EREWHON, Ian and Lorna HAMPTON's (from New Zealand) boat on the French Canals; Cruising in France

EREWHON

EREWHON is owned by Ian and Lorna Hampton from Auckland New Zealand. Ever since we had a week with Ian’s sister’s family on the Midi Canal in May 1992, we have dreamed, planned and did what was needed to buy our own boat. As well as an affordable retirement lifestyle choice, it would enable us to see more of Ian’s family in London and Paris.

From then we investigated alternative boats, initially the lower priced Buccaneer type, but eventually deciding on a Prince model from Crown Blue Line. The extra size would enable us to be more comfortable, and have plenty of space for visitors as well as have better handling on the rivers.

We first introduced ourselves to Crown Blue in January 1995 and communicated each year monitoring prices and availability until 1998. In October we went to France to look at two boats, one at H20 in St Jean de Losne and the other at the St Gilles Crown Blue base in South France. We had the use of the Prince for a weekend and confirmed our purchase before returning home.

It wasn't easy to think of a name. We wanted one which could be recognised as NZ, meant something to us and wasn't corny. Lorna, one night at the RSA threw up Erewhon and Ian was enthusiastic. Erewhon is the name of a sheep station in the Rangitata Gorge, in the South Island of NZ from where we both come, and we had fond memories of a day we had visited the area. It is also the name of the first New Zealand classic, and finally when read backwards (well approximately) it spells NOWHERE which is precisely where an inland waterways boat will get you!?

During the months until retirement from full-time work we worked on our cruising plan, bought flags, books etc, paid our VNF fee in March for the 10% discount and increased our anticipation. We found a temporary tenant for our house, packed all our personal things away, arranged travel insurance and were ready. On Friday, 25 June, Ian finished work and the same evening we left Auckland for France.

We keep a journal of each days events and anyone interested can read them here. Click here to see a map showing the routes of the annual journeys.

The 1999 itinerary started in St Gilles in the south of France, from where we had bought Erewhon, and cruised up the Rhone, Bourgogne, Yonne and Seine to Paris, the Oise, Sambre into Belgium through Charleroi to Namur. The turning south on the Meuse through Verdun, the Moselle and Canal de l’Est and Upper Saone to St Symphorien at lock 2 on the Rhone à Rhin Canal, where we left Erewhon for the winter.

The 2000 itinerary continued form St Symphorium, up the Rhone à Rhin Canal to Mulhouse, down the Rhin, with a side-trip to Colmar, to Strasbourg. Then we turned east to Paris via the Marne à Rhin Canal and Marne. After 4 days it was southwest on the Seine, Yonne, Nivernais and the Canal de Centre to Chalon sur Saone. From here it was downhill on the Saone and Rhone to St Gilles again, and thence on the Rhone à Sete to Lattes near Montpellier where we left Erewhon for the winter.

In 2001 we left Lattes on the 1st of July and cruised leisurely along the Rhone a Sete and Midi to Toulouse, the Lateral a Garonne to Buzet, The Baise to Valance and return, on to Castets en Dorthe where the canal enters the river, back to Buzet and across to the Lot. We were held up for a week at Moissac by the explosion at a Toulouse fertiliser factory, then continued, after a diversion to Narbonne to Beaucaire.

After a late start in 2002 because of son Michael's wedding in England, we cruised form Beaucaire, up the Rhone, Saone, Canal Marne a Saone, Aisne and Ardennes to the Meuse, then though Belgium when the Meuse becomes the Maas, into Holland. After a circuitous route through Utrecht and Gouda and Amsterdam, we left the boat out of the water at Loosdrechte.

In 2003 we brought the boat from Holland, back to France, through Brussels, Paris the Lateral de Loire, Seine, Seille and Rhone Rivers to our home port of Beaucaire. We we plagued by minor mechanical problems, so during the winter, a new BETA motor was installed in EREWHON.

1 July 2004 we collected the boat to cruise the Rhone a Sete, Midi, Garonne and Robine Canals and the Baise River, returning to leave the boat again in Beaucaire. The new motor was a great success, but some modification to the exhaust was needed to remedy a syphon effect allowing water into the cylinders.

In 2005 we tackled the Rhone again, accompanied by our NZ friends on Waiheke and then did a couple of out and back cruises to Besancon on the Doubs, and to Montbard on the Bourgogne Canal. We left Erewhon at Blanquarts in St Jean de Losne.

2006 was a quieter trip, via the Marne a Saone, to Riems, where we left the boat for three weeks while we drove a hire car to Sweden and back for a wedding, then on trough Picardy to Belgium on the Escaut/Schelde to Ghent and Brugges, back to Ypres then Dunkirke and Lille, leaving Erewhon just over the border on the Grande Large at Péronnes, in Roelins Boatyard, out of the water under cover for only €40 per month!

2007 was our last year on Erewhon. We collected a freshly painted EREWHON from the boatyard and cruised via Mons, Charleroi, Namur, the Meuse to Toul and then Nancy, Epinal and the Saone to St Jean de Losne, where after a local circuit we lifted EREWHON from the water for our last time. Our advertisement on apolloduck.com was successful, and we sold the boat to a New Zealand couple after we returned home.

Erewhon Programme for 2001
Erewhon Programme for 2002
Erewhon Programme for 2003
Erewhon Programme for 2004
Reunion of New Zealanders on Sunday 14 Feb 2010 at 11.00 am near Clevedon, South Auckland, who have, or have had a boat on the French Canals. Phone Ian or Lorna on NZ (09) 2639562 for info.
Erewhon 1999 Journal Rhone, Saone, Bourgogne to Paris, Oise and Sambre to Charleroi in Belgium, Meuse to Toul , Canal de l'Est and Saone to St Jean de Losne
Erewhon 2000 Journal St Jean de Losne via Rhone a Rhine to Mulhouse, Rhine to Strasbourg, Marne a Rhine to Paris, Centre to Chalon, Rhone to Lattes (Montpellier)
Erewhon 2001 Journal Lattes, via Midi, Garonne, Baise, to Castets en Dorthe and return via Lot to Beaucaire
Erewhon 2002 Journal Beaucaire, via Rhone, Saone, Marne a Saone, Reims, Ardennes, Meuse, Maas, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Loosdrechte
Erewhon 2003 Journal Loosdrechte, Antwerp, Brussels, the two Belgian lifts, Péronnes, Cambrai, Oise R, Paris, Centre Canal, Saone and Rhone to Beaucaire
Erewhon 2004 Journal New Motor installed over winter. Beaucaire, via Midi, Garonne, Baise, to Castets en Dorthe and return via Narbonne to Beaucaire
Erewhon 2005 Journal After Russian cruise; Beaucaire, via Rhone, Saone to St Jean de Losne; circuits to Auxerre, Montbard and return.
Erewhon 2006 Journal St Jean de Losne via Saone a Marne to Reims. Hired rental car for trip to Sweden. Then via Cambrai, Gent, Bruges, Ypres, Lille to Péronnes
Erewhon 2007 Journal Péronnes via Charleroi, Namur, Meuse to Toul, Nancy, Moselle to Epinal, Corre, Saone to St Jean de Losne. Prepare for sale!
Map of French Waterways
Larger Scale of the Same Map
Port Information by Canal or River
Boating in France. Information for people interested in buying a boat or cruising to/through France.
Routes between the Channel and the Med
Using the French Locks Some ideas on how to pass through the French Locks.
Route Time Calculations for use with XCEL
Convenient Supermarkets for Refilling with Diesel
http://www.apolloduck.com/ An excellent site for buying and selling boats, including canal boats in France. We used it successfully to sell Erewhon in 2007.