2015 October The Rhone - Lyon to Port 2 L'Ardoise (Avignon)

Confluence - the Saone joins the Rhone.

Mooring at Vienne

By the time we arrive by train in Lyon and get back to the boat it is 15h50 and there is light rain We nevertheless decide to make a start once we have refuelled. We cover the remaining 3 km to the confluence where the two rivers join. The red and green post in the photo marks the division.
There is an increasing headwind and as the current increases in the Rhone the water is more choppy too, with spray coming over the bow. The locks here are much larger, with floating bollards. We pass through the écluse Pierre Bénite ( 11.8m drop) and there is a marked increase in current on the other side of the hydro dam.

The landscape here is bleak and industrial, emphasised by the weather. Once again we find few possibilities for mooring, most of the quays are reserved for freight vessels or other commercials.The guide indicated a small 20m pontoon on the approach to Vienne, just next to the motorway bridge tucked into an arm of the river, out of the current. It was sheltered and empty.Perfect!
Engine off 19.35. 29km covered in 3h45mins. Courgette and cream pasta for tea and a glass of Macon.

No one promised you a rose garden!

We wake the next morning with threatening skies and storms forecast. We get under way at 08h20. Approaching lock Vergris there is a long wait for commercial barges and a huge hotel boat. There is nothing to be done but clean the decks and wait it out. By 10h30 we are through the lock and the promised storms have arrived, with heavy rain and strong winds too. Jonge Jacob is OK however, and by 14h10 at Sablons lock the worst is over and the sun is coming out again.

Tain l'Hermitage-a great wine area!

Not only is the weather better, but the area is now much more picturesque. This is wine country - Tournon and Tain Hermitage. Once again as the day progressed we are on the lookout for a suitable mooring, having seen no other pleasure craft all day.  As we approach La Roche de Glun we find an idyllic spot in a large waterway before the hydro scheme. We moor up to the floating pontoon and set off on our bikes to find somewhere to eat. The village is beautiful and the Auberge Monnet is friendly and welcoming, with a wonderful meal and a bottle of Croze Hermitage.
69km in the day 10hrs35 mins under way.

Valence bridge

We leave at 0820 to a much quieter day, though the storms are still visible. There is lots of traffic, large hotel barges and commercial barges too. We pass through the bridge at Valence shortly after a hotel boat went through it.
The current is steadily increasing, and as we join the Isère river we suddenly speed up from 10km/h to 13.8km/h.  and at one point later in the day16.4km/h!

Take care when mooring in a lock with a vessel like this.

As we approach lock Beauchatel the Mistral gets up (force 4 gusting 5 to 6). This makes manoeuvring around the locks difficult with the wind behind us. To make things worse  we went into one lock squeezed behind a large barge. As always we waited for him to leave before casting off, but as we did so he opened up his engines and the wash pushed us over to the lock entrance wall. No real damage except to my pride - and a lost fender.

The medieval town of Viviers

By 1700 we were through the Chateauneuf lock
and approaching the town of Viviers.

 According to the guide there is a marina and moorings on the quay wall at Viviers. In fact the Marina had been closed after flooding the previous winter, and the pontoon had been converted to accommodate hotel boats.It is easy to see why town authorities would prefer a boat load of wealthy tourists in a hotel boat, visiting their restaurants and shops, taking guided tours giving employment to suppliers, bus companies etc, but the danger is that there will be nearly nowhere for smaller vessels to moor at all. Still - we nosed carefully into the marina even though it was closed, looking forward to a quiet night before our final day.
69km run in 10hrs40mins.

Donzères gorge .- a roller coaster ride!

 The night was not so quiet: firstly there was considerable movements of hotel boats on the quay opposite. Secondly we both awoke in the night aware that the boat was listing - she was hard aground. It was some while before we realised that closing the hydro dam at night lowered the water level in Viviers. We floated off again when they opened it at 06h30, and at 0830 we left the marina.

