Cruising the French canals

[AlaskaProf]

I think you're convincing us to go with professional crew. With a lifetime on the water both recreational and professional it's hard for me to think about hiring a captain. But i think you're right.

Yeah, me too, but it was wonderful to let the others do the work while I savored the experience. For me, the joy of seafaring, and aviating lies not in the handling of the controls, but in the navigating. Not much challenge on a body of water about 30 meters across. There should be many opportunities for line-handling, lock-tending etc.

I've made the passage to Alaska three times, including crossing the Gulf twice; this is almost certainly the best week afloat I'll ever have.

Your charter may not have a ship's band, like ours, but ...

 

[dannc]

I think you're convincing us to go with professional crew. With a lifetime on the water both recreational and professional it's hard for me to think about hiring a captain. But i think you're right.

Yeah, I think AlaskaProf has a financial interest in the boat he hired! I somehow missed AlaskaProf's post, read your post, reread his post and he makes some danged good points.

We have looked at the hire boats but I have been underwhelmed to be honest. What AlaskProf posted makes quite a bit of sense....

We will have to look into this a bit.....

This has been discussion has been awesome!

Later,
Dan

 

[AlaskaProf]

Yeah, I think AlaskaProf has a financial interest in the boat he hired! I somehow missed AlaskaProf's post, read your post, reread his post and he makes some danged good points.

We have looked at the hire boats but I have been underwhelmed to be honest. What AlaskProf posted makes quite a bit of sense....

We will have to look into this a bit.....

This has been discussion has been awesome!

Later,
Dan

Thanks.


The trip I've described took place in 2009, so I don't know what is available at the present. Our wonderful week (not counting the week in the 6th arrondisement and the week in the 15th) was the result of some research and an enormous amount of luck.


The vessel was owned and operated by a pair of retired English musicians with a good command of French and excellent culinary skills. They surprised us nearly every day with something exceeding the plan. I'm not sure I could replicate this experience, and a mutual friend tells me the owners have retired be to non-commercial liveaboards, although that was pre-Brexit; I wonder how that worked out.


The car was a complete surprise, as was the piano, and I'm not sure how common it is to include a car in the experience, We didn't use it every day, as there is much to see and do in canalside villages, but it certainly was a plus.

 

[AlaskaProf]

For the best experience, your party must include un jeune fille.

 

[Action]

The first picture above she looks intimidating.

 

[AlaskaProf]

The first picture above she looks intimidating.

Certainly a no nonsense pose, but the blue lasers have always sent her "opening statement."

 

[Action]

I believe that!!!!
IN ten years, watch out world!!!!

 

[AlaskaProf]

I believe that!!!!
IN ten years, watch out world!!!!

She's 25 now, not yet changing the world, but has built a resume' that might make it possible.

 

[Action]

I believe that!

 

[Mambo42]

If you want to see some more about the French canals go visit the website of LeBoat. That is a company which rents out different sizes of boats (basically bumper cars, can't make any damage) in countries like the UK, Canada, France, Italy and the Netherlands.
They have tons of videos and trip information.
If you really want to spend a lot of time on the water you can also become 'owner' of a boat. You pay a price for the boat and you can use the boat yourself for almost 12 weeks a year. At the end of the contract you will get a fixed price for the boat We did not think it was a good deal for us, but perhaps it is for you.
Unfortunately our boat does is too high for the french canals, but we will still do it one day, simply by renting one. As a tip I would go at the end of the season, in September, when the weather is still great, water is warm and nights are still pleasant.
Like others stated, forget the high season, is too hot, too crowded.

 

[Slo-Mocean]

Yes. Germany, Netherlands, Belgium & France.
France was the most recent - and that was 2019 when we took our boat from Sweden to the Med. via Paris. Lovely. I can't recommend it highly enough.


We will soon have to plan our return from the Med, which we'll do most likely in summer of 2025. The following routes are under consideration:
- Roughly the reverse of what we did in 2019 - but we don't look forward to upstream travel on the Rhone and 250+ locks.
- Canal-du-Midi to Atlantic and then around Brittany...but we don't look forward to potential orca encounters.

- Put the boat on a Truck from Slovenia to Lubeck, Germany.


In 2019, we had to rush the end of our journey south in France so as to not get stuck inland for the winter. This was due to impending canal closures due to lack of water. I've read (mostly from Tom Somers) that the water and canal closure situation has become far worse since 2019. The general suggestion is travel before the end of June for optimal water level conditions.


I can also say that after reading many years on Canal-du-Midi, one would do well to avoid peak traffic months (read: hours-long waits for locks). So, April and May would be an excellent off-peak / good weather / sufficient water time to go.

