Harbour

Port - Tudy

4.2Groix, FranceMorbihan

Maximum length: 49 ft
VHF channel: 9
Maximum draught: 5 ft

Main harbour of Île de Groix, on the north coast of the island off Lorient in south Brittany. About 350 berths across an outer basin and a lock-gated inner basin.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the N on transit with the red and white leading lights of Port-Tudy. Outer basin dries in parts at low water springs, inner basin holds water with the gate opening roughly two hours either side of high water. Max draught 1.6 m on visitor pontoons. Mooring in the outer harbour is on linear buoys taken bow and stern with several boats side by side, the crew help so prepare long fore and aft lines. The catways are small and berthing is awkward for boats over 12 m or multihulls. VHF 9 for the harbour master.

Practical

Water and electricity on pontoons, diesel on the outer quay, showers and WC at the capitainerie, water restricted in summer as the island runs short. Berths are among the cheapest on this coast. In peak season the pontoons fill early, arrive by mid-morning or raft on the outer-harbour buoys. Ferries for the Lorient link run from the same harbour every 15 minutes from early morning and are noisy. Bakery, grocery and cafes within 100 m along the quay.

Ashore

Coastal path GR 34 circles the island, 25 km loop from the harbour. Plage des Grands Sables, the only convex beach in Europe, lies 2 km east on foot or by bike. Plage d'Héno gives a quick swim close to the harbour. The Restaurant Les Garçons du Port stands on the quay. Ecomusée de Groix, on the tuna fishing past, sits 300 m up from the quay.

History

Port-Tudy was built in the 1880s to serve what was then one of the largest tuna fishing fleets in France, with more than 300 boats based here around 1900.