saint malo vedettes

SAINT MALO VEDETTES Post 1945

By 1975 the services operated in the Saint Malo area were advertised under the banner of B.C.E. Vedettes Blanches et Vertes and provided services at the height of the summer to three times a week to Chausey, four times a week to Cap-Frehel and St-Cast. There were seven trips a day to l’Ile de Cezembre and daily trips up the River Rance to Dinan, and also trips in the estuary.

Also included on the brochure was the excursion service to Jersey by the BELLE DE JERSEY which cost 98,00 F.

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FEE DES GREVES Vedettes Vertes excursion vessel.

Built 1929 Passengers : 280

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Vedette V 5 alongside the slip at Dinard.

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Vedette V 6 departing the slip in Saint Malo.

PASSAGERE I

Built 1951

1997 Withdrawn at the end of the season.

1998 May. After be re-furbished, vessel moved to the Douarnenez be part of the vessels on display.

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PASSAGERE I at the Saint Malo slip September 19 1992.

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Vessel seen as PASSAGERE SM 303435 at Douarnenez April 19 2012.

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A Vedettes Blanches vessel

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VEDETTE BLANCHE No. 3

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A former Vedettes Blanches vessel on the quay in Saint Malo awaiting restoration, 19 September 1992.

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The vessel after restoration, 01 September 2011.

LA DUCHESSE ANNE

Built 1959 Passngers : 100

Picture : M. Guerin No. 1067 001c 377k

LA DUCHESSE ANNE

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KADARN

Built 1958 150 passengers

1992 Still in service.

1998 Sold out by this year. Now painted red and white and in use by the Dinard

Yacht Club as a starting vessel.

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KADARN

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In Saint Malo.

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KADARN approaching Jersey September 9 1960 inbound from Dinan, bringing boxwood crates for Normans Ltd from their factory situated on the canal bank just outside Dinan.

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Laid up for the winter September 19 1992.

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Another picture taken on September 19 1992.

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Awaiting her fate in Saint Malo April 23 2009

Vessel was still in the same state in Saint Malo September 30 2013.

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ECLAIRE

Vessel commenced trips from Dinard to Jersey in July 1952.

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ECLAIRE classed as a vedette rapide she was used extensively on the service to Chausey. Note the small lifeboats on the cabin top, these were later removed.

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Pictured at Chausey, with in the background ALBATROS

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ECLAIRE seen at Lyvet in 2001 having been used as a houseboat.

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ECLAIRE Moored under the cliff just south of Port Lyvet July 20 2009

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Vessel seen in a semi sunken condition on August 07 2015, with a sunken yacht on the outside. Still there June 2019.

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A general view of the vedette operation at the slip in Saint Malo, with FALAISE in the background.

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The car ferry alongside the St. Servan slipway, a service which ended when the road across the River Rance barrage opened.

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BELLE DE DINAN

The vessel was not part of the takeover by Compagnie Corsaire in 2003, and was laid-up in Bassin Dugay-Trouin.

The vessel was set aside for conservation, and moved from one berth to another in Saint Malo docks, before being moved to a berth in the River Rance.

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BELLE DE DINAN on her way up to Dinan.

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BELLE DE DINAN moored at Dinan, now with the company name painted on her hull.

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The former Emeraude Lines vedette BELLE DE DINAN now moored in the Baie de Landriais, River Rance, where some painting work has been carried out, seen here late September 2012. Still there August 2013.

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The White Fleet

Top RH LA BELLE MALOUINE

Centre BELLE DE DINARD, BELLE DE DINAN

Middle row two Passarger vedettes

Bottom Right KADARN

In the background at the ro/ro berth is Brittany Ferries ARMORIQUE

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Above and below, BELLE DU CAP arriving Jersey for the first time on May 24 1979.

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A stern view shows the hastily applied new name with the old one clearly visible.

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Pictured in the Rance estuary.

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BELLE DU CAP seen in the shipyard at Lorient whilst being fitted with new engines. The vessel was about to be re-named CORSAIRE D’ EMERAUDE.

TIPHAINE NA 1620 F

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Rance cruise vessel TIPHAINE NA 1620 F, seen at Saint Malo August 11 2000.

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A stern view showing the top end of the propulsion system.

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A bow view of the small vessel.

