Canal de Montech à Montauban
Information about the 11km of canal from the Canal de Garonne at Montech to Montauban, on the River Tarn. The canal - properly called the Canal de Montech à Montauban - is short, passing through fairly flat countryside but is also very attractive and has been comprehensively restored and improved in recent years.
There are 10 easy ecluses (maximum 3m rise/fall) along its length, operated by a remote control that is available at the first ecluse above Lacourt-St-Pierre. (VNF 05 63 64 73 04 or 06 62 99 48 02 or 06 62 99 49 58) A final, deep, ecluse provides access onto the River Tarn but has been out of commission for a number of years. There are reliable plans to re-open it (and the 5 associated Montauban/Tarn ecluses) and thus to provide a river route to Moissac.
See also general notes (foot of page).
Basic Information
- Approximate minimum depth 1.60m, headroom 3.7m, width 5.45m. These are the 'book' values and may vary according to conditions.
- The canal carries no commercial traffic.
- The speed limit is 8kph, 3kph past moored boats.
PK0 Canal de Garonne Junction (Montech)
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The photograph shows (left) the top gates of the highest of the flight of Canal de Garonne ecluses at Montech, (centre) the entrance to the water slope (used only by commercial and tripper craft) and (right) the bridge over the Montauban Canal.
For the Canal de Garonne (at Montech) click here.
PK3 Lacourt-Saint-Pierre
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A small, pretty village with an excellent quayside mooring - water and electricity (05 63 65 80 03 or Mairie - 05 63 67 49 31). Epicierie in the village. Big 19thC chateau.
Just beyond Lacourt, the 'home mooring' of Barbara and Alsdair Wylie's superb hotel barge "Saint-Louis".
PK11 Montauban
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An historic and beautiful town, Montauban, the birthplace of Ingres, lies on the River Tarn, which is prone to winter deluges. The photo, bottom right, shows the Pont Vieux (completed 1335) which has large arched openings above the bridge spans, to allow extreme flood waters to pass through. In the centre of the photo, the Musee Ingres has a huge number of his paintings and was originally the castle of the English Black Prince.
The PdP is new (2008) and includes a hire boat base. 05 63 20 55 24. Its location is pleasant, public, but feels safe. The town is a fairly easy 10-15min walk away, but the route does include one very low and smelly tunnel under the adjacent railway line. Or alternatively take the rather vertiginous stone steps by the Tarn lock, under the railway and out by the gorgeous (but peeling) Art Deco Club d'Aviron.
Notes
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.
