canal flooding in France

[boatmike]

I came to the same conclusion Grehan and as (at the moment anyway) I don't intend to make a long term career out of the Canals (probably would have bought a different boat if I had) the sites you have led me to are excellent and give as much information as I need to get through to the Med one time. Still watching the Met charts carefully at the moment and think the VNF site is key and with the assistance of Bing Translator, pretty easy to understand. It's still looking like the Marne will be the best bet at the moment although right now even parts of that are not apparently passable. So I sit and wait right now and hope is stops raining!

 

[Sandmartin]

Now on the way back down the Canal Lateral a la Loire, the breach in the Briare Canal having stopped us getting to Paris - and it is still raining, not single day without rain since we set out 3 weeks ago. Anyway. Point of post. For best information - Go onto the VNF web, select chomages (stoppages), then register/log in, fill in the route you are interested in and dates you will be travelling, they will then automatically send you by email all the VNF updates on canal stoppages for where you seleted. If you have also ticked the English language box they will be sent to you in English. Beware, if you select to many areas, as I did at first, you can get dozens of emails a day.

 

[boatmike]

Now on the way back down the Canal Lateral a la Loire, the breach in the Briare Canal having stopped us getting to Paris - and it is still raining, not single day without rain since we set out 3 weeks ago. Anyway. Point of post. For best information - Go onto the VNF web, select chomages (stoppages), then register/log in, fill in the route you are interested in and dates you will be travelling, they will then automatically send you by email all the VNF updates on canal stoppages for where you seleted. If you have also ticked the English language box they will be sent to you in English. Beware, if you select to many areas, as I did at first, you can get dozens of emails a day.

Thank you very much for that, I am slowly getting the hang of the VNF site and saw that facility. I have not logged on just yet as it's premature in my case as I haven't left yet but there is another facility there that allows you to enter a start point and finish point plus boat dimensions and time of departure and it suggests a best route. In my case putting in Le Havre to Port St Louis comes up with the Marne route right now so it may be your best bet for a return to Paris although there are stoppages even there. It appears that these are not as serious as the Briaire breach though so may be OK by the time you get there. The Burgundy route seems to be open but with cautions if I read the site reports correctly so that could be an alternative for you but of course there are more locks to deal with. What sort of levels have you got currently in the Loire? I am concerned about reduced height under bridges and while there is lots of info regarding air draught on all the canals it is difficult to see how much it is reduced by at the moment?

 

[Sandmartin]

Only problem has been high level in some locks, very difficult to fender when full, and if any wind, hard not to touch. You need some none-floating fenders if you have a delicate hull. Not had any problems with bridge heights, it seems that the stated minimum of 3.5 is true (I am 3.45 with half full fuel and water tanks,) I Have a 3.5 pole strapped to the bow rail and if that goes under my fly bridge goes under.

 

[boatmike]

Thanks for that. Good to know. Good luck getting to Paris. Let us know how you get on!

 

[Grehan]

Some spectacular drone footage of the canal breach -

VNF are reporting that repairs won't be complete until mid-August, plus they're reviewing the state of things in other sections too . . .
And yes, locks that fill to the brim, or nearly so, are a blinking nuisance - my hull along the waterline certainly thinks so.

 

[boatmike]

Looking at that Grenan I would be surprised to see it repaired by then. I guess it's going to be more about the weather than anything, which does not appear to be improving. Last night the whole English Channel and southern England had violent thunderstorms and parts of London are flooded. Seems from the Meteo that Northern France had the same. I have been looking at VNF etc and it appears that even the lower Seine from Rouen to Paris is still not safe and probably unwise to attempt yet. Are you reading the same?

 

[balder]

Bonjour Boatmike,

I am french and will use again my broken english to post some comments on this very interesting forum: I own a North sea Trawler 57' , designed to go on canals as well "high seas"... Normally a little bit less than 3,50m airdraught with everything down on teh flybridge. Coming from Holland to be back in Med, we sailed last November through Belgium and Canal du Nord in France: I can tell that as a french citizen: shame on VNF!!! No maintenance, wrong infos on their b.....y website etc. of course, for tourists, it is a nice postcard to see theses gabarit Freycinet locks, nice gardens and true France ( not the barbarian one....). BUT, nothing is professionaly done. Most of locations were we expected to stop for one night were destroyed or abandoned. It is very sad. Of course some companies are doing business with floating caravans for shorts trips between few locks. I expected to raise my arch and try the journey I did it a long time ago with a sailing yacht with the mast down, but things have changed in the country... but I have one big prop and also stabilizers on each side of this quite big motoryacht. So I canceled my project and it was before all this problems with rain last weeks. As well, you must know there is also some tunnels on the way.... And 3,20m would be certainly a problem with the recent events. Beware... Now I am in Port Guillaume, and I have decided to go south by sea. A very nice journey, I did it also both with a trawler and a sailing yacht. And less danger to be stucked on the canals where "atmosphere" will be certainly sad ( many houses in desolation with the flood and people tired to fight with insurance etc... )
Good luck!

