Port

Ponton Belem

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Maximum length: 131 ft
VHF channel: 9
Maximum draught: 16 ft

Dedicated berth of 15 places on the Loire at Nantes, named after the three-masted barque Belem which calls there.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

River approach via the Loire estuary from Saint-Nazaire, 30 NM upstream. Tidal influence at Nantes with currents of up to 3 knots on spring ebbs. The pontoon lies on the right bank along the Quai Ernest Renaud, downstream of the Anne de Bretagne bridge. Max draught 5 m. VHF 9.

Practical

15 berths, priority given to visiting sail training vessels and the Belem when she is not at sea. Water, electricity, showers and toilets on the pontoon. Berthing around 37 euros a night for a 10 m boat. The harbourmaster's office lies some way off on the île de Versailles. Trams in Nantes run free at weekends. Trentemoult across the river at 0.9 NM SW by the Navibus shuttle. Port de l'Erdre for river cruising at 1.2 NM NE at the confluence of the Erdre and the Loire.

Ashore

Machines de l'Île with the Grand Éléphant on the Île de Nantes at 600 m across the Anne de Bretagne bridge. Château des ducs de Bretagne and old town at 1.5 km on the right bank. Memorial to the abolition of slavery along the Quai de la Fosse at 400 m.

History

The Belem was launched in Nantes in 1896 as a cargo ship trading cocoa and sugar between the West Indies and Europe. After careers as a British and Italian yacht, she returned to French ownership in 1979 and has been listed a historic monument since 1984.