French Canals to the Mediterranean 

A good video and book no doubt, I’ve travelled the canals by the routes you describe several times (Moody 31 twin keel) a very nice experience. The Canal du Midi is beautiful but is unfortunately ruined by the ‘party boats’ driven by unqualified drunken idiots (students & stag/hen parties). Once on the proper quieter canals the lock keepers are very professional & friendly & either they or their wives have a side line of trying to sell you something, homemade wine, jam bread, home grown fruit or vegetables, even one with the hurdy-gurdy music machine that plays Ump-pa-pa music while you transit the lock and then you throw a few coins in a bucket as you depart the ‘Ecluse’ puts a smile on your face. On the whole a pleasant experience and you’ll get a love of French wine 😄, a nice way to get to the Med early spring or late autumn. I enjoy your videos, thank for producing them.

VERY DETAILED in My Opinion. Thank You!

Your vlogs are always so entertaining. Thank you . Not been here for ages. But totally entertained. Tkx

This is something I have always wanted to do. I have a Jennau 12.3m Sunfizz (but built in the USA under the brand; O'day). Currently in Thailand on the hard. Very interesting.

Love your channel. Wealth of info as always. Cheers from Canada

Very informative description! Eye-opening and thorough.

There cannot be a better video anywhere on the net. Well done sir. Very informative and enjoyable hour.

This was so interesting. I will be having a look at all your work. Thank you.

Lovely introduction Michael, rather glad I've done the interior of France by Motorbike while Touring Many times, so looking forward to Coastol hopping my way down to the Med (well to Gibraltar really, then Cape Verde hopefully ) in my next boat, and I'm really looking forward to buying and downloading your Guide to that route then. Lots to look forward to. Best Wishes and Fair Winds. Bob. 👍⛵️

Many thanks for your video. Incredibly informative

Nice one man. Thoroughly enjoyed that.

I watched this again today. You really have a lovely lilt to your voice. It's so much more relaxing than the sometimes frightful business of sailing. I will be making this trip in 2024, with a bit of luck.

Maybe one day I'll do this. Thanks, fascinating.

Just bought our first boat and this year we plan to stay around the English Coast learning her ways. Next year I was planning a trip to the Med but she is a displacement hull Motor Sailer 24ft LOA with a draft of only 0.8 metres. I was a little concerned about the trip down as my Captain (SWMBO) is not a sailor and will not be able to take a watch so it was always going to be coastal hopping on a daily basis in a shallow draft bilge keel less suited to Atlantic swells than inland waters. However, I really like the idea of the canals and watching your video brought back memories of all the places we have visited in France (we absolutely love the country and have toured it by motorbike and two seat roadster for the past 20 years) Listening to you speak, I think we will definitely do the canals and not even worry if we don't reach the Med at all. Very informative video, thanks.

Thank you for this video. We want to go back from the Med to Holland through the canals in a few years from now. There almost no video's about this. I gathered my info bu seeing a lots of video's from other people and picked out what I wanted to know.

Absolutely brilliant vlog so professionally delivered. Thank you - have also sent you an email.

Interesting. It has all changed since 1979 when I did the 3 month trip from Calais, Paris where I spenta week tied up on the left bank opposite Notre Dame. Probably not allowed anymore. Canal de Borgogne. Lyon. The river was not canalised for the next 30k about. Memory is vague but it was a fast passage and were advised to have a pilot on board. Not easy to findcat that time as the commercial traffic and I had been held up for 2 weeks because of the lack of water in the river. Avignon and the canal du Rhone a Sete through the Camargue. It was all fantastic and slow. 36ft timber yawl with 8hp Stuart aturner petrol engine. Its all I could afford at 25. Now I have a much better boat. An S&S 48 and I have been in Asia for 15 years. Its wonderful.

bravo merci pour la france

Height of vessel is normally referred to "Air draft". That is the height from the water line to highest part of the superstructure.

As you reach Chalon sur Saône, try turning north along the Saône up to Verdun sur le Doubs. Explore the area up to Seurre then resume your trip south.

looks like a dream

I really enjoyed this. So informational, i could see the reality of traveling through france via the rivers and canals. I’m not a boater, but that is my dream. I would imagine speaking french is needed, true?

