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2015 Destination

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Taylor View Drop Down
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Joined: 02 December 2013
Location: North Wales
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Taylor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 March 2015 at 10:30
Dave

We regularly took our old boat a large trailable yacht to South Brittany (Audierne to La Rochelle) and also visited with friends for holidays out of Plymouth. The RYA website is quite good for advice about paperwork but can still be vague. We were regularly checked over in the marinas but never asked for documents! (Be polite to the men in black with guns!) Our boat had large SSR Registration numbers on the side. This seemed sufficient for them to prove we were Uk registered. A red ensign helps!
A defaced blue one is not recommended they seemed  like magnets to the Jackboots and presumed you were either drug smuggling, money laundering or people trafficking!

I don't remember being asked for any documents in all the time we were there. But we had Passports, Car and Boat insurance, SSR certificate. VHF boat and operator licence.

There is a load of bollix talked about needing an ICC to cruise France. It is not needed nor is the CEVNI endorsement for some of the inland navigation above the barrages of the Rance or the Villaine at Arzal.

Marinas in this area are free all day including water and electricity. You only get charged if you stay over night! It is a good idea to find out if any big rallies are planned as they can mean a very busy Marina or sometimes the full sign is put up. (Ignore the sign and find an empty berth!)

If you go into the Morbihan there are loads of moorings which can reliably be picked up late afternoon or evening with zero risk of an owner returning as night time navigation is vary rare and brave in there! Also plenty of secure anchorages. A trip up to Vannes is worthwhile and we enjoyed being there during the annual Jazz Festival. Useful spot for lay over or crew change?

North Brittany can often suffer from sea fog in summer! South Brittany is warmer IMHO!

The Sagemoor marina group offers some good deals if you are spending more than a few weeks in the area? Used to be called the Passporte Morbihan or something similar?

Do you have? Peter Cumberlidge's  "Secret Anchorages of Brittany" Good for ideas.

Best nights had were sharing  scotch with a couple of French guys in La Roche Bernard and La Trinite. We were all speaking fluently (mainly complete crap) in each others languages by the end of the evenings!

 Steve
Hanse 301 Bluenote 11
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CharlesP View Drop Down
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Admiral


Joined: 23 September 2010
Location: United Kingdom
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CharlesP Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 March 2015 at 16:33
Steve, I Thoroughly enjoyed your down to earth description of cruising Brittany. Look forward to reading some more detail of ports and anchorages when you have the time. Excellent stuff.

Are there any particular tidal gates and race which you would mention?

Charles

'MERIDIAN LADY'

320 Nr 536 2010

Medway
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Taylor View Drop Down
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Joined: 02 December 2013
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Taylor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 March 2015 at 18:43
The biggest Tidal Gate is the Chanel du Four 

SouthBritanny


and on to the Raz de Seine. We managed to time across channel from Plymouth and right through to Audierne on our last trip! 

Once through there is nothing really serious other than the entrance to the Morbihan and or timing your approach to the River Villaine. I may be a bit blase about tides as our normal crusing ground around Anglesey seems just as or more challenging than anything I found in Brittany!

The timing is more challenging on a return trip and the advice we followed was either go right outside Ouessant (the LONG LONG way) or plan your hops from as near to the Raz as you can get. This usually means getting to St Just off Audierne and waiting for the correct time to hit Raz at slack.

On one of our earliest trips we got this wrong on a flat calm day and ended up with green rollers  over the cabin top, spray hood and filling the cockpit as we motored through in a Cobra 850 which has  a lot of freeboard for its size!

Stopping off at Camaret or  Aberildut or Aberwrach was usual before setting off back to Plymouth.

The places we enjoyed most were Audierne, Concarneau  Belon and Aven, Belle Isle especially Sauzon. La Trinite for the monster cats and trimarans. Le Crouesty and anywhere in the Morbihan. Experience the Vent Solaire at Houat (40 knots and an night time electric storm in the company of a minimum of 50 anchored yachts most of them dragging!). Hoedic another almost Caribean type island, then enjoy the rural back waters of the River Villaine barraged freshwater with plenty of bankside moorings , medieval castles, mansions and country village fetes and fireworks. 

Our quickest trip to the Villaine was only an overnight sail from Portsmouth and 2.5 hours from St Malo................


By Road!
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/9wcxyqwtfrzqppx/AAD8pwUXYzHqLLVM12pC7vvoa
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/79352891/Brittany/IMAG0679.jpg


Shame we are going to Scotland this year!


Edited by Taylor - 02 March 2015 at 18:49
Hanse 301 Bluenote 11
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CharlesP View Drop Down
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Admiral


Joined: 23 September 2010
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CharlesP Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 March 2015 at 20:37
Thanks again for this info. I was hoping to get to South Brittany for the first time this year, but it now looks like it may have to wait until next year. May be able to see some of North Brittany for the first time if weather is agreeable, on our way to the Scillies once again. We normally stick to day sailing, which can sometimes extend up to 18 hours. The occasional overnight is fine if necessary. I therefore assume that the "easy" choice going South through Chenel Du Four would be to go from L'Aberwrach around to Brest or Cameret.

Charles
'MERIDIAN LADY'

320 Nr 536 2010

Medway
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samuel View Drop Down
Admiral of the Fleet
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Joined: 26 December 2004
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote samuel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 March 2015 at 05:36
Charles
When i did it I went along french coast to Cherbourg ( RYA members get 20% discount) then St Peter Port, Lezardrieux, Treburden,L'Aberwrach, Camaret, Douarnez, Audiern ( Do not try anchoring outside in St Evett it is horrible in a swell) Benodet etc etc That kept the trips to a day sail , l'Havre to Cherbourg being the longest. All these places are good for a visit
The Chenal du Four & Raz de Sein were daunting because of the warnings in the pilot books ( & not without reason) but by working the tides & keeping an eye on the weather it was a lot easier than I expected. By far the roughest  passage  was the Alderney Race &  that was because I had to catch a flight out of Guernsey. The moral being - Never sail to a strict timetable

Daydream Believer- Hanse 311- No GBR9917T- Bradwell Essex
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CharlesP View Drop Down
Admiral
Admiral


Joined: 23 September 2010
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 1208
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CharlesP Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 March 2015 at 09:49
Many thanks Sam and Steve. It's good to hear about experiences. A great help in interpreting Pilots and Reeds.

Charles
'MERIDIAN LADY'

320 Nr 536 2010

Medway
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