Motorboat in French canals

[Growltiger Girl]

Hello, we are taking our Princess 35 over to France and into the French canals. We will go up the Seine to Paris and then on the upper Seine south and hope to get to Auxerre, flybridge height permitting.

I am interested in any advice that can be given with regard to travelling in our type of boat in the canal system. Has anybody taken a P35 thru the French canals? Any tips on coming alongside canals banks, keeping the propellers from damage, whether to use both engines or just one one at a time. Any lessons learned from other people's experience would be gratefully received.

 

[Mrnotming]

If the engines are turbocharged they will not like the slow speeds of the canals.
VNF.fr for measurements generally.
Grehan on this forum has a lovely website:http://www.french-waterways.com/
Twin screws get mangled off the bank at some stage.Consider fitting sacrificial ones.
Spouting a bit here having been behind a Harvey Eastwood going along the Marne route.Clouds of smoke every so often as the skipper revved up to clear the turbos.
Maybe your engines are normally aspirated!
Pity about the props!

 

[Grehan]

More props

Be very careful with outdrives - there is an underwater step (the top of the wall under the gates) at the upper end of locks that it's not difficult to get hung up on, particularly if your equipment sticks out beyond your stern. Keep a safe distance from the upper gate.

This is rather an extreme calamity - a deep lock in Toulouse. The occupants (and their dog) were ok, but it must have been awful scary.

oh er and thank you, Paul

 

[TQA]

Re: More props

Make sure your overtemp alarms work.

Practice clearing your water inlet strainers.

 

[Grehan]

All clogged up

http://www.french-waterways.com/practicalities/clogged.html

 

[CX54WEK]

Re: More props

Be very careful with outdrives - there is an underwater step (the top of the wall under the gates) at the upper end of locks that it's not difficult to get hung up on, particularly if your equipment sticks out beyond your stern. Keep a safe distance from the upper gate.

This is rather an extreme calamity - a deep lock in Toulouse. The occupants (and their dog) were ok, but it must have been awful scary.

oh er and thank you, Paul

Thats the same for any lock. They all have a cill!