Bloscon is already a great marina, and next year will be simply superb. Here’s why.
An interview with M. Frédérie Boccou, Maître du Port
Frédérie spent forty minutes with me unravelling the creation of the Bloscon complex, and detailed the next and last developments to bring the marina to completion by May 2014.
The vision was that for €52m, Roscoff’s ferry and fishing ports would be expanded and modernised, and a new marina created.
Roscoff’s Bloscon marina is perfectly located on the north coast of Brittany. It’s 15nm from Trébeurden to the east. To the west it’s 34nm from L’Aber Wrac’h and 67nm from Brest. To the north, it’s 95nm from Plymouth and 75nm from the popular Beaucette Marina, Guernsey.
As well as being an ideal transit marina, a growing number of British owners are locating their boats to Bloscon permanently to save Channel crossings and marina fees; there’s so much to explore along the north coast, and for the more adventurous Brittany’s inviting west coast beckons, strongly.Roscoff – a small town of character
The small town of Roscoff is a mile away. Its ancient buildings and small one way roads are a delight and restaurants, créperies, boulangeries (fresh croissants galore!), and small hotels abound.
Food ingredients are mainly available from the two out of town supermarkets. However, for those in Roscoff on a Wednesday morning, there’s a comprehensive farmers’ market.
Bloscon marina details – today
Bloscon marina’s telephone number is 0033 (0) 2 98 79 79 49. All staff are fluent in English and extremely helpful. Note: Reeds Nautical Almanac details the wrong telephone number.Berthing costs are almost the least expensive on the north and west coasts of France, whether visiting or looking for half or full year contracts.
There are 625 berths, plus an additional 45 dedicated for visitors on the south side of pontoon B and north side of pontoon D. Thirteen berths are adapted for those with physical disabilities.
The marina’s minimum depth is 4m, regardless of tide.
Marina buildings currently house a chandlery (mainly selling clothing and fishing tackle and some basic boating items), a sandwich bar from which bread and croissants can be pre-ordered, and car and bicycle hire.
10,000 square metres of hard standing is available for storage ashore and there’s a 20m x 100m slipway to the water.
The marina’s large car park offers free parking.Wi-fi is also free, yet the one aerial which services the marina currently struggles to cope.A 50 tonne travel hoist is available. The only other hoists of similar or greater lifting capability are at M&G St Sampson’s Guernsey, Jersey, Brest and St Malo.
Pontoons
The 4m wide walkway takes you from the marina buildings down to two main pontoons. The one straight ahead and against the new concrete breakwater is 100m x 4m, and is reserved for large vessels and superyachts. Its electricity supply is both 16A and 32A.
At right angles to this is another 4m wide walkway with two toilet blocks. This pontoon has nine further pontoons, A to I inclusive, all with substantial 12m fingers which are untypically French; they don’t sink when you stand on them – I’ve jump and bounce tested them.
Fingers and pontoons have high impact plastic protective inserts to prevent yacht damage. 16A electricity and water supplies are available to all as are substantial cow-horn cleats.The service pontoon sports a fuel berth with a 24/7 diesel pump which accepts UK credit cards, an oil disposal unit, and a black tank pump out and flush facility.
Note that water is supplied from the new style connectors now appearing in so many marinas. These adaptors are (thankfully) available for purchase from the HM.
Approach
Just like Jersey’s St Helier marina, the approach to the marina is through the commercial ferry port where international lights control all movements.
The first set controls entry and transit through the commercial area to the marina. The lights are on the north side of the Lemaire commercial breakwater and display green over white over green when ferries are manoeuvring, prohibiting entry.
The second set controls exit from the marina and are at the marina’s entrance by the starboard hand marker. Three reds forbid exit.
Only the marina’s north entrance is to be used. The southern entrance should not be attempted where there are unchartered rocks and shoals. ‘Captain’s own risk,’ as Frédérie said.
In the marina
Marina RIBs with 30hp and 70hp outboards are constantly on the water between 0700 and 2100 to help visitors to their berths and ensure the lights are obeyed.Ahead you will see the pontoons. To your left is a beautiful 570m long breakwater constructed from local pink granite blocks. To your immediate right is the service and superyacht pontoon next to the concrete breakwater.
A small word of warning. It’s been found that at springs, a strong current of 3 to 4 knots runs by the pink granite breakwater. Do not underestimate its effect when manoeuvring between this breakwater and the first berths of the pontoons.
Bloscon marina details – tomorrow (May 2014)
As well as restaurants, chandleries and a supermarket in the marina itself, adjacent separate buildings will house professional marine services, including boat builders, sail loft, engineers and mechanics.
A new HM complex will house marina staff and the yacht club, as well as having toilet and shower facilities.
Wi-Fi is having an additional three aerials installed to overcome the current coverage and connectivity issues.
A lift to the pontoons for those with physical disabilities will be operational.
Completion is on target for May 2014.
Piers and Lin
from the Nav Table of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55
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Sounds like a great marina! Setting a standard for others to follow maybe?
Good to hear from you!
I think you are right. They really seemed to have worked on the basis of ‘let’s fix everything that’s boaters find wrong or lacking with other marinas’. Quite a revelation. Piers
Sounds a fantastic marina-one I expect you will return to.I wonder how long it has taken to “build”.Hil x x x
Your website doesn’t give a map or lat/long for the Bloscon marina – although curiously it gives lat/long for Beaucette. We need something until charts etc. are updated. It can get a bit foggy in Brittany!
Hi John,
Good point. I’ve just looked in Reeds 2014 (a Christmas present!) and the new marina (Bloscon) and its chartlet is published. The waypoints are shown as well. Do you have the latest Reeds? If not, wold you like me to send you the detail?
The reason the Beaucette lat and long is on my site is simply that I live there! Never thought of adding it to the Roscoff report, but I will as soon as we’ve come out of the other side of Christmas and the New Year successfully!
Hello everybody,
The new Roscoff Marina is just next to the bloscon ferry harbour. The marina is easily accessible at any time of the day; it’s a deepwater harbour, up to 3 meters draught. You can have a break at the marina and visit the historic town of Roscoff…
This is the English website : http://www.plaisancebaiedemorlaix.com/en
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for this post. I look forward to more comments as the facilities at Roscoff are upgraded as you drive to your planned completion in 2014.
Best regards,
Piers