River Haute-Seine (Route Bourbonnais)
Information about the 48km of wide - and busy - Haute-Seine (Upper Seine) waterway, from Paris (PK170 at the Isle de la Cite) to the junction with the Canal de Loing at Saint-Mammes. There are 7 large ecluses (locks).
See also general notes (foot of page).
Basic Information
- Approximate minimum depth 2.20m, headroom 5.20m, width 11m.
- VNF sub-division contact telephone number (Melun) 01 64 83 50 00
PK170 Central Paris
Eastwards beyond the Paris Arsenal port de plaisance one encounters a wide river busy with commercial traffic, the Bibliotheque Mitterand and then, at Charenton (after 5km) the divergence between the River Seine and the River Marne.
PK110 Melun
Commercial traffic diverts to the left (south) of the island, plaisanciers may find quiet moorings to the right (north)
PdP 01 64 37 00 21
PK147 Dreveil
PdP Port des Cerises (photo by Bruno Chanal: work in progress on new facilities, Jan 2010 - Yacht Club Chartrette)
PK101 Chartrettes
Port de Plaisance 06 08 57 10 95 by the lock. Railway stations in the town with good connections to Paris.
PK93 Samois-sur-Seine
Halte - water and electricity 01 64 69 54 69
PK90 Avon
PdP 01 64 38 31 02 or 06 11 07 70 49 west bank
PK81 St Mammes
Port de Plaisance on the River Seine, at the junction with the Canal du Loing
01 60 74 44 00 water and electricity.
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.
