Atlantic France offers a gold mine of beautiful cruising offering as many challenges as you wish. This is a cruising ground I love and has magnetic appeal which keeps drawing me back. It lies within reach of the UK for a two-week cruise and still plenty to see for longer term cruisers spending years on the French coast. I am one of those cruisers and it was my in depth knowledge that led to me collaborating with the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation on their new pilot guide, Atlantic France. Here are a few highlights from years of knowledge collated into the book.
The coastline, as represented in the pilot book, extends from L’Aber Wrac’h in the north down as far as the Spanish border, a stretch of over 400 miles. It encompasses 12 primary islands and 21 rivers suited to navigation by boat, depending on your draught and mast height. The tidal range can be as much as 7m at springs but most of the time it is about 4m. The weather tends to be better the further south you cruise, and you might experience a sea breeze during the day and a brise-de-terre (breeze off the land) during the night.
Paperwork and weather
Despite the recent turmoil in the political arena, the French are very welcoming and are keen to see cruising yachts and their families. The effects of Brexit have
