The smallest port in France
The most picturesque of the Hague ports is undoubtedly Port Racine in Saint-Germain-des-Vaux. It is renowned for being the smallest in France with a surface area of 800m2 and an opening between the two piers of 11m.
Port Racine bears the name of one of the last privateers who operated under Napoleon, Captain François-Médard Racine (1774-1817).
At the beginning of 1813, he chose this place as a strategic refuge. He built a pier to protect himself from bad weather and avoid being spotted by enemy ships. From there, he could quickly launch his schooner the “Ambush” on the ships rounding Cape de la Hague, Cape Cotentin or trading with the Channel Islands. After the disappearance of our hero, the dry stone pier of Port Racine, long maintained by the fishermen, fell apart and after several petitions, the fishermen of Port Racine obtained a permanent port built between 1870 and 1886.
The port is home to modest boats of recreational fishermen which are moored to ropes which run from one pier to another from a wooden mooring bollard then passed through one of the rings of the sea wall before being knotted on the same bitt.
Indeed, Port Racine is a haven for fishermen, the first users of the place, and for vacationers and residents of the region. In summer, swimmers settle on the stones of Port Racine and hikers take a well-deserved break while admiring the panorama.
