Yachting Monthly – May 2018

Crystal-clear
waters await
cruisers who
sail to Belle Île

restaurants and interesting places to visit – like the

citadel at Port-Louis, and the Nazi submarine pens

in Lorient harbour. As the fortnight drew to a close,

we crossed the Bay de Quiberon, arriving at the

estuary of the River Vilaine. La Roche-Bernard

is four miles beyond the barrage at Arzal where

a lock, handling up to 24 boats, opens approximately

every hour. The lock can be very congested, especially

at weekends, but keep calm and be patient – it can

be a fun experience if you don’t let the French lock

keeper’s shouts get to you.

A NEW HOME

Behind the barrage, the River Vilaine is another

world. It is a wide, deep-water river where there is

little or no current, and anchoring is possible

anywhere outside the main channel. Initially steep

sided like the River Dart, it eventually fl attens out

beyond Foleux, to views of the pretty meadow

landscape of Brittany with its distinctive villages

and church towers.

La Roche-Bernard is a small, quaint, medieval town

and was the perfect place for Peter, David and I to

relax and take stock of our achievement, sampling

the local cafés and restaurants. The town itself is

historically fascinating with impressive riverside

views. Originally a Viking settlement, it became

an important shipbuilding port, where Cardinal

Richelieu commissioned the fi rst man of war to be

built in France, the 74-gun ship, Couronne, in 1636.

It is a popular petit cité de caractère, so it didn’t

come as a surprise when we found out that up to

50% of berth holders here are British. The 500-berth

marina is friendly, well organised and maintained,

with hardstanding on two sites, 200 places on the

opposite bank, with good facilities. Staff speak

English, although an attempt at French is always

appreciated, even if they do respond in English. The

marina at Arzal next to the barrage has a good range

of yard facilities. Although La Roche-Bernard is not

easy to access by public transport, you can fl y to

Nantes (46 miles away) from Southampton with

Flybe for as little as £40 each way. Alternatively,

Brittany Ferries run regular crossings to Caen

(three -hour drive) or St Malo (two-hour drive).

I rented a car from the local Peugeot garage to

drop my friends off at Nantes airport and collect

Carol. After familiarising ourselves with our new

We can enjoy endless summers in a

warmer climate at a very reasonable

cost, and indulge in French cuisine

HOME WATERS