Harbour

Halte nautique de Blaye

Name: Halte nautique de Blaye
Address: FR
Telephone: +335 57 42 12 09

Maximum draught: 2 m

Pontoon halt on the right bank of the Gironde estuary at the foot of the Citadelle de Blaye, a Vauban fortification inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Berth alongside a floating pontoon in the main estuary. Strong tidal streams run parallel to the pontoon, up to 3 knots, mooring easier at slack water. Maximum draught 2 m at low water of spring tides. Beware of commercial traffic in the main channel and the Blaye to Lamarque vehicle ferry.

Practical

Two visitor berths on the pontoon, short stay only. Water and electricity on the pontoon. No fuel on site. Town centre of Blaye 400 m from the pontoon with supermarkets, bakeries and restaurants.

Ashore

Citadelle de Blaye directly above the pontoon, built by Vauban from 1685 onwards, inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage as part of the Vauban fortifications network since 2008. Free access to the ramparts. Côtes de Bourg and Blaye AOC vineyards start on the plateau behind the town.

History

Blaye guarded the Gironde estuary upstream of the Médoc. The Vauban citadel, together with Fort Paté on the mid-estuary island and Fort Médoc on the opposite bank, formed the verrou de Vauban, a triple defensive system protecting the approach to Bordeaux.