french canal cruising "speed"

[kandoma]

french canal cruising \"speed\"

I'm planning my next trip. This time, I will use the french canal system to reach the northsea.

What is the average distance a boat can travel on this canals per day including all the time waiting for the locks ?

On the open sea, 100 nm per day over 2-3 weeks is a reasonable planning number for a small sailing boat.

10 km, 20 km or 50 km per day /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gifon the canal ?

Peter

 

[scarlett]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

I would not think in terms of 'speed' but that is your choice.

I think you should allow an hour per lock [ often quicker but not always ] and reckon to travel about 6 km per hour between them.

They open about 0800 and close about an hour before the stated time which I recall was 1900 I think. Allow for the keepers to have a 1 to 2 hour lunch break starting between 1200 and 1230.

Enjoy

 

[mainshiptom]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

You can go a long way in canals because you are not depentent on wether !

But you need to start early and stop on locks when the lock keeper takes a break!

In some french canals we found that the lock keeper was following us with his bike/car so it paid us well when we presented him with a bottle, he kept getting lots of locks ready for us has we arrived !

You will need a few cases of cheap plunk on board ! also we were offerd goods to buy (mostly vegtables) and again I suggest you buy some.

Most locks will have fresh water so filling up the tanks is a good use of the time, and also you never know where you are going to stop unless you stop before the locks are closing.

it is a great way to travel so dont rush it too much.

Have fun

tom

 

[jerryat]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

I agree with scarlett. I wouldn't bank on any set sort of speed as a lot depends on other traffic, particularly the peniches, which have total priority over all other vessels. Then there's the question of how fast you operate the locks (where they are self controlled) and how fast the lock-keepers will let you on the rest!!

Frankly, it's a shame to have to think in terms of speed, as the canals are lovely and it's well worth taking your time and enjoying them. When we came through the canals about six years ago, the opening times were 0830 - 1930, and the lunch 'hours' were a lottery!!

Cheers Jerry

 

[kandoma]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

mmhhm, for planning purpose, I need to know the distance you can travel per day (average). The distance from Basel to Paris and Paris to Rotterdam is in excess of 1000 km. What is the minimum time needed for this distance: 6 weeks, 12 weeks or 18 weeks ?

400 locks, 1 hour each, 400 hours
1000 nm at 4 kn 250 hours

Total 650 hours / 10 hours a day = 65 days / 9 weeks

Is this calculation reasonable ?

Peter /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[chrisc]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

This would seem to be reasonable ,maybe a little pessimistic even.
I agree that the average per lock should be about 1 hour ,although you can go through a lot at an average of twenty minutes somewhere along the way you will find that a lock has broken or is being maintained and you sit there reading a book for six hours or so.central france there are many locks close together (but small)
if you realy want to speed things up going north the rhein flows at a steady 4 knots and has no locks it is easy to do 120 k in a day .
But more importantly ;take everyones advice above and take it slow and enjoy it .

 

[ditchcrawler]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

!00nm per day is good going.This is over 6 knots for 16 hrs per day every day.You must motor to windward as I see you have a motor sailor.Don't you ever sleep ?You must be young & very fit unlike me.On a recent crossing from Holland we averaged just under 5 knots sailing day & night & I tend to use 4.5 knots for passage planning.Anyway good luck but take time to smell the roses.

 

[gosh]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

Speed limits (not always adhered to) on French canals vary from 6 to 12 kilometers per hour ie about 3 to 6 kn.

For the last several years the French locks will not allow pleasure craft through until 0900 if they are manned. Go through at all openeing times if automatic.

Agree with others. Canal cruising is so pleasurable it is a pity to rush it.

Gosh

 

[lilianroyle]

we did the canals last year

and found that a reasonable estimate would be 8k or 4 locks an hour. More than 8k is acceptable on some canals but not others. However there are lots of provisos. Luck comes into it. Descending is quicker and easier than ascending. The big locks on the rivers take much longer and may make you wait. However having done Honfleur-Seine-Paris-Canal de Bourgoigne- Rhone-sea-Canal de midi-Bourdeaux sea Canal de Vilaine et Maritime -St Malo, I can promise that you will average (when travelling) 8-10k or 3-4 locks an hour. Generally you will have a twelve hour day and the locks will be close one hour for lunch.

