ROUTE

COMMENTS

Migennes

I

Auxerre

Auxerre:   

Ample quay, though much space reserved for annual moorings.

Electricity

Water

Fuel

All shops nearby

Paying port

We always seem to stop for an ‘overnight’ at Auxerre, and end up staying for a week or more.  It’s a combination of a pleasant and interesting town, a convenient mooring – though often full, with the need to double-up – and a convivial atmosphere in the port.

Auxerre

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Vermenton

Vermenton:

Port completely full, but small quays outside port

No electricity 

No water

No nearby shops

No charge

Vermonton is up a short embranchement off the Nivernais.  There are several convenient small quays before you get to the often-full port.

Vermonton

I

Mailly la Ville

Mailly la Ville:

Pontoon

Electricity

Water

Essential shops after 1 kilometre

Paying port

Mailly la Ville

I

Coulanges

Coulanges:

Quay

No electricity

No water

Essential shops after 500 metres

No charge

Coulanges

I

Clamecy

Clamecy: 

Two quays

Electricity

Water

All shops nearby

Paying port

The port is small, but we have luckily found a space to tie up.  This is another convenient and pleasant mooring in an interesting town. Worth a couple of days at least.

Clamecy

I

Tannay

Tannay:

Ample quay

Electricity

Water

Essential shops after 750 metres

Paying port

A quiet overnight stop, but be prepared for a good walk, or a bike ride, to buy any groceries.

Tannay

I

Chitry les Mines

Chitry les Mines:

Ample quays

Electricity

Water

No nearby shops, but a renowned chandlery

Paying port after first night

There’s a very pleasant café/restaurant in the port, but shops are a good 2 kilometres away, straight up a hill all the way.  Coming back is a doddle if you’re on a bike!  If you need any spare parts for the boat, this is the place to be: the chandlery is nearby.

Chitry les Mines

I

Baye

Baye:

Ample quay

No electricity

No water

No essential shops

No charge

A day of locks, one right after another.  It’s a long haul, and there are even some tunnels thrown in for good measure.  Baye is set at the top of a hill, and the canal runs alongside a big reservoir.

Baye

I

Chatillon en Bazois

Chatillon en Bazois:

Quays, mostly taken by permanent moorers

2 electrical points, also taken by permanent moorers

Water, with difficult access

Variety of shops nearby

No charge

The town of Chatillon en Bazois is pleasant, but it is very difficult to find a mooring spot where you can reach either water or electricity.

Chatillon en Bazois

I

Panneçot

Panneçot: 

Ample quays

Electricity during camping season

Water during camping season

Bread sold by visiting van

Paying port

There’s usually plenty of space at Panneçot: the port is part of a large campground.

Panneçot

I

Cercy la Tour

Cercy la Tour:

Quay

Electricity

Water

Essential shops nearby

No charge

The quay at Cercy la Tour can accommodate 5 or 6 boats, and there’s usually space so long as you don’t arrive late in the afternoon.

Cercy la Tour

I

St Léger des Vignes

St Leger des Vignes:

Electricity, paid by smart card

Water, paid by smart card

Wide variety of shops

Paying port

St Leger des Vignes is another of our favourite moorings.  We stayed here for a month this year!  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.

St Leger des Vignes

I

Garnat-sur-Engievre

Garnat-sur-Engievre:    

This is a quiet spot, with room for a few boats.  We like it.  Groceries are straight down the main road, bread is in the village. 

Garnat-sur-Engievre

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 after 500 metres

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

St Leger sur Dheune

St Leger sur Dheune:

Quay in the port and along canal

Electricity in the port

Water in the port

Shops nearby

No charge

St Leger sur Dheune

I

Fragnes

Fragnes:

Quay

Electricity

Water

Bread shop in the port, supermarket 2 kms away

Paying port

Another of those bike ride places if you need groceries.  Wise to get some directions, because the supermarket is not just far away, it’s also a bit difficult to find.  Pleasant port though, including a very popular restaurant.

Fragnes

I

Tournus

Tournus:

Pontoon, ½ for hire boats

Electricity

Water

All shops nearby

No charge

The whole of the quay at Tournus is available for berthing, except for a couple of days a week when a hire-boat company takes half the space for their turn-arounds.  It’s clearly signed.

Tournus

I

Port de Chevreuse

Port de Chevreuse:  

Pontoon for 1 boat only

No electricity

No water

No shops

No charge

This is one of those stops that you read about but don’t often find.  A pontoon for only one boat, set in the trees, cows nearby, and a nice walking path.  Obviously not a place to stop if you need supplies.

Port de Chevreuse

I

Louhans

Louhans:

Ample pontoon except on Sundays

Electricity

Water

All shops nearby

Paying port

Louhans is famous for its Monday market, but it’s also pleasant on other days.  Convenient mooring, and a helpful capitainerie.

Louhans

I

Port de Chevreuse

Port de Chevreuse:

Pontoon for 1 boat only

No electricity

No water

No shops

No charge

Listen to the cows eat. 

Port de Chevreuse

I

Pont de Vaux

Pont de Vaux:  

Marina of finger pontoons

Electricity

Water

All shops nearby

Paying port

Up an embranchement off the Saone, Pont de Vaux is well-protected.  There is a visitors’ pontoon on the left as you enter.

We had pre-booked our hivernage here, and were quite delighted.  The capitainerie is friendly and helpful, there is a team of resident mechanics, the marina is well situated in its own park, and the town itself is charming.  We’ll certainly return, if there’s space.