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A small section of a post card showing the vessel at Dinan as LE SALUNE possibly before becoming TIPHAINE

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BELLE DE DINARD (II)

Built Societe Concarnoise d’Entretien Naval, Concarneau, 1965

Dimensions 22m 5.8m 1.5m

Passengers 196

Ex ABERILDUT 89, Ex AIGRETTE III 88.

The vessel was replaced in the fleet in 2009 by CORSAIRE DE DINAN but remained as spare vessel whilst the amalgamation with the Vedettes de Saint Malo fleet settled down. She also went out on charter to Granville in July and August 2010.

Sold in February 2011 to Les Vedettes Cauchois, who rebuilt the superstructure, and following being re-named LA LIEUTENANCE, she entered service at Honfleur in July 2012.

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Above and below, two pictures of BELLE DE DINARD (II) at Saint Malo June 12 2000.

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Leaving the slipway.

PASSAGER III

Length 19m 13 knots

Passengers 138

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PASSAGER III in the colours of Emeraude Lines.

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Croisieres Chateaubriand

Operates restaurant cruises on the River Rance from La Richardais, close to the Rance barrage.

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LE CHATEAUBRIAND (I) cruising in the River Rance

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CHATEAUBRIAND II

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CHATEAUBRIAND II seen in her first year of service on the Rance with a dark blue hull. Pictured on

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LE CHATEAUBRIAND II Pictured July 26 2006

Vedettes de Saint Malo

In 2004 the company was operating under the title of Etoile Marine - Croisiers En Mer using ETOILE DES ILES, ETOILE DE BRETAGNE and ETOILE MALOUINE. By 2006 the company was operating as Vedettes de St-Malo and a year later ETOILE d’EMERAUDE was added to the fleet.

ETOILE DES ILES (cat) 52 Ex LES TRIOS FRERES

ETOILE DE BRETAGNE 88

ETOILE MALOUINE 70/109

ETOILE D’ EMERAUDE 79/98

In early 2009 the company was acquired by Corsaire, and ETOILE DES ILES and ETOILE MALOUINE were immediately sold, and replaced by BELLE DE DINARD from Corsaire.

The company name has continued to be used and appears on publicity material for Corsaire.

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ETOILE DES ILES moored at the pontoon in Saint Malo September 28 2007.

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ETOILE DES ILES was used by the company for excursions round the Islands and along the coast. Sold upon the takeover by Corsaire.

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ETOILE DE BRETAGNE alongside the slipway at Saint Malo waiting to load passengers, while fishing boats unload their catch into lorries.

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ETOILE MALOUINE alongside the inner slip at Saint Malo September 8 2004.

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ETOILE MALOUINE at Saint Malo September 25 2004.

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ETOILE D’EMERAUDE in Saint Malo July 31 2009 still in the colours of Vedettes de Saint Malo.

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Compagnie Corsaire

In early 2003 Emeraude Lines sold their vedette operation to the French company Navix which operated in the Vannes area. Compagnie Corsaire was formed to take over the operation together with its fleet, with the exception of BELLE DE DINAN.

To make good the fleet SUSCINIO was brought round from Vannes for that season, but she was replaced the next year by PORT FIDELE which also only lasted one season. Her replacement for 2005 was OCEAN I. During this period BELLE DU CAP spent the summer operating from Granville to Chausey, but with declining numbers that route ceased after the 2006 season.

With the introduction of the new CORSAIRE D’EMERAUDE (II) in 2019 the company slightly altered their logo by altering the red to blue.

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BELLE DE DINARD (II) Passing Taden upwards July 2006

SUSCINIO

This vessel operated for only one season at Saint Malo (2003)

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SUSCINIO seen at Vannes in 2004

PORT FIDELLE

Built 1972

2004 Sold at the end of the year and renamed AMOUR DES ILES 2

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PORT FIDELE spent one summer 2004 at Saint Malo, pictured September 8 2004.

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OCEAN 1 joined the fleet in 2005, and is seen off the slip at Saint Malo. See below as CORSAIRE DES ILES.

Major changes took place in 2009. Early in the year the company acquired its competitor Vedettes de Saint Malo, but continued to use the company name, and although disposing of two vessels did not rename the remaining vessels.

BELLE DU CAP was re-engined, and PAYS DE VANNES was acquired from Navix at Vannes, replacing BELLE DE DINARD which was nominally transferred to operate under the Vedette de Saint Malo banner.

