Rhone Upstream to Lyon

from med to channel

I'm new on this forum.
I'm an italian sailor that would like to travel from med to channel with a sailing boat of about ml.9 and draught of about ml.1,60.
I see that in this forum there are a lot of sailor with many informations about this topic.
Do you think is it a possible travel?
I mean , is there a canal way that can be sailed taking in account the mentioned dimension and also an engine that can allowed a speed of about 5,5-6 knots?
I have a wide documentation but noy always is easy to find just the information needed.
One of the main point is the navigation upstream of the rhone and the other is finding the right way in the labyrint of canal that can be sailed with that draught.
Does anyone make the same way before ?
I thank you in advance ( and sorry for my english)
 
Inland waters data

Try the DBA website: Google Barge Association.
You might find a year's subscription to them will be worth while. Their data base on rules, regulations and facilities is second to none.
They also have a mutual assistance forum
Europeans are welcome and your English is very good.
The dimensions of your boat seem to be quite good, but an important factor is a good stowage for your mast This has to be very stable.
 
From my studies of the Briel guide To date I get the impression that moorings are few and often far between and many are not small boat friendly. Is this a realistic assumption? How have others managed their night stop planning? Is it really important to have a planned <(booked even?) stop and to achieve it or is reasonable to just find somewhere as the afternoon draws on?

Is anchoring outside the channel a viable option for overnight stops?Legal? feasible? Adviseable?
 
MASH said:
Is anchoring outside the channel an option for overnight stops?Legal? feasible?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by "channel". We came down the Rhone early September '98 when it was flowing at ca 6 knots and the whole river was pretty well the same speed - exciting but not for stopping. There's NO possibility of anchoring, particularly given the large vessels that also use the river.

You can stop "out of hours" at the waiting pontoons above/below the locks but there's precious little outside the few recognised stopping places. And accessibility to these is limited when the river is in flood ... ...
 
Actually, anchoring is not as infeasible as it might sound.
Not possible or in any way advisable in the main body of the river itself, or the 'by-pass' canals.
However, there are a few places where small rivers enter that could provide an overnight anchoring - for example at PK201. It is also feasible to head a little way (cautiously, with an eye on the depth gauge) up the closed sections of river that the canalised sections by-pass.
With both options the anchorage would still be subject to wash from ships passing along the river itself. I should also add that I haven't anchored personally, but I know those that have. It should be thought of as an overnight resort, rather than something to be planned-in.
There is also the option of using lock waiting pontoons (the plaisance ones, not the commercial piles (ducs d'albe) ) when the locks are closed to pleasure craft during darkness. Late stop, early start, mind you.

I am concerned that this thread is building an upstream voyage on the Rhone into something it isn't. Many many yachts and smaller craft make the trip every year, pleasurably and without incident, using the 'conventional' moorings. Anyone with a modicum of sailing sense and a reasonably well founded boat, travelling at a suitable time of the year in fair conditions, should be able to do the same.
 
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