Harbour

Tonnay-Charente

3.7Tonnay-Charente, FranceCharente-Maritime

Maximum length: 40 m
Maximum draught: 1.8 m

Former commercial river port on the right bank of the Charente, 4 km upstream of Rochefort in New Aquitaine.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Access via the tidal Charente from the Pertuis d'Antioche. The river is navigable on the flood to Tonnay-Charente, max draught 1,8 metres. The suspension bridge downstream of the quay has an air draught of 22 metres at HW. Strong tidal currents in the river, up to 3 knots on springs. VHF 9 for Rochefort.

Practical

Pontoon with a few visitor berths along the stone quay. Water on the pontoon. No fuel on site, fuel berth at Rochefort marina 2,7 nm downstream. Bakery, small supermarket and restaurants in the town at 300 metres.

Ashore

Suspension bridge of Tonnay-Charente, opened in 1842, one of the oldest French road suspension bridges still standing, now pedestrian only, at 200 metres from the quay. Flow Vélo cycle route along the Charente passes through the town. Distilleries and cognac houses of the Charente region within 10 km.

History

Tonnay-Charente was a major spirit and brandy shipping port in the 18th and 19th centuries, dispatching cognac from the Charente vineyards to northern Europe and the Americas. The long stone quay, nearly 1 km in length, was built between 1782 and 1822 and could berth up to 60 sailing ships at once.

Story

In 1852 the town shipped more than 350 000 hectolitres of wine and spirits in a single year, making its quay one of the busiest alcohol export docks in France at the time.