Île-de-Ré to Rochefort, 30 June-3rd July, 2022

From Noirmoutier, we sail to Île-de-Ré, a 65 nautical mile/12 hour ride on the way to Rochefort under light northwest winds. We moor in Ars-en-Ré, being the largest boat in the harbour, and the first in line at the end of the pontoon. Very comfortable night indeed once you have manoeuvred in the channel the width of which is smaller than the size of the boat to carry-out the perfect reverse parallel park!

From there, the following morning, we bike all around the northern part of Île-de-Ré, through the salty marshes. 

Find below, more information (in French) on the salty marches of the Île-de-Ré. 

Further south, on our way to Rochefort, we come across Fort Boyard, an iconic figure since the start of the series on Fort Boyard. Unfortunately, no time to get closer given the tide schedule!

To be in time for the rising tide, we enter the Charente river, bordered by fishing barracks along the shore. As you can see, still relatively low tide.  

All along the way are fortifications related to the wars and blockades having affected this area in the XVII and XVIII centuries, as Rochefort was the strategic boat building area, and La Rochelle, a stronghold of protestants during the religious wars of the time.

On the way, a most unexpected encountered with a Vaurien, the 4.05 metre long dingy boat where I started to sail when I was 4 years-old. Our registration number was 6654, from 1960, three years before the one below that we met on the way, from 1963. 

Below, the crew happily riding the boat all the way to Rochefort...

This is the spot where Belisama will spend her summer until September when I will be back with a crew for sailing her all the way around Spain and Portugal for wintering in Toulon, this coming winter. Not first alongside the pontoon, but as Belisama will be unoccupied during that period, with the boat on the pontoon unlikely to depart, it will be very fine after all.

Below is a short movie showing the current in the Charente River when heading upstream at the rising tide.

This is the summary of the 256 nautical miles covered in these two weeks.