1. The canals to the Med , 2007

At our pontoon, VVW Nieuwpoort

A last look ...

Free ...

Leaving the yacht harbour ...

On the river IJzer, on the way to Veurne-lock - one of the Ganzenpoot locks -, our first lock ...

Here we come ...

NIEUWPOORT: approaching Veune-lock

our first lock ...

Bye-bye ...

Leaving NIEUWPOORT behind us ...

WULPEN- bridge

Between WULPEN and VEURNE

...

On the way to VEURNE

VEURNE: Nieuwpoort-lock

1st stop: WATTEN

2nd stop: AIRE-SUR-LA-LYS

3th stop: COURCELLES

From WATTEN to AIRE-SUR-LA-LYS:

A nice welcome from the owners of a nice barge: we can go alongside for the passage of two huge and impressive locks: Flandres et Fontinette

Ecluse Fontinette ( lock )

From AIRE-SUR-LA-LYS to COURCELLES:

Canal d’Aire and Canal de la Deûle ( Canal Grand Gabarit CGG )

Next day: further on to Etrun.

In the pilot it's mentioned that we would find water and some other facilities, but there is nothing at all... just a pontoon and ... silence.

4th stop: ETRUN-BOUCHAIN

5th stop: CAMBRAI

Lock on the CANAL DE ST QUENTIN

SOUTERRAIN DE RIQUEVAL ( tunnel )

As we are the smallest, we are the last in the convoy towed by the "TOUEUR"

12.07.07 Seventeen locks and 2 tunnels (one of them is more than 5km, we are towed by a "toueur", ): we don't sleep very well that night, at Lesdins, in the middle of nowhere... but again we appreciate the silence.

13.07.07 To St Quentin, a harbour with showers ... but that's all we can say about it: it is not a pleasant place to stay because of the noise!!! Unfortunately we have to stay here because of the "14 juillet" ( National Day in France ): the locks are closed.

We visit the town and can do some shopping;and ... the weather is ... very nice!

Sunday morning we leave at 8 am waving good-bye to our friendly Dutch neighbours. We are now "avalant" ( going downstream ) : the lock-handling is much easier, we don't need to climb, the bollards can be taken from the boat.

After 12 locks we arrive at Chauny, where we stay 2 nights because of a forecasted thunderstorm ... that does not come ...

In Abbecourt we leave the busy canal to Paris and reach the very nice "canal de l'Oise a l'Aisne". We are again "montant" ( going upstream), ... with a remote control. The lock houses are very well kept: wonderful gardens, lots of flowers ... and nice weather...

After 8 locks (just before another tunnel, the souterrain de Braye ) we stop for the night on a small pontoon close to Pargny, with water and electricity. We are alone, and enjoy ... a complete silence!

Pargny

Pargny-sur-un-nuage

18.07.07 Behind a big boat, we pass the ( tunnel ) souterrain de Braye and return our remote control box in Berry-au-Bac.

Now we have to learn how to handle a new lock-opening system: a hanging plastic tube that has to be picked up and has to be turned 1/4 tour in an anti-clockwise direction. When we miss one - what happens once - we have to turn back and start again.

Our boat is very low: so we have to enter the locks very slowly, otherwise the "eye" doesn't register our entrance and the doors remain open.

We stop for the night at Courcy, under a big tree and we get a beautiful sunset.

Reims

20.07.07 We leave Reims around midday - after a rather heavy thunderstorm - for Sillery: a very well kept small harbour, very quite (important after Reims!) with ... nice showers and facilities, but nothing to visit as we are here in the middle of nowhere ...

Relais de Sillery

updating our website

21.07.07 We leave Sillery for Condé-sur-Marne - where we arrive in the late afternoon, after four locks ( = écluses ) montantes ( going upstream ), and the passage of the souterrain de Mont-de-Billy - 2302 m long - and eight grouped locks avalantes ( going downstream ).

Condé-sur-Marne: a quiet small town with very much flowers offering not a real harbour, just a few pontoons with water and electricity. But the stop place is not the nicest, close to huge silos, filled by noisy tractors ... at apéritif-time!

souterrain de Mont-de- Billy

Condé-sur-Marne

22.07.07 We start a new canal: the "Canal latéral à la Marne", and pass by Chalon-sur-Marne where we are a tourist-attraction on this Sunday late morning - the lock is in the middle of the city and there are a lot of strollers around the lock ... .

When arriving in Vitry-le-Francois, we moore just outside the small harbour: there should be 1m50 water inside but there seems to be a lot of mud too, and our boat is not easy in going astern.

The weather is changing. Tomorrow it will rain the whole day. We decide to stay one day more.

So, the next day we go inside, alongside the quay just behind a nice American yacht: the owners will invite us for a drink and an agreeable chat.

