Aboard in France

Aboard in France

Cruising the French waterways, canals and rivers by boat

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test

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Grehan

yet another test

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

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Holidays and Vacations

Hotel Barge Charter Vacations

Search the Directory for hotel barges that meet your needs, whether specific or approximate.

Travel Guides

Waterways Region Guides

The waterway regions of France – sights, scenery and history. And the hire boats, hotel barges and river cruises to be found in each.

Navigation in Detail

The Channel Ports – Calais

Information about Calais – one of the English Channel ports that provides an entry into the French canal network. Guides are also available for Dunkerque, Gravelines and St Valery-sur-Somme.

Navigation Planning

River Deep, Headroom High

Will my boat get through? Details of minimum depths, maximum heights and widths for each canal and river – and a map.

Resources

eBook PDF Downloads

Download eBooks, fully enabled for printing (unlike the restricted online version) and for viewing on-screen on your notebook or netbook.

VNF SINGLE NUMBER - a nationwide single telephone point of access for making lock arrangements, etc and notify breakdowns and other emergencies - 0800 863 000 - you will almost certainly need to understand and speak a certain amount of French. VNF Information Online - Stoppages/Works - Maintenance Work Map
PK = Kilometre distance mark, as printed in waterway guides and found as actual signposts (occasionally) on the waterways.
Commercial barges use VHF Ch.10 to listen out and communicate. So can you.

Ecluse (Sas in Normandy - 'sas' means 'chamber') = lock. Peniche = barge.
TE (tirant d'eau) = Depth. Check actual depths! The 'book' canal depth is in the channel centre, edges will be less and you may have a problem coming alongside so be careful. Tuck your nose in first and if necessary keep the stern (where the vulnerable prop is) poking out. There is often a shallow bar just outside the lower gate of an ecluse.
PdP = Port de Plaisance (inland pleasure port/marina/mooring).
Halte = mooring place/pontoon.

The information here results from direct personal experience cruising the waterways from north to south and east to west; and/or has also been gleaned from a number of sources and accounts.

This is a guide only and is neither definitive nor to be relied on. We strongly recommend obtaining a pilot book for each river or canal you travel.

Photographs by Grehan; some other photographs by permission, or in the public domain; if we have inadvertently breached any copyrights, please contact us. Grehan's own photographs may be available for re-use, please contact us for permission.

Grehan welcomes your comments, corrections and suggestions

Grehan - Aboard in France - Cruising the French waterways, canals and rivers by boat