PLACE

COMMENTS

St Jean de Losne

I

Auxonne

Auxonne:

Ample quay and pontoon

No electricity

1 water point at end of the quay

Variety of shops.

Paying port (in high season)

Auxonne is an interesting town to walk around, famous for its associations with N. Bonaparte.  A pleasant capitainerie too.

Auxonne

I

Pontailler sur Saone

Pontailler-sur Saone:

Small pontoon for 1 boat

No electricity

No water

1 small shop

No charge

Good idea to stock up on grocery needs before you arrive here.   Supplies are scant.

Pontailler sur Saone

I

Mantoche

Mantoche:

Quay

No electricity

Coin operated water supply

Essential shops

No mooring charge

Mantoche

I

Gray

Gray:

Ample quay

Electricity, paid by jetons purchased at tourist office

Water, paid by jetons purchased at tourist office

Wide variety of shops

No mooring charge

It's quite a busy port, but the quay is long and conveniently situated near to some large shops.  Utilities are a bit far apart, though.

Gray

I

Ray-sur-Saone

Ray-sur-Saone:

Quay

No electricity

Pay for water

No mooring charge

Ray-sur-Saone

I

Scey-sur-Saone

:

Pontoons and fingers

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

Paying port

The port is managed by a hire-boat company, but there is ample space for guests.

Scey-sur-Saone

I

Port-sur-Saone

Port-sur-Saone:

Finger pontoons in marina, quay on opposite bank

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

There is a section of bank outside the port which is free of charge, but of course there's no access there to water or electricity, and it's a fair walk to get to a bridge to cross over onto the 'developed' side with nearby shops.

Port-sur-Saone

I

Corre

Corre:

Marina with fingers at end of Saone section, quay inside Canal de l’Est.

Electricity in marina

Water in marina

Essential shops

Paying port in marina

This is the changeover point between the Petite Saone river and the Canal de l’Est.  Time also to slow down if you’re entering the canal!  The marina is tucked just inside a small inlet on the Petite Saone.  The nearby quay is small. Fuel is available, but only for few hours per day: it's closed between 1000 and 1700!

Corre

I

Fontenoy le Château

Fontenoy le Chateau:

Ample quay

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

Paying port.

Fontenoy is famous for the town being decorated with “sayings” of many people – makes for an entertaining walk around.  This is a possible re-fuelling point.

Fontenoy

I

Forges d’Uzermain

Forges d’Uzermain:

Grass bank in bay on the canal, some rings but stakes necessary

No electricity

No water

No shops

No charge

We enjoyed a good barbecue here in the shade of some trees, with the sounds of cows nearby.

Forges d’Uzermain

I

Girancourt

Girancourt:

Grass bank between two locks with some rings

No electricity

No water

Essential shops

No charge

Picnic tables and a barbecue pit are supplied here.

Girancourt

I

Epinal

Epinal:

Quays on both sides of dead-end basin

Electricity

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

Pleasant mooring set in a park area.  We enjoyed staying for several days.

Epinal

I

Charmes

Charmes:

Quay, shared with motor homes

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

Charmes

I

Richardmenil

Richardmenil:

Quay in grassy area

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

Paying port

Nice walk uphill to get to any shops.

Richardmenil

I

Toul

Toul: 

Marina with quay and finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

Toul is a pleasant place to stop, not least because of the friendliness of the capitainerie.  It’s close enough to be able to visit Nancy comfortably by train.  The marina leads directly into the centre of town, and is very conveniently close to the mainline train station to Paris and Strasbourg.  We stayed here for a month!

Toul

I

Pagny sur Meuse

Pagny sur Meuse:

Quay

No electricity

Water from domestic tap

Minimal shops

No charge

Pagny sur Meuse

I

Demanges aux Eaux

Demanges aux Eaux:

Quay

No electricity

Water

No shops

No charge

Demanges aux Eaux

I

Ligny en Barrois

Ligny en Barrois:

Finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

Ample port, with plenty of space when we visited.

