Waterway Depths, Heights and Widths

This is our selection of some key waterways. The figures given below are the lowest available depths (vessel draught), available headroom (air draught) and authorised widths for the various combinations of rivers and canals indicated (i.e the worst cases). The data has been checked by our Practical Navigation editor David Edwards-May (author of our sister publication Inland Waterways of France and pdf downloads). Where official figures have been found to vary, or in case of reliable reports indicating lower than ‘book’ values, we give the lower figure. Precision to the nearest 5cm is important, since the standard péniches are precisely 5.05m in beam.

NOTE: In the late 19th many canals were re-engineered to provide standardised dimensions including a depth of 2.20m and with locks 39.00m long by 5.20m wide, in order to accommodate barges 38.50m x 5.05m x 1.80m draught (the so-called ‘Freycinet’ standard). Much of the network still offers these dimensions, with the notable exception of the Canal du Midi and some other smaller waterways and locks, which were never enlarged. Many waterways also no longer reliably offer the full 1.80m draught along their length, as maintenance dredging programmes are delayed for lack of funding, or because 1.60m is considered sufficient where commercial traffic has disappeared.

THE NORTHERN WATERWAYS Minimum Depth Minimum Height Minimum Width > Dunkerque to Escaut 3.00m 5.25m 11.40m > Calais entry and Canal de Calais 2.20m 3.45m 8.00m Canal du Nord 2.40m 4.00m 5.75m Canal de Saint-Quentin 2.20m 3.70m 6.00m > Canal de la Somme 1.60m 3.40m 5.45m TO, FROM and AROUND PARIS > Seine (through Paris to the Marne) 3.00m 6.00m 11.40m Seine (from Marne to Yonne and Canal du Loing) 2.80m 5.50m 11.40m River Oise, Canal latéral à l’Oise 2.40m 4.10m 6.50m River Aisne, Canal de l’Aisne à la Marne 2.00m 3.50m 5.05m River Marne, Canal latéral à la Marne 1.80m 3.70m 5.05m CENTRAL FRANCE Minimum Depth Minimum Height Minimum Width Bourbonnais route (Loing, Briare, latéral à la Loire) 1.80m 3.50m 5.05m Canal du Nivernais 1.20m 2.90m 5.05m Canal de Bourgogne 1.40m 3.50m 5.10m Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne 1.80m 3.45m 5.10m River Saône 1.80m 3.50m 5.20m EASTERN FRANCE Canal de la Marne au Rhin 1.80m 3.50m 5.05m Canal de la Meuse 1.80m 3.50m 5.05m River Moselle 2.90m 5.10m 11.40m Canal du Rhône au Rhin 1.80m 3.50m 5.05m Canal d’Alsace, Rhin 2.70m 7.00m 11.40m BRITTANY and LOIRE Minimum Depth Minimum Height Minimum Width Canal d’Ille et Rance, Vilaine 1.20m 2.50m 4.50m Canal de Nantes à Brest and Blavet 1.10m 2.40m 4.60m River Loire 1.50m 4.50m Rivers Mayenne, Sarthe 1.40m 4.10m + 2.80m 5.00m RHONE and ENTRE DEUX MERS > Rhône 3.00m 6.00m 11.40m > Petit Rhône, Canal du Rhône à Sète 2.20m 4.10m 8.20m Canal du Midi (but see note [1] below on depth) 1.50m 3.25m 5.45m >Canal de Garonne, Garonne 1.60m 3.40m 5.20m

Important Notes [1] Whatever printed documentation may state, depths vary according to season and river flow, and vary locally. As noted elsewhere on this website, depths immediately downstream of locks can be lower than book values, [2] If it is critical, err on the side of caution. We have heard of yachts getting stuck and having to be craned out of the Midi and loaded onto a transporter. Remember that you will float about 2.5% lower in fresh water than in salt water, say +40mm for a draught of 1.50m. [3] Using a pilot-guide book is strongly recommended: Breil Guides or Fluviacarte (Navicarte) Guides. Each navigable waterway in France also has its own detailed guidance page on this site :: Practical Navigation