Passage du Gois

The passage of Gois or Gôa is a roadway submarine located in the Baie of Bourgneuf between the island of Noirmoutier and Beauvoir-on-Sea on the continent in the department of the the Vendée in France. It is practicable conveys at the time of the low-sea and is flooded twice a day with high tide. There exists of other sites of this type, but the single character of Gois is its exceptional length: 4,5 km. The height of water which recovers it with high tide varies from 1,30 meter to 4 meters, according to the coefficient of the tide.

Since 1971, the bridge connecting the island of Noirmoutier to the continent is an alternative to Gois.

History

The name of Gois ( Goy as old French) goes up with approximately 1577. It comes from the verb goiser which means to go while wetting its shoes . One longer refers to this passage since good, whereas Noirmoutier was called the island of Her. The gois is practiced especially by the passages “of foot” and the animals since the 18th century and was at the time much longer because the old dams were more far from the coast. It is in 1701 that this passage connecting the continent to the island east for the first time mentioned on a geographical map.

This almost single curiosity in the world exists since the collapse of the plate having given rise to the Baie of Bourgneuf at the beginning of the quaternary era. There is more than thousand years, the meeting of two marine currents coming from north and of the south and running up in bay birth gave to a bench of shallow waters which continuously moved before being stabilized approximately a century ago with the current site.

The great mobility of the shallow waters makes the exercise perilous without guide. At the time of the War of the Vendée, during the Revolution, the royalists took refuge on the island. About 1780, the first wood beacons mark out the way.

Later, of work of stabilization are realized, in order to prevent the sand banks from moving. It is them which allowed the installation of the current roadway system. About 1840, a regular line is ensured by a horse-drawn carriage.

Today, of many beacons allow the walkers surprised to take refuge. In spite of very many panels indicating the schedules of tide, each year ago of the incidents, but very seldom mortals. Vis-a-vis the growing number of accidents, the gois is stabilized, marked out then empierré as of 1924. Beacons stakes are planted every ten meters. Six beacons known as “masts of parrots” and three beacons equipped with cages offer a relative safety since the end of the 19th century.

The passage of the gois is part of the old RN 148 which connected Noirmoutier to Limoges become D 948 today. July 11th, 1942, Gois and its dependences (fitted, dams and beacons) are classified with the inventory of the historic buildings.

Risks of the passage

During years, Gois was borrowed by the noirmoutrains, before the construction of the bridge. Many accidents were indexed. Two crosses keep the entry and the exit of Gois.

Today, its crossing represents certain risks if the traveller does not respect the schedules of the tides of low waters. It is agreed that one can pass by good weather and strong coefficient of 1:30 before and after low tide. From 1830, the tides are posted close to the passage. The fog can especially become very dangerous, for the fishermen with foot who lose any direction of the orientation and can be made trap by the rising tide.

The paving of the roadway

Work of paving of the roadway of the passage of Gois is completed between 1935 and 1939, in a two hours amount of time to low tide twice a day. At the conclusion of this work, Gois becomes practicable in the car. One observes still today this paving characteristic of Gois on a great portion of the passage, even if a part were tarred.

The paving consists of palpanches and reinforced concrete laid out on both sides of the roadway, making it possible to stabilize the sandy bottom on which the various layers of the roadway rest. Above, a layer of stone constitutes the base. Lastly, a layer of sand serves as “mattress” with the paving stones laid out in quincunx.

Around Gois

Gois and the sport

A Race on foot, the Treads of Gois, is organized there each year since June 20th, 1987. The starting signal is given when the first rising water crosses the road. Certain competitors arrive with water at the ankles, the last are constrained to swim.

The Tour de France spent several times by the passage of Gois, in particular on July 5th, 1993 and on July 2nd, 2005.

Fishing with foot and ostreiculture

At the time of the spring tides, the place is famous for fishing with foot. In bay around Gois, one can collect Palourde S, hull S or oysters.

The Ostréiculture is also developed there, because Gois gives access to low tide the oyster sites.

Tourism

Tourism is very developed around Gois. It is an privileged access towards the island of Noirmoutier. He also is very attended at the time of the low tide for fishing with foot by impassioned, accustomed or holiday makers in searches of new experiments.

See too

Internal bond

island of Noirmoutier

External bond

Treads of Gois

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