Richard Gale Hi Michael, you kindly helped me with a couple of questions re boating down the French Inland Waterways. I've finally seemed to have 'got it together' and have ICC, VHF, Vignette etc and Plan (from Noss on Dart to Le Havre and down...) BUT am reading that PAF may also ask me to show Medical Cover.... my 'normal' trip insurance doesn't cover me for boating: My Question to You (If you would again be so kind) : How often have you been asked to show medical cover insurance whilst boating around France? I don't expect you will both read this and have time/ inclination to answer but I do wish your very sympathetic and adventurous soul 'Fair Winds' at the very least (answer or not). And, of course THANK YOU for your very helpful and inspirational input.

Looking forward to watching your video of Channel to Med and buying the books - before I do - I have a Dufour Classic 32 which draws 1.75m. I plan to take mast off and ship separately. Just 2 on board. Most shallow part of my planned route looks like Condé-sur-Marne to Chalon-sur-Saône. When do you believe best time to go to get through? Early spring or late Autumn for max depth and least weed? Many thx.

I last did all these canals southwards from le Havre via Paris, including coming back from the Med via the Canal du Midi in 1959/60 when I was a kid, in a 48 ft motor yacht. Guess things have changed a bit since then...there were only three massive Rhone locks then. So to do it again these days in a 55ft Oyster fin keeled yacht, drawing 7.5ft (2.29m) I guess would be impossible, right Michael?

Is their any way of reversing the route back to the UK from the Med? The warning bell was the 4 knot current. Top speed for us is 5 knots. Any suggestions. We loved your Sailing Gently to the Med and used this to get us down there, now looking at options for getting back (if we need to.) Thanks

Very useful and entertaining videos - thank you. A question if I may: Do you think it feasible for me to 'sail' single handed from Le Havre to the Med? Especially handling the locks. I would be in a 9m powerboat with suitable draft and air clearance and 2x200hp outboards and CEVNI in hand.

Very very informative ❤ Do you have any of eastern Europa? Like from kiel down elbe Tsjekkia and ungaren and so on down eastern side ??? I am now in topp of kiel kanal and will traveling down eastern waterways hope to get to mid that way. But aiming at Prague and Budapest first. If ur have can u make a link for me on it here ??? Ty ty very much for spreading ur knowledge of your traveling experience. Love to see this from people that have bean doing it ❤ Very good and awsome informative video Tumbs up from norway man

I'm seriously thinking of going over from the Thames to le Harvey in my elisian 27 Stern cockpit, it's more for river and coast but iv spoke to ppl that have seen them crossing the channel but only Stern cockpit ones never centre cockpits, any advice would be great, I would like to go all down to med

so well done, thanks. any thoughts on doing fr canals single handed??

I have a 34ft keel boat with a theoretical draft of 5ft 6in (1.67m) but, with extra cruising equipment and fuel & water I am probably closer to 5ft 9 or 10in (1.75m). Can I make it? And, if so, is there a better time of year (for water levels) and would you suggest that I take the Canal du Loing/Briare/latéral à la Loire/Centre or the Canal latéral à la Marne/ Champagne et Bourgogne/Grande Saône route?

Hi, Have you done this route single handed? Anything to watch out for? I'd be planning on using a motor cruiser with bow and stern thrusters, hopefully with remote.Thinking mostly of locks but also docking. Thanks in anticipation

How are the marina's in France in handling mast stepping / unstepping? I trucked my boat down the PNW coast (in the US) and had to unstep the mast (a 34ft sailboat). At both ends, while the marina would provide the crane and crane operator, they obliged me to hire a third party rigger + team, for the unstepping and stepping, which ran up to an extra $1,000 each end. To be fair, it did require a team of two or three to control the mast from swinging wildly, more than i could manage on my own, but it has somewhat discouraged me from any route that requires unstepping again. It sounds as if you had a much easier (less expensive time) in France.

I’ve been researching and have found varying info what do you believe is max draft that can be taken through canal system, draft is 1.8 but assume that’s in salt water not fresh

Fantastic video, lots of good info. In your opinion can a person solo travel the canals in a small boat?, i will be travelling in a 6.9m Catamaran powered by a 6hp outboard - thanks:)

What about having a tabernacle fitted

Does anyone know if kayaks are allowed on French waterways and canals?

You didn’t mention the tankerville canal from leHarve ?

Is it possible to cross the English Channel into France on a narrow boat?

Since you’re not sailing, what was your fuel cost doing such a trip?

Reminds me of this Camping Gaz advert from the 1980's with Peter Sellers. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-h-cZR6TfE5k.html

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