My buddy in England is looking at buying a boat for possible canal passages but leaning away from a canal barge. My I ask what brand and model you ran through the canals ? Air height , draft and beam ?

 

[ScottC]

I did this on My Greenline 33. Air height 2.9m, beam 3.5m, draft 1.0m.
We can probably fit through 70% of the canals in France. Height (as low as we are) is the primary restriction on the balance of the canals).
In planning our route, there were numerous centuries-old arched bridges and arched tunnels. This is what one needs to research closely. Most guides show the air height of all bridges at the center. In the case of arched bridges and tunnels, this is not good enough. You need to do some real geometry and figure out the height you need at side edges of the roof of your boat. This can be difficult. Most guides don't publish such info. I found a lot of info I needed by Googling and reading blogs, looking at photos of bridges and the boats in the photos near the bridges, etc.

 

[AlaskaProf]

A very important consideration, many of the old cargo barges, such as the pre-war 25 meter Telemotor we cruised on have fittings so you can remove the pilothouse roof and sides.


Voila: le pont volant du navire!

 

[Acdfpic]

One quick note about when to do the canals. We did our trip on the Canal du Midi in early May last year and except for a couple of nights with rain, it was good weather all the way. The towns and mooring areas weren't crowded and it was easy to find space.

Talking to some local folks, early season is their favorite time, for another less publicized reason. Just about none of the canal boats...Le Boat and the rest...have holding tanks. Everything goes into the canals, and after thousands of boats, and the warm weather of July and August, the canals can get a little...fragrant.

Just something to think about. Swimming in the canals is definitely not encouraged.

 

[folivier]

On our trip renting a LeBoat in late August of 2012 we didn't find the canals aromatic. It was a beautiful trip, fresh chocolate croissants every morning, lunch and dinner in a small town. Buying jugs of wine at a caveau. Lots of fun.

 

[Mambo42]

I did this on My Greenline 33. Air height 2.9m, beam 3.5m, draft 1.0m.
We can probably fit through 70% of the canals in France. Height (as low as we are) is the primary restriction on the balance of the canals).
In planning our route, there were numerous centuries-old arched bridges and arched tunnels. This is what one needs to research closely. Most guides show the air height of all bridges at the center. In the case of arched bridges and tunnels, this is not good enough. You need to do some real geometry and figure out the height you need at side edges of the roof of your boat. This can be difficult. Most guides don't publish such info. I found a lot of info I needed by Googling and reading blogs, looking at photos of bridges and the boats in the photos near the bridges, etc.

You indeed have the almost perfect boat. You can go out at sea, but also into the French canals. It is the one thing we would like to do, but cannot, with our boat.
So we will have to rent a boat to be able to go through the canals and rivers and it is something we have on our bucket list. Just don't know when and if we will get to it, way too much to see yet in this part of the Med.

 

[Hooksetter]

French Canals

We have done many of the canals in France; but if this is your first trip, I recommend using LeBoat and cruising a Canal du Midi route that includes Carcasonne.

 

[pelicanme]

French canals

We have owned a 10 meter boat and cruised in France for 2-3 months each year for 6 years. It is a wonderful, economical way to see the country. Our other interests (a blue water trawler and a mountain cabin) are making scheduling more difficult, and we plan to sell our French boat after this season. If anyone needs information or might be interested in the boat after June 2024, let me know

 

[dutch-barge]

We are becoming interested in cruising the French Canals on a self drive boat. We're looking for anyone's experiences and ideas. Any input greatly appreciated. Ideally it would be a week on a boat then more time traveling and exploring on land. So far our home work has turned up

The Canal du Midi and Traditions and Travel threads started by Irish Rambler

A two part blog on cruising the Canal du Rhône-Sète and Canal du Midi
Canal Boating In France I -> Practical Details
Canal Boating In France II -> Lattes To Argens

Cruising Association has guides

And two outfits that can provide boats and some level of support
French Waterways
French River Cruises

many options
Look to the DBA website. 1500 members cruising Europe
barges.org

Canal du Midi is fun, but oval shaped locks, and many many 'bumper boats"
Been there done that in out 61 steel inland boat. Now cruising the Netherlands. more waterways and more fun

 

[Jaybo]

Just do it

The Canal du Midi meanders through a fine landscape, but be aware that it has lost most of the plane trees that used to line its banks and that provided both shade and picturesque beauty. The last I heard, the rest of the plane trees were doomed. We were on the canal a few years ago in 46°C heat. Without shade trees, that southern sun was fierce.

Some of the hire companies can find you a Linssen. The plastic boats can be spacious, but...

If you do the Midi, Carcassonne (the town; the castle's just a tourist attraction,) Béziers and Narbonne (a pleasant side trip) are rewarding destinations.

