I get restless sometimes and after some days fixing the boat in a hot La Rochelle, I decide to get some wind in the sails. As Birgitta and I sailed from Île d’Oleron to Rochelle, we passed Île-d’Aix and there were a number of free visitor boys so I think that if I am lucky I can grab one of them this time. If not – I go back to La Rochelle. The holding ground should not be good and the currents are strong so I rule out the anchoring option. As I arrive, there are a number of buoys still free and I take one of the outer ones so I stay afloat regardless of tide. Time to do some exploration again!

First day, I do a quick visit but is not sure where to put the dinghy so I return after a quick look at the Fort de la Rade and the city. The weather is nice and I am securely tied up to a buoy so there I decide to stay overnight and come back tomorrow.

This island has historically had a strategic position in the inlet to the naval centre Rochefort. The island hosts two forts – one on the south side and one on the north side. They formed a line of defence together with the forts on Île d’Oleron, Fort Boyard, Île de Ré and on the mainland. Now it is a calm and very relaxed island with no car traffic. Oysters and Mussel beds are everywhere and there are some nice beaches.

My decision to stay is rewarded by a nice sunset over the fort on the island and with Fort Boyard in the distance.

Second day, I launch the dinghy again and set course towards the large beach where I thought I could put the dinghy aground during low water. However, the bottom is muddy and not nice so I decide to try the quay where I find a place to tie up and let the tide do the rest. Sometimes, the tide comes in handy. You drag the boat so it lays still and stay for a while until it is completely dried out.

I wander along the streets in the small sleepy city that is waiting for this days delivery of tourists from the nearby citys. It is nice to stroll around in the Fort de la Rade on the southern side of Pointe Saint-Catherine and have a look over the sound to Île d’Oleron and enjoy the good looking and original lighthouse installation. Strolling through the streets gives a peaceful mindset which I can understand would not be the case in the vacation period when this city must be flooded by people.

First stop is to get large fresh oysters directly from the sea with a view of the oyster beds.

The island is not large so I take a promenade around it and I do a visit to the other fort on the norther part – Fort Liedot. This is a heavy battery fort and as usual I am happy that I was not born as a French soldier who had to build and live my life on one of these stone fortresses.

I even manage to squeeze in a galette before it is time to return to the dinghy before the tide comes back in. I get a very nice evening in the boat with the sun setting again and it feels like life is very, very good.