Ligny en Barrois

I

Bar le Duc

Bar le Duc:

Quay

Electricity

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

Nice town, worth a visit.  Downside is that the quay is very close to the railway line, and you can hear all the trains go by.  Earplugs useful at night for light sleepers (not us).

Bar le Duc

I

Pargny sur Saulx

:

 

Quay

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

No charge

Here’s a calm place to stop … the town is a field away from the quay, and there are lots of cows to talk to.

Pargny sur Saulx

I

Vitry le Francois

Vitry le François:

Quay and fingers

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

No charge

It can be a bit tricky getting into this mooring.  It’s a dead-end that you may have to back into, or out of, if you’re as long as us (15metres).  There are other moorings outside the port, but they're used mostly by peniches.

Vitry le Francois

I

Chalons en Champagne

Chalons en Champagne:

Quay, you’ll need to use stakes

No electricity

No water

Wide variety of shops

No charge

Another attractive town, especially the town square.  We were here on 14 July, and had a great view of the fireworks.

Chalons en Champagne

I

Mareuil sur Ay

Mareuil sur Ay: 

Finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

Paying port

We like the setting here, it feels like being in a calm park in a village.  Easy to stay in, if you’re not looking for modern-day excitement.

Mareuil sur Ay

I

Damery

Damery:

Pontoon for three boats

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

No charge

Damery is our sort of place to relax in.  There are enough facilities to keep us in groceries, the scenery is Marne at some of its best, and it’s peaceful.

Damery

I

Dormans

Dormans:

Quay and pontoons

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

No mooring charge – pay for electricity and water

The moorings are part of a big campground – no problems.  There is a long quay on the opposite bank, but that’s right next to the railway lines.  All shops are in the town, across the bridge from the campground, then turn left.

Dormans

I

Chateau Thierry

Château Thierry:

Quay with sloping wall, one small pontoon

1 electrical point above pontoon

1 water point above pontoon

Wide variety of shops

No charge on quay, paying port for electricity and water on pontoon

The sloping wall here makes for a difficult mooring.  If you are lucky enough to get a spot on the pontoon, be aware that you must go to the tourist office in town to gain access to the water and electricity.

Château Thierry

I

Dormans

Dormans:

Quay and pontoons

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

No mooring charge – pay for electricity and water

The moorings are part of a big campground – no problems.  There is a long quay on the opposite bank, but that’s right next to the railway lines.  All shops are in the town, across the bridge from the campground, then turn left.

Dormans

I

Epernay

Epernay:

Quay

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

There’s a reasonably hefty fee to stay here, but it does include a free tour of one of the champagne factories.

Epernay

I

Reuil

Reuil :

Quay for few boats

Electricity

Water

Essential shop

No charge

Mooring is set in a little park.  The village is very peaceful and quiet.

Reuil

I

Mareuil sur Ay

Mareuil sur Ay: 

Finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

Paying port

We like the setting here, it feels like being in a calm park in a village.  Easy to stay in, if you’re not looking for big-city excitement.

Mareuil sur Ay

I

Damery

Damery:

Pontoon for three boats

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

No charge

Damery is our sort of place to relax in.  There are enough facilities to keep us in groceries, the scenery is Marne at some of its best, and it’s peaceful.

Damery

I

Dormans

Dormans:

Quay and pontoons

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

No mooring charge – pay for electricity and water

The moorings are part of a big campground – no problems.  There is a long quay on the opposite bank, but that’s right next to the railway lines.  All shops are in the town, across the bridge from the campground, then turn left.

Dormans

I

Chateau Thierry

Château Thierry:

Quay with sloping wall, one small pontoon

1 electrical point above pontoon

1 water point above pontoon

Wide variety of shops

No charge on quay, paying port for electricity and water on pontoon

Château Thierry

I

La Ferté sous Jouarre

La Ferté sous Jouarre:

Ample quay

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

No charge

It's not the easiest of entrances into the port of La Ferté sous Jouarre.  Read the buoy signage carefully: there is a substantial sandbar - we know, we ran aground on it!  Once in, it's a pleasant mooring, convenient for shops.

