Schooners laden (1900)
The commercial port was accessible until the 19th century by large sea-going ships. Saint-Savinien-le-port (-the-port) saw the transit of sloops, schooners, galleons, three-masted flat-bottomed boats and barges capable of sailing up the river as far as Angoulême. The river was in fact navigable over 160km (99_m) in 1957. It needed to be navigable in order to serve more than just tourists and fishermen. On the ebb to Angoulême, boats carried exotic produce; wood, spices, sugar, skins, salt, dried or salted fish, oysters and iron. On the flow towards Rochefort and La Rochelle, wine, “eaux-de-vie” (literally “waters of life” - a very potent albeit tasty, alcoholic liqueur), cut stones, bricks, ceramics, powder and gun carriages (for the arsenal at Rochefort), paper from Angoulème, chalk, wood from Limousin, flour and kindling for the bakers. All along the quay there is evidence of shipping: Marine Bakers; the 12th century Marine Chapel at Nš24; a house dated 1776 at nš20 was bed & breakfast for the sailors. The lime trees bordering the quay date from a municipal vote in 1845. The quays were built from cut stone in 1840.
(Original French text by Robert Orgé)
