Marinas in France: a handy guide

French marinas have a number of di erences from the UK which are worth knowing about. Cruising Association Channel Section Secretary and Chair of Council, Bob Garrett, shares his expert knowledge…

While marinas from country to country might be expected to be the same, that is often not the case and encountering the unexpected in an unfamiliar location while manoeuvring in close quarters can be a bit unsettling. French marinas are no exception.

Many marinas on the French Channel coast would dry out at low water if it weren’t for sills. These retain a certain depth of water inside, but of course access is only possible with su cient rise of tide. Most sills include some form of flap which drops when the level of water outside exceeds the level inside and vice versa. This provides a greater period of access. However, be wary of entering (or leaving) around the time it moves as there will often be a significant current, or you might hit the sill; better to wait 15 minutes or so.

Entering the marina, you might be welcomed by a dory even if you have not called up (generally on VHF Ch 9). They will probably ask how long you plan to stay and then direct you to a suitable berth; they may even help you moor up. However, if not met then you will often find a pontoon (maybe with berths designated by length) specifically for visitors (‘visiteurs’). Alternatively, there might be a welcome (‘accueil’) pontoon to tie up to then visit the o ce for them to allocate you a berth.

Tying up can also be a bit di erent. Often the cleats provided are not those you can loop around, because they are rings needing your warp threaded through and back to your boat. The fingers (‘catways’) also tend to be quite short and bouncy. These also have a loop at the end to pass your warps through.

Once tied up you will want to plug in and maybe get water. Well, the sockets for electricity are the same 16A CEE connectors we are used to. But beware that many French marina sockets have a limit of 10A, so exceeding that may cause the circuit breaker to trip. Note also that some sockets are not live until a small silver button which is next to the socket is pressed and released. Some will also switch o after 24 hours if you don’t press it again. As for water, again similar connectors are used but note that in some there is a water connector but no tap. Simply inserting your hose connector will turn the water on; sliding the connector ring back will release your connector and turn the water o . The Cruising Association is the home of worldwide boating information for yacht cruising enthusiasts. Visit theca.org.uk