Yacht charter in Bretagne

Tidal sailing with real streams. Every passage is planned around the tide rather than the wind, and the gulf entrance is run at slack or with the stream. Not a first charter.

1. 1

   Port du Crouesty

   Saturday handover; study the tide tables with the briefing. Short move inside the gulf mouth.

2. 2

   Île aux Moines or Île d'Arz

   Into the gulf at slack water; anchor in the lee of an island.

3. 3

   Upper gulf — Vannes or Arradon

   Vannes has a lock gate into the town basin; time it.

4. 4

   Out of the gulf to Houat

   Leave on the ebb; the mouth runs hard.

5. 5

   Belle-Île — Le Palais or Sauzon

   The crossing offshore; the far point of the week.

6. 6

   Hoëdic or Quiberon bay

   Back toward the mainland, inside the Teignouse passage.

7. 7

   Crouesty

   Final leg, timed to the tide rather than the clock.

The other Brittany: no tide, no licence, locks and towpaths. Eleven of these boats are houseboats and the week is a slow river rather than a passage.

1. 1

   Saint-Martin-sur-Oust or Glénac

   Handover and the briefing; a short run and a first lock.

2. 2

   La Gacilly or Malestroit

   Up the Oust through the locks; wooded banks.

3. 3

   Josselin

   A castle standing directly over the canal — the set piece of the Breton network.

4. 4

   Rohan or back downstream

   The turning point for most crews.

5. 5

   Redon

   The junction town where the canal meets the Vilaine.

6. 6

   Down the Vilaine — La Roche-Bernard

   A deep river valley; the Arzal barrage is the tidal limit below.

7. 7

   Base

   Back upstream for handover.