Harbour

Gandonnière

Name: Gandonnière
Address: La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, FR

La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, FranceAtlantic coast

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Type: Harbour

Small riverside port on the Erdre at La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, roughly 10 km upstream from Nantes.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the Erdre, navigable between Nort-sur-Erdre and Nantes. No tide, current slack most of the year but can run at 1 knot in winter floods. Minimum depth in the channel around 2 m. The river is classified as inland waterway and subject to VNF rules, speed limit 15 km/h.

Practical

Around 80 berths on pontoons for local boats and short-stay visitors up to 10 m. Water and electricity on pontoons, capitainerie seasonal. No fuel berth. Crane for small masted craft. Bakery and small shop in La Chapelle-sur-Erdre at 1 km by foot.

Ashore

Chemin de halage footpath along the Erdre runs from the port south to Nantes and north to Sucé-sur-Erdre, accessible on foot or by bike. Chateau de la Gascherie, private 15th-century manor visible from the river, at 2 km upstream. Tramway line 2 terminus at Beaujoire in Nantes, 6 km south, accessible by bus from La Chapelle centre.

History

The Erdre was described by Francois I as one of the most beautiful rivers of his kingdom, according to a repeated local tradition recorded in 19th-century guides. It was a working waterway for Nantes until the 1930s, carrying sand, slate and wine up to the city.