24.07.07 Before we leave Vitry-le-François the "capitainerie" announces our arrival at the next lock, the first one on the longest canal we have to follow: the "Canal de la Marne à la Saone", 114 locks (most of them are manual) and a lot of drawbridges.

We leave at 10 o'clock in heavy rain... so we decide to stop in Orconte. Glad we did: it is a wonderful "halte nautique" in the middle of a beautiful landscape ( the village is at 500m ), with a hot (!) shower, electricity and water. We are alone, the rain stops, we can dry everything and spend here a calm and nice evening in almost complete silence!

Halte fluviale d'Orconte

This canal is very beautiful, rather narrow but with very little commercial traffic. The locks and bridges are handled by students as a holiday or summer job; every canal section has his own group of assistants and each boat has "his" student for a number of locks. Most of them are very friendly and efficient.

We stop at the " picnic area " of Bayard: there are only a few bollards, that's all, but again in nice surroundings. There is only one other boat: a couple of "Toulousains", by a drink they give us a lot of useful information for the rest of our trip.

Bayard

26.07.07 From Bayard to Joinville we get a very nice sailing in a charming wooded landscape alternating with clearings, where small streams are running before disappearing in the river Marne, hills, small valleys, narrow passages, nice drawbridges, small locks with wild waters ...

From Bayard to Joinville we get for the lock passages - not always very easy for a small sailing boat - the well appreciated assistance of a charming itinerant trainee lock-handler ( éclusière-stagiaire itinérante ) - a nice holiday job for this young student, we think.

Seven locks - the lock of Joinville is full-manual! - and five manual bridges.

Finally: we get summer weather!

At Joinville there are more traveling boats; two leisure barges are alongside of the largest part of the quay. A friendly Dutch couple allowed us to moore alongside.

As there are some facilities here, this is also a well-known spot for campers.

27.07.07 From Joinville to Froncles ( in the early XX century well known for his steelwork: les forges de Froncles ). The rhythm of the canal navigation is now well installed, and we understand better now why seven to ten days are needed to reach the river Saône. The commercial barges (les "chargés") are this year in very little number, so everybody who is working on the canal is very anxious about the future. A hopeful sign is that "la plaisance" is increasing.

Still accompanied by the very friendly lock handler-woman we slowly " climb higher and higher " to the Plateau de Langres.

The river Marne is always at a very little distance and the valley is colourful, varied and always surprising.

After nine locks and two bridges we reach Froncles: a new, nearly empty "harbour", with all facilities ... but the harbour master only appears rather late in the evening ( about 8pm ) and gives only little time for a quick shower ( the toilet is always open ).

FRONCLES

RIAUCOURT. on the way to CHAUMONT

On the way to ROLAMPONT, in the early morning

Lunch-time on the way to ROLAMPONT

31.07.07 Another seven locks are awaiting us between Rolampont and our next stop, Langres.

The climb to the Plateau de Langres will be finished after about 3 hours. On the way we met a heavy loaded barge and we were forced to go very close to the starboard bank of the canal and for a moment we got stuck in the mud ...

Langres is really worth a visit, not only because of its 2000 year history but also for its wonderful situation, high on the Plateau. We need a 20' climb by a footpath from the canal to the city - a bicycle isn't of any use here.

Access to the SOUTERRAIN DE BALESMES

SOUTERRAIN DE BALESMES, approaching the exit

02.08.07 From Cusey to Ceuge: the sun is back, but the storm left in the water big pieces of wood, with many leaves floating around, so careful navigation is needed to the tiny village of Ceuge.

There is a very small pontoon ( only one small boat can moore ) but the village has an unique drawbridge and a charming old washing place ( le lavoir ) near the XIIIth century church. The picture La veuve Couderc with Simone Signoret was made here.

We arrive now in the area where mass-tourism leaves its traces: we meet our first "charter boat"!

The locks are easier, bigger, better equipped.

The river Saône is now our wet motorway to the South and our first stop is Pontailler.

We spend the night moored at the small waiting pontoon ( no water no electricity ) in the port de plaisance ... but we have a delightful Friday evening, watching - at good distance - the arrivals of the charter boats and the change of crews, and seeing how they are manoeuvring themselves in smalls shrubs and mud!

The River SAONE between Heuilly and PONTAILLER

PONTAILLER

On the river we have not much favourable current. The weather is nice and we enjoy the marvelous scenery surrounding us. An uncountable number of anglers are hidden in the green riverbanks, well equipped with tents and umbrellas.

Saint-Jean de Losne is a cross-road of waterways: here starts the well-known and very touristy Canal de Bourgogne, the play garden of overnumerous charter boats. The city is also a well-known assembly place and turning point for commercial barges and tourist boats. Saint-Jean de Losne is the smallest town in France but has the biggest harbour of the inland waterways, with all facilities and a big visitors pontoon ... unfortunately occupied by a great number of boats for sale!

