French canal system

[pennycar9]

I have to deliver a boat to calais in the next few days and the owner then wants to make his way south. does any one know if the locks into the canal system shuts down for the winter? if so when. The weather do,snt look too good at the moment for the trip from Lowestoft to Calais

 

[MrCramp]

I don't think they do unless they are having repair work done. You can go on the french canal authority site to find out what is closed. The liveaboard forum might well have more folk who have been down the French canals. If you search "french canals" on these forums you will find more info. Google french canals to get the authority site.

The marina at Calais is excellant but you don't need to lock in unless you need to lower a masr. You lock into a different lock to get into the canal system. Be very carefull where you moor in the canal in Calais as there are loads of would-be illegal imigrants hanging about. You need to be accompanied by a canal official (on a bike or in a car) who will go in front of you to open all the bridges for a good few miles.

When we went in 2000 we stayed in the marina for one night, and got mast down, and bought canal ticket. To get the ticket we had to walk round to a control room/office which I think was on the side on the canal, just through the sea lock. As you go into Calais you turn right to lock into the marina, but you would turn left to lock into the canal system.

Have a good trip.

 

[Skyva_2]

Some of the canals do close for winter maintenance just as on the Thames; there is a story of a boat that headed south only to find a lock was closed. When he turned back the lock behind was closed also. Took him 3 months to get out..... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Best to check in detail.

 

[saskia]

Visit the vnf.fr website and check under chomages - they list all the planned lock closures there.

Best of luck

 

[Sea Devil]

If you are using the main canal routes you will have no problem at all... You will find as you progress south lock keepers will tell you about problems which may be happening up ahead... There is a really good Navicarte map #21 of all the navigable waterways of France - £8 (from me) so if you are travelling south via Calais and hear that work is happening on a certain lock or canal you can sort another route easily...
On all the main routes delays are infrequent - commercial barges use these waterways 365days and like motorways there may be 'cones' but are seldom totally closed.
It's a good way to go even in winter - I once started from Amsterdam in late February heading for Port St Louis and had a lovely trip ------

Michael

 

[shanegoodhand]

Best buy the Navicarte's before you get to France, as there were none for sale in Calais. The first ones we saw were in St Jean de Losne, but by then we were so used to following Michaels guide book, reading signs and keeping the compass pointing South(ish), that we carried on to the med without.

www.janixlogblog.blogspot.com

 

[Wino]

The smaller canals DO close eg. Burgundy, Nivernais & Canal de Centre ( This year ) But the Marne does not so you can still use it in winter. However beware of ice, it gets very cold in central France in winter. I am wintering in Challon sur Seine and it is already v. cold - it froze again last night.

 

[stuarthearn]

hello All
just bought boat UK,SAIL,, and she lies Ipswich, I need to get S to Med this winter, and I dread the Channel being from South Pacific What is best place to enter Fr.
all help would be appreciated Also need a crew
What are these Quals, I read abt, I have sailed all my life, been yachtbuilder last 35, but have no tickets?
thanks

 

[stuarthearn]

mm, my second boat at age 17 was a Shearwater Mk I , cold moulded mahog, had lots of happy sailing in NZ

 

[Sea Devil]

There really is no problem with getting south UK-Med now or up to about Christmas then it just depends how cold the winter becomes as to if the smaller canals freeze or not.... Who can tell????

If you follow the main routes there should be no problem as the penich will keep moving and will keep the main canals open even if it is a cold winter.. Very unlikely to have problems with freezing on the Saone or Rhone but flooding and strong currents could be dangerous... Just depends on how much rain there is...???

Have a quick look at my web site which lists the routes through France to the Med and it will also tell you about the 'tickets' you really should have to be legal and vignettes for the boat.... The VNF web site will tell you if canals are going to be closed for work...

Michael

 

[stuarthearn]

I have seen your site Micheal. thanks v much
La Seine flows into the Channel? so she runs normally , at wha? 3 knots, my worry is I only have 6 knots, so if there are rapids as there are on the Rhine, which runs 9 in places, I would not push the current
What are these charts you sell and what are these quals?
thanks Stuart