Maps for UK to the Med through the canals

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brissle

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We're planning a trip down through the French rivers / canal system to the med, starting in the UK and crossing to Le Havre.
We have a Westerly Centaur. Departing mid-May-ish.
We keep coming across references to fluviacartes - basically maps of the river / canal systems. But for our route we would need about 7 of these maps at an average of £20 each.
Are these really necessary - and are they worth the considerable outlay?
We already have "Through the French Canals" by David Jefferson and "French Canal Route to the Med" by Michael Bryant.
But we are not familiar with these waterways.
Would appreciate any thoughts.
Thanks
 
You will find that with the infomation you already have and looking at Grehan's website all will be simply following in the wake of thousands of others. It's a very simple and stress free way to the Med, you will have done the hard bit from UK to Le Harvre, just get the tide right up the Seine at the start, once passed Tancarville the river settles to a normal estuary. Locks are easy, head for the "sport" lock where signed.
 
Charts

One book i wouldn't be without is Inland Waterways of France, David Edwards-May.
If you wanted to buy just two fluvicartes it should be The Seine and Rhone.
Enjoy the trip
 
John_d_Smith said:
One book i wouldn't be without is Inland Waterways of France, David Edwards-May.
If you wanted to buy just two fluvicartes it should be The Seine and Rhone.
Enjoy the trip
Click to expand...

Agreed!
The Seine is a bit tricky in places as it frequently switches from "keep to the right" to "keep to the left". It is signed but you really don't want to be on the wrong side when meeting a huge barge coming the other way!
 
I'm slightly surprised you'd need seven. I'd say five. See my page about Fluviacarte navigation guides to the French rivers and canals.
Personally, I really enjoy knowing where I am, what's around me and what's coming up and I like maps and charts. Adds to the pleasure of the journey.
Whilst the Seine and Rhone are obviously important it's the smaller canals where detailed information, kilometre by kilometre is invaluable. In truth I've never got on with the Jefferson book, I like to see a map, not a list.
There is usually a good trade in selling on Fluviacartes at the 'other end' whether Le Havre or Port St Louis. Or giving them away, heavily annotated with the 'best bits' and the 'tricky bits'. :)
 
In full agreement with Grehan. Sold all the guides and books I purchased for half the original cost making them very good value.
 
I wouldn't have been happy without the Fluviacartes when I did a ‘Circumnavigation’ in 95 and again in 98
This will give you an idea of times, distances and # of locks:

Code: 
Time / Distance 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	6 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
 
Thank you everyone for such useful and constructive advice.
The trip doesn't sound so daunting with so many people around to guide us!

Grehan - your website is amazing - and so full of useful info. It must have been a load of work and a labour of love.

LadyinBed - your leg is an extremely useful guide to us - gives us a good idea of times for each section. Much what we plan to do except that we are thinking of diverting via the Canal Niverais before rejoining your route.

One of our (many) remaining decisions is whether to carry the mast on trestles or whether to have it transported. We have no previous experience. I get the impression that transportation is expensive, but makes life a lot easier - especially as we plan to take 6 - 8 weeks for the transit to the med.

Unless anyone watching this thread has thoughts, perhaps I should post that as a separate question?

Thanks again - the planning is part of the fun!
 
On a boat like yours, tressles is probably the way to go as the cost of transport is very high and will take a large part of your budget. The mast is relatively easy to handle and has the advantage of providing a frame for an awning - useful the further south you get.
 
Six to eight weeks is not a slow time. It can be done quicker but if I were going down, I would probably take my time, ie. eight to ten weeks or more.

So many great places to stop for a day or so to sight see, so much better than looking at waves. Stop off at Paris Bastille, that could be a few days, Chalon sur Saone, Macon, Lyon, Avignon, Arles are but a few of interesting towns and cities you will pass.

Have a good trip whatever speed you go.
 
I took a centaur through the Midi in 1972 and don't remember any problems with carrying the mast on deck. The mast isn't really all that long compared with the loa of the boat.

Something that could save you money. I found it to be easy enough to tie up under a high bridge, take a rope up there and step and unstep the mast using a noose below the crosstrees.

We took another boat on your route two years later without anything other than a road map, but managed to buy a local Rhone guide in Lyons, which was essential then owing to the much greater flow before it was tamed with extra locks.

We also used the same road map to get to Port Grimaud where all my charts were still on board the Centaur. (local knowledge though so not a recommendation)
 
Fluvicartes definitely. They also contain a bit extra information about the surroundings, which is nice if you are planning to spend some time in the canals.
 
We did it in a 42 foot Mobo in 2009, and would absolutely recommend the appropriate charts, there is just so much more you can get from the trip by having all the information at hand. They list so much more than just the waterway.

Very saleable on these forums after the trip, so the investment is not that great.


Graham
 
Brissle, we are heading home, currently at St.Malo. Depending on weather, we should be in Le Havre around mid-May.

We have the fluvicartes through the way from Dunkerque to Port St.Louis.

If we happen to be at Le Havre around the same time, I could sell our maps to you.
 
Ditto.. I found the charts/books invaluable. Breil guides (for the south bit) and fluviacartes.

I'm coming up the canals (via the champagne/marne route) and plan to get to Le Havre in early June, and I will have a set of charts(books) which I'm willing to sell too (or swap for some charts from lands end up to whitehaven)

Carol
 
Thank you everyone again.
I'm sure it is not permitted to post names of business on here (advertising restrictions) but if anyone could PM me with info about where second hand fluviacartes can be found, I would be very grateful.
I'm posting a separate thread about unstepping and transporting the mast.
 
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