Holland to France via Inland Waterways????

[livelife]

We are planning to buy a 10mtr Dutch Steel Cruiser in Holland and take her through the Dutch and Belgium inland waterways to France.

Has anyone got advice and or experience in making this journey, pitfalls, the best routes and advice on crossing the Belgium and French borders??

 

[BoyBlue49]

There are no physical borders in the Eurozone, you pass serenely from one country to an other.

Suggest you look up fellow formulite Grehan and his excellent "French Waterways Info".

 

[Grehan]

Dutch, Belgian and French waterways

Guides to the Dutch and Belgian waterways are available here.
And, of course, to the French Waterways . .

 

[sea@tigger]

Holland has the so-called ' Innercoastal route for yachts with fixed masts' , but I couldn't find an English version of this brochure on internet. Have asked if they have it in English, expect an answer in 2 days. In the Dutch version page 9 is in English though, to give you an idea.
See: http://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/images/Staande Mast Route 2011_tcm174-287732.pdf

 

[binch]

Cloggieland to the land of the snails

Point the boat south west.
Avoid speaking French to Flemish Belgians
Expect Belgians to be more awkward than Dutch or French.
We recommend cruising via Furnes (Vierne) (Everything in Belgium has at least three names), down to Dunkerque.
On arrival at Dunkerque (avoid the city: it's a bit of a dump) and divert left 8km up a side canal to the wonderful walled city of Bergues, which was the main port of Flanders while Dunkerque and Calais were still under water. It really is a MUST VISIt. (Try the roast sucking pig at the Rest Breugel, close to the excellent mooring. (market day Monday)
Then down the Liaison a Grand Gabarit, stopping at Watten (free mooring) for good storing ship close by (Netto) and Auberge de Flandres (good nosh, good value)
Stop at Arques if you like, but the Base Nautique is miles from the towm and Pierre always burns the barbecue, (Nice place though. FW and power < 6 amps
Instead of stopping at Aire-sur-la-Lys (not congenial) head a few hundred metres up the Lys and moor in peace just short of the first lock.
Then miss Bethune. The city with the Head Office of VNF cannot even provide a decent mooring for a passing boat, and aim to stop at Beuvrey. Minimum facilities but good mooring without scend from passing barges.
After that, we avoid La Bassee, which is subject to yobbo (voyou in French), but on the main canal there is an excellent, little used quay on the eastern bank with closely spaced bollards. It is used by peniches as an overnighter, so moor right at one end.
After that, it's a question of as it comes.
Douai is difficult to pass because all the locks are having major works done, but turn into the petit gare d'eau before the first lock for a peaceful stop with a big supermarket (Le Clerque) close by.
After enduring the foul-up of Douai and Courchelettes locks you are at Arleux (the garlic capital of France) and can turn left or right to Cambrai/St Quentin (quiet) or stay with the big boys all the way to Pont l'Eveque, where you will find free moorings with water and power laid on (jetons).
Now watch out for fuel. Apart from Cambrai, which is unreliable, there are no re-fuelling points. In fact since the EU fouled up the whole business of fuelling pleasure craft there is a severe shortage of fuelling stations. We carry two 20 lit jerricans just in case. We have never had to use them, but we have been cruising these waters off and on for over 40 years and bet your life the moment we leave them behind.....?
Bon voyage. And if our advice has been any use, pop a quid in the life-boat box.

 

[hartcjhart]

any chance you can upload some maps

 

[Koeketiene]

Holland has the so-called ' Innercoastal route for yachts with fixed masts' , but I couldn't find an English version of this brochure on internet. Have asked if they have it in English, expect an answer in 2 days. In the Dutch version page 9 is in English though, to give you an idea.
See: http://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/images/Staande Mast Route 2011_tcm174-287732.pdf

Staande mast route - fixed mast route

Safe Boating!

 

[Grehan]

Resurrected post is a sad reminder of 'binch' - Bill Cooper, who died 4 years ago . . .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%26_Laurel_Cooper

 

[Sea Devil]

We are planning to buy a 10mtr Dutch Steel Cruiser in Holland and take her through the Dutch and Belgium inland waterways to France.

Has anyone got advice and or experience in making this journey, pitfalls, the best routes and advice on crossing the Belgium and French borders??

I did exactly that from the Isslemere - near Amsterdam to Port St Louis in the Mediterranean... Went through the Ardenne and seemed to spend a lot of time in big commercial waterways.... I have a couple of videos about this... The first is about the nuts and bolts of using the canals for this passage and the 2nd one has the routes.... Yours will be very similar to the Calais route....

Crossing the borders is a non event except the huge lock at Maastrict... I didn't realise its acceptable to just motor in the middle and climbed the ladder all the way to to the top with a mooring line much to the surprise of the lock keeper... You will mainly be on motorway type canals with priority at locks for commercial barges and it is worth keeping your VHF working as you can call the locks ahead of you and tell them your approaching...
On the whole a very enjoyable experience.... Border controls are non existant except that in 2021 you will only be allowed 90 days in 180 in all of EU Europe