Routes Between the English Channel and the Mediterranean

 Lorry option

This is the excellent company I use:

The Lorry Options 

Routes Between the English Channel and the Mediterranean

SN7

south to north via canals to Paris and Le Havre,  or from Calais, St Valery sur Somme.

a list of web sites of British and French haulage companies who specialise in boat transport.

If you are really strapped for time or just want your boat positioned for you, then the option of having it moved overland by lorry is always available.

You can arrange for the boat to be loaded in the UK - taken on the lorry & ferry or from a northern French port to or from the Mediterranean - Clearly it is less expensive if you take your boat to any suitable French Channel port and have it de-masted and lifted there.

THE ALL FRENCH OPTION: Because of the very high charges the cross channel car ferry companies make for HGV's it can be considerably cheaper to use a French based boat haulage company to take the boat to or from the Mediterranean from a northern French port - Calais, Boulogne, Le Havre, Cherbourg for example. Sail it on its own bottom across the Channel.  

The only 'down' side of this is you and your crew need to use a car ferry or cheap airline to get to the channel port. As foot passengers this not too expensive but transport costs and the possibility the lorry may be a day late has to be taken into account. The French boat haulage companies will of course also deliver to the UK. You will find they nearly all speak reasonable English and are highly professional - the French probably move more boats by road than the British do.

THE FRENCH CANAL ROUTES TO THE MEDITERRANEAN

If you are thinking about using the French canals to passage between the UK and the Mediterranean then this booklet contains all the information you need'

 It describes the Routes, the regulations the paperwork - How where and when to get the qualifications and license, the depths, air heights, locks and a whole lot more.

 There are 'charts/maps' throughout, the distances, dimensions & main stopping places and is the only publication to list ALL the possible stopping places on the Rhone River!/

 

buy here - gentlesailing.com

Albatrans

Are a very good national transport company based in La Rochelle, Nantes and Sete on the Mediterranean.

  They move boats all over France on a daily basis.

www.albatrans.net

Go to the above web site and email them at one of the depots in either La Rochelle or Sete or Nantes etc..or call.................

Telephone La Rochelle 0033 (0)5 46 42 64 48

Telephone Sete            0033(0)4 67 18 99 99

 

AUGIZEAU TRANSPORTS

recently moved my 36ft Moody from La Rochelle to Le Havre - for her new owner.  It was a good experience. Christine, the contact on the end of the telephone was very helpful. The driver was friendly and hard working and did the job with the minimum of fuss.  The cost was around £1,000 inclusive of VAT.  I think the charges are made up partly with the size of the load and partly how many days the lorry will be out - the exact mileage has a bearing but it also depends on the 'days' on the road for the truck.     http://www.augizeau.online.fr/ 

Murielle speaks English. The driver and Bambola's new owner managed to communicate fine in Franglais...  Her email is m.dubelle@altead.com.

 

THERE ARE MANY BOAT HAULAGE COMPANIES IN FRANCE AND THE UK - THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME WHO ADVERTISE  THE MOST -  If you have a particularly bad or good experience with any boat haulage company please let me know -

Please click on the link to email me

If you contact any of the following please mention this web site.

FRENCH BOAT HAULAGE FIRMS:

AUGIZEAU TRANSPORTS  (Murielle speaks English)    m.dubelle@altead.com.
Tél : 02 51 55 54 07
Fax : 02 51 54 30 11
E-mail : augizeau@altead.com

http://augizeau.online.fr/     This site is in English and French - Probably the largest boat transporters in France/Europe. They will transport your mast only if you wish.
AUGIZEAU TRANSPORTS
LE FENOUILLER
B.P. 667
85806 ST GILLES CROIX DE VIE
: (33) 02.51.55.54.07
FAX : (33) 02.51.54.30.11

Murielle has been very helpful indeed, and speaks good English.

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 www.lememo-transport.comThis site is in English and French - Situated in La Rochelle - one of the most experienced boat haulage companies in France - Up to 40 tons.

Trans Mobil - ZA Le Thou Les Tranches-Fief Girard, 17290 Aigrefeuille d'Aunis
Tél : 05 46 01 16 17 - Fax : 05 46 01 21 22
E.mail : transmobil@wanadoo.fr

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http://www.lesmarinsdelaroute.com All in French but worth enquiring - international boat transport company

ABAT - GARRONE
Transport de bateau
ZI Sud Port à sec
13500 - MARTIGUES
FRANCE
Tel : (33) 04.42.07.03.33
Fax: (33) 04.42.07.37.54

-

Please click on the link to email me

If you contact any of the following please mention this web site.

