AfriCat through the French Canals
These are some corrections and general comments to accompany the Navicarte books we used for our trip.  We entered the Seine at Le Havre, went via the Canaux du Centre and exited at Sete.  The journey took us a little over 6 weeks. For those who are interested I have produced separate documents, containing details of the marinas and anchorages we used along the way, budget information and canals Navicarte updates.
Essential Equipment
Tyres - must be tied on with 2 separate ropes, cover them and you will not be hassled.  Have some with holes in, for lowering into the water (holes allow them to sink) when alongside sloping sides.
Fender board - at least one
Poles - we used a pair of 2"x 2" poles about 2.5m long.  These were used as fender boards as well as keeping us off sloping sides while moored overnight.  Think about how to attach to your boat beforehand, make sure you have any necessary padding.
Mooring spikes - order from a canal boat chandler or make your own
Navicarte 1
PK 355	Honfleur	You can moor alongside the wall in Avant Port or go into basin, you are charged the same.  Shower tokens are 10FF, clean and warm.  Laundromat and Champion supermarket about 500m up the main street from the back of marina.  Mast can be lowered for around 400FF, go through 2 bridges to second basin.  Honfleur to Rouen must be done in one run, there are one or two possible stopping points but none seem comfortable or safe.
PK 242	Rouen	Halte Plaisance de Rouen is good value at 60FF all inclusive.  There are not many free spaces, lots of liveaboards.  The lights in the shower cubicle are triggered by locking the door, there are no light switches.  There is a small Co-op, butchery, bakery and laundromat 50m from the front gate.  The VNF office is on the bridge over the river , as you come up the steps from the halte towards town.  There is a big supermarket on south bank.  There are various banks (including Barclays) in the town (north side) as well as internet cafes and good markets.  Leave Rouen for the first lock as PK 202 about 1 hour BEFORE LW Rouen, in order to travel with the least current against you (it never turns, only slackens).
Pg 80		Pt g'Oissel & de l'autoroute photo's are switched around
PK 202	Ecluses d'Amfreville	Huge lock; straight, solid sides; bollards, ladders and recessed bollards; fender boards useful near ladders; minimal turbulence
PK 199		bras de Cornelles route is scenic.  However, there is a new bridge in the small offshoot to the Le Moulin restaurant mooring.  There are many suitable private moorings - ask before using any of these.  Many of the sites marked as possible moorings on the chart will prove to be very high to get ashore, and will require fender boards.
PK 176	Club Paris-Normandie	VERY tight, full, a little neglected.
PK 174		Short stop quay for shopping.  Floating pontoon.  Yacht harbour has alongside berthing on floating pontoons for visitors.
PK 161	Ecluse de ND de la Garenne	Bollards, ladders & recessed bollards; straight walls; automatic
PK 157	Port St Gabriel	Some rickety alongside pontoons - no facilities - looks abandoned.  Inner island route is very scenic.
PK 150	Vernonnet YC	5FF/metre/night.  Shower, water, electric, alongside pontoon.  Diesel from garage ~500m.  Supermarket, bakery across road.  Laundromat, all shops across river in Vernon.
PK 145	Former lock	Nice mooring place, still solid, some liveaboards.
Near most of the locks there are bankside moorings (bollards) for waiting - you could spend the night if you stop late and leave early.  Long ropes and fender board needed.
PK 110	Limay	Free halte.  Single boat length pontoon, solid.  Water & rubbish facilities.  Also numerous bankside moorings.
PK 99	bras de Me'zy route	numerous bankside moorings, very scenic
PK 93	Meulan	Free Halte, single boat length pontoon
PK 91	bras de Vaux route	very narrow but lovely
PK 84		bridge under construction
PK 81	Port Saint-Louis	heard numerous bad reports, looks derelict.
PK 69	Ambience Yachting	VERY tight, full.
PK 63	La Frette	Free halte, floating pontoon, bakery & small café behind church; market, butcher up in the main town.  3 restaurants along waterside.  Sewage pumping station, wash hands after touching ropes!
PK 48	Bougival	Free halte; single boat length floating pontoon; noisy as right under bridge; diesel from garage in Croissy (about 1km)
PK 45	Chatou	Free halte, under bridge so noisy.
From here into Paris there are very few places to stop.  All marked stopping places have been taken up by liveaboards.  Moor alongside a barge if needed.
PK 29	Port Sisley	Full of liveaboards!  Looks a bit rickety.
PK 24	Port Van Gogh	Full of liveaboards!
Most of the advertised fuel pontoons are not really suitable for yachts; very high sides and huge hoses.
PK 17	Ecluses de Surenes	recessed bollards, ladders, straight sides
PK 15	Marina de la passerelle de l'Avre	big, rusty-coloured floating "building"; does not appear to have any free spaces
PK 13 - 12	Jeanneau sales quay	a possible mooring overnight
From PK 12 towards Paris : note the shanty towns under the bridges and the homes inside the abandoned storage spaces along the river walls
PK 0/PK 168	Paris Arsenal	50% extra for multihulls.  Recessed floating bollards on port side of lock (entering) only.
