Dutch barge advice

[Zwerver25]

Hi there,

This is my first ever post so apologies if I am doing it all wrong!
We have lived aboard a 90foot Dutch barge on the Thames for 5 years now, however rising mooring fees are driving us off. We can't sell her, we can't move her and we are starting to despair.

Over a long, (admittedly alcohol fuelled!) Sunday lunch we talked about just casting off and setting sail for the canals of France for a year. While we would not attempt the actual channel crossing ourselves, we want to look into our possibilities and whether it is anything other than a pipe dream.

Can anybody tell us where to start? A blog or website that would tell us about the practicalities of moving such a big boat around France (we are absolute novices by the way), what tuition or qualifications we would need, whether we should be certified clinically insane for even considering it etc...

Thanks in advance

 

[TrueBlue]

The dutch Barge Association here should be your first port of call.

I know nothing about it, you understand but folks do cross the channel quite often, so it's not as crazy as it might first appear.

Have you thought about the non-tidal Thames. If you're thinking about moving around then there are no mooring fees except in some honeypot places.

There has been an influx of barges in recent years and some smaller ones get up to Oxford. It might be worth getting yourself some experience on a placid river first, before venturing forth to commercial waterways.

If the Thames can cope with African Queen, then you should present few problems.

 

[dash300]

Go for the European waterways. So much cheaper for boat mooring and facilities, particularly large ones like yours. Belgium and Holland in particular are so much more welcoming for moorers. Even in France loads of free moorings for short stays (Port de Plaisance) adjacent to most riverside villages and towns.
Even moored in central Verdun for a week for free including elctricity and water on newly built moorings. Asked the tourist info. why free and they simply said 'the river is nothing without the boats'.
Rather different attitude on the Thames
DBA good advice - vast wealth of knowledge on continental moorings and cruising.