Locks

[Grehan]

I guess you guys have your fair share of incidents, and . . .

no doubt you all keep clear of the lock gates, too.

[Toulouse - The Dutch cruiser apparently continued on its way later that afternoon: no serious harm to the couple, their dog or the boat (really?) ]

 

[oldgit]

Ouch...

that is one deep lock.Still most locks have a sill of some sort lurking around,

 

[Grehan]

Yes, we've done that one a few times, it is quite a deep single chamber. That's not so much its problem, more that that one (not a unique example) has its 'slidey poles' set well back and well forward, to suit peniches (barges) not smaller craft. The result is that one has to moor more or less midships to the pole (stern and bow lines both round the pole) and one's back or front end can get close to the gates - and the underlying cill - if one's not careful.
One time we went through this lock we entered at the bottom, put our lines round the pole and then tightened up only to discover the pole had become detached at its base and thus wasn't much cop as a mooring point
Bit of a panic.

 

[oldgit]

A bit of info.

Just supposing four people wanted to do a VERY RELAXING week on the Canal du Midi during October, a few locks might just be acceptable(plenty back here thanks very much). Any suggestions as to lazy boaters intinery.Am browsing interweb for deals/bargains at moment.
All very speculative as alternative looming is week in Majorca on mates boat,but its one of those blimming bang bang bang crash whizzy boats that wears you out just thinking about it and even worse he thinks that 9pm is to early to go to bed.......Cheers Fred.

 

[apollo]

We did a one way from Port Cassefieres to St Gilles in a week, brilliant trip. We hired from Crown Blue Line.

 

[ReneJK]

[Toulouse - The Dutch cruiser apparently continued on its way later that afternoon: no serious harm to the couple, their dog or the boat (really?) ]

Thats a french flag on that cruiser , not dutch (says the dutchman )
Rgds
-Rene

 

[pheran]

Thats a french flag on that cruiser , not dutch (says the dutchman )
Rgds
-Rene

Quite so. Best remembered by the old saw 'The Dutch do it laying down, the French do it standing up'!!

 

[byron]

Thats a french flag on that cruiser , not dutch (says the dutchman )
Rgds
-Rene

I think they were referring to the style of boat rather than the nationality.

 

[Grehan]

Dutch couple + dog, French flagged boat I assume . . . ? (I just quoted what La Depeche said ) and probably made in Holland too!
Cassafieres to Saint-Gilles would be a 'Med' trip (alongside the Med/beaches). You'd also see Agde, Aigues Mortes and Saint-Gilles, all three of which are memorable in different ways. Might be a touch windy in October. Other options/places would include hiring somewhere just west of Beziers/Foncerennes (so as to avoid the very 'entertaining' staircase of 7 locks) - say Capestang (France Fluviale) - and cruise the 50-odd km of canal du Midi that's without locks.
Info on my website \/, PM me for anything specific.

 

[oldgit]

Merci

Just rummaging the interweb at the moment trying to find an "interesting" boat as oppsed to the usual plastic soap dishes we normally use.
This rather takes my fancy.

.
These boats appear to depart from the ports of Agde and Carcassonne.

 

[Grehan]

They're called 'penichette's (little barges) and are exclusive to "Locaboat". Also out of Lattes (Montpellier - which is a really nice place IOHO). And some others, I suspect. They come in various sizes (+costs). They are pretty good hire boats.

 

[Brayman]

We hired a flybridge version in Holland last year, but it was covered in fenders!
Quite comfortable though.

 

[Grehan]

Inland boats here are covered with fenders, or ought to be. You can't have too much protection, as Don Corleone said.