Vive La Rance!
Over the years I suppose have read three or four magazine articles written by people who have used the Brittany canal system to get from St Malo on the north Brittany coast to Arzal in the south. The route provides a safe and much shorter passage which is not dependant on wind and weather.
As a means of cutting short the journey to arrive at a chosen cruising area, all the articles naturally concentrated more on the speed of passage than appreciation of the journey.
I wonder if more visitors from the UK should consider the canals as a holiday destination in their own right.
Since moving to live permanently in Normandy, I have had several holidays on Cormoran, my Cornish Crabber, in and around the Rance estuary from St Malo through the lock in the Rance barrage, and then into the tidal Rance, then from the picturesque marina at Lyvet following the river to Dinan, the limit of navigation for vessels with masts.
Maritime Rance
The Maritime Rance itself is a delightful cruising area for small boats with its many ports and anchorages, well sheltered from bad weather and with plentiful access to restaurants and
