Publication date: 03/26/2025
Boat handling in Brittany
A great sailing region, Brittany attracts a lot of motorboat and sailboat sailors every year. The region has some magnificent destinations to discover on a sea outing or cruise, welcoming places to stop off and good sailing conditions.
Many boaters come by sea or land, and need to handle their craft to get it in or out of the water!
Is this also your case?
So, depending on the length, width, weight and specific needs of your vessel, but also on the desired frequency of launching or hauling out, you will have one or more options.
These include boat handling in a marina, handling with a mobile crane or handling in a Breton shipyard… with a harbour crane or quayside crane, a travel lift, a forklift or hydraulic forklift, a trailer, a slipway…
In this article, we’ll be concentrating on launching and taking out of the water in a marina, whether for a short or long period.
Launching or taking out a boat in a Brittany marina
There’s no shortage of options for lifting and handling boats in Brittany. Below are a number of solutions:
- Boat handling in North Brittany
Various lifting and launching operations are possible in the Perros-Guirec marina, the port of Roscoff-Bloscon, the port of Lézardrieux, the port of Cancale, the port of Saint-Malo and the port of Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo.
Port Adhoc Paimpol, in the Côtes d’Armor, offers launching, hauling out and handling services for motorboats up to 8.50 metres in overall length. The dry port has modern facilities and offers its services all year round.
- Boat handling in Southern Brittany
In Southern Brittany, you can lift your boat out of the water in the port of Lorient, the port of Bénodet, the port of La Trinité-sur-Mer or, for example, the Crouesty marina in Arzon. If you’re sailing in Finistère or Morbihan, in coastal areas, on the Vilaine or the Odet… you can still easily have your boat handled!
- Boat handling at the tip of Brittany
At the western end of Brittany, in the department of Finistère, there are still a number of options for launching or taking a boat out of the water. The port of Brest, for example, the port of Aberwrac’h, the marina at Port-la-Forêt…
Port Adhoc Paimpol, our marina for your boat handling in Brittany
Our dry stack marina in Paimpol is the perfect solution for lifting and launching motorboats in the region. Port Adhoc Paimpol offers handling services in just a few minutes, thanks to the skills and availability of a professional team.
For work or winter storage, the port also offers dry storage for vessels, with 300 motorboat berths on racks and bers.
Storage and handling of motorboats in Paimpol
A large number of boaters rely on Port Adhoc Paimpol to handle their boats: in this particularly well-located port in Brittany, boats are launched and taken out of the water from 3 hours before high tide until 3 hours afterwards. At the height of the summer season, Port Adhoc Paimpol teams frequently handle up to 60 boats a day.
Three multi-skilled port agents are dedicated to operations. Thanks to their knowledge of the fleet and their extensive technical skills, movements in either direction are always carried out professionally and quickly!
Boat lifting and moving capacity at Port Adhoc Paimpol
| Ship type | Lifting capacity | Displacement capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Motorboats | Up to 8.50 m in length OA | Up to 8.50 m in length OA |
| Sailing boats | Not supported | Not supported |
Handling operations in our dry stack marina in Brittany
In Paimpol, motorboats are handled all year round by our agents. Our lifting, moving and parking specialists will take your boat out of the water, tow it to its storage location, position it and secure it ashore, on racks or on bers.
Getting your unit back in the water takes just 5 minutes, from the racks to the pontoon.
Worth knowing: To handle a vessel in Paimpol, the port teams ask boaters to plan the operation at least 24 hours in advance. Remember to let the harbour master’s office know if you want to take your boat out or put it in the water!
Two new tractors for boat handling
At Port Adhoc, providing quality spaces and tools is one of our priorities. One of the group’s commitments to boaters is to renovate and modernise port facilities where necessary.
At Port Adhoc Paimpol, our agents have had the same tractors in operation for just over 6 years. In order to continue to offer you efficient and safe boat handling, we felt it was important to renew this equipment.
In 2024, we have chosen to equip the port with two new means of handling your boats: two new New Holland tractors.
The two models were chosen among others for their simplicity of operation – mechanical rather than electronic, to avoid any problems. Their 90 hp proved ideal for handling boats in our Breton port.
New Holland’s reputation in the boat handling sector and the positive feedback we received on the machines convinced us! We bought the two new machines locally, from the Breton company Touboulic – an agricultural dealer located less than 35 kilometres from our marina in Paimpol.
The acquisition of these two handling machines was combined with that of a new trailer.
‘With this new equipment, launching in Paimpol is even easier and quicker’, says Quentin, dry stack officer at Port Adhoc Paimpol.
Tractors, trolleys and trailers in the port of Paimpol
Port Adhoc Paimpol is particularly well equipped:
- Two forklift trucks
- A trailer suitable for boats up to 8 metres in hull length and fitted with an outboard motor (capacity: 2.5 tonnes)
- A hydraulic trailer, suitable for boats with a hull length of 6.50 to 8.50 metres and all boats with inboard engines (capacity: 4.5 tonnes).
- The two new 90 hp tractors
- A third trailer, used with a third tractor, in case of heavy activity
Would you like expert advice on the possibilities for mooring or launching your boat in our Breton marina? Entrust us with your project!
