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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2018 19:29:48 GMT
Just sitting on a houseboat on the Seine near Paris today (St Cloud) and spotted this rather large hotel boat. Then saw 3 more passing. The wheelhouse "cabin pilotage" is hydraulically lowerable to enable the vessel to pass under bridges. what a beast. came from Strasbourg it would seem.  The boat in front (moored) is a 38m peniche - just shows how huge these things are. I can't help thinking these types of boat must be having a negative impact on smaller hotel boat operators. I suppose as they are so long it means they can't do the ordinary Freycinet canals in a similar way that a wide beam can't use the narrow canals in Englandland. |
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Post by bargemast on Aug 5, 2018 20:37:48 GMT
If you're at St.Cloud, you must go to the passerrelle d'Avre to see all the shorthened barges that are moored there. The "Renoir" that you pictured belongs to the biggest passengerboat company of France (and possibly Europe) "CroisiEurope" based in Strasbourg. These big barges are built in Belgium at Chantier Meuse&Sambre at Beez near Namur. I went to the launch of their first 110m x 11M40 boat, many years ago where I met the guy who started this very successful family business Mr.Schmitter, now the 3th generation of his family is involved in it too, and they have boats everywhere. But as they believe that there's still a market for canal hotel-barges too, after having bought 1 fairly new secondhand barge "Jeanine", they had 4 brand new barges of Freycinet size built for them at Meuse &Sambre that are on the smaller canals, and all their prices are quite a lot cheaper than the competition. On this link you can see how huge their fleet is, and where you can cruise with them, and their prices too. www.croisieurope.com/Peter. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 11:36:46 GMT
Thanks. The houseboat (which belongs to a friend of one of my woman's friends) is a few hundred metres down stream from the bridge (which is currently closed). I had a look at the short peniches they look good. Unfortunately my mooring in London is limited to 4.2m beam. If I could put 5m on there i'f be tempted to cut down a peniche as the space on a 5m beam is very appealing.
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Post by bargemast on Aug 6, 2018 12:23:45 GMT
Thanks. The houseboat (which belongs to a friend of one of my woman's friends) is a few hundred metres down stream from the bridge (which is currently closed). I had a look at the short peniches they look good. Unfortunately my mooring in London is limited to 4.2m beam. If I could put 5m on there i'f be tempted to cut down a peniche as the space on a 5m beam is very appealing. Because of the height of their hulls, you'll have a full 5 m beam all the way to deck level.
Once fitted out and panelled you'll still have more than 2M from the floorboards to the side decks, a real sense of space.
Too bad that your mooring is restricted to only 4.2M which is still quite wide for the UK.
With a wider barge your cruising would be very limited in the UK, unless you'd move up North.
Peter.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 12:30:55 GMT
4.2m seems to be the standard limit for a CRT wide beam mooring. Twice the width of a narrow boat. In my case 5m would take out even more of the navigable channel and apart from contravening the mooring conditions it would be liable to be hit by passing boats. Ideal width there is about 3.9m with floating car wheels to act as fenders and encourage bird nests.
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Post by bargemast on Aug 6, 2018 12:31:12 GMT
While you're so close to Paris, you could go on a trip boat through the tunnel of the Canal Saint-Martin,underneath the Place de la Bastille etc. which could be a nice excursion for your girls too.
Peter.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 12:32:50 GMT
Have done that one but to be fair it was before the addition of children. Yes it might be an idea the kids would like that !
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Post by bargemast on Aug 6, 2018 12:36:19 GMT
4.2m seems to be the standard limit for a CRT wide beam mooring. Twice the width of a narrow boat. In my case 5m would take out even more of the navigable channel and apart from contravening the mooring conditions it would be liable to be hit by passing boats. Ideal width there is about 3.9m with floating car wheels to act as fenders and encourage bird nests. The "Bois de Boulogne" wasn't on my list of things to possibly visit for you  .
Peter.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 12:38:05 GMT
We did have a look to see if there was a playground (for children) but it seems that the playing there is more adult oriented and rather bizarre.
We managed to find the grand cascade which was quite nice in a normal sort of way.
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Post by bargemast on Aug 6, 2018 12:45:43 GMT
Have done that one but to be fair it was before the addition of children. Yes it might be an idea the kids would like that ! As you have become a father in the meantime, you have to find things that you can do with your girls to make this visit a memorable one.
Even a visit to the "Eiffel Tower" which is bloody expensive (not your problem I suppose  ), and often long waiting times before you can go up, but once almost on top, the view is rather impressive.
But as your womans friends that you're staying with are locals, I expect that they'll have plenty of suggestions to have a good time while there.
Maybe if their barge is in running order, and they're licenced to use it, go for a nice private trip around Paris, from where they are there's not even a single lock to pass, an easy trip.
Peter.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 12:49:00 GMT
unfortunately it is a houseboat. Nothing boat like apart from it floats. Its a 3 level steel box attached to the riverbank with steel poles.
So no boating to be done.
Not my kind of thing but its on the river so not all bad. I much prefer a small cruising barge myself.
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Post by bargemast on Aug 6, 2018 13:01:19 GMT
unfortunately it is a houseboat. Nothing boat like apart from it floats. Its a 3 level steel box attached to the riverbank with steel poles. So no boating to be done. Not my kind of thing but its on the river so not all bad. I much prefer a small cruising barge myself. So do I, but not having to maintain engines and having to obtain different licences can be an avantage.
These sort of houseboats often have at least a small outboard driven boat for a spin on the river though.
A 3 level steel box where it's moored is worth a lot of money, if they can sell it with the mooring.
Officially this is impossible, but they all seem to do it, and get away with it.
Peter.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 13:05:55 GMT
I asked about that. About €700k with the mooring. Worth fuck all without it. And they do transfer the moorings. Apparently there is a very long waiting list.
Fortunately I don't have to be concerned about it as I would never wish to live here unless someone paid me.
Nice for a day or two though.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 13:23:11 GMT
Even a visit to the "Eiffel Tower" which is bloody expensive (not your problem I suppose ), .,/div]
Peter.
We never take our kids to paid attractions so the Eiffel tour is not on the list. And the houseboat we have been on belongs to a friend of one of my woman's friends. We don't have moneyed friends like that . The people who own it do not know we have been here. They might guess when they come back tomorrow. Its a bit of a "squatter" situation as my woman's friend's boyfriend looks after their dog so needs to be about to make sure the dog gets a walk, have a go in the jaccusi on the deck etc as its 36 degrees). That mini pool is a horrible thing I won't go in there it tried to drown my kids (giggle) All lightly silly but I like silly. |
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Post by bargemast on Aug 6, 2018 13:30:31 GMT
Even a visit to the "Eiffel Tower" which is bloody expensive (not your problem I suppose ), .,/div]
Peter.
We never take our kids to paid attractions so the Eiffel tour is not on the list. And the houseboat we have been on belongs to a friend of one of my woman's friends. We don't have moneyed friends like that . The people who own it do not know we have been here. They might guess when they come back tomorrow. Its a bit of a "squatter" situation as my woman's friend's boyfriend looks after their dog so needs to be about to make sure the dog gets a walk, have a go in the jaccusi on the deck etc as its 36 degrees). That mini pool is a horrible thing I won't go in there it tried to drown my kids (giggle) All lightly silly but I like silly. Totally independent of the "squatter" situation, they seem to have a good wifi-signal there .
Peter.
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), and often long waiting times before you can go up, but once almost on top, the view is rather impressive.