Canal lateral a l'Oise + River Oise
Information about the 117km of canal from Pont l'Eveque to Janville and river from Janville to Conflans St-Honorine on the River Seine. This is a Grand Gabarit waterway that is quite busy with large commercial peniches and push-tows.
(below photo: Christian Duclairoir) Locks (ecluses) are often configured as side-by-by side chambers with a mid-channel dividing wall that extends out well beyond the ecluse. Binoculars are useful to check from a distance which lights on which chamber are giving the appropriate signals to wait or proceed.
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See also general notes (foot of page).
Basic Information
- Approximate TE minimum depth 2.50m, TA headroom 3.9m, width 5m. Pleasure craft are unlikely to experience dimensional difficulties - the most significant problem relates to the size of passing commercial vessels: the wake and wash that they produce (this is greatest when they are empty and travelling faster) and which affects smaller craft on the water or moored alongside the canal banks. Taking care, setting mooring lines sensibly, using fenders and other protective measures are all important.
- The nature of the waterway and the relatively small number of locks means that good progress can be made, but anticipate delays at locks, where commerce always takes priority.
- This is a Blue Flag waterway where vessels must show a blue flag, board or flashing light to indicate that they are taking the 'wrong' side of the canal.
- VNF contact telephone number 01 40 58 29 99 (Pontoise) 03 44 83 85 00 (Compiegne).
PK18 Pont l'Eveque- Canal du Nord
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Halte just inside a spur branch off the Lateral canal, at the junction. Water and electricity 03 44 44 80 20. Numbers of commercial barges also use the spur. (photo David Evernden)
PK31 / River Oise PK104 - Longueil-Annel / Janville
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A major barge centre, barges moored everywhere. Halte nautique? (unverified, possibly just quayside of which there is a lot).
PK99 River Aisne - Junction
PK98 Compiegne
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PdP in a small basin off the canal after the railway bridge (above right is the entrance) (photos : Seagipsy). 1.2m depth but soft mud under. 03 44 40 08 52. Or quayside moorings. Chandlery in the town. Fuel barge? (unverified)
Huge impressive chateau (rebuilt 1949) and terrific gothic town hall.
PK92 Jaux
Restaurant Halte "Relais du Port", shallow (1.1m) 06 81 35 29 72
PK59 Creil
Quayside moorings.
PK46 Boran-sur-Oise
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Attractive little town - alongside pontoons. (photo: lounnas)
PK41 Beaumont-sur-Oise
Pontoons downstream from the main bridge.
PK34 L'Isle Adam
Pontoon with electricity and water downstream from the ecluse and island, shops.
PK15 Pontoise
Pontoon near the railway bridge.
PK10 Cergy
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Excellent recommended Port de Plaisance, also suitable for over-wintering. 01 34 24 11 77 www.portcergy.com
PK0 Conflans Sainte-Honorine - River Seine Junction
Busy barge centre - many, many barges. There are no facilities particularly suited to plaisanciers.
Click here for information about the River Seine.
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.