   

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Downstream of Viviers is the Donzères gorge which restricts the river between high cliffs, resulting in a roller coaster ride on a very fast current. Care is needed to enter the Dérivation de Bollene, as vessels need to change lanes to allow larger commercials to navigate two large bends and a railway bridge.

The cut leading to Bollène lock is very long (30km) with a strong current and almost nowhere to moor up. In the middle is the lock which is 23m deep! Going downstream you enter at ground level, the gates close and you descend into a vast concrete chasm, the size of a cathedral. For many years this was the deepest lock in Europe.
Leaving Bollène lock the Mistral continued to push us down past St Etienne des Sorts and the massive Marcoule power station to our final lock.

 

Port 2 L'Ardoise - our new home.

Shortly after leaving the lock at Caderousse there is a  turn to starboard into an old arm of the Rhone which runs for 4km up to a cement and gravel works, a hydro dam and a small marina. Port 2 marina is in a closed-off section with no current, surrounded by trees and low enough to be protected from the worst of the Mistral. There are only two pontoons, but the marina has a small, friendly community of Belgian, German, Danish and French boats. It is a popular place to overwinter because it is out of the ferocious spring currents when the river can rise five metres or more. It is here that we have chosen to base Jonge Jacob for the next couple of years.   54km run in the day, 6hrs45mins.

A few notes on the trip from St Jean de Losne to Port 2

Fuel
Total distance from St Jean de Losne 418km. Engine time 57hrs. Once again there were few opportunities to fuel up. We refilled from cans in Lyon.

Mooring.  We had good fortune in finding pleasant and convenient free mooring places en route. It is difficult to predict where you will be at the end of the day, and we would pick out a few possibilities from about 1600h rather than have a fixed plan. The published guides are often well out of date by the time they are printed. I downloaded several recent accounts of the trip from other vessels which were more up to date. Many mooring places are restricted and the rise of the hotel barge trade has further limited the options. Jonge Jacob draws 1.00m.

Jonge Jacob in Port 2

Locks 
We had some difficulties with approaching locks downstream, particularly when the Mistral is blowing with any strength. The waiting pontoon for pleasure boats is often placed well down a narrow lock approach, often set back from the line of posts for commercials. I was not happy to commit to heading into a blind alley with the wind behind and the current under me unless I was sure that the lock gates would be open when I arrived, and nothing huge was coming out. On a couple of occasions there was something of a stand-off when the lock-keeper wanted me to approach against the red light and I explained that I would approach as soon as I could see that it was safe to do so.

Weather
Yes, I know it would be best to wait for fair weather before going down the Rhone, but like many yachtsmen we have a business to run and our cruising days are limited. However, the Rhone (or the Saone) in flood is a fearsome beast, and a strong Mistral can blow for days. Both must be treated with respect.

Ports
The ports at Auxonne and St Jean de Losne will be well known by many yachtsmen. H20 who run them are barge experts who can do what needs doing, though prices for work can be eye-wateringly expensive. You can find many other yachtsmen there to share expertise and ideas, including the very experienced British couple who run Auxonne.

Port 2 is a good choice for overwintering because it is so safe. The essential is to be out of the current in winter. (The marina pontoons at Avignon were washed away in winter floods a few years ago). Ariane runs it efficently and will contact you if there is a problem. She also runs a small restaurant on site in season. She speaks good English, French and German. There are frequent buses into Avignon, and to supermarkets. It is close to the motorway and surrounded by good vinyards. Chateauneuf du Pape is on the other bank.
Even though it is in an industrial setting with some barge loading nearby, it is low down, surrounded by trees. It is a good site for bird migration , and for kingfishers, heron, black kite etc
Ariane is very friendly, though she has some reason to be wary of British boats. One 50 foot launch "Suzi Anna*" was apparently abandoned by a British owner (she gives the name John Austin) and despite Arianne's reminders and efforts to pump water out, it sank. It still occupies one berth because it is too expensive for her to move it. Another British boat named Tootsie allegedly stayed for 3 months and then left without paying the bill.
*Suzi Anna was the very first Dagless Fleur de Lys. Keel laid 1958, launched 1960. Double diagonal iroko planking on oak, copper riveted. original BMC engines. Hull underwater covered in canvas skrim. 50 ft. Ariane would be thrilled if anyone out there wanted to take this historic vessel away!   Note 2019. This vessel has now been broken up and recycled at the Marina's expense, the owner not having been traced

