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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Port guide
Messac — at a glance
27 boats are available to book in Messac from Messac. The most common models are Crusader (3), Magnifique (3), Horizon 1 (2), Calypso (2), Caprice (2) — 20 models in all. Built 1996–2025, 9–14.6 m long, 1–5 cabins, up to 12 guests.
Messac (Guipry-Messac) is a village on the Vilaine in Brittany, 40 minutes south of Rennes, and its port is the hire base for the Vilaine and the Nantes–Brest canal: licence-free cruisers down the river to Redon and La Roche-Bernard near the sea, up towards Rennes, or along the canal to Josselin and its château. Quiet wooded water with few locks; Rennes has the TGV from Paris.
Getting there
By air. Rennes Airport (RNS) is about 45 km — 45 minutes by taxi; Nantes (NTE) about 110 km. By rail. Messac-Guipry station on the Rennes–Redon line, 30 minutes from Rennes (TGVs from Paris in 1 h 30); the port is a short walk. By road. The N137 Rennes–Nantes road; free parking at the base.
Messac before you cast off
Redon, at the junction of the Vilaine and the Nantes–Brest canal, is the crossroads of the week; La Roche-Bernard, on its rock above the tidal Vilaine, is the far end. Rennes’ old town and Parliament are 40 minutes by road.
Supermarkets in Guipry and Messac within walking distance of the port; the base has a shop, water and fuel.
A week from Messac
Day 1 — Messac → Le Boël / Pont-Réan (18 km, 3 locks). Upstream past the Boël mill and the rocks to Pont-Réan.
Day 2 — Pont-Réan → Messac → Redon (45 km, 4 locks). Back down past the base and on to the canal junction town of Redon.
Day 3 — Redon → La Roche-Bernard (30 km, 1 lock). Down the wide lower Vilaine to the rock-top town.
Day 4 — La Roche-Bernard → Redon (30 km). Back up the river.
Day 5 — Redon → Malestroit (35 km on the Oust, 6 locks). Up the Nantes–Brest canal to the old town of Malestroit.
Day 6 — Malestroit → Redon (35 km). Back down the Oust.
Day 7 — Redon → Messac (25 km, 1 lock). Up the Vilaine to the base by mid-morning.
Every boat on the Brittany & the Loire
Ports near Messac
Glénac (11 boats · 26 km) · Saint-Martin-sur-Oust (12 boats · 35 km) · Sucé-sur-Erdre (8 boats · 58 km) · Arzon (41 boats · 87 km) · Grez-Neuville (23 boats · 88 km) · La Trinité-sur-Mer (9 boats · 95 km) · Sablé-sur-Sarthe (31 boats · 111 km) · Saint-Quay-Portrieux (18 boats · 118 km) · All boats in France
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of boats can I charter in Messac?
27 boats are available to book in Messac: 27 motor boats. The most common models are Crusader, Magnifique, Horizon 1, Calypso.
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 27 boats here accept a single-day booking. A day rate is quoted for the specific boat and date, so pick your day on the boat’s own page and the price comes back live.
What is not in the price?
The figure is for the boat. Transit log, tourist tax and the APA are mandatory, set per boat, and paid at the base. Skipper, hostess, extra equipment and other services are optional and also settled at the base.
Why do some boats show no price?
27 of the 27 boats in Messac are on request — usually larger or crewed yachts, where the rate depends on the week and the crew. They are left out of every figure above.
How far is the airport from Messac?
The nearest airport is Rennes Airport (RNS), about 30 km away as the crow flies; Nantes Airport (NTE) is about 75 km. Transfer times by road are longer; most charter companies arrange a transfer to the base on request.
Do I need a licence for a canal boat in France?
No. Licence-free river cruisers can be hired by anyone over 18 on the French waterways; the base gives an hour’s instruction on steering, mooring and the locks before you leave.
How do the locks work?
Most locks on the Canal du Midi and the Burgundy waterways are worked by a lock-keeper or are automatic; the crew handles the ropes. Locks are closed at lunchtime and overnight, so a day’s cruising is about six hours.
What day do charters start?
Weekly hires usually run Saturday to Saturday or Friday to Friday, with handover in the afternoon and return by mid-morning; shorter breaks of three or four days are common — the exact times are on each boat’s page.