Canal du Midi and onwards

[boatmike]

The weather in the UK this year has finally done it for me. Enough sitting waiting for the sun. Lets go where it is! Have Prout Snowgoose Elite Cat which is 37 ft X 16ft 3ins beam but draws less than 3 ft max. Crew of one is relatively inexperienced (nice legs though!) so while natural inclination otherwise would be Gib via Biscay and Portugal, I am seriously considering Canal route to Med instead. Most canal locks seem a bit tight for beam but C du Midi seems to have more clearance. Has anyone recent experience of going through? Any advice for a geriatric old fart with lots of open water experience but never been inland? Obviously have to swat up on CEVNI and get endorsement to International Certificate (anyone ever been asked to show it by the way?) Have "Inland Waterways of France" by David Edwards-May which makes it sound a doddle but it would be nice to hear from someone who has done it recently as I have heard horror stories of it drying up and falling into disrepair (probably fictional) Not sure how long it would take either. If I leave in May next year and day sail I guess I will enter Gironne easily by Mid June. Eventual destination Greece but realistically not in one year. Suggestions please for overwinter stop (would wish to leave boat and come home for winter I guess) Philosophy would be to enjoy trip and not hurry......

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[mikewilkes]

Brought ours throgh a couple of years ago, but only 4.09 as apposed to your 4.95. Thought at the time there was plenty of room, never felt "hemmed" in.
Just had a quick look at Bowskill's " the channel to the med" and only one section seems to be less than 5.00.
Do a bit more research and you will probably find it is great fun.

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[boatmike]

Thanks for that input Mike, good to know it was navigable a couple of years ago. I just looked at my copy of Inland Waterways of France and note that it is 6th edition 1991 (has it really been in my bookcase that long?....) widths of locks are given there as 5.5 metres min for Midi and 5.8 for lateral a la Garonne that joins it. Where pray is the section you believe might be less than 5 metres? Cos if it is I am going to stick like a preverbial cork in a bottle as I have just realised that with rubbing strakes etc my max beam is 16ft 6ins or 5.025 metres. (millimetres count!) without fenders.... I would really like to have fenders!

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[mikewilkes]

Mine was more for the idea of going in further north and making a real good enjoyable time of it.

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[pragmatist]

One of the mags (?YM or maybe PBO) had an article about a Snowgoose thru the canals in the last year or 2. Have you seen it ?

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is an optimist with a boat in the UK

 

[boatmike]

No I must have missed that one. Anyone got a copy? Was it a Snowgoose Elite or an earlier Snowgoose. (Earlier marques had smaller beam)

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[mikewilkes]

It must have been about 2000 ish and I think - but am getting very senile - that she was 4.5 - 5 metre beam. Cant reme,ber the model though. Seem to think they went through in about 20 days or so???

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