On the way to SAINT JEAN DE LOSNE

SAINT JEAN DE LOSNE

We round the île Saint-Laurent to reach behind it the well-sheltered harbour.

We get a mooring on a finger pontoon inside the harbour: so there should be no risk to be damaged by one of the still increasing number of charter-boats, looking for "a berth for the night"!

The evening is very warm and until late in the night the terraces of cafés and restaurants are very crowded.

But tomorrow the weather will change again: thunderstorms are forecasted.

We decide to stay a couple of days.

CHALON SUR SAONE

CHALON SUR SAONE

After 29 km and one lock we moore at the floating pontoon close to town centre.

It's still raining ... and it's only midday, the level of the river Saône is already high ....

We have an appointment with friends: we're supposed to picnic alongside the river but the weather conditions turn even worse.

We finally have our picnic inside the boat, the heating at full power ... and we don't see a lot of Tournus !

On the way to TOURNUS

TOURNUS

To MACON

The river SAONE close to MACON

We abandon our project to stop here due to the current and the rising water and we continue to the lock of Couzon ( max.4m). We will fall only two metres, the rising of the waters is a little alarming reality! And on the VHF we hear a conversation that confirms our fear. They plan to close the locks, so, as we can believe the lock handler we will be the last locked boat ...

At Fontaines-sur-Saône the floating pontoon is invisible - perhaps submerged? : we decide to go on to Lyon, 15 km further on, when suddenly, behind the île Roy, just before the bridge of Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, a Halte nautique, attracts our attention.

We decide to try to moore alongside, by a turning upstream manoeuvre against the current. On our second attempt - the violent current drags us to much off - Eric succeed to jump on the small floating pontoon and to tie a rope on our middle cleat.

Finally we will need in totally seven mooring lines to get a good sharing out of the tractions.

COLLONGES AU MONT D' OR

Approaching LYON, L'ILE BARBE

Crossing LYON

Crossing LYON

12.08.07 15 km to Lyon, 55 km to Les Roches de Condrieu where we want to stop. It's early Sunday-morning, the town is still awakening when we are crossing Lyon.

First we pass the île Barbe, then the fifteen bridges, the quays - some are already submerged, others will be soon.

The current is carrying us: Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière, the Cathédrale Saint-Jean, the quay Maréchal Joffre, where, for the numerous plaisanciers moored alongside, the day in Lyon starts with a sympathetic salute to us. Some of them are looking a little bit surprised to that small sailing boat passing at such speed, at an hour of sailors are thinking of their breakfast!

But we are already gone ... to where the river Saône is mixing her waters into the river Rhône...

LYON, QUAI MARECHAL JOFFRE

We call our first Rhône-lock on VHF: Pierre Bénite (max.11,80m), 20 minutes before ETA: the lights will be red/green, we are told. When arrived, we enter three minutes later the immense lock: 195mx19m! We are alone in it on our small 8m50 boat!

We will fall only a full eight metres, very slowly and smoothly moored on a big floating bollard.

Leaving the lock we are on the dérivation-canal that short-cuts the river Rhône for 12 km and that takes us along the refinery of Feyzin.

We find again the river Rhône in all its beauty and majesty just before Givors. A charming scenery we were waiting for since a long time! Our speed over the ground ( SOG) is now 9,8 knots.

Around midday we have Vienne on port. The Gallo-Roman city gives us a nice welcome with a bright sunshine and the bells of Sainte-Colombe.

After Vienne we pass the Vaugris-lock (max.6,70 m) and at km 41 we arrive in les Roches de Condrieu.

ECLUSE PIERRE BENITE

We have to prepare our approach with care because of the heavy current - there is the general downstream current and in the entrance a very heavy turning upstream current. The situation allows any error: we have to avoid being taken by the current. Kaat makes the boat progressing "like a crab" through the entrance leaving the small jetty at good distance on starboard, a manoeuvre we did many times when entering the harbour of Breskens (NL) in the mouth of the river Schelde.

We moore at the visitors pontoon. For the very friendly harbour master we can stay there if we like it.

From here we have a splendid view on both, the river and "Les Roches".

LES ROCHES DE CONDRIEU

UPDATING THE WEBSITE

ST MAURICE CATHEDRAL

TEMPLE OF AUGUST AND LIVIA

EGLISE ST ANDRE LE BAS

ROMAN THEATRE

JARDIN PUBLIC ROMAN ROAD

VIEW OF VIENNE FROM THE BELVEDERE DU PIPET

We have another two locks to pass before arriving at 6 p.m. in front of the entrance. The approach is little confused: there are only 3 small yellow buoys. Luckily an arm-waving man is attracting our attention: he'll be our land-pilot! Following his indications we return upstream much more than we should have done to pass - our small 10 hp engine at full power - very close to the small north jetty and keeping the yellow buoys at large distance on port. A last turn of 180° allows us to moore on the visitors pontoon in the good direction for departure.

