ROUTE

COMMENTS

Migennes

I

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne:

Quay, part with rubberized bumper, part sloping wall

1 electrical point – disconnected except in high season

No water

Variety of shops

No charge

Binoculars out, and identify the rubber-bumpered part of the quay; it’s much more convenient to tie up to.  It’s also where the electrical point is.

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne

I

Sens

Sens:

Ample quay

1 electrical point (8 outlets)

No potable water

Wide variety of shops

No charge

We have to admit to a particular fondness for the town of Sens – its pedestrian area, the cafés, the whole lot.  True, you need a lot of electrical cable unless you happen to moor next to the only electrical point.  And there is water, but available only from the town garden-water points, for which you need a very unusual fitting (we have one!).  And you’ll quickly get used to lots of couples sitting on the benches that line the quay, looking longingly at each other.

Sens

I

Montereau

Montereau:

Pontoon

Ample electrical points

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

The quay at Montereau is right on the junction of the Yonne with the Seine.  Nice mooring, but do expect frequent commercial traffic passing, and consequent gentle rocking.  All town facilities straight away on the other side of the bridge.

Montereau

I

Beaumoulin

Beaumoulin:

Small quay for 1 boat next to lock, with picnic table

No electricity

No water

No shops

No charge

A little quay, sitting at the bottom of the garden of a quite elegant country hotel.  Another of our favoured ‘peaceful’ stops.

Beaumoulin

I

Montcresson

Montcresson:

Ample quay

No electricity

No water

Essential shops after 750 metres

No charge

This is a quay also used as an overnight mooring by commercial peniches.  It is kind to moor at one end or the other of the quay, to leave ample space for them also.

Montcresson

I

Chatillon-Coligny

Chatillon-Coligny:

Quay and finger pontoons

Ample electrical points

Water

Good variety of shops

No charge

Pleasant town, and even more pleasant staff at the tourist office on the quay make this an attractive stop for a day or two.

Chatillion-Coligny

I

Ouzouer-sur-Trézée

Ouzouer-sur-Trézée:

Ample quay

Electrical points

Water

Essential shops

No charge

The quay is set in a pleasant park.  Town facilities straight up the hill.

Ouzouer-sur-Trézée

I

Briare

Briare:

Quay and finger pontoons

Electrical points

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

Usually a busy port, at the end of an embranchement.  Be prepared to accept instructions from the capitainerie on where to moor.

Briare

I

Beaulieu

Beaulieu:

Quay

Electrical points

Water, though some taps are padlocked

Few shops

No charge

The grass quay is actually part of a discrete campground.  Town facilities are up a hill on the opposite side of the bridge.

Beaulieu

I

Herry

Herry:

Ample quay, stakes necessary; be careful of submerged rocks at some points

No electricity

Water by jetons purchased at local shop

Few shops

No charge

This can be a tricky approach, because of submerged rocks in some sections along the quay.  You’ll have to tie up using your own stakes.

Herry

I

Cours-les-Barres

Cours-les-Barres:

Quay

Few electrical points

Water

Few shops

No charge

There’s enough space here for 5 or 6 boats.  People tend to get here early, and latecomers may be out of reach of the electricity.

Cours-les-Barres

I

Nevers

Nevers:

Ample marina with quay and finger pontoons

Electrical points

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

If you have ‘the family’ on board, this is a particularly attractive place to reach: there’s a big swimming pool/waterslide complex right at the end of the marina.  The town is no sneeze either, with a vast pedestrian shopping area.  Of course, there are the religious attractions as well, for some.

Nevers

I

Avril-sur-Loire

Avril-sur-Loire:

Small quay

No electricity

No water

No shops

No charge

Avril-sur-Loire

I

St. Leger des Vignes

St Leger des Vignes:

Ample quay, though 50% now posted as ‘reserved’

1 electrical point for some boats

Water

Good variety of shops nearby and in neighbouring Decize

No charge

We had some problems in 2008 with ‘absentee boaters’ taking up most of the space, but the situation has been resolved, so we’re adding the notes here made from our visit in 2009.

St Leger des Vignes is another of our favourite moorings.  It’s spotless, convenient for everything, and the people at the Mairie, who run the port, are super-friendly and helpful.  The smart card system seems an excellent idea, and is likely to spread up and down the Nivernais in the foreseeable future.  Neighbouring Decize can keep us entertained for a long time.

St Leger des Vignes

I

Garnat-sur-Engievre

Garnat-sur-Engievre:

Quay and finger pontoon

No electricity

1 water point, at public toilet

Essential shops after 500 metres

No charge

Yet another of our favoured ‘peaceful’ spots.  Room for a few boats, but we’ve only ever been there alone.

Garnat-sur-Engievre

I

Dompierre-sur-Besbre

Dompierre-sur-Besbre:

Quay and finger pontoons

Electrical points on pontoons

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port on pontoons

Down a little embranchement on a very narrow canal, the port at Dompierre is run by a hire-boat company.  Best to avoid it during the weekly change-over days.  Otherwise, it’s a very pleasant spot.