Vessel acquired by the purchase of Veddettes de Saint Malo -

ETOILE D’ EMERAUDE 79/98

ETOILE DE BRETAGNE 88 16m 10

ETOILE MALOUINE 70/109 Sold

ETOILE DES ILES (cat) 52 Sold

At the same time that this was taking place the entire Corsaire fleet was renamed, see below.

OCEAN I became CORSAIRE DES ILES

BELLE DU CAP CORSAIRE D’EMERAUDE

PASSAGER III P’TIT CORSAIRE

PAYS DE VANNES CORSAIRE DE DINAN

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BELLE DE DINARD seen at the Saint Malo pontoon July 31 2009, having been nominally transferred to operate under the Vedette de Saint Malo banner.

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P’TIT CORSAIRE August 2011

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CORSAIRE D’EMERAUDE seen here inbound to Saint Malo May 24 2010.

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Passing the Saint Malo breakwater.

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CORSAIRE D’ EMERAUDE now out of service, and seen laid-up in Bassin Dugay-Trouin August 11 2013. In May 2014 vessel sold to Ireland and renamed GALWAY GIRL.

CORSAIRE DES ILES ex OCEAN I

CORSAIRE DES ILES at Saint Malo August 2 2009. 101w 10.6k

Above and below two pictures taken on August 20 2011 at Saint Malo.

CORSAIRE DE DINAN

Length 23m 12 knots

Passengers 206

PAYS DE VANNES was transferred from Vannes in 2009, replacing BELLE DE DINARD being able to carry fifty-four more passengers due to her upper deck. Vessel renamed CORSAIRE DE DINAN. Used on the service to Dinan and fishing trips around Saint Malo and filling in on other services as required.

CORSAIRE DE DINAN Approaching Dinan July 28 2009

Alongside at Dinan.

P’TIT CORSAIRE departing Saint Malo July 31 2009.

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In early 2011 the two remaining vessels inherited from Vedettes de Saint Malo were given CORSAIRE names -

ETOILE D’EMERAUDE becoming CORSAIRE D’EMERAUDE

ETOILE DE BRETAGNE became CORSAIRE DE BRETAGNE

BELLE DE DINARD after a period on charter was sold.

CORSAIRE DE BRETAGNE. In August 2011 after re-naming.

CORSAIRE DE DINARD

Vessel was sold at the end of 2012 to make way for the larger craft, being acquired by Compagnie de Vedettes Sirenes, Crozon, and as CORSAIRE arrived at Port Launay on December 10 2013.

CORSAIRE DE DINARD ex ETOILE DE BRETAGNE seen at the buoys on April 15 2011.

Two pictures (above and below) of the vessel taken on September 01 2011.

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For the 2013 season Compagnie Corsiare undertook a major re-organisation of their fleet by replacing CORSAIRE DES ILES, CORSAIRE D’ EMERAUDE and CORSAIRE DE DINARD with two larger vessels - CORSAIRE DES ILES II and CORSAIRE DE ST MALO.

CORSAIRE DES ILES II 2013 - Current

The vessel formally ORAZUR II

Passengers 157

Length 23m speed 19 knots

Passengers 157 Length 23m Speed 19 knots.

Vessel used mainly on the longer voyages - Chausey, St. Cast.

CORSAIRE DES ILES II Vessel seen outward bound August 10 2013.

Seen moving berth August 09 2013.

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The vessel is seen operating at Saint Malo on April 22 2013 as ORAZUR II before being re-painted and re-named.

CORSAIRE DE ST MALO

245 pass

Length 23m 12 knots

Formally ROSEDO of Les Vedettes de Brehat.

Vessel seen arriving at the Saint Malo slipway August 10 2013.

CORSAIRE DE ST MALO seen departing on another trip round the Bay.

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In 2015 the Compagne Corsaire fleet comprises -

CORSAIRE DES ILES II

CORSAIRE DE ST MALO

CORSAIRE DE DINAN

CORSAIRE BRETAGNE

P’TIT CORSAIRE

In early 2016 further changes took place with the arrival from Vannes of PEN CASTLE which was renamed CORSAIRE DE DINARD (2), replacing the smaller P’TIT CORSAIRE which went off to operate at Dieppe.