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On the occasion of the inauguration scheduled for Friday, August 29, 2025, the port of Saint-Gildas in Houat is unveiling the new infrastructures resulting from a project undertaken to modernize a strategic site for islanders, maritime professionals and yachtsmen alike. This evolution is the result of strong technical constraints: a persistent westerly swell, increasing summer traffic and multiple uses concentrated in a small area. Here are the main issues to which the new facilities are designed to respond.
A 140-metre purlin for safe approach manoeuvres
One of the structural elements of the project was the installation of a 140-metre floating purlin, moored to 11 steel piles. This configuration improves the stability of the whole structure in the face of residual swell and sea movements, which are frequent in this sector of the south Brittany coast. Designed to accommodate up to 40 units, this pontoon significantly improves mooring conditions in a port previously dominated by embossing moorings.
This choice facilitates loading and unloading operations, whether for small-scale fishing vessels, shuttle boats or pleasure craft. The decking is made of wood-resin composite material, a choice dictated by durability, resistance to the marine environment and a more controlled environmental footprint.
Raising the parapet: a structural response to westerly swells
Westerly swells, which are particularly active in winter, regularly cause the dike to be breached. The parapet of the main dike has been raised by one meter at the approach to the footbridge, a particularly exposed area. This reinforcement is designed to protect access to floating pontoons, while limiting the exposure of infrastructure to flooding. This operation is in line with the company's climate resilience strategy, in anticipation of more intense weather episodes in the decades to come.
Port lighting: greater safety in low-visibility hours
Particular attention was paid to making night-time travel safer. The installation of LED lighting, which is more economical and better directed, concerns the boat slipway and the gangway leading to the pontoons. This improves visibility during the early morning departures of fishermen and the late returns of pleasure boaters. The choice of LEDs, combined with optimized management of light points, complies with current recommendations on light pollution.
Reorganizing moorings at the embossing site: towards greater fluidity
The partial removal of the central embossing line has optimized access to the channel. This adjustment is designed to reduce the risk of conflicts of use between maneuvering boats and anchored units. During the summer months, traffic in the port becomes particularly dense; this reorganization of berths frees up space and makes inland navigation safer. The new mooring areas are also easier to read for occasional users.
Technical choices dictated by the port's multifunctional role
The port of Houat is a focal point for inshore fishing, passenger services, freight and yachting. This combination of uses calls for constant compromises in terms of zone allocation, safe manoeuvring and user comfort. The work carried out under the aegis of the Compagnie des Ports du Morbihan, in coordination with the commune of Houat, illustrates a desire to adapt infrastructures to this functional complexity. Without giving in to the temptation of gigantism, the port is adjusted to the island's realities, on a human scale.
