Canal de la Meuse

Thanks James.  There was an AVIS about trees on that stretch a few weeks ago but it has since been closed - do you know if it is passable now - we are 1,1 meters deep and raw water cooled. 

The status of this part of the riiver seems to change a couple of times each week.  When we were there 2 years ago there was no real way of knowing if you could get through.  That time we made it as far as sedan before we had to turn back.   Would be great to hear from someone who has made it through in the past couple of months.

Tim

Thank you for this information.
I know the exit towards toul is completely weeded over so as for the rest it will be interesting to hear from anyone who has actually used the canal along the full length. 

Looks like its open again with a limit of 1.5 from Ponta bar to Verdun and 1.4 from there to Toul.  We may go that way and get to the mosel for a loop back on the Rhine to NL.  Is anyone currently on the upper Meuse.

Tim

River now closed from PK99 at Donchery all the way up. Discovered this as we were cruising up to Donchery.  Now hiding in the end of the Ardennes. 
Flow didn't feel especially strong but I defer to those who know the Meuse well 
 

Hi all

Navi still thinks 3570 applies too. Can anyone venturing there/seeing an éclusier(re) let us all know whether it it open or not? Would save diverting if it is open again as seems probable.

Regards
Chris

Looks like it is closed again between pk 254 and 260 on the southern end near commercy due to trees clocking the canal.

FR/2024/04989 

Hi Tim

It is pretty easy at the moment as we are heading downstream. Flow is brisk rather than fast despite last night's rains with more to come. Locks seemed to have one boat in each direction so minimal wait.  Turn around and mooring was easy, just ferry glided in.This based on short segment between CdArdennes and Lumes. Head down to Charleville today to try our luck in obtaining a mooring. Will leave there on Tuesday.

I assume Dinant wonderful?

Ardennes was ok, diesel 1€98 per litre at Pont à Bar pump, and was full on Saturday (rentals?). Usual issues with doors in some locks below St Aignan tunnel, there seemed to be an issue with one bief around 15 in the Montgon staircase with a low level, the éclusier checked our draft. Hopefully temporary and due to a stuck vanne rather than a chute/fuite, not seen an Avis, two or three stuck or non responding doors, they seem to know the trouble spots and showed up as we discovered them. Weed evident but being mown below Rethel, Chocolat did not struggle, cleared propeller about 6 times total. As we are having a delivery type run to our new northern base, we did not really stop much, long days and just hurried through (from Sept-Saulx above Billy tunnel, stopped at Variscourt, Attigny, Le Chesne). 

Hope to spot you as we cross, will leave the new radio on and see if it works!

Regards
Chris

 

We are also below you at dinant.  Le us know what it is like as we have one option to keep.on the Meuse and take the mosel back to the Rhine or take the canal de Ardennes and make a loop back north to friesland for the end of the season.

We're below you at Joigny. Unlikely to catch you up as we're the slowest boat on the river
 

Hi Rob

And as predicted we entered Canal de la Meuse above Sedan today!

Cheers
Chris

Meuse now open throughout as of this morning.  Avis attached.  Depth 1.4m
Good work by VNF 

Hi Mike

You probably know but getting close to resolution, 03570 replaced with FR/2024/04732 (4 biefs to go écluse 10 to 14 and 19.3km)

Regards
Chris

Hi Rob

quite right.
Meuse still closed to navigation near Verdun.

Cheers
Chris
PS my prediction is that it will re open to navigation the day we get back onto the Meuse above Sedan.





 

There do seem to be mixed messages on the state of various bits of the French Meuse.  We know of one member who was recently turned back downstream at Mouzon.
Yesterday's 'bulletin d'information' contained a useful summary of where VNF have got to.  Here's a (machine) translation:

On the Meuse Canal, thanks to the mowing and dredging work carried out this month of June, the Meuse Canal is once again open to navigation between Stenay and Verdun and between Troussey and Saint-Mihiel.
Dredging and mowing work is underway between Verdun and Saint-Mihiel with the aim of opening a navigation channel at 1.4 m in this sector in July. Between Troussey and St-Mihiel, mowing work is coming very soon. In the meantime, the presence of invasive plants is restricting navigation in this sector.
Consequently, the state of the route is as follows on 21 June:
▪ from lock no. 1 at Troussey to lock no. 10 at Saint-Mihiel, navigation resumes with anchorage limited to 1.40 m; the plants present are significantly hampering navigation;
▪ from lock no. 10 to lock no. 19 in Verdun, navigation stop;
▪ from lock no. 19 to lock no. 39 in Donchery, anchoring is limited to 1.50 m;
▪ from lock no. 39 to lock no. 58 in Trois-Fontaines, anchoring is limited to 1.70 m.

Rob

Hi Mick

Big oops, 03750 refers to the Yonne!

03570 is the avis of interest and was listed on 16 May, 9 days after 03279. 

Regards
Chris

Hi Mick

There were 2 arrêts de navigation, 03750 and 03279.

03279 has just been closed but our Navi shows it as red. The closure notice is 2024/04415.

The depth was increased on a second notice 2024/04451 between pk204.226 and 99.611 to 1.5m

I think 03750 is ongoing ("Permanent") as I have not seen a fin d'atterissement. It was issued a bit later, the interval may give us a clue as to when we can expect/hope for resolution.

Regards
Chris

Hi Mick

Coming from south, need to enter Meuse above Verdun due to closures from silting needing dredging. You could look
at canal des Ardennes to get above the closures. There are threads following those coming from the east (Nancy/Toul) on this site IIRC who have the same issue.

VNF avis de la battelerie is your friend although not intuitive/reliable. Closure FR/2024/03570, between pk 241,610 (écluse n°10 de Saint Mihiel) and pk 204,370 (écluse n°19 de Verdun).  The search is using entity Nord-Est and waterway Canal de la Meuse. Sadly, you often end up with a non filtered avis to sort through.
 
Navi may show them too depending on zoom but always consult avis (referred to in Navi) as sometimes old ones are not removed properly from the database that Navi relies upon.

cheers
Chris

I am currently on the western end of the Canal de la Marne, trying to decide if I should chance heading East to pick up and head north on the Canal de la Meuse.
I've heard various stories today about closures and shallow water. I only draw 0.85m, but it's the perceived closures that concern me.
Does anyone know the reality?

Thanks
Mick Anderson