Spring 2022

Cruising the Rhône
France is criss-crossed by a network of 100 canals and rivers totalling thousands of miles.
David Jefferson’s book Through the French Canals features the main waterways of France
and in this extract, he explores the mighty river Rhône, the second longest in France and the
Saône river…
The Rhône
The Rhône is fed by several navigable
canalised rivers including, to the north of
Lyon, the Saône with the Petite Saône and
the southern arm of the Canal du Rhône
au Rhin and, just a few kilometres from the
Mediterranean, the Petite Rhône and the
Rhône à Séte Canal. This will be of interest to
anyone considering moving their boat down to
the Mediterranean by the waterways because
ultimately the choice is limited to navigating
the Rhône or a seaward passage down the
Bay of Biscay and taking the Canal des Deux
Mers. The Rhône is the more popular choice.
Particularly for smaller craft, the Rhône
comes as something of a challenge after days
spent progressing at a leisurely walking pace
along the Bourgogne or Bourbonnais routes,
stopping for lunch and mooring up in the early
evening near a promising restaurant. In the
space of a few days, the skipper is suddenly
having to cope with a strong current and pay
some attention to the weather as the boat
is piloted down the broad waters of the fastmoving
Rhône, sweeping her towards the giant
locks that are a feature of the waterway. The
rivers that feed into the Rhône are peaceful
enough during the summer months. There is
little current to cope with on the Saône, which
is particularly popular with those who choose
to charter boats on the French waterways.
Those who are bringing their boats through
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