The French canals - 2008

Planning is quite complex

Into the RhoneFrance’s biggest riverCurrent 2-4 knots (against us)12 vast locksUp to 0.5M wide

Arles

The Zigmundo van Dogs

Le pont d’Avignon

Rhone lock - montant

Rhone lock – half full

Rhone lock - full

Rhone lock - departure

Canopy half-rigged

The peniches are a tight fit in the locks

The mighty Bollene is 23m deep

We were in and out in 15 minutes

Lyon

Our lock

The Saône

Into the Canal de la Marne à la Saône

… now renamed

Canal locks – smaller, but harder work

Thedonglers

Turbulence as the lock fills

Ben helping with the gates. Many locks fill to the brim…

The Zigmundo van Dogs

…so a couple of doormatscome in handy (€2.50 each)

Lunch stop 12-1.30pm

Into the Balesmes tunnel – 4km

Every ecluse has a cottage

The ‘Freycinet’ barge exactly fits the locks – 38.5 x 5.2m

Froncles – electricity, hot showers, car boot sale, supermarché

Through Reims to the north…

Overnight escape from the Grand Gabarit at Corbehem

Canal statistics• 650 miles (1200 km)• 315 locks• 24 days on the move• Left Arles 31 July, arrived Calais 27 August• Most locks in one day: 24• Longest distance in one day: 47M (86km)• Shortest distance in one day: 18M (33km)

(including Balesmes tunnel & 17 locks)

14 September 2008 – back to SYH27 months after we left

Altogether…• 3,700 miles• Worst weather at sea: F6-7 (Cabo Gato,

Mallorca)• Biggest swell: 4-5m (Porto to Lisbon)• Highest temperature: 36ºC (Spain)• Fastest SOG: 8kt off Tarifa (with current)• Deepest water: 3km in Biscay & off Portugal• Shallowest: -0.4m in Reims