Winter moorage in France

[Goodroaming]

I thought I would start a new thread as the other one was getting long and expanding. We are exploring ideas for winter moorages in France(and Spain but want to start with canals).
-14-16m (aiming for the sacred 15m) .
-Draft prob too deep for midi.
-It can be coastal or canal really anywhere in France but east half preferred bc of proximity to canals of other countries (access to Netherlands, Germany etc).
-Live aboard preferred at least for the first season but access to the boat to outfit is needed.
-Safety and not rolly -critical!
-Not isolated- prefer a good town, city ok too.
Here’s what we have heard so far from some great member feedback.
Prob leaning toward south for winter but having a list of longer term moorages for canals will be important anyways for our slow slow slow travel plans.

Canals:
Paris
Auxonne (?)
Macon
St Jean de Losne
(Really like Lyon and Avignon but they dont seem to have marinas?)

Coast
Marseille vieux port (safe?)
Bandol
Menton
Beauliu sur mer
(Prob not Antibes for us)

 

[PlanB]

For canals, you can't beat information from Grehan of this parish.

However, one point immediately suggests itself, many of the canals freeze over in winter!

 

[dslittle]

Well if you want a very safe mooring without worrying about the tide, Atlantic storms etc, you would do well to have a look at the River Vilaine.

Moorings behind the barrage start at Arzal (very little for the winter, chandlery on site and safe), through La Roche Bernard (right in town which stays open all year but getting a berth will be difficult) to Foleux (again there is nothing there over the winter). If you have a car, Arzal or Foleux are both pleasant enough places to stay and accessible.
26 miles up the river is Redon which again is in a town which stays open all winter and will give access to the canal system. I can get into Redon with 2.1m draft (just) but no further.

As they are all in the river, fouling is minimal and, as I said at the beginning, all are protected from the Atlantic by the barrage. Although the weather is MUCH better than the UK, it won’t be as good as the South of France.

 

[Anchorite]

Port Napoleon beside Port Saint Louis and the entrance to the Rhone (and Europe) is non-rolly, has plenty of facilities and relatively free of disagreeable insects in winter.

 

[Goodroaming]

Well if you want a very safe mooring without worrying about the tide, Atlantic storms etc, you would do well to have a look at the River Vilaine.

Moorings behind the barrage start at Arzal (very little for the winter, chandlery on site and safe), through La Roche Bernard (right in town which stays open all year but getting a berth will be difficult) to Foleux (again there is nothing there over the winter). If you have a car, Arzal or Foleux are both pleasant enough places to stay and accessible.
26 miles up the river is Redon which again is in a town which stays open all winter and will give access to the canal system. I can get into Redon with 2.1m draft (just) but no further.

As they are all in the river, fouling is minimal and, as I said at the beginning, all are protected from the Atlantic by the barrage. Although the weather is MUCH better than the UK, it won’t be as good as the South of France.

Thanks so much for the detailed information! It sounds like a nice little corner in the winter. We have a few different journeys planned so I will add that to the west side possibilities. I hadnt really considered it before but there have been a few comments about that area so it has definitely piqued my interest as cruising the whole of France (should we get a visa!).

 

[Goodroaming]

Port Napoleon beside Port Saint Louis and the entrance to the Rhone (and Europe) is non-rolly, has plenty of facilities and relatively free of disagreeable insects in winter.

The Port Napolean didnt seem connected to a community and I worry it would be a bit isolating in the winter. Perhaps a good med area tho for keeping the boat if we go elsewhere in the winter

 

[Grehan]

I think Port Napoleon does have an overwintering community, although I'm not sure how large. It does have a reputation for a) mozzies and b) wind. Nearby coastal marinas such as Port Camargue or Cap d'Agde would also have some too. I think you're far too late to get a place at Paris Arsenal. Lyon and Avignon do not have an (overwintering type) marina. Macon does, potentially (and a nice place) but again you may be too late. Auxonne, St Jean de Losne and Auxerre are also possibles but you need to make quick moves. Ditto Strasbourg if you're interested in The East.
The Villaine and Roche Bernard look very appealing, but there's no connection to the canal and river network in the rest of France from there, directly. Briare is another possibility, but again I fear too late.

 

[Clancy Moped]

The last time we were in Port Napoleon it was grim! It was around Easter time, public transport may well have not existed for what was worth.

 

[Grehan]

I know it, been there etc. but never for any length of time.

 

[Clancy Moped]

I know it, been there etc. but never for any length of time.

Our boat was commissioned there, couldn't wait to get out!

