Cruising the French Canals

[bbg]

I am thinking of chartering (or is that renting on inland waters) a boat for a week or two next summer on the French canals. I don't have any particular area in mind, other than that it would be nice to do some wine tasting along the way. Two questions:
1. Will I require any certification, and if so, how do I get it?
2. Any recommendations on preferred areas and charter companies?

 

[SoulFireMage]

We did the canal du midi last May and hired a Rive 40 for the week. You are supposed to have an ICC, however they gave us a license for the week!! and half an hours tuition, which we found hilarious.
We only made one balls up the whole week, trying to moor with the current behind us. Banged the nose on the quayside. If I can recall the company I'll post the details. I remember the boat was called Mystral.
The canal du midi was fun and we found lots of places to eat well for not a lot of money. However we went out of season. Cost about £1200 I seem to remember

 

[chrisc]

I believe that all the hire companies give you half an hours instruction and an instant certificate. They are whowever limited in the power of the boats that they may hire out ,10 hp I think.

 

[trouville]

The licence free is 9.9 HP!!!

Most of the boats have 60hp+ and i thought it very unfair that hires dont need a licence,but i do!In practice no one checks the licence only the vignet!

I told the powers that be that i thought it was jolly unfair,however this is after all France,and silly rules are ignored.However if there was a bad accident and your fault not haveing a licence would be difficult.

Im haveing a dreadful problem getting back to Sweeden as i dont want to go!!I hardly spoke to a sole last year,I emailed you for a walmer less rainy weather forcast becouse i was so lonly up there! And you were away.Understandably.

Im still in France over eating drinking to much and thoughly enjoying it!!

 

[DaveS]

We spent a week on the Canal du Midi 2 or 3 years ago: a one-way trip with a Crown Blue hire boat. Minimal instruction, no mention of certificates. The canal was great in the main: marvellously historic and the French method of operating staircase locks really has to be experienced! Some places had a choice of good eateries, others none at all. Our boat was fairly cheap, but there was a reason: it was a rather tatty ex-Broads grp cruiser with bow sections badly broken up and roughly "repaired" by tacked on bits of plastic pipe. The forward steering position with its huge blind spots took a lot of getting used to, then the steering hydraulics failed, repairs wasting most of a day. As recompense for this at the end of the trip the (rather expensive) running hours based fuel charge was waived. Of course if we'd known about this earlier we'd not have stopped the engine at every possible opportunity...

I'd do it again, but I'd be a bit more careful in choice of boat.

 

[gosh]

Try Connoiseur(probably wrong spelling) Cruisers at Gray. Lot of them about and they have several bases in France. Google search will turn up their details.