Advice sort.Canal cruiseing,leaveing boat winter,F;Be;NL;D&Poland

[trouville]

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gifIt is winter!And time to have ideas!

For many years ive thought of cruiseing the inland waterways.Ive been through the French canals several times but always a bit of a rush,mostly becouse we were moveing someone elses boat from N to S and they wanted their boat to use themselves!

When ive been through with my boats its been pleasent but stressful as they have been sail boats,and would run aground while mooreing or the lock keeper would try to knock my mast off deck by opening a sluise gate that pushed my bows accross the lock!And its not really great to have the mast in the way!!

Last year i looked at boats for sale!(expensive!)And found several fishing boats that i could aford becouse they were either free,or not to expensive and with an engine in fact now ive just looked at one(thats why i was hear) it has an engine its in reasonable condition(for a fishing boat) but its expensive!He wants 10000ffr (£1000)!!!!!!!I had in mind up to £600!!

Assumeing i buy a solid manoverable boat between 6 & 7 meters long with a cuddie equipe her with sun shade and shelter against the rain i will be ready to leave to explore inland.

France i know a bit about,id still apreciate suggestions as to where i could leave the boat if need be in summer for a couple of weeks,and probably closed up and left for winter? which ports /moorings are safe how afordable would ports be on the canals? Do they ALWAYS close for winter?? Where MUST i go!The places that are really not to be missed?

Then would come Belgium? are the canals free to use?Are the locks DIY paid or free? Do i need any kind of canal permit? What is Belgium like to travel through?Are there ports outside Antwerpen Brussels Gent?? Are there stopping places on route?Can you tie up in towns??

Then Holland is there anyplace left there???are the ports there costly?

Crossing to Germany are the canal police difficult? are they everywhere? Can you just stop tie up in town or are there specific place to stop?? What sort of prices are ports on a daily/weekly base?? Is there anything to see there??

Then Poland!!!??? Has anyone ever been on the rivers/canals there???Any advice at all about Poland is eagerly hoped for.Is there a "Polish waterways" authority? Where would be the best way to enter the Polish system??

Any tips advice on useing the waterway very welcolm should i spend the first year in France? makeing a slow trip north or must i explore canals off the route between north and the med?

Costs and ideas of costs hoped for or Free moorings recomended please post PM or email whatever way advise arrives ill copy it and use it to make a loose plan of where to go and how. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[kds]

Re: Advice sort.Canal cruiseing,leaveing boat winter,F;Be;NL;D&Poland

I know it must be out of date by now - but Tristan Jones wrote of his trip through Europe (in a trimaran, I think ?) on a very small budget. He made it through some "Iron Curtain" countries - but not without problems. I no longer have a copy - but libraries must have !
Ken

 

[thalassa]

Belgium has very intricate network of navigable waterways, considering its size. Some info and charts for Belgium you can get here:

Flanders: Binnenvaart Flanders
Wallonia: Waterways Wallonia (little or no English on this site)
You need a licence sticker for the Flanders waterways, about 25 EUR for three months, and in Wallonia you pay for the stretch of canal you use (river Meuse is free). Locks are free .

The waterways are quite scenic "French-style", but the stretch Antwerp to Liège is VERY busy with barges.

This gives you an impression of the best in Flanders: Cycling the Flemish waterways
Highlights are definitely Bruges and Ghent (new marina).
On the canals in Wallonia are some spectacular features like a new hydraulic boatlift, and an amazing sliding 68 meter-down-in-one-go boatlift. Quite a number of Dutch mobo's go there for just the fun of it. But you have to be comfortable with locks! Mooring spots are often cheap, but sometimes far between.
web page

And last, but not least: BEST BEER in the world.

 

[trouville]

Good links! But Belgium is the center of art and learning. The beirs really the best its the only contry in which i drink it!!

The canals look wonderful i cant think why i havent thought of sailing them befor??Perhaps the weather?????

Cant wait! Heating and rain cover!!And a bier glass for aboard the wine one or tea mugs a bit small!!

 

[trouville]

Copied all those links now im going back to the boat to charge the laptop and read them!! What i saw Belgium canals look wonderful

Whats the season? weather crowds wise? Im very tempted to go up there with a very small 5 meter fishing boat i have to sell! It really is very small though!

From the lack of posts not to many other than the Dutch come to the Belgium canals? It looks soooooooooooo good i could spend a whole summer there from april to october??

 

[saskia]

In France I think one of the best places to winter is St Jean de Losne: there are a couple of marinas there - H2O and Blanquart, and Bourgogne Marine not far away at St Symphorien. They all have websites and all do winterization etc plus odd jobs. The great advantage is you can cruise in many different directions, with round trips available of varying lengths. I've been there six years and still haven't done all the possible permutations. As for leaving the boat in the summer, many private harbours offer rates for extended stays. When you're on board, there are plenty of free moorings in villages, or just the canal or river bank. Have fun.