 

[Poignard]

I think Port Napoleon does have an overwintering community, although I'm not sure how large. It does have a reputation for a) mozzies and b) wind. Nearby coastal marinas such as Port Camargue or Cap d'Agde would also have some too. I think you're far too late to get a place at Paris Arsenal. Lyon and Avignon do not have an (overwintering type) marina. Macon does, potentially (and a nice place) but again you may be too late. Auxonne, St Jean de Losne and Auxerre are also possibles but you need to make quick moves. Ditto Strasbourg if you're interested in The East.
The Villaine and Roche Bernard look very appealing, but there's no connection to the canal and river network in the rest of France from there, directly. Briare is another possibility, but again I fear too late.

.

La Roche Bernard is very pleasant although I have heard it condemned as being "A bit blue-ensigny".

The Vilaine has a connection to canals at Rieux and Redon; although I don't know if they connect to he remainder of the French canals. But there would be draft restrictions I expect. I went into Redon about 4 weeks ago and my exho sounder showed the depth in the approach to the basin as ca 1.9m.

I have an old book by E. Keble Chatterton entitled "Through Brittany in'Charmina'" describing how he took a 28' yawl from Torbay to Nantes via St Malo, the river Rance, Rennes, then to Redon and the then tidal river Vilaine, with a short sea passage from the Vilaine to the Loire.

But his draft was only 4'3".

 

[Goodroaming]

@Poignard lol I had to look up what “blue-ensigny” meant, although I prob wont know what it really means until we start EU boating. thanks for the book source. Sounds like a good read and it will keep us dreaming and motivated. @Grehan I’ll take a look at those other possibilities. Thanks for providing a little more colour. We are not in a rush as we are just compiling a list so we can fly out (post covid?) and set eyes on them. I hear we may have to apply a year in advance for some.
The visa requires an address so before we commit to a lengthy moorage contract and/or (if we have to) a nearby apartment, we want to make sure we would want to make that our base for at least a year- we would not be able to leave France for more than 6mo so we want to be mindful of that too. From Canada, only once we have the moorage/apartment contract in hand, can we apply for visa. Then, IF the visa is accepted then we buy the boat! (Spain is our plan b but I REALLY dont want to start with coastal navigating if I can help it. I’ve sailed a long time so Im not worried about the final part- but a motorboat and Europe will be new to us so we want to start slow.

 

[Goodroaming]

I think Port Napoleon does have an overwintering community, although I'm not sure how large. It does have a reputation for a) mozzies and b) wind. Nearby coastal marinas such as Port Camargue or Cap d'Agde would also have some too. I think you're far too late to get a place at Paris Arsenal. Lyon and Avignon do not have an (overwintering type) marina. Macon does, potentially (and a nice place) but again you may be too late. Auxonne, St Jean de Losne and Auxerre are also possibles but you need to make quick moves. Ditto Strasbourg if you're interested in The East.
The Villaine and Roche Bernard look very appealing, but there's no connection to the canal and river network in the rest of France from there, directly. Briare is another possibility, but again I fear too late.

Auxerre looks like it just has river side moorings? Would that be wise in the winter? Briare looks lovely but max draught is 1.2……a little shallow for us and would it freeze in the winter?

 

[Grehan]

The Vilaine has a connection to canals at Rieux and Redon; although I don't know if they connect to he remainder of the French canals.

They don't. The Breton/Anjou canal/river network is independent. De Gaulle had a notion to make the Loire reliably navigable through to Burgundy but wiser heads prevailed.

 

[Grehan]

Auxerre looks like it just has river side moorings? Would that be wise in the winter? Briare looks lovely but max draught is 1.2……a little shallow for us and would it freeze in the winter?

The 'Bourbonnais' route - Loing, Briare, Loire Lateral, Centre - has a book draught of 1.8m. 'Book' because late summer can see restrictions against that.
Auxerre is fairly reliable in the winter and popular for that. Great town. Briare could possibly freeze, but that's true of all of central France.

 

[Goodroaming]

??

 

[Goodroaming]

The 'Bourbonnais' route - Loing, Briare, Loire Lateral, Centre - has a book draught of 1.8m. 'Book' because late summer can see restrictions against that.
Auxerre is fairly reliable in the winter and popular for that. Great town. Briare could possibly freeze, but that's true of all of central France.


The Bourbonnais route seems lovely and would be prefered for us but not sure about the draught (or the weeds?). We may have to walk/B&B it instead -that part. If France lets us in!

 

[Goodroaming]

Valence? It looks like its port is 5km outside of town but the town looks nice….?

 

[Grehan]

Valence has a good port/marina, an easy walk into town or to the nearest supermarket. Compared to others it is a bit pricey. A few liveaboards (not many) mainly French and Dutch (in our experience). On an open, wide stretch of the Rhone.

 

[DownWest]

If you find yourself on the Atlantic coast...Rochefort is a good wintering spot. Up river and in town, so walking to shops. Well protected and about half the price of La Rochelle. Bit of a community.
Dry storage also, but might be weight limited for you.