The port of Caen was originally composed solely of the Bassin Saint-Pierre, in the centre of Caen. Increase in traffic explains the digging up and creation of four more; the Nouveau Bassin (
cruises), Bassin de Calix, Bassin de Hérouville (miscellaneous) and Bassin de Blainville (
cereals). A new canal, as well as a new concert venue (the
Cargö), were built next to the junction between the Canal and the Bassin Saint-Pierre, creating a sharp contrast with the disused
warehouses. The Bassin Saint-Pierre is used as a
marina and is kept afloat with a height adjustable dam on the
River Orne. The Nouveau Bassin, directly east of Saint-Pierre, although it receives
cruise ships and
ferries in need of berthing or repairs, is not in regular use. The
Viaduc de Calix, a large concrete
viaduct, passes over the Orne valley and the canal. It has been built high enough to permit the transit of large tonnage ships. The Bassin de Calix, directly below the viaduct, is the only basin in regular use. Several cranes are used to load and unload cargo, mostly wood, onto lorries or trains. Ships transporting cereals use Blainville
wharf. Ships are stationed directly against the canal wall and load and unloaded by cranes and cereal
silos.
Ouistreham At the entrance of the canal is the Port of Caen's
cross-channel ferry port. The terminal building is situated in the western part of the terminal. Two sets of locks, beyond the seaport, keep the
canal navigable towards Caen. The lock is composed to two lock basins and a lock keeper's tower. The entrance to the port is a dredged channel, 8 m deep, below the hydrographic zero and 90 m long. The access channel itself is two nautical miles (4 km) long, on a 184°5 axis, indicated by aligned luminous signalling. The channel, 150 m wide is bordered, to the west and the east by three
sea mark buoys. The outer harbour is a 250 m in diameter avoidance zone, permitting
ferries to turn around. Ouistreham possesses two ferry berths; Poste T1 and Poste T2. • Poste T1 was built in 1986, it is capable of berthing ships up to 145 m long and 24 m wide. The minimum water depth is 5 m 50 cm at
low tide. • Poste T2 was built in 1992, it is capable of berthing ferries up to 165 m long and 26 m wide, on a dock wall 217 m long. Depth is kept at a minimum of 6 m above hydrographic zero. • The tugboat is stationed between posts T1 and T2 in a 38 m long secluded. The terminal itself is divided in two areas, T1 and T2, respectively 15 400 m2 and 56 100 m2 in area. The terminal's total area is 100 000 m2.
Brittany Ferries Up to three sailings of
Brittany Ferries depart
Ouistreham per day. It is the Port of Caen's
English Channel ferry
port. In the summer season, the
MV Normandie and
MV Mont St Michel operate the back-to-back, six-hour ferry crossing. Ferries depart both
Ouistreham and
Portsmouth International Port at 08:15 (and arrive at 14:30), 16:30 (and arrive at 21:15) and 22:00 (and arrive the next morning). This schedule begins in May and is carried through until October, when ferries start to go in for refits; hence they are deployed on different routes. ==Pleasure boating==