St Malo marina(s)

Marmalade

Marmalade

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We'll be in Normandy / Brittany this summer and need to return home for 2-3 weeks for a couple of family events. I've planned to be near St Malo (Dinard) airport for a quick flyback but can anyone comment on leaving a boat in St Malo for a while... secure? safe? Outrageously expensive? Any comments / views welcomed

Thanks all
 
If Brest is not too far away from where you'll be sailing, I'd suggest going there.

I left my boat in Moulin Blanc marina for two weeks a couple of years ago and it was safe and not expensive. The airport is not far; a 20€ taxi ride or a 2€ bus/tram ride and Flybe have a good cheap service to Southampton
 
Suggest you go through the Rance barrage to Plouer sur Rance where there is a quiet little marina. Closer to the airport than St Malo and a delightful spot.
 
I wouldn't recommend St Malo, St Cast would be better and is reasonably close to Dinard but as Parsi says Brest which is a days sail away and Moulin Blanc is good depends on whether the airport serves better than Dinard if you prefer Dinard then think about St Cast relatively quiet and safe with a pleasant holiday town and a couple of decent restaurants.
 
We were in St Malo last summer - the Bassin Vauban near the centre rather than the Bas Sablons further out.

I don't remember it being especially expensive; I think there was some kind of deal for multi-day stays (we were only there one night) which might work for you. Being a locked basin sheltered behind the walled town it must be presumed safe from natural events. As with many French marinas there's no particular security from nefarious human activity (waist-high gate onto the pontoons has a no-entry sign but is unlocked) but I didn't get any impression that that would be a problem.

Worth noting that the pontoon layout had changed from that depicted in my up-to-date pilot book; that might or might not have filtered through by now. Didn't pose any particular problem once we realised.

The marina office was only open for certain hours each day. You can settle in without their assistance but might need to scrounge the loo code off a neighbour :)

Pete
 
Tranona said:
Suggest you go through the Rance barrage to Plouer sur Rance where there is a quiet little marina. Closer to the airport than St Malo and a delightful spot.
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That looks interesting but it dries to 5m+ in some points. We draw 2m so we'd need a huge tide to get up there... can see from the almanac that there are some big tides...
 
Marmalade said:
That looks interesting but it dries to 5m+ in some points. We draw 2m so we'd need a huge tide to get up there... can see from the almanac that there are some big tides...
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Quiet is the operative word and you could well end up rafting or being rafted against in order to get a berth.
 
Ah! Plouer sur Rance, or Jernsey on Sea as we now call it.

Bonus prize for spotting anyone/thing French :nonchalance:

The entrance:


The chart plotter route is from 3m49s if you get bored with the seal :)

This is useful:

http://www.digimap.gg/marine/marinas/river-rance/

Don't worry about the tidal heights.

If you go in around hw the barrage holds the high water so that they can operate the generators towards lw.

You'll see the tidal heights average 10 metres which shouldn't really give you a problem around the drying parts.

https://www.windfinder.com/tide/plouer-sur-rance_port-de-plaisance

I hope :cool:
 
petehb said:
Quiet is the operative word and you could well end up rafting or being rafted against in order to get a berth.
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We went there for about 10 years and the only rafting possible was on A or B and that was temporary whilst they found you a berth dependant on size and length of stay. Liliane doesn't like rafting as it makes the immediate turn to starboard very tight for some boats.
 
EdWingfield said:
Don't use Bas Sablons. In a W/NWly the swell gets in and boats start leaping about. Lock in to Bassin Vaubin.
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Thanks all for responses - have now had a chance to get the pilot book from chandlery and can see that Plouer sur Rance is out for us as we're 13m and draw 2m. Bassin Vaubin looks favourite or St Cast as petehb advises. The pilot book makes a cryptic comment about larger boats being berthed against the quay and says that getting ashore "requires ingenuity"... any idea what this means. I don't really want a pilot book that sounds intriguing - I'd rather it just told me the situation!!
 