Yes, every warning about high season is true.

My favourite canal in France is the Rhône au Rhin. Great cities of Dole and Besançon. No crowds.

 

[dutch-barge]

Dan,

The Netherlands is a small country but has many rivers and canals.
There are also many lakes, many of which were created by damming rivers near the sea or by excavating peat that used to be used as fuel for the stove.
All these waters are connected to each other, resulting in a network of waterways approximately 7000 km long.
There is always a possibility to get to your destination with a lot of wind because many waterways are sheltered.

Greeting,

Pascal.

in comparising the "loop" is just over 5000 miles....so a country 1/3 rd size of Ohio has the same cruising as the 'loop'

 

[dutch-barge]

Yep!

I would live to do the canals! My wife is from France and has family there. So when we visit its aways a good time. BUT, I don't see how I would get my boat there without cost BIG bucks. Anyways, it would be nice.

BUY a local boat....or buy a share in a boat ..look to the DBA website.....barges.org

many a good steel boat is available, especially in The Netherlands

 

[Jaybo]

Second that!

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Swimming in the canals is definitely not encouraged.

Yep. I asked several times about how I would go about emptying the holding tank (6 people aboard for 2 weeks). I was told it was large enough not to worry. Hmmm. Never did figure out where that huge tank was, and there's a reason I didn't see it. But swimming isn't the only questionable activity. We passed several places that were having fishing contests and the contestants were taking the fish home. Hmmm.

 

[rpackard]

My wife, ten year old son and I cruised for one week on Canal du Midi in early Spring some years ago. It is quite nice. Although I preferred the Oxford canal in England. On the French canals the locks are mostly modern and you do not do the operation yourself. I prefer the more antique British locks that you operate your self. Also the draw bridges. This is especially nice if you have kids along because it gives them something to do. But with no kids, the French system is fine.

We found the towns along the canal to not have the charm of the English villages. Rent bikes with the boat.

The prices in spring are off season and thus lower. You will have a good time.

Richard

 

[Trawlerman]

We did the Canal Du Midi from Bezier to Carcassonne in the south of France, and absolutely loved it. That canal was completed in 1621, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so that when they opened up in Canada on the Rideau Canal, we rented 3 years ago (Smith's Falls to Kingston) and again in 2023 (Smith's Falls to Ottawa) and again enjoyed it. We did these partly due to the fact that when we did the Great Loop in our boat, we crossed Lake Ontario to Kingston ON and then over and up the Trent Severn to Huron, and missed the Rideau Canal and wanted to add that to our experience. In France, it was lovely as you could simply pull over to the edge of the canal, they supplied pound-in stakes that you could tie up to while you wandered into the local town for lunch and some excellent inexpensive wine.

 

[BobMc]

Brittany-anjou

We cruised the Brittany area in 1993 for a week, and it was one of our boating highlights (and we boated over 75K miles on our trawler in the US and Canada)! I'd highly recommend that area during a "shoulder" season - we did it in early May.

I realize a lot has changed in the 30 years since our trip, but Brittany is still one of the unique areas of France, beautiful scenery, friendly people, excellent food, small rivers and canals, not crowded (not as popular as other areas), and after your cruise you can drive through some of histories' significant areas.

We rented a car at Charles deGaulle airport, drove to our boat location, then had the car for another week to tour Brittany and Normandy. A fantastic two-week vacation.

FWIW, (someone asked about mooring along the canals), the boat came equipped with heavy rods about a meter in length to use when tieing up alongside the canals. Just drive the stakes into the ground and tie off for the night, or an afternoon nap, or whatever.

 

[long-cours.62]

If I understand

I subscribed to one of the links, I think Euro Canal, but could never find out if one can just tie up along a canal? When we visited the NL, not by boat unfortunately, I could see places where it would seem one could tie up along the canal but I wondered if that was correct, and if so, how long could one tie up?

Later,
Dan

your question the answer is : yes

Normally not allowed for more than 48 hours, but depending where.
During the covid period we was not allowed to move and stay 3 month at the place you can see on the photo 1
Photo 2 , for our "long-cours 62"we specially designed the wheelhouse to cross the "Canal du Midi" ;-)

 

[Marco Flamingo]

We have never spent a night at a marina. Every small town has a little dock, but we only used them to provision and sightsee. Then we left for someplace quiet and remote. Some places are very narrow with one-way traffic (and even a traffic light on some tunnels). In some places the canal crosses a river using a one lane "canal bridge" above the river. I'm ready to go again.

 

[AlaskaProf]

For the best experience, your party must include un jeune fille.

...and be sure to leave sufficient time to visit the most popular tourist site in all of Europe!