Is this a crazy idea? (And how can I make it less crazy and more likely)

[Indibo]

We have lived aboard our Dutch barge for 8 years now and enjoyed most of that time. However, with two children and a dog I feel we are rapidly outgrowing it. I have a big birthday coming up and my husband has asked what I want. What I want is to make the most of the boat before we go to dry land. So I want to sail around the French canals for a year.

I know there is a wealth of info on routes etc but there are some things I would like to know whilst in this initial planning stage (very early days indeed so forgive me if any questions cause you to roll your eyes).

Whilst we have lived aboard for quite a few years, we don't ever move the boat, we can turn on the engine but that is as far as we feel comfortable. I know that there are a number of licences required but will this be a case of us going over before and getting these? I mean, as complete novices, I wouldn't want to just rock up and learn on the job but is there some kind of tuition over here that would prepare us for what is expected over there?

We would have 2 under 5s with us, when it comes to locks and things will we just have to suitably restrain them (with leg irons and such) or is it a one man job?

We have a dog, can we just get him a passport and off we go?

We know that the boat will need work before we go over and have had a quote to get it shipshape but we are pretty hopeless at DIY and anything boaty, if we get into troubles over there, what then?! Is there some kind of waterside AA?!

When our adventure is over, we need to make a decision on what to do with the barge. I'm currently thinking we have 3 options
Sell it over there (although I have no idea what the market is like)
Try and find a mooring, have it as a holiday home (this is probably not financially viable but what are the possibilities of this? Any chance of renting it out as a holiday home?)
Bring it back to UK and sell here

Boat is 28m long and 4.8m wide, I don't know the deepness bit but I know it is not very much! 1930s.

If you are still with me, thank you for maintaining interest in my ramblings, it is more than my husband has done, think he was hoping I said new shoes or something similar in response to his question...

 

[Wansworth]

Find a nice retired or man /woman of means who knows the canals and start the cruise.....

 

[pcatterall]

Excellent idea!! Where are you now? That's a big barge but we have seen many larger ones chugging around the canals. I think you could use it as a holiday home especially if you and family wanted to use it for a portion of the time. There are plenty of courses for inland waterway use in UK. Ideally if you could start off gently, practise at your current home base then venture further afield you will gain confidence and skills.
I would suggest that 2 people will be needed so strict training of the ankle biters is called for.
What are you waiting for!!??

 

[Avalon]

It would be a shame to own a barge for so many years, and never take it cruising.

Here in the UK you don't need any licences or qualifications to take your barge cruising. Maybe as a first step you could take the barge for a short trip up and down the river/canal on which it is moored - possibly with someone experienced on board to provide guidance. You need to check that the engine, steering etc. work reliably and consistently before you try anything more ambitious.

You might also consider renting a boat on the french waterways for a week or two, to see if you like it, and to learn the basics of going through locks, mooring and so on. You don't need any qualifications for that either -just a bit of money.

If you decide you do like it, and are happy handling your boat, you would need to pass the CEVNI test and get an ICC - not difficult. You may also want to get a VHF license of you don't already have one. If you haven't done any boating before, you'll probably need to do a basic training couse, like Day Skipper or whatever they call it now, in preparation for the ICC test.

Getting your barge to France is likely to be a non-trivial exercise, depending to some extent on where you are starting from. You might be well advised to enlist some assistance both for the planning and the execution. Most barges are not really designed for the open sea and this part of the trip should be approached with some circumspection.

If you do manage to get your boat into the French canals, I am confident that you will have the time of your lives, and will probably not want to sell the barge for some time.

 

[TQA]

Pass the paper part of the CEVNI qualification.

Get an experienced barge driver to show you the ropes and get you through the first few locks and encounters with commercial traffic like the 'peniche' on a schedule. Ideally he could also sign you off on the practical part of the CEVNI ICC certificate.

Assuming you are in the UK getting it across the channel is a non trivial exercise though. I guess it could be lifted onto a ship and moved that way. However people have taken narrow boats across so yours should be capable of crossing on it's own bottom in calm conditions. I know that many Dutch barges have made the trip. Some surviving pretty rough seas.

Learn some basic 'bargee' French. Buy a set of bleu du travail and a beret.

All looks like fun to me and well worth doing.

 

[rivonia]

You are well out of your depth here. The Barge in question is a huge thing and will need an experienced BARGEE to operate it.
1 get some serious training on barge's. The turning,docking, reversing. Emergency stops. collision courses. There is so so much for you to learn.

HOWEVER if and only if you are realy determined then GO FOR IT after the suitable training and get the qualifications.

Good Luck

 

[Sybarite]

The CEVNI in France only covers boats up to 20m in length. Beyond that you need a permis "grandes eaux interiérieures" which costs about 500 euros. It is based purely on a practical examination of competences which are constantly assessed during the obtention of the CEVNI. Preparation courses are available and cost around €1000.

 

[srm]

No not crazy.

Suggest you contact the Barge Association, (originally known as the Dutch Barge Association), as they will be able to give much more specific advice regarding training and regulations etc.
http://www.barges.org/

Go for it.

 

[Indibo]

Thank you to everybody who responded, we decided that instead we would go to South East Asia for a couple of months, leaving in April 2015. The day before we booked our flights, we were given notice to leave our mooring as of April 2015...

So...

Looks like France could be a very real option! I'm about to go through the above responses and see exactly what we need to do in order to make this a possibility...there is a whole lot more to it than cheese and wine...apparently

 

[maby]

Under the current rules, you can take your dog with you on a pet passport, but you will have to get someone to bring him/her back from France on a commercial crossing - Channel Tunnel seems kindest. There is a campaign running to get the government to permit pets to return to this country on a private boat, so if you are planning on being away for a year or more, you may be OK, but assume that you'll need to take him home via the tunnel.

 

[Grehan]

Barging in France

There are many people enjoying living aboard and cruising around the 5,000km of navigable waterways in France, on barges. Some key points and links in response to your questions . . .

• Regulations etc - http://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/practicalities/fees-regulations.html
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• Tuition - You need to have ICC with the inland waterway CEVNI endorsement. Not only because it's a requirement but also because the necessary tuition is enjoyable and will give you the confidence to enjoy handling your barge. Bisham Abbey http://www.bishamabbeysailing.co.uk/ is our own Alma Mater and have a barge available especially for hands-on barge training. In France, the people who really know barge training are Tam and Di Murrell although I know they are running down their activity in Cambrai to return to the UK. http://www.bargehandling.com/Bargehandling.com/Welcome.html As and when they retire, I don't know anyone else planning to pick up the specific barge reins but Ian Noble in Moissac runs RYA Approved courses there. http://noblemarinefrance.com/rya-training-centre.htm
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• The appropriate French qualification is the GP 'Grande Plaisance Fluviale' for boats beyond 20m length. (see the french-waterways.com Regulations page)
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• Dogs and the PETS scheme - http://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/practicalities/pets-scheme.html
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• What is it like? - http://www.french-waterways.com/destinations/video.html - it's marvellous!!
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• Yes, join the DBA - http://barges.org
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• Don't even think about 'sailing across' the Channel. You do not have the experience and even with a qualified skipper on board your boat is completely untried and untested in even calm offshore conditions. We've done the trip on a barge, accompanied by a narrow boat (!) - but both had very experienced skippers aboard.

You can have fun preparing yourselves for cruising the French canals - and fun doing it too.

 

[Lakesailor]

P I know that many Dutch barges have made the trip. Some surviving pretty rough seas.

That'll have knocked the flat screen TV over!