 

[chrisc]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

we average about 6 knots on canals ,cannot do these sort of speeds on the sea .
as i say with a 4 knot river ,like the Rhine going north it is easy to do in excess of
a 100 kn in a day ,same distance (over ground)going south would take 50 hrs,

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

Down locks are faster to get through than Up locks.
You are limited by Lock open hours, one hour lunch closure and if you catch up with a slow boat, the lock keeper will wait for the slower boat before letting you through. In the high holiday period where there are lots of tourist 'bumper' boats there can be queues to get through a lock.

Having said all that, make of the following what you will:

France Log May - Sept 1995

* 18 May. Portland - Cherbourg HWD 02:00 BST 77 nmls 14 hrs

* 20 May. Cherbourg - Le Havre HWD 04:45 local 70 nmls 11 hrs 50

The Seine

* 22 May. Le Havre (Point Kmtr 367) - Duclair pk 277 90 km 8 hrs 10

* 23 May. Duclair - Rouen pk 242 35 km 5 hrs 05

* 26 May. Rouen - St Pierre du Vauvray pk 189 1 lock 53 km 8 hrs 15

* 27 May. St Pierre du Vauvray - Vernon pk 150 1 lock 39 km 6 hrs 05

* 29 May. Vernon - Mantes la Jolie pk 110 1 lock 40 km 7 hrs 10

* 29 May. Mantes la Jolie - Meulan pk 93 no locks 17 km 2 hrs 20

* 30 May. Meulan - Catou pk 45 2 locks 45 km 8 hrs 35

* 31 May. Catou - Paris pk 168 xx locks 46 km 7 hrs

* 5 Jun. Paris - Melun pk 110 5 locks 58 km 10 hrs 15

Canal du Loing

* 7 Jun. Melun - Nemours pk 30 8 locks 48 km 9 hrs 20

Canal de Briare

* 8 Jun. Nemours - Cepoy pk 3 11 locks 27 km 6 hrs

* 10 Jun. Cepoy - Chatillon Coligny via Montargis pk 29 14 locks 31 km 7 hrs 30

Canal latéral à la Loire

* 11 Jun. Coligny - Chatillon sur Loire pk 192 20 locks 35 km 9 hrs 10

* 13 Jun. Chatillon sur Loire - Menetreol pk 157 5 locks 35 km 5 hrs 20

* 15 Jun. Menetreol - Marseilles les Aubigny pk 125 9 locks 32 km 5 hrs 30

* 16 Jun. Marseilles les Aubigny - Nevers pk 101 4 locks 27 km 5 hrs

* 18 Jun. Nevers - Decize pk 168 5 locks 34 km 8 hrs 15

* 19 Jun. Decize - Diou pk 26 10 locks 42 km 7 hrs 30

* 20 Jun. Diou - Digoin pk 4 5 locks 22 km 3 hrs 40

Canal du Centre

* 22 Jun. Digoin - Montceau les Mines pk 64 17 locks 50 km 9 hrs 05

* 24 Jun. Montceau - St Leger sur Dheune pk 33 28 locks 31 km 8 hrs 25

* 25 Jun. St Leger - Chagny pk 19 4 locks 14 km 2 hrs

* 26 Jun. Chagny - Chalon sur Saone pk 142 12 locks 19 km 5 hrs 20

The Saône

* 27 Jun. Chalon - Gigny sur Saone pk 123 no locks 19 km 1 hrs 50

* 28 Jun. pk 123 - Macon pk 80 1 lock 43 km 4 hrs 30

* 30 Jun. Macon - Trevoux pk 31 1 lock 49 km 5 hrs 05

* 1 Jul. Trevoux - Lyon pk 3 1 locks 28 km 3 hrs 10

The Rhône

* 5 Jul. Lyon - Vienne pk 29 1 lock 32 km 2 hrs 50

* 6 Jul. Vienne - Tournon pk 91 3 locks 62 km 6 hrs

* 7 Jul. Tournon - Valence pk 110 1 lock 19 km 2 hrs 50

* 8 Jul. pk 110 - Viviers pk 166 3 locks 54 km 5 hrs 40

* 15 Jul. Viviers - Avignon pk 242 3 locks 73 km 8 hrs 10

