Saint-Malo — Nantes

Boarding in: Saint-Malo
Boarding on: 20.09.2020 16:00
Departure: 21.09.2020 10:00
Port of destination: Nantes
Arrival: 26.09.2020 12:00
Debarkation before: 26.09.2020 12:00
Days on board: 7
Participation fee: 590€

350 nautical miles

High tides — Mont Saint-Michel —Bay of Biscay — Up the Loire to Nantes

After stop in Saint-Malo, we go along the French coast and turn east - into the Bay of Biscay. 

A trip around the Brittany peninsula implies a very definite program:
here there are high rough cliffs, cozy towns with a very distinctive architecture, and, of course, wine and oysters! Though, in addition to the beautiful shores and gastronomic delights there are difficult navigation conditions. Strong tides, changeable weather, the Bay of Biscay and sailing up the curving river in the end of the trip. 


Route
Getting out of Saint-Malo is in itself a real adventure. The spring tides here reach 10 meters, and the passage through the flood gates is possible only at a certain time. A precisely calculated moment when to start the trip will assure a rapid exit to the sea with the favorable current. Next is a small piece of the English Channel and an eventual stop in Cherbourg (here, right on the quay of the port, the Titanic Museum is open, and there is an atomic submarine open to the public - one of the few open in the world).

Passing the island of Ushant which is well-known by yachtsmen, and turning east to the Bay of Biscay. Although officially we will remain within the borders of the bay, the water area here is already oceanic - open waters stretch westwards to America.

Depending on the weather, we plan to make a couple more stops - either go to the small towns of Concarneau or Quiberon well-loved by us, and anchor off the island of Belle-Île.

At the end of the trip we will go 30 miles up the Loire, where we will moor right in the historical center of Nantes.

Sea practice
In addition to the traditional skills of working with square sails required on Shtandart (such as setting and stowing, using gaskets, bracing, adjusting sails to the wind), we will dedicate the night watches to the study of astronautics. Dark nights far from coastal lights are ideal for both enjoying the constellations and working with the sextant!