Mouillage

Anse du Saillant

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Shelter: NW, N, W, SW
Seabed: mud
Anchoring: Allowed

Mud-bottom anchorage on the east side of Île d'Aix in Charente-Maritime, inside the Pertuis d'Antioche.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the Rade de l'Île d'Aix. Strong tidal streams run between Aix and Fouras, plan arrival near slack water. Uncharted mussel-culture stakes fringe the bay, covered at high water and showing at low, so keep towards the harbour side or pick up one of the white buoys. The clear ground lies south of the bathing area near the small beach in about 4 m of soft mud that holds well and is soft enough to take the ground. Shelter from NW, N, W and SW winds, exposed to the E and SE.

Practical

No services in the anchorage. Tenders can land at Aix village jetty. Rade de l'Île d'Aix 0.5 NM SW for busier mooring field, Fouras Port Sud 3.6 NM SE for a quayed harbour.

Ashore

Île d'Aix village 1 km from the landing, car-free, with the Musée Napoléon in the last house where Napoleon stayed before surrendering in July 1815, and the Musée Africain. Fort de la Rade and the Atlantic Wall batteries are walkable around the 3 km island perimeter.

History

Île d'Aix was fortified by Vauban from 1699 and remodelled under Napoleon. The emperor spent his final three days of freedom here from 12 to 15 July 1815 before boarding HMS Bellerophon off Rochefort.