changeman
Well-Known Member
We took our Solaris Sunrise from Le Havre to the Med in 2006.
Apart from the problems mentioned above, which made life interesting but not imposssible, the only lock we had problems with was the double at Guetin 21-22 on the Lateral a la Loire. This canal should be 5.20m min width, but the walls here slim to just over 5.0m. We jammed up halfway through, but managed to get free by kicking the tyres down onto the water to take advantage of a slight narrowing of the hull lower down.
We now have an 18m barge and we have tyres but only for mooring.
Two alternatives:
1. Wood. A standard 4" fence post cut into 2 ft lengths with tapered ends works a treat. If you loose it, it floats. Just need to protect the hull and a couple of layers of damp proof course sheeting may do the trick.
2. Tip top Zig Zag fenders are fantastic. They absorb impacts and partially float so if you are moored to an inclined bank, you can hang them vertically and they will partially sink to give you protection below the waterline.
Hope this helps.
Apart from the problems mentioned above, which made life interesting but not imposssible, the only lock we had problems with was the double at Guetin 21-22 on the Lateral a la Loire. This canal should be 5.20m min width, but the walls here slim to just over 5.0m. We jammed up halfway through, but managed to get free by kicking the tyres down onto the water to take advantage of a slight narrowing of the hull lower down.
We now have an 18m barge and we have tyres but only for mooring.
Two alternatives:
1. Wood. A standard 4" fence post cut into 2 ft lengths with tapered ends works a treat. If you loose it, it floats. Just need to protect the hull and a couple of layers of damp proof course sheeting may do the trick.
2. Tip top Zig Zag fenders are fantastic. They absorb impacts and partially float so if you are moored to an inclined bank, you can hang them vertically and they will partially sink to give you protection below the waterline.
Hope this helps.