FRENCH BOAT HAULAGE FIRMS:

AUGIZEAU TRANSPORTS  (Murielle speaks English)    m.dubelle@altead.com.
Tél : 02 51 55 54 07
Fax : 02 51 54 30 11
E-mail : augizeau@altead.com

http://augizeau.online.fr/     This site is in English and French - Probably the largest boat transporters in France/Europe. They will transport your mast only if you wish.
AUGIZEAU TRANSPORTS
LE FENOUILLER
B.P. 667
85806 ST GILLES CROIX DE VIE
: (33) 02.51.55.54.07
FAX : (33) 02.51.54.30.11

Murielle has been very helpful indeed, and speaks good English.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 www.lememo-transport.comThis site is in English and French - Situated in La Rochelle - one of the most experienced boat haulage companies in France - Up to 40 tons.

Trans Mobil - ZA Le Thou Les Tranches-Fief Girard, 17290 Aigrefeuille d'Aunis
Tél : 05 46 01 16 17 - Fax : 05 46 01 21 22
E.mail : transmobil@wanadoo.fr

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.lesmarinsdelaroute.com All in French but worth enquiring - international boat transport company

ABAT - GARRONE
Transport de bateau
ZI Sud Port à sec
13500 - MARTIGUES
FRANCE
Tel : (33) 04.42.07.03.33
Fax: (33) 04.42.07.37.54

 

THE FRENCH CANAL ROUTES TO THE MEDITERRANEAN

If you are thinking about using the French canals to passage between the UK and the Mediterranean then this booklet contains all the information you need'

 It describes the Routes, the regulations the paperwork - How where and when to get the qualifications and license, the depths, air heights, locks and a whole lot more.

 There are 'charts/maps' throughout, the distances, dimensions & main stopping places and is the only publication to list ALL the possible stopping places on the Rhone River!/

 

buy here - gentlesailing.com

The following are smaller independent companies without web sites and may not speak English but
COLENO
Transport de Bateaux
29000 - ROSCOFF
FRANCE
Tel : (33) 02.98.69.73.46
Fax: (33) 02.98.69.73.96
MORINEAU TRANSPORTS
Transport de bateau
39, rue Mal Foch BP 26
85520 - JARD SUR MER
FRANCE
Tel : (33) 02.51.33.42.05
Fax: (33) 02.51.33.59.98

TRANSPORTS JEAN-YVES
transports internationaux
Route de la Roche - GIVRAND
85800 - SAINT GILLES CROIX DE VIE
FRANCE
Tel : (33) 02.51.55.21.92
Fax: (33) 02.51.55.15.25
TRANSPORTS MORLIN
Transport de bateau
21, cours Tartas
33120 - ARCACHON
FRANCE
Tel : (33) 05.56.83.04.50
Fax: (33) 05.56.83.66.50

BRITISH BOAT ROAD HAULAGE COMPANIES

Richard Geary 

Peters & May Ltd.

Branch Manager - Plymouth

Tel: 00 44 (0)1752 794 794     

Mobile : 00 44 (0)7887 686 734

Fax: 00 44 (0)1752 775 699

Email: richard@petersandmay.com

WEB: www.petersandmay.com

 

Peters and May are probably the biggest and  most helpful transport company in the UK for 'boat' and other things

 

South West Boat Transport -

These people are very experienced at transporting small boats up to 3 tons at extreamly eocnomical rates.

www.boat-transportation.co.uk

 

www.boat-transport.webeden.co.uk 

If you have a smaller boat - up to 29ft then a good option is www.boat-transport.webeden.co.uk

This company have heavy towing vehicles - Range Rover type and a selection of trailers.  Do regular trips to France and Spain and may have 'return load' possibilities. I have personal experience of them and they are professional and economically priced.

 

HAINSWORTHS BOAT TRANSPORT

Hainsworths Boat Transport can move your boat to any  destination in Europe or  beyond. Capable of handling all vessels up to 55ft long and 32 tons. We are a family run firm based in Bingley, West Yorkshire. The web site contains a lot of practical information, photos and links about transporting boats, a family run firm from Yorkshire

01274 5659225

Shoreline Yacht Transport

Shoreline Yacht Transport 

Chichester - 01243 785370

http://www.boat-trans.co.uk

 

Sealand Boat Deliveries Limited
Liverpool Marina,
Coburg Wharf,
Liverpool.
L3 4BP
Ops Office Telephone: 01254 705225 International +44 1254 705225
International fax : +44 1254 776582

http://www.btx.co.uk/sealand

 

Peters & May, Parham Drive, Eastleigh, Southampton, Hampshire, SO50 4NU. UK.
Tel: +44 2380 480480 Fax: +44 2380 480400
Email: enquiries@petersandmay.com
www.petersandmay.com

 

http://www.boattransport.co.uk

The above is based in Gloustershire

 

APOLLO MARINE LTD, 

Trafalgar House, Alington Close, Poole, BH14 8NF, England.
Tel.00 44 (0)1202 706720. Fax.00 44 (0)1202 706721. Mobile 00 44 (0)836 564438.
E Mail Sales@yachtseurope.com

http://www.yachtseurope.com 

 appear to do yacht transportation by road & sea from Poole in Dorset.

