Overview
Ushant marks Brittany’s “end of the world”: it is the westernmost point of metropolitan France, at the entrance to the traffic separation scheme that channels the cargo ships entering and leaving the Channel. Battered by Atlantic wind and swell, the island lives to the rhythm of the sea and of the lighthouses that surround it. For a crew in training, a stop at Ushant is an objective in itself: it requires you to be able to read the weather, the tides and above all the tidal streams, which are particularly violent in the Fromveur.
The island itself, stretched out from east to west, is dotted with low houses, heathland and a few hamlets around the village of Lampaul. It is a nature stop, far wilder and more exposed than a sheltered harbour on the mainland.
Approach & tidal streams
Ushant is not to be approached lightly. The Passage du Fromveur, between the island and the Molène archipelago, has some of the strongest tidal streams in Europe, which can far exceed the speed of a sailing yacht. The golden rule: plan the passage for slack water or a fair tide. Avoid wind against tide — or at the very least make sure conditions are moderate: a strong wind against a strong tide quickly kicks up a steep, dangerous sea.
Practical pointers — Carefully work out the timing of the tidal streams in the Fromveur (and in the Chenal du Four if you are coming from the north) before committing. The traffic separation scheme demands a constant watch on VHF and on cargo ship traffic. In bad weather or a westerly swell the stop can become uncomfortable, or even untenable: have a fallback option ready towards Camaret or the Brest roadstead.
For the night, the options are limited and depend heavily on the weather:
- Le Stiff harbour — a small harbour on the east coast, the best sheltered from the prevailing westerlies; anchorages and mooring buoys, ferry links to the mainland.
- Lampaul bay — in the south-west, anchoring possible in calm weather with winds from the east; exposed to swell and westerly winds.
- Anchoring off — depending on the wind direction, always keeping a safety margin and a fallback route.
Services ashore
Ushant is an inhabited but isolated island: services exist, but on nothing like the scale of a large marina.
- Lampaul village: local shops, places to eat, accommodation.
- Regular ferry links (Le Conquet, Brest) and an airfield — useful for a crew change.
- Bike hire for getting round the island; few marine technical services on site.
- Top up provisions before you leave: Camaret or Brest are better supplied.
Things to see & do
- Créac’h lighthouse — one of the most powerful in Europe, and its museum of lighthouses and beacons.
- La Jument lighthouse — the offshore lighthouse made famous by Jean Guichard’s photograph, south-west of the island.
- Pointe de Pern — the western tip, a jumble of rocks pounded by the Atlantic.
- Lampaul village and the ecomuseum of the traditional Ushant house.
- The tour of the island on foot or by bike — heathland, cliffs and views of the lighthouses.
During the course — Ushant is the destination in the Mer d’Iroise that people dream of most. Getting there takes careful preparation, taking all the tidal and weather data into account. The approach can involve committing phases and, once close by, you sometimes have to know when to turn back.
Another factor to bear in mind is how busy it gets: we have counted nearly 50 boats in fairly windy conditions, which forced most of them to anchor quite close together in poor holding ground. A stop that genuinely builds seamanship.
In pictures
