Mouillage

Fort Boyard

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Seabed: rock
Anchoring: Forbidden

Stone sea fort between the Île d'Aix and the Île d'Oléron, in the Pertuis d'Antioche off the Charente-Maritime coast. Anchoring and approach within 50 m of the walls are prohibited.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

The fort stands on a shoal surrounded by strong tidal streams of up to 3 knots on springs. The zone immediately around the fort is closed to boats and anchoring by municipal decree of Île-d'Aix. Pass at a safe distance to the east or west, watching for the rocky bottom on which the fort is built.

Practical

No landing or anchoring allowed. Nearest shelter at Rade de l'Île d'Aix 1.8 NM to the east and Boyardville on Oléron 2.3 NM to the south-west for moorings and services.

Ashore

The Île d'Aix, free of cars, lies 1.8 NM east with the Napoleon museum in the house where the emperor spent his last days on French soil in 1815. Boyardville on Oléron offers pine forest walks and oyster producers along the Coureau d'Oléron.

History

Construction started in 1801 under Napoleon to defend the Rochefort arsenal from the Royal Navy, and the fort was completed in 1866 after decades of interruptions. It was used as a prison, then abandoned, and has hosted the French television game show of the same name since 1990.