I have used the lorry option once, when I was far too busy to collect the boat myself and did not want to miss a season sailing - The boat was collected from a marina in Spain near Barcelona and delivered to me near Amsterdam.  I had informed the Spanish marina that the boat was being collected and as I had paid in advance for the berth there was no problem with them releasing it (in fact they sent me a refund!)

The lorry driver arrived at the marina and with the help of the staff had the boat moved to beneath the crane, mast taken down, the boat craned out and placed on the special boat transporter low loader. He then drove it to Holland where I was working and I had arranged for a marina to receive it. I had no input except for telephoning the marina in Spain and warning the marina in Holland to expect it - and paying in cash - no receipt.

IT WAS A RETURN LOAD: This system only works at very short notice - what you are looking for is a lorry that is returning from a destination near to your boat empty - without a return load.  The bigger companies seldom offer this but the smaller ones will if you shop around...

You have to be prepared to make a fast decision if you find such an opportunity - most boat carrying lorry trips have been costed for the lorry to return from 'tipping' the boat at it's destination without a return load.  Of course it is very attractive for the haulage company to have a 'return load' to somewhere near to their depot. Even if it's at a discount - it's nearly all profit for the haulage company!   To achieve this you the customer must be flexible about time and dates. Be willing to make a decision on the telephone and possibly pay in cash.

The way to achieve this is to call every boat haulage company you can contact to see what they have available - The most frequent 'return loads' are from 

 If you contact any of the above please mention this web site.

 

If you want your boat transported to the USA, Australia, Med or Europe by specialised ship then:-

http://www.yacht-transport.com

From the UK

SN1 = north to south - direct route by sea

SN2 = north to south via Canal du Midi

SN3= north to south via Le Havre - Paris - or Calais or St Valery

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From the Mediterranean.

SN4 = south to north via Atlantic coast

SN5 = south to north via Azores

SN6 = south to north via Canal du Midi

SN7 = south to north via canals to Paris and Le Havre, Calais, St Valery sur Somme.

Lorry option = a list of web sites of British and French haulage companies who specalise in boat transport.

VNF  = Voies Navigables de France - details of license fees and canal offices - official paper

click here for canals chart

Click here for Atlantic chart

These web sites may be useful for the end of the canal system in the Mediterranean .

www.port-napoleon.com/

1 – Planning the voyage

2 –South coast to Chenal du Four

3 - Chenal du Four to La Rochelle

4 - La Rochelle to Spain overview

5 - La Rochelle to Coruña

6 - Coruña to Gibraltar

Why not take your boat to La Rochelle on your way to the Mediterranean?

The first part of the book has all the day sail stops down to La Rochelle then onto the Med.

GENTLE SAILING ROUTE TO THE

MEDITERRANEAN

 There are several ways of getting your boat to the Mediterranean. On the back of a lorry, via the French canals, four or five day’s non stop across the Bay of Biscay then down the Portuguese coast or spend the summer or two, gently coasting southwards, enjoying the harbours, cities, towns and villages of France Spain and Portugal.

 

This is not a pilot book, rather a passage plan and guide to the nicer places between the South Coast of the UK to the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.  It can all be done in easy stages, to suit a lightly crewed boat, with perhaps only a couple of people on board who are without ‘offshore’ experience.  Actually, it is a lovely way to explore a lot of delightful foreign places.

 The Ebook version is available here .50

 

 Specially drawn charts of:

 

Cherbourg to L’Aber-Wrac’h.

 

Chenal du Four to La Rochelle

 

La Rochelle to Spain

 

La Rochelle to Coruña

 

Coruna to Gibraltar

 

+illustrations, pictures, paintings

French Canal Routes to the Mediterranean

Gentle Sailing Route to the Mediterranean

Gentle Mediterranean Routes to the Islands

The Pacific Crossing Guide

Caribbean Islands Cruising Guides

Strait Sailing to Gibraltar

Living Aboard Around the World

Easy Navigation

For my sailing books and French canal guides please go to

  gentlesailing.com

 

 

 

                         

Home Up SN1- south  by sea SN2south by Canal du Midi SN3 Calais or Le Havre SN4-north via Atlantic coast SN5-north via Azores SN6North by Canal du Midi SN7-Calais, St Valery Lorry option The Scenic Route Log Canal du Midi Log Rhone River Parks Places The Brittany Canal French Waterways

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