Marmalade said:
Thanks all for responses - have now had a chance to get the pilot book from chandlery and can see that Plouer sur Rance is out for us as we're 13m and draw 2m. Bassin Vaubin looks favourite or St Cast as petehb advises. The pilot book makes a cryptic comment about larger boats being berthed against the quay and says that getting ashore "requires ingenuity"... any idea what this means. I don't really want a pilot book that sounds intriguing - I'd rather it just told me the situation!!
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We did exactly as you propose - left our boat at St Malo and flew back from Dinard Airport. Worked fine, and no problems in the outer Marina (bas sablons?), but were able to choose one of the visitor berths closest in for shelter and are used to tying up well for leaving unattended (plus we carry 12 fenders for this purpose!).
St Cast is lovely, and standard pontoons so no worry in that score (except steep access ramp as usual at Brittany super low tides). But visitor berths were quite busy even late May so may need to check if space available. St Quay-Pontrieux bigger and very well sheltered, but surprisingly poor public transport links. Would have necessitated a longish taxi to airport, fine for 4 but expensive for 2.
PS. Agree Rance is a non starter except for smaller boats
 
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The reason I suggested St Cast is that every time I went into St Malo I ended up against the quay OK if you are on the boat but I wouldn't fancy leaving one there. Last year there were berths available in August in St Cast.
 
Marmalade said:
Thanks all for responses - have now had a chance to get the pilot book from chandlery and can see that Plouer sur Rance is out for us as we're 13m and draw 2m. Bassin Vaubin looks favourite or St Cast as petehb advises. The pilot book makes a cryptic comment about larger boats being berthed against the quay and says that getting ashore "requires ingenuity"... any idea what this means. I don't really want a pilot book that sounds intriguing - I'd rather it just told me the situation!!
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The quay doesn't have many ladders, therefore you have to find some way of climbing up.
 
dunedin said:
We did exactly as you propose - left our boat at St Malo and flew back from Dinard Airport. Worked fine, and no problems in the outer Marina (bas sablons?), but were able to choose one of the visitor berths closest in for shelter and are used to tying up well for leaving unattended (plus we carry 12 fenders for this purpose!).
St Cast is lovely, and standard pontoons so no worry in that score (except steep access ramp as usual at Brittany super low tides). But visitor berths were quite busy even late May so may need to check if space available. St Quay-Pontrieux bigger and very well sheltered, but surprisingly poor public transport links. Would have necessitated a longish taxi to airport, fine for 4 but expensive for 2.
PS. Agree Rance is a non starter except for smaller boats
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St Cast is excellent, as is St Quay-Portrieux, although the latter is huge. There is a very regular bus from St Quay - walk along the front towards town, the stop is at the far end. V helpful staff at both. All tidal access as well.
 
Update and further info...

Thought I'd update on this: We left Marmalade in St Cast which was excellent - they did us a weekly rate that was a discount on the day rate. They put us on a new "Z" pontoon which was alongside and quiet except for the odd bit of wash from fishing boats.

Having returned now to the boat we have now meandered the whole 10m to St Malo! Don't know about weekly rates but the daily rate for us (13m) is an eye-watering €56.00 per night! The marina has changed since all the pilot books were written, it seems, as there are now far more pontoons and spaces than shown on even the most recent charts. We have a finger berth inside Bassin Vauban and very nice it is too - although probably not worth 56 euros!!!

We're thinking of nipping into the Rance tomorrow and lying to our anchor, but with some breeze coming up overnight (20kt gusts) I wondered what the holding is like???
 
Re: Update and further info...

Marmalade said:
Thought I'd update on this: We left Marmalade in St Cast which was excellent - they did us a weekly rate that was a discount on the day rate. They put us on a new "Z" pontoon which was alongside and quiet except for the odd bit of wash from fishing boats.

Having returned now to the boat we have now meandered the whole 10m to St Malo! Don't know about weekly rates but the daily rate for us (13m) is an eye-watering €56.00 per night! The marina has changed since all the pilot books were written, it seems, as there are now far more pontoons and spaces than shown on even the most recent charts. We have a finger berth inside Bassin Vauban and very nice it is too - although probably not worth 56 euros!!!

We're thinking of nipping into the Rance tomorrow and lying to our anchor, but with some breeze coming up overnight (20kt gusts) I wondered what the holding is like???
Click to expand...

Very good lots of thick clay mud.
Glad you found St Cast OK.
 
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