2015 Sept-Oct The Saone Auxonne /St Jean de Losne to Lyon

Relaunch at St Jean de Losne

On 29th September, Jonge Jacob was relaunched after her refit. After eight days of waiting for work to finish, with Linda and David on board, and a full tank of fuel  (plus 30 litres in cans) we locked out of the Canal de Bourgogne  into the Saone once more to continue our journey.
We are under time pressure as we will need to return to Port-Vendres to look after the gite the following weekend. We hope we can make it to Lyon by then.

Leaving St Jean de Losne

There is little traffic on the river, a light current and only a few commercial barges and hotel boats. We now have a gearbox that works reliably (which makes locks less stressful) and are happy to be under way in the sunshine.  By 16h00 we have passed through the lock at Seurre and we push on southwards.

The pontoon at Gergy

 By 19h30 in the gathering gloom we find a safe pontoon at Gergy and moor up. With 41km covered since our lunchtime launch, we set  off to enjoy a beer.
 6 hrs 10 mins under way. 40.9km


The following day we get under way early at 07h30 and by 09h30 we have passed through the town of Chalon sur Saone. The river is wide, with only a small current flowing and the sun continues to shine.
After passing through the Ecluse de Dorme we arrive in Tournus at 13h15 and tie up at the town quay.      

The abbey at Tournus

Tied up in Macon with the lights of the town behind

We spend an hour exploring the ancient town centre, in particular the11th century romanesque abbey of St Philibert, with its cloisters and ancient mozaics. The town quay is very accessible and it would be a pity to pass by without stopping.
After a picnic lunch and a beer we get under way once more.




It is nearly 4 hours from Tournus to Macon, and as we approach we see that the river has been set out  for a major rowing regatta. The course is 2 km long.We cannot find  a mooring on the Macon side of the river, as work is under way on the quays, and so we seek out a small 30m pontoon on the other side, next to the St Laurent bridge. There is one 15m peniche there already, but there is just room for us ahead of him as night falls.This proves a good mooring because of the excellent views of the town, and also the Tete du Lard restaurant just next to the pontoon.
78km in the day.   9h30 mins

The bridge at Trevoux

 There are still nearly 80km to cover before Lyon where we hope to leave the boat for a couple of days.
We leave at 07h45 in calm conditions and with beautiful views. There are rather more hotel boats in evidence as we work our way south, but very few pleasure craft. We are comfortably making 9km/h with maybe 1 km/h of current under us.
By lunchtime we are passing through the picturesque town of Trevoux, then at 15h00 the Couzon lock, 20km from Lyon

Lyon comes into view

As we approach Lyon we study the guide carefully- there are a dozen bridges and constant bends in the river. The guide suggests there are several quays on which to moor, but as we pass them they are either full, or reserved for hotel boats, and as evening approaches we risk joining the Rhone without finding a mooring. I had downloaded a blog from the internet which mentioned a small marina at Confluence, just before the river junction. I ring up to enquire. The bad news: the marina is closed as from 1 October which is today. The good news: there is nobody there to take our money. We will give it a try.

Moored at the Confluence shopping centre.

The whole area of Confluence has recently undergone urban regeneration. The Marina was full, but there was access into an inner basin which is reserved for commercial tourist boats in season. So it was that Jonge Jacob, herself a hundred years ago a retail outlet for pots and pans in the Dutch waterways, was moored up for three days next to a brand new massive retail park, with 24hour security guards patrolling to keep her safe. Plus it was free, and an easy bus ride to the station to return to Port-Vendres! We go ashore for a beer and watch the international rugby match in a bar with an Australian skipper from a nearby barge.      78km run in 10 hours

Oct 2014 - September 2015 Auxonne

The marina at Auxonne is run by H20, real experts on barges based in St Jean de Losne, just a few km downstream. The marina was created in the past 10 years alongside the city walls of this historic military town with connections to Napoleon. We were well received and the boat was looked after when we were away.

