Mouillage

Le Mimbeau

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Shelter: SW, W, NW
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Sand-spit anchorage at the tip of Cap Ferret, inside the Bassin d'Arcachon, largely drying at low water, with sand holding and shelter from W, NW and SW winds.

Mooring buoys
Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Enter the Bassin d'Arcachon through the passes on a rising tide, following the annual buoyage. Before entering, call Landes Range on VHF 16 for firing-range activity and the position of the channel entrance buoy, which shifts with the sand. The Mimbeau, on the east side of Cap Ferret, largely dries, so only shallow draught stays afloat, roughly two hours either side of high water. Streams run 2 to 3 knots in the main channel and the staked oyster parks must be given a wide berth. Among the buoys, those nearest the beach on the west side sit in eddies that turn boats at night, so prefer the easternmost row.

Practical

Visitor buoys are laid off the spit and anchoring off the beach is prohibited. Waiting for a tide, even a night or two, is tolerated, but a longer stay must be registered at portail.alizee-soft.com and costs around 50 euros a night. No services on the spit. Port de la Vigne is 2.4 nm north with water and a small chandlery. Le Canon village is 3.8 nm north with a boulangerie and a shellfish market.

Ashore

The Mimbeau dune faces the Dune du Pilat 2 nm across the basin, the highest sand dune in Europe at 106 metres. The Cap Ferret lighthouse stands 1 km west of the anchorage, open to visitors with a view from 52 metres over the pass. The Atlantic surf beaches lie 800 m on the ocean side of the peninsula.