Width of canal locks

[boatmike]

For those of you who remember my previous posts I should be in the med by now but family problems prevented me going /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif however I am intending to take my Prout Elite Cat (5 metres beam) down the French canals next spring /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif The problem is that I met this guy in Lymington who told me that the last lock out to the med, which I took to be Port St Louis, had been "re-lined" whatever that means and is now less than 5 metres wide. As the width of the lock is supposed to be 22 metres this sounds all wrong so perhaps he means some where else. He told of a Prout Elite like mine getting down there and having to be craned over a lock. I would have discounted his story completely had he not been so adamant...... Up to now I had assumed that on the route down (apart from the canal de Nivernais) all the locks were built to "Freycinet" dimensions i.e. 5.1 wide or bigger.
So my question is...... Does anyone know what this chap might be talking about as he didn't sound like someone who would talk a load of deliberate rubbish....... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Grehan]

As ever, the VNF website www.vnf.fr should give you the answer***, and/or send them an email.
Speaking personally, we sat in a car and watched a tug manoevre a decent sized freighter into the lock at Port St Louis that gives out onto the lower reach of the Rhone, if that's the one you mean. Well in excess of 5m width.
That was . . erm . . . June 2004 I think. We were in a hire car sussing the place out (we eventually exited into the Med at Agde).
The Rhone carries sea-going traffic up to Lyon, so I cannot believe any lock on that route would disallow a pleasure catamaran. There are locks elsewhere that are considerably smaller, however but they should all allow a Freycinet standard barge through, I think.

***Ah, waitaminute I think the Rhone navigation falls under a different authority. Does it?
Comments still stand.

 

[TonyBri]

We used it in October 2004 - huge bl**dy great thing.

 

[capsco]

I also used it last year, think you would be ok to go in broadside

 

[smb]

Sorry to hear you didn't go. We followed your posts earlier in the year as we were setting off that way on May 1st.

We arrived Port Napoleon June 10th, via Port St Louis. I can assure you that the lock there will be plenty wide enough for you. We followed a typical large barge in, he moored to starboard and we to port, and we could have probably fitted you between us.

Regards

Steve

 

[smb]

PS.

Another bit of info it might help to have in advance is that this year the VNF fee structure has changed. The 30 day ticket is no longer non consecutive days but a window of 30 consecutive days. There is a new alternative of 60 (or is it 90) days at not much extra cost.

30 days is of course still plenty of time if you are in a hurry - we actually had 7 days off plus 3 or 4 half days when we found somewhere we wanted to stop like Trevoux or Santenay. On the other side of the coin we did also put in some long days, planned to do long stretches between locks during lock keepers lunch breaks wherever possible and there was very little hire boat or commercial traffic to impede us once we entered the canals.

Possibly as there was very little traffic, calling the lock on VHF 15 minutes before ETA makes a huge difference to the amount of stooging around you have to do on the Seine, Soane and Rhone. Especially on the Rhone, the final approach downstream to many of the locks is quite exposed to the Mistral, so the less hanging about you have to do the better. There are waiting pontoons for leisure craft use but the wind would pin you on more often than not so we ended up holding head to wind when neccessary. ie if we forgot to call up on the radio.


Just one more thing springs to mind at present. The Marina at Avignon got carried away with a storm a couple of years back. There is talk of replacing it but no firm plans as yet. Mooring is now to the wall just upstream of where the marina was, alongside a busy road with no security. We did not fancy leaving our boat unattended even though there were several boats there. On the other hand, Arles got a poor write up in one guide book we had, but though we did not stop because we were on the last day of our ticket the pontoons looked sound and inviting.

If you enjoy it half as much as we did you'll love it.


Steve

 

[boatmike]

Thanks Steve, (and all you others) for responding
I was pretty upset not to go myself but hopefully (crew willing) we will be there next year OK. Hope you are enjoying your trip....
As I said in my original post I didn't think he could mean Port St Louis as this is 22metres wide. Perhaps he meant one of the last locks on the canals proper, I don't know. Just thought I would ask if anyone knew of any locks on the way down that would cause a problem for 5 metres beam. Frankly it sounds a load of rubbish as if I can't get through then neither can a Peniche..... It's just this nagging doubt that arises when a perfectly reasonable sounding guy tells you a boat identical to mine had to be craned over a lock..... It's always possible that a lock was temporarily out of service due to maintenance of course and the story just grew in the telling (as they do!) "Temporary" maintenance is of course predicted on the VNF website, but perhaps the guy didn't look......

 

[LadyInBed]

You mean this one (taken in 95)

 

[Sea Devil]

The last lock before Port St Louis is the Ecluse Martime which gives access to the basin.

The alternative is to go down the Petit Rhone and lock into the Canal du Rhone a Sete. Huge great lock - then go to Sete and mast up there. Nicer place by far than Port St Louis which is expensive and pretty isolated... Have to wait for a couple of bridges outside Sete and it is a bit further. Free parking in some places in Sete!

 

[boatmike]

Yes Michael but as this is also a pretty big lock (isnt it?) I would not see a problem there either would you?
Frankly I think the guy I met had his wires crossed but I wonder where he got the story from? Surely he didn't just make it up?

 

[dhowarth]

Went through the lock at Port St Louis in July this year and was still about 20m wide. Talking shite I reakon!!

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