De Jonge Jacob was in need of some serious maintenance and over the period from Oct 2013 to Sept 2015 David set to work.
Bilges were cleaned and painted with Owatrol CIP
The faulty 24v alternator was replaced
Areas of the wooden flooring was removed and replaced, and numerous other maintenance tasks undertaken.

In September 2015 the plan was to continue South, but the gearbox which had been fitful at best since we bought the boat, finally gave up, and just when we were ready to move on, the boat came out of the water at H20's yard in St Jean de Losne.
The engine was serviced, and after a week of waiting, the gearbox was replaced, as well as a new sterngland greaser.The starter relay was replaced as the plugs were not heating properly.
 At the same time while the boat was ashore, the boat underwater areas were cleaned, prepared and painted with two coats of Intertuf 203. 9 new anodes were fitted The rudder was removed and repaired with new bushes.The starter battery was replaced AGM Spiralee 75ah. The leeboard hydraulics were disassembled, but before this could be finished we needed to get underway (and pay a horrendous bill!)

De Jonge Jacob in Auxonne

Ashore in the H20 yard in St Jean de Losne for refit Sept 2015

Sept-Oct 2013 The Saone - Corre to Auxonne

At 08h15 on 30th September we motored gently out of Corre marina. On board were David & Linda, and our friends Peter & Sue.  The Saone is very
picturesque here, with many kingfishers, but it is narrow and bends need to be taken with care. Mercifully there is little commercial traffic. The locks are controlled by a hanging pole on a wire over the river. You have to catch the pole and twist it to start the preparation to enter the lock.The engine was running a little hot at first but soon settled down and we covered the 37km and 4 locks to Port-sur Saone without incident.



Port- sur-Saone is a pleasant town with a long quay and good access, though we could not find any electric points, which was a concern because the 24v alternator was not charging properly and we were losing battery power. (It later emerged that the mechanic at Corre had serviced the 12v alternator and not the 24v one!)




                                                                           The following day we faced two tunnels St Albin and Savoyeux, both around 650 metres. The river became a little wider, though the twisty passage through the Soing derevation is very narrow indeed. Not stopping for lunch we made good progress, though places to stop were few and far between, and after 69km in the gathering gloom we tied up next to a Swiss motor yacht, tying up to various bushes and rocks. Luckily it was a quiet night with no wind. Why has this beautiful sectlion of the Petite Saone not got any good mooring options? They could make so much more of this wonderful cruising ground.

The next day we motored on to Gray, intending to stop for a while, but it looked unappealing and we pushed on to Mantoche which is a pretty, old village with a good quay, cafes and shops. It is probably extremely busy in Summer, but in October you have it to yourself.  As the day wore on the river becomes much wider. Peter is now on the helm, unlikely to be surprised by an unexpected commercial on a sharp narrow bend.At 13h15 we enter Burgundy and by 18h30 we are approaching Auxonne where the boat will stay for the winter. By now we had little electrical power. We arrived at 19h00. 52km in the day- a total of 159km from Corre with 19 locks & two tunnels.

Winter 2012-2013

Jonge Jacob remained at Corre over the winter, with David returning in April 2013 for two days of maintenance work.
The cabin lights were changed to LED . The 24v batteries were replaced and we asked for the alternator to be serviced (more of this later)  The electrical fault on theleeboards was fixed, but there is now a leak in the hydraulics so still no leeboards!

The planned cruise for June 2013 was cancelled because of the death of David's father, so it was September before we returned to continue our journey down the Saone.

CORRE MARINA
We found  this to be a friendly and well-run marina. It is Swiss run, with many Swiss boats using the canal connection with the Rhone. The marina is well sheltered and boats are moored between posts so they float up and down in the Spring floods which can be considerable. There is a cafe/bar which we made good use of, and facilities ashore that were clean and well maintained.

