Port

Paimboeuf

Name: Paimboeuf
Address: Paimbœuf, FR

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Type: Harbour

River port on the left bank of the Loire estuary, about 15 nautical miles downstream of Nantes and 10 miles upstream of Saint-Nazaire.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Access from the Loire shipping channel, keeping clear of commercial traffic bound for Donges and Montoir. The approach follows the buoyed channel, with strong tidal streams on both flood and ebb. Entry is usually taken near high water to reduce the effect of current at the pontoon. The visitors' pontoon holds only about two boats; berth bow upstream, as the ebb runs hard, and expect it to work in the wash of commercial ships heading up to Nantes.

Practical

Floating pontoon managed by the local marina association, with water and shore power on the pontoon. The yard hauls out for wintering and dry-dock stays, where living aboard is allowed, with basic but adequate showers and a laundry, and the staff will help with maintenance and lifts to the shops. Diesel is not available on site, the nearest fuel berth is at Pornic. A bakery and small shops are within 300 metres in the old town, and a well-stocked Super U is a 30-minute walk.

Ashore

Riverside promenade along the Loire leading to the old lighthouse of Paimbœuf, about 700 metres from the pontoon. Jardin Étoilé by artist Kinya Maruyama on the former shipyard site, 500 metres south. A small Saturday market is held in the village and there is a restaurant downstream near the campsite. The Loire à Vélo cycle route passes through the village.

History

Paimbœuf was the outer port of Nantes from the 17th to the 19th century, where deep-draught ships transhipped their cargo into lighters for the final run up the Loire. The town lost its role when the channel was dredged through to Nantes in the 1850s.