Sailing Calista3 July 2020 – 8 July 2020
From our overnight anchorage in Boyardville at the Ile de Oleron in the bay of La Rochelle we finally set off on our sailing journey to Royan. We rounded the lighthouse of Phare De Chassiron and encountered a large rolling swell with an outgoing tide, not ideal. There wasn’t much sailing due to large swells and very little wind so we pretty much just motor sailed. We had our first encounter with dolphins swimming off the bow and were so excited that we forgot to video them!
To approach the marina in Royan entailed going up the Gironde channel and was about a 2 hour trip on an ingoing tide. The entry to the channel was several miles out to sea and Paul was tempted to cut the corner but I insisted that we follow the pilot book recommendations and enter the channel well out to sea. As we approached the coast we saw huge waves forming either side of the channel and Paul then agreed it was good we didn’t cut the corner.
It was well worth while making the effort to reach Royan as it was a beautiful town. Because of our boat length we were given a berth just beside the hardstand and it was a short walk into town where all the restaurants were. The next day Paul washed the boat and got it all spick and span only to find later on in the afternoon it was covered in muck from the boats on the hard having been water blasted and sanded ready for new antifoul!
Royan was a fashionable French resort before the Second World War. Royan was flattened by the British in 1945 and has risen from the ruins around the Church of Notre Dame de Royan.
The weather was beautiful and sunny, a welcome change from La Rochelle. We set off on our scooters and explored the Promenade Cotiere, Coastal Pedestrian and Cycle Way which went for miles. There were so many opportunities for photo stops along the way.
We were quite intrigued by the traditional fishing huts on stilts (Carrelet Huts) scattered along the cliffs. The fishermen would be fishing for shrimp, mullet, eels and herrings.
We also scootered along the 2klm pedestrian and cycle way that went along the length of the main beach of Plage de la Grande-Conche. The striped beach umbrellas and cabanas made for a lovely setting on the beach.
