Coastal sailing on Lake Léman from Tourronde to Locum

Starting point: Port de Tourronde (Lugrin).

Parking:
- Car park along the D1005. Coming from Évian-les-Bains, the car park is on the right-hand side of the road, just before a local fisherman’s shop (the house with green-plastered walls) and before the port.
- Designated parking spaces along the D21. When approaching from Évian-les-Bains, this road branches off to the right of the D1005 at the harbour and climbs towards the main town.

Launching:
Unless you have a circular mooring in Tourronde Harbour, you’ll need to launch from a tiny beach just outside the harbour, at the bottom of a tarmac ramp leading from the D1005. Take care when crossing this busy road.

(S/E) After leaving the harbour, turn right and head east. Just after passing the harbour jetty, look out for a large white villa with a private jetty, which can serve as a landmark on your return.

Keep heading east whilst staying within 300m of the shore (see the safety instructions in the practical information section).

The waypoints are of no use for navigation, but they have been positioned off all public areas where it is possible to moor if necessary (most of the coastline is private).

(1) La Gryère Beach: a public beach in Lugrin, situated on a former private estate, very busy in summer.

(2) Pont Rouge Beach: a tiny beach below the Troubois quarry, with a small fishing harbour next to it.

(3) Champ Poirier Beach: a long, narrow pebble beach.

(4) Meillerie Beach: one of the few beaches on Lake Geneva where you can find a little sand.

(5) Meillerie landing stage: former stop for the Compagnie Générale de Navigation (CGN) boats, now disused, with a small adjoining harbour.

(6) Meillerie Harbour: large marina, bars and restaurants.

(7) La Balme jetty: boats used to come here to load stones extracted from the La Balme quarry, now disused.

(8) Locum Beach: a small beach, the end of the route, marked by a sort of obelisk at the entrance to a small private harbour, a jet-ski sign and, slightly higher up, a telecommunications pylon.

The return journey follows the route in reverse, heading west, to the Port of Tourronde (S/E).

Boating on Lake Geneva is strictly regulated to ensure the safety of all users:
- Download the leaflet summarising the main provisions (2 pages).
- Download the Franco-Swiss navigation regulations (46 pages).

Before you set off:
Check the weather forecast and choose days when stable weather is forecast. N.B. The weather can change very quickly on the lake.

Minimum equipment:
- Life jackets (one per person).
- Bailer
- Registration documents for the relevant vessels (boats).

Permitted areas:
- Recreational craft (boats, canoes, kayaks, etc.) must not travel more than 300 metres from the shore.
- Under normal circumstances, moor only at the public locations indicated in the description.
- If necessary for safety reasons, moor as soon as possible, including on private property.

Respect for other users:
- Give way to passenger service vessels and sailing boats.
- Maintain a distance of at least 100 metres from commercial fishing vessels (lines, nets, etc.).
- In summer, be aware of the possible presence of swimmers.

Flashing lights:
Flashing lights are positioned along the entire shore of Lake Geneva – there is one at the Meillerie landing stage (5). They are activated in the event of deteriorating weather conditions:
- 40 flashes per minute: caution advisory. Put on a life jacket and return to the point of departure.
- 90 flashes per minute: danger warning (storm). All navigation prohibited; dock as soon as possible.

The route took 3 hours there and back (excluding breaks) on 9 August 2018, in a two-oared boat.

The route follows the shores of Lake Geneva through its wildest section, where the mountains drop most steeply.

Beautiful views of the Swiss shore of Lake Geneva, with the Vaud Alps to the east and the Jura Mountains to the west in the background.

Several beautiful houses line the shore. The pretty village of Meillerie.

The small private harbour next to Locum beach (8) and its “architecture” are in fact the old battlements and pillars that supported the roof of the shipyard where Lake Geneva boats such as the Savoie and the Vaudoise were built, the originals of which were constructed at Locum. The shipyard is now private property, with the house built on the site of the former administrative offices. Once completed, the boats were launched into the water from the side of the small opening in the wall, rather than from the beach side. Information provided by the hiker sreynaud.

Another shipyard was located near the port of Tourronde (S/E), just to the left of the white villa mentioned as a landmark for the return journey. A residential house was attached to it, and the former shipyard buildings have been converted to extend this house. One can still see the ramp and the metal frame that were used to haul the boats out of the water.