Anchorage

Rade de l'île d'aix

Shelter: NE, E, SE
Seabed: mud
Anchoring: Allowed

Large anchorage on mud between the Île d'Aix and the Fort Boyard, in the Pertuis d'Antioche off the Charente-Maritime coast.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Anchor in 3 to 6 metres over mud, sandy nearer the beach; holding is generally good but the anchor can drag in soft mud, so set it well and watch the charted drying banks in the middle of the bay. Sheltered from NE, E and SE, exposed to the prevailing W and NW. Strong tidal streams run up to 3 knots at springs, and shuttle wake ruffles the anchorage by day, calmer at night. Keep clear of the marked channel serving the ferry terminal from Pointe de la Fumée.

Practical

Anchorage only, no services afloat. Land by tender on the sandy beach, which stays usable at low water, for the car-free village of Île d'Aix and its handful of shops.

Ashore

Île d'Aix is car-free, 3 km long, fortified by Vauban in the late 17th century. Musée Napoléon in the house where the emperor spent his last nights on French soil in July 1815 before surrendering to HMS Bellerophon. Fort Boyard visible 2 nm to the north.