canal Du Midi information

maltaboy

maltaboy

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I am considering using the canal Du Midi in early June, and I am concerned that the depth may not be enough for my boat which has a draft of 1.5m. I have looked on the net, only to find that the information varies with reported depths of between 1.3m and 1.8m. Does anyone have first hand knowledge for this year so far or know who to contact to find out, also if it is possible for me to transit , are there plenty of places to stop overnight.
 
You can download a guide to the Canal du Midi from the VNF website. They run the canal so they ought to know. It gives a theoretical depth for the canal as 1.6m and a practical draught for the boat as 1.5m with risks of going aground. It's in French and dowloadable here

Having talked to people on the canal and reading the YBW postings I'd expect you to get though in June without much trouble but July and August get very crowded and the water drops a bit. We've been stuck for several days in July when a thunderstom closed the Canal Lateral a la Garonne. There are places to stop on the C du M and the C l d l G but some places like Carcasonne are relatively expensive.


Hopefully somebody who actually draws 1.5m will contribute. We don't draw anything like that.
 
I spent three months on the CdM from April to June last year. I have a an Etap 32i with a nominal draft of 1.4 but fully loaded I guess more like 1.45.

I only went as far as somewhere with a name like Ribia before Carcasonne.

I hit the bottom a few times and could not always get to the bank except with the stern sticking out. I could not get up the Lez to Montpellier into the Marina nearby.

I also had a problem whilst waiting for a lock to fill so that I could enter. The water level would consequently drop, I was aground I could not enter the lock!

I did not go to the summit. You will hit the bottom but with care and power you might get through if it is like last year.

The CdM is worth a visit anyway especially in the Spring.
 
You can also check out our depths, widths and heights guide > http://www.tagweb.co.uk/grehan/_guide-vnf.html [foot of page]
You should theoretically be ok at 1.5m on the Midi (I don't think you'd have a problem on the Lateral a la Garonne). However, as noted by Albineer, depths will start to come under pressure as the summer season progresses. Some years, more pressure than others.
The VNF do 'quote' depths in the centre of the channel - they can vary noticeably elsewhere, at the sides, inside bends and also outside locks (down side) where the outgoing water scours the canal bed immediately outside the gates, then deposits the scourings just beyond.
I suspect you will find some places where you effectively push through the 'soft stuff' - we noticed this especially coming up to Toulouse (the day before the day we actually arrived there, if that makes sense /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif ). Other noticeable shallow bits (for us) were above Agde, around Vias.

Per your last question, there are lots of places to stop overnight, both formal (haltes de plaisance) and informal. But note the requirement to 'get alongside' where the depth might be problematic for you. I would have thought that if it's possible to get through it will be possible to moor up somewhere.

Another thought . . bilge keelers, nominal depth for depth, have more problems than fin keelers. Because the keels stick out at the sides, you see - 'wider' draft.

And a final comment . . . can't speak for the Midi, but there's plenty of water in the Lateral a la Garonne right now.
 
Our experience of May 2005 was much the same as others have reported. With 1.4 metres we touched bottom several times, twice needing assistance from lock keepers to get off. We found the Midi to be shallower than the Garonne, especially leaving locks heading east. We asked at the canal office in Toulouse about depths and were told that officially they were controlled at 1.6 metres.

Later that season Colin Jones, writer with PBO, had his 1.4 metres draught boat taken back from Agde to Castelnaudry by road, as there was insufficient depth for him to go by canal. Early season is preferred for crowding, depth and attractiveness of surroundings. I believe that you will get through OK in early June but expect to touch a few times.

There are plenty of places for overnight stops, either marinas, although these fill up early, or alongside. As has been said, you will find it difficult in some places to get near to the bank with 1.5 metres depth, so have a passerelle available.
 
I suspect, as others have said, that you'll have a bit of struggle at times. Friends of mine with a 1.45 draft boat had a pretty miserable time for quite a chunk of the canal and that spoilt the experience for them.

Ok, going aground isn't the end of the world, and in may cases you can back off and 'charge' at the shallow bit, but what got them down was the inability to 'relax and enjoy'. They were always a little on edge if you see what I mean. Levels do vary as has been stated, but (from friends who live near Carcassone) the 1.6 'maintained' level hasn't been anywhere near achieved on lots of occasions in the last few years and it has caused all sorts of problems.

We did meet a chap in the Med. with a Fulmar like ours (1.56 draft) who had managed to get through about five years ago BUT, he had had to be literally dragged through many sections by a MoBo they'd become friends with, and his SWMBO was very unhappy! So they got through, but it seriously spoilt the trip.