Navicarte 2
The best time to do the last section into Paris is early morning, aiming to arrive at PK 0 around 9am.  This means you will miss all the mayhem caused by the pleasure boats.  Any overnight stop at PK15 the previous night and an early start should let you make this.  Alternatively, use St Denis canal.
PK 155	ANVT	seems okay, alongside floating pontoon, lots of cleats
PK 150	Albon 9	no recessed bollards
PK 148	Port Premier	Full of liveaboards; some bankside moorings just before port
PK 146	Port aux Cerises	Full of yachts
Many of the 'club nautique' have pontoons but they appear to be for dingies
PK 134	Port Nicholas	no sign of anything!
PK 131	Port Asaintry	small motorboats only
PK 130	Coudray 7	need fenderboards, straight sides but corrugated so fenders are useless.
PK 123	old lock	no space, full of liveaboards!
PK 119	Port Roi	supposedly good but narrow dog-leg entrance; entrance not sign-posted, low steel girder is entrance bridge.  On opposite bank, landing stage outside St Assissi Centre is a good stop - floating pontoon with good cleats
PK 112	Port de Plaisance	VERY tight, full
PK 93	Samois-sur-Seine	new, solid wall; big cleats; very picturesque
PK 91	restaurant	"Auberge de Rosiers" quay is in a bad state of disrepair
PK 90	Port Stephane Mallorne	floating finger pontoons, some outside berths, good condition
Navicarte 6 - Canaux du Centre
When referring to port and starboard, I am relating to travel in the Paris to Sete direction.
Canal du Loing
All locks along this route are straight-sided (no sloping locks).  NOTE that even the "automatic" locks have a lunch break from 12 - 1pm!
PK 49	St Mammes	new, alongside pontoons at the Port de Plaisance.  Bankside moorings available between peniches in stretch towards first lock.  Sloping sides so need poles to keep yourself off
PK 19	Souppes	stbd - new quay with electricity, water, bollards
PK 15	Neronville	stbd - good halte
Canal du Briare
PK 56 - 55		stbd - just before first bridge after lock there is a quay.  About 100m back there is a big InterMarche and garage, not visible from the river.
PK 35 - 34		free halte to stbd just before lock; 5FF shower tokens from store, bakery
PK 29 - 28		stbd - halte just after bridge, before bridge.
PK 10	Moulin-Neuf 8	a section of the lock to port is collapsing (below water line), be aware
Canal lateral a la Loire
The lockkeepers in this section only officially start at 9:30am.  If you want to travel earlier, you must let them know the previous day.  REMEMBER to mention ALL the locks, as well as ETA, through which you plan to pass before 9.30am, else only the first one will be expecting you.  Also, ALWAYS remember to let lock keeper know when you stop for the day!  From here on, the canal sides are sloping so sound in carefully when looking for a spot to moor.
PK 192	location de VTT	about 5 pontoons, showers etc.  Also, possible mooring alongside peniches / barges at bankside.  Charges.
PK 184		Nice halte; 26FF inclusive.  6FF shower tokens.
PK 174 - 173	Houards 36	sells Sancerre wine between 32 - 42 FF; comparable to prices at Sancerre itself and a good PR exercise if you buy!
PK 168 - 167		stbd - just before bridge, quay with bollards
PK 165 on		lots of bankside moorings
PK 159 - 158		stbd - InterMarche, flat-sided quay, need spikes
PK 159 - 158	St Thibault	sloping sides
PK 157		stbd - free halte, sloping sides, 10FF shower token, 10FF water
PK 151		stbd - straight metal sides and bollards
PK 144 - 143		stbd - halte, straight sides and bollards
PK 138 - 137	Charmetant	No space at halte on pontoons
PK 128	halte	stbd - not very safe, shallow and hard sill
PK 126 - 125	halte	stbd - just before bridge, lots of bollards, straight sides, all facilities ~45FF
PK 123 - 122		stbd - very nice private, free halte.  Gardens, bollards, showers, book swap.
PK 120		stbd - free halte (incl. Showers).  Diesel ~ 100m (right at bridge)
REMEMBER that most places close on a Monday, the occasional exceptions being the Tabac (pub) and the boulangerie (bakery).  Bakers often close on Tues or Wed instead.
PK 103 - 102	halte	stbd - 30FF
From now on, many of the locks are handled by a single lockkeeper (typically 2 - 3, sometimes 6).  They will travel with you on bike or by car, you may have a bit of a wait if traffic is already moving through.
PK 81 - 80		stbd - just after bridge, nice quay with bollards; restaurant and pub close by.
PK 76		port - nice quay, deep alongside.  Rural and quiet, no shops.
