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Boating in France.

 
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Marco Flamingo



Joined: 09 Jul 2015
Posts: 1154
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2004
C-Dory Model: 16 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Limpet
Photos: Limpet
PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 11:22 am    Post subject: Boating in France. Reply with quote

I just spent some time on a bare boat (or bare barge?) charter in France and posted some pictures under 2017 Travels in the Limpet pictures. A little background might help for those who are interested. Years ago, my father got the bug to do this and, since I knew something of boats and my wife speaks French, we were captain and crew. This was one of those vacations that is so enjoyable that it's worth repeating, especially since there are a variety of canals in France.

This time, we did the Lot River. I have to credit my wife with all the research and arrangements. The Lot River has limestone cliffs which are covered with ancient "troglodyte" structures as well as caves with prehistoric paintings. One town we visited during its annual "festival gastronomic," but the food was excellent everywhere and the boat had a nice galley, complete with a pressure cooker (good for goose gizzards) and sharp knives (a rarity on any rental). We went on a truffle hunting excursion with a local and my wife dug one (I finally found a use for a dog on a boat).

The locks were all manual and required more effort than our last trip on the Loire because the changes in height were greater. Still perfectly doable. The boat was 11 meters with a 40 hp Yanmar and no bow thruster. We only had one problem when the lock wasn't closed properly and the water pressure forced the rudder hard over and steerage was lost (I found out when leaving the lock). I had to use just prop walk to do a 180 and get to shore before floating off down the river with my crew still on shore. A little bit exciting. The company had a mechanic there in about 45 minutes. It is about as safe as boating can get. Still, we saw plenty of boats with smashed rub rails and tended to avoid all other traffic, if possible.

There were a couple of sections of the river marked for planing hulls (to appease the water skiers). We only saw one for a few minutes. The planing capabilities of a C Dory would be largely lost, however, there would be other advantages. France is slowly rehabilitating its ancient lock system, but there are sections that remain closed. It isn't actually possible to get from Cahors, where we were, to Bordeaux, even though they are in the same drainage. It would require trailering in a few places. France (and the rest of Europe) is covered with similar ancient canals that don't quite connect, which is okay because it makes them worthless to commercial traffic. There must be over a thousand miles. At 3 knots, and a beautiful little town ever 2 miles, that's a lot of cruising.

Time to ship a C Dory to France for a River Horse type of trip. I'd have to change Limpet to Cheval du fleuve. Changing the name is the easy part.

Mark
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nimrod



Joined: 15 Jul 2008
Posts: 268
City/Region: Mount Vernon
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1996
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: 'Berta's Boy
Photos: 'Berta's Boy
PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like a lot fun. Would you mind sharing the name of the boat rental company you used?

jd
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20779
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How is the draft? When we were there in 1980's there was a challenge with 2 meters in some places. We only did the "fixed mast" route in Belgium to Amsterdam.

It sounds as if you had a fantastic vacation. We had some friends who had a group of 4 couples and owned a boat.--each got 2 months each year--with Layup the middle of the winter. The next couple in rotation took the boat from where the other couple left off. They had a rotation so that every year the months that each couple changed.

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Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
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Marco Flamingo



Joined: 09 Jul 2015
Posts: 1154
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2004
C-Dory Model: 16 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Limpet
Photos: Limpet
PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We used Locaboat both times. They have several models of the Penichette (which I think might be a tradename for a hull design that they actually own and have fabricated for their business). They have designs which very comfortably fit 3 couples and that takes the sting out of the rental price. Plus, with 6 people aboard it allows an evening taste/comparison of several bottles of local wine. And cooking for 2 is no fun when the public markets have all kinds of things that Trader Joe would find exotic. We had a contest for the cheapest/best wine. And the winner is . . . a 3.8 Euro Cahors "black wine."
http://www.locaboat.com/en/our-boats-and-penichettes/hire-canal-boat-flying-bridge/penichettes-1180fb.html

Draft is about 1 meter and cabin height/low bridges is generally more of a concern. I did manage to run aground on the previous trip, but the lock system on the canals tends to make for silt bottoms. And speeds are slow. It's sort of "hey, we've stopped moving, let's back off of this mud bank." Anyone who has run a CD 16 in a 10 knot breeze could do this.

Mark
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jbdba01



Joined: 18 Nov 2014
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State or Province: FL
PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Holy smokes...gotta run this by the spousal unit.

This is looks like a great time and very different.
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Foggy



Joined: 01 Aug 2013
Posts: 1518
City/Region: Traverse City; Northern Lake Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2014
C-Dory Model: 26 Venture
Vessel Name: Boatless in Boating Paradise
Photos: W B Nod
PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

C'est C Bon!

Aye.

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hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12632
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For boats as it is for boaters, everything is a compromise and to each his own. Agree, it would be a different experience, although it would work for some, for me it would be a different kind of challenge.

Harvey
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localboy



Joined: 30 Sep 2006
Posts: 4656
City/Region: Lake Stevens via Honolulu
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C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: 'Au Kai (Ocean Traveler)
Photos: 'AU KAI
PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, but reading the title of this thread this is what immediately came to mind:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=we%27re+from+france+coneheads#id=3&vid=ea4fb80c86db08a4e005abea69b70d82&action=view

Laughing

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TyBoo



Joined: 23 Oct 2003
Posts: 5310
City/Region: Warrenton
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 1996
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruise Ship
Vessel Name: TyBoo
Photos: TyBoo
PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just looked through your pictures and I have to say it looks fantastic. Your captions are perfect, too! Thanks.

Now I'm going back to your album to see if there are photos of your previous trip.

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Sold: 1996 25' Cruise Ship
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