Canal du Centre (Route Bourbonnais)
Information about the 112km Canal du Centre (completed 1792) from Digoin to Chalon-sur-Saone, with 61 ecluses along its length. There is little commercial traffic (there is some) and the canal, which is winding and passes through some thickly wooded countryside has parts that are very beautiful - although the northern/western half is judged the better half.
See also general notes (foot of page).
Basic Information
Approximate minimum depth 1.80m, headroom 3.5m, width 5m. These are the 'book' values and may vary according to conditions. Navigating the canal should not present insurmountable difficulties to normal pleasure craft and the Bourbonnais (Seine-Loing-Briare-Loire-Centre canals) it is one of the recommended routes from the Channel to the Mediterranean. It is usually reliably and well supplied with water. This may alter during and after long hot summers - the route is then not as dependable as the eastern (Champagne) route.
- Speed limit 8kph. Reckon on 3-4kph overall for a day's travel including ecluses, or count ecluses and times by half-an-hour each.
- Some locks fill right 'to the brim' and beyond and this means you must have protection down at the waterline and into the water. Fenders must 'paddle' and/or use fender boards to keep from floating up and/or use tyres. See Protection.
- Check your engine cooling water filter frequently - weed, leaves and boué in the water and on the bed can get stirred up as you pass and especially as you go up or down in the lock. See Clogged.
- VNF sub-division contact telephone number: 03 85 67 90 50 (Montceau les Mines).
PK114 Digoin
PdP 03 85 88 97 26 - water, electricity and services
PK102 Paray-le-Monial
Halte with water and electricity, noisy road nearby but attractive historic village with impressive basilica by the canal.
PK85 Palinges
Small Halte
PK81 Genelard
Halte water, electr 03 85 79 20 74
PK65 Montceau-les-Mines
PdP 03 85 69 00 00 - water electricity, services - possibly noisy. A pleasant town, albeit a former (ceased in 1992) coal-mining one.
Note
Locks in this area are deep, with floating bollards, and operated by a pull-cord at the far end of the ecluse. If an accompanying eclusier is not present to pull the cord it can be tricky to bring the boat forward in the lock, pull the cord and then reverse to pick up the (probably single) bollard before the ecluse starts filling and life becomes exciting. Some ecluses fill 'to the brim', which makes fendering difficult.
PK61 Blanzy
Halte, water+elect 03 85 68 00 99
PK51 Montchanin
Montchanin Marine- boat mechanic Jeff Renel (at the former Crown Blue Line hire boat base) 06 33 43 20 42. Boatyard harbour.
PK45 Saint-Julien-sur-Dheune
(photo: www.letabatha.net)
PK33 Saint-Leger-sur-Dheune
PdP operated by Locaboat 03 85 98 03 03 - Inner harbour shallow 0.8-1.1m and possibly limited in space. Fairly pleasant village. 'Au P'tit Kir' restaurant by the canal is recommended.
PK26 Cheilly
Halte water 3 places quai
PK25 Santenay
Halte - water only 03 80 20 60 32. Many opportunities to taste and buy excellent Pinot Noir Burgundy wines . . .
PK20 Chagny
Halte 03 85 91 29 64 water only - noisy tile works nearby.
PK16 Rully
Halte 03 85 87 20 32 water only, quai
PK8 Fragnes
Halte - mooring with water and electricity - pleasant small village.
PK4 Restaurant l'Embarcadère on a bridge over the canal.
Mooring - some rumours that fuel may be available in the future.
PK0 Chalon-sur-Saone
The photograph shows the deep ecluse down to the River Saone, from the river side.
Notes
The information about the Bourbonnais Route canals has been gleaned from many different sources, including personal accounts of travels, moorings, etc. but not (yet) from our own personal experience. Accordingly, Grehan very much welcomes your comments, corrections, suggestions and additions.
PK = Kilometre distance mark, as printed in waterway guides and found as actual signposts (occasionally) on the waterways.
PdP = Port de Plaisance (inland pleasure port/marina/mooring). Halte (nautique) = mooring place/pontoon. Ecluse (Sas in Normandy - 'sas' means 'chamber') = lock. Peniche = barge.
TE (tirant d'eau) = Depth. Check actual depths! The 'book' canal depth is in the channel centre, edges will be less and you may have a problem coming alongside so be careful. Tuck your nose in first and if necessary keep the stern (where the vulnerable prop is) poking out. There is often a shallow bar just outside the lower gate of an ecluse.
VNF SINGLE NUMBER - The VNF have introduced a nationwide single telephone point of access for making lock arrangements, etc and notify breakdowns and other emergencies - 0800 863 000 - you will almost certainly need to understand and speak a certain amount of French.
Contact Grehan >top of page<This is an information guide - it is not a substitute for a waterways pilot book, nor is it meant to be. We strongly recommend obtaining a pilot book for each river or canal you travel. The information here results from direct personal experience cruising the waterways from north to south and east to west; and/or has also been gleaned from a number of sources and accounts. Photographs by Grehan; some other photographs by permission, or in the public domain; if we have inadvertently breached any copyrights, please contact us. Grehan's own photographs may be available for re-use, please contact us for permission.
