Anchorage

Plage du Gros Jonc

Shelter: W, SW, S, SE
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Open roadstead off the south-west coast of the Île de Ré in Charente-Maritime, facing the Pertuis d'Antioche.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the Pertuis d'Antioche. About six white mooring buoys lie off the entrance to the Fier d'Ars, though not all are always usable, with sand at several metres for anchoring at low water. It serves well to wait out the tide for the Fier d'Ars. Shelter from E through SE, S and SW to W is the theoretical sector from shore, but the coast is fully open to swell from the south-west to south, the prevailing direction, so it stays comfortable only in settled easterly weather and rolls at night otherwise.

Practical

No services at the beach. Ars-en-Ré Bassin de la Criée 2.5 nm SW and Bassin de la Prée 2.8 nm SW for berths, water and diesel, tidal access.

Ashore

Beach of Gros Jonc backed by pine forest and dunes, part of the Forêt domaniale de la Combe à l'Eau. Cycle path network of the Île de Ré passes at 400 m from the shore, linking Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré and La Couarde-sur-Mer.