A few photo's of places to moor on River Seine

[jimg]

Tom Price asked for some photo's, but I thought they might be worth sharing with you all.
They were all taken in 2003 so it might be a bit different now!


Moorings at Rouen

Moorings at Val St Martin PK176 which are an alternative to the silted moorings at Les Andelys

Les Andelys PK 174

Then we meet the lock at Amfreville PK 173

This is then followed by the lock at La Garenne PK 161

Next is the well known stopping place for Monet's Garden at Vernonne PK 150

Next the lock at Mericourt PK121

And Fuel at the new marina ( in 2003 ) PK 120

Moorings at Limay PK 110

Moorings at Meulan PK 93

Moorings at Les Andresy PK 73

Followed by the lock at Les Andresy PK 73

The camera seems to have been put away then until we reach the Arsenal !!

I hope it is of help to those considering a trip to Paris, it is certainly worth the effort and is a really wonderful experience.

 

[epervier]

Thank you for the time and effort of posting, great pictures and report.

 

[burgundyben]

I'd love to do a trip like that, and further, and in fact I'd like to do similar along the Thames.

I'm reluctant because Playtime has no protection for the props.

 

[SgtColon]

If you seriously dream of this trip you must first read Terrence Darlingtons book
'A narrow dog to Carcassonne' Hilarious

 

[mlthomas]

Great post and pics

 

[Caergybi_Man]

Air draft ?

Are those both Nimbus boats and what is their air draft? Interested as to how it might compare with my Birchwood which I think by my measurements is 3.2m.

 

[Danpompey]

I'd love to do the same as well.

I would be interested in hearing time scales and the route you took

 

[andy59]

Thanks for the great photos , thats on the "To Do " list and BTW thanks for the link to Froward Point Weather and Webcam , really usefull to see whats going on down west .

 

[jimg]

Air Draft

Are those both Nimbus boats and what is their air draft? Interested as to how it might compare with my Birchwood which I think by my measurements is 3.2m.

To the top of the Wind Instrument is 5.0 metres, so you will be fine.

 

[maybh1]

We have done the trip three times (twice with MBM and once in company with two other boats). It is a fabulous trip and looking at your pictures has reminded me it is time for a fourth one

May
xx

 

[neale]

We have done the trip three times (twice with MBM and once in company with two other boats). It is a fabulous trip and looking at your pictures has reminded me it is time for a fourth one

May
xx

And the picture on page 2 of this months MBM didn't remind you?

 

[Tom Price]

If you seriously dream of this trip you must first read . . .

GREHAN's informative Blog which covers everything from phones to fenders, while the appropriate pages of Neville Featherstone's North France Cruising Companion are the best I've seen. And the latest edition of Fluviacarte's Seine Aval would be handy!

My thanks to Neale for inspiring us (he modestly hides his experience organising several MBM trips to Paris) but if I may update from current research;

A new Rouen marina was opened downstream in the Bassin St Gervais for their Tall Ships Armada in 2008. It may be further from town but has more room, no tides and no flotsam to snag your props.

The 'new' marina in Port L'Ilon PK 120 seemed to be closed in Autumn 2008. Any recent news?

Which brings me to my original enquiry: where to refuel after Rouen? And in Paris itself?
All info welcome.

 

[jimg]

Fuel

Tom,

We could find no fuel in Paris, one fuel barge just a bit further on from the Arsenal refused to sell us fuel!!

The marina at PK 120 was called Port de I'lon in 2003 and the phone number was 34.77.96.45

I thought Port St Louis PK 81 was a different place and if my memory serves me correctly ( a long shot ) we did not go there because we had been told that it sold dirty fuel.

Cheers
Jim

 

[Tom Price]

culpa mea!

You're right of course:- Port St Louis (PK 81) is near Conflans but also described as deserted and run down!

No fuel in Paris is bad news and could put a block on my plans; others might be deterred too.
Is it worth going through the tunnel to the Bassin de la Villette, or even further East up the Seine or Marne?
(Thinks: just how many 20l cans can I find room for???)

 

[jimg]

You're right of course:- Port St Louis (PK 81) is near Conflans but also described as deserted and run down!

No fuel in Paris is bad news and could put a block on my plans; others might be deterred too.
Is it worth going through the tunnel to the Bassin de la Villette, or even further East up the Seine or Marne?
(Thinks: just how many 20l cans can I find room for???)

Tom,
What kind of boat are we talking about and it's normal range? The problem I found in working out my likely range on the river was that I had little experience of my boat at those low speeds and how much further I could go compared to my usual planing speed.

 

[Tom Price]

The Seine agayn!

Apologies for giving credit to Neale for your own pics
tho he did organise last year's MBM cruise and should comment.

Here's input from that trip:
"fuelling is done by barge in Paris. Harbour chap at the Arsenal marina can arrange. If memory serves there is a fixed fuel berth up river from Les Andelys; I think there is a fixed fuel berth east of Paris too. I would call the Arsenal and ask them. It gets bloody hot in there though as it's basically a big bowl below road level so no wind. A real suntrap."

Well?

Have done my sums and topping up in Paris is essential if I want to come home. I can't believe the lack of facilities - don't they want visitors??

So what do MBM cruisers do? Please don't tell me you had sufficient buying power to order your own fuel barge!

 

[jimg]

There is a major fuel barge just after you lock through from Rouen and hopefully the one at PK 120.

We were worried as well, but we made it from Rouen to Paris and back to PK120 on one tank. We were very low on fuel and had expected to get some in Paris.

But of course at the speeds we were travelling our range was at least 3 times our normal because of the slow speeds. From PK 120 to Paris and back you would be travelling 240 kilometres or about 150 miles, that would need a "normal" cruising range of 50 miles I guess?

 

[neale]

Most of the boats on the MBM cruise fuelled at Rouen on the way up and did not need to refuel until Rouen on the way back. Remember after Rouen you will be going at displacement speeds and using very little fuel. If you do need to fuel there is the marina at Port de I'llon at PK121 and the marina Port St Louise at PK81 which both have fuel. You should definitely be able to do Paris and back from one of these. There is also the fuel barge a few km beyond Paris Arsenal where the Seine meets the River Marne, which some of our boats used.

We did on the previous trip organise a floating barge to visit us and refuel us in situ, but I doubt this would be an option for one or two boats.

For more info see if you can get a copy of Nov 09 MBM where I wrote up a guide to cruising the Seine based on our 2009 cruise.

Neale

 

[neale]

The 'new' marina in Port L'Ilon PK 120 seemed to be closed in Autumn 2008. Any recent news?

It was very much open in August 2009.

 

[Tom Price]

The Seine to Paris

Thanks Neale for the predictably professional and informative input.
Updates on Port Lilon and Port St Louis noted - I assume the fuelling stop 13K East of the Arsenal is Nogent Marina on the River Marne?

Nov 09 copy of MBM is on order, and as next month features French canals I might even become a subscriber!
TP