Mouillage

Baie de Grésine

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Shelter: NE, E, SE, S
Seabed: algae
Anchoring: Allowed

Anchorage on the western shore of the lac du Bourget, north of Aix-les-Bains, algae seabed.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Reached via the Canal de Savières from the Rhône at Chanaz, then south across the lake. No tide. Shelter from NE, E, SE and S winds. The vent du midi from the south and the bise from the north can both raise short chop on the 18 km-long lake.

Practical

Anchor holding on algae is moderate; set carefully and check with a dive mask. Finding a spot is not easy, as depths pass 20 m close inshore and the protected prehistoric pile-dwelling sites of Grésine East and West must be avoided along with the seagrass beds. It shoals towards the head of the cove, where the bathing is better but there is no shade. Grand port d'Aix-les-Bains 2.1 NM S and Petit Port 2.7 NM S for water, fuel and provisions.

Ashore

The Abbaye royale de Hautecombe, founded in the 12th century and burial site of the House of Savoy, stands on the western shore and is accessible by footpath. The lakeside via ferrata and the Dent du Chat ridge at 1,390 m rise directly above the anchorage.

History

Lamartine wrote Le Lac here in 1817 after a stay with Julie Charles at Aix-les-Bains. The lake is the largest natural lake wholly within France, at 44.5 km².