Dompierre-sur-Besbre

I

Digoin

Digoin:

Ample quay plus marina

Electrical points for quay near to marina entrance

Water for quay also near marina entrance

Variety of shops

Paying port

Plenty of space running along a long quay through the middle of Digoin.  But it may be difficult to find a space at the marina end, where you can get close to the water and electricity.  The marina itself is often full.

Digoin

I

Paray-le-Monial

Paray-le-Monial:

Ample quay

Electrical points in only one section

Water also in the same section

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

Paray le Monial is a major pilgrimage centre for the Roman Catholic church, and the best part of the quay, where there is water and electricity, is attached to the tent city for pilgrims.  Some people find the singing intrusive; we have no problems at all with it, and this tends to be another place where we stay for a week or so.

Paray-le-Monial

I

Génelard

Génelard:

2 quays, one nominally for larger boats

Electrical points

Water

Essential shops

No charge

Bang in your own stakes on one side of this port: there are a few rings on the opposite side.  Shops are straight up a nice hill.

Génelard

I

Montceau-les-Mines

Montceau-les-Mines:

Ample marina with quay and finger pontoons

Electrical points

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

There’s lots of space in this marina, and a pleasant capitainerie.  You park right in the middle of the town.  Watch out for the twist-ropes to operate the bridges on entering the town.

Montceau-les-Mines

I

Montchanin

Montchanin:

Quay

No electricity

No water

Essential shops

No charge

This is actually a quay attached to the local VNF office.  Decent supermarket across the bridge and straight up the road towards the town.

Montchanin

I

Montceau-les-Mines

Montceau-les-Mines:

Ample marina with quay and finger pontoons

Electrical points

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

Montceau-les-Mines

I

Génelard

Génelard:

2 quays, one nominally for larger boats

Electrical points

Water

Essential shops

No charge

Génelard

I

Paray-le-Monial

Paray-le-Monial:

Ample quay

Electrical points in only one section

Water also in the same section

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

Paray-le-Monial

I

Digoin

Digoin:

Ample quay plus marina

Electrical points for quay near to marina entrance

Water for quay also near marina entrance

Variety of shops

Paying port

Digoin

I

Dompierre-sur-Besbre

Dompierre-sur-Besbre:

Quay and finger pontoons

Electrical points on pontoons

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port on pontoons

Dompierre-sur-Besbre

I

Garnat-sur-Engievre

Garnat-sur-Engievre:

Quay and finger pontoon

No electricity

1 water point, at public toilet

Essential shops after 500 metres

No charge

Garnat-sur-Engievre

I

St Leger des Vignes

St Leger des Vignes:

Ample quay, though 50% now posted as ‘reserved’

1 electrical point for some boats

Water

Good variety of shops nearby and in neighbouring Decize

No charge

St Leger des Vignes

I

Nevers

Nevers:

Ample marina with quay and finger pontoons

Electrical points

Water

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

Nevers

I

Cours-les-Barres

Cours-les-Barres:

Quay

Few electrical points

Water

Few shops

No charge

Cours-les-Barres

I

Herry

Herry:

Ample quay, stakes necessary; be careful of submerged rocks at some points

No electricity

Water by jetons purchased at local shop

Few shops

No charge

Herry

I

Beaulieu

Beaulieu:

Quay, water and electricity, free.  Few shops.

Electrical points

Water, though some taps are padlocked

Few shops

No charge

Beaulieu

I

Ouzouer-sur-Trézée

Ouzouer-sur-Trézée:

Ample quay

Electrical points

Water

Essential shops

No charge

Ouzouer-sur-Trézée

I

Chatillon Coligny

Chatillon-Coligny:

Quay and finger pontoons

Ample electrical points

Water

Good variety of shops

No charge

Chatillon Coligny

I

Cépoy

Cépoy:

Quay with sloping wall

1 electrical point

1 water point

Essential shops

No charge

Not the easiest of moorings, but fortunately we had help from another boater to get lines secured onshore – too far to jump off the boat!

Cépoy

I

Epicy

Epicy:

Quay for 2 boats

No electricity

No water

No shops

No charge

There are moorings either side of a lock.  A quiet, peaceful overnight stop.

Epicy

I

Montereau

Montereau:

Pontoon

Ample electrical points

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

Montereau

I

Sens

Sens:

Ample quay

1 electrical point (8 outlets)

No potable water

Wide variety of shops

No charge

Sens

I

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne:

Quay, part with rubberized bumper, part sloping wall

1 electrical point – disconnected except in high season

No water

Variety of shops

No charge

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne

I

Migennes

Migennes:

Quay

Electrical points

Water

Variety of shops

Paying port

There are two moorings in Migennes: one on the Canal de Bourgogne; the other on the river Yonne.  The second, where we have overwintered now for several years, is a busy boatyard, and often there is no space for visitors.  It does work of an exceptional standard, and comes highly recommended if you need repairs/upgrades.