 

[boatmike]

Bonjour Balder and thank you!
Your English is much better than my French I am ashamed to say and yes with your boat or the sailing cat that I had before I would be going down the Portuguese coast myself. I am 74 years of age though and my wife who I only married 2 years ago (after being widowed previously) is happy to potter down through the canals but is not a hardened sailor herself so I have to limit myself to what I can get away with and stay married! My current boat is an Aquastar 33 twin screw motorboat which she is happy in and feels safe in but would be very uneconomical for the Portuguese route. It still seems strange to have a boat with no sails! As my previous posts suggested I am waiting to see what happens in the next few weeks with the weather before setting off and may delay even further if it keeps raining! When I get an indication that it is improving we will set off but possibly go to St Vaast for a few days before pottering across the Baie de Seine to Honfleur and then up to Rouen. Maybe it might be OK then to go to Paris and through the canals if things improve. Thank you for your post though, welcome to the Forum, and good luck with your trip.
Bon Voyage!
Mike

 

[Grehan]

I won't specifically reply to M. Balder except to say that (as many here know) we love France, and her rivers and canals - warts and all. We are very fearful of today's result - the swivel-eyed half-wit gang pushing the country into the abyss.

I've been otherwise engaged for the last few days, so am not very au fait with current situations, and obviously there are some serious repairs to be done and still some decent current further down on the Rhone, but based on the Saone right next to me, everything's more or less back to normal, river's slow and lazy, sun is shining . . . is that the kiss of death I can feel?

 

[boatmike]

I won't specifically reply to M. Balder except to say that (as many here know) we love France, and her rivers and canals - warts and all. We are very fearful of today's result - the swivel-eyed half-wit gang pushing the country into the abyss.

I've been otherwise engaged for the last few days, so am not very au fait with current situations, and obviously there are some serious repairs to be done and still some decent current further down on the Rhone, but based on the Saone right next to me, everything's more or less back to normal, river's slow and lazy, sun is shining . . . is that the kiss of death I can feel?

Well Grenan, the "swivel eyes" as you put it seem to have won this morning and our pound buys us 6-7% less euros than yesterday already. For the record I voted to remain in but we will all have to see what happens now...... Far too many implications for us to predict immediately but it seems nothing substantial should change quite yet as a lot of water has to flow under the bridge (sorry bad pun) before we even submit article 50 to trigger exit and we need a new PM, perhaps even a general election before that happens then it takes 2 years minimum to finalise. Frankly I am more concerned about the welcome we will get from the French now than the floods, but still determined to give it a go.
Your indication that all is now quiet on the Saone is good to hear but looking at the VNF website still shows closures on the Seine above and below Paris if I am reading it correctly and closures on the Marne (still showing as red) M Balder does not seem impressed by the VNF and I am beginning to wonder if my reading of the website and closures is correct. If you were in Rouen right now would you interpret that the lower Seine to Paris is still not possible or am I reading it all wrong????

 

[blampied]

Thanks Grehan, the only thing that put me off the Marne route is that some of the pilot books I have read have said unkind words about some of the sloping sided locks. I have a twin screw Aquastar Mobo and am a bit paranoid about my props that are a bit exposed to damage if they ground. I am also about 3.2 metres airdraught so if the levels are up I might bump my head.... Am I being over cautious? Also my impression is that while it may be very peaceful and quiet, the Marne seems to be very sparse in terms of shoreside facilities and interesting places to stop. Of course the problem is that I have no direct experience of canals and my wife is recovering from an operation so unable to leap about much. The Bourbonnais was our original plan based on it being the easiest especially with her sitting in the driving seat and me handling ropes. I guess as it's another 4 weeks before we can leave the best plan is to wait and see, watch the weather and keep looking at the VNF "situation habdomadiaire du reseau" which appears to be the best info available. If you get any updates it would be good to hear. Thanks again, maybe we will see you on the way! Mike

Hi Mike is you Aquastar an aft cabin or aft cockpit,?
if it's aft cockpit the air draft will be 2.49 m.
The aft cabin is slightly more but even then I'd be supprised if or was 3.2.
Aquastar designed the boats to be able to go down the Rance canal system (the closest inland waterway to Guernsey where the boats are built) the Rance has the lowest bridges 2.5 m of any French inland waterway.
My 33 aft cockpit defiantly fits through the lowest of the bridges on the Rance (and the Capstag bridge on canal du Midi) with several inches to spare, even with the Radar dropped down to lie on the roof it sticks up a good foot, taking the boat above 2.49 in the centre, however all the lowest bridges are arched and the 2.5 meter height is measured from the water alongside the tow path to the bridge and bacause from there the bridge arches up you have about an extra 15 inches above the centre line of the boat. (Boat Also sits a little lower in fresh water)

 

[boatmike]

