Stopovers on the French canals

[GSL]

We are planning on taking our boat, a 40 foot Sea Ray Sundancer to the Med through the French canals, leaving mid April. We hope to reach Paris the first week, and leave the boat there for 4 weeks, travel to the UK for work and then return and travel a little further for another week, with the whole trip planned for 4 or 5 one week trips.

I would be grateful for any guidance on marinas that we can safely leave the boat in for 3 – 5 weeks at a time. I have numerous publications with names and contact details; however we would be much more relaxed if we had some guidance based on personal experience of the various locations.

Very grateful for any comments received.

Graham

 

[mikewilkes]

Did the same thing back in 2001. Left the boat in Paris Arsenal for 4 weeks while I went back to work for a month. Boss lady went back to Scotland to collect engine spares then flew back end of that month.
Safe and secure - staff were very pleasent then. Only downside was we were there for bastille day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very noisey.

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

You might be better booking a berth.

 

[ebbtide]

Buy Jefferson & McNight for starters (cheapest from Amazon) plus all the Navicartes.
That way you won't have enough dosh left to afford the trip!

And don't overlook the new marina in Rouen which we, and Grehan, found last year but isn't in the guidebooks yet.

 

[GSL]

Thanks so far, however the guidebooks do not give personal opinions as to which are good and why, and which stopovers are not so good.

I really am hoping for some specific advice based on experience, and hopefully contact details of those good stopovers not in the guide books.

GL

 

[Cspirit]

We've left our boat with no problems in Rogny les Sept Ecluses (sp?), Digoin, Briare and the Paris Arsenal. Around four to six weeks each time & over winter in Digoin. Hope that helps.

 

[mikewilkes]

[ QUOTE ]
We've left our boat with no problems in Rogny les Sept Ecluses (sp?), Digoin, Briare and the Paris Arsenal. Around four to six weeks each time & over winter in Digoin. Hope that helps.

[/ QUOTE ]

My log book for Digoin says it reminds me of downtown Cairo................ I leave you to decide what I meant !!!!

 

[Grehan]

Getting to Paris in a week is quite possible but you'll hurry past places that deserve a stay (including Rouen, as malaprop notes).

[edit] whoops, engage brain, you'll need (almost certainly) to stop over in Rouen for at least one night because of getting up the tidal Seine from Le Havre/Honfleur. If you're taking that route, that is. [/edit]

An alternative to the Arsenal (for leaving the boat) might be Nogent-sur-Marne. Also has a security fence/gate but is open during the day (there's a little cafe by the boats).
Other locations include the ubiquitous Saint Jean de Losne, Chalon sur Saone, Condrieu (Rhone just south of Lyon), Valence, Cruas (just south of Valence), and l'Ardoise. I know all the mentioned from personal experience - (except Cruas, which is new, but I know someone who stayed/left their boat there last winter) - they're all safe and suitable for what you envisage. There are plenty of other places to stop - where you should stop - but maybe not quite so suitable for an unattended boat over a number of weeks. And I don't mean that to sound like they're unsafe.

I'm not sure about getting to/from Cruas but France has got good transport comms - taxis, buses, trains and airports - so getting to any of the above should be pretty easy, with a bit of sorting-out.

Before anyone else does, let me comment . . . you have sorted out/checked your water/air draft? There may be implications there, for the route you take (essentially, to Chalon). Also, if you're twin prop, take some care coming alongside. I'll leave it at that, you can post again if you want some further comment from The Team about those topics. Always guaranteed to get forum juices flowing. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[whiteoaks7]

We did this in Aderyn Glas last year (a) Arsenal is great but we understand is now in private hands and difficult to get a berth in, (b) at 1.2 draught we made the odd contact with the ground, (c) I guess because of (b) you wont get into Nevers, which is a pity - good and cheap. My wife, Ann, has published a blog which - although mostly intended for family - probably has some useful info for you, PM me if you want the address.

 

[davidphillips]

We did it a couple of years ago. Found winter moorings in Paris at Joinville le Pont (on the R. Marne and about four tube stops from Chatelet). Really nice capitaine i/c of the port de plaisance there, Luc Lamotte who looked after our boat all winter. The second winter at Veneray Les Laumes on the Burgundy canal where the Nicols boatyard charged me 50Euro/month for my 26ft boat. When I returned in the spring and offered to the pay the balance I was told not to worry!
Throughout the trip were impressed with the helpfulness of all the people on the canals we met.
Back in England now looking after two grannies with the boat for sale!
So have a great time!

 

[Grehan]

Interesting about Joinville, just opposite the tunnel entrance so I now see. Had not noticed it! Thanks for the grif.

 

[Wino]

I had no trouble in entering Nevers and we draw 1.5 mtr. But the nearest berths to the side are shallow so ask for an outer berth. There are many other places so may I suggest you go and allow your final couple of days to find a berth, trying to book in advance in the summer may be chancing your arm as I have met a couple of other boats who thought that they had booked space only to find that these berths were full when they arrived. You can not beat actually being there, that way you see what is available - and often isn't - and can check security, staff etc. I have been surprised on returning to places we stopped at earlier to find how often they have changed, staff, owners etc.

 

[LadyInBed]

No help with stopovers, but these were my transit times:
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre> 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 xx 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
</pre><hr />

 

[Grehan]

Transit times

Yes, thanks for the data, just looked at ours. Very approximately . .
Bigger rivers and canals (Seine, Saone, Rhone) with widely spaced, big locks. Something like 10kph for distance, plus 15 mins for each lock.
Smaller canals and rivers with frequent locks (every 1-3km), allow 6kph for distance, plus 10mins for each lock.
Obviously these can vary quite a lot - e.g up or down the Rhone. I don't mean to imply each lock takes 10 or 15mins, this is just an easy rule of thumb to estimate time for overall distance. Don't forget operating hours (start / finish) and closures for lunch.

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: Transit times

Full details here

 

[paulrossall]

Re: Transit times

Thread Drift!!

I read this story, from a link on the "Swin Ranger" site back in 2006.
Shortly after I returned very late from the pub one night, saw a Swin Ranger in mid-France on eBay, and the rest, as they say, is history. After much delay I trailer the boat back in 2007 and I am now renovating "ANNA" in Suffolk. I hope to be in the water by the end of May and would like to do a similar trip in 20010/2011.

I remain amazed at the amount of room in my 22ft boat and look forward to sailing her for the first time this year.

 

[jimbaerselman]

The Cruising Association had a "Guide to the Waterways of France and Belgium" for sale to the public at the Excel Boat show. It's not shown on their 'shop' page, but I seem to remember it cost around £20, and gave lots of recommendations for overnights. I can find out more tomorrow if you're interested.

 

[Hoolie]

We left our 40 foot boat for 2 months at Ets Blanquart in St Jean de Losne (on the Saone). Pontoons are secure with coded gates and facilities were good as they are capable boat engineers. The H2O port on the other side of the Gare d'Eau is about the same size but is open access to the public and lacks engineering facilities. Because we'd had work done (a brief lift-out to clear weed from the raw water intake) Blanquart rounded down the bill /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Grehan]

Saint-Jean-de-Losne

Blanquarts are good, better rep and security than H2O, but less space and can get full.
Especially true for winter lay-ups.