The down side is that Corre has no public transport at all - no train and no bus.  The owner will collect and drop you at the nearest station on request. It is a very long drive from anywhere, and if you come by car you still have to collect it  later  by public transport .

2012 Centenary Cruise Week 4 Canal de Vosges - Charmes to Corre - Saône

The Canal de Vosges runs for125km from Neuves Maisons, near Nancy, to Corre at the upper navigable limit of the Saône, rising steadily to an height of over 330 metres, with 46 locks. After an excellent meal in Charmes, which did much to lift our spirits, we continued up the locks towards Epinal, a port we were unable to visit when we passed in 2005 as the water was too shallow for the boat we were then in. The Vosges was a textile producing area, and intermittently along the canal there were abandoned mill buildings, as well as attractive towns such as Thaon les Vosges.

At 1630 we arrived at the canal branch leading to Epinal, only to find it closed because of lack of water. There had been no mention of this at any of the preceding locks, or in discussions with VNF staff, or on the VNF web list of closures.. It seems everyone knew – except us! Once again we were forced to pass on, spending the night between locks next to an industrial estate instead of the attractive port we had imagined.

After the storm - Chaumousey Pontoon

As morning broke, so did the weather. Colin had to return to Luxembourg, while despite the wind and showers we decided to push on up the lock flight in search of a more attractive mooring. As the rain cleared, the wind increased further, and manoeuvring a flat bottomed boat into narrow locks became increasingly difficult. Once on the top we encountered gale force gusts which slowed us to under 2km/h and threatened to drive us into the banks and overheat the engine, and so we decided to tie up for a while until the worst was over, moving on to the quieter mooring at Chaumousey in the early evening. The restaurant was closed, and David bashed his nose on his bike. Not our best day.

Stranded at Selles

Now only three days from the Saône, we pushed on through driving rain for the next day and a half, relieved only by another excellent restaurant (Le Moulin de Battembroise at Charmois l'Orgeuilleux), and a lunch at the Auberge de Coney . After weeks of not being able to find anywhere to stop, we were beginning to find it much easier, probably because of the fleets of hire boats based on the canal, like the ones at the historic village of Fontenoy le Chateau where we stopped for the night. Next day - our last - a gentle thirty kilometres and six locks to Corre. As we motored along the beautiful canal, with woodland and marshy edges, we spotted a Great White Egret just before the log moved on to 1000km for the trip. At lunchtime we stopped at Selles, and visited the brasserie just past the swing bridge. While we were there a thunderstorm broke, and unknown to us, 2 km further on a tree fell across the river Coney, bringing down the power lines and cutting the electricity. So it was that after leaving Selles we found ourselves stranded next to an automated lock that was out of action for the next eighteen hours, only a few km from our destination! We ate the last of our food and went to bed.

Corre - On the Saône at last

The following morning as the fog cleared, the lights reappeared on the lock. One hour later we were using the quant pole to reverse De Jonge Jacob into her berth at Corre Marina. Then chicken and chips, pack up the boat, arrange the train home, (with much help from the Swiss Marina owners). After 1027 km and 240 locks we had finally reached the Saône.

The Marina at Corre

AFTERWORD

I know that a few of the readers of this journal are planning to make their own trips in the future, so here are one or two tips I can pass on.

Fuel – was a problem throughout the trip. We only saw working diesel pumps next to the canals on the first and last days of this trip. Usually this meant taking a bike to a garage and transporting fuel in 20 litre containers. Without a bike, or a sack barrow, we would have been stuck.

Maintenance – It was a problem to get repairs done under way. With our 24volt batteries not charging properly we had to make do without bow thruster, autohelm, fridge etc and save current for lighting and the log. The batteries were working when we left, but in the Marina they are not subjected to the loads encountered on a trip without regular shorepower.. Luckily I did have a spare fan belt when it broke.