I'd do exactly what others have said above, contact the VNF a sensible time before you intend leaving and check the 'actual' depths. I put 'actual' in quotes because the Fulmar had done exactly this but found the real depths less in every case! It might pay to check out the actual depths with someone actually there if possible before you cast off.

I think I'd have an alternative plan as a back-up or perhaps think about reducing your draft by transporting the mast/heavy stuff 'not needed on voyage' by road to be collected at the end of the canal.
 
I wouldn't disagree with contacting the VNF - this must be a good idea. And they are an excellent organisation IMHO.
However . . I'm not sure how clued-up the people in the office are about actual conditions on the waterway itself. Obviously, "the water level is down this summer" or similar but not "the level around (say) Carcassonne near ecluse 24 is down to 1.4m". More likely to be standard response along the lines of "the VNF aims to maintain 1.6m depth in the centre of the channel". I may be wrong, but
 
Yes I agree, if that were the sort of advice they give. I must admit basing my suggestion on the the VNF's guys and gals in Rouen the year before last, prior to our drifting down to Avignon and back for the summer.

We fully expected that sort of reaction = 'Ah the Marne/Saone or whatever is maintained at 1.8 metres etc', but we were surprised when they turned to their computers and were able to tell us the exact depth in the various sections. Apparently, the depths, and other conditions are monitored on a regular basis now, presumably from feedback from the remaining lockeepers or 'mobiles'.

I would guess the Midi, with its known depth problems would be similiarly checked. I may be wrong of course.

Just another interesting 'service' they provide. A Norwegian couple who spoke to us in Lyon, were due
to meet with one of their friends who was single-handing down to Lyon but hadn't been in contact for several days. They were getting very concerned about him.

We suggested they nipped into the main VNF offices across the river from the Quai Marchal Joffre (instead of the offices at the end of the quai) to check. They were back in less than an hour to thank us, having been told exactly where their friend was, and when they might expect him in Lyons! Again, the monitoring of all boats now seems standard as they appear to be logged through, if not each lock, at least each section.

Pretty useful I think.
 
Interesting. Thanks for the post. Much appreciated.

I guess this 'efficiency' development also has implications regarding the vignette, where getting it was relatively relaxed - I mean one didn't have to be that scrupulous about having one the minute one entered the system but could wait until reaching the first VNF office actually open and accepting money. Peut-etre?
 
Yes, I think your vignette observation is almost certainly correct!

We've done the trip three times and weren't asked for it at anytime on the first - in 1997. But on the last trip we were required to show it (and/or the one stuck to our lowered mast) five times, I think it was, but know it was 'observed' several times.

We've got no problem with that as we think the VNF charges are extremely reasonable considering what you get and the fabulous scenery etc. I just hope the French government manage to push some money the VNF's way to allow the urgent dredging that needs doing in some places.

According to the really nice lady VNF chief in St Dizier, the VNF won't carry out any dredging unless the French Gov'mt pay for a substantial chunk of it. Trouble is, with the current state of France's economy that is very unlikely apparently, except perhaps, on the main commercial sections.

We'd actually gone to chat with her to find out why you'd go a couple of manned locks, then perhaps four automatics, then a manned one etc.etc.

She explained that as the lockeepers retired or died, new ones weren't being appointed and the lock was then automated. She reckoned that by 2008/9 all locks would be automated and the lockeeper's houses sold off for private occupation. Personally, we think that's a great shame as we love trying our appalling French out and it gives the keepers a good laugh!

Unfortunately if the dredging doesn't occur pretty soon, I can only see the problems of silting up getting worse and worse with perhaps the closure of some of the less commercial sections.

Blimey, made myself miserable now!! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Thank you all for your replies to my questions. I guess I will have to wait until June and see what the levels are then, hopefully it will be OK, if not then it will be a week to windward for me (if I am lucky).
 
As the depth of the canal du Midi deepens the airdraft decreases, (obviously) has anybody checked out the likely minimum airdraft this year?
 
Hi maltaboy,

You don't say where you are heading after passing through, but if it is to the south I would suggest you do not try to exit via the canal de la Robine through Narbonne, as the depths at the end were insufficient for your draft last year because of silting.

Here around Carcassonne the lockkeepers do adjust the levels, so as to maintain the depths allowed by the lock gates. We often walk by the canal and notice paddles open at both ends of a lock. In this climate a lot of water is lost by evaporation in the summer and it rarely rains. The smaller rivers tend to almost dry and it is an amazing piece of design that allows the canal to stay open in the summer.

At the head of the canal, the Partage des Eaux, there is an obelisk in honor of Paul Riquet who built it and it is well worth a walk around the basins, you can see details of the water feed system.
 
Yes, the 'top' lock "Oceane" is a great place to stop and walk through the avenue of plane trees up to the Riquet obelisk . .
oceane.jpg

plane.jpg
 
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