Hi Mike is you Aquastar an aft cabin or aft cockpit,?
if it's aft cockpit the air draft will be 2.49 m.
The aft cabin is slightly more but even then I'd be supprised if or was 3.2.
Aquastar designed the boats to be able to go down the Rance canal system (the closest inland waterway to Guernsey where the boats are built) the Rance has the lowest bridges 2.5 m of any French inland waterway.
My 33 aft cockpit defiantly fits through the lowest of the bridges on the Rance (and the Capstag bridge on canal du Midi) with several inches to spare, even with the Radar dropped down to lie on the roof it sticks up a good foot, taking the boat above 2.49 in the centre, however all the lowest bridges are arched and the 2.5 meter height is measured from the water alongside the tow path to the bridge and bacause from there the bridge arches up you have about an extra 15 inches above the centre line of the boat. (Boat Also sits a little lower in fresh water)

Your dimensions are correct of course Paul and its aft cockpit, but I have a folding mast on top which carries Radar, Radio antenna etc. If I removed it entirely it would give the dimensions you suggest. when folded flat it increases airdraft to about 3.2m which is quite low enough under normal conditions. When up (which takes 3 minutes) it is way too high. I don't want to remove it.

 

[balder]

Brexit or not, brits will be always very welcome in France! As a norman, I consider my "cousins" and I remember that during french revolution ( La Terreur 1793), part of my family found refuge in Great britain...
To be clear, I do not want to comment what happened yesterday in UK, this would be incorrect on this forum, but I am admirative concerning the britain courage: say bye bye to the European bureaucracy and criminal decision of Mme Merkel....
Of course, for yachties, some months can be difficult withe the rate pound VS euro.

 

[boatmike]

Bonjour again M Balder,
For some of us in the UK who voted to stay in the hope of being able to have more influence over the increasingly unacceptable Brussels bureaucracy and move closer to a respectful relationship with our cousins in France and other places today is a sad day. Lets hope that the ordinary citizens of our two great countries can leave the politics aside and remember the lessons history teaches those of us who study it still. I love France and am looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with her in the coming months. I hope your sentiments are shared by the majority. Certainly nothing I have heard in even the most radical right wing political statements of either politicians or the sheep that follow them has even suggested animosity towards France. Long may it remain so!

 

[DownWest]

From what I have seen in the polls, a fair number of French are wondering if they could have a vote to leave.

 

[boatmike]

I think I will stay out of that one. Others will have a lot to say on that subject but I would respectfully ask that we return to the original subject. I STILL read the VNF site as telling me that there are difficulties in getting to Paris up the Seine and would be eternally grateful to anyone with better French than I or first hand knowledge, to let me know if that is true or not. When I ask VNF directly I get the equivalent of a Gallic shrug and am told to refer to the website which is not exactly clear.

 

[Grehan]

http://www.vigicrues.gouv.fr/niveau2.php?CdEntVigiCru=4
Seine looks ok to me . . . ?
http://www.vnf.fr/vnf/img/cms/Transport_fluvialhidden/2016-06-24_20160624173036.pdf
Also basically looks ok, with possibly problem at some locks - but the Seine is a major commercial artery so wouldn't be out of action for any length of time unless through extreme weather, which I think has now passed.

Where do you read the problem? - website page link please

Are you in Le Havre? Maybe try contacting the port at Rouen - I think the capitain there is helpful and probably speaks at least some English. Don't rely on or make decisions on my very brief look-see.
If you're past Rouen then you'll have a good idea of non-tidal conditions . .

 

[boatmike]

Hi Grenan,
What I am doing is going to the vnf/fr website and under "capitainerie" clicking on "situation hebdomadaire du reseau" which seems to be updated daily. This is in fact the same page you have referenced in your post. In fact since I posted last the situation seems to have changed for the better and the section under "seine a l'aval de Paris has now been changed and where yesterday there was an "arret de navigation" in red its now seemingly telling me that there is a "modification de navigation" in orange which seems to translate as a section where there is a problem with a triple lock is now a diversion. Looking at my carte guide-navigation fluviale aval du havre a Paris this makes sense as the waterway splits there anyway. The "arret" seems to be gone and the only other warnings seem to apply to larger vessels in the vicinity of Pont de Austerlitz. I am now therefore interpreting that I am OK up to the Arsenal and the only problems now seem to be on the upper Seine and Marne which hopefully will be resolved by the time I get there. I would be grateful if you would take a look and confirm I am interpreting this correctly. By the way I am writing this in my conservatory in Lee-on-Solent and the rain is so torrential here that I can't see the end of my garden! As my previous posts suggested departure date is planned for 3 weeks time....

 

[Grehan]

You are worrying unnecessarily. In three week's time the five Horsemen of the Apocalypse (the original four plus Boris Johnson) may have swept through the land carrying plague, famine and flood all before them. The UK may have closed the border or (more likely) France will have. Or everything will be hunky-dory.
I'd probably bet on the latter.

Even if there are a few snags, this is France on the inland waterways. Not too difficult to find a place to tie up and wait for whatever to pass over, or pass by. Even on the Seine.



Take it easy, take it easy, as the dear old Eagles used to sing.

BTW Grehan not Grenan, but hey, just so long as you don't call me Late for Dinner, who cares?