were storm-bound there for over a week. Even St Malo can pall....so we went upriver to Dinan. So glad we did. Just behind us there was a two-night open air concert by Alan Styvel, new to us, with Gael Force as the warm-up group. That was them playing in the bowels of the Titanic. We just sat in our cockpit and listened, entranced.
 
St Malo is well worth a visit, and worth steeling yourself for the game of boat dodgems to lock in to the inner basin (lots of fenders and a calm head etc needed).

Statement of the obvious - go with (rather than against) tides at all times.

St Cast has been substantially redeveloped recently and offers a pleasant all tide alternative to St Malo, and as previous posters have noted, lots of rewarding places to drop the hook.

Enjoy.
 
max said:
St Malo is well worth a visit, and worth steeling yourself for the game of boat dodgems to lock in to the inner basin (lots of fenders and a calm head etc needed).
Click to expand...

St Malo is an absolutely fantastic place to stop for 2 or 3 days especially if you have family on board who need to have a holiday that doesn't always involve sailing.
For my tuppence worth - if you go into the inner lock (well worth doing) don't bother going into the marina berths at the far end. In the summer you'll be rafted out with no where to move and it's not good. Instead, tie up alongside the stone wall on the left and the entrance through the city walls is just a case of crossing the road. Great for getting those fresh croissants in the morning. (Plus of course you'll save on marina fees.)
 
As previously suggested, locking in to the Bassin Vauban is well worth the hassle. It is a long walk from the other marina (St Servan) into the old town.

Don't be put off by the lock. There are 'eclusiers' who take your lines. They throw down a thin line to which you attach your long lines and they will put bowlines in and loop over the bollards. They will also take them off again when the gates open. The alternative is to hang back a bit and then lean on someone else's boat. :)

The old town is well worth a visit and there are several beaches accessible on the northern side.

St Cast is also worth a visit - easy access marina and usually a rib to meet and guide you. The village is a half mile walk but round a new promenade - very pleasant.

Going east, you will find Granville and Iles Chausey and back via Jersey. Happy days! :)
 
I don't know much about heading East from St Malo but if you go West then the area around Ile-de-Brehat is well worth a visit. There are several excellent places to visit for all the family where shelter can be found in all conditions.
For a 2 week holiday I try and do the triangle between the Channel Island, St Malo and Ile de Brehat before returning to the UK.
 
St Malo

There are lots of reasons to visit St Malo, The locked in inner port is an experience in itself, but the stroll around from the marina is not irksome to sightsee, and I would eat in St Servan. Visit the museum there. In fact I pick up a buoy off St Servan, and after the obligatory walk around the walls, eat ashore, and then head up the Rance. Easy peasy locking in and out and you can discover a weeks worth of exploration inside including Dinan -a jewel. Tie up on the Eastern bank and its free[ well they don't collect at least] but no elect though. Dinard across the way is also worth a wander, best ice creams ever, there.
Come back via Iles Chausey and Gorey with a further interesting passage up to Cap de la Hague by the inshore passage, - Go against the tide and feel very superior.
 
We were ther in the marina for a few days last year, thoroughly enjoyed the place but the visitors berths in the marina are not the best maintained. Several of the power points were not working and we only just managed to connect up with 3 shore power leads connected together. Wifi is expensive but the marina bar does free access.

There are lots of placces within reach for a comfortable days sail even taking into account the massive tides.
 
Go for it

Rob,
Been there twice in my previous yacht and well worth it. SWMBO enjoyed the shops and Bastille Day fireworks, more than a few good restraunts to choose from.

I suspect you would not get up the Rance with your draft but it is well worth a visit if a shallower draft yacht. As previous suggested a few other ports worth visiting depending if you are going East or West.

If west bound Binic and Pampol are good overnight stops but you need to watch your tidal heights and lock times.

Schuss
 
Hi Talulah
Just visited your website as I am interested, as a returner, in signing up for serious training. I note with some dismay(and you are not alone in this) that the special offers are for October 2009!!!! I hope that your charts are more up to date.
 
oldmonsty said:
Hi Talulah
Just visited your website as I am interested, as a returner, in signing up for serious training. I note with some dismay(and you are not alone in this) that the special offers are for October 2009!!!! I hope that your charts are more up to date.
Click to expand...

Many apologies. Thank you for pointing it out. I had misnamed a file with .html instead of .htm so it explains why no one has taken up the latest offer. I'll now have to move on from that one :-(
 
oldmonsty said:
Hi Talulah
Just visited your website as I am interested, as a returner, in signing up for serious training. I note with some dismay(and you are not alone in this) that the special offers are for October 2009!!!! I hope that your charts are more up to date.
Click to expand...

When I looked just now the offers were current, perhaps you were seeing an old cahe on your puter


Edited to note at least some people pay attention to posts here
 
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St Malo is great. Eating out is not as much as we expected; go up the Rance to Plouer at least. Dinard is lovely and worth the ferry ride.
 
We've also enjoyed St Malo a couple of times but the parking is nothing like as good as it used to be. There is a perfectly good marina inside but it is almost entirely occupied by local residents' boats with visitors jammed together on one pontoon as someone said. I've not tried tying along the wall but it sounds like a good idea.

It's a lively place with some fine views, and the old town with WW2 fortifications makes an interesting outing. There are lots of eateries but mostly pretty commercial. There's an interesting pub selling a wide range of beers near the marina.
 
It's my favorite area, St Malo, Dinan, Dinard, Paimpol.
If you take a walk / bus ride from St Malo to St Servan you will find good restraints and chandlers plus a nice view of the Barrage, it is also worth a visit on market day, they have a big indoor as well as an outdoor market.
 
LadyInBed said:
It's my favorite area, St Malo, Dinan, Dinard, Paimpol.
If you take a walk / bus ride from St Malo to St Servan you will find good restraints and chandlers plus a nice view of the Barrage, it is also worth a visit on market day, they have a big indoor as well as an outdoor market.
Click to expand...

Good restraints. My, aren't we kinky!

Regarding the references to the 'old town'. That'll be the new old town that was built post-1945 then, after the Allies had turned the old old town into ashes and hardcore.

History lesson
 
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Robih said:
I've not cruised in to the "corner" of St Malo and I'd be interested in the views of those that have. Looking at the chart it looks fairly stressful - rocks/v large tides/ferries/busy marinas. It looks like a mini Biscay to me in that it's likely a lee shore with only St Malo to run to. Am I being neurotic?

rob
Click to expand...

That's the way charts of the Brittany coast look - loads of granite and windy channels. Actually when you get there and connect with the buoyage, it's all pretty straight forward. French markers are usually enormous stone towers on vantage points - makes pilotage pretty easy. NB - Malo is a ferry port - it's a plus, and tells you the approach is pretty well worked out and buoyed.

As for traffic in the 6 weeks of high season - it's busy wherever you go at that time. If you aren't alongside by 1600 hrs you will be rafting or worse. But the rewards are proportional - no comparison to the Solent which is uniquely ghastly - except at dawn when I've enjoyed magnificent sailing on my own!

PWG
 
ditto

Must echo the above plaudits, it's a delightful place .But if OP is frightened by all those rocks he's going to miss out on the whole North Brittany coast!
Anyone that worried might consider an advance recce on a cheap 24-hr ferry excursion: overnight from Pompey then breakfast in St Malo, bus to Dinan and lunch in the Old Town, returning downriver by tripper boat.
That's also a feasible outing if too deep for the River Rance where our 1.2m draft was near the limit.
 
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