PK 69		port - just before bridge; InterMarche, steel sides
PK 52		stbd - lots of space
PK 41 - 40	halte	stbd - just after bridge; floating pontoon
PK 38 - 37	Beaulon 8	fresh eggs for sale, 20FF / dozen
PK 20 - 19	halte	stbd - just before bridge; quaint town
PK 5	Port	stbd - first night free, chandlery
Canal du Centre
PK 103 - 101	halte	prt - the whole way along.  Lovely town, especially backstreets around church.
PK 82 - 81		stbd & prt - just before lock, moorings both sides
PK 79 - 76		banksides collapsing, unsafe, rocks
PK 64	halte	stbd - excellent; floating pontoons, 9FF per night incl. Shower, 15FF water and electricity (225FF / month, 1650FF / year!);  good market on Sat
PK 61	halte	prt - just after bridge, water and electricity
PK 47 - 46		stbd - just after lock; deep, straight tie-up quay
PK 46	museum	closes for lunch 12 - 3pm
PK 33	Port	stbd - under construction.  The bollards just after bridge have rocky, sloping sides.
PK 24	halte	prt - nice;  note advert for wine cave that delivers to your boat!
PK 17 - 16	halte	stbd - just after lock 26
PK 8 - 7	halte	prt - last stopping place before lock 34b
PK 4	lock 34b	2 green laser boxes to stbd, around 120m from lock, trigger the lock mechanisms
PK 0 / 142	Chalon Port	good facilities, HUGE Carreforre; 87FF inclusive
Navicarte10 - La Saone
NOTE : Always wear lifejackets when entering locks on the Soane / Rhone.  It is compulsory and there is a 1000FF spot fine, which has been issued before.  The same applies to paperwork, you must carry originals - although I recommend having copies for day-to-day use, only producing originals if requested.
PK 123	Old lock	30FF; quaint & spacious
PK112	halte	downstream (d/s) stbd - solid quay before bridge, floating pontoon after bridge; free; Hotel de Saone pontoon is only single boat length
PK 98 - 97		d/s prt - floating pontoon just after bridge
PK 91 - 90		d/s prt - very small boats only
PK 85 - 84	Pt Nord de Macon	tidal marker for the various bridges through Macon
PK 81 - 80		d/s prt - bollards and floating pontoon
PK 73 - 72		d/s stbd - good floating pontoon, snack bar / restaurant
PK 64 - 63		d/s prt - quay just after bridge is unsuitable
PK 61	Former lock	no mooring allowed
PK 55 - 54		d/s stbd - floating pontoon, good depth, water
PK 53		d/s prt - floating pontoon at café / restaurant
PK 52		d/s prt - good mooring
PK 43	Nautic 01	small boats only
PK 42 - 41		new bridge
PK 31 - 30		d/s prt - neither moorings look inviting
PK 26	former lock	mooring possible but full
PK 23		d/s stbd - floating pontoon, single boat length
PK 23 - 22	Yachting 69	d/s stbd - floating pontoons, looks good
PK 22		d/s stbd - floating pontoon, 1.5m depth
PK 21 - 20		d/s prt - 2m depth, quay with rings
PK 18 - 17	halte	d/s prt - solid quay just before lock
PK 7 onwards		quays with rings / bollards all the way along.
Lyons - don't miss the Fourviere cathedral - amazing mosaics, brass work, wood work!  There is a big market along the river around PK4 on Sat am.
Navicarte16 - Le Rhone
PK 4	Ecluse de Pierre Benite	Floating waiting pontoons
PK 29		public quay; solid, high, bollards and rings
PK 41 - 40	les Roches port	prt hand marker missing, stbd marker on last of 6 pylons; good facilities, 2 prong French plugs
PK 47 - 48		d/s prt - rocks and shoals to prt just after bridge
PK 56		d/s prt - steel-sided quay before and after bridge
PK 104		d/s prt - quay with tyres and bollards
PK 112	Port de l'Eperviere	tricky entrance, 1m depth max.
NOTE :If you see red flags along the walls inside the locks, this indicates the floating bollard in that position is missing
PK 143 - 144		beware of 1m depth line of rocks running between old river and canal, when leaving lock.  In other words, don't try to cross over too soon.
PK 147 onwards		potential for rough chop in strong winds
PK 164		floating waiting pontoons; sign "no parking sauf plaisance" means no berthing EXCEPT pleasure boats
PK 166		quay is not suitable, marina is half built but has good depth
PK 204		Good pontoon.  Co-operative wine cellar 5 min's walk downstream  - wine by the litre for 6FF, bring your own bottle or buy one from them.
PK 214	ecluse	d/s - waiting pontoon just before lock is missing
PK 241.5	Avignon	quay or marina same price.  Marina pontoons were not in very good condition so we used quay instead, 3m depth
PK 261	halte	very tight, silted up, 50FF
PK 265		floating waiting pontoons
PK 269		new bridge