Through the French Canals

[chris4753]

I have just become the proud owner of a 42DS. I plan to take her from England to the Med next summer, and would like to take her through the canals.
The blurb says she has a draft of 2.13m.
Does anyone have any suggestion as to a route, and any other advice?
This is my first post on the forum.

[MalcolmP]

Hi Chris

Welcome to the Forum. Your draft sounds like it will be quite a limitation - I have seen 1.6 max quoted for most of the main routes. There are quite a lot of books and guides around now, we are vaguely thinking that when we eventually get to do a trip to the Med we will go outside on the way down so we can see the Spanish Rias and Portugal then come back via the canals - but at the moment I would be too concerned about getting bashed and scrapped in the inland waters -

Let us know what you decide

Malcolm

[tomina]

Notwithstanding the prams, bicycles and old car parts that block the smaller canals and make the depth even less 1.6mt really is the max in a 42 the only way is round the outside. This can be a wondeful slow journey close round the coast which can easily take a season, alternatively Ushant and straight down to somewhere in Spain or Portugal is your best bet say 4/6 days no problem!! Merry Christmas Tomina

[MalcolmP]

Going outside also avoids the inevitable expense and hassle of shipping the mast as it would be an embarrassment to say the least on deck (stepped or otherwise) ;D ;D

[grantgoulding]

I will be posting a report on my recent trip from Ipswich to the Algarve which might be of interest. With regard to getting to the med I would suggest, good weather permitting, you can reasonably expect to get from England to say the Costa in Spain in say three to four weeks. You can do it in stages of course. We managed to get from Ipswich to the Algarve in two weeks with a four stops in between.
Grant