The harbour master, Monsieur Claude Labalette, captain of this nice, very well kept small harbour convinces us by his interesting information of staying more than one night.

On the way to CRUAS; a hotel-boat goes up-stream

PORT DE CRUAS

CRUAS the abbey church ( l'ABBATIALE )

The abbey church

Detail in the crypt

CRUAS, the historic village

Abbey castle

CRUAS view from the old village

The view is marvellous: on the village, on the Rhône-valley and ... on the source of the present wealth: the nuclear power station!

It seems that the new harbour is yet a success story. Already full and known as very safe ... because the EDF power station can't have "her feet in the water", we are told ! The level of the Rhône in this lock-area is under high control.

In the harbour some improvements are already planned: close to the sanitary block, a pontoon will be added, and the entrance will be better buoyed.

19.08.07 When we leave Cruas early in the morning heading for Avignon, we don't regret our longer stay. Finally one of the most delightfully stops on our trip through the canals and the rivers.

Today is an important day: a long distance - 100 km - to sail and 4 locks, with Châteauneuf (max.18,5 m) and Bollène (max.23 m) as the most impressive. By the approach of a new perturbation with rain and thunderstorms the wind has fallen and is now variable and won't be anymore a factor of disturbance by entering the locks; this is particularly important for the entrance of the Bollène lock (difficult, by north wind and mistral).

The dérivations now are very long and often rather monotonous particularly after Bollène. It is only after this stretch that we'll again meet the river Rhône and his scenery in all its magnificence and beauty: Viviers, the défilé de Donzère, the Mornas Castle, Saint-Etienne-des-Sorts, the Montfaucon Castle, the Hers Tower, Château-Neuf-du-Pape and, the Mont-Ventoux at the horizon.

DONZERE

ECLUSE DE BOLLENE

Behind the last lock and then after the last curve: Avignon.

To reach the harbour ( in the river arm, with the famous Pont St-Bénézet) we have to pass "le pont rail ", turn left and return upstream in the branch of the river where the harbour is situated - or what is left of it - at 500 m of the town centre and the Palais des Papes.

There are no pontoons nor fingers: everything was washed away in 2003, the river reached then a incredible high level

LA TOUR DE L HERS

AVIGNON LE PONT BENEZET

AVIGNON RELAIS NAUTIQUE

LE BRAS D AVIGNON

PALAIS DES PAPES

The harbour in the Bras d'Avignonon the morning we left - Thanks to our Danish friends for the picture we got later

The Concordia on the way to Barcelona is overtaking us; we will meet them in Rome-Ostia

We are on the way to Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône and Menton

So, this morning we leave Avignon at 07.45. The current is less than the days before.

We pass Vallabrègues - there is a small harbour that seems to be full and not very attractive - and reach the Beaucaire lock (max. 15,50 m).

A little later Tarascon and its fortress appears on port, while the Rhône is narrowing. Industries and boring landscapes are alternating. The Petit Rhône, on our right is disappearing between trees and small shrubs.

Our passage of Arles is rather disappointing: the small, but very famous town has literally turned her back to the river; there is an unsteady pontoon full with small boats and it seems that there are no facilities!

Then the river Rhône is winding again but its buoyed channel is still narrower.

TARASCON

CROSSING THE CAMARGUE

La Camargue is not far away but invisible.The river now seems to loose its force to become a lazy, monotonous waterway between two green hedges. The red and green buoys are more and more sparse. Only on our map we see de presence of les mas - the traditional farms or country-houses in the Provence. Sometimes we pass a half sunken small barge, a pump station for irrigation, one big ship, but mostly we are completely alone.

Then, suddenly, in a curve, a new dike and behind, on the left, the Canal du Rhône à Fos , forbidden for leisure craft, then the salt works around Salin-de-Giraud, the Bac de Barcarin - the ferry, no more bridges downstream from Arles - and at last ... a low tower stands out ... Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône ... and far off... the river disappears in the Mediterranean sea ...

In the distance an oncoming ship ... it's the Davernes from Saint-Jean-de- Losne

LES SALINS

And then, eventually, it's time for the lock passage. There is only 20 cm difference between the harbour level and the Rhône level but the high salinity of the basin and the fresh water of the river causes sometimes a strong current.

The lock opening goes very slowly and the bollards on the quay are out of reach from our boat. Eric has to climb - no ladder! - 1,5 m to fix the rope. After the identification of our boat by a young student-assistant-lock-handler and an interesting chat about her future job - teacher -, the doors are opening, and the bridge is lifting ...

After 666 miles, 200 locks and 47 days, Nehalinnia enters the salty water of the Mediterranean, the Mare nostrum !

PORT SAINT LOUIS DU RHONE, ECLUSE MARITIME

PASSAGE CONTROL