Services. In Northern France the canals were mainly adapted for large commercial barges. We seldom found facilities for smaller boats (under 35 metres). Very few showers, toilets, electricity, food or fuel. Bollards, if any, were 40 metres apart. After 15 September the few facilities that existed were often closed. Take your chances for shopping, food, fuel, showers etc when you see them. There probably won't be something better round the corner.

Equipment. We made sure we had two large (50cm) round fenders before we left. We could have done with two more, one on each quarter. On the way we lost one smaller fender and another was damaged. We did not use barge boards to avoid them scratching the leeboards, so fenders take a lot of punishment. We also bought a couple of extra 15 metre mooring lines. We bought two folding bikes which were excellent.(Apollo Transition from Halfords). Often moorings are one or two km from shops, villages etc, and bikes allow you to see more of the country. (See also fuel) A couple of large metal stakes and a sledgehammer would have come in useful on occasions for improvised moorings.

Information. Research the web before you go. Times of lock working etc change a good deal. Our books were often out of date and it is hard to find information under way. A French road map also gives you a good idea of sizes of towns.

Internet. We have a French 3G connection which was useful when it worked.

Time. Most things take longer than you think. The whole trip took a week longer than I had estimated. You simply cannot be in a hurry, and mishaps like lock breakdowns, barge traffic delays, power cuts etc just have to be accepted, since there is no alternative.

Overall, a successful and enjoyable voyage. We have learned much more about handling the boat There have been very few breakages and we have been able to get on with maintenance jobs on the way. We now look forward to exploring our new cruising grounds over the next few years.

2012 Centenary Cruise Week Meuse - Mouzon to Charmes

Fog on the Meuse

A quiet mooring

Monday dawns with thick fog. As we move out of Mouzon there is a foredeck watch and a top speed of 3km/h. Over the next hour it burns off to a clear, sunny Autumn day, a chance to do some painting jobs under way. David clears rust spots and repaints at the bow. Nick tackles the brasswork around the saloon door. The Northern section of the Canal de L'Est runs for 270km mostly along the River Meuse (of which we are doing 176km), among woods and farmland with more kingfishers to the km than anywhere I know. Monday night finds us at the Halte Nautique at Dun sur Meuse, with electricity, water and a SHOWER! Luxury. 

Bird spots include. sparrowhawk, stonechat, great grey shrike, red kite and many buzzards. As we follow the ridges to the South, there are more and more graveyards as we approach Verdun. Nick cycles to the memorials of the battles at Verdun in the 1914-18 war. We overnight on the town quay at Verdun. Linda has raspberry beer and we meet yet another eccentric restauranteur in a riverside Pizzeria.

 

Verdun Moorings on the quay

Working the non-automated locks

                                     

         

The locks between Verdun and St Mihiel are not automated and we are accompanied by a lock-keeper who could be our friend Max's twin brother. We found a launderette in St Mihiel, fuelled up from a garage, and said farewell to Nick who was off to London to exchange a berth on Jonge Jacob for a hotel in Park Lane! Progress was slowed by two broken locks the next day. As “Max” said (in French) “that's the way the pot heats up”. As a result we did not reach Troussey, and were stuck next to a cement factory for the night, before leaving the Meuse down a steep flight of locks to Toul. This section was made more stressful by the knowledge that there was a large commercial barge coming up. Luckily we did not meet him on the blind corner, where we hooted twice, very loudly. Here we were joined by an ex-colleague, Colin, for a couple of days, as we moved up the Moselle for a short stretch (broad still waters and wooded edges followed by the industrial wasteland of Neuves Maisons). Still behind on our schedule we raced up the first 15 locks of the Canal des Vosges, only to be trapped at 1800, two locks short of Charmes. Undaunted, we tied to a tree, and walked into town for a shower at a camp site and a real three course meal in town. Now that we are on the Canal des Vosges we have to climb to the summit ahead of us, and we have 260km to go to St Jean de Losne. It is looking more likely that we will stop at Corre, where we reach the Saône in 100hkm, and finish off later in the Autumn. We will have been on the move for four weeks, our VNF pass will run out and other duties are calling.