* 18 Jul. Avignon - Arles pk 282 1 lock 40 km 4 hrs 15

* 19 Jul. Arles - Port St Louis du Rhone pk 323 no locks 41 km 4 hrs


The Mediterranean

* 21 Jul. Port St Louis - Port Gardian 37 nmls 8 hrs

* 22 Jul. Port Gardian - Palavas les Flots 24 nmls 5 hrs 40

* 23 Jul. Palavas les Flots - Sète visit Montpellier 14 nmls 2 hrs 30

* 24 Jul. Sète - Agde 17 nmls 4 hrs 15

Canal du Midi

* 25 Jul. Agde pk 231 - Villeneuve les Béziers pk 214 2 locks 17 km 3 hrs

* 26 Jul. pk 214 - pk 172 via Capestang 5 locks 42 km 6 hrs 30

* 27 Jul. pk 172 - pk 131 6 locks 41 km 10 hrs

* 28 Jul. pk 131 - Carcassonne pk 105 11 locks 26 km 7 hr 15

* 29 Jul. pk 105 - pk 73.5 8 locks 31.5 km 6 hrs 15

* 30 Jul. pk 73.5 - le Ségala pk 54 13 locks 19.5 km 8 hrs

* 31 Jul. le Ségala - Toulouse pk 5 12 locks 49 km 9 hrs

Canal Latéral

* 1 Aug. Toulouse - Montech pk 41 14 locks 46 km 7 hr 30

* 2 Aug. Montech - Valence d'Agen pk 81 21 locks 40 km 10 hrs

* 3 Aug. Valence d'Agen - Damazan pk 140 10 locks 59 km 9 hrs

* 4 Aug. Damazan - Castets en Dorte pk 193 11 locks 53 km 8 hrs

The Garonne

* 5 Aug. Castets en Dorte - Bordeaux pk 5 56 km 5 hrs 15

* 7 Aug. Bordeaux - Pauillac pk 50 45 km 2 hrs 45

* 7 Aug. Pauillac - Royan pk 100 50 km 4 hrs 50

The Bay of Biscay

* 10 Aug. Royan - La Rochelle 49 nmls 8 hrs 45

* 12 Aug. La Rochelle - Les Sables d'Olonne 35 nmls 9 hrs 45

* 14 Aug. Les Sables d'Olonne - St Gilles Croix de Vie 16 nmls 5 hrs 45

* 15 Aug. St Gilles Croix de Vie - Ile d'Yeu 18 nmls 4 hrs

* 16 Aug. Ile d'Yeu - L'Herbaudière 22 nmls 6 hrs 30

* 17 Aug. L'Herbaudière - Le Croisic 24 nmls 5 hrs 30

* 18 Aug. Le Croisic - La Vilaine mouth 16 nmls 5 hrs

The Vilaine

* 18 Aug. La Vilaine mouth - Arzal Lock 10 km 1 hr 15

* 18 Aug. Arzal Lock - La Roche Bernard 1 lock 7 km 45 mins

* 19 Aug. La Roche Bernard - Redon 32 km 3 hrs 40

* 20 Aug. Redon - Mâlon Lock 38 km 5 hrs 20

* 21 Aug. Mâlon Lock - Rennes 12 locks 50 km 10 hrs 20

The Rance

* 23 Aug. Rennes pk 1 - Lock 21 nr Hédé pk 41 20 locks 41 km 9 hrs 40

* 24 Aug. Lock 21 - Dinan pk 78 27 locks 37 km 10 hrs 45

* 25 Aug. Dinan - La Rance Barrage pk 98 2 locks 20 km 3 hrs

* 25 Aug. La Rance Barrage - St Malo 4 nmls 45 mins

The Channel Islands and Home

* 26 Aug. St Malo - St Helier 44 nmls 10 hrs

* 28 Aug. St Helier - St Peter Port 20 nmls 5 hrs 45

* 31 Aug. St Peter Port - Weymouth 70 nmls 14 hrs

 

[VicMallows]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

Thanks for that info. Have done the first bit as far as Paris and timings agree with my experience. Of course, as everyone says, spend time along the way!. Hopefully off that way again soon.

Vic

 

[kandoma]

Re: french canal cruising \"speed\"

thanks for all the information. "take your time" is good advise, but if you have a maximum of 5 weeks of holidays per year, you must know in advance, how many additional friends you have to organise to get the boat to Holland. On the open sea, its easy. 100nm per day is a good average and you must have real bad weather not to make it.

Peter