ready to embark?
This year, from August 1 to 30, for the Escales Estivales, take to the open sea and board an old sailing ship for a unique experience. Aboard the Loch Monna, the Notre-Dame de Rumengol or the Dahl-Mad, experience the exceptional sensations of sailing and admire Brest harbor as you’ve probably never seen it before.
Les Escales estivales de Brest,
To keep up with the maritime atmosphere after the Fêtes de Brest 2024, Brest Événements Nautiques is offering Escales Estivales throughout August, inviting you to discover the history of our heritage boats.
And what better way to do that than to get on board?
Surprise: more than just a passenger, you become a crew member! For 3 hours, like a real sailor, and guided by your captain, you’ll take part in maneuvers, learn to rig and steer, while enjoying the incredible view of Brest from the sea.
Set sail on Loch Monna
Take a seat aboard an authentic scallop fishing vessel from the Brest harbor. The Loch Monna, built in 1956 on the Crozon peninsula, was used for scallop fishing and maerl extraction until 1990.
Beautifully restored, she now welcomes passengers in small groups for sea outings, and also transports goods.
A cruise on board
This almost 80-year-old rig was born in Camaret-sur-Mer, not far from Brest. Initially a “gabarre” (freight boat), it transported wood, wine between Algeria and France, onions to England and salt from Noirmoutier, before specializing in “sand fishing”.
A jewel in the crown of Brest’s maritime heritage, classified as a historical monument in 1990, the Notre-Dame de Rumengol is the largest traditional cargo ship in operation on the Atlantic seaboard. Her elegance and size (22 meters) do not go unnoticed when she goes out to sea!
Aboard the Dalh Mad
“Tiens bon!” is what Dalh-Mad means in Breton. Built in 1992 for the first Fêtes Maritimes, she is the youngest of the 4 Escales Estivales rigs. Its plans were conceived and designed by François-Marie Le Foll, a fisherman and oyster farmer from Logonna Daoulas, on the model of Sainte-Anne, a multi-purpose gabarre born in 1945.
Its special feature: a shallow draught, enabling it to navigate rivers at low tidal coefficients.
With its 180 square kilometers, the Brest roadstead is one of the largest in the world. It offers a multitude of different landscapes, harbors, peninsulas, small beaches and cliffs. Here, the sea is a profession, a passion, a vocation. Whether you’re a soldier, a fisherman, a carpenter, a painter… the sea is omnipresent in the life of Brest.
Want to know more about Brest’s maritime history? Take advantage of our two guided tours:
- Les Marines in Brest, for an exclusively maritime exploration;
- Le Chantier du Guip, a behind-the-scenes look at the construction and restoration of traditional boats.