French Canals: TIGHT QUARTERS
Distant Shores TV
Join award-winning documentary filmmakers Paul and Sheryl Shard as they manage their first hybrid-powered aluminum flagship, Distant Shores IV, in Bermuda in 2026.
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While work continues on the build of our Enksail Orion 49 aluminum sailboat, we take the opportunity to do some canal boat cruising on the French Canals where we demonstrate boat handling techniques for tight quarters such as locks and narrow channels. We visit picturesque towns and a unique winery as we navigate through beautiful countryside. On this cruise, we charter a 50-foot (15 metre) Penichette 1500FB canal boat for 2 weeks and show you the experience of bareboat chartering in France as we travel the tranquil Nivernais route out and back from Joigny.
#frenchwaterways #bareboatchartering #locaboat
00:00 Intro
01:06 Locaboat Base briefing
02:35 Do you need a license to operate canal boat in France?
03:35 Canal routes across France from north through Paris to Mediterranean
04:39 Tying up at Auxerre
05:17 Entering narrow Nivernais Canal narrow
06:42 French Canals – 8000 km of canals
07:46 Powerboat handling in narrow spaces – how-to
10:21 Winery in a Cave – Bailly Lapierre
11:10 Very narrow French Canals
13:03 Lock Operator works swing bridge
13:33 French bakery search
14:19 Conclusion
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Resources We Used
French-Waterways.com for route planning, info on permits, charter companies, cruise guides –
VNF – Voies navigables de France (Navigable waterways of France) is the National Office of Navigation and manages France’s inland waterway network. Notices to skippers and other info – https://www.vnf.fr/vnf/
“Waterways Guide: Bourgogne Nivernais” by Editions du Breil – https://editionsdubreil.com/en
Distant Shores Season 9 – French Canals, Morocco, Canary Islands, ARC Rally, Southern Caribbean – https://vimeo.com/ondemand/distantshorestv9
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Gifts for Sailors!
Own the Whole Distant Shores Collection All 157 full half-hour ad-free episodes of the Distant Shores Sailing Adventure TV series are available as HD downloads and also on DVD through the Distant Shores website. Get the whole set which is perfect for binge-watching, curing the blues and also makes a great gift for the sailor in your life! (Episodes on the French Canals can be found in Season 9.) Info and order here:
https://distantshores.ca/sailingdvds/downloads/
https://distantshores.ca/sailingdvds/catalog/
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Special Thanks to:
Locaboat Holidays – https://www.locaboat.com/en/
James Newcombe – https://www.french-waterways.com/
Voies Navigables de France (VNF) – https://www.vnf.fr/vnf/
The Caves of Bailly Lapierre Sparkling Wines – http://www.bailly-lapierre.fr/en
Members of the Distant Shores Cruising Club whose support make these videos possible – https://www.patreon.com/distantshorestv
Partners:
BRNKL Yacht Security & Monitoring – https://www.brnkl.io/
Brunton’s Propellers – https://www.bruntonspropellers.com/
Seldén Mast / Furlex – https://www.seldenmast.com/
Lewmar: https://www.lewmar.com/
Raymarine: https://www.raymarine.com/
Scanstrut: https://www.scanstrut.com/
Navionics Charts – https://www.navionics.com/
Oceanskies Yacht Registration – https://www.oceanskies.com/yachts/
Gebroeders van Enkhuizen Boatbuilders – https://gebrvanenkhuizen.nl/?lang=en
Enksail Yachts – https://gebrvanenkhuizen.nl/?lang=en
Satellite Yacht Design – https://www.yacht-design.nl/
KB Alubouw – https://www.kbalubouw.nl
KB Alufrees – https://kbalufrees.nl
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Sail Away Weeks – Come Sail with Us!
For several weeks each year, we run Sail Away Weeks in beautiful destinations – this year in France, the British Virgin Islands and the Netherlands – to introduce new sailors to the sailing and boating lifestyle and to help experienced sailors and boaters build their skills. Come aboard and explore some of the world’s top sailing destinations with us for an unforgettable vacation! A wonderful gift for someone special. For information on upcoming Sail Away Weeks see…
https://distantshores.ca/sailaway-weeks/schedule/
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You can also connect with us on:
WEBSITE: https://DistantShores.tv
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/DistantShoresTV
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/DistantShoresTV
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DistantShoresTV
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/DistantShoresTV
BUSINESS INQUIRIES: [email protected]
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Thank you for watching!
Sheryl and Paul
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