Navigation on River Seine

[bobsadler]

can anyone tell me how far a sailboat could travel up the seine before the mast would have to be unstepped (loa 42ft/12.80m, draws 6ft/1.83, top of mast 65ft/19.82m above w.l.)

thanks

[bobsadler]

i guess i should have said: "river seine, france"

[cagney]

I have no personal experience of this, but using OpenCPN and CM93/3 - 2009 I found the first fixed bridge in Rouen with only 8m vertical clearance. It is situated 243 km from Paris at approximately
N 49 26.4 x E 1 04.85 .
No guarantees that this is correct .

Thomas

[bobsadler]

rouen is apparently as far as ocean going ships go up river so that adds up

thanks

[George Wade]

River Seine Cruising Guide If it may help anyone?

River Seine Cruising Guide



Publisher: Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson Ltd.

ISBN: 9780852882894

Date: 1996

Series: Imray Waterways Guide

Format: Paperback, A5, 85 pp



Our price £9.95

[osirissail]

I have always dreamed of taking my sailboat up to Paris, France. There are two marinas in downtown Paris. But you need to take down your mast to get there. There are dedicated companies in the Le Havre just to take down masts and prepare them for on-deck storage or to ship them to Marseille or where you want when you exit the inland-canal system of Europe. Many years ago when I was rebuilding my boat I looked up the lowest fixed bridge in the River Seine and it was in downtown Paris. The bridge had a max height above water of about 12.5 feet at high water so I made sure my "de-masted" boat height was 12 feet. I still dream of staying in one of the downtown marinas.

[MacG]

To get your mast down and stored on deck is quite easy, many marina's around the Seine Estuary do have the equipment to fix that. You may go as far as Paris. There is one marina close to the Gare d'Austerlitz, this is as far as you may come down town. With the metro you are 10 minutes away from the center. You may proceed after that in the South bound direction, provide your draft does not exceed 5'and something.
VNF (Voies Navigables de France) is working very hard to increase the draft and it is said that i will go soon to 2 metres.

The free headspace to clear bridges is about 3.20 metres, depending on waterlevel.

[George Wade]

Originally Posted by MacG

To get your mast down... is quite easy, ... You may go as far as Paris. There is one marina close to the Gare d'Austerlitz, this is as far as you may come down town. With the metro you are 10 minutes away from the center. .....
The free headspace to clear bridges is about 3.20 metres, depending on waterlevel.

My memories of Paris include plates of special delight: a delicate slice of mountain goat ham, not big and ugly; smoked and dried on Mt Blanc with local herbs, sauted & served with secret Savoyard sauces, decorated with half a date from paradise: $250 + taxes & tip. Much better memories were of the music and galleries; bookshops. Even better memories are of leaving the city each evening; retreating to a quiet suburb: then at least breakfast would be big and reasonable. The market places too.

I still love the countryside: best at lunch time. Taking a whole autumn from Paris to Marseille would be paradise, with reasonable taxes and tips.

[Grehan]

You would be able to get to the new pleasure harbour at Rouen, mast up. Unfortunately there are no mast un-stepping facilities there. Unstep at Le Havre or Honfleur, then proceed. Information on all three places and the trip up the Seine, on the Grehan website.

>> I have posted a 'hello I'm new' message here, with information and a link to the Grehan French Waterways information website <<

Full information on depths and air drafts - www.tagweb.co.uk/grehan/-vnf-guide.html#map

[bobsadler]

many thanks for the info

[swagman]

Hi Bob,
We rented a plastic bumper type cruiser on the Canal de Nivernais in central France a year back. Absolutely lovely week meandering along at 5 knots and found most local restaurants serving evening 'haute cuisine' meals for 20 euros per head.
Enjoy your trip.
JOHN

[osirissail]

- - Yes that is one of the hazards of cruising the French canals. You need to be sure that the rental boat is rated for at least twice your starting weight - asin, when you get to end of your cruise of the canals you just might be twice the weight that you started.

[Eric50]

Another information to know about the Seine river, specially at its mouth, is the tidal stream speed that can be very strong (up to 7 or 8 knots...) and difficult to manage for (sail)boats with small power engines.

Actually, due to the lack of possible stopover until Rouen, you need to ensure having sufficent power from you engine to go against the tidal stream and not disturb the traffic.

This has to be taken in account while planning such journey, although a lot of sailing boats have done it already of course.

[Grehan]

Passages up the river (from Honfleur or Le Havre) need to be planned to take advantage of the long period of flood tide to get to Rouen, rather than anticipating ploughing against an ebb tide. There are very few opportunities to moor on that journey, and none of those are at all comfortable, due to passing vessels.

Another factor is the frequency of mists and fogs on the lower reaches.
But, as has been said, many craft make the passage without incident.

Specific information on the Honfleur, Le Havre, le Seine and the Tancarville canal here.