La Ferté sous Jouarre

I

Meaux

Meaux:

Finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

Wide variety of shops

No charge

Great place to stay, surprisingly close to Paris by train, but a pleasant town on its own merits.  Watch out for the current coming into the mooring – it’s deceptive.  First time here, we aimed to tie up on our port side on a finger, but the current carried us inexorably to moor on the fortunately-vacant starboard side of the next finger!

Meaux

I

Nogent-sur-Marne

Nogent-sur Marne:

Full marina with quay and finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

Most of the marina is taken up by year-round resident boats.  Nice place to stay if you can find a space.  Beware, they won’t take anything (the sign says) longer than 14 metres.

Nogent-sur-Marne

I

Pont de Ris Orangis

Riz Orangis:

Small quay for 3 boats

No electricity

No water

Variety of shops

No charge

This quay seems to be in the woods, near to a closed-up restaurant.  It’s surprisingly close to the city though, once you walk along a path and out of the woods.

Pont de Riz Orangis

I

Chartrettes

Chartrettes:

Quay to starboard (upstream), marina with fingers to port

No electricity at quay, ample points in marina

No water at quay, water at marina

Essential shops after 1 km.

No charge at quay, paying port in marina

Not a bad idea to ask someone for directions to the supermarché and bricolage.  They’re quite hidden away otherwise.  If you’re on the quay side, you’ll have to cross a bridge eventually.

Chartrettes

I

St Mammés

St Mammés: 

Finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

Essential shops

Paying port

The town is small, but it’s a riverboaters’ place.  The line of peniches along the nearby quays is huge!  It’s another of those places we like to stay at for a while. Lovely small shop full of boaters’ needs, a mini-supermarket, and several quayside restaurants, open in season.

St Mammés

I

Montereau

Montereau:

Pontoon

Ample electrical points

Water

Variety of shops

No charge

The pontoons are very close to the bridge which straddles the dividing line between the rivers Seine and Yonne.  There can be heavy commercial traffic passing by.  You’ll need to walk across the bridge to get into the major parts of the city.

Montereau

I

Pont sur Yonne

Pont-sur-Yonne:

Pontoon

No electricity

No water

Essential shops

No charge

Pont-sur-Yonne has a remarkable pontoon: the walkway is very spongy in parts, and you have to put your hands into the water to find something to tie onto.  Never mind, it’s a pleasant town!

Pont sur Yonne

I

Sens

Sens:

Ample quay

1 electrical point (8 outlets)

Water (1 point on quay, plus municipal supply near road)

Wide variety of shops

No charge

We tend to end up staying at Sens for at least several days every time we pass by.  The quay itself seems a favourite spot for couples of all ages to meet and snuggle on the benches, and it leads directly onto a substantial pedestrian area which itself leads into the heart of the city.

One note on the water supply: if you want to tap into the municipal flower-watering supply, you’ll need a bayonet-type coupling.  It’s available at the bricolage out at the shopping mall.

Sens

I

Joigny

Joigny:

Finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

There’s actually one finger at the bridge end of the port that is without electricity and water and is a no charge mooring.

Joigny

I

Auxerre

Auxerre:

Quay

Electricity

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

A substantial portion of the quay is taken up by year-round moorings and rental boats, so it can sometimes be hard to find a space.  If so, an alternative is to proceed through the first lock onto the Nivernais canal, and there’s another long quay, with sloping wall, set in a lovely park, no electricity or water, and no charge, which is hardly used at all.

Auxerre

I

Gurgy

Gurgy:

Quay

Electricity paid by jetons purchased in the village

Water paid by jetons purchased in the village

Essential shops

No mooring charge

Approach the mooring cautiously: there are submerged rocks in some parts.

Gurgy

I

Migennes

Migennes: 

Electrical points

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

This is where we left our boat for the winter, at Chantier Fluvial de Migennes.  Boats are moored in rafts, mainly due to official restrictions on constructing pontoons in this area.  Nevertheless, it is a secure and convenient mooring, and if you need quality maintenance work done, you’d be hard pressed to find a better place.  We certainly plan to return.