Winter berth Northern/Southern Brittany

[rays]

Just flown home for a week leaving boat up the River Rance south of St. Malo. If you are near, try it. Highly recommended, but don't be put off by recent PBO article which mentioned "fierce currents" and "alarming drops in tide height". If interested PM me.

We are looking to leave boat in Brittany for the winter. Currenty near St Malo and continuing west next week. We are looking for the obvious; a sheltered marina, finger berth (to avoid dreaded rafting-up posibilites) lift out and a few marine services.

If anyone has experience, or knowledge, of possible places between St Malo and Brest please let me know. Also, we may be able to get beyond Brest this season, but I'm a bit worried about doing this without some idea of where we might over-winter. Hope someone can provide the kind of guidance the Form is rightly renowned for!

 

[NPMR]

Brest Marina is good and was cheap(ish) when we left the boat there a couple of years ago.

Roscoff ferry 45 min drive. Airport 30 mins run by taxi. Trains to the rest of France (via Paris mostly I seem to remember).

Long term rates cheaper than standard were available. Some shops and sail makers/riggers/chandlers a walk away. I suspect in winter that the restaurants are fewer and farther between.

One of my mates is a fantastic piano-playing bus driver there!

 

[charles_reed]

Moulin Blanc in Brest has to be your best bet. It's municipally owned, winter rates are reasonable and it's secure. The harbourmaster will fix up gardiennage for a small fee.

There are two darsen, you'll probably only be able to get into the NE one.

No point trying to do it remotely - you'll have to turn up in person and plead your case (in French).

St Catherine, across the other side from Lorient may have space - definitely petit bourgeois so cheap and reasonable communications.

Alternative, with good international communications, is la Rochelle - les Minimes has the greatest # of berths of any European marina.
Not Bretagne I know, but only a couple of legs down the coast.

 

[Spicemariner]

I know it isn't France but a winter contract in Jersey is very affordable, especially with the pound euro rate. Very comfortable, protected town marina and excellent travel to UK.